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Acts 1

1In my first account, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his suffering he also presented himself alive to them with many convincing proofs, appearing to them over forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4While staying with them, he instructed them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, “which you heard from me; 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

6So when they had gathered, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” 7He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9After he said these things, he was lifted up as they watched, and a cloud took him from their sight. 10As they were gazing into heaven while he went, look, two men stood beside them in white clothing. 11They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”

12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13When they entered, they went up to the upstairs room where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

15In those days Peter stood up among the brothers—the gathering numbered about a hundred and twenty—and said, 16“Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David about Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus, 17for he was counted among us and received a share in this service.” 18Now this man acquired a field with the payment for his wrongdoing, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his entrails spilled out. 19This became known to everyone living in Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldamach, that is, Field of Blood. 20“For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his dwelling become desolate, and let no one live in it,’ and, ‘Let another take his position of oversight.’ 21So one of the men who accompanied us throughout the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from John's baptism until the day he was taken up from us, must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

23They put forward two: Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also named Justus, and Matthias. 24They prayed and said, “You, Lord, know the hearts of all. Show which one of these two you have chosen 25to take the place in this service and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26They cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles.

Translation notes 5

1:1–9 — Luke and the promise. The first account is the Gospel addressed to Theophilus. Acts explicitly gives forty days; Luke 24 does not state an interval before the ascension. “Promise,” “power,” and “witnesses” connect the two accounts without adding Acts' chronology to Luke. “Staying with” in verse 4 can also be understood as “eating with”; the Greek expression is disputed.

1:5 — Baptism. “With water” and “in the Holy Spirit” match Luke 3:16 where the Greek constructions agree. Acts does not repeat Luke's “and fire.”

1:12–16 — Distance and relationships. A Sabbath day's journey is approximately half a mile to three-quarters of a mile. “Son” is supplied for James's and Judas's patronymics. “Brothers” is family language for the believing community, including women in this gathering; Jesus' brothers in verse 14 are distinguished from it.

1:18–20 — Judas and the quotations. Verses 18–19 are presented as the narrator's explanation. Acts describes acquiring a field and falling headlong; no hanging or reconstructed sequence is inserted from Matthew. The quotations draw on Psalms 69:25 and 109:8 in the wording Acts gives them.

1:24–26 — Choice and place. “Lord” is not replaced by either “Jesus” or “God.” Judas's “own place” remains unexplained in the text; it is not an explicit naming of a particular afterlife location. Casting lots is reported without adding a command for later communities.