1 The first account I composed, O Theophilus, was about all that Jesus did and taught,2 until the day he was received up to heaven. After that he gave orders through the Holy Spirit to his chosen apostles.3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering. He gave many convincing proofs. He appeared to them during forty days speaking about the kingdom of God.4 When they were gathered together he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem. They were to wait for the promise of the Father that he spoke about.5 »John baptized with water; but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit in a few days,« He said.6 When they met they asked him: »Lord will you restore the kingdom to Israel at this time?«7 He replied: »It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has set within His own authority.8 »You will receive power, when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.«9 When he said these things, while they watched, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.10 They gazed intently into the sky as he went into heaven. Two men wearing white stood beside them.11 They said: »You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven will come in a similar manner as you saw him go into heaven.«12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.13 When they entered the city they went to the upper chamber where they were staying. Included were Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealous one, and Judas the son of James.14 They all continued united in earnest prayer. The women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers were also there.15 In these days Peter stood up among the brothers about a hundred and twenty, and said:16 »Brothers, the Scripture needed to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who guided those who arrested Jesus.17 »He was numbered among us, and shared in this ministry.18 »This man obtained a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong, he burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Matthew 27:5 says he hanged himself. The rope broke or the branch on which it was tied broke. Then he fell to the ground and burst open.19 »It became known to all who live in Jerusalem that the field was called the field of blood, in their language; Akeldama.20 »It is written in the book of Psalms: ‘Let his habitation be made desolate and let no man dwell there. Let another take his office.’ (Psalm 109:8)21 »Someone must join us as a witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He must be one of the men who were in our group during the time that the Lord Jesus traveled about with us. This should be from the time John preached his message of baptism until the day Jesus was taken up from us to heaven.22 »One who was with us from the baptism of John, to the day that he was received up from us must become a witness with us of his resurrection.«23 They proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.24 They prayed: »You O Jehovah, know the hearts of all men. Show us which of these men you choose.25 »Which of these men should assume this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.«26 They cast lots for them and the lot fell on Matthias. So he was included with the eleven apostles.

1 Fiz o primeiro tratado, ó Teófilo, acerca de tudo quanto Jesus começou a fazer e ensinar,2 até o dia em que foi levado para cima, depois de haver dado mandamento, pelo Espírito Santo, aos apóstolos que escolhera;3 aos quais também, depois de haver padecido, se apresentou vivo, com muitas provas infalíveis, aparecendo-lhes por espaço de quarenta dias, e lhes falando das coisas concernentes ao reino de Deus.4 Estando com eles, ordenou-lhes que não se ausentassem de Jerusalém, mas que esperassem a promessa do Pai, a qual {disse ele} de mim ouvistes.5 Porque, na verdade, João batizou em água, mas vós sereis batizados no Espírito Santo, dentro de poucos dias.6 Aqueles, pois, que se haviam reunido perguntavam-lhe, dizendo: Senhor, é nesse tempo que restauras o reino a Israel?7 Respondeu-lhes: A vós não vos compete saber os tempos ou as épocas, que o Pai reservou à sua própria autoridade.8 Mas recebereis poder, ao descer sobre vós o Espírito Santo, e ser-me-eis testemunhas, tanto em Jerusalém, como em toda a Judéia e Samária, e até os confins da terra.9 Tendo ele dito estas coisas, foi levado para cima, enquanto eles olhavam, e uma nuvem o recebeu, ocultando-o a seus olhos.10 Estando eles com os olhos fitos no céu, enquanto ele subia, eis que junto deles apareceram dois varões vestidos de branco,11 os quais lhes disseram: Varões galileus, por que ficais aí olhando para o céu? Esse Jesus, que dentre vós foi elevado para o céu, há de vir assim como para o céu o vistes ir.12 Então voltaram para Jerusalém, do monte chamado das Oliveiras, que está perto de Jerusalém, à distância da jornada de um sábado.13 E, entrando, subiram ao cenáculo, onde permaneciam Pedro e João, Tiago e André, Felipe e Tomé, Bartolomeu e Mateus; Tiago, filho de Alfeu, Simão o Zelote, e Judas, filho de Tiago.14 Todos estes perseveravam unanimemente em oração, com as mulheres, e Maria, mãe de Jesus, e com os irmãos dele.15 Naqueles dias levantou-se Pedro no meio dos irmãos, sendo o número de pessoas ali reunidas cerca de cento e vinte, e disse:16 Irmãos, convinha que se cumprisse a escritura que o Espírito Santo predisse pela boca de Davi, acerca de Judas, que foi o guia daqueles que prenderam a Jesus;17 pois ele era contado entre nós e teve parte neste ministério.18 {Ora, ele adquiriu um campo com o salário da sua iniqüidade; e precipitando-se, caiu prostrado e arrebentou pelo meio, e todas as suas entranhas se derramaram.19 E tornou-se isto conhecido de todos os habitantes de Jerusalém; de maneira que na própria língua deles esse campo se chama Acéldama, isto é, Campo de Sangue.}20 Porquanto no livro dos Salmos está escrito: Fique deserta a sua habitação, e não haja quem nela habite; e: Tome outro o seu ministério.21 É necessário, pois, que dos varões que conviveram conosco todo o tempo em que o Senhor Jesus andou entre nós,22 começando desde o batismo de João até o dia em que dentre nós foi levado para cima, um deles se torne testemunha conosco da sua ressurreição.23 E apresentaram dois: José, chamado Barsabás, que tinha por sobrenome o Justo, e Matias.24 E orando, disseram: Tu, Senhor, que conheces os corações de todos, mostra qual destes dois tens escolhido25 para tomar o lugar neste ministério e apostolado, do qual Judas se desviou para ir ao seu próprio lugar.26 Então deitaram sortes a respeito deles e caiu a sorte sobre Matias, e por voto comum foi ele contado com os onze apóstolos.