Acts 1 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 I have given an earlier account, O Theophilus, of all the things which Jesus did, and of his teaching from the first,
1 The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach,
2 Till the day when he was taken up to heaven after he had given his orders, through the Holy Spirit, to the Apostles of whom he had made selection:
2 until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
3 And to whom he gave clear and certain signs that he was living, after his death; for he was seen by them for forty days, and gave them teaching about the kingdom of God:
3 To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about God’s Kingdom.
4 And when they were all together, with him, he gave them orders not to go away from Jerusalem, but to keep there, waiting till the word of the Father was put into effect, of which, he said, I have given you knowledge:
4 Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me.
5 For the baptism of John was with water, but you will have baptism with the Holy Spirit, after a little time.
5 For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So, when they were together, they said to him, Lord, will you at this time give back the kingdom to Israel?
6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
7 And he said to them, It is not for you to have knowledge of the time and the order of events which the Father has kept in his control.
7 He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority.
8 But you will have power, when the Holy Spirit has come on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judaea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
9 And when he had said these things, while they were looking, he was taken up, and went from their view into a cloud.
9 When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they were looking up to heaven with great attention, two men came to them, in white clothing,
10 While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing,
11 And said, O men of Galilee, why are you looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come again, in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.
11 who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”
12 Then they went back to Jerusalem from the mountain named Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away.
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.
13 And when they came in, they went up into the room where they were living; Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James, the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas, the son of James.
13 When they had come in, they went up into the upper room where they were staying, that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
14 And they all with one mind gave themselves up to prayer, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
14 All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
15 And in those days Peter got up among the brothers (there were about one hundred and twenty of them), and said,
15 In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said,
16 My brothers, the word of God had to be put into effect, which the Holy Spirit had said before, by the mouth of David, about Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus,
16 “Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus.
17 For he was numbered among us, and had his part in our work.
17 For he was counted with us, and received his portion in this ministry.
18 (Now this man, with the reward of his evil-doing, got for himself a field, and falling head first, came to a sudden and violent end there.
18 Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness; and falling headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines gushed out.
19 And this came to the knowledge of all those who were living in Jerusalem, so that the field was named in their language, Akel-dama, or, The field of blood.)
19 It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Akeldama,’ that is, ‘The field of blood.’
20 For in the book of Psalms it says, Let his house be waste, and let no man be living in it: and, Let his position be taken by another.
20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one dwell in it;’ and, ‘Let another take his office.’
21 For this reason, of the men who have been with us all the time, while the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
21 “Of the men therefore who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 Starting from the baptism of John till he went up from us, one will have to be a witness with us of his coming back from death.
22 beginning from the baptism of John to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
23 And they made selection of two, Joseph, named Barsabbas, whose other name was Justus, and Matthias.
23 They put forward two: Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias.
24 And they made prayers and said, Lord, having knowledge of the hearts of all men, make clear which of these two has been marked out by you,
24 They prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen
25 To take that position as a servant and Apostle, from which Judas by his sin was shut out, so that he might go to his place.
25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.”
26 And they put it to the decision of chance, and the decision was given for Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles.
26 They drew lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was counted with the eleven apostles.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Matthias
Chosen by lot to take the place of Judas among the twelve apostles.
Cited in the guide: Acts 1:23; Acts 1:26
Theophilus
The person to whom Luke wrote his orderly account so that he would know the certainty of what he had been taught.
Cited in the guide: Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1
Places
Jerusalem
Set high in the Judean hills (~2,500 ft), Jerusalem was David's royal city, the site of the First and Second Temples, and the stage for Jesus' passion and the church's birth at Pentecost.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 5:6-9; Luke 19:41; Acts 1:8
Cross references (26)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Luke 1:3; Luke 24:19; Matthew 4:23–24; Luke 3:23; Matthew 11:5
- 2 Acts 1:9; Acts 10:38; John 20:21; Hebrews 9:24; Isaiah 59:20–21
- 3 1 Corinthians 15:5–7; Acts 13:31; John 20:26; 1 John 1:1; John 21:14
- 4 Luke 24:49; John 14:16; John 15:26; John 14:26–28; John 7:39
- 5 Matthew 3:11; Acts 11:15–16; Luke 3:16; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Titus 3:5
- 6 Luke 19:11; Daniel 7:27; Luke 17:20; Matthew 24:3; Ezekiel 37:24–27
- 7 Matthew 24:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:1–2; Mark 13:32; Deuteronomy 29:29; Mark 10:40
- 8 Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Romans 15:19; Acts 4:33; Acts 5:32
- 9 Daniel 7:13; Luke 24:50–51; Mark 16:19; Ephesians 4:8–12; John 6:62
- 10 Luke 24:4; John 20:12; Mark 16:5; Revelation 7:14; Daniel 7:9
- 11 Revelation 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Mark 13:26; John 14:3; Matthew 24:30
- 12 Luke 24:52; Matthew 21:1; Luke 24:50; Luke 21:37; Zechariah 14:4
- 13 Acts 20:8; Luke 22:12; Mark 14:15; Matthew 10:2–4; Mark 2:14
- 14 Acts 6:4; Ephesians 6:18; Acts 2:42; Colossians 4:2; Romans 12:12
- 15 1 Corinthians 15:6; Acts 21:20; Revelation 3:4; Psalm 32:5–6; Revelation 11:13
- 16 Psalm 41:9; John 13:18; Psalm 55:12–15; Acts 1:20; John 12:38–40
- 17 Acts 1:25; Acts 20:24; John 6:70–71; John 17:12; Mark 3:19
- 18 Matthew 27:3–10; Psalm 55:23; Matthew 26:14–15; Psalm 55:15; Joshua 7:21–26
- 19 Matthew 28:15; Acts 2:22; 2 Samuel 2:16; Acts 21:40
- 20 Psalm 69:25; Psalm 109:8–15; Acts 1:25; Luke 24:44
- 21 John 15:27; Luke 10:1–2; Numbers 27:17; Deuteronomy 31:2; 2 Samuel 5:2
- 22 Acts 1:2; Acts 4:33; Acts 1:8–9; Mark 1:1–8; John 15:27
- 23 Acts 15:22; Acts 1:26
- 24 1 Samuel 16:7; Acts 15:8; Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 17:10; Revelation 2:23
- 25 1 Corinthians 9:2; Romans 1:5; John 17:12; John 6:70–71; Acts 1:16–21
- 26 Leviticus 16:8; Joshua 18:10; Jonah 1:7; 1 Samuel 14:41–42; 1 Chronicles 24:5
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
To many persons this Book is so little known, both it and its author, that they are not even aware that there is such a book in existence.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
… Judas to be, after being separated from her Enthymesis, was restored or recalled [to her former position]; but Judas was deprived [of his office], and cast out, while Matthias was ordained in his place, according to what is written, "And his bishopric let another take." They ought therefore to maintain that the twelfth Æon was cast out of the Pleroma, …
… the Father hath put in His own power; but ye shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even unto the ends of the earth." First of all, the Church spread herself abroad from Jerusalem; and when very many in …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
"For a cloud and darkness are round about Him;" and, "He sitteth on a light cloud;" and again, "Who maketh clouds His chariot;" and, "A cloud received Him out of their sight;" and, "As the Son of Man coming in the clouds." In order then that they might believe that the voice proceeds from God, it comes from thence.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For it is not for you, He says, to know times or seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)