In my first book, Theophilus, I wrote about everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning,

Now those who had gathered together began to ask Jesus, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"

After saying this, Jesus was taken up while those who had gathered together were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

They asked, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go up into heaven."

With one mind, all of them kept devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women (including Mary the mother of Jesus) and his brothers.

"Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the voice of David about Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus,

who was one of the men associated with us all the time the Lord Jesus came and went among us,

"Fellow Israelis, listen to these words: Jesus from Nazareth was a man authenticated to you by God through miracles, wonders, and signs that God performed through him among you, as you yourselves know.

"It was this very Jesus whom God raised and we're all witnesses of that.

"Therefore, let all the people of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!"

Peter answered them, "Every one of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift.

However, Peter said, "I don't have any silver or gold, but I'll give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus the Messiah from Nazareth, walk!"

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you betrayed and rejected in the presence of Pilate, even though he had decided to let him go.

It is his name that is, by faith in his name that has healed this man whom you see and know. Yes, the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and so that he may send you Jesus, whom he appointed long ago to be the Messiah.

They were greatly disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people and announcing that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead.

you and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands healthy before you because of the name of Jesus from Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead.

Now when the Jewish leaders saw the boldness of Peter and John and found out that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and realized that they had been with Jesus.

So they called Peter and John back in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

For in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate actually met together with unbelievers and the people of Israel to oppose your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,

as you stretch out your hand to heal and to perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

With great power, the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was on them all,

The God of our ancestors raised Jesus to life after you killed him by hanging him on a tree.

So they were convinced by him. After calling in the apostles and beating them, they again ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus and let them go.

Every day in the Temple and from house to house they kept teaching and proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah.

For we have heard him say that this Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us."

But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

As they continued to stone Stephen, he kept praying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

But when Philip proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and about the name of Jesus the Messiah, men and women believed and were baptized.

Before this, he had not come on any of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then Philip began to speak, and, starting from this Scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus.

The voice said, "I'm Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up, go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do."

So Ananias left and went to that house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were traveling, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

He immediately started to preach about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "This is the Son of God."

Everyone who heard him was astonished and said, "This is the man who harassed those who were calling on Jesus' name in Jerusalem, isn't it? Didn't he come here to bring them in chains to the high priests?"

Barnabas, however, introduced Saul to the apostles, telling them how on the road Saul had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how courageously he had spoken in the name of Jesus in Damascus.

Peter told him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Messiah is healing you. Get up and put away your mat!" At once he got up,

He has sent his word to the descendants of Israel and brought them the good news of peace through Jesus the Messiah. This man is the Lord of everyone.

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, he went around doing good and healing everyone who was oppressed by the devil.

We are witnesses of everything Jesus did in the land of the Jews, including Jerusalem.

All the prophets testify to this: everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

So Peter ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah. Then they asked him to stay there for several days.

Now if God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, who was I to try to stop God?"

But among them were some men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began proclaiming the Lord Jesus even to the Hellenistic Jews.

They went through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish occult practitioner and false prophet named Bar-jesus.

It was from this man's descendants that God, as he promised, brought to Israel a Savior, who is Jesus.

Before Jesus' appearance, John had already preached a baptism of repentance to all the people in Israel.

For the people who live in Jerusalem and their leaders, not knowing who Jesus was, condemned him and so fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.

he has fulfilled for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm, "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.'

We certainly believe that it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, that we are saved, just as they are."

who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

They went as far as Mysia and tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them,

She kept doing this for many days until Paul became annoyed, turned to her and told the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus the Messiah to come out of her!" And it came out that very moment.

They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved."

He explained and showed them that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead: "This very Jesus whom I proclaim to you is the Messiah."

and Jason has welcomed them as his guests. All of them oppose the emperor's decrees by saying that there is another king Jesus!"

Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some asked, "What is this blabbermouth trying to say?" while others said, "He seems to be preaching about foreign gods." This was because Paul was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

But when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself entirely to the word as he emphatically assured the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.

He had been instructed in the Lord's way, and with spiritual fervor he kept speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only about John's baptism.

He successfully refuted the Jews in public and proved by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.

Then Paul said, "John baptized when they repented, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus."

On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then some Jews who went around trying to drive out demons attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches!"

But the evil spirit told them, "Jesus I know, and I am getting acquainted with Paul, but who are you?"

When this became known to everyone living in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike, they all became terrified, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor.

I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus.

But I don't place any value on my life, if only I can finish my race and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

In every way I showed you that by working hard like this we should help the weak and remember the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

At this Paul replied, "What do you mean by crying and breaking my heart? I'm ready not only to be tied up in Jerusalem but even to die for the name of the Lord Jesus!"

"He told me, "I'm Jesus from Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' The men who were with me saw the light but didn't understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

Some days later, Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him talk about faith in Jesus the Messiah.

Instead, they had several arguments with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died but Paul kept asserting he was alive.

Indeed, I myself thought it my duty to take extreme measures against the name of Jesus from Nazareth.

"The Lord answered, "I'm Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet, because I've appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you to be my servant and witness of what you've seen and of what I'll show you.

From morning until evening, he continued to explain the kingdom of God to them, trying to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets. Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others wouldn't believe.

He continued to preach about the kingdom of God and to teach boldly and freely about the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.