Book of Common Prayer

^27-28 o they brought them in and put them before the court. The high priest asked them, `Did we not tell you that you must never teach again in this name? But here you are, teaching people all over Jerusalem in this name. You are trying to put on us the blame for this man's death.'

²⁹ Then Peter and the other apostles answered them, `We must obey God rather than men.

³⁰ The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, the one you killed by hanging on a dead tree.

³¹ God has made him great at his right side. He has made him leader and Saviour. He has done this so that the people of Israel may stop doing wrong things and be forgiven.

³² We know these things are true. So does the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.'

³³ When the judges heard this, they were very, very angry and wanted to kill them.

³⁴ Then a lawyer named Gamaliel stood up in the court. He was a Pharisee and all the people respected him. He asked that the apostles be taken out for a while.

³⁵ Then he said, `Men of Israel, you had better take care what you plan to do to these men.

³⁶ Before this time, there was a man named Theudas. He tried to make people believe that he was a great man. He had about four hundred followers. He was killed, and all of his followers were scattered, and the whole thing ended.

³⁷ Then after that, at tax time, another man named Judas from Galilee made trouble. Many people followed him. He also was killed and all of his followers were scattered. 38,

^38-39 o now, I say, do nothing to these men. Leave them alone. If this is the teaching or work of men, it will come to an end. But if it is of God, you cannot stop these men. You might even be fighting against God!'

⁴⁰ They agreed to do what he said. They called in the apostles and had them beaten. They told them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Then they let them go.

⁴¹ The apostles left the court. They were very glad to think that God let them be punished for the name of Jesus.

⁴² Every day, in the temple and in homes, they kept on teaching and talking about Jesus Christ.

²² After this, Jesus and his disciples came into the country of Judea. Jesus stayed there with them and baptized people.

²³ John was also baptizing people in the river at Aenon, near the town of Salim. There was much water. People came to him and were baptized.

²⁴ This was before John was put in prison.

²⁵ John's disciples and the leaders of the Jews were talking about how to be clean, the way God wants us to be clean.

²⁶ They came to John and said, `Teacher, there was a man with you on the other side of the Jordan River. You were telling people about him. Now he himself is baptizing and all the people are going to him.'

²⁷ John answered, `A man cannot get anything unless God in heaven gives it to him.

²⁸ You yourselves heard what I said. I am not the Christ but I have been sent ahead of the Christ.

²⁹ The wife belongs to the man who has married her. The man's best friend may stand and listen. And when he hears what that man says, he is very glad for him. So what I hear makes me very glad in the same way.

³⁰ He must become more and more great, but I must become less and less great.

³¹ `The one who comes from heaven is greater than all other people. The one who is of the earth talks about things on earth. So the one who comes from heaven is greater than all.

³² He tells what he has seen and heard, but no one wants to believe what he says.

³³ If a person believes what the one from heaven says, then he also says God is true.

³⁴ The one God sent speaks the words of God. God does not give him the Spirit little by little, but he gives the Spirit in full.

³⁵ The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his hand.

³⁶ He who believes in the Son will live for ever. He who does not believe in the Son will not live. God will be very angry with him for ever.'