Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
22 So Paul stood in the midst of the [a]Areopagus and said, “Men of (A)Athens, I observe that you are very (B)religious in all respects. 23 For while I was passing through and examining the (C)objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what (D)you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 (E)The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is (F)Lord of heaven and earth, does not (G)dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, (H)as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and (I)He made from one man every nation of mankind to inhabit all the face of the earth, having (J)determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, (K)though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for (L)in Him we live and move and [b]exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’ 29 Being then the offspring of God, we (M)ought not to suppose that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the craft and thought of man. 30 Therefore having (N)overlooked (O)the times of ignorance, God is (P)now commanding men that everyone everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed (Q)a day in which (R)He will judge [c](S)the world in righteousness [d]through a Man whom He (T)determined, having furnished proof to all [e]by (U)raising Him from the dead.”
8 Bless our God, O peoples,
And [a](A)make the sound of His praise heard,
9 Who [b](B)establishes us among the living
And (C)does not allow our feet to stumble.
10 For You have (D)tested us, O God;
You have (E)refined us as silver is refined.
11 You (F)brought us into the net;
You established an oppressive burden upon our loins.
12 You made men (G)ride over our heads;
We went through (H)fire and through water,
Yet You (I)brought us out into a place of abundance.
13 I shall (J)come into Your house with burnt offerings;
I shall (K)pay You my vows,
14 Which my lips uttered
And my mouth spoke when I was (L)in distress.
15 I shall (M)offer to You burnt offerings of fat beasts,
With the smoke of (N)rams;
I shall make an offering of [c]bulls with male goats. Selah.
16 (O)Come and hear, all who [d]fear God,
And I will (P)recount what He has done for my soul.
17 I called out to Him with my mouth,
And [e]He was (Q)exalted with my tongue.
18 If I [f](R)see wickedness in my heart,
The (S)Lord [g]will not [h]hear;
19 But certainly (T)God has heard;
He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.
20 (U)Blessed be God,
Who (V)has not turned away my prayer
Nor His lovingkindness from me.
Suffering for Righteousness
13 (A)And who is [a]there to [b]harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should (B)suffer for the sake of righteousness, (C)you [c]are blessed. (D)And do not fear their fear, and do not be troubled, 15 but [d]sanctify (E)Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready (F)to make [e]a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the (G)hope that is in you, yet (H)with gentleness and (I)fear, 16 having a (J)good conscience so that in the thing in which (K)you are slandered, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For (L)it is better, (M)if [f]God should will it so, that you suffer for doing good rather than for doing wrong. 18 For (N)Christ also suffered for sins (O)once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might (P)bring you to God, having been put to death (Q)in the flesh, but made alive (R)in the [g]spirit; 19 in [h]which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the (S)patience of God (T)kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of (U)the ark, in which a few, that is, (V)eight (W)persons, were brought safely through the [i]water. 21 (X)Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—(Y)not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal [j]of a (Z)good conscience to God—through (AA)the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 (AB)who is at the right hand of God, (AC)having gone into heaven, (AD)after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
15 “(A)If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another [a](B)Advocate, that He may be with you forever; 17 (C)the Spirit of truth, (D)whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him. You know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; (E)I will come to you. 19 [b](F)After a little while (G)the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; (H)because I live, you will live also. 20 (I)On that day you will know that (J)I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 (K)He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and (L)he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will (M)disclose Myself to him.”
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