Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Believers Share Their Possessions

³² Now all the believers were one in heart and soul, and nobody called any of his possessions his own. Instead, they shared everything they owned. ³³ With great power, the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was on them all, ³⁴ since none of them needed anything, because everyone who had land or houses would sell them and bring the money received for the things sold ³⁵ and lay it at the apostles’ feet. Then it was distributed to anyone who needed it.

A Davidic Song of Ascents

The Significance of Unity

Jesus, the Word of Life

1 What existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we observed and touched with our own hands—this is the^[a] Word of life! ² This life was revealed to us, and we have seen it and testify about it. We declare to you this eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. ³ What we have seen and heard we declare to you so that you, too, can have fellowship with us. Now this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus, the Messiah.^{[b] 4} We are writing these things^[c] so that our^[d] joy may be full.

Living in the Light

⁵ This is the message that we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness—none at all! ⁶ If we claim that we have fellowship with him but keep living in darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth. ⁷ But if we keep living in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say that we do not have any sin, we are deceiving ourselves and we’re not being truthful to ourselves. ⁹ If we make it our habit to confess our sins, in his faithful righteousness he forgives us for those sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have never sinned, we make him a liar and his word has no place in us.

The Messiah is Our Advocate

2 My little children, I’m writing these things to you so that you might not sin. Yet if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus, the Messiah,^[e] one who is righteous. ² It is he who is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world’s.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples^(A)

¹⁹ It was the evening of the first day of the week,^[a] and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders.^[b] Jesus came and stood among them. He told them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side, and when they saw the Lord, the disciples were overjoyed. ²¹ Jesus told them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and told them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven. If you retain people’s sins, they are retained.”

Jesus Appears to Thomas

²⁴ Thomas, one of the Twelve (called the Twin),^[c] wasn’t with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples kept telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he told them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger into them,^[d] and put my hand into his side, I’ll never believe!”

²⁶ A week later, his disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were shut, Jesus came, stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then he told Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Take your hand, and put it into my side. Stop doubting, but believe.”

²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

²⁹ Jesus told him, “Is it because you’ve seen me that you have believed? How blessed are those who have never seen me and yet have believed!”

The Purpose of the Book

³⁰ Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his^[e] disciples that are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these have been recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah,^[f] the Son of God, and so that through believing you may have life in his name.