So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”

After He had said this, He was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.

While He was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them.

They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him going into heaven.”

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away.

When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying:

Peter, John,
James, Andrew,
Philip, Thomas,
Bartholomew, Matthew,
James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon the Zealot,
and Judas the son of James.

So they proposed two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.

Then they prayed, “You, Lord, know the hearts of all; show which of these two You have chosen

Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias. So he was numbered with the 11 apostles.

When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place.

Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying.

Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.

And they were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?

They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What could this be?”

But some sneered and said, “They’re full of new wine!”

I will even pour out My Spirit
on My male and female slaves in those days,
and they will prophesy.

When they heard this, they came under deep conviction and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: “Brothers, what must we do?”

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers.

They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need.

Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude,

and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple complex. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.

Now as they were speaking to the people, the priests, the commander of the temple police, and the Sadducees confronted them,

because they were provoked that they were teaching the people and proclaiming the resurrection from the dead, using Jesus as the example.

So they seized them and put them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening.

After they had Peter and John stand before them, they asked the question: “By what power or in what name have you done this?”

When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.

And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in response.

After they had ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves,

So they called for them and ordered them not to preach or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them, because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done;

After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, “Master, You are the One who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them.

When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s message with boldness.

Now the large group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common.

Then Peter said to her, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!”

Instantly she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men came in, they found her dead, carried her out, and buried her beside her husband.

Many signs and wonders were being done among the people through the hands of the apostles. By common consent they would all meet in Solomon’s Colonnade.

As a result, they would carry the sick out into the streets and lay them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them.

In addition, a large group came together from the towns surrounding Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

So they arrested the apostles and put them in the city jail.

In obedience to this, they entered the temple complex at daybreak and began to teach.

When the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full Senate of the sons of Israel—and sent orders to the jail to have them brought.

But when the temple police got there, they did not find them in the jail, so they returned and reported,

As the commander of the temple police and the chief priests heard these things, they were baffled about them, as to what could come of this.

Then the commander went with the temple police and brought them in without force, because they were afraid the people might stone them.

After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked,

When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” So they were persuaded by him.

After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.

Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the Name.

Every day in the temple complex, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

The proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte from Antioch.

They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

But they were unable to stand up against his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

Then they persuaded some men to say, “We heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God!”

They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; so they came, dragged him off, and took him to the Sanhedrin.

They also presented false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.

God spoke in this way:

His descendants would be strangers
in a foreign country,
and they would enslave
and oppress them 400 years.

I will judge the nation
that they will serve as slaves, God said.
After this, they will come out
and worship Me in this place.

He dealt deceitfully with our race and oppressed our ancestors by making them leave their infants outside, so they wouldn’t survive.

He assumed his brothers would understand that God would give them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.

The next day he showed up while they were fighting and tried to reconcile them peacefully, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’

“This Moses, whom they rejected when they said, Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?—this one God sent as a ruler and a redeemer by means of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

They told Aaron:

Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what’s happened to him.

They even made a calf in those days, offered sacrifice to the idol, and were celebrating what their hands had made.

Our ancestors in turn received it and with Joshua brought it in when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers, until the days of David.

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

When they heard these things, they were enraged in their hearts and gnashed their teeth at him.

Then they screamed at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him.

They threw him out of the city and began to stone him. And the witnesses laid their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

They were stoning Stephen as he called out: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

The crowds paid attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the signs he was performing.

They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God!”

They were attentive to him because he had astounded them with his sorceries for a long time.

But when they believed Philip, as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had welcomed God’s message, they sent Peter and John to them.

After they went down there, they prayed for them, so the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit.

For He had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Then, after they had testified and spoken the message of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, evangelizing many villages of the Samaritans.

As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water! What would keep me from being baptized?”

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer. But he went on his way rejoicing.

Then Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus.

but their plot became known to Saul. So they were watching the gates day and night intending to kill him,

When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple.

He conversed and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they attempted to kill him.

When the brothers found out, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

In those days she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs.

So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them.

The next day, as they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the housetop about noon.

Then he became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing something, he went into a visionary state.

They called out, asking if Simon, who was also named Peter, was lodging there.

They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who has a good reputation with the whole Jewish nation, was divinely directed by a holy angel to call you to his house and to hear a message from you.”

We ourselves are witnesses of everything He did in both the Judean country and in Jerusalem, yet they killed Him by hanging Him on a tree.

For they heard them speaking in other languages and declaring the greatness of God.

Then Peter responded,

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.

When they heard this they became silent. Then they glorified God, saying, “So God has granted repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles!”

Then the report about them was heard by the church that was at Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel as far as Antioch.

and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.

They did this, sending it to the elders by means of Barnabas and Saul.

After they passed the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went outside and passed one street, and immediately the angel left him.