Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Believers Sell Property To Help Any In Need Among Them

³² Now the heart and soul of the multitude of the ones having believed was one. And not even one of them was saying that any of the things belonging to him were his own, but all things were common^[a] to them. ³³ And with great power, the apostles were rendering^[b] their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all— ³⁴ for there was not even someone in-need among them. For all-who were owners of lands or houses, selling them, were bringing the proceeds of the things being sold ³⁵ and laying it at the feet of the apostles. And it was being distributed to each one as anyone was having a need.

We Are Announcing To You What We Have Personally Witnessed Concerning The Word of Life

1 That-which^[a] was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we looked-at and our hands touched, concerning the word^[b] of life— ² indeed^[c] life^[d] was made-known! And we have seen and are testifying and are announcing to you the eternal life^[e] which was with the Father and was made-known to us!— ³ That-which^[f] we have seen and heard we are announcing also to you so that you also may have fellowship^[g] with us. And indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And we are writing these things in order that our joy may be full.

The Message We Heard Is That God Is Light

⁵ And this is the message which we have heard from Him and are declaring to you: that God is light, and there is not any darkness in Him.

If We Walk In The Light And Confess Our Sins, Jesus Cleanses And Forgives Us

⁶ If we claim that we have fellowship with Him and are walking in the darkness, we are lying and not doing the truth. ⁷ But if we are walking in the light as He 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 claim that we do not have^[h] sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we are confessing^[i] our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim that we have not sinned, we are making Him a liar and His word is not in us.

Jesus Is Our Advocate With God. We Know That We Know Him If We Keep His Commands

2 My little-children, I am writing these things to you in order that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate^[j] with the Father: Jesus Christ the Righteous. ² And He Himself is the satisfaction^[k] for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world’s.

That Evening, Jesus Meets Ten of The Disciples And Says, Receive The Holy Spirit

¹⁹ Then— being evening on that first^[a] day of the week, and the doors having been locked where the disciples were because of the fear of the Jews— Jesus came and stood in their midst. And He says to them, “Peace to you”. ²⁰ And having said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples rejoiced, having seen the Lord. ²¹ Then Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you. Just as the Father has sent Me forth, I also am sending you”. ²² And having said this, He breathed-on^[b] them. And He says to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they have been forgiven for them. If you retain^[c] the sins of any, they have been retained”.

After Eight Days, Jesus Meets Thomas, Who Says, My Lord And My God!

²⁴ Now Thomas, one of the twelve, the one being called Didymus^[d], was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But the one said to them, “Unless I see the mark^[e] of the nails in His hands, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will by no means believe”. ²⁶ And after eight days, His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus comes— the doors having been locked. And He stood in their midst and said, “Peace to you”. ²⁷ Then He says to Thomas, “Bring your finger here and see My hands. And bring your hand and put it into My side. And do not be unbelieving, but believing”. ²⁸ Thomas responded and said to Him^[f], “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus says to him, “You have believed because you have seen Me. Blessed are the ones not having seen and having believed”.

Jesus Did Many Other Signs

³⁰ Then indeed Jesus also did many other signs^[g] in the presence of His disciples, which have not been written in this book. ³¹ But these things have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and so that believing, you may have life in His name.