Book of Common Prayer

Back In Jerusalem, Peter Explains How God Gave The Identical Gift To The Gentiles

11 Now the apostles and the brothers being throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also accepted the word of God. ² But when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the ones of the circumcision were disputing with him, ³ saying that “You went in to men having uncircumcision, and you ate with them”. ⁴ But having begun, Peter was explaining it to them in-order, saying, ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying. And in a trance, I saw a vision— a certain object like a large sheet coming down, being let down by four corners from heaven. And it came to me, ⁶ into which having looked-intently, I was observing. And I saw the four-footed-animals of the earth, and the wild-beasts, and the reptiles, and the birds of the heaven. ⁷ And I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Having arisen, Peter, slaughter and eat!’ ⁸ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, because a defiled or unclean thing never entered into my mouth’. ⁹ But a voice responded for a second time from heaven, ‘The things which God made-clean, don’t you be making-defiled’. ¹⁰ And this took place three times, and everything was pulled-up again into heaven. ¹¹ And behold— three men immediately stood at the house in which we were staying, having been sent forth from Caesarea to me. ¹² And the Spirit told me to go-with them, having made no distinction. And these six brothers also went with me. And we entered into the house of the man. ¹³ And he reported to us how he saw the angel having stood in his house, and having said, ‘Send-forth to Joppa, and send-for Simon, the one being called Peter, ¹⁴ who will speak words to you by which you will be saved— you and all your household’. ¹⁵ And at my beginning to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as also upon us at the beginning. ¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He was saying, ‘John baptized with water— but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit!’ ¹⁷ Therefore if God gave the identical gift to them as also to us— [we both] having put faith upon the Lord Jesus Christ— who was I to be able to forbid God?” ¹⁸ And having heard these things, they were quiet. And they glorified God, saying, “Then God granted the repentance leading-to life to the Gentiles also!”

After John Is Arrested, Jesus Comes To Galilee Proclaiming The Good News of God

¹⁴ Now after John was handed-over^[a] [to prison], Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good-news of ^[b] God ¹⁵ and saying that “The time has been fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has drawn-near. Repent, and put-faith in the good-news”.

Jesus Calls The First Disciples

¹⁶ And while passing-by beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew (the brother of Simon), casting-a-net in the sea. For they were fishermen. ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, “Come after Me, and I will make you become fishermen of people”. ¹⁸ And immediately, having left the nets, they followed Him. ¹⁹ And having gone on a little, He saw James (the son of Zebedee) and John (his brother)— they also in their boat, preparing^[c] the nets. ²⁰ And immediately He called them. And having left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired ones, they went after Him.

Jesus Casts Out a Demon. They Are All Astonished. The News of Him Spreads

²¹ And they proceed into Capernaum. And immediately, having entered into the synagogue on the Sabbath, He was teaching. ²² And they were astounded^[d] at His teaching, for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. ²³ And immediately there was a man in their synagogue with^[e] an unclean spirit. And he cried-out, ²⁴ saying “What^[f] do we have to do with You, Jesus from-Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know You, Who You are— the Holy One of God!” ²⁵ And Jesus rebuked him, saying “Be silenced and come out of him”. ²⁶ And the unclean spirit, having convulsed^[g] him and called-out with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷ And they were all astonished, so that^[h] they were discussing with themselves, saying “What is this? A new teaching based-on authority^[i]! He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey Him!” ²⁸ And the report about Him immediately went out everywhere into the whole surrounding-region of Galilee.