Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Paul Addresses the Areopagus

²² So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ^(A)‘To the unknown god.’ ^(B)What therefore you worship ^(C)as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ^24 (D)The God who made the world and everything in it, being ^(E)Lord of heaven and earth, ^(F)does not live in temples made by man,^{[a] 25} nor is he served by human hands, ^(G)as though he needed anything, since he himself ^(H)gives to all mankind ^(I)life and breath and everything. ²⁶ And ^(J)he made from one man every nation of mankind to live ^(K)on all the face of the earth, ^(L)having determined allotted periods and ^(M)the boundaries of their dwelling place, ^27 (N)that they should seek God, in the hope that ^(O)they might feel their way towards him and find him. ^(P)Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, ²⁸ for

as even some of ^(R)your own poets have said,

^29 (S)Being then God's offspring, ^(T)we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. ^30 (U)The times of ignorance ^(V)God overlooked, but ^(W)now he ^(X)commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has fixed ^(Y)a day on which ^(Z)he will judge the world ^(AA)in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and ^(AB)of this he has given assurance to all ^(AC)by raising him from the dead.”

¹³ Now ^(A)who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? ^14 (B)But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. ^(C)Have no fear of them, ^(D)nor be troubled, ¹⁵ but ^(E)in your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, ^(F)always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and ^(G)respect, ^16 (H)having a good conscience, so that, ^(I)when you are slandered, those who revile your good behaviour in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷ For ^(J)it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

¹⁸ For Christ also ^(K)suffered^{[a] (L)}once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, ^(M)that he might bring us to God, being put to death ^(N)in the flesh but made alive ^(O)in the spirit, ¹⁹ in which^[b] he went and ^(P)proclaimed^[c] to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ because^[d] they formerly did not obey, ^(Q)when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, ^(R)while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, ^(S)eight persons, were brought safely through water. ²¹ Baptism, which corresponds to this, ^(T)now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but ^(U)as an appeal to God for a good conscience, ^(V)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and ^(W)is at the right hand of God, ^(X)with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

^15 (A)“If you love me, you will ^(B)keep my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another ^(C)Helper,^[a] to be with you for ever, ¹⁷ even ^(D)the Spirit of truth, ^(E)whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and ^(F)will be in you.

¹⁸ “I will not leave you as orphans; ^(G)I will come to you. ^19 (H)Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but ^(I)you will see me. ^(J)Because I live, you also will live. ^20 (K)In that day you will know that ^(L)I am in my Father, and ^(M)you in me, and ^(N)I in you. ^21 (O)Whoever has my commandments and ^(P)keeps them, he it is who loves me. And ^(Q)he who loves me ^(R)will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and ^(S)manifest myself to him.”