Book of Common Prayer
Healed by Peter’s shadow
12 Many signs and wonders were performed by the apostles among the people. They were all together in Solomon’s Porch, 13 while none of the others dared join them, though the people spoke highly of them. 14 But more people, a crowd both of men and women, believed in the Lord, and were added to their number. 15 They used to bring the sick into the streets, and place them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on them as he went by. 16 Crowds gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing people who were sick, or infested with unclean spirits. All of them were cured.
The words of this life
17 Then the high priest got up, and all who were with him, namely the group called the Sadducees. They were filled with righteous indignation, 18 and seized the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But an angel of the Lord came in the night, opened the prison doors, and brought them out.
20 “Go and take your stand in the Temple,” he said, “and speak all the words of this Life to the people.”
21 When they heard this, they went in at early morning and began to teach.
When the high priest arrived with his entourage, they called the official Assembly and all the elders of the children of Israel, and they sent to the prison to have the apostles brought in. 22 But when the attendants went, they didn’t find them in the prison. So they came and reported back.
23 “We found the jail shut up with maximum security,” they said, “and the guards were standing in front of the doors. But when we opened up we found nobody inside.”
24 When they heard these words, the commander of the Temple police and the chief priests were at a loss about them, with no idea what had happened. 25 But then someone came with a message for them.
“Look!” he said. “The men you put in prison are standing in the Temple and teaching the people!”
26 Then the commander went with his attendants and brought them. They didn’t use force, though, because they were afraid that the people might stone them.
Jesus and Nicodemus
3 There was a man of the Pharisees called Nicodemus, a ruler of the Judaeans. 2 He came to Jesus by night.
“Rabbi,” he said to him. “We know that you’re a teacher who’s come from God. Nobody can do these signs that you’re doing, unless God is with him.”
3 “Let me tell you the solemn truth,” replied Jesus. “Unless someone has been born from above, they won’t be able to see God’s kingdom.”
4 “How can someone possibly be born,” asked Nicodemus, “when they’re old? You’re not telling me they can go back a second time into the mother’s womb and be born, are you?”
5 “I’m telling you the solemn truth,” replied Jesus. “Unless someone is born from water and spirit, they can’t enter God’s kingdom. 6 Flesh is born from flesh, but spirit is born from spirit. 7 Don’t be surprised that I said to you, You must be born from above. 8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear the sound it makes; but you don’t know where it’s coming from or where it’s going to. That’s what it’s like with someone who is born from the spirit.”
9 “How can this be so?” asked Nicodemus.
10 “Well, well!” replied Jesus. “You’re a teacher of Israel, and yet you don’t know about all this? 11 I’m telling you the solemn truth: we’re talking about things we know about. We’re giving evidence about things we’ve seen. But you won’t admit our evidence. 12 If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will it be if I tell you heavenly things? Are you going to believe then? 13 And nobody has gone up into heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the son of man.”
The snake and the love of God
14 “So, just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, in the same way the son of man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may share in the life of God’s new age. 16 This, you see, is how much God loved the world: enough to give his only, special son, so that everyone who believes in him should not be lost but should share in the life of God’s new age. 17 After all, God didn’t send the son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world could be saved by him.
18 “Anyone who believes in him is not condemned. But anyone who doesn’t believe is condemned already, because they didn’t believe in the name of God’s only, special son. 19 And this is the condemnation: that light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light, because what they were doing was evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light; people like that don’t come to the light, in case their deeds get shown up and reproved. 21 But people who do the truth come to the light, so that it can become clear that what they have done has been done in God.”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.