Jesus: Acts of The Apostles (Chapter 1)

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (CHAPTER 1)
1
In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the
beginning
2
until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit,
and was taken up to heaven.
3
He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty
days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God.
4
While at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what
the Father had promised. 'It is', he had said, 'what you have heard me speak about:
5
John baptised with water but, not many days from now, you are going to be baptised with
the Holy Spirit.'
6
Now having met together, they asked him, 'Lord, has the time come for you to restore the
kingdom to Israel?'
7
He replied, 'It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own
authority,
8
but you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit which will come on you, and then you will
be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to
earth's remotest end.'
9
As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight.
10
They were still staring into the sky as he went, when suddenly two men in white were
standing beside them,
11
and they said, 'Why are you Galileans standing here looking into the sky? This Jesus who
has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way as you have seen
him go to heaven.'
12
So from the Mount of Olives, as it is called, they went back to Jerusalem, a short distance
away, no more than a Sabbath walk;
13
and when they reached the city they went to the upper room where they were staying; there
were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,
James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Jude son of James.
14
With one heart all these joined constantly in prayer, together with some women, including
Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
15
One day Peter stood up to speak to the brothers -- there were about a hundred and twenty
people in the congregation,
16
'Brothers,' he said, 'the passage of scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit,
speaking through David, foretells the fate of Judas, who acted as guide to the men who
arrested Jesus-
17
after being one of our number and sharing our ministry.
18
As you know, he bought a plot of land with the money he was paid for his crime. He fell
headlong and burst open, and all his entrails poured out.
19
Everybody in Jerusalem heard about it and the plot came to be called "Bloody Acre", in
their language Hakeldama.
20
Now in the Book of Psalms it says: Reduce his encampment to ruin and leave his tent
unoccupied. And again: Let someone else take over his office.
21
'Out of the men who have been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was living with
us,
22
from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us, one
must be appointed to serve with us as a witness to his resurrection.'
23
Having nominated two candidates, Joseph known as Barsabbas, whose surname was Justus,
and Matthias,
24
they prayed, 'Lord, you can read everyone's heart; show us therefore which of these two
you have chosen
25
to take over this ministry and apostolate, which Judas abandoned to go to his proper place.'
26
They then drew lots for them, and as the lot fell to Matthias, he was listed as one of the
twelve apostles.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES CHAPTER 2

1
When Pentecost day came round, they had all met together,
2
when suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of a violent wind which filled the entire
house in which they were sitting;
3
and there appeared to them tongues as of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head
of each of them.
4
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages as the Spirit
gave them power to express themselves.
5
Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven,
6
and at this sound they all assembled, and each one was bewildered to hear these men
speaking his own language.
7
They were amazed and astonished. 'Surely,' they said, 'all these men speaking are Galileans?
8
How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language?
9
Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus
and Asia,
10
Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene; residents of Rome-
11
Jews and proselytes alike -- Cretans and Arabs, we hear them preaching in our own
language about the marvels of God.'
12
Everyone was amazed and perplexed; they asked one another what it all meant.
13
Some, however, laughed it off. 'They have been drinking too much new wine,' they said.
14
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed them in a loud voice: 'Men of Judaea,
and all you who live in Jerusalem, make no mistake about this, but listen carefully to what I
say.
15
These men are not drunk, as you imagine; why, it is only the third hour of the day.
16
On the contrary, this is what the prophet was saying:
17
In the last days -- the Lord declares -- I shall pour out my Spirit on all humanity. Your sons
and daughters shall prophesy, your young people shall see visions, your old people dream
dreams.
18
Even on the slaves, men and women, shall I pour out my Spirit.
19
I will show portents in the sky above and signs on the earth below.
20
The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the day of the Lord
comes, that great and terrible Day.
21
And all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.
22
'Men of Israel, listen to what I am going to say: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended
to you by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he
was among you, as you know.
23
This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of
God, you took and had crucified and killed by men outside the Law.
24
But God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades; for it was impossible for
him to be held in its power since,
25
as David says of him: I kept the Lord before my sight always, for with him at my right hand
nothing can shake me.
26
So my heart rejoiced my tongue delighted; my body, too, will rest secure,
27
for you will not abandon me to Hades or allow your holy one to see corruption.
28
You have taught me the way of life, you will fill me with joy in your presence.
29
'Brothers, no one can deny that the patriarch David himself is dead and buried: his tomb is
still with us.
30
But since he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn him an oath to make one of his
descendants succeed him on the throne,
31
he spoke with foreknowledge about the resurrection of the Christ: he is the one who was
not abandoned to Hades, and whose body did not see corruption.
32
God raised this man Jesus to life, and of that we are all witnesses.
33
Now raised to the heights by God's right hand, he has received from the Father the Holy
Spirit, who was promised, and what you see and hear is the outpouring of that Spirit.
34
For David himself never went up to heaven, but yet he said: The Lord declared to my Lord,
take your seat at my right hand,
35
till I have made your enemies your footstool.
36
'For this reason the whole House of Israel can be certain that the Lord and Christ whom
God has made is this Jesus whom you crucified.'
37
Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'What are
we to do, brothers?'
38
'You must repent,' Peter answered, 'and every one of you must be baptised in the name of
Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39
The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away,
for all those whom the Lord our God is calling to himself.'
40
He spoke to them for a long time using many other arguments, and he urged them, 'Save
yourselves from this perverse generation.'
41
They accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were
added to their number.
42
These remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking
of bread and to the prayers.
43
And everyone was filled with awe; the apostles worked many signs and miracles.
44
And all who shared the faith owned everything in common;
45
they sold their goods and possessions and distributed the proceeds among themselves
according to what each one needed.
46
Each day, with one heart, they regularly went to the Temple but met in their houses for the
breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously;
47
they praised God and were looked up to by everyone. Day by day the Lord added to their
community those destined to be saved.

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ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (CHAPTER 1)

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES CHAPTER 2

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