Acts 1
1
Jesus Is Taken Up Into Heaven
1In my first book, Theophilus, I wrote about everything Jesus did and taught 2up to the time when he was taken to heaven. Before he left, Jesus gave instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he’d chosen. 3He appeared to them over a period of 40 days after his suffering and death, and he proved in many ways that he was alive. During that time, he spoke about the kingdom of God. 4One day when Jesus was eating with his apostles, he told them, “Don’t leave Jerusalem, but wait for what my Father promised, what you’ve heard me talk about. 5John baptized with water, but in a few days, you’ll be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6Then the apostles gathered around Jesus and asked him a question. “Lord,” they said, “are you now going to give the kingdom back to Israel?”
7He answered, “You aren’t allowed to know times and dates that the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest point on earth.”
9After Jesus said this, he was taken up to heaven. The apostles watched until a cloud hid him from their sight.
10They kept on looking up into the sky while he was going. Suddenly two men dressed in white clothing stood beside them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they asked, “why are you standing here looking at the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back just as you saw him go.”
Matthias Is Chosen to Take the Place of Judas Iscariot
12The apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives. (That’s just over half a mile from the city.) 13When they got back, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Here’s a list of those who were there:
Peter, John, James, and Andrew,
Philip and Thomas,
Bartholomew and Matthew,
James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
14They all came together regularly to pray. The women who’d come with them from Galilee joined them, and so did Jesus’ mother Mary and his brothers.
15In those days there were about 120 believers. Peter stood up among them to speak. 16He said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit spoke a long time ago through David about Judas Iscariot. 17That man was one of us and shared in our work for God, but then he served as a guide for the soldiers who arrested Jesus.”
18(Judas later felt very guilty for betraying Jesus. He bought a field with the payment he’d received, and he dove headfirst into that field from a height. His body burst open and all his insides spilled out. 19Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, and they called the field Akeldama. That means the “Field of Blood” in their language.)
20Peter continued, “Here’s what the Scriptures say in the Book of Psalms:
“ ‘May his home be deserted,
may no one live in it.’
The Psalms also say,
“ ‘Let someone else take his place as leader.’
21So we need to choose someone to take the place of Judas. It will have to be a person who was with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us. 22I mean starting from when John began baptizing right through to when Jesus was taken up from us. The one we choose must be a witness with us that Jesus rose from the dead.”
23So they suggested two men. One of them was named Joseph, though he was also called Barsabbas or Justus. The other man was Matthias. 24The believers prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. 25Show us which of these two you’ve chosen to take the place of Judas, who gave up being an apostle to go where he belongs.” 26Then they cast lots and Matthias was chosen. So from then on he was considered an apostle along with the other 11.
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