³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]”^(A)

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,^(A) the new creation^(B) has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here!^(C)

Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

5 Everyone who believes^(A) that Jesus is the Christ^(B) is born of God,^(C) and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.^(D)

²⁰ They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar^{(A) 21} by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans^(B) to accept or practice.”^(C)

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.^{(D) 23} After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer^(E) was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.^(F)

²⁵ About midnight^(G) Paul and Silas^(H) were praying and singing hymns^(I) to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.^(J) At once all the prison doors flew open,^(K) and everyone’s chains came loose.^{(L) 27} The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.^{(M) 28} But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.^{(N) 30} He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”^(O)

³¹ They replied, “Believe^(P) in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved^(Q)—you and your household.”^{(R) 32} Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night^(S) the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.^(T)

⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises,^(A) so that through them you may participate in the divine nature,^(B) having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.^(C)