heard the word. And the Jewish disciples who came with Peter were
amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on those who
were not Jews. For the Jews heard them shout and praise God. Then Peter
said, "Can any one refuse to baptize those who, as well as we, have
received the Holy Spirit?" And he commanded that they be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ. Then they begged him to stay with them several
days.
When Peter came up to Jerusalem, the Jewish followers of Jesus found
fault with him for preaching to those who were not Jews. But Peter
explained the matter to them, saying, "I was in the city of Joppa
praying; and while I was praying, three men stood before the house in
which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea. And the
Spirit told me to go with them, even though they were not Jews. These
six brothers here went with me also; and we went into the man's house.
He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying,
'Send to Joppa, and bring Simon, whose other name is Peter, who shall
tell you certain things through which you and your whole family shall be
saved.' As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came upon them, even as on
us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said,
'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the
Holy Spirit.' If then God gave to them the like gift as he gave also to
us, when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could
stand against God?" When they heard these things, they stopped finding
fault, and praised God, saying, "Then also to those who are not Jews,
God has given, that they may turn from their wicked deeds and live."
PETER'S ESCAPE FROM PRISON
Now about that time Herod, the king, began to persecute the members of
the church; and he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.
When Herod saw that it pleased the Jews, he seized Peter also. This was
during the feast of the unleavened bread. Therefore when he arrested
Peter, he put him in prison, and gave him into the keeping of four bands
of four soldiers each. And he planned to bring him out to the people
after the Passover.
So Peter was kept in prison; but the members of the church prayed
earnestly to God for him. On the very night before the day on which
Herod meant to bring him up for trial, Peter was sleeping between two
soldiers, fastened to them with two chains. Watchmen were also on guard
at the doors. All at once an angel of the Lord stood by him and a light
shone in the cell. And he struck Peter on the side and awoke him,
saying, "Get up quickly." And his chains fell off his hands. The angel
said to him, "Put on your belt and your sandals." And Peter did so. The
angel said to him, "Throw your coat around you, and follow me." So
Peter went out with him; and he did not know that what had been done by
the angel was really true, but he thought he was dreaming. They went
past the first and the second guards, and came to the iron gate that
leads into the city; and it opened to them of itself. They went out, and
passed on through one street; and all at once the angel left him. When
Peter found himself alone, he said, "Now I know for certain that the
Lord has sent his angel, and saved me from the hand of Herod and from
all that the Jews were expecting he would do to me." And after he had
thought what to do, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John
Mark. Now many people had gathered together there for prayer. When he
knocked at the door a girl named Rhoda came to answer. And hearing
Peter's voice, she was so glad that she forgot to open the door, but ran
in, and told that Peter was standing outside. They said to her, "You are
out of your mind." But she insisted that it was so. They said, "It is
his angel." But Peter kept on knocking: and when they opened the door
and saw him, they were amazed. But he motioned to them with the hand to
be silent, and told them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. And
he said, "Go and tell James and the other brothers." Then he left the
house and went to another place. Now as soon as it was morning, there
was great excitement among the soldiers, as to what had become of Peter.
After Herod had searched for him, and had failed to find him, he
questioned the guards, and commanded that they should be executed.
PAUL'S ACCOUNT OF WHAT HE SAW AND HEARD ON HIS WAY TO DAMASCUS
I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but I was brought up in
Jerusalem, educated as a disciple of Gamaliel in the strict way laid
down in the laws received from our fathers, and devoted to God, as you
all are.
You know what I did in the past among the Jews. You know how bitterly I
persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it and how in my zeal
for the laws and customs handed down from my forefathers I did more than
any of my fellow countrymen. I indeed believed that it was my duty to do
all in my power to oppose the cause of Jesus of Nazareth. This I did in
Jerusalem. With authority from the high priests, I put many of Jesus'
followers in prison. When they were put to death, I voted against them.
In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to make them speak
against the name of Jesus, and in my insane fury I followed them even to
distant cities.
When I was travelling to Damascus on this business, with written
authority from the high priests, I saw, on the road in the middle of the
day, a light from heaven, more dazzling than the glare of the sun,
shining around me and those who were travelling with me. We fell to the
ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, "Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads." I asked,
"Who art thou, Lord?" and the Lord answered, "I am Jesus whom you are
persecuting. Rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you to
appoint you to be my servant and a witness to what you have seen and to
the things that I will show you. I chose you from the Jews and the other
peoples to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, that they may turn
from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, so that they may
receive forgiveness of their sins and a place among those who have given
themselves to me because they believe in me."
When the God, who had set me apart even from my birth and called me by
his love, chose to reveal his Son in me that I might tell to other races
the good news about him, I at once went into Arabia instead of talking
with any one else or going up to Jerusalem to see those who had been
apostles before me. When I came back I preached first to those at
Damascus. There the governor, appointed by King Aretas, put guards in
the city to arrest me, but I was lowered in a basket through a window in
the wall and so escaped from their hands.
After three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter and stayed with
him fifteen days. I saw no other apostle except James the brother of
Jesus.
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AT ANTIOCH
The disciples who had been scattered by the persecution which came after
the killing of Stephen went to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but
told about Jesus only to Jews. Some of them, citizens of Cyprus and
Cyrene, when they reached Antioch also told the good news about the
Lord Jesus to the Greeks. The power of the Lord was with them, and a
large number believed and turned to him.
When the news of this reached the church in Jerusalem, they sent
Barnabas to Antioch. After he saw the proofs of God's goodness, he was
very glad and urged all to remain loyal to the Lord; and many more
believed.
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Paul, whose name had been Saul.
When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch, and for a whole year
they were with the church there and taught a large number of people. It
was at Antioch also that the disciples were first called Christians.
During these days some prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem. One of
them, Agabus, under the influence of the Spirit, told that a severe
famine would come all through that part of the world, and this famine
came when Claudius was emperor. Therefore, the disciples, each as he was
able, sent something to help the brothers living in Judea. They sent
their gifts to the elders by Barnabas and Paul. After Barnabas and Paul
had done that for which they were sent, they returned from Jerusalem,
bringing with them John, who was also called Mark.
Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and preachers:
Barnabas, Symeon (called Niger), and Lucius the Cyrenean, besides Manean
(a childhood friend of Herod the ruler), and Paul. As they were
worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for
me Barnabas and Paul for the work to which I have called them." Then
when they had fasted and prayed, they gave them their blessing and sent
them on their way.
PAUL AND BARNABAS IN FOREIGN LANDS
Paul and Barnabas, sent by the Holy Spirit, went to Seleucia and from
there sailed to Cyprus. When they came to Salamis, they, with Mark as
their helper, told God's message in the Jewish synagogue.
When they had gone over the whole island as far as Paphos, they set
sail, and Paul and his companions came to Perga in Pamphylia. There Mark
left them to return to Jerusalem, but they went on to Antioch. On the
Sabbath they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading of
the law and the prophets the men in charge of the synagogue service
sent word to them, "Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for
the people, say it." So Paul stood up and motioning with his hand said,
"Listen, men of Israel and you who worship God. The God of this people
Israel chose our fathers. While they were in Egypt he made them a great
people, and then with wonderful signs of his power he led them out of
that land. After destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave
them that land to have as their own and later made David their king.
From David's family God brought to Israel, as he had promised, a
Saviour, Jesus.
"Brothers, sons of Abraham's race, and all among you who worship God, to
us has been sent this saving message. The people of Jerusalem and their
rulers did not believe Jesus, and though they could find no reason why
he should be killed, they asked Pilate to put him to death. But God
raised him from the dead, and for many days he was seen by those who had
come with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to
the people. So we bring you the good news that God, by raising Jesus
from the dead, has fulfilled for our children the promise made to our
fathers."
As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people begged that this be
repeated to them on the following Sabbath. After the congregation broke
up, many of the Jews and religious Greeks followed Paul and Barnabas,
who spoke to them, urging them through God's help to remain loyal.
On the next Sabbath nearly all the people of the city came to hear the
message of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowd, they were jealous
and began to contradict what Paul said, and to insult him. But Paul and
Barnabas spoke out fearlessly and said, "It was necessary that God's
message should be spoken first to you; but since you will not hear it
and prove yourselves unworthy of eternal life, here and now we turn to
those who are not Jews. For this is the Lord's command to us: 'I have
set you as a light to other races, to bring salvation to the ends of the
earth.'"
When those who were not Jews heard this, they were glad and gave thanks
for God's message; and as many as were ordained to receive eternal life
believed, and God's message was carried far and wide throughout the
country. But the Jews, with the help of women of high rank and the
leading men in the city, started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas
and drove them from the city. So the apostles shook the dust from their
feet as a protest against them, and went on to Iconium. The new
disciples, however, were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke,
so that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. But the Jews
who did not believe stirred up the other races and poisoned their minds
against the apostles. The people of the town were divided, some being on
the side of the Jews and others on the side of the apostles. An attempt
was made both by the other races and by the Jews, with the help of their
rulers, to attack and stone the apostles; but they learned of it and
escaped to the towns of Lystra and Derbe, and there they continued to
preach the good news.
At Lystra there was a man who could not move his feet, who had been lame
from his birth and had never walked. As this man listened to Paul's
preaching, the apostle fixed his eyes on him and, seeing that he had
faith enough to make him well, said in a loud voice, "Stand up on your
feet." And the man sprang up and began to walk. When the crowds saw what
Paul had done, they shouted in their language, "The gods have come down
to us in the form of men!" Barnabas they called "Zeus," and Paul
"Hermes," because he was the chief speaker. The priests of the temple of
Zeus, which stood in front of the town, brought oxen and wreaths to the
gates, so as to join the crowds in offering sacrifice to them.
But when Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and
rushed into the crowd, shouting, "Men, why are you doing this? We are
but men like yourselves, and are bringing you the good news so that you
may turn from these idols and worship the living God who made the
heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them. In past ages he
allowed all nations to worship as they pleased; yet as the bountiful
Giver he did not leave himself without a witness, for he gives you rain
from heaven and fruitful seasons and makes your hearts happy with food
and good cheer." Yet even with these words they could hardly keep the
crowd from sacrificing to them.
But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds, who
stoned Paul, and then, believing him dead, dragged him out of the city.
However, when the disciples had gathered about him, he got up and went
into the city.
The next day he went with Barnabas to Derbe. After they had preached the
good news to that city and had won many disciples, they returned to
Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, and encouraged the disciples urging them
to be true to the faith. Then they passed through Pisidia and came to
Pamphylia, and after preaching in Perga, they went down to Attaleia.
From there they set sail for Antioch.
When they reached Antioch, they called together the members of the
church and told everything that God had done with them, and how he had
opened the door of faith to those who were not Jews. And they stayed
there a long time with the disciples.
WHY PAUL WENT TO MACEDONIA
After they had stayed at Antioch for some time, Paul said to Barnabas,
"Let us return and visit the brothers in all the cities where we have
told the good news from the Lord, and see how they are getting on."
Barnabas wished to take Mark with them, but Paul did not think it wise
to take with them one who had deserted them in Pamphylia instead of
going on with them to work in Pisidia. So they parted company, and
Barnabas took Mark with him to Cyprus. Paul chose Silas and went away,
commended by the brothers to the gracious care of the Lord. He went
through Syria and Cilicia, encouraging the churches.
He also went to Derbe and Lystra. At Lystra there was a disciple, called
Timothy, the son of a Christian Jewess and a Greek father. As he had a
good reputation among the brothers at Lystra and Iconium, Paul wished to
have him go with him. And the churches were strengthened in the faith
and increased in numbers daily.
Then Paul and his companions crossed the Phrygian and Galatian country,
but were prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching in the province of
Asia. When they reached Mysia they tried to enter Bithynia, but the
Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; so passing by Mysia they went down
to Troas.
One night Paul had a vision: a man of Macedonia was standing and begging
him, "Come over into Macedonia and help us." As soon as Paul saw the
vision, we were eager to start at once for Macedonia, believing that God
had called us to tell the good news to them. So, setting sail from
Troas, we ran straight to Samothrace, and on the next day to Neapolis.
From there we went to Philippi, which is the principal city in that
part of Macedonia. In that city we spent some days.
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate by the river, where we
believed there was a place of prayer. And we sat down and talked to the
women who had gathered. Among them was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in
purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was already a worshipper of
God. The Lord opened her mind, so that she listened to what Paul was
saying; and when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us,
saying, "If you are sure that I am a true believer in the Lord, come and
stay at my house." And she made us do so.
PAUL AND SILAS IN MACEDONIA
One day as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who
was under the control of a spirit that made her clairvoyant, so that she
brought great gain to her owners by fortune-telling. She kept following
Paul and the rest of us, crying, "These men are servants of the Most
High God; they proclaim to you the way of salvation." This she did for
many days until Paul, unable to stand it longer, turned and said to the
spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her."
And it left her at once.
But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized
Paul and Silas and dragged them into the public square before the city
officials. Bringing them before the military rulers, they said, "These
are Jews who are making a disturbance in our city; they proclaim customs
which it is not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or follow." The mob
also joined in the attack upon them, so the military rulers tore their
garments off them and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After beating
them severely, they threw them in prison and ordered the jailer to be
sure to keep them safely. On receiving this strict order, he put them
into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
About midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,
and while the prisoners were listening to them, there was suddenly such
a great earthquake that the very foundations of the prison were shaken.
Immediately all the doors were opened and the chains that bound all the
prisoners were loosened.
When the jailer suddenly awoke and saw the prison doors wide open, he
drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking the prisoners had
escaped. But Paul shouted, "Do no harm to yourself, for we are all
here!" So calling for lights, the jailer rushed in, and trembling with
fear, fell down before Paul and Silas. Then bringing them out of the
prison he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They answered,
"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you and your household will be
saved." So Paul and Silas preached the word of the Lord to him and to
all his family. Then the jailer took them at that very hour of the night
and washed their wounds, and he and all his family were at once
baptized. He then brought them to his house and gave them food to eat,
and greatly rejoiced with all his family that they had come to believe
in God.
The next morning the city officials sent the police with the order,
"Release these men." So the jailer told Paul, "The police have brought
an order to have you released; now you may come out and go in peace."
But Paul answered, "They have beaten us publicly without trial, although
we are Roman citizens, and they put us in prison! Now they are going to
send us out secretly! No, indeed. Let them come here themselves and take
us out."
The police reported this to the military rulers, who, when they heard
that they were Roman citizens, were afraid and came to make peace with
them, and when they had brought them out of prison, they begged them to
leave the city. So Paul and Silas left the prison, and went to Lydia's
house; and after they had seen the brothers and encouraged them, they
left the city.
After they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to
Thessalonica, where the Jews had a synagogue. As usual, Paul went in,
and for three weeks he argued with them, to prove to them from the
scriptures that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead, and
Paul said that "this Jesus I proclaim to you is the Christ." Some of the
Jews and a large number of God-fearing Greeks and many of the leading
women believed and threw in their lot with Paul and Silas.
But the Jews were jealous and got hold of the loafers in the
market-place, and raised a mob and started a riot in the city. They
attacked Jason's house, so as to bring Paul and Silas out before the
people, and when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of
the brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These men who have
upset the whole world have come here too! Jason has welcomed them. They
do not keep the laws of Caesar and declare that some one else called
Jesus is king." On hearing this the crowd and the city officials were
greatly troubled; but after Jason and the others had pledged to keep the
peace, they let them go.
Then the brothers at once sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea.
When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue, where the
people were of a nobler spirit than at Thessalonica, for they were very
ready to hear the teaching about Jesus, and studied their scriptures
daily to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed and
also prominent Greek women and many men.
As soon as the Jews at Thessalonica learned that God's message was being
proclaimed by Paul at Beroea, they came there also to stir up the
people to riot. Then the brothers at once sent Paul on his way to the
sea-coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Beroea. The friends who
escorted Paul went with him as far as Athens, and left him there, after
receiving instructions that Silas and Timothy were to come to him as
soon as possible.
PAUL'S GREAT SPEECH AT ATHENS
While Paul was waiting at Athens for Silas and Timothy, his anger was
aroused when he saw that the city was filled with idols. So he argued in
the synagogue with the Jews and with the Greeks who joined in their
worship, and every day with those whom he happened to meet in the
market-place. A few of the philosophers also met him. Some of them said,
"What has this picker-up of scraps of learning to say?" Others said, "He
seems to be a herald of some new deities." This was because he had been
telling the good news about Jesus and how he rose from the dead. And
they took him to the Court of Areopagus and said, "May we hear what this
new teaching of yours is? For the things you are saying sound strange to
us; so we want to know what they mean." (For all the Athenians and the
foreign visitors spent their time doing nothing but telling or hearing
something new.)
So Paul stood in the middle of the Court and said, "Men of Athens, I see
wherever I go that you are very religious, for as I passed along and
looked at your objects of worship, I found an altar with the
inscription,
_TO AN UNKNOWN GOD_
Whom, therefore, you worship without knowing, him I proclaim to you. The
God who made the world and all things in it is Lord of heaven and
earth and does not live in temples made by men. He is not served by
men's hands, as though he needed anything, for he it is who gives to all
men life and breath and all things. He has made all nations from one
family that they may live over the whole earth. He has also fixed for
them when and where they are to live, that they should seek God in the
hope that, as they feel after him, they may find him, for he is not far
from each one of us; for it is in him that we live, and move, and have
our being, as in fact, some of your own poets have said, 'We also are
his children.'
[Illustration: _St. Paul Preaching at Athens_
Painted by Raphael]
"Therefore, as the children of God, we ought not to think of the divine
nature as being like gold or silver or stone, carved by man's art and
invention. God overlooked the ages of ignorance, but now he commands all
men everywhere to repent, for he has fixed a day on which he will judge
the world justly by the one whom he has appointed, and he has given
proof of this to all mankind by raising him from the dead."
When they heard of raising one from the dead, some sneered, but others
said, "We will hear what you have to say about that some other time." So
Paul went out from among them. Some men, however, joined him and
believed, among whom were Dionysius, a member of the Court of the
Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and several others. After this Paul
left Athens and went to Corinth.
PAUL WRITES TO HIS FRIENDS AT THESSALONICA