The first account which I drew up, Theophilus, dealt with all that Jesus did and taught from the very first,

With abundant proofs, he showed himself to them, still living, after his death; appearing to them from time to time during forty days, and speaking of all that related to the Kingdom of God.

No sooner had Jesus said this than he was caught up before their eyes, and a cloud received him from their sight.

And said: "Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking up into the heavens? This very Jesus, who has been taken from you into the heavens, will come in the very way in which you have seen him go into the heavens."

Then the Apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called Olivet, which is about three quarters of a mile from the city.

Therefore, from among the men who have been with us all the time that Jesus, our Master, went in and out among us--

From his baptism by John down to that day on which he was taken from us--some one must be found to join us as a witness of his resurrection."

When suddenly there came from the heavens a noise like that of a strong wind rushing by; it filled the whole house in which they were sitting.

Now there were then staying in Jerusalem religious Jews from every country in the world;

In Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the districts of Libya adjoining Cyrene; some of us are visitors from Rome,

Men of Israel, listen to what I am saying. Jesus of Nazareth, a man whose mission from God to you was proved by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God showed among you through him, as you know full well--

But God released him from the pangs of death and raised him to life, it being impossible for death to retain its hold upon him.

And now that he has been exalted to the right hand of God, and has received from the Father the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, he has begun to pour out that gift, as you yourselves now see and hear.

With many other words Peter enforced his teaching, while the burden of his exhortations was--"Save yourselves from the perverse spirit of this age."

One day, as Peter and John were going up into the Temple Courts for the three o'clock Prayers, a man, who had been lame from his birth, was being carried by.

The man was all attention, expecting to get something from them;

The very Guide to Life you put to death! But God raised him from the dead--and of that we are ourselves witnesses.

And yet, my Brothers, I know that you acted as you did from ignorance, and your rulers also.

Therefore, repent and turn, that your sins may be wiped away; so that happier times may come from the Lord himself,

But Heaven must be his home, until the days of the Universal Restoration, of which God has spoken by the lips of his holy Prophets from the very first.

Moses himself said--'The Lord your God will raise up from among your brothers a Prophet, as he raised me. To him you will listen whenever he speaks to you.

Yes, and all the Prophets from Samuel onwards, and all their successors who had a message to deliver, told of these days.

For you, first, God raised up his Servant, and sent him to bless you, by turning each one of you from his wicked ways."

Much annoyed because they were teaching the people, and because, through Jesus, they were preaching the resurrection from the dead.

Let me tell you all and all the people of Israel, that it is by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead--it is, I say, by his Name that this man stands here before you lame no longer.

But, to prevent this thing from spreading further among the people, let us warn them not to speak in this Name any more to any one whatever."

And who, by the lips of our ancestor, your servant David, who spoke under the influence of the Holy Spirit, have said-- 'Why did the nations rage, and the peoples form vain designs?

A Levite of Cyprian birth, named Joseph, (who had received from the Apostles the additional name of 'Barnabas'--which means 'The Consoler,')

Sold a farm that belonged to him, and brought the money and laid it at the Apostles' feet.

And then brought them before the Council. The High Priest demanded an explanation from them.

But some members of the Synagogue known as that of Libertines, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and Visitors from Cilicia and Roman Asia, were roused to action and began disputing with Stephen;

On this, Abraham left the country of the Chaldaeans and settled in Haran; and from there, after his father's death, God caused him to migrate into this very country, in which you are now living.

And their bodies were removed to Shechem, and laid in the tomb which Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

This was the Moses who said to the people of Israel--'God will raise up for you, from among your brothers, a Prophet, as he raised up me.'

So God turned from them and left them to the worship of the Starry Host, as is written in the Book of the Prophets--'Did you offer victims and sacrifices to me, O House of Israel, all those forty years in the Desert?

Now those who were scattered in different directions went from place to place proclaiming the Good News.

Meanwhile an angel of the Lord had said to Philip: "Set out on a journey southwards, along the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (It is now deserted).

The passage of Scripture which he was reading was this--'Like a sheep, he was led away to slaughter, and as a lamb is dumb in the hands of its shearer, so he refrains from opening his lips.

In his lowly condition justice was denied him. Who will tell the story of his generation? For his life is cut off from earth.'

While on his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, suddenly a light from the heavens flashed around him.

When Saul got up from the ground, though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So his men led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus;

"Go at once," said the Lord, "to the 'Straight Street', and ask at Judas's house for a man named Saul, from Tarsus. He is at this moment praying,

"Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I have heard from many people about this man--how much harm he has done at Jerusalem to your People there.

And, here, too, he holds authority from the Chief Priests to put in chains all those who invoke your Name."

Instantly it seemed as if a film fell from Saul's eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized,

Peter, while traveling from place to place throughout the country, went down to visit the People of Christ living at Lydda.

One afternoon, about three o'clock, he distinctly saw in a vision an angel from God come to him, and call him by name.

Upon this Peter invited them in and entertained them. The next day he lost no time in setting out with them, accompanied by some of the Brethren from Jaffa;

You yourselves know the story which spread through all Judea, how, beginning form Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed--

Not indeed to every one, but to witnesses chosen beforehand by God--to us, who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead.

Those converts from Judaism, who had come with Peter, were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been bestowed even upon the Gentiles;

But, when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who were converts from Judaism began to attack him,

Then a second time there came a voice from the heavens. "What God has pronounced 'clean'," it said, "you must not call 'defiled'."

At that moment three men, who had been sent from Caesarea to see me, came up to the house in which we were.

During this time, some Prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem.

The chains dropped from his wrists, and then the angel said: "Put on your girdle and sandals." When Peter had done so, the angel added: "Throw your cloak round you and follow me."

Then Peter came to himself and said: "Now I know beyond all doubt that the Lord has sent his angel, and has rescued me from Herod's hands and from all that the Jewish people have been expecting."

And, when Herod had made further search for him and failed to find him, he closely questioned the Guard, and ordered them away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to stay at Caesarea.

Barnabas and Saul, sent on this mission, as they were, by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there sailed to Cyprus.

But Elymas, the astrologer (for that is the meaning of the word), opposed them, eager to divert the Governor's attention from the Faith.

After this, Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and went to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them and returned to Jerusalem.

The others went on from Perga and arrived at Antioch in Pisidia. There they went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath and took their seats.

The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, and during their stay in Egypt increased the prosperity of the people, and then 'with uplifted arm brought them out from that land.'

It was from this man's descendants that God, in accordance with his promise, gave Israel a Savior--Jesus;

They found no ground at all for putting him to death, and yet demanded his execution from Pilate;

And, after carrying out everything written about him, they took Jesus down from the cross, and laid him in a tomb.

But God raised him from the dead;

And he appeared for many days to those who had gone up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and who are now witnesses for him to the people.

As to his raising Jesus from the dead, never again to return to corruption, this is what is said--'I will give to you the sacred promises made to David;'

But Jesus, whom God raised from the dead, did not undergo corruption.

And that, in union with him, every one who believes in him is absolved from every sin from which under the Law of Moses you could not be absolved.

In the streets of Lystra there used to sit a man who had no power in his feet; he had been lame from his birth, and had never walked.

"We are only men like yourselves, and we have come with the Good News that you should turn away from these follies to a living God, 'who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them.'

Yet he has not failed to give you, in the good he does, some revelation of himself--sending you from heaven rain and fruitful seasons, and gladdening your hearts with plenty and good cheer."

Even with this appeal they could hardly restrain the people from offering sacrifice to them.

Presently, however, there came some Jews from Antioch, and Iconium who, after they had won over the people, stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the town, thinking him to be dead.

From there they sailed to Antioch--the place where they had been committed to the gracious care of God for the work which they had now finished.

But certain persons came down from Judea, and began to teach the Brethren that, unless they were circumcised, in accordance with the custom enjoined by Moses, they could not be saved.

Simon has described the manner in which God first visited the Gentiles, in order to take from among them a people to bear his Name.

Says the Lord, as he does these things, foreknown from of old.'

But we should write to them to abstain from food that has been polluted by being sacrificed to idols, from impurity, from eating the flesh of strangled animals, and from blood.

As we had heard that some of our number had upset you by their assertions, and unsettled your minds--without instructions from us--

That you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating the flesh of strangled animals, and from impurity. If you guard yourselves against such things, it will be well with you. Farewell.'

After some stay, they were dismissed with kind farewells from the Brethren, and returned to those who had sent them.

As they traveled from town to town, they gave the Brethren the decisions which had been reached by the Apostles and Officers of the Church at Jerusalem, for them to observe.

So the Churches grew stronger in the Faith, and increased in numbers from day to day.

They next went through the Phrygian district of Galatia, but were restrained by the Holy Spirit from delivering the Message in Roman Asia.

Accordingly we set sail from Troas, and ran before the wind to Samothrace, reaching Neapolis the next day.

From there we made our way to Philippi, which is the principal city of that part of Macedonia, and also a Roman Settlement. In that city we spent several days.

When her masters saw that there was no hope of further profit from her, they seized Paul and Silas, dragged them into the public square to the authorities,

Roused from his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, the Governor drew his sword intending to kill himself, in the belief that the prisoners had escaped.

And, following his usual custom, Paul joined them, and for three Sabbaths addressed them, drawing his arguments from the Scriptures.

He laid before them and explained that the Christ must undergo suffering and rise from the dead; and "It is this man," he declared, "who is the Christ--this Jesus about whom I am telling you."

But the Jews, becoming jealous, engaged some worthless fellows from the streets, and, getting a mob together, kept the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason's house, with the intention of bringing Paul and Silas before the Popular Assembly;

And, before letting them go, they took bail from Jason and the others.

That they might search for God, if by any means they might feel their way to him and find him. And yet he is not really far from any one of us;

Because he has fixed a day on which he intends to 'judge the world with justice,' by a man whom he has appointed--and of this he has given all men a pledge by raising this man from the dead."

There he met a Jew of the name of Aquila, a native of Pontus, who, with his wife Priscilla, had lately come from Italy, in consequence of the order which had been issued by the Emperor Claudius for all Jews to leave Rome. Paul paid them a visit,

But, when Silas and Timothy had come down from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself entirely to delivering the Message, earnestly maintaining before the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

However, as they set themselves against him and became abusive, Paul shook his clothes in protest and said to them: "Your blood be on your own heads. My conscience is clear. From this time forward I shall go to the Gentiles."