Name Above All Names

Those He Has Chosen Receive the Holy Spirit

After these things, they went back into Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem (it being the distance they were allowed to walk on a day of rest (which is called the Sabbath1). And when they came into the city, they went up into the upper room where they had been staying. (A 1:12-13a)

There was Peter, Jacob, John, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew,2 Matthew, Jacob (the son of Alphaeus), Simon the Zealot, and Judas (the son of Jacob). All eleven of them continued with one mind in prayer, along with the women, and also Miriam, the mother of Jesus; and His brothers Jacob, Joseph, Judas, and Simon3 (A 1:13a-14).

In those days Peter stood up among the disciples (a crowd of about one hundred and twenty altogether) and said, "Men and brethren, the Scripture that had been foretold by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David concerning Judas (the one who had also become a guide to those who had arrested Jesus, and who has now bought a field with the wages of his unrighteousness, falling headlong, has burst open in the middle with all his internal organs having poured out; and having become known to everyone living in Jerusalem, this field is called, in their own language, Akel Dama4 (which means "Field of Blood")) had to be fulfilled." (A 1:15-19)

"For it is written in the book of Psalms,

And since he was counted as one of us and had received a part in this ministry,

"So then, from the men who have been with us the whole time as the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning with the immersion of John up to the day He was taken up from us, one of these men needs to become a witness of His resurrection along with us" (A 1:21-22).

So they stood two men up, first Joseph, called Barsabas (who was also surnamed Justus), and then Matthias. And with these two men in mind, they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who knows everyone's heart, show us which one of these two men You have chosen to take over this place of service and apostleship, the place from which Judas had passed up to go to his own place." So they drew straws5 and it fell on Matthias. And it was through this that, he was chosen together with the eleven apostles (A 1:23-26).

Now when the Day of Pentecost (meaning weeks) had fully come, they were all in one place together.6 And suddenly, there came a noise from heaven that sounded like a violently rushing wind. It filled the whole house of God (which is where they were at the time.)7 Then there appeared to them what looked like a bunch of separate tongues of fire that came and sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages,8 just as the Spirit gave them to say9 (A 2:1-4).

Now there were also some Jews who were all devout men from every nation under the sky staying in Jerusalem when this sound occurred. A large number of them came together and were confused because each one of them heard them speaking in their own language (A 2:5-6)10

They were all displaced and wondered, asking each other, "See these people here; are they not all Galileans? How is it then that we can each hear them in our own language - the language in which we were born - whether we are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; or those who live in Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene - visitors from all over Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs - no matter who we are, we can each hear them speaking in our own tongue, telling us about the great works of God (A 2:7-11)"

They were all amazed and at a loss, saying to each other, "What on earth does this mean?" Others mocked and said that they were all filled with a sweet new wine11 (A 2:12-13).

Peter stood up, with the eleven, raised his voice, and said, "Men of Judea and everyone living in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I am going to say: These people here are not drunk like you think. That is besides the fact it is only nine in the morning. But this is what the prophet Joel had said would happen, when he wrote:

Jesus, Name Above All Names

"Now men of Israel, hear what I am about to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man brought out and shown to you from God by miracles, signs, and wonders, which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know, was given over by the council13 and foreknowledge of God through the hands of lawless men. And having been lifted up, nailed to a cross,14 and put to death, God has now raised Him up and, by this, dissolved the agony of death. For it was impossible for Him to be held by it. (A 2:22-24)

As David himself even says about Him:

Now men and brethren, let me go ahead and tell you with confidence about the patriarch David that he is both dead and buried, and that his tomb is even with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn to him with an oath that he was going to have one from his own offspring to sit upon his throne (A 2:29-30).

Foreseeing this, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah, and how He would not be left in Hades,16 or even His flesh to see decay. And this Jesus, God has now raised up - something of which we are all witnesses. And being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, with which He has poured out on us, this is what you now see and hear (A 2:31-33)!

David did not ascend into the heavens; but he has said it himself:

This being so, let the whole house of Israel know, with certainty, that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah (A 2:36)."

When they heard this, they were pierced in the heart with remorse and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what should we do (A 2:37)?"

Peter told them, "Turn from your pattern of thinking, and let each one of you be immersed into water in the name of Jesus, the Anointed One, for the forgiveness and release17 of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to everyone who is far away - as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." (A 2:38-39).

With many other words Peter solemnly affirmed, and kept encouraging them, saying, "Be delivered from this crooked generation." Then those who welcomed his words gladly were baptized. There were about three thousand souls added to them that day (A 2:40-41).

They were constantly attentive to the apostles' teachings, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Fear came upon every soul. Many signs and wonders were being done18 through the apostles. And all those who believed were together and kept everything in common. They sold their property and possessions and divided them among everyone, according to whoever had a need (A 2:42-45).

Daily, they were constantly attentive in Yhvh's House, with one mind, breaking bread from house to house. They ate together with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God. They had favor with all the people, and the Lord added to them daily those who were being saved (A 2:46-47).

Then it happened, when Peter and John went up into the House of God for the hour of prayer, at the ninth hour, that there was a man there who had been crippled from his birth. A man who had been carried and placed each day at the entrance gate to the Temple mount (the one called the beautiful gate) to beg. Someone would set him there so he could ask for charity from those who were going into God's house (A 3:1-2).

When he saw Peter and John about to go in, he asked them for a handout. Peter, with John, looked at him attentively and said, "Look at us!" He gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. But Peter said, "I do not have any silver or gold, but what I do have, that is what I will give to you: In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, walk!" Then he took him by the right hand and helped him up. Instantly, his feet and ankles received their strength, and he leaped up to stand, and he walked. Then he came with them into Yhvh's House, walking, leaping, and praising God (A 2:3-8).

When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they knew that this was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate (The gate that led into the area around Yhvh's House). They were all filled with wonder, displaced by what had happened to him. While he was hanging onto Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch (the porch called Solomon's) and were utterly amazed (A 3:9-11).

When Peter saw this, he responded to them and said, "Men of Israel, why are you amazed by this, or why are you paying so much attention to us, as if it was by our own power or godliness that we had made this man walk? But know this; it was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the God of our fathers who has glorified His Servant, Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in the presence of Pilate, even after he had decided to let Him go - that has done this (A 3:12-13).

For you denied the Holy and righteous One, asking for a murderer to be given to you instead, killing the Prince of life; the one God has now raised from the dead, and of which we are now witnesses. It is upon faith in the name of Him that this man has been made strong, a man whom you know and have now seen healed. This faith that comes through the One whom you denied19 has given this man complete soundness in front of all of you (A 3:14-16).

And now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, just as your rulers had also done. But the things God has foretold through the mouth of all His prophets - that His Christ would suffer - has now been fulfilled. Therefore, stop your wrong way of thinking and return to your God20 so that your sins may be erased in accordance with God's promises,21 and so that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of Yhvh, and that He may send the One selected for you, Jesus, the Messiah, the One whom heaven must receive until the times of the restoration of all things. All of which God has already said through the mouth of all His holy prophets, at all times in the past (A 3:17-21):

"And as Moses has even said:

In fact, all the prophets from Samuel down through all those who have succeeded him have spoken and proclaimed about these days (A 3:24).

And you are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant God made with our forefathers when He said to Abraham,

"To you first, God has raised up His Child. He sent Him to bless you in turning every one of you away from your iniquities" (A 3:26).

Then, as they were saying this to the people, the priests, the captain of Yhvh's House, and the Sadducees all came up to them, being very annoyed by them teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them. They threw them into jail for the night22 since it was already evening (A 4:1-3).

However, many of those who had been listening to what they were saying believed. And the number of the men came to be about five thousand (A 4:4).

On the next day, then, it happened, when their rulers, elders, and scribes were all gathered together in Jerusalem (among whom were Annas (the high priest), Caiaphas, John, and Alexander - all of those who were a part of the high priest's family) stood Peter and John in the middle and asked, "With what power or by what name have you done this (A 4:5-7)?"

Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said, "Rulers and elders of the people of Israel. If we are being tried today for doing a good deed to a weak man, with which he has now been healed, let it be known to all of you, as well as to all the people of Israel, that it is by the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, whom you crucified, and whom God has raised from the dead, that this man now stands here in front of all of you cured. This is the

"There is salvation in no one else! For there is no other name given under heaven among men through whom we must be saved! (A 4:12)