Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a noise like a strong, blowing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw something like flames of fire that were separated and stood over each person there. ⁴ They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak different languages^[a] by the power the Holy Spirit was giving them.

⁵ There were some religious Jews staying in Jerusalem who were from every country in the world. ⁶ When they heard this noise, a crowd came together. They were all surprised, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷ They were completely amazed at this. They said, “Look! Aren’t all these people that we hear speaking from Galilee? ⁸ Then how is it possible that we each hear them in our own languages? We are from different places: ⁹ Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the areas of Libya near Cyrene, Rome ¹¹ (both Jews and those who had become Jews), Crete, and Arabia. But we hear them telling in our own languages about the great things God has done!” ¹² They were all amazed and confused, asking each other, “What does this mean?”

¹³ But others were making fun of them, saying, “They have had too much wine.”

Peter Speaks to the People

¹⁴ But Peter stood up with the eleven apostles, and in a loud voice he spoke to the crowd: “My fellow Jews, and all of you who are in Jerusalem, listen to me. Pay attention to what I have to say. ¹⁵ These people are not drunk, as you think; it is only nine o’clock in the morning! ¹⁶ But Joel the prophet wrote about what is happening here today:

²⁴ So Moses went out to the people and told them what the Lord had said. He gathered seventy of the elders together and had them stand around the Tent. ²⁵ Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. The Lord took some of the Spirit Moses had, and he gave it to the seventy leaders. With the Spirit in them, they prophesied, but just that one time.

²⁶ Two men named Eldad and Medad were also listed as leaders, but they did not go to the Tent. They stayed in the camp, but the Spirit was also given to them, and they prophesied in the camp. ²⁷ A young man ran to Moses and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

²⁸ Joshua son of Nun said, “Moses, my master, stop them!” (Ever since he was a young boy, Joshua had been Moses’ assistant.)

²⁹ But Moses answered, “Are you jealous for me? I wish all the Lord’s people could prophesy. I wish the Lord would give his Spirit to all of them!” ³⁰ Then Moses and the leaders of Israel went back to the camp.

³ So I want you to understand that no one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, “Jesus be cursed.” And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” without the help of the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit. ⁵ There are different ways to serve but the same Lord to serve. ⁶ And there are different ways that God works through people but the same God. God works in all of us in everything we do. ⁷ Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person, for the common good. ⁸ The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak with wisdom, and the same Spirit gives another the ability to speak with knowledge. ⁹ The same Spirit gives faith to one person. And, to another, that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. ¹⁰ The Spirit gives to another person the power to do miracles, to another the ability to prophesy. And he gives to another the ability to know the difference between good and evil spirits. The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak in different kinds of languages^[a] and to another the ability to interpret those languages. ¹¹ One Spirit, the same Spirit, does all these things, and the Spirit decides what to give each person.

The Body of Christ Works Together

¹² A person’s body is one thing, but it has many parts. Though there are many parts to a body, all those parts make only one body. Christ is like that also. ¹³ Some of us are Jews, and some are Greeks. Some of us are slaves, and some are free. But we were all baptized into one body through one Spirit. And we were all made to share in the one Spirit.

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a noise like a strong, blowing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw something like flames of fire that were separated and stood over each person there. ⁴ They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak different languages^[a] by the power the Holy Spirit was giving them.

⁵ There were some religious Jews staying in Jerusalem who were from every country in the world. ⁶ When they heard this noise, a crowd came together. They were all surprised, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷ They were completely amazed at this. They said, “Look! Aren’t all these people that we hear speaking from Galilee? ⁸ Then how is it possible that we each hear them in our own languages? We are from different places: ⁹ Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the areas of Libya near Cyrene, Rome ¹¹ (both Jews and those who had become Jews), Crete, and Arabia. But we hear them telling in our own languages about the great things God has done!” ¹² They were all amazed and confused, asking each other, “What does this mean?”

¹³ But others were making fun of them, saying, “They have had too much wine.”

Peter Speaks to the People

¹⁴ But Peter stood up with the eleven apostles, and in a loud voice he spoke to the crowd: “My fellow Jews, and all of you who are in Jerusalem, listen to me. Pay attention to what I have to say. ¹⁵ These people are not drunk, as you think; it is only nine o’clock in the morning! ¹⁶ But Joel the prophet wrote about what is happening here today:

Jesus Appears to His Followers

¹⁹ When it was evening on the first day of the week, Jesus’ followers were together. The doors were locked, because they were afraid of the elders. Then Jesus came and stood right in the middle of them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. His followers were thrilled when they saw the Lord.

²¹ Then Jesus said again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, I now send you.” ²² After he said this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven. If you don’t forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus Talks About the Spirit

³⁷ On the last and most important day of the feast Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from that person’s heart, as the Scripture says.” ³⁹ Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been raised to glory. But later, those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit.