Jesus replied, “This is the deed God requires – to believe in the one whom he sent.”

When Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining about this, he said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended?

Some people said, “This is the man!” while others said, “No, but he looks like him.” The man himself kept insisting, “I am the one!”

Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

After he said this, he added, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. But I am going there to awaken him.”

But some of them said, “This is the man who caused the blind man to see! Couldn’t he have done something to keep Lazarus from dying?”

(Now he did not say this on his own, but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation,

(Now Jesus said this to indicate clearly by what kind of death Peter was going to glorify God.) After he said this, Jesus told Peter, “Follow me.”

This became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so that in their own language they called that field Hakeldama, that is, “Field of Blood.”)

Peter said to her, “Tell me, were the two of you paid this amount for the land?” Sapphira said, “Yes, that much.”

Now when the commander of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were greatly puzzled concerning it, wondering what this could be.

They brought forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop saying things against this holy place and the law.

But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ said God, ‘and after these things they will come out of there and worship me in this place.’

Then he fell to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he died.

He gathered these together, along with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity comes from this business.

Because I was at a loss how I could investigate these matters, I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges.

So for this reason I have asked to see you and speak with you, for I am bound with this chain because of the hope of Israel.”

And do you think, whoever you are, when you judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape God’s judgment?

For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want – instead, I do what I hate.

This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants.