Christ Fulfills the Law

^17 (A)“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For assuredly, I say to you, ^(B)till heaven and earth pass away, one ^[a]jot or one ^[b]tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

²⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, “You are ^[a]mistaken, ^(A)not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.

^33 (A)Heaven and earth will pass away, but My ^(B)words will by no means pass away.

The Scriptures Opened

⁴⁴ Then He said to them, ^(A)“These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” ⁴⁵ And ^(B)He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

⁴⁶ Then He said to them, ^(C)“Thus it is written, ^[a]and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

^39 (A)You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and ^(B)these are they which testify of Me.

¹³ However, when He, ^(A)the Spirit of truth, has come, ^(B)He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. ^14 (C)He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. ^15 (D)All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He ^[a]will take of Mine and declare it to you.

^17 (A)Sanctify^[a] them by Your truth. ^(B)Your word is truth.

¹⁶ But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

²² “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you ^(H)by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— ²³ Him, ^(I)being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, ^(J)you ^[a]have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; ^24 (K)whom God raised up, having ^[b]loosed the ^[c]pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. ²⁵ For David says concerning Him:

²⁹ “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you ^(N)of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Therefore, being a prophet, ^(O)and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, ^[d]according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, ³¹ he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, ^(P)that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. ^32 (Q)This Jesus God has raised up, ^(R)of which we are all witnesses. ³³ Therefore ^(S)being exalted ^[e]to ^(T)the right hand of God, and ^(U)having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He ^(V)poured out this which you now see and hear.

³⁴ “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:

³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

³⁷ Now when they heard this, ^(X)they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

³⁸ Then Peter said to them, ^(Y)“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the ^[f]remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and ^(Z)to your children, and ^(AA)to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

A Vital Church Grows

⁴⁰ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this ^[g]perverse generation.” ⁴¹ Then those who ^[h]gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. ^42 (AB)And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ ^[i]doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³ Then fear came upon every soul, and ^(AC)many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ Now all who believed were together, and ^(AD)had all things in common, ⁴⁵ and ^[j]sold their possessions and goods, and ^(AE)divided^[k] them among all, as anyone had need.

^46 (AF)So continuing daily with one accord ^(AG)in the temple, and ^(AH)breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And ^(AI)the Lord added ^[l]to the church daily those who were being saved.

¹¹ These were more ^[a]fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and ^(A)searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.