PENTECOST

2 When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place.a 2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing windb came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying.c 3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. 4 Then they were all filledd with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues,* as the Spirit enabled them.e

5 Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nationf under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were astounded and amazed, saying,E “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?g 8 How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,h 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts),i 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” 12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.”j

PETER’S SERMON

14 Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning.F 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 And it will be in the last days, says God,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all people;

then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,

your young men will see visions,

and your old men will dream dreams.k

18 I will even pour out my Spirit

on my servants in those days, both men and women

and they will prophesy.l

19 I will display wonders in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below:

blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.

20 The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to bloodm

before the great and glorious day of the Lordn comes.

21 Then everyone who calls

on the name of the Lord will be saved.A,o

22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know.p 23 Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you usedB lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him.q 24 God raised him up, ending the pains of death,r because it was not possible for him to be held by death. 25 For David says of him:

I saw the Lord ever before me;

because he is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

26 Therefore my heart is glad

and my tongue rejoices.

Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope,

27 because you will not abandon me in Hades

or allow your holy one to see decay.s

28 You have revealed the paths of life to me;

you will fill me with gladness

in your presence.C,t

29 “Brothers and sisters, I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.u 30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his descendantsD on his throne.v 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: HeE was not abandoned in Hades, and his flesh did not experience decay.F,w

32 “God has raisedx this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. 33 Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of Gody and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit,a he has poured outb what you both see and hear. 34 For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says:

The Lord declared to my Lord,

‘Sit at my right hand

35 until I make your enemies your footstool.’A,c

36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”d

CALL TO REPENTANCE

37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”e

38 Peter replied, “Repentf and be baptized,g each of you, in the nameh of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off,i as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corruptB generation!”j

A GENEROUS AND GROWING CHURCH

41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching,k to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.l

43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles.m 44 Now all the believers were together and held all things in common.n 45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts,o 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their numberC those who were being saved.p

HEALING OF A LAME MAN

3 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayerq at three in the afternoon.D 2 A man who was lame from birth was being carried there. He was placed each day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so that he could beg from those entering the temple.r 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money. 4 Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” 5 So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”s 7 Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. 8 So he jumped up and started to walk, and he entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.t 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.u

PREACHING IN SOLOMON’S COLONNADE

11 While heA was holding on to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astonished, ran toward them in what is called Solomon’s Colonnade.v 12 When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors,w has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate,x though he had decided to release him. 14 You denied the Holy and Righteous Oney and asked to have a murderer released to you.z 15 You killed the sourceB of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this.aa 16 By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.

17 “And now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your leaders also did.ab 18 In this way God fulfilled what he had predicted through all the prophets—that his Messiah would suffer.ac 19 Therefore repentad and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out,ae 20 that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus, who has been appointedaf for you as the Messiah. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about through his holy prophets from the beginning.a 22 Moses said:C The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything he tells you. 23 And everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be completely cut off from the people.Db

24 “In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also foretold these days. 25 You are the sonsE of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, And all the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.F, c 26 God raised up his servantG and sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”d

PETER AND JOHN ARRESTED

4 While they were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple police, and the Sadducees confronted them,e 2 because they were annoyed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.f 3 So they seized them and took them into custody until the next day since it was already evening. 4 But many of those who heard the message believed, and the number of the menH came to about five thousand.

PETER AND JOHN FACE THE JEWISH LEADERSHIP

5 The next day, their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem 6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the members of the high-priestly family.g 7 After they had Peter and John stand before them, they began to question them: “By what power or in what name have you done this?”

8 Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders:A ,h 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man, by what means he was healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing here before you healthy.i 11 This Jesus is

the stone rejected by you builders,

which has become the cornerstone.B,j

12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”k

THE BOLDNESS OF THE DISCIPLES

13 When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.l 14 And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 After they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign has been done through them, clear to everyone living in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.m 17 But so that this does not spread any further among the people, let’s threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.” 18 So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

19 Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide;n 20 for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”o

21 After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done.p 22 For this sign of healing had been performed on a man over forty years old.

PRAYER FOR BOLDNESS

23 After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them.q 25 You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David your servant:C

Why do the Gentiles rage

and the peoples plot futile things?

26 The kings of the earth take their stand

and the rulers assemble together

against the Lord and against his Messiah.A ,a

27 “For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,b 28 to do whatever your hand and your will had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness,c 30 while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wondersd are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.e

ALL THINGS IN COMMON

32 Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common.f 33 With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.g 34 For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold,h 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.i

36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus by birth, the one the apostles called Barnabas (which is translated Son of Encouragement),j 37 sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.k

LYING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. 2 However, he kept back part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge, and brought a portion of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.l

3 “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heartm to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4 Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to people but to God.” 5 When he heard these words, Ananias dropped dead, and a great fear came on all who heard.n 6 The young men got up, wrapped his body, carried him out, and buried him.o

7 About three hours later, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 “Tell me,” Peter asked her, “did you sell the land for this price?”

“Yes,” she said, “for that price.”

9 Then Peter said to her, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”p

10 Instantly she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men came in, they found her dead, carried her out, and buried her beside her husband. 11 Then great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard these things.

APOSTOLIC SIGNS AND WONDERS

12 Many signs and wonders were being done among the people through the hands of the apostles.q They were all together in Solomon’s Colonnade.r 13 No one else dared to join them, but the people spoke well of them.s 14 Believers were added to the Lord in increasing numbers—multitudes of both men and women. 15 As a result, they would carry the sick out into the streets and lay them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadowt might fall on some of them. 16 In addition, a multitude came together from the towns surrounding Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

IN AND OUT OF PRISON

17 Then the high priest rose up. He and all who were with him, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.u 18 So they arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.v 19 But an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail during the night, brought them out, and said,w 20 “Go and stand in the temple, and tell the people all about this life.”x 21 Hearing this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

THE APOSTLES ON TRIAL AGAIN

When the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full council of the Israelites—and sent orders to the jail to have them brought.a 22 But when the servants* got there, they did not find them in the jail; so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing in front of the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 AsB the captain of the temple police and the chief priests heard these things, they were baffled about them, wondering what would come of this.

25 Someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the commander went with the servants and brought them in without force, because they were afraid the people might stone them.b 27 After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked, 28 “Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name?c Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”d

29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people. 30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus,e whom you had murdered by hanging him on a tree.f 31 God exalted this man to his right hand as ruler and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.g 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirith whom God has given to those who obey him.”

GAMALIEL’S ADVICE

33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.i 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered the menC to be taken outside for a little while.j 35 He said to them, “Men of Israel, be careful about what you’re about to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, and all his followers were dispersed and came to nothing.k 37 After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and attracted a following. He also perished, and all his followers were scattered. 38 So in the present case, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of human origin, it will fail;l 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him.m 40 After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.n 41 Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name.A , o 42 Every day in the temple, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

SEVEN CHOSEN TO SERVE

6 In those days, as the disciplesp were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.q 2 The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation,f full of the Spirits and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen,t a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert from Antioch.u 6 They had them stand before the apostles, who prayedv and laid their hands onw them.

7 So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increasedx greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.

STEPHEN ACCUSED OF BLASPHEMY

8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from some members of the Freedmen’s Synagogue, composed of both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, and they began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they were unable to stand up against his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.”a 12 They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; so they came, seized him, and took him to the Sanhedrin. 13 They also presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the law.b 14 For we heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”c 15 And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.