And once when he was eating with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father. "Of this," he said, "you have heard from me.

"For John indeed baptized in water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence."

He answered. "It is not for you to know times and occasions which the Father has fixed in his own authority;

It was during these days that Peter stood up among the brothers??he whole number of persons present was about one hundred and twenty??nd said:

The were beside themselves with wonder. "Are not these Galileans who are speaking?" they exclaimed.

"These men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only nine o'clock in the morning.

but God has raised him to life, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for death to hold him.

"For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hades, Nor give up thy Holy One to see corruption.

"Men and brothers, I can speak plainly to you concerning the patriarch David, because he not only died and was buried, but his tomb is among us even to this very day.

For David did not ascend into heaven; but he himself said, "The Lord said to my Lord Sit thou on my right hand

They would sell their lands and other property, and distribute the proceeds among all, just as any one from time had need.

"and it shall be that every soul who will not listen to that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.

"But that the matter may spread no further among the people, let us threaten them not to speak to any one hereafter about this name."

So they summoned them, and ordered them not to speak at all, nor to teach in the name of Jesus.

and distribution would be made to each according to his need.

"While it remained unsold, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was not the price at your own disposal? How could you conceive this act in your heart? You have not lied unto men, but unto God."

About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened;

But an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors during the night, and let them out.

But the officers who went did not find them in the prison; so they came back and reported,

On this the officer went off with his men and fetched them, not, however, by force, for they were afraid that the people would stone them.

"We strictly forbade you, did we not, to teach about this Name, and here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us."

They gave in to him; and called the apostles in, and after flogging them, released them, with instructions not to speak about the name of Jesus.

but not for a single day did they desist from teaching and preaching in the Temple, and in private houses, the Gospel of Jesus, the Messiah.

Then the Twelve called the general body of the disciples together, and said to them. "It is not fitting for us to leave off preaching the Word of God, and minister at tables.

"But he gave him no inheritance in it, no, not a single square yard of ground; yet he promised to bestow the land as a permanent possession on him and his posterity??e at that time being childless.

"Then there came a famine over the whole of Egypt and Canaan, and great distress, so that our ancestors could not find food.

"until there arose a king who knew not Joseph.

"He dealt craftily with our race, and oppressed our forefathers, by making them expose their infants so that they should not live.

"(Now he supposed that his brothers would understand how God by his hand was bringing them deliverance; but they did not.)

"I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. "And Moses trembled and dared not gaze.

"To him our ancestors would not be obedient, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts turned back into Egypt.

"Said they to Aaron. "Make Gods for us who shall march in front of us! As for this Moses who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has happened to him.

"Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands; as said the prophet.

Did not my hand make this universe?

"Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become??53 "you who received the law, given through angels, and obeyed it not."

Then he knelt down and cried aloud, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."

For he had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

"You have no part or lot in this matter." Your heart is not right in the sight of God.

Now the portion of Scripture which he was reading was as follows. He was led a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is dumb, So he opened not his mouth.

His hearers were all astonished, and began to say. "Is not this the very man who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called upon the Name? Did he not come hither for the express purpose of carrying them all in chains to the high priests?"

but information of their plot was given Saul, and although they kept watch day and night on the gates, in order to make away with him,

his disciples took him by night, and let him down over the wall, lowering him in a basket.

So he came to Jerusalem, and attempted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe that he was a disciple.

And as Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, when they heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the entreaty, "Delay not to come to us."

"Not so, my Lord," answered Peter, "for I have never yet eaten anything common and unclean."

And again a second time came to him a voice, saying, "What God has cleansed you must not call common."

To them he said: "You know, yourselves, that it is illegal for a Jew to associate with or to visit one of another nation; but God has taught me that I should not call any man common or unclean. For this reason, when sent for, I came without demur.

"not to all the people, but to witnesses??en previously chosen by God??hat is, to us, who ate and drank with him after he had risen from the dead;

"'Not so, my Lord' said I, 'for nothing common or unclean has ever gone into my mouth.'

"But for the second time a voice spoke from the sky, 'What God has cleansed, you must not call common.'

Now when Herod was about to bring him forth, on that very night, while Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison,

So Peter went out, following him, but did not realize that what the angel was doing was real, but supposed that he was seeing a vision.

And when she recognized Peter's voice, for very joy she did not open the door, but ran in and told them that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

Then Herod had search made for him, and could not find him. After sharply questioning the guards, he ordered them off to execution. He then went down from Judea to Caesarea, where he stayed for some time.

"The voice of a god, and not of a man," the people kept shouting.

Instantly an angel of the Lord smote him, because he had not given God the glory, and being eaten up by worms, he died.

"The Lord's hand is now upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season." Instantly there fell on him a mist and a darkness, and groping about, he sought some one to lead him by the hand.

"And John, when he was finishing his race, repeatedly asked the people. "'Who do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold there comes One after me, whose sandal I am not worthy to unfasten.'

"For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.

"Because in another psalm he says, "Thou wilt not give thy Holy One to see corruption.

and yet he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness."

But Paul thought it unwise to take with them one who had deserted them to the Pamphylia, and had not gone on with them to the work.

When they got as far as Mysia, they attempted to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit it;

Here a vision appeared to Paul in the night. There stood a man of Macedonia, entreating him and saying, "Come over into Macedonia and help us!"

"They are teaching customs which it is not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or practise."

And he took them, the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, he and all his.

Now the brothers sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they got there they betook themselves to the Jewish synagogue.

So many of them became believers, and so did not a few Greeks, women of honorable estate, and men.

"The God who made the universe and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands,

"so that they might seek God, if perhaps they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from every on of us;

"Since then we are God's offspring, we ought not to imagine that the Godhead is like to gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man.

And the Lord said to Paul in a vision, by night. "Have no fear; go on speaking, and do not keep silent;

but as these are merely questions about words and names and your own law, you yourselves must see to it. I am not willing to be a judge of these matters."

When they begged him to stay longer, he would not consent,

"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" he asked them. "No" said they, "we did not even hear that there is a Holy Spirit."

"And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but almost throughout all of Asia, this fellow Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, by telling them that they are no gods at all who are made with hands.

"So there is danger not only that our trade come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be brought into disrepute, and that she herself may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world now worships."

When Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not let him,

and some of the Asiarchs, too, who were his friends, sent word to him repeatedly, entreating him not to venture into the theater.

At length the recorder got them quiet. "Men of Ephesus," he said, "who here does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple-guardian of the great Diana and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?

Then Paul went down, threw himself upon him, and embracing him, said: "Do not lament; his life is still in him."

They had taken the lad home alive, and were not a little comforted.

For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, so as not to spend time in Asia, for he was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if it were possible, by the day of Pentecost.

And now I am going to Jerusalem, bound in the Spirit, not knowing what will befall me there,

But I hold not my life of any account, as dear unto myself, if only I may run my race, and accomplish the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to attest the gospel of the grace of God.

And now I know that not one of you among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will ever see my face again.

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock;

So be on guard; and remember that for three years I ceased not to admonish you all, night and day, even with tears.

We looked up the local disciples and remained there seven days; and these disciples kept telling Paul, through the Spirit, that he should not set foot in Jerusalem.

As soon as we heard these words, both we and those who were standing near entreated Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.

"What do you mean by thus breaking my heart with your grief?" answered Paul. "For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus."

And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."

"Now what they have been told about you, again and again, is that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles, to forsake Moses, and not to circumcise their children, nor to follow the old customs.

Some among the crowd kept shouting one thing, some another; and when the tribune could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered Paul into the barracks.

"Do you know Greek?" said the tribune; "Are you not, then, the Egyptian who in days gone by stirred up to sedition, and let into the wilderness the four thousand cutthroats?"

"Now my companions, though they beheld the light, did not hear the words of Him who spoke to me.

"I fell into a trance and saw him saying to me, "'Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive your testimony concerning me.'

Until they heard this last statement, the people were listening to Paul, but now they roared out. "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He is not fit to live!"

"Brothers, I did not know that he was the high priest," exclaimed Paul, "for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of my people."

And the following night the Lord stood by him and said: "Be of good courage; for as you have borne faithful witness concerning me at Jerusalem, so you must testify at Rome also."