²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As ^(A)the Father has sent me, ^(B)even so I am sending you.” ²² And when he had said this, he ^(C)breathed on them and said to them, ^(D)“Receive the Holy Spirit.

¹⁴ Now when ^(A)the apostles at Jerusalem heard that ^(B)Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, ¹⁵ who came down and prayed for them ^(C)that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶ for ^(D)he had not yet ^(E)fallen on any of them, but ^(F)they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then ^(G)they laid their hands on them and ^(H)they received the Holy Spirit.

² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, ^(A)the Holy Spirit said, ^(B)“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul ^(C)for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then after fasting and ^(D)praying they laid their hands on them and ^(E)sent them off.

²³ And when they had ^(A)appointed ^(B)elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting ^(C)they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

^14 (A)Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you ^(B)by prophecy when the council of elders ^(C)laid their hands on you.

^22 (A)Do not be hasty in the ^(B)laying on of hands, nor ^(C)take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

Qualifications for Elders

^5 (A)This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and ^(B)appoint elders in every town as I directed you—