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

They all united in devoting themselves to Prayer, and so did some women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Brothers, I can speak to you the more confidently about the Patriarch David, because he is dead and buried, and his tomb is here among us to this very day.

Peter fixed his eyes on him, and so did John, and then Peter said: "Look at us."

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.

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.

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?

While it was unsold, was not it your own? and after it was sold, was not the money at your own disposal? How did you come to think of such a thing? You have lied, not to men, but to God!"

"Is it true," Peter asked, addressing her, "that you sold your land for such a sum?" "Yes," she answered, "we did."

Then Peter said: "How did you come to agree to provoke the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The foot-steps of those who have buried your husband are at the door; and they will carry you out too."

Instantly Sapphira fell down at Peter's feet and expired. On coming in, the young men found her dead; so they carried her out and buried her by her husband's side.

But, when the officers got there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported that,

And never for a single day, either in the Temple Courts or in private houses, did they cease to teach, or to tell the Good News of Jesus, the Christ.

God did not at that time give him any part of it, not even a foot of ground. But he promised to 'give him possession of it and his descendants after him, though at that time he had no child.

Do you mean to make away with me as you did yesterday with that Egyptian?'

'I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses trembled, and did not dare to look.

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?

O! stubborn race, heathen in heart and ears, you are for ever resisting the Holy Spirit; your ancestors did it, and you are doing it still.

On his arrival in Jerusalem, Saul attempted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, as they did not believe that he was really a disciple.

Peter, however, lifted him up, saying as he did so: "Stand up, I am only a man like yourself."

We are ourselves, too, witnesses to all that he did in Judea and in Jerusalem; yet they put him to death by hanging him on a cross!

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.

Further, God charged us to proclaim to the people, and solemnly affirm, that it is Jesus who has been appointed by God Judge of the living and the dead.

"Can any one refuse the water for the baptism of these people, now that they have received the Holy Spirit as we did ourselves?"

And this they did, sending it to the Officers of the Church by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Instantly an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory; and he was attacked with worms, and died.

But God raised him from the dead;

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;'

David, after obediently doing God's will in his own time, 'fell asleep and was laid by the side of his ancestors, and did undergo corruption;

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

'Look, you despisers, and wonder, and perish; for I am doing a deed in your days--a deed which, though told you in full, you will never believe'."

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.

Now God, who reads all hearts, declared his acceptance of the Gentiles, by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.

When they reached the borders of Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.

And went to the prison, and did their best to conciliate them. Then they took them out, and begged them to leave the city.

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."

Some of the people were convinced, and threw in their lot with Paul and Silas, as did also a large body of Greeks who were accustomed to join in the Jewish services, and a great number of women belonging to the leading families.

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."

On hearing of a resurrection of the dead, some began jeering, but others said that they would hear what he had to say about that another time.

Crispus, the President of the Synagogue, came to believe in the Lord, and so did all his household; and many of the Corinthians, as they listened to Paul, became believers in Christ and were baptized.

Then they all set upon Sosthenes, the President of the Synagogue, and beat him in front of the Bench, but Gallio did not trouble himself about any of these things.

"Did you, when you became believers in Christ, receive the Holy Spirit?" "No," they answered, "we did not even hear that there was a Holy Spirit."

God did miracles of no ordinary kind by Paul's hands;

So irresistibly did the Lord's Message spread and prevail.

And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, was gradually overcome with great drowsiness, as Paul continued his address. At last, quite overpowered by his drowsiness, he fell from the third story to the ground, and was picked up for dead.

Serving the Lord, as I did, in all humility, amid the tears and trials which fell to my lot through the plots of the Jews.

In my persecution of this Cause I did not stop even at the taking of life. I put in chains, and imprisoned, men and women alike--

The men with me saw the light, but did not hear the speaker's voice.

"I did not know, Brothers, that it was the High Priest," said Paul, "for Scripture says--'Of the Ruler of thy People thou shalt speak no ill'."

Noticing that some of those present were Sadducees and others Pharisees, Paul called out in the Council: "Brothers, I am a Pharisee and a son of Pharisees. It is on the question of hope for the dead and of their resurrection that I am on my trial."

So a great uproar ensued, and some of the Teaches of the Law belonging to the Pharisees' party stood up and hotly protested: "We find nothing whatever wrong in this man. Suppose a spirit did speak to him, or an angel--"

Except as to the one sentence that I shouted out as I stood among them--'It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on my trial before you to-day'."

But I found that there were certain questions in dispute between them about their own religion, and about some dead man called Jesus, whom Paul declared to be alive.

Why do you all hold it incredible that God should raise the dead?

And I actually did so at Jerusalem. Acting on the authority of the Chief Priests, I myself threw many of the People of Christ into prison, and, when it was proposed to put them to death, I gave my vote for it.

After that, King Agrippa, I did not fail to obey the heavenly vision;

That the Christ must suffer, and that, by rising from the dead, he was destined to be the first to bring news of Light, not only to our nation, but also to the Gentiles."

The natives were expecting inflammation to set in, or that he would suddenly fall dead; but, after waiting for a long time, and seeing that there was nothing amiss with him, they changed their minds and said that he was a God.