While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “This,” He said, “is what you heard from Me;

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.

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.”

For he was one of our number and was allotted a share in this ministry.”

Now this man acquired a field with his unrighteous wages. He fell headfirst and burst open in the middle, and all his insides spilled out.

This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that in their own language that field is called Hakeldama (that is, Field of Blood).

to take the place in this apostolic service that Judas left to go to his own place.”

When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

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

But Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them: “Men of Judah and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this to you and pay attention to my words.

On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

“Men of Israel, listen to these words: This Jesus the Nazarene was a man pointed out to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through Him, just as you yourselves know.

“Brothers, I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

Seeing this in advance, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah:

He was not left in Hades,
and His flesh did not experience decay.

“God has resurrected this Jesus. We are all witnesses of this.

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!”

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 with many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!”

When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Or why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness?

You killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this.

By faith in His name, His name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Him has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.

But what God predicted through the mouth of all the prophets—that His Messiah would suffer—He has fulfilled in this way.

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

let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead—by Him this man is standing here before you healthy.

This Jesus is

the stone rejected by you builders,
which has become the cornerstone.

However, so this does not spread any further among the people, let’s threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.”

for this sign of healing had been performed on a man over 40 years old.

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.

“For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed,

and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed for each person’s basic needs.

Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God!”

“Tell me,” Peter asked her, “did you sell the field for this price?”

“Yes,” she said, “for that price.”

“Go and stand in the temple complex, and tell the people all about this life.”

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.

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.

“Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man’s blood on us!”

God exalted this man to His right hand as ruler and Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

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

After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and attracted a following. That man also perished, and all his partisans were scattered.

And now, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of men, it will be overthrown;

Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.

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

For we heard him say that Jesus, this Nazarene, will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”

“Is this true?” the high priest asked.

“Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this land you now live in.

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.

Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision. After this, he fathered Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; Isaac did the same with Jacob, and Jacob with the 12 patriarchs.

At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God’s sight. He was cared for in his father’s home three months,

“At this disclosure, Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he fathered two sons.

“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.

This man led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness 40 years.

“This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers.

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.

Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin!” And saying this, he fell asleep.

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!”

saying, “Give me this power too, so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.

Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.

Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this:

He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb is silent before its shearer,
so He does not open His mouth.

The eunuch replied to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or another person?”

“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.

But the Lord said to him, “Go! For this man is My chosen instrument to take My name to Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites.

But all who heard him were astounded and said, “Isn’t this the man who, in Jerusalem, was destroying those who called on this name and then came here for the purpose of taking them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

But Saul grew more capable and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this One is the Messiah.

This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

This happened three times, and then the object was taken up into heaven.

Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this hour, at three in the afternoon, I was praying in my house. Just then a man in a dazzling robe stood before me

God raised up this man on the third day and permitted Him to be seen,

“Now this happened three times, and then everything was drawn up again into heaven.

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 one of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world. This took place during the time of Claudius.

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

When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many had assembled and were praying.

He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and desired to hear God’s message.

The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, exalted the people during their stay in the land of Egypt, and led them out of it with a mighty arm.

This all took about 450 years. After this, He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

“From this man’s descendants, according to the promise, God brought the Savior, Jesus, to Israel.

“Brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and those among you who fear God, the message of this salvation has been sent to us.

God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm:

You are My Son;
today I have become Your Father.

Since He raised Him from the dead, never to return to decay, He has spoken in this way, I will grant you the faithful covenant blessings made to David.

Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you,

For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

I have made you
a light for the Gentiles
to bring salvation
to the ends of the earth.”

When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the message of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed.

The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting:

But after Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, the church arranged for Paul and Barnabas and some others of them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this controversy.

Then the apostles and the elders assembled to consider this matter.

And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

They wrote this letter to be delivered by them:

From the apostles and the elders, your brothers,

To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

Greetings.

But Paul did not think it appropriate to take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.

And she did this for many days.

But Paul was greatly aggravated and turning to the spirit, said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away.

explaining and showing that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.”

Then also, some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with him. Some said, “What is this pseudo-intellectual trying to say?”

Others replied, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities”—because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the Resurrection.

They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you’re speaking of?

For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed:

TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.

Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.

because He has set a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

When they heard about resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him. But others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.”

After this, he left Athens and went to Corinth,

For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.”