¹¹ “I baptize you with^[a] water for repentance.^(A) But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with^[b] the Holy Spirit^(B) and fire.^(C)

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

2 When the day of Pentecost^(A) came, they were all together^(B) in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.^{(C) 3} They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit^(D) and began to speak in other tongues^[a](E) as the Spirit enabled them.

⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing^(F) Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. ⁷ Utterly amazed,^(G) they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?^{(H) 8} Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,^(I) Pontus^(J) and Asia,^{[b](K) 10} Phrygia^(L) and Pamphylia,^(M) Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene;^(N) visitors from Rome ¹¹ (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” ¹² Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

¹⁴ When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria^(A) had accepted the word of God,^(B) they sent Peter and John^(C) to Samaria. ¹⁵ When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit,^{(D) 16} because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them;^(E) they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.^{(F) 17} Then Peter and John placed their hands on them,^(G) and they received the Holy Spirit.^(H)

Philip and the Ethiopian

²⁶ Now an angel^(A) of the Lord said to Philip,^(B) “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” ²⁷ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian^[a](C) eunuch,^(D) an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,^{(E) 28} and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹ The Spirit told^(F) Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

³⁰ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

³¹ “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

³² This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

³⁴ The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” ³⁵ Then Philip began^(H) with that very passage of Scripture^(I) and told him the good news^(J) about Jesus.

³⁶ As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”^{(K) [37] [c] 38} And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. ³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away,^(L) and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

¹⁰ In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,^(A) “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

¹¹ The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus^(B) named Saul, for he is praying. ¹² In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on^(C) him to restore his sight.”

¹³ “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people^(D) in Jerusalem.^{(E) 14} And he has come here with authority from the chief priests^(F) to arrest all who call on your name.”^(G)

¹⁵ But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument^(H) to proclaim my name to the Gentiles^(I) and their kings^(J) and to the people of Israel. ¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”^(K)

¹⁷ Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on^(L) Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”^{(M) 18} Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,^{(N) 19} and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

Saul spent several days with the disciples^(O) in Damascus.^{(P) 20} At once he began to preach in the synagogues^(Q) that Jesus is the Son of God.^{(R) 21} All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name?^(S) And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”^{(T) 22} Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.^(U)