Bible Time

¹THE first book I have written, Oh Theophilus, concerning all the things which our Lord Jesus Messiah began to do and teach ²Until the day when he ascended, after he, through the Holy Spirit, had given commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen, ³The very ones to whom he had also shown himself alive, after he had suffered, with many wonders during the 40 days, while appearing to them and talking with them concerning the kingdom of God; ⁴And as he ate bread with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father, the one of whom you have heard from me. ⁵For, he said, John baptized with water; but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

⁶While they were assembled, they asked him, saying, Our Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? ⁷He said to them, It is not for you to know the time or times which the Father has put under his own authority; ⁸But when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will receive power and you will be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea also in the province of Samaria and to the uttermost part of the earth. ⁹And when he had spoken these things, he ascended while they were looking at him; a cloud received him and he was hidden from their sight. ¹⁰And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, look 2 men stood by them in white robes; ¹¹And they said to them, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus who has ascended from you into heaven will come in like manner as you have seen him ascend into heaven.

¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount which is called Olivet, Place of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, about 7 furlongs away. ¹³And after they had entered into the city, they went into an upper room, where stayed Peter, John, Jacob, Andrew, also Philip, Thomas, Matthew, Bartholomew, Jacob the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judah the son of Jacob. ¹⁴All these continued together in prayer with one accord, also the women, and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

¹⁵And in those days Simon Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples, a number of men were there, about 120, and he said, ¹⁶Men and brothers, it was proper that the scripture should be fulfilled, that which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judah, who was the guide to those who seized Jesus. ¹⁷For he was numbered with us and had a lot in this ministry. ¹⁸He is the one who earned for himself a field with the price of sin; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. ¹⁹And this very thing is known to all who live in Jerusalem; so that the field is called in the language of the country, Khakal-Dema which is to say Koriath-Dem, the field of blood. ²⁰For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no one live in it; and let his ministry be taken by another man. ²¹It is necessary, therefore, that one of these men, who have been with us during all the time that our Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²²Beginning from the baptism of John until the day he ascended from among us, become a partner with us as a witness of his resurrection. ²³So they appointed 2, Joseph called Barshabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴And as they prayed, they said, Oh Lord, you know what is in the hearts of all men; show which of these 2 you choose, ²⁵That he may receive the lot to the ministry and apostleship, from which Judah has been relieved to go his own way. ²⁶Then they cast lots, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was numbered with the 11 apostles.