John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

3 In those days John the Baptist^(B) came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven^(C) has come near.” ³ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

⁴ John’s^(E) clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist.^(F) His food was locusts^(G) and wild honey. ⁵ People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶ Confessing their sins, they were baptized^(H) by him in the Jordan River.

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers!^(I) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^(J)

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.^{(A) 17} When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.^{(B) 19} Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,^(C) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,^{(D) 20} and teaching^(E) them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you^(F) always, to the very end of the age.”^(G)

³⁷ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”^(A)

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,^(B) every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.^(C) And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^{(D) 39} The promise is for you and your children^(E) and for all who are far off^(F)—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”^{(G) 41} Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number^(H) that day.

³⁵ Then Philip began^(A) with that very passage of Scripture^(B) and told him the good news^(C) about Jesus.

³⁶ As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”^{(D) [37] [a] 38} And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. ³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away,^(E) and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on^(A) all who heard the message. ⁴⁵ The circumcised believers who had come with Peter^(B) were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out^(C) even on Gentiles.^{(D) 46} For they heard them speaking in tongues^[a](E) and praising God.

Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water.^(F) They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”^{(G) 48} So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.^(H) Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

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

³¹ They replied, “Believe^(C) in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved^(D)—you and your household.”^{(E) 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^(F) the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.^{(G) 34} The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he^(H) was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

Paul in Ephesus

19 While Apollos^(A) was at Corinth,^(B) Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus.^(C) There he found some disciples ² and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit^(D) when^[a] you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

³ So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

⁴ Paul said, “John’s baptism^(E) was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”^{(F) 5} On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.^{(G) 6} When Paul placed his hands on them,^(H) the Holy Spirit came on them,^(I) and they spoke in tongues^[b](J) and prophesied.

³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized^(A) into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death^(B) in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead^(C) through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.^(D)

²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God^(A) through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ^(B) have clothed yourselves with Christ.^{(C) 28} There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,^(D) nor is there male and female,^(E) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.^(F)