He had also, after He suffered, shown Himself alive to them with many sure proofs, appearing to them at intervals during forty days, and speaking of the Kingdom of God.

And while in their company He charged them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father's promised gift. "This you have heard of," He said, "from me.

Once when they were with Him, they asked Him, "Master, is this the time at which you are about to restore the kingdom of Israel?"

"It is not for you," He replied, "to know times or epochs which the Father has reserved within His own authority;

and yet you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and Samaria and to the remotest parts of the earth."

When He had said this, and while they were looking at Him, He was carried up, and a cloud closing beneath Him hid Him from their sight.

But, while they stood intently gazing into the sky as He went, suddenly there were two men in white garments standing by them,

It was on one of these days that Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren--the entire number of persons present being about 120--and said,

"Brethren, it was necessary that the Scripture should be fulfilled--the prediction, I mean, which the Holy Spirit uttered by the lips of David, about Judas, who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus.

"For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "'Let his encampment be desolate: let there be no one to dwell there'; and "'His work let another take up.'

"It is necessary, therefore, that of the men who have been with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us--

At length, on the day of the Harvest Festival, they had all met in one place;

and they saw tongues of what looked like fire distributing themselves over the assembly, and on the head of each person a tongue alighted.

Yet we all alike hear these Galilaeans speaking in our own language about the wonderful things which God has done."

They were all astounded and bewildered, and asked one another, "What can this mean?"

Peter however, together with the Eleven, stood up and addressed them in a loud voice. "Men of Judaea, and all you inhabitants of Jerusalem," he said, "be in no uncertainty about this matter but pay attention to what I say.

For this is not intoxication, as you suppose, it being only the third hour of the day.

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, God says, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall have dreams;

and even upon My bondservants, both men and women, at that time, I will pour out My Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

"Listen, Israelites, to what I say. Jesus, the Nazarene, a man accredited to you from God by miracles and marvels and signs which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know, Him--

But God has raised Him to life, having terminated the throes of death, for in fact it was not possible for Him to be held fast by death.

For David says in reference to Him, "'I constantly fixed my eyes upon the Lord, because He is at my right hand in order that I may continue unshaken.

"Being therefore lifted high by the mighty hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out this which you see and hear.

For David did not ascend into Heaven, but he says himself, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand

Stung to the heart by these words, they said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, "Brethren, what are we to do?"

and they were constant in listening to the teaching of the Apostles and in their attendance at the Communion, that is, the Breaking of the Bread, and at prayer.

some men were carrying there one who had been lame from birth, whom they were wont to place every day close to the Beautiful Gate (as it was called)

Peter fixing his eyes on him, as John did also, said, "Look at us."

"I have no silver or gold," Peter said, "but what I have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene-- walk!"

and recognizing him as the man who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple asking for alms, they were filled with awe and amazement at what had happened to him.

While he still clung to Peter and John, the people, awe-struck, ran up crowding round them in what was known as Solomon's Portico.

Peter, seeing this, spoke to the people. "Israelites," he said, "why do you wonder at this man? Or why gaze at us, as though by any power or piety of our own we had enabled him to walk?

It is His name-- faith in that name being the condition--which has strengthened this man whom you behold and know; and the faith which He has given has made this man sound and strong again, as you can all see.

"And now, brethren, I know that it was in ignorance that you did it, as was the case with your rulers also.

It is to you first that God, after raising His Servant from the grave, has sent Him to bless you, by causing every one of you to turn from your wickedness."

highly incensed at their teaching the people and proclaiming in the case of Jesus the Resurrection from among the dead.

They arrested the two Apostles and lodged them in custody till the next day; for it was already evening.

So they made the Apostles stand in the centre, and demanded of them, "By what power or in what name have you done this?"