Category: ACTS

The Bible – New Testament

Acts 

Chapter 2

1

¹ When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.

2

And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, ² and it filled the entire house in which they were.

3

Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, ³ which parted and came to rest on each one of them.

4

And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, ⁴ as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

5

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.

6

At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

7

They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?

8

Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language?

9

We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

10

Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome,

11

both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”

12

They were all astounded and bewildered, and said to one another, “What does this mean?”

13

But others said, scoffing, “They have had too much new wine.”

14

⁵ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.

15

These people are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning.

16

No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

17

‘It will come to pass in the last days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.

18

Indeed, upon my servants and my handmaids I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.

19

And I will work wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below: blood, fire, and a cloud of smoke.

20

The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and splendid day of the Lord,

21

and it shall be that everyone shall be saved who calls on the name of the Lord.’

22

You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.

23

This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.

24

But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it.

25

For David says of him: ‘I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

26

Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,

27

because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.

28

You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

29

My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day.

30

But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,

31

he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption.

32

God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses.

33

Exalted at the right hand of God, ⁶ he received the promise of the holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you (both) see and hear.

34

For David did not go up into heaven, but he himself said: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand

35

until I make your enemies your footstool.”‘

36

Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?”

38

Peter (said) to them, “Repent and be baptized, ⁷ every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.

39

For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.”

40

He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”

41

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.

42

⁸ They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.

43

Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

44

All who believed were together and had all things in common;

45

they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need.

46

Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart,

47

praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

 

1 [1-41] Luke’s pentecostal narrative consists of an introduction (⇒ Acts 2:1-13), a speech ascribed to Peter declaring the resurrection of Jesus and its messianic significance (⇒ Acts 2:14-36), and a favorable response from the audience (⇒ Acts 2:37-41). It is likely that the narrative telescopes events that took place over a period of time and on a less dramatic scale. The Twelve were not originally in a position to proclaim publicly the messianic office of Jesus without incurring immediate reprisal from those religious authorities in Jerusalem who had brought about Jesus’ death precisely to stem the rising tide in his favor.

2 [2] There came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind: wind and spirit are associated in ⇒ John 3:8. The sound of a great rush of wind would herald a new action of God in the history of salvation.

3 [3] Tongues as of fire: see ⇒ Exodus 19:18 where fire symbolizes the presence of God to initiate the covenant on Sinai. Here the holy Spirit acts upon the apostles, preparing them to proclaim the new covenant with its unique gift of the Spirit (⇒ Acts 2:38).

4 [4] To speak in different tongues: ecstatic prayer in praise of God, interpreted in ⇒ Acts 2:6, ⇒ 11 as speaking in foreign languages, symbolizing the worldwide mission of the church.

5 [14-36] The first of six discourses in Acts (along with ⇒ Acts 3:12-26; ⇒ 4:8-12; ⇒ 5:29-32; ⇒ 10:34-43; ⇒ 13:16-41) dealing with the resurrection of Jesus and its messianic import. Five of these are attributed to Peter, the final one to Paul. Modern scholars term these discourses in Acts the “kerygma,” the Greek word for proclamation (cf ⇒ 1 Cor 15:11).

6 [33] At the right hand of God: or “by the right hand of God.”

7 [38] Repent and be baptized: repentance is a positive concept, a change of mind and heart toward God reflected in the actual goodness of one’s life. It is in accord with the apostolic teaching derived from Jesus (⇒ Acts 2:42) and ultimately recorded in the four gospels. Luke presents baptism in Acts as the expected response to the apostolic preaching about Jesus and associates it with the conferring of the Spirit (⇒ Acts 1:5; ⇒ 10:44-48; ⇒ 11:16).

8 [42-47] The first of three summary passages (along with ⇒ Acts 4:32-37; ⇒ 5:12-16) that outline, somewhat idyllically, the chief characteristics of the Jerusalem community: adherence to the teachings of the Twelve and the centering of its religious life in the eucharistic liturgy (⇒ Acts 2:42); a system of distribution of goods that led wealthier Christians to sell their possessions when the needs of the community’s poor required it (⇒ Acts 2:44 and the note on ⇒ Acts 4:32-37); and continued attendance at the temple, since in this initial stage there was little or no thought of any dividing line between Christianity and Judaism (⇒ Acts 2:46).

Index 

The Bible – New Testament

Acts

Hechos de los apóstoles

Chapter 18

1

After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.

2

There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla ¹ because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. He went to visit them

3

and, because he practiced the same trade, stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.

4

Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue, attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks.

5

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus.

6

When they opposed him and reviled him, he shook out his garments ² and said to them, “Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

7

So he left there and went to a house belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God; ³ his house was next to a synagogue.

8

Crispus, ⁴ the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard believed and were baptized.

9

One night in a vision the Lord said to Paul, “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent,

10

for I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this city.”

11

He settled there for a year and a half and taught the word of God among them.

12

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, ⁵ the Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him to the tribunal,

13

saying, “This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law.” ⁶

14

When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud, I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews;

15

but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles and your own law, see to it yourselves. I do not wish to be a judge of such matters.”

16

And he drove them away from the tribunal.

17

They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official, and beat him in full view of the tribunal. But none of this was of concern to Gallio.

18

Paul remained for quite some time, and after saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut because he had taken a vow. ⁷

19

When they reached Ephesus, he left them there, while he entered the synagogue and held discussions with the Jews.

20

Although they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent,

21

but as he said farewell he promised, “I shall come back to you again, God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

22

Upon landing at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church ⁸ and then went down to Antioch.

23

⁹ After staying there some time, he left and traveled in orderly sequence through the Galatian country and Phrygia, bringing strength to all the disciples.

24

A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus. He was an authority on the scriptures. ¹⁰

25

He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and, with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John.

26

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way (of God) ¹¹ more accurately.

27

And when he wanted to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. After his arrival he gave great assistance to those who had come to believe through grace.

28

He vigorously refuted the Jews in public, establishing from the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus.

Acts

Hechos de los apóstoles

1 [2] Aquila . . . Priscilla: both may already have been Christians at the time of their arrival in Corinth (see ⇒ Acts 18:26). According to ⇒ 1 Cor 16:19, their home became a meeting place for Christians. Claudius: the Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome ca. A.D. 40. The Roman historian Suetonius gives as reason for the expulsion disturbances among the Jews “at the instigation of Chrestos,” probably meaning disputes about the messiahship of Jesus.

2 [6] Shook out his garments: a gesture indicating Paul’s repudiation of his mission to the Jews there; cf ⇒ Acts 28:17-31.

3 [7] A worshiper of God: see the note on ⇒ Acts 8:26-40.

4 [8] Crispus: in ⇒ 1 Cor 1:14 Paul mentions that Crispus was one of the few he himself baptized at Corinth.

5 [12] When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia: Gallio’s proconsulship in Achaia is dated to A.D. 51-52 from an inscription discovered at Delphi. This has become an important date in establishing a chronology of the life and missionary work of Paul.

6 [13] Contrary to the law: Gallio (⇒ Acts 18:15) understands this to be a problem of Jewish, not Roman, law.

7 [18] He had his hair cut because he had taken a vow: a reference to a Nazirite vow (see ⇒ Numbers 6:1-21, especially, ⇒ 6:18) taken by Paul (see also ⇒ Acts 21:23-27).

8 [22] He went up and greeted the church: “going up” suggests a visit to the church in Jerusalem.

9 [⇒ 18:23-⇒ 21:16] Luke’s account of Paul’s third missionary journey devotes itself mainly to his work at Ephesus (⇒ Acts 19:1-⇒ 20:1). There is a certain restiveness on Paul’s part and a growing conviction that the Spirit bids him return to Jerusalem and prepare to go to Rome (⇒ Acts 19:21).

10 [24,25] Apollos appears as a preacher who knows the teaching of Jesus in the context of John’s baptism of repentance. Aquila and Priscilla instruct him more fully. He is referred to in ⇒ 1 Cor 1:12; ⇒ 3:5-6, ⇒ 22.

11 [26] The Way [of God]: for the Way, see the note on ⇒ Acts 9:2. Other manuscripts here read “the Way of the Lord,” “the word of the Lord,” or simply “the Way.”

Acts

Hechos de los apóstoles

The Bible – New Testament

Acts

Index 

Chapter 16

1

He reached (also) Derbe and Lystra where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.

2

The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him,

3

and Paul wanted him to come along with him. On account of the Jews of that region, Paul had him circumcised, ¹ for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

4

As they traveled from city to city, they handed on to the people for observance the decisions reached by the apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem.

5

Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number.

6

They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory because they had been prevented by the holy Spirit from preaching the message in the province of Asia.

7

When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus ² did not allow them,

8

so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas.

9

During (the) night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

10

When he had seen the vision, we ³ sought passage to Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

11

⁴ We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace, and on the next day to Neapolis,

12

and from there to Philippi, a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We spent some time in that city.

13

On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river where we thought there would be a place of prayer. We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.

14

One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, ⁵ listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying.

15

After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home,” and she prevailed on us.

16

As we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl with an oracular spirit, ⁶ who used to bring a large profit to her owners through her fortune-telling.

17

She began to follow Paul and us, shouting, “These people are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.”

18

She did this for many days. Paul became annoyed, turned, and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” Then it came out at that moment.

19

When her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the public square before the local authorities.

20

They brought them before the magistrates ⁷ and said, “These people are Jews and are disturbing our city

21

and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.”

22

The crowd joined in the attack on them, and the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be beaten with rods.

23

After inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison and instructed the jailer to guard them securely.

24

When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and secured their feet to a stake.

25

About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened,

26

there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.

27

When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew (his) sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped.

28

But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, “Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.”

29

He asked for a light and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.

30

Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.”

32

So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.

33

He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized at once.

34

He brought them up into his house and provided a meal and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.

35

But when it was day, the magistrates sent the lictors ⁸ with the order, “Release those men.”

36

The jailer reported the (se) words to Paul, “The magistrates have sent orders that you be released. Now, then, come out and go in peace.”

37

But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, even though we are Roman citizens and have not been tried, and have thrown us into prison. And now, are they going to release us secretly? By no means. Let them come themselves and lead us out.” ⁹

38

The lictors reported these words to the magistrates, and they became alarmed when they heard that they were Roman citizens.

39

So they came and placated them, and led them out and asked that they leave the city.

40

When they had come out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house where they saw and encouraged the brothers, and then they left.

Index 

 1 [3] Paul had him circumcised: he did this in order that Timothy might be able to associate with the Jews and so perform a ministry among them. Paul did not object to the Jewish Christians’ adherence to the law. But he insisted that the law could not be imposed on the Gentiles. Paul himself lived in accordance with the law, or as exempt from the law, according to particular circumstances (see ⇒ 1 Cor 9:19-23).

2 [7] The Spirit of Jesus: this is an unusual formulation in Luke’s writings. The parallelism with ⇒ Acts 16:6 indicates its meaning, the holy Spirit.

3 [10-17] This is the first of the so-called “we-sections” in Acts, where Luke writes as one of Paul’s companions. The other passages are ⇒ Acts 20:5-15; ⇒ 21:1-18; ⇒ 27:1-⇒ 28:16. Scholars debate whether Luke may not have used the first person plural simply as a literary device to lend color to the narrative. The realism of the narrative, however, lends weight to the argument that the “we” includes Luke or another companion of Paul whose data Luke used as a source.

4 [11-40] The church at Philippi became a flourishing community to which Paul addressed one of his letters (see Introduction to the Letter to the Philippians).

5 [14] A worshiper of God: a “God-fearer.” See the note on ⇒ Acts 8:26-40.

6 [16] With an oracular spirit: literally, “with a Python spirit.” The Python was the serpent or dragon that guarded the Delphic oracle. It later came to designate a “spirit that pronounced oracles” and also a ventriloquist who, it was thought, had such a spirit in the belly.

7 [20] Magistrates: in Greek, strategoi, the popular designation of the duoviri, the highest officials of the Roman colony of Philippi.

8 [35] The lictors: the equivalent of police officers, among whose duties were the apprehension and punishment of criminals.

9 [37] Paul’s Roman citizenship granted him special privileges in regard to criminal process. Roman law forbade under severe penalty the beating of Roman citizens (see also ⇒ Acts 22:25).

The Bible – New Testament

Acts

Index