Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The conversion of Saul

9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out threats and murder on the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest ² and requested from him official letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that he could find people who belonged to the Way, men and women alike, tie them up and bring them back to Jerusalem.

³ While he was on the journey, and was getting near to Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice speaking to him.

“Saul, Saul!” said the voice. “Why are you persecuting me?”

⁵ “Who are you, Lord?” he asked.

“I am Jesus,” he said, “and you are persecuting me. ⁶ But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

⁷ The men who were traveling with Saul stood speechless. They heard the voice, but couldn’t see anybody. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he couldn’t see anything. So they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. ⁹ He went for three days, still unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.

Ananias and Saul

¹⁰ In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision.

“Ananias!” he said.

“Here I am, Lord,” he replied.

¹¹ “Get up,” said the Lord to him, “and go to the street called Straight. Inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. Look—he’s praying! ¹² And he has seen, in a vision, a man named Ananias coming and laying his hands on him so that he can see again.”

¹³ “Well, Lord,” replied Ananias, “I’ve heard about this man from several people . . . all about how he’s done wicked things to your holy people in Jerusalem . . . ¹⁴ and now he’s come here with authority from the chief priests to tie up everybody who calls on your Name!”

¹⁵ “Just go,” replied the Lord. “He is a chosen vessel for me, to carry my Name before nations and kings—and the children of Israel, too. ¹⁶ I am going to show him how many things he is going to have to suffer for the sake of my Name.”

¹⁷ So Ananias set off, went into the house, and laid his hands on him.

“Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord has sent me—yes, Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—so that you may be able to see again, and receive the holy spirit.”

¹⁸ At once something like scales fell off his eyes, and he was able to see. He got up and was baptized. ¹⁹ He had something to eat, and regained his strength.

“He is God’s son”

Saul stayed with the disciples in Damascus for a few days. ²⁰ At once he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “This really is the son of God!”

¹¹ As I watched, I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures and the elders. Their number was ten thousand times ten thousand, thousands upon thousands, ¹² and they were declaring in full voice,

¹³ Then I heard every creature in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, and in the sea, and everything that is in them, saying,

¹⁴ “Amen!” cried the four living creatures. And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Jesus on the beach

21 After this, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the sea of Tiberias. This was how he showed himself.

² Simon Peter, Thomas (known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples, were all together.

³ Simon Peter spoke up.

“I’m going fishing,” he said.

“We’ll go with you,” they replied.

So they went off and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing.

⁴ As dawn was breaking, Jesus stood beside the seashore, but the disciples didn’t know that it was Jesus.

⁵ “Children,” said Jesus to them, “haven’t you got anything to eat?”

“No!” they replied.

⁶ “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he said, “and you’ll find something.”

So they cast the net; and now they couldn’t draw it in because of the weight of the fish.

⁷ So the disciple that Jesus loved spoke to Peter.

“It’s the master!” he said.

When Simon Peter heard that it was the master, he wrapped his cloak around him (he had been naked for work), and threw himself into the sea. ⁸ The other disciples brought the boat in to land, dragging the net full of fish. They weren’t far from shore, about a hundred yards away.

Breakfast by the shore

⁹ When they came to land, they saw a charcoal fire laid there, with fish and bread on it.

¹⁰ Jesus spoke to them.

“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” he said.

¹¹ So Simon Peter went and pulled the net onto the shore. It was full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three in all. The net wasn’t torn, even though there were so many.

¹² “Come and have breakfast,” said Jesus to them.

None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the master.

¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so also with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time that Jesus had appeared to the disciples after he had been raised from the dead.

Jesus and Peter

¹⁵ So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus spoke to Simon Peter.

“Simon, son of John,” he said, “do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Master,” he said. “You know I’m your friend.”

“Well, then,” he said, “feed my lambs.”

¹⁶ “Simon, son of John,” said Jesus again, for a second time, “do you love me?”

“Yes, Master,” he said. “You know I’m your friend.”

“Well, then,” he said, “look after my sheep.”

¹⁷ “Simon, son of John,” said Jesus a third time, “are you my friend?”

Peter was upset that on this third time Jesus asked, “Are you my friend?”

“Master,” he said, “you know everything! You know I’m your friend!”

“Well, then,” said Jesus, “feed my sheep.

¹⁸ “I’m telling you the solemn truth,” he went on. “When you were young, you put on your own clothes and went about wherever you wanted. But when you are old, you’ll stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you up and take you where you don’t want to go.”

¹⁹ He said this to indicate the sort of death by which Peter would bring God glory. And when he had said this, he added, “Follow me!”