Study Desk

The first account I ^[a]composed, ^(a)Theophilus, about all that Jesus ^(b)began to do and teach,

until the day when He ^(c)was taken up to heaven, after He ^(d)had ^[b]by the Holy Spirit given orders to ^(e)the apostles whom He had ^(f)chosen.

To ^[c]these ^(g)He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of ^(h)the things concerning the kingdom of God.

^[d]Gathering them together, He commanded them ⁽ⁱ⁾not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for ^[e](j)what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me;

for ^(k)John baptized with water, but you will be baptized ^[f]with the Holy Spirit ^[g](l)not many days from now."

So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, ^(m)is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"

He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which ⁽ⁿ⁾the Father has fixed by His own authority;

but you will receive power ^(o)when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be ^(p)My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and ^(q)Samaria, and even to ^(r)the remotest part of the earth."

And after He had said these things, ^(s)He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

And as they were gazing intently into ^[h]the sky while He was going, behold, ^(t)two men in white clothing stood beside them.

They also said, "^(u)Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into ^[i]the sky? This Jesus, who ^(v)has been taken up from you into heaven, will ^(w)come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."

Then they ^(x)returned to Jerusalem from the ^[j](y)mount called ^[k]Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a ^[l]Sabbath day's journey away.

When they had entered the city, they went up to ^(z)the upper room where they were staying; ^(aa)that is, Peter and John and ^[m]James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, ^[n]James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and ^(ab)Judas the ^[o]son of ^[p]James.

These all with one mind ^(ac)were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with ^(ad)the women, and Mary the ^(ae)mother of Jesus, and with His ^(af)brothers.

^[q]At this time Peter stood up in the midst of ^(ag)the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty ^[r]persons was there together), and said,

"Brethren, ^(ah)the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, ^(ai)who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

For he was ^(aj)counted among us and received his share in ^(ak)this ministry."

(Now this man ^(al)acquired a field with ^(am)the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.

And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in ^(an)their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

"For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘^(ao) Let his homestead be made desolate , And let no one dwell in it '; and, ‘^(ap) Let another man take his ^[s] office .'

Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that ^(aq)the Lord Jesus went in and out ^[t]among us—

^(ar)beginning ^[u]with the baptism of John until the day that He ^(as)was taken up from us—one of these must become a ^(at)witness with us of His resurrection."

So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and ^(au)Matthias.

And they ^(av)prayed and said, "You, Lord, ^(aw)who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen

to ^[v]occupy ^(ax)this ministry and ^(ay)apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place."

And they ^[w](az)drew lots for them, and the lot fell ^[x]to ^(ba)Matthias; and he was ^[y]added to ^(bb)the eleven apostles.

When ^(a)the day of Pentecost ^[a]had come, they were all together in one place.

And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled ^(b)the whole house where they were sitting.

And there appeared to them tongues as of fire ^[b]distributing themselves, and ^[c]they ^[d]rested on each one of them.

And they were all ^(c)filled with the Holy Spirit and began to ^(d)speak with other ^[e]tongues, as the Spirit was giving them ^[f]utterance.

Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, ^(e)devout men from every nation under heaven.

And when ^(f)this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own ^[g]language.

^(g)They were amazed and astonished, saying, "^[h]Why, are not all these who are speaking ^(h)Galileans?

And how is it that we each hear them in our own ^[i]language ^[j]to which we were born?

Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and ⁽ⁱ⁾Cappadocia, ^(j)Pontus and ^[k](k)Asia,

^(l)Phrygia and ^(m)Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around ⁽ⁿ⁾Cyrene, and ^[l](o)visitors from Rome, both Jews and ^[m](p)proselytes,

Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God."

And ^(q)they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?"

But others were mocking and saying, "^(r)They are full of ^[n]sweet wine."

But Peter, ^[o]taking his stand with ^(s)the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words.

For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, ^(t)for it is only the ^[p]third hour of the day;

but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:

‘^(u) And it shall be in the last days ,' God says, ‘ That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all ^[q] mankind ; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy , And your young men shall see visions , And your old men shall dream dreams ;

Even on My bondslaves, both men and women , I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy.

‘ And I will grant wonders in the sky above And signs on the earth below , Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke .

‘ The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood , Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come .

‘ And it shall be that ^(v) everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved .'

"Men of Israel, listen to these words: ^(w)Jesus the Nazarene, ^(x)a man ^[r]attested to you by God with ^[s]miracles and ^(y)wonders and ^[t]signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—

this Man, delivered over by the ^(z)predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, ^(aa)you nailed to a cross by the hands of ^[u]godless men and put Him to death.

^[v]But ^(ab)God raised Him up again, putting an end to the ^[w]agony of death, since it ^(ac)was impossible for Him to be held ^[x]in its power.

For David says of Him, ‘^(ad)I saw the Lord always in my presence ; For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken .

‘ Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted ; Moreover my flesh also will live in hope ;

Because You will not abandon my soul to ^(ae) Hades , ^(af) Nor ^[y] allow Your ^[z] Holy One to ^[aa] undergo decay .

‘ You have made known to me the ways of life ; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence .'

"^[ab]Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the ^(ag)patriarch David that he both ^(ah)died and ^(ai)was buried, and ^(aj)his tomb is ^[ac]with us to this day.

And so, because he was ^(ak)a prophet and knew that ^(al) God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one ^[ad] of his descendants on his throne ,

he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of ^[ae]the Christ, that ^(am) He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh ^[af] suffer decay .

This Jesus ^(an)God raised up again, to which we are all ^(ao)witnesses.

Therefore having been exalted ^[ag](ap)to the right hand of God, and ^(aq)having received from the Father ^(ar)the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has ^(as)poured forth this which you both see and hear.

For it was not David who ascended into ^[ah]heaven, but he himself says: ‘^(at) The Lord said to my Lord , " Sit at My right hand ,

Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet ."'

Therefore let all the ^(au)house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both ^(av)Lord and ^[ai]Christ—this Jesus ^(aw)whom you crucified."

Now when they heard this, they were ^[aj]pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "^[ak]Brethren, ^[al](ax)what shall we do?"

Peter said to them, "^(ay)Repent, and each of you be ^(az)baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For ^(ba)the promise is for you and your children and for all who are ^(bb)far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself."

And with many other words he solemnly ^(bc)testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, "^[am]Be saved from this ^(bd)perverse generation!"

So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand ^[an](be)souls.

They were ^(bf)continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to ^(bg)the breaking of bread and ^[ao](bh)to prayer.

^[ap]Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many ^(bi)wonders and ^[aq]signs were taking place through the apostles.

And all those who had believed ^[ar]were together and ^(bj)had all things in common;

and they ^(bk)began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.

^(bl)Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and ^(bm)breaking bread ^[as]from house to house, they were taking their ^[at]meals together with gladness and ^[au]sincerity of heart,

praising God and ^(bn)having favor with all the people. And the Lord ^(bo)was adding ^[av]to their number day by day ^(bp)those who were being saved.