Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ^(A)

¹³ When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ^(B)“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

¹⁴ So they said, ^(C)“Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or ^(D)one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do ^(E)you say that I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, ^(F)“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, ^(G)for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but ^(H)My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I also say to you that ^(I)you are Peter, and ^(J)on this rock I will build My church, and ^(K)the gates of Hades shall not ^[a]prevail against it.

³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

³⁷ Now when they heard this, ^(A)they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

³⁸ Then Peter said to them, ^(B)“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the ^[a]remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and ^(C)to your children, and ^(D)to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

A Vital Church Grows

⁴⁰ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this ^[b]perverse generation.” ⁴¹ Then those who ^[c]gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. ^42 (E)And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ ^[d]doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³ Then fear came upon every soul, and ^(F)many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ Now all who believed were together, and ^(G)had all things in common, ⁴⁵ and ^[e]sold their possessions and goods, and ^(H)divided^[f] them among all, as anyone had need.

^46 (I)So continuing daily with one accord ^(J)in the temple, and ^(K)breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And ^(L)the Lord added ^[g]to the church daily those who were being saved.

²² And ^(A)He put all things under His feet, and gave Him ^(B)to be head over all things to the church, ^23 (C)which is His body, ^(D)the fullness of Him ^(E)who fills all in all.

¹⁸ For ^(A)through Him we both have access ^(B)by one Spirit to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone

¹⁹ Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ having been ^(C)built ^(D)on the foundation of the ^(E)apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being ^(F)the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into ^(G)a holy temple in the Lord, ^22 (H)in whom you also are being built together for a ^(I)dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

¹⁴ But this I confess to you, that according to ^(A)the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the ^(B)God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in ^(C)the Law and in the Prophets. ^15 (D)I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, ^(E)that there will be a resurrection ^[a]of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. ^16 (F)This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.