Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Holy Spirit Comes on Pentecost

2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the rushing of a violent wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw divided tongues that were like fire resting on each one of them. ⁴ They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, since the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak fluently.

⁵ Now there were godly Jewish men from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶ When this sound was heard, a crowd came together and was confused, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷ They were completely baffled and said to each other,^[a] “Look, are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ Then how is it that each of us hears them speaking in his own native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, and of Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya around Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes; ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring in our own languages the wonderful works of God.” ¹² They were all amazed and perplexed. They kept saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But others mocked them and said, “They are full of new wine.”

Peter’s Pentecost Message

¹⁴ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and spoke loudly and clearly to them: “Men of Judea, and all you residents of Jerusalem, understand this, and listen closely to my words. ¹⁵ These men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day.^{[b] 16} On the contrary, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

The Division of the Earth

11 The whole earth had one language and a single vocabulary. ² As people traveled in the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they settled there. ³ They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used mud brick instead of stone for building material, and they used tar for mortar. ⁴ They said, “Come, let’s build a city for ourselves and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, so that we will not be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

⁵ The Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people were building. ⁶ The Lord said, “If this is the first thing they are doing as one people, who all have one language, then nothing that they intend to do will be too difficult for them. ⁷ Come, let’s go down there and confuse their language, so that they cannot understand one another’s speech.”

⁸ So the Lord scattered them from there over the face of the whole earth, and they stopped building the city. ⁹ It was named Babel,^[a] because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Days Five and Six—Animals and Man

Closing Benediction and Prayer

The Spirit Assures Us We Are Children of God

¹⁴ Indeed, those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive a spirit of slavery so that you are afraid again, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom^[a] we call out, “Abba, Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself joins our spirit in testifying that we are God’s children.

¹⁷ Now if we are children, we are also heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, since we suffer with him, so that we may also be glorified with him.

The Holy Spirit Comes on Pentecost

2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the rushing of a violent wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw divided tongues that were like fire resting on each one of them. ⁴ They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, since the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak fluently.

⁵ Now there were godly Jewish men from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶ When this sound was heard, a crowd came together and was confused, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷ They were completely baffled and said to each other,^[a] “Look, are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ Then how is it that each of us hears them speaking in his own native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, and of Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya around Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes; ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring in our own languages the wonderful works of God.” ¹² They were all amazed and perplexed. They kept saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But others mocked them and said, “They are full of new wine.”

Peter’s Pentecost Message

¹⁴ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and spoke loudly and clearly to them: “Men of Judea, and all you residents of Jerusalem, understand this, and listen closely to my words. ¹⁵ These men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day.^{[b] 16} On the contrary, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

⁸ “Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that is enough for us.”

⁹ “Have I been with you so long,” Jesus answered, “and you still do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I am telling you I am not speaking on my own, but the Father who remains in me is doing his works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me. Or else believe^[a] because of the works themselves.

¹² “Amen, Amen, I tell you: The one who believes in me will do the works that I am doing. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask me^[b] for anything in my name, I will do it.

¹⁵ “If you love me, hold on to^[c] my commands. ¹⁶ I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. ¹⁷ He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him or know him. You know him because he stays with you and will be in you.

²⁵ “I have told you these things while staying with you. ²⁶ But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I told you.

²⁷ “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not let it be afraid.