As he went up, their eyes were fixed on heaven; but just then two men stood beside them dressed in white,

On entering the city they went to the upper room where they were in the habit of meeting; there were Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James (the son of Alphaeus) and Simon who had been a Zealot, with Judas the son of James.

During the course of the day of Pentecost they were all together,

when suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a violent blast of wind, which filled the whole house where they were seated.

and they were all filled with the holy Spirit ??they began to speak in foreign tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to express themselves.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.

All were amazed and astonished. "Are these not all Galileans," they said, "who are speaking?

They were all amazed and quite at a loss. "What can it mean?" they said to one another.

So those who accepted what he said were baptized; about three thousand souls were brought in, that day.

Awe fell on everyone, and many wonders and signs were performed by the apostles [in Jerusalem].

Peter and John were on their way up to the temple for the hour of prayer at three in the afternoon,

and when they recognized this was the very man who used to sit and beg at the Gate Beautiful, they were lost in awe and amazement at what had happened to him.

While they were speaking to the people, they were surprised by the priests, the commander of the temple, and the Sadducees,

who were annoyed at them teaching the people and proclaiming Jesus as an instance of resurrection from the dead.

They were astonished to notice how outspoken Peter and John were, and to discover that they were uncultured persons and mere outsiders; they recognized them as having been companions of Jesus,

At their prayer the place of meeting was shaken, and they were all filled with the holy Spirit, speaking God's word fearlessly;

[Move first half of vs to start of vs 15] Many miracles and wonders were performed among the people by the apostles. Now they all without exception met in the portico of Solomon.

On the other hand, crowds of men and women who believed in the Lord were brought in.

In fact, invalids were actually carried into the streets and laid on beds and mattresses, so that, when Peter passed, his shadow at anyrate might fall on one or other of them.

Crowds gathered even from the towns round Jerusalem, bringing invalids and people troubled with unclean spirits, all of whom were healed.

On hearing this the commander of the temple and the high priests were quite at a loss to know what to make of it.

When they heard this, they were so furious that they determined to make away with the apostles.

In days gone by Theudas started up, claiming to be a person of importance; a number of men, about four hundred of them, rallied to him, but he was slain, and all his followers were dispersed and wiped out.

After him Judas the Galilean started up at the time of the census, and got people to desert to him; but he perished too, and all his followers were scattered.

They gave in to him, and after summoning the apostles and giving them a flogging, they released them with instructions that they were not to speak about the name of Jesus.

During these days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists began to complain against the Hebrews, on the ground that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

Then all who were seated in the Sanhedrin fixed their eyes on him, and saw that his face shone like the face of an angel.

they were carried across to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.

Now those who were scattered went through the land preaching the gospel.

For unclean spirits came screaming and shrieking out of many who had been possessed, and many paralytics and lame people were healed.

indeed Simon himself believed, and after his baptism kept close to Philip, utterly astonished to see the signs and striking miracles which were taking place.

Saul got up from the ground, but though his eyes were open he could see nothing; so they took his hand and led him to Damascus.

He got to Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, unable to believe he was really a disciple.

he also held conversations and debates with the Hellenists. But when the brothers learned that the Hellenists were attempting to make away with him,

Next day they were still on the road and not far from the town, when Peter went up to the roof of the house about noon to pray.

He became very hungry and longed for some food. But as they were getting the meal ready, a trance came over him.

you know how it spread over the whole of Judaea, starting from Galilee after the baptism preached by John ??38 how God consecrated Jesus of Nazaret with the holy Spirit and power, and how he went about doing good and curing all who were harassed by the devil; for God was with him.

Now the Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter were amazed that the gift of the holy Spirit had actually been poured out on the Gentiles ??46 for they heard them speak with 'tongues' and magnify God. At this Peter asked,

Some of them, however, were Cypriotes and Cyrenians, who on reaching Antioch told the Greeks also the gospel of the Lord Jesus;

(for he was a good man, full of the holy Spirit and faith). Considerable numbers of people were brought in for the Lord.

and on finding him he brought him to Antioch, where for a whole year they were guests of the church and taught considerable numbers. It was at Antioch too that the disciples were originally called "Christians."

Then Peter came to his senses and said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were anticipating."

But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door they were amazed to see him.

Now in the local church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Symeon (called Niger) and Lucius the Cyrenian, besides Manaen (a foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.

As they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the holy Spirit said, "Come! set me apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

Look, you disdainful folk, wonder at this and perish for in your days I do a deed, a deed you will never believe, not though one were to explain it to you."

But when the Jews saw the crowds they were filled with jealousy; they began to contradict what Paul said and to abuse him.

As for the disciples, they were filled with joy and the holy Spirit.

The church sped them on their journey, and they passed through both Phoenicia and Syria informing the brothers, to the great joy of all, that the Gentiles were turning to God.

On arriving at Jerusalem they were received by the church, the apostles and the presbyters, and they reported how God had been with them and what he had done.

and a keen controversy sprang up; but Peter rose and said to them, "Brothers, you are well aware that from the earliest days God chose that of you all I should be the one by whom the Gentiles were to hear the word of the gospel and believe it.

Then the apostles and the presbyters, together with the whole church, decided to select some of their number and send them with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. The men selected were Judas (called Bar-Sabbas) and Silas, prominent members of the brotherhood.

When the messengers were despatched, they went down to Antioch and after gathering the whole body they handed them the letter.

and as Judas and Silas were themselves prophets, they encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many a counsel.

As they travelled on from town to town, they handed over to the people the resolutions which the apostles and the presbyters in Jerusalem had decided were to be obeyed;

and the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers day by day.

But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing to God, while the prisoners listened,

all of a sudden there was a great earthquake which shook the very foundations of the prison; the doors all flew open in an instant and the fetters of all the prisoners were unfastened.

The lictors reported this to the praetors, who, on hearing the men were Roman citizens, became alarmed;

Some were persuaded and threw in their lot with Paul and Silas, including a host of devout Greeks and a large number of the leading women.

But the Jews were aroused to jealousy; they got hold of some idle rascals to form a mob and set the town in an uproar; they attacked Jason's house in the endeavour to bring them out before the populace,

Both the crowd and the politarchs were disturbed when they heard this;

where the people were more amenable than at Thessalonica; they were perfectly ready to receive the Word and made a daily study of the scriptures to see if it was really as Paul said.

The brothers then sent off Paul at once on his way to the sea, while Silas and Timotheus remained where they were.

Paul's escort brought him as far as Athens and left with instructions that Silas and Timotheus were to join him as soon as possible.

and as he belonged to the same trade he stayed with them and they all worked together. (They were workers in leather by trade.)

But Crispus the president of the synagogue believed in the Lord, as did all his household, and many of the Corinthians listened, believed, and were baptized.

"Then," said he, "what were you baptized in?" "In John's baptism," they replied.

people even carried away towels or aprons he had used, and at their touch sick folk were freed from their diseases and evil spirits came out of them.

and numbers who had practised magic arts collected their books and burned them in the presence of all. On adding up the value of them, it was found that they were worth two thousand pounds.

When they heard this they were filled with rage and raised the cry, "Great is Artemis of Ephesus!"

So the city was filled with confusion. They rushed like one man into the amphitheatre, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were travelling with Paul.

Some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, also sent to beg him not to venture into the amphitheatre.)

Some were shouting one thing, some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and the majority had no idea why they had met.

(there were plenty of lamps in the upper room where we met).

accompanied by some of the disciples from Caesarea, who conducted us to the house of Mnason, a Cypriote, with whom we were to lodge. He was a disciple of old standing.

Next day we accompanied Paul to James; all the presbyters were present,

The seven days were almost over when the Asiatic Jews, catching sight of him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd and laid hands on him,

The whole city was thrown into turmoil. The people rushed together, seized Paul and dragged him outside the temple; whereupon the doors were immediately shut.

They were attempting to kill him, when word reached the commander of the garrison that the whole of Jerusalem was in confusion.

When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew they were all the more quiet. So he went on.

Then those who were to have examined him left him at once alone; even the commander was alarmed to find that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

Then the high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next Paul to strike him on the mouth.

Then, finding half the Sanhedrin were Sadducees and the other half Pharisees, Paul shouted to them, "I am a Pharisee, brothers, the son of Pharisees! It is for the hope of the resurrection from the dead that I am on trial!"

There were more than forty of them in this plot.

Horses were also to be provided, on which they were to mount Paul and carry him safe to Felix the governor.

The Jews joined in the attack, declaring that such were the facts of the case.

When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him and brought a number of serious charges against him, none of which they were able to prove.

As they were spending several days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king. "There is a man," he said, "who was left in prison by Felix.

I told them Romans were not in the habit of giving up any man until the accused met the accusers face to face and had a chance of defending himself against the impeachment.

I did so in Jerusalem. I shut up many of the saints in prison, armed with authority from the high priests; when they were put to death, I voted against them;

I announced to those at Damascus and at Jerusalem in the first instance, then all over the land of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles, that they were to repent and turn to God by acting up to their repentance.

When it was decided we were to sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to an officer of the Imperial regiment called Julius.

As we were being terribly battered by the storm, they had to jettison the cargo next day,

When the fourteenth night arrived, we were drifting about in the sea of Adria, when the sailors about midnight suspected land was near.

The sailors tried to escape from the ship. They had even lowered the boat into the sea, pretending they were going to layout anchors from the bow,

(there were about seventy-six souls of us on board, all told);

So the anchors were cut away and left in the sea, while the crew unlashed the ropes that tied the rudders, hoisted the foresail to the breeze, and headed for the beach.

while the rest were to manage with planks or pieces of wreckage. In this way it turned out that the whole company got safe to land.