Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Peter Reports in Jerusalem

11 Now the apostles and ^(A)the brothers and sisters who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, ^[a](B)the Jewish believers took issue with him, ³ saying, “^(C)You ^[b]went to ^[c]uncircumcised men and ate with them.” ⁴ But Peter began and explained at length to them ^(D)in an orderly sequence, saying, ⁵ “^(E)I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw ^(F)a vision, an ^[d]object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came to where I was, ⁶ and I stared at it and was thinking about it, and I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild animals, the ^[e]crawling creatures, and the birds of the sky. ⁷ I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; ^[f]kill and eat.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing ^[g]unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘^(G)What God has cleansed, no longer ^[h]consider unholy.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky. ¹¹ And behold, at that moment three men who had been sent to me from ^(H)Caesarea came up to the house where we were staying. ^12 (I)And the Spirit told me to go with them ^(J)without ^[i]misgivings. ^(K)These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ And he reported to us how he had seen the angel ^[j]standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send some men to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; ¹⁴ and he will speak ^(L)words to you by which you will be saved, you and ^(M)all your household.’ ¹⁵ And as I began to speak, ^(N)the Holy Spirit fell upon them just ^(O)as He did upon us at the beginning. ¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘^(P)John baptized with water, but you will be baptized ^[k]with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ Therefore, if ^(Q)God gave them the same gift as He also gave to us after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, ^(R)who was I that I could ^[l]stand in God’s way?” ¹⁸ When they heard this, they ^[m]quieted down and ^(S)glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has also granted to the Gentiles the ^(T)repentance that leads to life.”

The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord.

The New Heaven and Earth

21 Then I saw ^(A)a new heaven and a new earth; for ^(B)the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. ² And I saw ^(C)the holy city, ^(D)new Jerusalem, ^(E)coming down out of heaven from God, ^(F)prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, ^(G)the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will ^(H)dwell among them, and they shall be His ^[a]people, and God Himself will be among them^[b], ⁴ and He will ^(I)wipe away every tear from their eyes; and ^(J)there will no longer be any death; ^(K)there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; ^(L)the first things have passed away.”

⁵ And ^(M)He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am ^(N)making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for ^(O)these words are faithful and true.” ⁶ Then He said to me, “^[c](P)It is done. I am the ^(Q)Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. ^(R)I will give water to the one who thirsts from the spring of the ^(S)water of life, without cost.

³¹ Therefore when he had left, Jesus *said, “Now ^[a]is ^(A)the Son of Man ^(B)glorified, and ^(C)God ^[b]is glorified in Him; ^32 [c]if God is glorified in Him, ^(D)God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. ^33 (E)Little children, I am still with you ^(F)a little longer. ^(G)You will look for Me; and just as I said to the ^[d]Jews, now I also say to you: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ ³⁴ I am giving you a ^(H)new commandment, ^(I)that you love one another; ^(J)just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ^35 (K)By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.”