Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Areopagus Address
22 Then Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed:
TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it(A)—He is Lord of heaven and earth(B) and does not live in shrines made by hands.(C) 25 Neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything,(D) since He Himself gives everyone life and breath and all things.(E) 26 From one man[a] He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.(F) 27 He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.(G) 28 For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’[b](H) 29 Being God’s offspring then, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination.(I)
30 “Therefore, having overlooked(J) the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because He has set a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”(K)
8 Praise our God, you peoples;
let the sound of His praise be heard.(A)
9 He keeps us alive[a]
and does not allow our feet to slip.(B)
10 For You, God, tested us;
You refined us as silver is refined.(C)
11 You lured us into a trap;
You placed burdens on our backs.(D)
12 You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but You brought us out to abundance.[b](E)
13 I will enter Your house with burnt offerings;
I will pay You my vows(F)
14 that my lips promised
and my mouth spoke during my distress.(G)
15 I will offer You fattened sheep as burnt offerings,
with the fragrant smoke of rams;
I will sacrifice oxen with goats.(H)
16 Come and listen, all who fear God,
and I will tell what He has done for me.(I)
17 I cried out to Him with my mouth,
and praise was on my tongue.(J)
18 If I had been aware of malice in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.(K)
19 However, God has listened;
He has paid attention to the sound of my prayer.(L)
20 May God be praised!
He has not turned away my prayer
or turned His faithful love from me.(M)
Undeserved Suffering
13 And who will harm[a] you if you are deeply committed to what is good?[b] 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness,(A) you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear(B) or be disturbed,(C)[c] 15 but honor[d] the Messiah[e] as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason[f] for the hope that is in you.(D) 16 However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear,[g][h](E) so that when you are accused,[i] those who denounce your Christian life[j] will be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer(F) for doing good, if that should be God’s will,[k] than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also suffered(G) for sins once for all,[l](H)
the righteous for the unrighteous,[m]
that He might bring you[n] to God,(I)
after being put to death in the fleshly realm[o](J)
but made alive in the spiritual realm.[p]
19 In that state[q] He also went and made a proclamation to the spirits(K) in prison[r] 20 who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah(L) while an ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight people[s](M)—were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not the removal of the filth of the flesh,(N) but the pledge[t] of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.(O) 22 Now that He has gone into heaven,(P) He is at God’s right hand(Q) with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.(R)
Another Counselor Promised
15 “If you love Me, you will keep[a] My commands.(A) 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor(B) to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit(C) of truth.(D) The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be[b] in you.(E) 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
19 “In a little while the world will see Me no longer,(F) but you will see Me.(G) Because I live, you will live(H) too. 20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father,(I) you are in Me, and I am in you. 21 The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me.(J) And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father.(K) I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”
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