Gentiles Hear the Good News

³⁴ So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that ^(A)God ^(B)shows no partiality, ³⁵ but ^(C)in every nation anyone who fears him and ^(D)does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶ As for ^(E)the word that he sent to Israel, ^(F)preaching good news of ^(G)peace through Jesus Christ (^(H)he is Lord of all), ³⁷ you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, ^(I)beginning ^(J)from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: ³⁸ how ^(K)God anointed Jesus of Nazareth ^(L)with the Holy Spirit and with ^(M)power. He went about doing good and healing all ^(N)who were oppressed by the devil, ^(O)for God was with him. ³⁹ And ^(P)we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. ^(Q)They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, ⁴⁰ but ^(R)God raised him on ^(S)the third day and made him to ^(T)appear, ^41 (U)not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as ^(V)witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² And ^(W)he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify ^(X)that he is the one appointed by God to be judge ^(Y)of the living and the dead. ^43 (Z)To him ^(AA)all the prophets bear witness that ^(AB)everyone who believes in him receives ^(AC)forgiveness of sins ^(AD)through his name.”

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

¹¹ But as for you, ^(A)O man of God, ^(B)flee these things. ^(C)Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. ^12 (D)Fight the good fight of the faith. ^(E)Take hold of the eternal life ^(F)to which you were called and about which you made ^(G)the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ^13 (H)I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, ^(I)who in his testimony before^[a] Pontius Pilate made ^(J)the good confession, ¹⁴ to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until ^(K)the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which he will display ^(L)at the proper time—he who is ^(M)the blessed and only Sovereign, ^(N)the King of kings and Lord of lords, ^16 (O)who alone has immortality, ^(P)who dwells in ^(Q)unapproachable light, ^(R)whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

Jesus Before Pilate

^28 (A)Then they led Jesus ^(B)from the house of Caiaphas to ^(C)the governor's headquarters.^[a] It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, ^(D)so that they would not be defiled, ^(E)but could eat the Passover. ^29 (F)So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” ³⁰ They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” ³¹ Pilate said to them, ^(G)“Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” ^32 (H)This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken ^(I)to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

^33 (J)So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, ^(K)“Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” ³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, ^(L)“My kingdom ^(M)is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, ^(N)my servants would have been fighting, that ^(O)I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” ³⁷ Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, ^(P)“You say that I am a king. ^(Q)For this purpose I was born and for this purpose ^(R)I have come into the world—^(S)to bear witness to the truth. ^(T)Everyone who is ^(U)of the truth ^(V)listens to my voice.” ³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, ^(W)he went back outside to the Jews and told them, ^(X)“I find no guilt in him.