Dear Theophilis, the story continues (Acts 1)

The Book of Acts continues the story of the Apostles and the Holy Spirit.  In its original form, it was a continuation of the Gospel of Luke.  It continues where it leaves off.

That last detailed appearance of Jesus was the third appearance in Galilee recorded at the end of the Gospel of John.

The Book of Acts begins at the end of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus.  Jesus had appeared to the disciples over a span of forty days.  At some unrecorded point, they return from Galilee to Jerusalem and Jesus instructs them not to leave the city until the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The group returns to the Mount of Olives, which seems to be where the Garden of Gethsememe was and hence, the location where he was kissed by Judas and subsequently arrested.  Jesus then ascends into heaven.  

The disciples stare into heaven when two men dressed in white appear beside them.  These strange men say that Jesus will return from heaven in the same way.  This seems to be the first recorded angelic appearances to the male disciples, while at the Resurrection, angels had appeared to the female disciples and the Roman soldiers guarding the tombs.  Angels had appeared to announce the birth of Jesus.

The Eleven Apostles seek to replace Judas Iscariot.  We know Judas Iscariot had killed himself, but here we find out that Judas' body had fallen over in the field that was purchased with the blood money and his intestines spilled out.  However, there is some confusion as to who bought the field as Acts 1:18 attributes the action to Judas.  This is an oversimplification of Matthew 27:1-10, in which the chief priests used the money to buy the field.  So, merging the stories together, it seems that:

1.  Judas returned the money.  The priests do not retake the money.

2.  Judas killed himself in the Potter's field, renamed field of blood

3.  The body of Judas falls and spills out.

4.  The priests buy that same field.  The priests could have done this on behalf of Judas, perhaps to legitimize the bloody transaction and their involvement.  Thus, Judas "bought" the field with the money.

5,  The field became a cemetery for foreigners.

Back to the story, the clear leader of the fledgling church is Simon Peter.  After all that happened in the Gospels, the church has 120 members.  The first official action is to replace Judas Iscariot among the Twelve.

The Apostles pray and replace Judas Iscariot with Matthias.  Matthias had been with Jesus from the beginning, which was a condition of joining the Apostolic ministry.