The Promise of the Holy Spirit

1 In the first book, O ^(A)Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began ^(B)to do and teach, ² until the day when ^(C)he was taken up, after he ^(D)had given commands ^(E)through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ^3 (F)He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

⁴ And while staying^[a] with them ^(G)he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; ⁵ for ^(H)John baptized with water, ^(I)but you will be baptized ^(J)with^[b] the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The Ascension

⁶ So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, ^(K)will you at this time ^(L)restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He said to them, ^(M)“It is not for you to know ^(N)times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive ^(O)power ^(P)when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and ^(Q)you will be ^(R)my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and ^(S)Samaria, and ^(T)to the end of the earth.” ⁹ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, ^(U)he was lifted up, and ^(V)a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰ And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, ^(W)two ^(X)men stood by them in ^(Y)white robes, ¹¹ and said, ^(Z)“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, ^(AA)will ^(AB)come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

God Is King over All the Earth

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of ^(A)the Sons of Korah.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

¹⁵ For this reason, ^(A)because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love^[a] toward all the saints, ¹⁶ I ^(B)do not cease to give thanks for you, ^(C)remembering you in my prayers, ¹⁷ that ^(D)the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, ^(E)may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, ^18 (F)having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is ^(G)the hope to which he has called you, what are ^(H)the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, ^(I)according to the working of ^(J)his great might ²⁰ that he worked in Christ ^(K)when he raised him from the dead and ^(L)seated him at his right hand ^(M)in the heavenly places, ^21 (N)far above ^(O)all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above ^(P)every name that is named, not only in ^(Q)this age but also in the one to come. ²² And ^(R)he put all things under his feet and gave him as ^(S)head over all things to the church, ^23 (T)which is his body, ^(U)the fullness of him ^(V)who fills ^(W)all in all.

⁴⁴ Then he said to them, ^(A)“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, ^(B)that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then ^(C)he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, ⁴⁶ and said to them, “Thus ^(D)it is written, ^(E)that the Christ should suffer and on the third day ^(F)rise from the dead, ⁴⁷ and that ^(G)repentance for^[a] the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed ^(H)in his name ^(I)to all nations, ^(J)beginning from Jerusalem. ^48 (K)You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ And behold, I am sending ^(L)the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you ^(M)are clothed with ^(N)power ^(O)from on high.”

The Ascension

⁵⁰ And ^(P)he led them out as far as ^(Q)Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. ⁵¹ While he blessed them, ^(R)he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. ⁵² And they ^(S)worshiped him and ^(T)returned to Jerusalem ^(U)with great joy, ⁵³ and ^(V)were continually in the temple ^(W)blessing God.

[Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.]^[a]

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

⁹ [[Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, ^(A)he appeared first to ^(B)Mary Magdalene, ^(C)from whom he had cast out seven demons. ^10 (D)She went and told those who had been with him, ^(E)as they ^(F)mourned and wept. ¹¹ But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they ^(G)would not believe it.

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

^12 (H)After these things ^(I)he appeared in ^(J)another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. ^13 (K)And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

The Great Commission

¹⁴ Afterward ^(L)he appeared ^(M)to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their ^(N)unbelief and ^(O)hardness of heart, because ^(P)they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. ¹⁵ And he said to them, ^(Q)“Go into all the world and ^(R)proclaim the gospel to ^(S)the whole creation. ^16 (T)Whoever believes and is ^(U)baptized ^(V)will be saved, but ^(W)whoever ^(X)does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ And ^(Y)these signs will accompany those who believe: ^(Z)in my name they will cast out demons; ^(AA)they will speak in new tongues; ^18 (AB)they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; ^(AC)they will lay their hands ^(AD)on the sick, and they will recover.”

¹⁹ So then the Lord Jesus, ^(AE)after he had spoken to them, ^(AF)was taken up into heaven and ^(AG)sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went out and preached everywhere, while ^(AH)the Lord worked with them and confirmed ^(AI)the message ^(AJ)by accompanying signs.]]