Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach

(With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.

“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,’ and, “‘May another take his place of leadership.’

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.

“We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”

Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen.

He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.

I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’

But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets: “‘Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?

“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet.

This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.

But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.

He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.

They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.

Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.

The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.

But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”