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Acts

The first account I wrote, Theophilus, was about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day that he was taken up into heaven, after he had given commands through holy spirit to the Apostles he had chosen. To them also he showed himself to be alive, after he suffered, by many convincing proofs. Over a period of forty days he was seen by them, and he spoke to them about the Kingdom of God. While he was meeting with them he commanded, “Do not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for what the Father promised, which you heard about from me. For John baptized in water, but you will be baptized in holy spirit in a few days.” And so when they had come together they were asking him, “lord, is this the time when you are going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know times or periods which the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when holy spirit has come upon you. You will then be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest regions of the earth.” When he had said these things, as they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud caused him to disappear from their sight. While they were looking intently into the sky as he went up, suddenly two men in white clothes stood next to them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing gazing into the sky? This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come back in just the same way as you saw him going into heaven.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain known as Olives which is near Jerusalem, a distance of a Sabbath day’s journey. When they had come into the city, they went up to the upstairs room where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. All these were devoting themselves to prayer continually with one mind, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. It was in those days that Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (there were about 120 believers gathered) and said, “Brothers, it was necessary that this scripture be fulfilled which the holy spirit prophesied through David, about Judas, who guided those who arrested Jesus. For he was one of us and had a part in this ministry.” (Now this man Judas bought a field with the money which he took for his wickedness, and falling headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines gushed out. This fact became known to everyone living in Jerusalem, so that in their language that field was called ‘Hakeldama,’ that is, ‘Field of blood.’) “For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his house become empty; may no one live in it’ and ‘Let someone else take his office.’ “So then, of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the lord Jesus was with us beginning from his baptism by John to the day when he was taken up from us — of these men one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” So they put forward two: Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. They prayed, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of everyone, show us which one of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and hold the office of Apostle from which Judas fell away to go to his own place.” They drew lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added to the eleven Apostles.

Acts