Beginning

I. The Preparation for the Christian Mission

Chapter 1^[a]

The Promise of the Spirit. ¹ In the first book,^(A) Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught ² until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.^{(B) 3} He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days^[b] and speaking about the kingdom of God.^{(C) 4} While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father^[c] about which you have heard me speak;^{(D) 5} for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit.”^(E)

The Ascension of Jesus. ⁶ When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going^[d] to restore the kingdom to Israel?” ^7 [e]He answered them,^(F) “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. ^8 [f]But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you,^(G) and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ⁹ When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.^{(H) 10} While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.^{(I) 11} They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”^{(J) 12 (K)}Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away.

The First Community in Jerusalem. ¹³ When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴ All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.^(L)

The Choice of Judas’s Successor. ¹⁵ During those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons in the one place). He said, ¹⁶ “My brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled which the holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.^{(M) 17} He was numbered among us and was allotted a share in this ministry. ^18 (N)He bought a parcel of land with the wages of his iniquity, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his insides spilled out.^{[g] 19} This became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem, so that the parcel of land was called in their language ‘Akeldama,’ that is, Field of Blood. ²⁰ For it is written in the Book of Psalms:

And:

²¹ Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, ²² beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection.”^{(P) 23} So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they prayed, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.” ^26 [h](Q)Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles.

Chapter 2

The Coming of the Spirit. ^1 [i]When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.^{(R) 2} And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind,^[j] and it filled the entire house in which they were.^{(S) 3} Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,^[k] which parted and came to rest on each one of them.^{(T) 4} And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues,^[l] as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.^(U)

⁵ Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. ⁶ At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷ They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?^{(V) 8} Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? ⁹ We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, ¹¹ both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”^{(W) 12} They were all astounded and bewildered, and said to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But others said, scoffing, “They have had too much new wine.”^(X)

II. The Mission in Jerusalem

Peter’s Speech at Pentecost. ^14 [m]Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my words. ¹⁵ These people are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ¹⁶ No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

²² You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.^{(AA) 23} This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.^{(AB) 24} But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it.^{(AC) 25} For David says of him:

²⁹ My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day. ³⁰ But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,^{(AF) 31} he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption.^{(AG) 32} God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. ³³ Exalted at the right hand of God,^[n] he received the promise of the holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you [both] see and hear.^{(AH) 34} For David did not go up into heaven, but he himself said:

³⁶ Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”^(AJ)

³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?”^{(AK) 38} Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized,^[o] every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.^{(AL) 39} For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.”^{(AM) 40} He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”^{(AN) 41} Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.^(AO)

Communal Life.^{[p] 42 (AP)}They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.^{(AQ) 43} Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.^{(AR) 44} All who believed were together and had all things in common;^{(AS) 45} they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. ⁴⁶ Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Chapter 3

Cure of a Crippled Beggar. ^1 [q]Now Peter and John were going up to the temple area for the three o’clock hour of prayer.^{[r] 2 (AT)}And a man crippled from birth was carried and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple. ³ When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. ⁴ But Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. ^6 [s]Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, [rise and] walk.”^{(AU) 7} Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong. ⁸ He leaped up, stood, and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.^{(AV) 9} When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ they recognized him as the one who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with amazement and astonishment at what had happened to him.

Peter’s Speech. ¹¹ As he clung to Peter and John, all the people hurried in amazement toward them in the portico called “Solomon’s Portico.”^{(AW) 12} When Peter saw this, he addressed the people, “You Israelites, why are you amazed at this, and why do you look so intently at us as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety?^{(AX) 13} The God of Abraham, [the God] of Isaac, and [the God] of Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified^[t] his servant Jesus whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence, when he had decided to release him.^{(AY) 14} You denied the Holy and Righteous One^[u] and asked that a murderer be released to you.^{(AZ) 15 [v]}The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.^{(BA) 16} And by faith in his name, this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong, and the faith that comes through it has given him this perfect health, in the presence of all of you. ¹⁷ Now I know, brothers, that you acted out of ignorance,^[w] just as your leaders did;^{(BB) 18} but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets,^[x] that his Messiah would suffer.^{(BC) 19} Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away,^{(BD) 20} and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment and send you the Messiah already appointed for you, Jesus,^{[y] 21} whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration^[z] of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. ²² For Moses said:^[aa]

²⁴ Moreover, all the prophets who spoke, from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these days. ²⁵ You are the children of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors when he said to Abraham, ‘In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’^{(BG) 26} For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”^(BH)