Continuing Power in the Church

¹² And ^(A)through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. ^(B)And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. ¹³ Yet ^(C)none of the rest dared join them, ^(D)but the people esteemed them highly. ¹⁴ And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, ¹⁵ so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, ^(E)that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. ¹⁶ Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing ^(F)sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Imprisoned Apostles Freed

^17 (G)Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with ^[a]indignation, ^18 (H)and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. ¹⁹ But at night ^(I)an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ²⁰ “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people ^(J)all the words of this life.”

²¹ And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. ^(K)But the high priest and those with him came and called the ^[b]council together, with all the ^[c]elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

Apostles on Trial Again

²² But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, ²³ saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing ^[d]outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” ²⁴ Now when ^[e]the high priest, ^(L)the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. ²⁵ So one came and told them, ^[f]saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”

²⁶ Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, ^(M)for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. ²⁷ And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, ²⁸ saying, ^(N)“Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, ^(O)and intend to bring this Man’s ^(P)blood on us!”

²⁹ But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ^(Q)“We ought to obey God rather than men. ^30 (R)The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by ^(S)hanging on a tree. ^31 (T)Him God has exalted to His right hand to be ^(U)Prince and ^(V)Savior, ^(W)to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³² And ^(X)we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit ^(Y)whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Introduction and Benediction

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, ^(A)which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must ^[a]shortly take place. And ^(B)He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, ^2 (C)who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things ^(D)that he saw. ^3 (E)Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for ^(F)the time is near.

Greeting the Seven Churches

⁴ John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from Him ^(G)who is and ^(H)who was and who is to come, ^(I)and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, ^(J)the faithful ^(K)witness, the ^(L)firstborn from the dead, and ^(M)the ruler over the kings of the earth.

To Him ^(N)who ^[b]loved us ^(O)and washed us from our sins in His own blood, ⁶ and has ^(P)made us ^[c]kings and priests to His God and Father, ^(Q)to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

⁷ Behold, He is coming with ^(R)clouds, and every eye will see Him, even ^(S)they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

^8 (T)“I am the Alpha and the Omega, ^[d]the Beginning and the End,” says the ^[e]Lord, ^(U)“who is and who was and who is to come, the ^(V)Almighty.”

Vision of the Son of Man

⁹ I, John, ^[f]both your brother and ^(W)companion in the tribulation and ^(X)kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. ^10 (Y)I was in the Spirit on ^(Z)the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me ^(AA)a loud voice, as of a trumpet, ¹¹ saying, ^[g]“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches ^[h]which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

¹² Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned ^(AB)I saw seven golden lampstands, ^13 (AC)and in the midst of the seven lampstands ^(AD)One like the Son of Man, ^(AE)clothed with a garment down to the feet and ^(AF)girded about the chest with a golden band. ¹⁴ His head and ^(AG)hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and ^(AH)His eyes like a flame of fire; ^15 (AI)His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and ^(AJ)His voice as the sound of many waters; ^16 (AK)He had in His right hand seven stars, ^(AL)out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, ^(AM)and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. ¹⁷ And ^(AN)when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But ^(AO)He laid His right hand on me, saying ^[i]to me, “Do not be afraid; ^(AP)I am the First and the Last. ^18 (AQ)I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, ^(AR)I am alive forevermore. Amen. And ^(AS)I have the keys of ^[j]Hades and of Death.

The Apostles Commissioned^(A)

^19 (B)Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were ^[a]assembled, for ^(C)fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, ^(D)“Peace be with you.” ²⁰ When He had said this, He ^(E)showed them His hands and His side. ^(F)Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

²¹ So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! ^(G)As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” ²² And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ^23 (H)If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Seeing and Believing

²⁴ Now Thomas, ^(I)called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”

So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

²⁶ And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” ²⁷ Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and ^(J)reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be ^(K)unbelieving, but believing.”

²⁸ And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

²⁹ Jesus said to him, ^[b]“Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. ^(L)Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

That You May Believe

³⁰ And ^(M)truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; ^31 (N)but these are written that ^(O)you may believe that Jesus ^(P)is the Christ, the Son of God, ^(Q)and that believing you may have life in His name.