³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]”^(A)

⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.^{(B) 6} Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit.^{(C) 7} You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[c] must be born again.’

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,^(A) every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.^(B) And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^(C)

¹⁹ Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,^(A) that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”^(A)

²⁴ and all are justified^(A) freely by his grace^(B) through the redemption^(C) that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[a](D) through the shedding of his blood^(E)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished^(F)—

¹¹ And that is what some of you were.^(A) But you were washed,^(B) you were sanctified,^(C) you were justified^(D) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Made Alive in Christ

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,^{(A) 2} in which you used to live^(B) when you followed the ways of this world^(C) and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,^(D) the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.^{(E) 3} All of us also lived among them at one time,^(F) gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a](G) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us,^(H) God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions^(I)—it is by grace you have been saved.^{(J) 6} And God raised us up with Christ^(K) and seated us with him^(L) in the heavenly realms^(M) in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,^(N) expressed in his kindness^(O) to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace^(P) you have been saved,^(Q) through faith^(R)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works,^(S) so that no one can boast.^{(T) 10} For we are God’s handiwork,^(U) created^(V) in Christ Jesus to do good works,^(W) which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

¹¹ Therefore, remember that formerly^(X) you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)^(Y)— ¹² remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners^(Z) to the covenants of the promise,^(AA) without hope^(AB) and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once^(AC) were far away have been brought near^(AD) by the blood of Christ.^(AE)

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace,^(AF) who has made the two groups one^(AG) and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh^(AH) the law with its commands and regulations.^(AI) His purpose was to create in himself one^(AJ) new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,^(AK) by which he put to death their hostility.

²⁵ Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,^{(A) 26} and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil,^(B) who has taken them captive to do his will.

¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.^(A)

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds,^(B) and I will show you my faith^(C) by my deeds.^{(D) 19} You believe that there is one God.^(E) Good! Even the demons believe that^(F)—and shudder.

²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless^[a]?^{(G) 21} Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?^{(H) 22} You see that his faith and his actions were working together,^(I) and his faith was made complete by what he did.^{(J) 23} And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”^[b](K) and he was called God’s friend.^{(L) 24} You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?^{(M) 26} As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.^(N)