The Promise of the Holy Spirit

1 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach^{(A) 2} until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.^{(B) 3} After his suffering^[a] he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.^{(C) 4} While staying^[b] with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me;^{(D) 5} for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with^[c] the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”^(E)

The Ascension of Jesus

⁶ So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”^{(F) 7} He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.^{(G) 8} But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”^{(H) 9} When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.^{(I) 10} While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.^{(J) 11} They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”^(K)

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. ¹³ When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs 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^[d] James.^{(L) 14} All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.^(M)

¹⁵ In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, ¹⁶ “Brothers and sisters,^[e] the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus,^{(N) 17} for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”^{(O) 18} (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out.^{(P) 19} This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) ²⁰ “For it is written in the book of Psalms,

and

²¹ “So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²² beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.”^{(R) 23} So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen^{(S) 25} to take the place^[f] in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” ²⁶ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles.

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.^{(T) 2} And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.^{(U) 3} Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.^(V)

⁵ Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶ And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. ⁷ Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” ¹² All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Peter Addresses the Crowd

¹⁴ But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Fellow Jews^[g] and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. ¹⁵ Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning.^{(W) 16} No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

²² “Fellow Israelites,^[h] listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth,^[i] a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know^(AB)— ²³ this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.^{(AC) 24} But God raised him up, having released him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.^{(AD) 25} For David says concerning him,

²⁹ “Fellow Israelites,^[j] I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.^{(AG) 30} Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne.^{(AH) 31} Foreseeing this, David^[k] spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah,^[l] saying,

³² “This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.^{(AJ) 33} Being therefore exalted at^[m] the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you see and hear.^{(AK) 34} For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

³⁶ “Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah,^[n] this Jesus whom you crucified.”

The First Converts

³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers,^[o] what should we do?”^{(AM) 38} Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^{(AN) 39} For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.”^{(AO) 40} And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. ⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Life among the Believers

⁴³ Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.^{(AP) 44} All who believed were together and had all things in common;^{(AQ) 45} they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds^[p] to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home^[q] and ate their food with glad and generous^[r] hearts,^{(AR) 47} praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.^(AS)

Peter Heals a Crippled Beggar

3 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon.^{(AT) 2} And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple.^{(AU) 3} When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. ⁴ Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,^[s] stand up and walk.”^{(AV) 7} And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ⁸ Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ All the people saw him walking and praising God,^{(AW) 10} and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and astonishment at what had happened to him.

Peter Speaks in Solomon’s Portico

¹¹ While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s Portico, utterly astonished.^{(AX) 12} When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, “Fellow Israelites,^[t] why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob,^[u] the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant^[v] Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him.^{(AY) 14} But you rejected the holy and righteous^[w] one and asked to have a murderer given to you,^{(AZ) 15} and you killed the author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.^{(BA) 16} And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus^[x] has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

¹⁷ “And now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.^{(BB) 18} In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah^[y] would suffer.^{(BC) 19} Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, ²⁰ so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send the Messiah^[z] appointed for you, that is, Jesus, ²¹ who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets.^{(BD) 22} Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you.^{(BE) 23} And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out of the people.’ ²⁴ And all the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days. ²⁵ You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’^{(BF) 26} When God raised up his servant,^[aa] he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”^(BG)