Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

God the King of the Earth.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

Introduction

1 The first ^[a]account I made, Theophilus, was [a continuous report] about all the things that Jesus began to do and to ^[b]teach^{(A) 2} until the day when He ascended to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given instruction to the apostles (special messengers) whom He had chosen. ³ To these [men] He also showed Himself alive after His suffering [in Gethsemane and on the cross], by [a series of] many infallible proofs and unquestionable demonstrations, appearing to them over a period of forty days and talking to them about the things concerning the kingdom of God. ⁴ While being together and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Of which,” He said, “you have heard Me speak.^{(B) 5} For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized and empowered and united with the Holy Spirit, not long from now.”

⁶ So when they had come together, they asked Him repeatedly, “Lord, are You at this time reestablishing the kingdom and restoring it to Israel?” ⁷ He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”

The Ascension

⁹ And after He said these things, He was caught up as they looked on, and a cloud took Him up out of their sight. ¹⁰ While they were looking intently into the sky as He was going, two men in white clothing suddenly stood beside them, ¹¹ who said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This [same] Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will return in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

God the King of the Earth.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

The Majesty of the Lord.

¹⁵ For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, ¹⁶ I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers; ¹⁷ [I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son]. ¹⁸ And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the ^[a]hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the ^[b]saints (God’s people), ¹⁹ and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength ²⁰ which He ^[c]produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above] every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and world but also in the one to come. ²² And He ^[d]put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and ^[e]appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church,^{(A) 23} which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all [believers].

⁴⁴ Then He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you, everything which has been written about Me in the ^[a]Law of Moses and the [writings of the] Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then He opened their minds to [help them] understand the Scriptures, ⁴⁶ and said, “And so it is written, that the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,^{(A) 47} and that repentance [necessary] for forgiveness of sins would be preached in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ Listen carefully: I am sending the Promise of My Father [the Holy Spirit] upon you; but you are to remain in the city [of Jerusalem] until you are clothed (fully equipped) with power from on high.”^(B)

The Ascension

⁵⁰ Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifted up His hands and blessed them.^{(C) 51} While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven. ⁵² And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy [fully understanding that He lives and that He is the Son of God]; ⁵³ and they were continually in the temple blessing and praising God.