“Blessed are you when people ¹  insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely ²  on account of me.

And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

“He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the king of Israel! If he comes down ¹  now from the cross, we will believe in him!

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom ¹  for many.”

In the same way even the chief priests – together with the experts in the law ¹  – were mocking him among themselves: ²  “He saved others, but he cannot save himself!

Then ¹  they went out and ran from the tomb, for terror and bewilderment had seized them. ²  And they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

They went out and proclaimed everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through the accompanying signs.]]

Then ¹  he looked up ²  at his disciples and said: “Blessed ³  are you who are poor, ⁴  for the kingdom of God belongs ⁵  to you.

Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil ¹  comes and takes away the word ²  from their hearts, so that they may not believe ³  and be saved.

Now ¹  an expert in religious law ²  stood up to test Jesus, ³  saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ⁴ 

“Exert every effort ¹  to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, ¹  and find pasture. ² 

If anyone ¹  hears my words and does not obey them, ²  I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ³ 

With many other words he testified ¹  and exhorted them saying, “Save yourselves from this perverse ²  generation!”

praising God and having the good will ¹  of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day ²  those who were being saved.

The word of God continued to spread, ¹  the number of disciples in Jerusalem ²  increased greatly, and a large group ³  of priests became obedient to the faith.

He thought his own people ¹  would understand that God was delivering them ²  through him, ³  but they did not understand. ⁴ 

So after Peter and John ¹  had solemnly testified ²  and spoken the word of the Lord, ³  they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming ⁴  the good news to many Samaritan villages ⁵  as they went. ⁶ 

Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted ¹  the word of God. ²