Truly the first word had I made of all things, O Theophilus, of which Jesus began to do and also to teach,

until the day He was taken up, after He had given orders through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.

After He had suffered, He also presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

being with them when they were assembled, he order'd they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for what the father had promis'd, which, said he, I mention'd.

For [Jesus had said, Matt. 3:11], "John immersed you [men] in water but [this time] you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit, and [it will happen] in just a few more days."

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.

And while they were gazing at his going into the sky, behold, two men had also stood by them in white apparel,

And when they had entered, they went up to the upstairs room where they were staying--Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James [son] of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas [son] of James.

“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David spoke in advance about Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

for he was numbered amongst us, and had received a part in this service.

but after he had purchased a field with the reward of his iniquity, he fell down, his belly burst, and all his bowels gushed out:

And they appointed two, Joseph, who was called Barsabas, who had been surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

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

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as it had been the coming of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they sat.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as they had been fire, and it sat upon each of them:

When the report of this had gone abroad, the multitude came together; and they were perplexed, for each one heard them speak in his own language.

But others said derisively, "They have had too much new wine!"

Men of Israel, give ear to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man who had the approval of God, as was made clear to you by the great works and signs and wonders which God did by him among you, as you yourselves have knowledge,

this very Jesus, I say, after He was betrayed, in accordance with the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you had wicked men kill by nailing Him to a cross;

for David says concerning him, "I had the Lord always present before me, he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.

Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his descendants on his throne.

And referred to the resurrection of the Christ when he said that 'he had not been abandoned to the Place of Death, nor had his body undergone corruption.'

So he has been exalted to God's right hand, and has received from his Father and poured over us the holy Spirit that had been promised, as you see and hear.

When the crowd that had gathered heard this, they were pierced to the heart. They asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"

Those then who had accepted his word were baptised; and there were added in that day about three thousand souls.

Now all the believers were together and held all things in common.

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

and had favour with all the people, and the Lord added to the congregation daily such as should be saved.

One day, as Peter and John were going up into the Temple Courts for the three o'clock Prayers, a man, who had been lame from his birth, was being carried by.

they were carrying a man who had been lame from his birth, one whom they daily laid at the gate of the temple called, Beauty-gate, to ask alms of those that pass'd into the temple.

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.

And as this [former] crippled man stayed close beside Peter and John, all the people rushed toward them at "Solomon's Portico" [Note: This was a large covered area, with rows of columns, on the side of the Temple enclosure], completely astonished [at what had happened].

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?

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.

Now I know, brothers, that you acted in ignorance, like your rulers ??18 though this was how God fulfilled what he had announced beforehand by the lips of all the prophets, namely the sufferings of his Christ.

But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

And he may send forth him who had been fore-appointed for you - Christ Jesus:

who must be received into heaven until [God's appointed] times when everything will be restored [to its intended purpose]. God had spoken about this through the proclamations of His holy prophets of long ago.

Yes, and all the Prophets from Samuel onwards, and all their successors who had a message to deliver, told of these days.

God, [after he] had raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning each [of you] back from your wickedness!"

and the Saducees came upon them, Being grieved that they had healed the lame man, and preached thro' Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

They arrested the Apostles and, as it was already evening, had them placed in custody till the next day.

But many of those who had heard the word believed; and the number of the men had become about five thousand.

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

He is the stone which you builders had no use for, but which has been made the chief stone of the building.

salvation is not to be had by any other: for there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we can be saved.

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,

However, to keep things from going any further with the people, we had better threaten them that they are not to tell anyone in future about this Name."

And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak 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;

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

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

"For in this city they actually met against your holy Servant Jesus, whom you had consecrated -- Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the heathen and the peoples of Israel,

to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place.

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.

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

And no one among them was in need; for everyone who had land or houses, exchanging them for money, took the price of them,

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

And Joseph, who had been surnamed Barnabas by the apostles (which is, being interpreted, Son of consolation), a Levite, Cyprian by birth,

sold an estate he had, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles feet.

But a man named Ananias, who, with his wife Sapphira, had sold a piece of property,

and brought [only] a part of the selling price and gave it to the apostles; but the man and his wife had kept this a secret.

While you had it, was it not your property? and after you had given it in exchange, was it not still in your power? how has this purpose come into your mind? you have been false, not to men, but to God.

There was an interval of about three hours; then his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

Then great fear came on all the church and on all who had knowledge of these things.

But of the rest no man had the courage to unite himself with them: though the people extolled them.

And a great number of men and women had faith, and were joined to the Lord;

they had the apostles arrested and put into the common jail.

Having received that command they went into the Temple, just before daybreak, and began to teach: So when the High Priest and his party came, and had called together the Sanhedrin as well as all the Elders of the descendants of Israel, they sent to the jail to fetch the Apostles.

Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.

Presently, however, some one came and told them, that the men whom they had put in prison were actually standing in the Temple Courts, teaching the people.

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

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had murdered by hanging Him on a tree.

But when these words came to their ears, they were cut to the heart, and had a mind to put them to death.

Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;

For, before these days, there rose up one Theudas, affirming, himself, to be somebody, - unto whom was inclined a number of men, about four hundred; who was slain, and, all as many as had been trusting in him, were disbanded, and came to nothing.

After him, rose up Judas the Galilaean, in the days of the enrolling, and drew a people into revolt after him; and, he, perished, and, all, as many as had trusted in him, were scattered.

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

So they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin rejoicing, because they had been considered worthy to be dishonored for the sake of the name.

And this saying was pleasing to all of them: and they made selection of Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicolas of Antioch, who had become a Jew:

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

But some of those who were of the Synagogue named that of the Libertines, and some of the men of Cyrene and of Alexandria and those from Cilicia and Asia, had arguments with Stephen.

Then they induced some men to assert that they had heard Stephen saying blasphemous things against Moses, and against God;

They had arranged for the false witnesses to say, "This man will not stop speaking against the Temple and the law of Moses,

And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

“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.

And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

And God had spoken about this [beforehand] by saying that Abraham's descendants would live in a foreign country and that they would [eventually] be ill-treated as slaves for four hundred years.

And he made with him the agreement of which circumcision was the sign. And so Abraham had a son, Isaac, and gave him circumcision on the eighth day; and Isaac had a son, Jacob, and Jacob was the father of the twelve heads of the families of Israel.

Now there was no food to be had in all Egypt and Canaan, and there was great trouble: and our fathers were not able to get food.

When, however, Jacob heard that there was wheat to be had, he sent our forefathers into Egypt; that was the first time.

And the second time his brothers had a meeting with Joseph, and Pharaoh had knowledge of Joseph's family.

were carried back to Shechem, and were placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

“As the time was drawing near to fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people flourished and multiplied in Egypt

till another king rose, who had not known Joseph;

And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son.

at length Moses was instructed in all the sciences of the Egyptians, and had great influence by his counsels and actions.