Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Life among the Believers
42 The believers[a] continued to devote themselves to what the apostles were teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to times of prayer.[b] 43 A sense of fear[c] came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were united and shared everything with one another.[d] 45 They made it their practice to sell their possessions and goods and to distribute the proceeds[e] to anyone who was in need. 46 United in purpose, they went to the Temple every day, ate at each other’s homes, and shared their food with glad and humble hearts. 47 They were praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people. Every day the Lord was adding to their number those who were being saved.
A Davidic Psalm.
The Lord Shepherds His People
23 The Lord is the one who is shepherding me;
I lack nothing.
2 He causes me to lie down in pastures of green grass;
he guides me beside quiet waters.
3 He revives my life;
he leads me in pathways that are righteous
for the sake of his name.[a]
4 Even when I walk through a valley of deep darkness,[b]
I will not be afraid
because you are with me.
Your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me,
even in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Truly, goodness and gracious love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will remain in[c] the Lord’s Temple forever.[d]
19 For it is a fine thing if, when moved by your conscience to please God, you suffer patiently when wronged. 20 What good does it do if, when you sin, you patiently receive punishment for it? But if you suffer for doing good and receive it patiently, you have God’s approval. 21 This is, in fact, what you were called to do, because:
The Messiah[a] also suffered for you
and left an example for you
to follow in his steps.
22 “He never sinned,
and he never told a lie.”[b]
23 When he was insulted,
he did not retaliate.
When he suffered,
he did not threaten.
It was his habit
to commit the matter to the one who judges fairly.
24 “He himself bore our sins”[c] in his body on the tree,
so that we might die to those sins
and live righteously.
“By his wounds
you have been healed.”[d]
25 You were “like sheep that kept going astray,”[e]
but now you have returned to the shepherd
and overseer of your souls.
The Illustration of the Sheepfold
10 “Truly, I tell all of you[a] emphatically, the person who doesn’t enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 It’s to him the gatekeeper opens the gate, and it’s his voice the sheep hear. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has driven out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 5 They’ll never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they don’t recognize the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration with them, but they didn’t understand what he was saying to them.
Jesus the Good Shepherd
7 So again Jesus said, “Truly, I tell all of you[b] emphatically, I’m the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me[c] are thieves and bandits, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I’m the gate. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved. He’ll come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I’ve come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
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