BWE - Acts - 1

1:1  Theophilus, in the first book I wrote to you, I wrote about all the things Jesus began to do and to teach.

1:2  He did those things until the day he was taken up to heaven. Before he went up, he gave orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

1:3  In many ways he proved to them that he was living again after his terrible death. For forty days they often saw him. Then he told them things about God’s kingdom.

1:4  One day when he was eating with them, he told them not to leave Jerusalem. He said, ‘Wait here for what the Father promised you. I have told you about that promise already.

1:5  John baptised with water. But you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit when a few days have passed.’

1:6  When they had come together, the apostles asked Jesus, ‘Lord, are you now going to set up the kingdom of Israel?’

1:7  He answered them, ‘You will not know the days or the months which the Father has chosen.

1:8  But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power. You will speak of me in Jerusalem and all around in Judea and Samaria and everywhere in the world.’

1:9  When Jesus had said this, he went up. They watched him going. Then a cloud hid him, and they did not see him any more.

1:10  While they were looking at the sky as he went up, two men stood by them in white clothes.

1:11  They said, ‘You men from Galilee, why do you stand there looking at the sky? Jesus has gone up into heaven. In the same way that you saw him go up, he will come again.’

1:12  Then they left the hill called the Mount of Olives. They went back to Jerusalem which was not far away. (It was how far the law said people may walk on the Sabbath day.)

1:13  When they reached Jerusalem, they went to a room up in a house. Here lived Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon the freedom fighter, and Judas the son of James.

1:14  All of these people were talking to God. The women, Jesus’ mother Mary, and Jesus’ brothers were there talking to God also.

1:15  About one hundred and twenty people were gathered together. Peter stood up among them to speak to them.

1:16  He said, ‘My friends and brothers, Judas showed the people where Jesus was so they could take him. The Holy Spirit spoke through king David long ago about Judas before he did it. What was written about him has now happened.

1:17  Judas was one of us. He had his part of the work to do.’

1:18  (Judas received money for the wrong thing he did. He bought a field with the money and fell on his face. His belly burst open and all his insides came out.

1:19  All the people who live in Jerusalem know about this. In their language they named the field Akeldama, which means The Field of Blood.)

1:20  ‘The book of Psalms says, “His house must be empty. No one may live in it.” And it also says, “Someone else must do his work.”

1:21  ‘Here are men who have been with us all the time that the Lord Jesus was with us.

1:22  They were with us from the time John baptised people until the day Jesus was taken up from us. One of these men must help us tell people that Jesus was raised from death.’

1:23  They took two men. One was Joseph, named Barsabbas, who had another name Justus. The other man was Matthias.

1:24  Then the people talked to God. They said, ‘Lord, you know what is in everybody’s heart. Show us which of these two men you have chosen to have a part in this work and to be an apostle. For Judas left this work and went to the place where he belonged.’

1:25  Then the people talked to God. They said, ‘Lord, you know what is in everybody’s heart. Show us which of these two men you have chosen to have a part in this work and to be an apostle. For Judas left this work and went to the place where he belonged.’

1:26  Then they picked out the name of Matthias. He was chosen to be with the eleven apostles.