In the former treatise, Dear friend Theophilus, I have written of all that Jesus began to do and teach,

until the day in the which he was taken up; after that he, through the holy ghost, had given commandments unto the apostles, which he had chosen:

and gathered them together, and commanded them, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but to "Wait for the promise of the father, whereof ye have heard of me.

For John baptised with water but ye shall be baptised with the holy ghost, and that within this few days."

And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said - the number of names that were together, were about a hundred and twenty -

"Ye men and brethren, this scripture must have needs been fulfilled which the holy ghost, through the mouth of David, spake before of Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus:

And it is known unto all the inhabiters of Jerusalem. Insomuch that that field is called in their mother tongue, Akeldama, that is to say the blood field.

Wherefore of these men which have companied with us - all the time that the Lord Jesus went out and in among us,

beginning at the baptism of John unto that same day that he was taken up from us - must one be ordained to bear witness with us of his resurrection."

that the one may take the room of this ministration, and apostleship from the which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place."

When this was noised about, the multitude came together and were astonished, because that every man heard them speak his own tongue.

But Peter stepped forth with the eleven, and lift up his voice, and said unto them, "Ye men of Jewry, and all ye that inhabit Jerusalem: be this known unto you, and with your ears hear my words.

but this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel,

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great, and notable day of the Lord come.'

And it shall be that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved.

and loosed the sorrows of death, because it was impossible that he should be holden of it.

For David speaketh of him, 'Aforehand, saw I God always before me: For he is on my righthand, that I should not be moved.

Therefore seeing he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn with an oath to him, that the fruit of his loins should sit on his seat - in that Christ should rise again in the flesh -

He saw before, and spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul should not be left in hell: neither his flesh should see corruption.

Since now that he by the righthand of God exalted is, and hath received of the father the promise of the holy ghost, he hath shed forth that which ye now see and hear.

So therefore let all the house of Israel know for a surety, that God hath made the same Jesus whom ye have crucified, Lord and Christ."

"For the promise was made unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar, even as many as the Lord God shall call."

Then they that gladly received his preaching were baptised; And the same day, there were added unto them about a three thousand souls.

And all that believed kept themselves together, and had all things common.

And there was a certain man halt from his mother's womb, whom they brought and laid at the gate of the temple called Beautiful, to ask his alms of them that entered into the temple.

Which same, when he saw Peter and John, that they would into the temple, desired to receive an alms;

And they knew him, that it was he which sat and begged at the Beautiful gate of the temple. And they wondered, and were sore astonished at that which had happened unto him.

When Peter saw that, he answered unto the people, "Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so steadfastly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man go?

And now, brethren, I know well that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your heads.

But those things which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, how that Christ should suffer, he hath thus wise fulfilled it.

Repent ye, therefore, and turn: that your sins may be done away when the time of refreshing cometh, which we shall have of the presence of the Lord,

that is, to wit, Jesus Christ: which must receive heaven until the time that all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began, be restored again.

For the time will come, that every soul which shall not hear that same prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.'

First unto you hath God raised up his son Jesus, and him he hath sent to bless you, that every one of you should turn from your wickedness."

taking it grievously that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from death.

And it chanced on the morrow that their rulers, and elders, and scribes:

be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, and whom God raised from death again, even by him doth this man stand here present before you whole.

When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and understood that they were unlearned men and lay people, they marveled: and they knew them, that they were with Jesus.

saying, "What shall we do to these men? For a manifest sign is done by them, and is openly known to all them that dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it:

But that it be noised no farther among the people, let us threaten and charge them that they speak henceforth to no man in this name."

And they called them, and commanded them that in no wise they should speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answered unto them and said, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you more than God, judge ye.

For we cannot but speak that which we have seen and heard."

As soon as they were let go, they came to their fellows, and showed all that the high priests and elders had said to them.

And when they heard that, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord and said, "Lord, thou art God which hast made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is,

So that thou stretch forth thine hand, that healing, and signs, and wonders be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus."

And the multitude of them that believed, were of one heart; And of one soul. Also, none of them said that any of the things which he possessed was his own: But had all things common.

Neither was there any among them that lacked. For as many as were possessors of lands or houses, sold them and brought the price of the things that were sold,

And Joseph, which was also called of the apostles Barnabas - that is to say, the son of consolation - being a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

Then said Peter, "Ananias how is it that Satan hath filled thine heart, that thou shouldest lie unto the holy ghost, and keep away part of the price of the livelihood:

Pertained it not unto thee only? And after it was sold, was not the price in thine own power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."

When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and gave up the ghost. And great fear came on all them that these things heard.

And it fortuned as it were about the space of three hours after, that his wife came in, ignorant of that which was done.

The number of them that believed in the Lord, both of men and women, grew more and more

insomuch that they brought the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets: that at the least way the shadow of Peter, when he came by, might shadow some of them.

Then the chief priest rose up, and all they that were with him: which is the sect of the Sadducees: and were full of indignation,

When they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught. The chief priest came and they that were with him and called a council together, and all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to fetch them.

Then came one and showed them, "Behold, the men that ye put in prison stand in the temple, and teach the people."

saying, "Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? And behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and ye intend to bring this man's blood upon us."

Peter and the other apostles answered, and said, "We ought more to obey God than men.

And we are his records as concerning these things: and also the holy ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him."

When they heard that, they clave asunder, and sought means to slay them.

And to him they agreed, and called the apostles, and beat them, and commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

And they departed from the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name.

Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples together and said, "It is not meet that we should leave the word of God and serve at the tables.

And all that sat in the council looked steadfastly on him, and saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

Then came he out of the land of Chaldea and dwelt in Haran. And after that, as soon as his father was dead, he brought him into this land, in which ye now dwell,

and he gave him none inheritance in it - no, not the breadth of a foot - But promised that he would give it to him to possess and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

God verily spake on this wise, that this seed should be a dweller in a strange land, and that they should keep them in bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.

'But the nation to whom they shall be in bondage, will I judge,' said God, 'and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.'

Then came there a dearth over all the land of Egypt, and Canaan, and great affliction, that our fathers found no sustenance.

But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent our fathers first,

and were translated into Shechem, and were put in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for money of the sons of Hamor, at Shechem.

The same dealt subtly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, and made them to cast out their young children, that they should not remain alive.

And when he saw one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged his quarrel that had the harm done to him, and smote the Egyptian.

For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hands should save them: but they understood not.

But he that did his neighbour wrong, thrust him away saying, 'Who made thee a ruler and a judge among us?

Then fled Moses at that saying, and was a stranger in the land of Midian; Where he begat two sons.

This is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, 'A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me: him shall ye hear.'

This is he that was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. This man received the word of life to give unto us,

saying unto Aaron, 'Make us gods to go before us. For we know not what is become of this Moses that brought us out of the land of Egypt.'

Then God turned himself, and gave them up, that they should worship the stars of the sky, as it is written in the book of the prophets, 'O ye of the house of Israel: gave ye to me sacrifices and meat offerings by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

"Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed them, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen:

which found favour before God, and desired that he would faine have made a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

Howbeit, he that is highest of all dwelleth not in temples made with hands, as saith the prophet,

'Heaven is my seat, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build for me, saith the Lord? Or what place is it that I should rest in?

Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them, which showed before of the coming of that Just, whom ye have betrayed and murdered.

Saul had pleasure in his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the congregation which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Jewry and Samaria, except the apostles.

Howbeit, they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word.

And the people gave heed unto those things which Philip spake with one accord, in that they heard and saw the miracles which he did.

For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed of them. And many taken with palsies, and many that halted, were healed.

And there was great joy in that city.

And there was a certain man called Simon, which beforetime in the same city, used witchcraft and bewitched the people of Samaria, saying that he was a man that could do great things.

When the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard say that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

which, when they were come, prayed for them, that they might receive the holy ghost.

When Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands on them, the holy ghost was given: he offered them money, saying,

"Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I put the hands, he may receive the holy ghost."

Then said Peter unto him, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou wenest that the gift of God may be obtained with money.

Repent, therefore, of this thy wickedness, and pray God that the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

For I perceive that thou art full of bitter gall, and wrapped in iniquity."