1In my first treatise (book), O Theophilus, I wrote of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2Until the day that He was taken up to heaven, after He, through the Holy Spirit, had given commandments to His apostles that He had chosen;
3To whom He also showed Himself alive after His passion (crucifixion and resurrection) by many infallible proofs, being seen by them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things regarding the kingdom of God;
4And, on one occasion, being assembled together with them, He told them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, “but wait for the promise (gift) of the Father, which”, said He, “you have heard of from Me.
5For John truly baptized with water; but not many days from now, you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit”.
6Then they gathered around Him, asking, “Lord, will You at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”
7And He told them, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His Own power.
8But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem, in all Judaea, in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
9And after He had said this, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10And while they stared intensely toward heaven as He ascended, suddenly two men (angels) stood by them in white apparel;
11Who also said, “You men of Galilee, why are you standing and gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, Who has been taken up from you into heaven, shall come back in the same way as you have seen Him ascend into heaven.”
12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey (about a mile).
13And when they arrived, they went into an upper room, where Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James, the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot {Zelotes}, and Judas, the brother of James, were staying.
14These all joined with one another in prayer and supplication, along with other women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
15And during those days, Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, (the number of those assembled being about a hundred twenty), and said,
16“Brothers and sisters, this scripture had to have been fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of David, spoke long ago concerning Judas, who guided those that arrested Jesus.
17For he was one of our number, and shared in this ministry.
18Now this man purchased a field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels (intestines) gushed out.
19And everyone that dwelled at Jerusalem knew about this, so that they called that field in their language “Akeldama”, that is, “The field of blood”.
20For it is written in the book of Psalms (Ps.109:8), “Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell in it; and his bishopric let another take”.
21Therefore, it is necessary to choose one of these men who have been with us all the time that the Lord Jesus was living among us,
22Beginning from the baptism of John, until the time that He was taken up from us, one of these must be ordained to be a witness with us of His resurrection.
23And they nominated two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus; and Matthias.
24And they prayed, and said, “You, Lord, Who knows the hearts of all men, show which of these two You have chosen,
25That he may take part in this apostolic ministry, from which Judas by transgression fell, and has gone to the place he deserves”.
26And they cast their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias, and so he was added to the eleven apostles. Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
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