Book of Common Prayer
18 So they called them in and gave them orders not to speak at all, or to teach, in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John gave them this reply.
“You judge,” they said, “whether it’s right before God to listen to you rather than to God! 20 As far as we’re concerned, we can’t stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
21 Then they threatened them some more, and let them go. They couldn’t find any way to punish them because of the people, since everyone was glorifying God for what had happened.
Look upon their threats
23 When they had been released, they went back to their own people, and told them everything that the chief priests and the elders had said. 24 When they heard it, they all together lifted up their voices to God.
“Sovereign Master,” they said, “you made heaven and earth, and the sea, and everything in them. 25 And you said through the holy spirit, by the mouth of our ancestor David, your servant,
Why did the nations fly into a rage,
and why did the peoples think empty thoughts?
26 The kings of the earth arose
and the rulers gathered themselves together
against the Lord and against his anointed Messiah.
27 “It’s true: Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the nations and the peoples of Israel, gathered themselves together in this very city against your holy child Jesus, the one you anointed, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had foreordained to take place. 29 So now, Master, look on their threats; and grant that we, your servants, may speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand for healing, so that signs and wonders may come about through the name of your holy child Jesus.”
31 When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken. They were all filled with the holy spirit, and they boldly spoke the word of God.
Signs of the new covenant
32 The company of those who believed had one heart and soul. Nobody said that they owned their property; instead, they had everything in common. 33 The apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and great grace was upon all of them.
19 “Well, sir,” replied the woman, “I can see you’re a prophet . . . 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain. And you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
21 “Believe me, woman,” replied Jesus, “the time is coming when you won’t worship the father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you don’t know. We worship what we do know; salvation, you see, is indeed from the Jews. 23 But the time is coming—indeed, it’s here already!—when true worshipers will worship the father in spirit and in truth. Yes; that’s the kind of worshipers the father is looking for. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
25 “I know that Messiah is coming,” said the woman, “the one they call ‘the anointed.’ When he comes, he’ll tell us everything.”
26 “I’m the one—the one speaking to you right now,” said Jesus.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.