1 The former account, indeed, I made concerning all things, O Theophilus, that Jesus began both to do and to teach, 2 till the day in which, having given command, through the Holy Spirit, to the apostles whom he did choose out, he was taken up, 3 to whom also he did present himself alive after his suffering, in many certain proofs, through forty days being seen by them, and speaking the things concerning the reign of God. 4 And being assembled together with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, [saith he,] 'Ye did hear of me; 5 because John, indeed, baptized with water, and ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit — after not many days.' 6 They, therefore, indeed, having come together, were questioning him, saying, 'Lord, dost thou at this time restore the reign to Israel?' 7 and he said unto them, 'It is not yours to know times or seasons that the Father did appoint in His own authority; 8 but ye shall receive power at the coming of the Holy Spirit upon you, and ye shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and unto the end of the earth.' 9 And these things having said — they beholding — he was taken up, and a cloud did receive him up from their sight; 10 and as they were looking stedfastly to the heaven in his going on, then, lo, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, 'Men, Galileans, why do ye stand gazing into the heaven? this Jesus who was received up from you into the heaven, shall so come in what manner ye saw him going on to the heaven.' 12 Then did they return to Jerusalem from the mount that is called of Olives, that is near Jerusalem, a sabbath's journey; 13 and when they came in, they went up to the upper room, where were abiding both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James, of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zelotes, and Judas, of James; 14 these all were continuing with one accord in prayer and supplication, with women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. 15 And in these days, Peter having risen up in the midst of the disciples, said, (the multitude also of the names at the same place was, as it were, an hundred and twenty,) 16 'Men, brethren, it behoved this Writing that it be fulfilled that beforehand the Holy Spirit spake through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who became guide to those who took Jesus, 17 because he was numbered among us, and did receive the share in this ministration, 18 this one, indeed, then, purchased a field out of the reward of unrighteousness, and falling headlong, burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed forth, 19 and it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, insomuch that that place is called, in their proper dialect, Aceldama, that is, field of blood, 20 for it hath been written in the book of Psalms: Let his lodging-place become desolate, and let no one be dwelling in it, and his oversight let another take. 21 'It behoveth, therefore, of the men who did go with us during all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day in which he was received up from us, one of these to become with us a witness of his rising again.' 23 And they set two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias, 24 and having prayed, they said, 'Thou, Lord, who art knowing the heart of all, shew which one thou didst choose of these two 25 to receive the share of this ministration and apostleship, from which Judas, by transgression, did fall, to go on to his proper place;' 26 and they gave their lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Acts · Young's Literal Translation
Acts 1 Young's Literal Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
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)