^5 (A)you also, as living stones, ^[a]are being built up as a ^(B)spiritual house for a holy ^(C)priesthood, to ^(D)offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

^16 (A)Do you not know that ^(B)you are a ^[a]temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

The Day of Pentecost

2 When ^(A)the day of Pentecost ^[a]had come, they were all together in one place. ² And suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled ^(B)the whole house where they were sitting. ³ And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, ^[b]distributing themselves, and a tongue ^[c]rested on each one of them. ⁴ And they were all ^(C)filled with the Holy Spirit and began to ^(D)speak with different ^[d]tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out.

⁵ Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, ^(E)devout men from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And when ^(F)this sound occurred, the crowd came together and they were bewildered, because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own ^[e]language. ^7 (G)They were amazed and astonished, saying, “^[f]Why, are not all these who are speaking ^(H)Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we each hear them in our own ^[g]language ^[h]to which we were born? ⁹ Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and ^(I)Cappadocia, ^(J)Pontus and ^[i](K)Asia, ^10 (L)Phrygia and ^(M)Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya around ^(N)Cyrene, and ^[j](O)visitors from Rome, both Jews and ^[k](P)proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own ^[l]tongues of the mighty deeds of God.” ¹² And ^(Q)they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”

God-pleasing Sacrifices

^15 (A)Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a ^(B)sacrifice of praise to God, that is, ^(C)the fruit of lips praising His name. ¹⁶ And do not neglect doing good and ^(D)sharing, for ^(E)with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Dedicated Service

12 Therefore ^(A)I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to ^(B)present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, ^[a]acceptable to God, which is your ^[b]spiritual service of worship.

¹⁸ But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am ^[a]amply supplied, having received from ^(A)Epaphroditus ^[b]what you have sent, ^[c](B)a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.