应许圣灵降临

提阿非罗啊,在前一封信中,我从耶稣的生平和教导开始, 一直谈到祂借着圣灵吩咐了自己选立的使徒,然后被接回天上。 祂受难后用许多确凿的证据证实自己活着,在四十天之内屡次向使徒显现,与他们谈论上帝的国。 有一次,耶稣和他们在一起吃饭的时候,叮嘱他们:“你们不要离开耶路撒冷,要在那里等候我对你们说过的天父的应许。 因为从前约翰用水给你们施洗,但再过几天,你们要受圣灵的洗。”

他们跟耶稣在一起的时候问祂:“主啊,你要在这时候复兴以色列国吗?” 耶稣回答说:“天父照祂的权柄定下的时间、日期不是你们可以知道的。 但圣灵降临在你们身上后,你们必得到能力,在耶路撒冷、犹太全境和撒玛利亚,直到地极,做我的见证人。”

耶稣说完这番话,就在他们眼前被提升天,被一朵云彩接去,离开了他们的视线。 10 祂上升时,他们都定睛望着天空,忽然有两个身穿白衣的人站在他们身旁, 11 说:“加利利人啊!你们为什么站在这里望着天空呢?这位离开你们被接到天上的耶稣,你们看见祂怎样升天,将来祂还要怎样回来。”

选立新使徒

12 于是,他们从橄榄山回到耶路撒冷。橄榄山距离耶路撒冷不远,约是安息日允许走的路程[a] 13 他们进城后,来到楼上自己住的房间。当时有彼得、约翰、雅各、安得烈、腓力、多马、巴多罗买、马太、亚勒腓的儿子雅各、激进党人西门、雅各的儿子犹大。 14 他们和耶稣的母亲玛丽亚、耶稣的弟弟们及几个妇女在一起同心合意地恒切祷告。

15 那时,约有一百二十人在聚会,彼得站起来说: 16 “弟兄们,关于带人抓耶稣的犹大,圣灵借着大卫的口早已预言,这经文必须要应验。 17 这人原本是我们中间的一员,与我们同担使徒的职分。”

18 犹大用作恶得来的钱买了一块田,他头朝下栽倒在那里,肚破肠流。 19 这消息很快传遍了耶路撒冷,当地人称那块田为“亚革大马”,就是“血田”的意思。

20 彼得继续说:“诗篇上写道,‘愿他的家园一片荒凉,无人居住’,又说,‘愿别人取代他的职位。’ 21-22 所以,我们必须另选一个人代替犹大,与我们一同为主耶稣的复活做见证。他必须是从主耶稣接受约翰的洗礼起一直到主升天,始终与我们在一起的人。”

23 被提名的有别号巴撒巴又叫犹士都的约瑟和马提亚两个人。 24-25 大家便祷告说:“主啊!你洞悉人的内心,求你指明这两个人中你要拣选哪一个来担负使徒的职分。犹大丢弃了这职分,去了他该去的地方。” 26 然后,他们抽签,抽中了马提亚,就把他列入十一使徒中。

Footnotes

  1. 1:12 按犹太人的传统,在安息日只能走约一公里远。

In the sefer harishon I wrote about everything, O Theophilus, about Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, both what he began to do and the shiurim he began to say,

Until HaYom, when he made aliyah ascent to Shomayim, having given Moshiach’s mitzvot through the Ruach Hakodesh to the Shlichim whom he chose,

To whom also he presented himself chai (alive), after his Messianic yissurim (sufferings), by many convincing proofs, during arba’im yamim appearing to his Shlichim and speaking concerning the Malchut Hashem:

And, while gathering them at a yechidus, Moshiach gave instructions to them not to depart from Yerushalayim, but to wait for the havtachah (promise) of [Elohim] HaAv which he said, "You heard of from Me. [TEHILLIM 27:14]

"For Yochanan gave a tevilah of teshuva with a mikveh mayim, but you will receive a tevilah in the Ruach Hakodesh not many yamim from now." [YOEL 3:1;(2:28)]

And at yechidus, having come together, they were asking him saying, "Adoneinu, is it at this time that You are restoring the Malchut Hashem to Am Yisroel?"

But he said to them, "It is not for you to have da’as of the itim (times) or moadim (seasons) which [Elohim] HaAv has set by His own samchut (authority). [Dt 29:29; Ps 107:13]

"But you will receive ko’ach when the Ruach Hakodesh has come upon you, and you all will be the Eidus (the Witness) of me, in Yerushalayim, and in all Yehudah, and Shomron and as far as ad ketzeh ha’aretz."

And having said these things, while they were looking on, in an aliyah ascent to Shomayim, Moshiach was taken up; and an anan (cloud) took him away from their eyes.

10 And as they were gazing intently into Shomayim, while Moshiach was going—hinei—two beings, enrobed in white, had been present with them.

11 Also, these said, "Men of the Galil, why do you stand looking into Shomayim? This Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, the one having been taken up from you into Shomayim, will also come again in like manner as you saw him going into Shomayim."

12 Then they returned to Yerushalayim from Har HaZeytim, which from Yerushalayim is a Shabbos walk.

13 And when they entered, they went up to the aliyyah where they were staying, that is, Kefa and Yochanan and Ya’akov and Andrew and Philippos and T’oma and Bar-Talmai and Mattityahu and Ya’akov Ben Chalfai and Shimon the Zealot and Yehudah Ben Ya’akov.

14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to tefillah, with the nashim and with Miryam the Em of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach and with his achim.

15 And at this time, having stood up, Kefa, in the midst of the Achim b’Moshiach (there were 120 persons in the place)

16 —Said, "Achim b’Moshiach, the Kitvei Hakodesh had to be fulfilled, which the Ruach Hakodesh foretold through the peh of Dovid Hamelech concerning Yehudah, who became a guide to the ones arresting Yehoshua.

17 "For he had been numbered among us, and he received his ministry in the Messianic avodas kodesh of the Moshiach’s Shlichim.

18 (Now this man, therefore, acquired a sadeh out of the sachar [reward] of his peysha and, having fallen headlong, he plotst [burst] open in the middle and all the inward parts of him were poured out.

19 And this became known to all the ones inhabiting Yerushalayim, so that the sadeh [field] became known in their language as 'Akeldama’‖that is 'Sadeh of Dahm.')

20 "For it has been written in the Sefer Tehillim, "TEHI the place of him NESHAMMAH (one being deserted)... V’AL YEHI YOSHEV" ("May his place be deserted and let him not be the one dwelling in it": TEHILLIM 69:26) and "PEKUDATO YIKACH ACHER" ("his place of leadership may another take". TEHILLIM 109:8)

21 "It is necessary, therefore, that one of the anashim who accompanied us during all the time in which Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua went in and went out among us,

22 "Beginning from the tevilah of teshuva of Yochanan until the day when Moshiach was taken up from us—one of these should become Eidus (Witness) with us to the Techiyas HaMoshiach."

23 And they put forward two anashim, Yosef Bar-Sabba, also called Justus, and Mattityahu.

24 And having davened, they said, "Adonoi, you have da’as of the levavot of Kol B’nei Adam. Therefore, show which of these two is your bechirah [1Sm 14:41]

25 "To take the place of this avodas kodesh ministry and Shlichus from which Yehudah turned aside to go to his own place."

26 And they drew lots, and the lot fell to Mattityahu, and he was numbered with the Achad Asar of Moshiach’s Shlichim. [T.N. Lukas wrote this work around 63 C.E., near the time of his awaiting the first hearing of Rav Sha’ul before Nero in Rome.]

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

In my former book,(A) Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach(B) until the day he was taken up to heaven,(C) after giving instructions(D) through the Holy Spirit to the apostles(E) he had chosen.(F) After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them(G) over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.(H) On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait(I) for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.(J) For John baptized with[a] water,(K) but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.”(L)

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore(M) the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.(N) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;(O) and you will be my witnesses(P) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,(Q) and to the ends of the earth.”(R)

After he said this, he was taken up(S) before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white(T) stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,”(U) they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back(V) in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem(W) from the hill called the Mount of Olives,(X) a Sabbath day’s walk[c] from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room(Y) where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.(Z) 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer,(AA) along with the women(AB) and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.(AC)

15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers and sisters,[d](AD) the Scripture had to be fulfilled(AE) in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas,(AF) who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number(AG) and shared in our ministry.”(AH)

18 (With the payment(AI) he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field;(AJ) there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language(AK) Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:

“‘May his place be deserted;
    let there be no one to dwell in it,’[e](AL)

and,

“‘May another take his place of leadership.’[f](AM)

21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism(AN) to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness(AO) with us of his resurrection.”

23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed,(AP) “Lord, you know everyone’s heart.(AQ) Show us(AR) which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Acts 1:5 Or in
  2. Acts 1:5 Or in
  3. Acts 1:12 That is, about 5/8 mile or about 1 kilometer
  4. Acts 1:16 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 6:3; 11:29; 12:17; 16:40; 18:18, 27; 21:7, 17; 28:14, 15.
  5. Acts 1:20 Psalm 69:25
  6. Acts 1:20 Psalm 109:8