While being together and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Of which,” He said, “you have heard Me speak.

For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized and empowered and united with the Holy Spirit, not long from now.”

He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.

They were completely astonished, saying, “Look! Are not all of these who are speaking Galileans?

These people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is [only] the third hour of the day (9:00 a.m.);

But God raised Him up, releasing Him and bringing an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in death’s power.

For David says of Him,

‘I saw the Lord constantly before me;
For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken [from my state of security].

‘For You will not forsake me and abandon my soul to Hades (the realm of the dead),
Nor let Your Holy One undergo decay [after death].

he foresaw and spoke [prophetically] of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), that He was not abandoned [in death] to Hades (the realm of the dead), nor did His body undergo decay.

For David did not ascend into the heavens, yet he himself says,

‘The Lord [the Father] said to my Lord [the Son],
“Sit at My right hand,

And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need.

But Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have; but what I do have I give to you: In the name (authority, power) of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—[begin now to] walk and go on walking!”

“Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance [not fully aware of what you were doing], just as your rulers did also.

And it will be that every person that does not listen to and heed that Prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’

And seeing the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in reply.

But to keep it from spreading further among the people and the nation, let us [sternly] warn them not to speak again to anyone in this name.”

So they sent for them, and commanded them not to speak [as His representatives] or teach at all in the name of Jesus [using Him as their authority].

When the rulers and Council members had threatened them further, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because [of their fear] of the people, for they were all praising and glorifying and honoring God for what had happened;

who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David, Your servant, said,

‘Why did the nations (Gentiles) become arrogant and rage,
And the peoples devise futile things [against the Lord]?

Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one [of them] claimed that anything belonging to him was [exclusively] his own, but everything was common property and for the use of all.

and placing the money down at the apostles’ feet. Then it was distributed to each as anyone had need.

As long as it remained [unsold], did it not remain your own [to do with as you pleased]? And after it was sold, was the money not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this act [of hypocrisy and deceit] in your heart? You have not [simply] lied to people, but to God.”

Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

But none of the rest [of the people, the non-believers] dared to associate with them; however, the people were holding them in high esteem and were speaking highly of them.

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, and leading them out, he said,

saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this Man’s blood on us [by accusing us as His murderers].”

but if it is of God [and it appears that it is], you will not be able to stop them; or else you may even be found fighting against God!”

So the Twelve called the disciples together and said, “It is not appropriate for us to neglect [teaching] the word of God in order to serve tables and manage the distribution of food.

But they were not able to successfully withstand and cope with the wisdom and the intelligence [and the power and inspiration] of the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

But He did not give him inheritable property, not even enough ground to take a step on, yet He promised that He would give it to Him as a possession, and to his descendants after him.

until [the time when] there arose another king over egypt who did not know joseph [nor his history and the merit of his service to Egypt].

He shrewdly exploited our race and mistreated our fathers, forcing them to expose their [male] babies so that they would die.

He expected his countrymen to understand that God was granting them freedom through him [assuming that they would accept him], but they did not understand.

‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.

Our fathers were unwilling to be subject to him [and refused to listen to him]. They rejected him, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.

However, the Most High [the One infinitely exalted above humanity] does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet [Isaiah] says,

‘Was it not My hand that made all these things?’

Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who proclaimed beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;

you who received the law as ordained and delivered to you by angels, and yet you did not obey it!”

Then falling on his knees [in worship], he cried out loudly, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them [do not charge them]!” When he had said this, he fell asleep [in death].

Saul wholeheartedly approved of Stephen’s death.

And on that day a great and relentless persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem; and the believers were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.

Philip [the evangelist] went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) to them.

for He had not yet fallen on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus [as His possession].

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

Now this was the passage of Scripture which he was reading:

“Like a sheep He was led to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He does not open His mouth.

All those who heard him continued to be amazed and said, “Is this not the man who in Jerusalem attacked those who called on this name [of Jesus], and had come here [to Damascus] for the express purpose of bringing them bound [with chains] before the chief priests?”

but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the city’s gates day and night so they could kill him;

but his disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket.

When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.

And the voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, no longer consider common (unholy).”

So Peter invited them in and gave them lodging [for the night].

The next day Peter got up and left with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.

He said to them, “You know that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to associate with or befriend a Gentile, or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I am not to call anyone common or [ceremonially] unclean.

not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen and designated beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank together with Him after He rose from the dead.

But the voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, no longer consider common (unholy).’

The very night before Herod was to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries were in front of the door guarding the prison.

And Peter went out following the angel. He did not realize that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

When Herod had searched for him and could not find him, he interrogated the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea [Maritima] and spent some time there.

The assembled people kept shouting, “It is the voice of a god and not of a man!”

And at once an angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give God the glory [and instead permitted himself to be worshiped], and he was eaten by worms and died [five days later].

And as John was finishing his course [of ministry], he kept saying, ‘What or who do you think that I am? I am not He [the Christ]; but be aware, One is coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie [even as His slave]!’

For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, who failed to recognize or understand both Jesus and the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled these [very prophecies] by condemning Him.

For this reason He also says in another Psalm, ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to see decay.’

but He whom God raised [to life] did not experience decay [in the grave].

and through Him everyone who believes [who acknowledges Jesus as Lord and Savior and follows Him] is justified and declared free of guilt from all things, from which you could not be justified and freed of guilt through the Law of Moses.

yet He did not leave Himself without some witness [as evidence of Himself], in that He kept constantly doing good things and showing you kindness, and giving you rains from heaven and productive seasons, filling your hearts with food and happiness.”

Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble and make it difficult for those who are turning to God among the Gentiles [by putting obstacles in their way],

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place on you any greater burden than these essentials:

But Paul kept insisting that they should not take along with them the one who had quit and deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.

and after they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;

Then a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man from [the Roman province of] Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”

But Paul shouted, saying, “Do not hurt yourself, we are all here!”

And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their bloody wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.

And some of them were persuaded to believe and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and many of the leading women.

The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea; and when they arrived, they entered the Jewish synagogue.

As a result many of them became believers, together with a number of prominent Greek women and men.

The God who created the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;

This was so that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.

So then, being God’s children, we should not think that the Divine Nature (deity) is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination or skill of man.

One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid anymore, but go on speaking and do not be silent;

When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he refused;

He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed [in Jesus as the Christ]?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

You see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but almost all over [the province of] Asia, this Paul has persuaded [people to believe his teaching] and has misled a large number of people, claiming that gods made by [human] hands are not really gods at all.

Not only is there danger that this trade of ours will be discredited, but also that the [magnificent] temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and that she whom all Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned and lose her glorious magnificence.”

Paul wanted to go into the [pagan] assembly, but the disciples would not let him.

Even some of the Asiarchs (officials) who were his friends sent word to him and repeatedly warned him not to venture into the amphitheater.

Now some shouted one thing and some another, for the gathering was in confusion and most of the people did not know why they had come together.

After the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what person is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of that [sacred stone image of her] which fell from the sky?

They took the boy [Eutychus] home alive, and were greatly comforted and encouraged.

[you know] how I did not shrink back in fear from telling you anything that was for your benefit, or from teaching you in public meetings, and from house to house,

And now, compelled by the Spirit and obligated by my convictions, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,

For that reason I testify to you on this [our parting] day that I am innocent of the blood of all people.

I know that after I am gone, [false teachers like] ferocious wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

Therefore be continually alert, remembering that for three years, night or day, I did not stop admonishing and advising each one [of you] with tears.

After looking up the disciples [in Tyre], we stayed there [with them] seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the [Holy] Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.

Now when we had heard this, both we and the local residents began pleading with Paul trying to persuade him not to go up to Jerusalem.

Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart [like this]? For I am ready not only to be bound and imprisoned, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

And since he would not be dissuaded, we stopped pleading and fell silent, saying, “The Lord’s will be done!”

Now they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are living among the Gentiles to turn away from [the Law of] Moses, advising them not to circumcise their children or to live according to the [Mosaic] customs.

But some in the crowd were shouting one thing and others something else; and since he could not determine the facts because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken to the barracks [in the tower of Antonia].

Then you are not [as I assumed] the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led those 4,000 men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?”