Paul Addresses the Areopagus

22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ^p‘To the unknown god.’ ^pWhat therefore you worship ^qas unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 ^rThe God who made the world and everything in it, being ^sLord of heaven and earth, ^tdoes not live in temples made by man,¹ 25 nor is he served by human hands, ^uas though he needed anything, since he himself ^vgives to all mankind ^wlife and breath and everything. 26 And ^xhe made from one man every nation of mankind to live ^yon all the face of the earth, ^zhaving determined allotted periods and ^athe boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 ^bthat they should seek God, ^cand perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. ^dYet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for

as even some of ^fyour own poets have said,

29 ^gBeing then God’s offspring, ^hwe ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 ⁱThe times of ignorance ^jGod overlooked, but ^know he ^lcommands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed ^ma day on which ⁿhe will judge the world ^oin righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and ^pof this he has given assurance to all ^qby raising him from the dead.”

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15 ^b“If you love me, you will ^ckeep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another ^dHelper,¹ to be with you forever, 17 even ^ethe Spirit of truth, ^fwhom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and ^gwill be² in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; ^hI will come to you. 19 ⁱYet a little while and the world will see me no more, but ^jyou will see me. ^kBecause I live, you also will live. 20 ^lIn that day you will know that ^mI am in my Father, and ⁿyou in me, and ^oI in you. 21 ^pWhoever has my commandments and ^qkeeps them, he it is who loves me. And ^rhe who loves me ^swill be loved by my Father, and I will love him and ^tmanifest myself to him.”

13 Now ^cwho is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 ^dBut even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. ^eHave no fear of them, ^fnor be troubled, 15 but ^gin your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, ^halways being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and ⁱrespect, 16 ^jhaving a good conscience, so that, ^kwhen you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For ^lit is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

18 For Christ also ^msuffered^{1 n}once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, ^othat he might bring us to God, being put to death ^pin the flesh but made alive ^qin the spirit, 19 in which² he went and ^qproclaimed³ to the spirits in prison, 20 because⁴ they formerly did not obey, ^rwhen God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, ^swhile the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, ^teight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, ^unow saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but ^vas an appeal to God for a good conscience, ^wthrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and ^xis at the right hand of God, ^ywith angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.