Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²⁷ And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, ²⁸ saying, ^(A)“We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you ^(B)intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” ²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, ^(C)“We must obey God rather than men. ^30 (D)The God of our fathers ^(E)raised Jesus, ^(F)whom you killed by hanging him on ^(G)a tree. ³¹ God exalted ^(H)him at his right hand as ^(I)Leader and ^(J)Savior, ^(K)to give ^(L)repentance to Israel and ^(M)forgiveness of sins. ³² And ^(N)we are witnesses to these things, and ^(O)so is the Holy Spirit, ^(P)whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Let Everything Praise the Lord

Greeting to the Seven Churches

⁴ John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from ^(A)him ^(B)who is and ^(C)who was and who is to come, and from ^(D)the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ ^(E)the faithful witness, ^(F)the firstborn of the dead, and ^(G)the ruler of kings on earth.

To ^(H)him who loves us and ^(I)has freed us from our sins by his blood ⁶ and made us ^(J)a kingdom, ^(K)priests to ^(L)his God and Father, to him be ^(M)glory and ^(N)dominion forever and ever. Amen. ⁷ Behold, ^(O)he is coming with the clouds, and ^(P)every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail^[a] on account of him. Even so. Amen.

^8 (Q)“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, ^(R)“who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

^19 (A)On the evening ^(B)of that day, the first day of the week, ^(C)the doors being locked where the disciples were ^(D)for fear of the Jews,^[a] Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ^(E)“Peace be with you.” ²⁰ When he had said this, ^(F)he showed them his hands and his side. Then ^(G)the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As ^(H)the Father has sent me, ^(I)even so I am sending you.” ²² And when he had said this, he ^(J)breathed on them and said to them, ^(K)“Receive the Holy Spirit. ^23 (L)If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Jesus and Thomas

²⁴ Now ^(M)Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,^[b] was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, ^(N)“Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

²⁶ Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. ^(O)Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ^(P)“Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, ^(Q)“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, ^(R)“My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? ^(S)Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Purpose of This Book

^30 (T)Now Jesus did many other signs ^(U)in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ^31 (V)but these are written so that you may ^(W)believe that Jesus is the Christ, ^(X)the Son of God, and that by believing ^(Y)you may have life ^(Z)in his name.