¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega,^(A) the First and the Last,^(B) the Beginning and the End.^(C)

⁴⁶ He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer^(A) and rise from the dead on the third day,^{(B) 47} and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name^(C) to all nations,^(D) beginning at Jerusalem.^{(E) 48} You are witnesses^(F) of these things. ⁴⁹ I am going to send you what my Father has promised;^(G) but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

The Ascension of Jesus

⁵⁰ When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany,^(H) he lifted up his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹ While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.^(I)

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word,^(A) and the Word was with God,^(B) and the Word was God.^(C)

¹⁴ The Word became flesh^(A) and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory,^(B) the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace^(C) and truth.^(D)

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;^(A) and you will be my witnesses^(B) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,^(C) and to the ends of the earth.”^(D)

³ For what I received^(A) I passed on to you^(B) as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins^(C) according to the Scriptures,^{(D) 4} that he was buried,^(E) that he was raised^(F) on the third day^(G) according to the Scriptures,^{(H) 5} and that he appeared to Cephas,^[b](I) and then to the Twelve.^{(J) 6} After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.^{(K) 7} Then he appeared to James,^(L) then to all the apostles,^{(M) 8} and last of all he appeared to me also,^(N) as to one abnormally born.

⁹ For I am the least of the apostles^(O) and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted^(P) the church of God.^(Q)

² This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh^(A) is from God,^{(B) 3} but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,^(C) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.^(D)

⁴ You, dear children,^(E) are from God and have overcome them,^(F) because the one who is in you^(G) is greater than the one who is in the world.^{(H) 5} They are from the world^(I) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.^(J) This is how we recognize the Spirit^[a] of truth^(K) and the spirit of falsehood.^(L)

God’s Love and Ours

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another,^(M) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God^(N) and knows God.^{(O) 8} Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.^{(P) 9} This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son^(Q) into the world that we might live through him.^{(R) 10} This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us^(S) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.^(T)

⁷ I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ^(A) as coming in the flesh,^(B) have gone out into the world.^(C) Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.^(D)