1 Em meu livro anterior, Teófilo, escrevi a respeito de tudo o que Jesus começou a fazer e a ensinar,2 até o dia em que foi elevado ao céu, depois de ter dado instruções por meio do Espírito Santo aos apóstolos que havia escolhido.3 Depois do seu sofrimento, Jesus apresentou-se a eles e deu-lhes muitas provas indiscutíveis de que estava vivo. Apareceu-lhes por um período de quarenta dias falando-lhes acerca do Reino de Deus.4 Certa ocasião, enquanto comia com eles, deu-lhes esta ordem: "Não saiam de Jerusalém, mas esperem pela promessa de meu Pai, da qual lhes falei.5 Pois João batizou com água, mas dentro de poucos dias vocês serão batizados com o Espírito Santo".6 Então os que estavam reunidos lhe perguntaram: "Senhor, é neste tempo que vais restaurar o reino a Israel? "7 Ele lhes respondeu: "Não lhes compete saber os tempos ou as datas que o Pai estabeleceu pela sua própria autoridade.8 Mas receberão poder quando o Espírito Santo descer sobre vocês, e serão minhas testemunhas em Jerusalém, em toda a Judéia e Samaria, e até os confins da terra".9 Tendo dito isso, foi elevado às alturas enquanto eles olhavam, e uma nuvem o encobriu da vista deles.10 E eles ficaram com os olhos fixos no céu enquanto ele subia. De repente surgiram diante deles dois homens vestidos de branco,11 que lhes disseram: "Galileus, por que vocês estão olhando para o céu? Este mesmo Jesus, que dentre vocês foi elevado ao céu, voltará da mesma forma como o viram subir".12 Então eles voltaram para Jerusalém, vindo do monte chamado das Oliveiras, que fica perto da cidade, cerca de um quilômetro.13 Quando chegaram, subiram ao aposento onde estavam hospedados. Achavam-se presentes Pedro, João, Tiago e André; Filipe, Tomé, Bartolomeu e Mateus; Tiago, filho de Alfeu, Simão, o zelote, e Judas, filho de Tiago.14 Todos eles se reuniam sempre em oração, com as mulheres, inclusive Maria, a mãe de Jesus, e com os irmãos de Jesus.15 Naqueles dias Pedro levantou-se entre os irmãos, um grupo de cerca de cento e vinte pessoas,16 e disse: "Irmãos, era necessário que se cumprisse a Escritura que o Espírito Santo predisse por boca de Davi, a respeito de Judas, que serviu de guia aos que prenderam Jesus.17 Ele foi contado como um dos nossos e teve participação neste ministério".18 ( Com a recompensa que recebeu pelo seu pecado, Judas comprou um campo. Ali caiu de cabeça, seu corpo partiu-se ao meio, e as suas vísceras se derramaram.19 Todos em Jerusalém ficaram sabendo disso, de modo que, na língua deles, esse campo passou a chamar-se Aceldama, isto é, campo de Sangue. )20 "Porque", prosseguiu Pedro, "está escrito no Livro de Salmos: ‘Fique deserto o seu lugar, e não haja ninguém que nele habite’; e ainda: ‘Que outro ocupe o seu lugar’.21 Portanto, é necessário que escolhamos um dos homens que estiveram conosco durante todo o tempo em que o Senhor Jesus viveu entre nós,22 desde o batismo de João até o dia em que Jesus foi elevado dentre nós às alturas. É preciso que um deles seja conosco testemunha de sua ressurreição".23 Então indicaram dois nomes: José, chamado Barsabás, também conhecido como Justo, e Matias.24 Depois oraram: "Senhor, tu conheces o coração de todos. Mostra-nos qual destes dois tens escolhido25 para assumir este ministério apostólico que Judas abandonou, indo para o lugar que lhe era devido".26 Então tiraram sortes, e a sorte caiu sobre Matias; assim, ele foi acrescentado aos onze apóstolos.

1 My former narrative, Theophilus, dealt with all that Jesus did and taught as a beginning, down to the day on which,2 after giving instruction through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles whom He had chosen, He was taken up to Heaven.3 He had also, after He suffered, shown Himself alive to them with many sure proofs, appearing to them at intervals during forty days, and speaking of the Kingdom of God.4 And while in their company He charged them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father's promised gift. »This you have heard of,« He said, »from me.5 For John indeed baptized with water, but before many days have passed you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.«6 Once when they were with Him, they asked Him, »Master, is this the time at which you are about to restore the kingdom of Israel?«7 »It is not for you,« He replied, »to know times or epochs which the Father has reserved within His own authority;8 and yet you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and Samaria and to the remotest parts of the earth.«9 When He had said this, and while they were looking at Him, He was carried up, and a cloud closing beneath Him hid Him from their sight.10 But, while they stood intently gazing into the sky as He went, suddenly there were two men in white garments standing by them,11 who said, »Galilaeans, why stand looking into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into Heaven will come in just the same way as you have seen Him going into Heaven.«12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called the Oliveyard, which is near Jerusalem, about a mile off.13 They entered the city, and they went up to the upper room which was now their fixed place for meeting. Their names were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the brother of James.14 All of these with one mind continued earnest in prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.15 It was on one of these days that Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren –the entire number of persons present being about 120– and said,16 »Brethren, it was necessary that the Scripture should be fulfilled–the prediction, I mean, which the Holy Spirit uttered by the lips of David, about Judas, who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus.17 For Judas was reckoned as one of our number, and a share in this ministry was allotted to him.«18 (Now having bought a piece of ground with the money paid for his wickedness he fell there with his face downwards, and, his body bursting open, he became disembowelled.19 This fact became widely known to the people of Jerusalem, so that the place received the name, in their language, of Achel-damach, which means `The Field of Blood.')20 »For it is written in the Book of Psalms,« `Let his encampment be desolate: let there be no one to dwell there'; and `His work let another take up.'21 »It is necessary, therefore, that of the men who have been with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us–22 beginning from His baptism by John down to the day on which He was taken up again from us into Heaven–one should be appointed to become a witness with us as to His resurrection.«23 So two names were proposed, Joseph called Bar-sabbas –and surnamed Justus– and Matthias.24 And the brethren prayed, saying, »Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all, show clearly which of these two Thou hast chosen25 to occupy the place in this ministry and Apostleship from which Judas through transgression fell, in order to go to his own place.«26 Then they drew lots between them. The lot fell on Matthias, and a place among the eleven Apostles was voted to him.