Book of Common Prayer

³⁴ Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is not partial, ³⁵ but among all peoples, whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted with him.

³⁶ You know the preaching that God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, who is Lord over all things. ³⁷ This preaching was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began in Galilee after the baptism that John preached – ³⁸ how God had anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Which Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devils. For God was with him. ³⁹ And we are witnesses of all the things that he did in the land of the Jews and at Jerusalem. But they slew him, and hung him on a tree. ⁴⁰ But God raised him up on the third day, and showed him openly – ⁴¹ not to all the people, but to us witnesses chosen before by God, who ate and drank with him after he arose from death. ⁴² And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is he who is ordained by God to be judge of the quick and the dead. ⁴³ To him all the prophets give witness: that through his name, all who believe in him shall receive remission of sins.

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the preaching. ⁴⁵ And the men of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was also shed out on the Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ Can any man forbid water to baptize these people, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we? ⁴⁸ And he directed them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

The office of John the Baptist. The baptism of Christ, his fasting, his preaching, and the calling of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Christ heals the man with the unclean spirit, helps Peter’s mother-in-law, and cleanses the leper.

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, ² as it is written in the prophets: Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you. ³ The voice of a crier in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make his paths straight!

⁴ John baptized in the wilderness, and preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. ⁵ And all the countryside of Judea and the people of Jerusalem went out to him, and were all baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁶ John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of skin about his loins. And he ate locusts and wild honey, ⁷ and preached, saying, One mightier than I comes after me, whose shoe latchet I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. ⁸ I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

⁹ And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth, a town of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. ¹⁰ And as soon as Jesus came out of the water, John saw heaven open, and the Holy Spirit descending upon him like a dove. ¹¹ And there came a voice from heaven: You are my dear Son, in whom I delight.

¹² And immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. ¹³ And he was there in the wilderness forty days, and was tried by Satan, and was with wild creatures. And the angels ministered to him.