In Pisidian Antioch

¹³ From Paphos,^(A) Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia,^(B) where John^(C) left them to return to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch.^(D) On the Sabbath^(E) they entered the synagogue^(F) and sat down. ¹⁵ After the reading from the Law^(G) and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”

¹⁶ Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand^(H) and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! ¹⁷ The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country;^{(I) 18} for about forty years he endured their conduct^[a](J) in the wilderness;^{(K) 19} and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan,^(L) giving their land to his people^(M) as their inheritance.^{(N) 20} All this took about 450 years.

“After this, God gave them judges^(O) until the time of Samuel the prophet.^{(P) 21} Then the people asked for a king,^(Q) and he gave them Saul^(R) son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin,^(S) who ruled forty years. ²² After removing Saul,^(T) he made David their king.^(U) God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;^(V) he will do everything I want him to do.’^(W)

²³ “From this man’s descendants^(X) God has brought to Israel the Savior^(Y) Jesus,^(Z) as he promised.^{(AA) 24} Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.^{(AB) 25} As John was completing his work,^(AC) he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for.^(AD) But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’^(AE)

¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master,^(A) nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.^(B)

Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

¹⁸ “I am not referring to all of you;^(C) I know those I have chosen.^(D) But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture:^(E) ‘He who shared my bread^(F) has turned^[a](G) against me.’^[b](H)

¹⁹ “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe^(I) that I am who I am.^{(J) 20} Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”^(K)

Psalm 2

⁷ I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

⁷ But to each one of us^(A) grace^(B) has been given^(C) as Christ apportioned it. ⁸ This is why it^[a] says:

¹¹ So Christ himself gave^(A) the apostles,^(B) the prophets,^(C) the evangelists,^(D) the pastors and teachers,^{(E) 12} to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ^(F) may be built up^{(G) 13} until we all reach unity^(H) in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God^(I) and become mature,^(J) attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.^(K)

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants,^(L) tossed back and forth by the waves,^(M) and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.^{(N) 15} Instead, speaking the truth in love,^(O) we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head,^(P) that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows^(Q) and builds itself up^(R) in love,^(S) as each part does its work.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,^[a] the Son of God,^{[b](B) 2} as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

⁴ And so John the Baptist^(E) appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance^(F) for the forgiveness of sins.^{(G) 5} The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. ⁶ John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist,^(H) and he ate locusts^(I) and wild honey. ⁷ And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.^{(J) 8} I baptize you with^[e] water, but he will baptize you with^[f] the Holy Spirit.”^(K)

The Baptism and Testing of Jesus^(L)(M)

⁹ At that time Jesus came from Nazareth^(N) in Galilee and was baptized by John^(O) in the Jordan. ¹⁰ Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.^{(P) 11} And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son,^(Q) whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”^(R)

¹² At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, ¹³ and he was in the wilderness forty days,^(S) being tempted^[g] by Satan.^(T) He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Jesus Announces the Good News^(U)

¹⁴ After John^(V) was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee,^(W) proclaiming the good news of God.^{(X) 15} “The time has come,”^(Y) he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe^(Z) the good news!”^(AA)