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THE ACTS

OF

THE APOSTLES.

CHAP. I.

THE former relation, I made*, O Theophilus, concerning all which Jesus undertook† both to do and to teach, 2 until the day in which he was taken up, after having

given commandments, by the holy spirit, to the apostles 3 whom he had chosen to whom he also shewed himself alive, after his suffering, by many infallible proofs; being seen by them forty days, and speaking of the things 4 concerning the kingdom of God. And then, assembling them together, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father; 5 "which," said he, "ye have heard from me. For John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized 6 with the holy spirit not many days hence." When therefore they were come together, they asked him, saying, "Lord, art thou at this time restoring|| the kingdom to 7 Israel?" And he said unto them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons, which the Father hath put in 8 his own disposal. But ye shall receive power, when the holy spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses to me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Sa9 maria, and to the uttermost part of the earth." And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld,

+ Gr. began. Or, both did and taught. wilt thou....restore, N.

* I made the former relation, etc. N.
that they should not depart, but should wait, N.

he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their 10 sight. And while they looked earnestly toward heaven*

as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white 11 apparel; who said also, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking toward heaven? this Jesus, that is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come again in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

12

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath-day's jour 13 neyt. And when they entered the city, they went into an upper room, where abode Peter and James and John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and 14 Judas the brother of James. All these stedfastly continued with one consent in prayer‡, with certain women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

15

AND in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (now the number of the†† persons to16 gether was about an hundred and twenty ;) "Brethren, this part of scripture, which the holy spirit spake before by the mouth of David, must needs be fulfilled concern17 ing Judas, that was guide to those who took Jesus; for he was numbered with us, and obtained the allotment of 18 this ministry." || Now this man caused a field to be pur

chased with the reward of his iniquity; (and, when he had fallen on his face, he burst asunder in the midst, and 19 all his bowels gushed out) || and it was known to all who dwelt in Jerusalem; so that the field was called in

*Or, as he was going up to heaven.

+The Syriac version says that this was about seven furlongs. The Talmudists reckon it two thousand cubits, the distance between the ark and the Israelites in journeying: Josh. iii, 4: which the Jews estimated at a Roman mile. Biscoe's Boyle's Lectures, p. 393," Newcome.

R. T. adds, "and supplication."

+ Gr. names. N. t. Sym. 131.

18, 19. "These verses may be considered as the words of St. Luke, the historian: and from the phrase in their proper tongue, comparet! with Col. iv. 11, 14, some infer that Luke was a gentile." Newcome.

their own language, Aceldama, that is, The field of blood. 20" For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'Let his habitation be desolate; and let no man dwell therein.' And, 21 His office let another take.' Wherefore, of these men that accompanied us all the time when the Lord Jesus 22 consorted with us, having begun from the baptism of John to that day on which he was taken up from us, one must be appointed to become a witness with us of his re23 surrection." Then they set apart two; Joseph, called 24 Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And when they had prayed, they said, "Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, shew which of these two 25 thou hast chosen, that he may take the allotment of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgres26 sion fell, so that he went to his own place." And their lots were cast and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

CH. II. Now when the day of Pentecost was come, they 2 were all with one consent in the same place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound, as of a rushing mighty wind; and it filled all the house where they were 3 sitting. And divided tongues, as of fire, appeared to 4 them; and a tongue sat on each of them. And they were

all filled with the holy spirit; and began to speak in dif5 ferent languages, as the spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, religious men, 6 out of every nation under heaven. And when this report was spread abroad, the multitude came together, and were perplexed, because every man heard them speaking in his own language. And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying one to another, "Behold, are not 8 all these who speak Galileans? How then hear we every

* Gr. went in and out among us. Symonds, 131. N. m.

† “The fiftieth day, reckoning as the law directs; Lev. xxiii. 11, 15, 16." Newcome. Or, one tongue.

man in our own language, in which we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and dwellers in

Mesopotamia, and in Judea and Cappadocia, in Pon10 tus and Asia, in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers from 11 Rome both Jews and proselytes, Cretans also and Arabians; we hear them speaking in our own tongues the 12 wonderful works of God." And they were all amazed,

and doubted; saying one to another, "What can this 13 mean?" But others, scoffing, said, "These men are 14 full of new wine." But when Peter and the eleven had stood up, he lifted up his voice, and said unto them, "Ye Jews, and all ye who dwell in Jerusalem, be this 15 known unto you, and hearken to my words. For these are not drunken, as ye suppose; since it is but the third 16 hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the pro17 phet Joel, And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, that I will pour out my spirit† upon all flesh : and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall 18 dream dreams: and on my men-servants and on my maid

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servants I will pour out my spirit in those days; and they 19 shall prophesy and I will shew wonders in heaven.

above, and signs on the earth beneath; blood, and fire, 20 and vapour of smoke. The sun shall be turned into

darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and 21 signal day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass,

that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall 22 be delivered.' Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man from God, manifested among you¶ by mighty works and wonders and signs, which God

* "India, Idumea, Cilicia, Bithynia, Lydia; are different conjectures." Newcome. + Gr. of my spirit.

19, 20. "These verses refer to the destruction of Jerusalem." N.

"The providence of God preserved the Christians, at the time when such unex

ampled calamities befel the Jews." Newcome.

See bishop Pearce. A man whom God hath attested among you. N.

:

did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves [also] 23 know; him, being delivered up to you by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, [ye have taken; and] 24 by wicked hands ye have crucified and slain whom God hath raised up, having loosed the bands of death; because it was not possible that he should be holden by 25 it. For David speaketh concerning him, I saw the Lord always before me; for he is on my right hand, so 26 that I cannot be moved. Wherefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad moreover my flesh also will 27 rest in hope; because thou wilt not leave me in the grave; 28 nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Thou hast

made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me 29 full of joy with thy countenance.' Brethren, let me plainly speak to you of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his sepulchre is among us to this 30 day. Wherefore, being a prophet, and knowing that

God had sworn to him with an oath, that of the fruit of 31 his loinst he would place successors on his throne; he foresaw this, and spake concerning the resurrection of Christ; that he was not left in the grave, nor did his 32 flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up¶; of 33 which all we are witnesses. Having therefore been exalt

ed to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the holy spirit, he hath poured 34 out this, which ye now see and hear. For David hath not ascended into the heavens: but he himself saith, 'Jehovah said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 until I make thine enemies thy footstool.' Wherefore let "It was unfit in itself, and contrary to the tenour of prophecy." Newcome. + according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne, R. T. These words are wanting in the Alex. Ephr. and Camb. MSS., and are left out of the text by Griesbach and Newcome.

"The prophecy in its most eminent sense referred to Christ; though it had an inferior sense also, that David should be preserved from death, notwithstanding the malice and power of his enemies." Newcome.

his soul, R. T.

hath God raised up, N.

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