So, when they came together, they began to ask him, "Master, are you at this time about to restore the kingdom of Israel?"

When he had said this, and while they were looking at him, he was lifted up, and a cloud received him up out of their sight.

While they were gazing into the sky as he was going up, suddenly there were two men in white garments standing by them,

and they said: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into the sky will come back in just the same way as you have seen him going into the sky."

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, about a Sabbath Day's journey distant.

On entering the city they went to the upper room where they were accustomed to meet. They were Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James, son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

So they placed two in nomination, Joseph called Bar-Sabbas (surnamed Justas) and Matthias;

and they prayed, saying. "Thou, O Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show clearly which of these two men thou hast chosen to fill the place

Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

When the day of Pentecost was fully come, and they were all together in the same place,

there came suddenly from the sky a sound like the onrush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

The were beside themselves with wonder. "Are not these Galileans who are speaking?" they exclaimed.

upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days, will I pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

When they heard these words they were stung to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles. "Men and brothers, what shall we do?"

and they stedfastly continued in the teaching of the apostles, and in the fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers.

They would sell their lands and other property, and distribute the proceeds among all, just as any one from time had need.

Day after day they continued stedfastly with one accord in the Temple; and breaking bread together in their own homes, they continued to eat their food with gladness and an undivided heart,

and recognized that this was the man who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, they were filled with awe and amazement at what had happened to him.

While they were addressing the people the priests, the commander of the Temple, and the Sadducees came upon them,

They arrested them, and put them in prison till the next day, for it was already evening.

Then they made the men stand before them and demanded, "By what power, or in what name, have you fellows done this?"

Now when they beheld the glad fearlessness of Peter and John and had perceived that they were amazed; and they began to recognize them, that they were companions of Jesus.

But since they saw the man standing with them who had been healed, they had nothing to answer.

So they bade them withdraw from the Sanhedrin, while they conferred together.

"What," said they, "shall we do with these men? For it is well known throughout Jerusalem that a notable miracle has been performed by them, and we cannot deny it.

So they summoned them, and ordered them not to speak at all, nor to teach in the name of Jesus.

So when they had further threatened them they let the apostles go, being quite unable to find any way of punishing them because of the people, for everybody was glorifying God over what had happened.

As soon as the apostles were released, they went to their friends, and told what the high priests and elders had said.

And when they heard it they all lifted up their voices in prayer to God, saying. "O Sovereign Lord, who madest heaven and earth and sea, and all that in them is,

"In this very city they did gather together against thy holy Servant, Jesus whom thou hast anointed??erod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and also the tribes of Israel??28 "to do all that thy power and thy will had predetermined should be done.

When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the message of the Lord with boldness.

Now the multitude of the believers was of one heart and one soul, nor did any one of them say that any of his possessions was his own; but they had all things common.

"Why was it," said Peter, "that you both agreed to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Lo, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they shall carry you out."

Instantly she fell down at his feet and expired, and when the young men came in they found her dead, and carried her out and buried her husband.

Many signs and wonders continued to be wrought among the people by the hands of the apostles, and by common consent they all would meet in Solomon's Porch,

and they apprehended the apostles, and threw them into the public prison.

When they heard this they went at early dawn to the Temple, and began to teach. Meantime when the high priest and his followers arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin and all the Council of the Elders of the sons of Israel, and sent to the prison to fetch the apostles.

But the officers who went did not find them in the prison; so they came back and reported,

"The prison we found locked fast, with the guards stationed at the doors, but when they were opened we found no one inside."

When the officer in charge of the Temple and the high priest heard these words, they were perplexed concerning them, wondering what would come of it.

And some one came and told them that the very men whom they had put in prison were standing in the Temple, and teaching to the people.

On this the officer went off with his men and fetched them, not, however, by force, for they were afraid that the people would stone them.

So they brought them, and stood them before the Sanhedrin. Then the high priest questioned them.

When they heard this they were infuriated, and were minded to kill the apostles;

They gave in to him; and called the apostles in, and after flogging them, released them, with instructions not to speak about the name of Jesus.

So they left Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been deemed worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the Name;

but not for a single day did they desist from teaching and preaching in the Temple, and in private houses, the Gospel of Jesus, the Messiah.

This plan commended itself to the whole body, and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch.

These men they presented to the apostles who, when they had prayed, laid their hands upon them.

Then they instigated some to say, "We have heard him speaking blasphemy against Moses and against God;" and in this way they excited the people.

They also set up false witnesses who testified. "This fellow is continually talking against the Holy Place and against the law.

"What God said was this. "'His offspring will sojourn in a foreign land where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.

"'And the nation, whichever it is, that enslaves them I will judge, said God, 'and after ward they shall come out, and they shall worship me in this place.

"There he died, and our ancestors also, and they were carried across to Shechem, and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

"He dealt craftily with our race, and oppressed our forefathers, by making them expose their infants so that they should not live.

"(Now he supposed that his brothers would understand how God by his hand was bringing them deliverance; but they did not.)

"This Moses whom they refused when they said, Who made you to be a ruler and a judge? that same Moses we find God sending as a ruler and a redeemer by the hand in the bush.

"Said they to Aaron. "Make Gods for us who shall march in front of us! As for this Moses who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has happened to him.

"And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to this idol, and began to rejoice over what they had made with their hands.

"That tabernacle was brought in by our ancestors, in their turn, when they under Joshua entered on the possession of the nations whom God thrust out before them, until the days of David.

"Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become??53 "you who received the law, given through angels, and obeyed it not."

As they heard these words they became furious and gnashed their teeth at him.

With a loud outcry they stopped their ears, and rushed upon Stephen in a body,

So they stoned Stephen while he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

The crowd with one accord were giving heed to what he said, when they heard and saw the signs that he did.

They were giving heed to him because, for a long time, he had amazed them with his sorceries.

But when they believed Philip, who was preaching glad tidings about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they began to be baptized, both men and women.

The apostle at Jerusalem, when they heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, sent to them Peter and John.

Who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit,

For he had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then the apostles laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

So the apostles, after bearing solemn witness, and declaring the message of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, evangelizing many Samaritan villages as they went.

And as they were going on their way they came to a certain water, and the eunuch said: "See, here is water! What hinders my being baptized?"

And when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing.

And Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, he continued to perceive nothing; so they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus.

but information of their plot was given Saul, and although they kept watch day and night on the gates, in order to make away with him,

So he came to Jerusalem, and attempted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe that he was a disciple.

He also used to hold conversations and debates with the Grecian Jews, but they kept trying to kill him.

When they learned this the brothers took him down to Caesarea, and then sent him forth to Tarsus.

At once he rose to his feet. All the people of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

She, as it happened, was taken ill just at that time, and died. After washing her body, they laid it in an upper room.

And as Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, when they heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the entreaty, "Delay not to come to us."

So Peter arose and went with them. On his arrival they took him up-stairs, and all the widows stood near him, weeping, and showing him the cloaks and garments which Dorcas used to make, while she was still with them.

The next day, while they were still on their way and were approaching the town, about noon, Peter went up to the housetop to pray.

He had become very hungry and longed for food; but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance.

"Cornelius," they answered, "a captain, a devout man, and God-fearing, of whom the whole, Jewish nation speaks well, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house, and to listen to your message."

and the day after that they reached Caesarea. There Cornelius was waiting for them, and had brought together all his relatives and intimate friends.

"And we were witnesses of all that he did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him, hanging him on a tree.

For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they begged him to remain with them for a time.

On hearing this they held their peace and glorified God, saying, "Forsooth then, to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life."

Then those who had been scattered by the trouble that arose over Stephen, traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch; but they preached the word to none except Jews.

When news of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch.

and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch, where for a whole year they were guests of the church, and taught many people. And it was in Antioch that the disciples first received the name of "Christians."

This they did, forwarding their contributions to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

And when they had passed the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate that led to the city. This opened to them of its own accord; and they went out passed on through one street; and suddenly the angel left him.

"You are mad," they said. But she confidently insisted that it was so. "It is his angel," they said.

Meanwhile Peter continued to knock, until at last they opened the door, and were amazed to see that it was really he.

Now Herod was violently displeased with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him, with one accord, and after conciliating Blastus, the royal chamberlain, they begged for peace because their country depended upon the king's country for its food supply.