Acts: Word Come Alive

By Martin Manser

Are you so familiar with the Bible text of your preferred version that it no longer speaks to you powerfully? Do you want to explore the message of the New Testament? Then this fresh, expanded translation of the New Testament ("Word Come Alive") is for you. Respected Bible editor Martin Manser has included helpful phrases and background in italics within the text. The result is an insightful translation that expresses the original in contemporary, natural English which will encourage you to respond to the good news of Jesus.

Sample text Acts 1:8:

'You will receive power from heaven when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Only when you're brimming over with the energy of the Holy Spirit will you be equipped to take the initiative and be effective witnesses for me. The Holy Spirit will mobilise you to boldly declare the good news. You will go out in ever-widening circles, first to Jerusalem, next to all of Judea and Samaria and then eventually to the furthest corners of the earth.'

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jan 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098358532

Martin Manser

Martin Manser is a professional writer and researcher. He is responsible for ‘The Penguin Wordmaster’ and ‘The Guinness Book of Words’.

Book preview

Word Come Alive is an expanded translation (paraphrase) of the New Testament of the Bible. www.wordcomealive.net

Acts

Copyright © Martin Manser 2021

Martin Manser’s website: www.martinmanser.co.uk

Front cover by Tony Cantale

ISBN: 9781098358532

For permissions to quote this text, see website www.wordcomealive.net

Text in italics is used for the explanations included to make the meaning more immediately understandable in this contemporary English version.

Martin Manser and his reviewers have worked from and checked this text against United Bible Societies’ 4th edition/26th and 27th editions of Novum Testamentum Graece [Greek New Testament] (Nestle-Aland) and other English translations.

Reviewers

Gervais Angel, formerly New Testament Greek Examiner for the Church of England and tutor in New Testament Greek at Trinity College, Bristol, England.

Dr. Pieter Lalleman, Tutor in Biblical Studies at Spurgeon’s College, London, England.

Contents

Acts 1

Acts 2

Acts 3

Acts 4

Acts 5

Acts 6

Acts 7

Acts 8

Acts 9

Acts 10

Acts 11

Acts 12

Acts 13

Acts 14

Acts 15

Acts 16

Acts 17

Acts 18

Acts 19

Acts 20

Acts 21

Acts 22

Acts 23

Acts 24

Acts 25

Acts 26

Acts 27

Acts 28

Acts 1

Jesus is taken up into heaven

<1>In my previous book, Theophilus, I wrote about everything that Jesus began to do and teach <2>until the day when he was taken up into heaven. This follow-up book deals with Jesus’ further actions and teaching. Before he left, Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, commanded the eleven apostles he had chosen to go and train people throughout the world to follow him. <3>After his suffering and death, Jesus showed his followers that he was alive, convincing them beyond any doubt that he had risen from the dead. He appeared to them on several occasions over a period of 40 days. He spoke to them about the sovereign reign of God powerfully breaking into this world.

<4>Once during that time, while he was eating with them, he commanded them, ‘Don’t leave Jerusalem, but wait here to receive the promised gift from the Father, which you have heard me talk about. <5>John baptised his followers with water, but in a few days’ time you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit. You will be immersed into the life of the Spirit.’ John’s baptism with water was a preparation for Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit.

<6>So when the apostles met together, they kept asking Jesus, ‘Lord, are you now going to give the kingdom back to the nation of Israel?’

<7>He answered them, ‘Don’t get sidetracked by trying to work out the times or dates that the Father has already set by his own authority. <8>Instead, you will receive power from heaven when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Only when you’re brimming over with the energy of the Holy Spirit will you be equipped to take the initiative and be effective witnesses for me. The Holy Spirit will mobilise you to boldly declare the good news. You will go out in ever-widening circles, first to Jerusalem, next to all of Judea and Samaria and then eventually to the furthest corners of the earth.’

<9>After Jesus had said this, he was taken up into heaven in full view of the apostles. A cloud of God’s presence then removed him from their sight. <10>They looked intently into the sky as Jesus went into heaven, to the place of all authority with his Father. Suddenly two men wearing white robes stood alongside them. <11>These angels asked, ‘You men from Galilee, why are you just standing there, looking up into the sky? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way as you saw him go into heaven! He will return physically and in glory for everyone to see.’

Matthias replaces Judas as an apostle

<12>Then the eleven apostles left the hill known as the Mount of Olives and went back to Jerusalem, a distance of about half a mile from the city. <13>When they arrived there, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. The following were present: Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James (Alphaeus’ son), Simon the Zealous nationalist and Judas (James’ son). <14>They committed themselves wholeheartedly to prayer. They were united in their focus. They were hungry for God as they prepared to receive the Holy Spirit. Some women who followed Jesus, including Mary (Jesus’ mother), and his brothers were also with them.

<15>In those days, Peter stood up in the meeting of about 120 believers and spoke, <16>‘Fellow Israelites, long ago the Holy Spirit prophesied through David about Judas, and the Scripture had to be fulfilled. Judas guided those who arrested Jesus. <17> Judas was counted as one of us and shared in our work of serving others.’

<18>Let me give some background information. That traitor Judas had bought a field with the money he had received as a reward for his evil act. He stumbled and fell head first onto the ground. His body burst open so that all his entrails spilt out and he died. <19>Everyone in Jerusalem came to know about it, so that the field was called ‘Akeldama’ (in Aramaic, their own language), which means ‘Field of Blood’.

<20>‘Because,’ Peter said, ‘it is written in the book of Psalms:

‘"Let his home become abandoned;

may no one live in it,"1

and, "Let someone else take over his role."2

<21>‘It is therefore necessary for us to replace Judas who betrayed Jesus. We must choose one of the men who was part of our team all the time the Lord Jesus spent with us. <22>That time lasted from John’s baptism to when he was taken up from us. One of these men must become a witness with us of his resurrection.’

<23>So all the believers proposed the names of two men: Joseph (called Barsabbas), who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. <24>They then joined in prayer to God, ‘Lord, you know the true condition of everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two men you’ve chosen <25>to take Judas’ place in serving as an apostle. He rejected being an apostle to go to his own place that he deserved. <26>They then threw a dice for the two names and the dice showed that Matthias was chosen. He was therefore added to the eleven, to bring back the number of apostles to twelve, symbolising completeness.

Acts 2

The Holy Spirit comes in his fullness

<1>When the Day of Pentecost (the Jewish harvest festival) came, all of the 120 believers were meeting together in one place. <2>Suddenly, something absolutely unexpected and extraordinary happened. They heard a loud roar like the noise of a gale-force wind that came from heaven and spread throughout the whole house where they were sitting. <3>They saw what appeared to be bright flames of fire over them all. The flames divided above them, so that a single flame came to rest on each of them, but without burning them. <4>They were all filled, brimming over, with the Holy Spirit. The promise of Jesus was fulfilled as the Holy Spirit came on them all. Each of them experienced an overwhelming sense of the presence and power of God. They began to speak in other languages that they did not know, as the Spirit equipped them.

<5>At that time devout Jews from throughout the world were staying in Jerusalem for the festival. <6>When they heard the sound of these different languages, a crowd gathered. They were bewildered, because each one heard their own language being spoken. <7>Stunned in wonder, they asked, ‘Aren’t the people who are speaking these languages uneducated Galileans? <8>Then how can each one of us recognise our own native language? <9>Here are Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and the province of Asia, <10>Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene. Others are visitors from Rome, <11>both Jews and also Gentile converts to Judaism; Cretans and Arabs. We can hear them all speaking out the wonders of God in our own languages!’

<12>Many of them were both amazed and confused. They asked one another, ‘What on earth is going on? What does it all mean?’

<13>Others, however, laughed at them, sneering, ‘They’ve had too much to drink!’

Peter speaks boldly to the people

<14>Then Peter stood up and spoke on behalf of the other eleven apostles. He raised his voice and spoke boldly to the crowd, ‘Fellow Jews, and all of you who are staying in Jerusalem, let me explain to you what all this means. Listen carefully to what I am about to say. <15>These people aren’t drunk, as some of you think – after all, it’s only 9 o’clock in the morning! <16>No, what is happening is the fulfilment of