Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Gentile Salvation Defended
11 The apostles and the brothers and sisters who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him,(A) 3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”(B)
4 Peter began to explain to them step by step, 5 “I(C) was in the town of Joppa praying, and I saw, in a trance, an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came to me. 6 When I looked closely and considered it, I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky. 7 I also heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’
8 “‘No, Lord!’ I said. ‘For nothing impure or ritually unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 But a voice answered from heaven a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call impure.’
10 “Now this happened three times, and everything was drawn up again into heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were. 12 The Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house.(D) 13 He reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. 14 He will speak a message to you by which you and all your household(E) will be saved.’
15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them, just as on us at the beginning.(F) 16 I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’(G) 17 If, then, God gave them the same gift that he also gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I possibly hinder God?” (H)
18 When they heard this they became silent. And they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has given repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles.”(I)
Psalm 148
Creation’s Praise of the Lord
1 Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.(A)
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly armies.(B)
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.(C)
4 Praise him, highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.(D)
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded, and they were created.(E)
6 He set them in position forever and ever;
he gave an order that will never pass away.(F)
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
all sea monsters and ocean depths,(G)
8 lightning[a] and hail, snow and cloud,
stormy wind that executes his command,(H)
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,(I)
10 wild animals and all cattle,
creatures that crawl and flying birds,(J)
11 kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all judges of the earth,(K)
12 young men as well as young women,
old and young together.(L)
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted.
His majesty covers heaven and earth.(M)
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
resulting in praise to all his faithful ones,
to the Israelites, the people close to him.(N)
Hallelujah!
The New Creation
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;(A) for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,(B) and the sea was no more.(C) 2 I also saw the holy city,(D) the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,(E) prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.(F)
3 Then I heard a loud voice(G) from the throne:[a](H) Look, God’s dwelling[b] is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples,[c](I) and God himself will be with them and will be their God.[d] 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.(J) Death will be no more;(K) grief, crying, and pain will be no more,(L) because the previous things[e] have passed away.(M)
5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words[f] are faithful and true.”(N) 6 Then he said to me, “It is done!(O) I am the Alpha and the Omega,(P) the beginning and the end.(Q) I will freely give to the thirsty(R) from the spring of the water of life.(S)
The New Command
31 When(A) he had left, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man(B) is glorified, and God is glorified(C) in him.(D) 32 If God is glorified in him,[a] God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you a little while longer.(E) You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so now I tell you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’(F)
34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love(G) one another.”
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.