All nations will remember the LORD. From every part of the world they will turn to him; all races will worship him.

The LORD is king, and he rules the nations.

The LORD announced his victory; he made his saving power known to the nations.

He kept his promise to the people of Israel with loyalty and constant love for them. All people everywhere have seen the victory of our God.

The LORD says, "Here is my servant, whom I strengthen--- the one I have chosen, with whom I am pleased. I have filled him with my Spirit, and he will bring justice to every nation.

He will not break off a bent reed nor put out a flickering lamp. He will bring lasting justice to all.

The LORD said to me, "I have a greater task for you, my servant. Not only will you restore to greatness the people of Israel who have survived, but I will also make you a light to the nations--- so that all the world may be saved."

The LORD will use his holy power; he will save his people, and all the world will see it.

I know their thoughts and their deeds. I am coming to gather the people of all the nations. When they come together, they will see what my power can do

and will know that I am the one who punishes them. "But I will spare some of them and send them to the nations and the distant lands that have not heard of my fame or seen my greatness and power: to Spain, Libya, and Lydia, with its skilled archers, and to Tubal and Greece. Among these nations they will proclaim my greatness.

He said to them, "Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people.

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.

and in his name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.

You are witnesses of these things.

But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

But Paul and Barnabas spoke out even more boldly: "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we will leave you and go to the Gentiles.

For this is the commandment that the Lord has given us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, so that all the world may be saved.' "

And Paul concluded: "You are to know, then, that God's message of salvation has been sent to the Gentiles. They will listen!"

But I ask: Is it true that they did not hear the message? Of course they did---for as the scripture says: "The sound of their voice went out to all the world; their words reached the ends of the earth."

You must, of course, continue faithful on a firm and sure foundation, and must not allow yourselves to be shaken from the hope you gained when you heard the gospel. It is of this gospel that I, Paul, became a servant---this gospel which has been preached to everybody in the world.

Peter said to them, "Each one of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God's gift, the Holy Spirit.

For God's promise was made to you and your children, and to all who are far away---all whom the Lord our God calls to himself."

Many of them believed his message and were baptized, and about three thousand people were added to the group that day.

But when they believed Philip's message about the good news of the Kingdom of God and about Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received the word of God, so they sent Peter and John to them.

For the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

As they traveled down the road, they came to a place where there was some water, and the official said, "Here is some water. What is to keep me from being baptized?"

The official ordered the carriage to stop, and both Philip and the official went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

At once something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he was able to see again. He stood up and was baptized;

"These people have received the Holy Spirit, just as we also did. Can anyone, then, stop them from being baptized with water?"

So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay with them for a few days.

After she and the people of her house had been baptized, she invited us, "Come and stay in my house if you have decided that I am a true believer in the Lord." And she persuaded us to go.

She followed Paul and us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God! They announce to you how you can be saved!"

When her owners realized that their chance of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the authorities in the public square.

They are teaching customs that are against our law; we are Roman citizens, and we cannot accept these customs or practice them."

After a severe beating, they were thrown into jail, and the jailer was ordered to lock them up tight.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped; so he pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself.

The jailer called for a light, rushed in, and fell trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas.

They answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved---you and your family."

At that very hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; and he and all his family were baptized at once.

"Well, then, what kind of baptism did you receive?" Paul asked. "The baptism of John," they answered.

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Christ has been divided into groups! Was it Paul who died on the cross for you? Were you baptized as Paul's disciples?

No one can say, then, that you were baptized as my disciples.

Now, what about those people who are baptized for the dead? What do they hope to accomplish? If it is true, as some claim, that the dead are not raised to life, why are those people being baptized for the dead?

which was a symbol pointing to baptism, which now saves you. It is not the washing off of bodily dirt, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. It saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. Then heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and lighting on him.

Then a voice said from heaven, "This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased."

Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small."

May the LORD bless you and take care of you;

May the LORD look on you with favor and give you peace.

"Now come close to me and hear what I say. From the beginning I have spoken openly and have always made my words come true." (Now the Sovereign LORD has given me his power and sent me.)

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them.

There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service.

(13:13) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

It is through Christ that all of us, Jews and Gentiles, are able to come in the one Spirit into the presence of the Father.

There are three witnesses:

From John to the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace be yours from God, who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits in front of his throne,

and made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father. To Jesus Christ be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.