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.”

⁷ But ^(A)grace was given ^(B)to each one of us ^(C)according to the measure of Christ's gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

⁹ (^(F)In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into ^(G)the lower regions, the earth?^{[b] 10} He who descended is the one who also ^(H)ascended ^(I)far above all the heavens, that he might ^(J)fill all things.) ¹¹ And ^(K)he gave the ^(L)apostles, the prophets, the ^(M)evangelists, the ^(N)shepherds^[c] and teachers,^{[d] 12 (O)}to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for ^(P)building up ^(Q)the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to ^(R)the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, ^(S)to mature manhood,^[e] to the measure of the stature of ^(T)the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, ^(U)tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in ^(V)deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, ^(W)speaking the truth in love, we are to ^(X)grow up in every way into him who is ^(Y)the head, into Christ, ^16 (Z)from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, ^(AA)when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

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.