The Coming of the Holy Spirit

2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.^{(A) 2} And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.^{(B) 3} Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.^(C)

⁵ Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶ And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. ⁷ Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” ¹² All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

²² “Fellow Israelites,^[a] listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth,^[b] a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know^(A)— ²³ this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.^{(B) 24} But God raised him up, having released him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.^{(C) 25} For David says concerning him,

²⁹ “Fellow Israelites,^[c] I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.^{(F) 30} Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne.^{(G) 31} Foreseeing this, David^[d] spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah,^[e] saying,

³² “This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.^(I)

Psalm 16

Song of Trust and Security in God

A Miktam of David.

A Living Hope

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead^{(A) 4} and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.^{(B) 6} In this you rejoice,^[a] even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials,^{(C) 7} so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.^{(D) 8} Although you have not seen^[b] him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,^{(E) 9} for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.^[c]

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

¹⁹ When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”^{(A) 20} After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.^{(B) 21} Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”^{(C) 22} When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”^(D)

Jesus and Thomas

²⁴ But Thomas (who was called the Twin^[a]), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.^{(E) 25} So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”^(F)

²⁶ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”^{(G) 27} Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”^{(H) 28} Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”^(I)

The Purpose of This Book

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. ³¹ But these are written so that you may continue^[b] to believe that Jesus is the Messiah,^[c] the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.^(J)