Fifth Sunday of Easter

1Verse 1. The apostles and brothers throughout Judea soon heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2Verse 2. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers took issue with him 3Verse 3. and said, “You visited uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4Verse 4. But Peter began and explained to them the whole sequence of events: 5Verse 5. “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision of something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came right down to me. 6Verse 6. I looked at it closely and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7Verse 7. Then I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat.’ 8Verse 8. ‘No, Lord,’ I said, ‘for nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9Verse 9. But the voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10Verse 10. This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into heaven. 11Verse 11. Just then three men sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12Verse 12. The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s home. 13Verse 13. He told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14Verse 14. He will convey to you a message by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15Verse 15. As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He had fallen upon us at the beginning. 16Verse 16. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17Verse 17. So if God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder the work of God?” 18Verse 18. When they heard this, they had no further objections, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”

1Verse 1. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2Verse 2. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3Verse 3. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. 4Verse 4. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.” 5Verse 5. And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.” 6Verse 6. And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.

31Verse 31. When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32Verse 32. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify the Son in Himself — and will glorify Him at once. 33Verse 33. Little children, I am with you only a little while longer. You will look for Me, and as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34Verse 34. A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. 35Verse 35. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”