ActsChapter 1

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¹Dear Theophilus, in my first book I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach, ²up to the day he was taken up to heaven. Before that, he gave orders through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. ³After he suffered, he showed himself to them. He gave them many clear proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over forty days. He talked with them about the kingdom of God. ⁴Once, while they were together, he gave them a command. "Don't leave Jerusalem," he said. "Wait for the gift the Father promised. You've heard me talk about it. ⁵For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." ⁶So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time you'll give the kingdom back to Israel?" ⁷Jesus answered, "It's not for you to know the times or dates. The Father has set them by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem. You will be my witnesses in all of Judea and Samaria. And you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth." ⁹After he said this, they watched as he was taken up. Then a cloud hid him from their sight. ¹⁰They kept staring up at the sky as he went. All at once, two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹"Men of Galilee," they said, "why are you standing here looking up at the sky? This same Jesus has been taken from you into heaven. He will come back the same way you saw him go." ¹²Then they went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. That hill is near the city. It was about as far as the law let people walk on a Sabbath day.a ¹³When they got there, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Those there were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴They all joined together as one and kept on praying. The women were with them. So were Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. ¹⁵In those days, Peter stood up among the believers. About 120 people were there. He said, ¹⁶"Brothers, the Scripture had to come true. Long ago the Holy Spirit spoke through David about Judas. Judas led the way for the men who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷He was one of us. He had a share in this work." ¹⁸(Judas bought a field with the money he got for his evil act. There he fell head first. His body burst open in the middle, and all his insides spilled out. ¹⁹Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this. So in their own language they called that field Akeldama. That means "Field of Blood.") ²⁰"For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'May his home be empty. Let no one live in it.' It also says, 'Let someone else take his place as leader.' ²¹So we must choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time. They were with us all the time the Lord Jesus lived among us. ²²That time began when John baptized people. It lasted until the day Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these men must join us as a witness that Jesus rose from the dead." ²³So they named two men. One was Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus. The other was Matthias. ²⁴Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen ²⁵to take over this work as an apostle. Judas left it to go to the place where he belongs." ²⁶Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias. So he was added to the eleven apostles.