[Dear] Theophilus, in my former letter [i.e., the Gospel of Luke] I wrote to you concerning what all Jesus did and taught since the beginning [of His ministry],

"Brothers, the prediction of the Scriptures had to come true that the holy Spirit uttered by the lips of David, about Judas, who acted as guide for the men that arrested Jesus??17 for he was one of our number and a share in this ministry of ours fell to his lot."

And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

And day by day, going in agreement together regularly to the Temple and, taking broken bread together in their houses, they took their food with joy and with true hearts,

And a certain man that was lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

And they saw that it was the man who made requests for money at the door of the Temple, and they were full of wonder and surprise at what had taken place.

And the younger having risen up, drew him together, and having carried out, interred.

"Is it true," Peter asked, addressing her, "that you sold your land for such a sum?" "Yes," she answered, "we did."

Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

And true believers were the more willingly added to the Lord, even multitudes both of men and women.

saying; The prison indeed found we fast locked with all security, and the guards standing without, before the door: but when we opened it, we found no person within.

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.

for we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene will tear down this place and will change the traditions and customs which Moses handed down to us.”

Now the high priest asked [Stephen], “Are these charges true?”

But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

At the end of forty years, an angel came to him in the waste land of Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn-tree.

When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him,

'I [am] the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob!' So Moses began trembling [and] did not dare to look at [it].

This Moses, whom they would not have, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge? him God sent to be a ruler and a saviour, by the hand of the angel whom he saw in the thorn-tree.

But Saul made havoc of the congregation, entering into every house: and drew out both man and woman, and thrust them into prison.

You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart (motive, purpose) is not right before God.

And as he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew nigh unto Damascus: and suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven:

And when he came [back] to Jerusalem, Saul attempted to associate himself with the disciples but they were afraid of him [because of his past], and could not believe that he was a [true] disciple.

On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:

Now while Peter was in doubt as to the purpose of this vision, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made search for Simon's house, came to the door,

had come to the door and had called the servant, and were asking, "Is Simon, surnamed Peter, staying here?"

And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

"They hung him on a tree and killed him, but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear

who, [when he] arrived and saw the grace of God, rejoiced and encouraged [them] all to remain true to the Lord with {devoted hearts},

And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.

And when they had gone past the first and second watchmen they came to the iron door into the town, which came open by itself: and they went out and down one street; and then the angel went away.

And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.

and recognizing Peter's voice, for very joy she did not open the door, but ran in and told them that Peter was standing there.

“You’re crazy!” they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true. Then they said, “It’s his angel!”

But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.

And having put him on one side, he made David their king, to whom he gave witness, saying, I have taken David, the son of Jesse, a man dear to my heart, who will do all my pleasure.

For the people living in Jerusalem, together with their ruling officials, did not understand [that Jesus was the Messiah] or what the message of the prophets, which is read every Sabbath day, really meant. So, [because of this] they [actually] made these Scripture predictions come true by condemning Jesus.

And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

Beware, then, lest what is spoken in the Prophets should come true of you:

And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and gave honor to the message of God [i.e., they accepted it as true]. And all those who were appointed [by God] to receive never ending life [through faith and obedience] became believers.

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,

And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.

Reassuring the minds of the disciples, urging them to remain true to the Faith, and showing that it is only through many troubles that we can enter the Kingdom of God.

And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

So, as a dire disturbance and a serious discussion had been created between Paul and Barnabas and them, they decided that Paul and Barnabas and some others from their number should go up to Jerusalem to confer with the apostles and elders about this question.

it seemed best to us, {having reached a unanimous decision}, [and] having chosen men, to send [them] to you together with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul,

So we sailed away from Troy and struck a bee line for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis.

Among our hearers was one named Lydia, a dealer in purple goods. She belonged to the city of Thyateira, and was a worshipper of the true God. The Lord opened her heart, so that she gave attention to what Paul was saying.

And when she and her family had had baptism, she made a request to us, saying, If it seems to you that I am true to the Lord, come into my house and be my guests. And she made us come.

this she did for several days, till Paul tir'd with it turn'd about, and said to the spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ I command you to quit her; and instantly he came out.

And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

The crowd also joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and ordered that Paul and Silas be beaten with rods.

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

Now these people [in Berea] had more character than those in Thessalonica because they [not only] received the message with an open mind but [also] examined the [Old Testament] Scriptures every day to see if what they had heard was really true.

Therefore God overlooked and disregarded the former ages of ignorance; but now He commands all people everywhere to repent [that is, to change their old way of thinking, to regret their past sins, and to seek God’s purpose for their lives],

For He has appointed a [certain] day when He will judge the people of the world according to [a standard of] true justice by the man [i.e., Jesus] whom He has appointed [as Judge, See II Tim. 4:8]. [And] He has given assurance to all people [that He will do this] by raising Jesus from the dead."

and found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla: because that the Emperor Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome. And he drew unto them.

Then he moved on from there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, who worshiped God and whose house was next door to the synagogue.

After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out on a tour, visiting the whole of Galatia and Phrygia in order, and strengthening all the disciples.

And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.

how I served the Lord in all humility, with many a tear and many a trial which I encountered owing to the plots of the Jews,

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

And now dear brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build further, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

And it happened that after we tore ourselves away from them, we put out to sea, [and] running a straight course we came to Cos and on the next [day] to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.

Having searched for the disciples and found them, we stayed at Tyre for seven days; and, taught by the Spirit, they repeatedly urged Paul not to proceed to Jerusalem.

we tare ourselves from each other, and we went on board the ship, while, they, returned unto their homes.

And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.

take these and be purified with them, and pay their expenses, that they may have their heads shaved; and all will know that of those things of which they have been informed about thee nothing is true; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, keeping the law.

And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.

And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and drew nigh unto Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

And as they shouted and tore their garments, and threw dust into the air,

The men who were to have examined Paul immediately drew back, and the Officer, finding that Paul was a Roman citizen, was alarmed at having put him in chains.

But on the next day, [because he] wanted to know the true [reason] why he was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble, and he brought down Paul [and] had [him] stand before them.

Then Paul, looking intently at the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), said, “Kinsmen, I have lived my life before God with a perfectly good conscience until this very day.”

And those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?”

For the Sadducees believe there is no resurrection, angels or spirits, but the Pharisees accept all of them [to be true].

The quarrel was becoming violent, and the tribune was afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces. So he ordered the soldiers to go down, take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks.

then calling two of his centurions, draw out, said he, two hundred foot, seventy horse, and two hundred archers, ready to march to Cesarea by the third hour of the night:

The Jewish leaders supported his accusations by asserting that these things were true.

But this I will say openly to you, that I do give worship to the God of our fathers after that Way, which to them is not the true religion: but I have belief in all the things which are in the law and in the books of the prophets:

If then I am a wrong-doer, and have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die; but if none of those things is true whereof these accuse me, no man can give me up unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.

And they have always known--if they choose to give evidence- -that, in accordance with the very strictest form of our religion, I lived a true Pharisee.

I myself, it is true, once thought it my duty to oppose in every way the Name of Jesus of Nazareth;

Then Paul said, I am not off my head, most noble Festus, but my words are true and wise.

I can speak boldly of these things because the King knows [they are true]. And I am convinced that none of these things are hidden from you, for none of them have been done in a corner [i.e., secretly].

We ran under the shelter of a small island [twenty-five miles south of Crete] called Clauda, and with great difficulty we were able to get the ship’s skiff on the deck and secure it.

But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;

And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bonds and hoisted up the main sail to the wind and drew to land.

So, as they disagreed among themselves, they began to disperse, Paul adding only--"True, indeed, was the declaration made by the Holy Spirit, through the Prophet Isaiah to your ancestors--