up to the day when he was taken up to heaven after giving orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

After he had suffered, he had shown himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during a period of 40 days and telling them about the kingdom of God.

because John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit a few days from now."

He answered them, "It isn't for you to know what times or periods the Father has fixed by his own authority.

But you'll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

"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,

"For in the Book of Psalms it is written, "Let his estate be desolate, and let no one live on it,' and, "Let someone else take over his office,'

beginning when he was baptized by John until the day he was taken up from us. Therefore, someone like this must become a witness with us to his resurrection."

All of them continued to be stunned and puzzled, and they kept asking one another, "What can this mean?"

"Men of Judea and everyone living in Jerusalem! You must understand something, so pay close attention to my words. These men are not drunk as you suppose, for it's only nine o'clock in the morning.

Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

"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.

But God raised him up and put an end to suffering of death, since it was impossible for him to be held by it,

since David says about him, "I always keep my eyes on the Lord, for he is at my right hand so that I cannot be shaken.

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.

Using many different expressions, Peter continued to testify and to plead: "Be saved," he urged them, "from this corrupt generation!"

A sense of fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.

When Peter saw this, he told the people: "Fellow Israelis, why are you wondering about this, and why are you staring at us as if by our own power or godliness we made him walk?

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.

"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything he tells you. Any person who will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.'

You are the descendants of the prophets and the heirs of the covenant that God made with your ancestors when he told Abraham, "Through your descendant all the families of the earth will be blessed.'

When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning every one of you from your evil ways."

They made Peter and John stand in front of them and began asking, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"

He is "the stone that was rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone.'

There is no salvation by anyone else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved."

They said, "What should we do with these men? For it's obvious to everybody living in Jerusalem that an unmistakable sign has been done by them, and we cannot deny it.

You said by the Holy Spirit through the voice of our ancestor, your servant David, "Why do the unbelievers rage, and the people devise useless plots?

Lord, pay attention to their threats now, and allow your servants to speak your word boldly

One man, Joseph, a descendant of Levi and a native of Cyprus, who was named Barnabas by the apostles (the name means "a son of encouragement"),

Now many signs and wonders were being performed by the apostles among the people, who were gathered together in Solomon's Colonnade.

As a result, people kept carrying their sick into the streets and placing them on stretchers and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he went by.

Crowds continued coming in even from the towns around Jerusalem bringing their sick and those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.

So the commander of the Temple guards went with his men to bring them back without force, because they were afraid of being stoned to death by the people.

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

But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while.

However, if it's from God, you won't be able to stop them, and you may even discover that you are fighting against God!"

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.

In those days, as the number of the disciples was growing larger and larger, a complaint was made by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food.

But they could neither refute the wisdom nor withstand the Spirit by which he kept speaking.

"This is what God promised: His descendants would be strangers in a foreign country, and its people would enslave them and oppress them for 400 years.

By shrewdly scheming against our people, he oppressed our ancestors and forced them to abandon their infants to the elements, so that they wouldn't live.

When he saw one of them being mistreated, he defended him and avenged the man who was being mistreated by killing the Egyptian.

The next day, he presented himself to some of them while they were fighting and tried to reconcile them. He said, "Men, you are brothers. Why should you be hurting another?'

"This same Moses whom they rejected by saying, "Who made you ruler and judge?' was the man whom God sent to be both their ruler and deliverer with the help of the angel who had appeared to him in the bush.

"At that time they even made a calf to be their idol, offered a sacrifice to it, and delighted in what they had made with their hands.

However, the Most High does not live in buildings made by human hands. As the prophet says,

You received the Law as ordained by angels, and yet you haven't obeyed it!"

The crowds, hearing his message and seeing the signs that he was doing, paid close attention to what was said by Philip.

Now in that city there was a man named Simon. He was practicing occult arts and thrilling the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.

So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart's intent may be forgiven you.

For I see that you're being poisoned by bitterness and you're a prisoner of wickedness!"

This was the passage of Scripture he was reading: "Like a sheep he was led away to be slaughtered, and like a lamb is silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth.

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."

When Saul got up off the ground, he couldn't see anything, even though his eyes were open. So his companions took him by the hand and led him into Damascus.

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."

But Saul grew more and more persuasive, and continued to confound the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this man was the Messiah.

After several days had gone by, the Jewish leaders plotted to murder Saul,

but his disciples took him one night and let him down through the city wall by lowering him in a basket.

So the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed peace. As it continued to be built up and to live in the fear of the Lord, it kept increasing in numbers through the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.

He is a guest of Simon, a leatherworker, whose house is by the sea."

and saw heaven open and something like a large linen sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the ground.

While Peter was still at a loss to know what the vision he had seen could mean, the men sent by Cornelius asked for Simon's house and went to the gate.

The men replied, "Cornelius, a centurion and an upright and God-fearing man who is respected by the whole Jewish nation, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his home to hear what you have to say."

so send messengers to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, to come to you. He is a guest in the home of Simon, a leatherworker, by the sea.'

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.

not to all the people, but to us who were chosen by God to be witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

He also ordered us to preach to the people and to testify solemnly that this is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead.

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

Then Peter began to explain to them point by point what had happened. He said,

"I was in the town of Joppa praying when in a trance I saw a vision: Something like a large linen sheet descended down from heaven, lowered by its four corners, and it came right down to me.

He will discuss with you how you and your entire household will be saved.'

Then I remembered what the Lord had said: "John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'

When they heard this, they calmed down, and praised God by saying, "So God has given repentance that leads to life even to gentiles."

Now the people who were scattered by the persecution that started because of Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

One of them named Agabus got up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine all over the world. This happened during the reign of Claudius.

by sending it through Barnabas and Saul to the elders.

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer to God for him was being offered by the assembly.

So Peter went out and began to follow him, not realizing that what was being done by the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.

They passed the first guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate that led into the city. It opened by itself for them, and they went outside and proceeded one block when the angel suddenly left him.

He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet, and then he told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He added, "Tell this to James and the brothers." Then he left and went somewhere else.

Herod searched for him but didn't find him, so he questioned the guards and ordered them to be executed. Then he left Judea, went down to Caesarea, and stayed there for a while.

Immediately the angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died.

After they had been sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus.

The Lord is against you now, and you'll be blind and unable to see the sun for a while!" At that moment a dark mist came over him, and he went around looking for someone to lead him by the hand.

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.'

and that everyone who believes in him is justified and freed from everything that kept you from being justified by the Law of Moses.

So be careful that what the prophets said doesn't happen to you:

"Look, you mockers! Be amazed and die! Since I am performing an action in your days, one that you would not believe even if someone told you!'"

But when the Jewish leaders saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to object to the statements made by Paul and even to abuse him.

For that is what the Lord ordered us to do: "I have made you a light to the gentiles to be the means of salvation to the very ends of the earth.'"

Meanwhile, the disciples continued to be full of joy and the Holy Spirit.

They stayed there a considerable time and continued to speak boldly for the Lord, who kept affirming his word of grace and granting signs and wonders to be done by them.

Now when an attempt was made by both gentiles and Jews, along with their authorities, to mistreat and stone them,

He was listening to Paul as he spoke. Paul watched him closely, and when he saw that he had faith to be healed,

Even by saying this, it was all Paul and Barnabas could do to keep the crowds from offering sacrifices to them.

But some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds by persuasion. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, thinking he was dead.

Then some men came down from Judea and started to teach the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the Law of Moses, you can't be saved."

They were sent on their way by the church, and as they were going through Phoenicia and Samaria they told of the conversion of the gentiles and brought great joy to all the brothers.

When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported everything that God had done through them.