Peter Heals a Lame Beggar

3 One day Peter and John^(A) were going up to the temple^(B) at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.^{(C) 2} Now a man who was lame from birth^(D) was being carried to the temple gate^(E) called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg^(F) from those going into the temple courts. ³ When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴ Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” ⁵ So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

⁶ Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,^(G) walk.” ⁷ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. ⁸ He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping,^(H) and praising God. ⁹ When all the people^(I) saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful,^(J) and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter Speaks to the Onlookers

¹¹ While the man held on to Peter and John,^(K) all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade.^{(L) 12} When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,^(M) the God of our fathers,^(N) has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over^(O) to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate,^(P) though he had decided to let him go.^{(Q) 14} You disowned the Holy^(R) and Righteous One^(S) and asked that a murderer be released to you.^{(T) 15} You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.^(U) We are witnesses^(V) of this. ¹⁶ By faith in the name of Jesus,^(W) this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

¹⁷ “Now, fellow Israelites,^(X) I know that you acted in ignorance,^(Y) as did your leaders.^{(Z) 18} But this is how God fulfilled^(AA) what he had foretold^(AB) through all the prophets,^(AC) saying that his Messiah would suffer.^{(AD) 19} Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,^(AE) that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, ²⁰ and that he may send the Messiah,^(AF) who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. ²¹ Heaven must receive him^(AG) until the time comes for God to restore everything,^(AH) as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.^{(AI) 22} For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.^{(AJ) 23} Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’^[a](AK)

²⁴ “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets^(AL) who have spoken have foretold these days. ²⁵ And you are heirs^(AM) of the prophets and of the covenant^(AN) God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’^{[b](AO) 26} When God raised up^(AP) his servant, he sent him first^(AQ) to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

Released From the Law, Bound to Christ

7 Do you not know, brothers and sisters^(A)—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? ² For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him.^{(B) 3} So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress.^(C) But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

⁴ So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law^(D) through the body of Christ,^(E) that you might belong to another,^(F) to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. ⁵ For when we were in the realm of the flesh,^[a](G) the sinful passions aroused by the law^(H) were at work in us,^(I) so that we bore fruit for death.^{(J) 6} But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law^(K) so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.^(L)

The Law and Sin

⁷ What shall we say, then?^(M) Is the law sinful? Certainly not!^(N) Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.^(O) For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”^{[b](P) 8} But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,^(Q) produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.^{(R) 9} Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. ¹⁰ I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life^(S) actually brought death. ¹¹ For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,^(T) deceived me,^(U) and through the commandment put me to death. ¹² So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.^(V)

¹³ Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good^(W) to bring about my death,^(X) so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

¹⁴ We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,^(Y) sold^(Z) as a slave to sin.^{(AA) 15} I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.^{(AB) 16} And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.^{(AC) 17} As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.^{(AD) 18} For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[c](AE) For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.^{(AF) 20} Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.^(AG)

²¹ So I find this law at work:^(AH) Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being^(AI) I delight in God’s law;^{(AJ) 23} but I see another law at work in me, waging war^(AK) against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin^(AL) at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?^{(AM) 25} Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!^(AN)

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law,^(AO) but in my sinful nature^[d] a slave to the law of sin.^(AP)

¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience,^(A) so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.^{(B) 17} For it is better, if it is God’s will,^(C) to suffer for doing good^(D) than for doing evil. ¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once^(E) for sins,^(F) the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.^(G) He was put to death in the body^(H) but made alive in the Spirit.^{(I) 19} After being made alive,^[a] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits^(J)—

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.^{(A) 25} He chose to be mistreated^(B) along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace^(C) for the sake of Christ^(D) as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.^{(E) 27} By faith he left Egypt,^(F) not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.

On Not Loving the World

¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world.^(A) If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[a] is not in them.^(B)

¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death to life,^(A) because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.^(B)

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.^(A) And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.^(B)

God’s Love and Ours

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another,^(A) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God^(B) and knows God.^{(C) 8} Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.^{(D) 9} This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son^(E) into the world that we might live through him.^{(F) 10} This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us^(G) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.^{(H) 11} Dear friends,^(I) since God so loved us,^(J) we also ought to love one another.^{(K) 12} No one has ever seen God;^(L) but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.^(M)

¹³ This is how we know^(N) that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.^(O)

¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.^(A) Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.^{(B) 17} This is how love is made complete^(C) among us so that we will have confidence^(D) on the day of judgment:^(E) In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,^(F) because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.^(G)