Dear friends, I urge you, as pilgrims and strangers upon earth, to refrain from indulging the cravings of your earthly nature, for they make war upon the soul.

Now there were then staying in Jerusalem religious Jews from every country in the world;

Remember that you were at that time far from Christ; you were shut out from the citizenship of Israel; you were strangers to the Covenants founded on God's Promise; you were in the world without hope and without God.

All these died sustained by faith. They did not obtain the promised blessings, but they saw them from a distance and welcomed the sight, and they acknowledged themselves to be only aliens and strangers on the earth.

Scattered

"Where is this man going," the Jews asked one another, "that we shall not find him? Will he go to our countrymen abroad, and teach foreigners?

And not for the nation only, but also that he might unite in one body the Children of God now scattered far and wide.

Now those who were scattered in different directions went from place to place proclaiming the Good News.

James, a Servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, greets The Twelve Tribes that are living abroad.

Pontus

Now there were then staying in Jerusalem religious Jews from every country in the world;

There he met a Jew of the name of Aquila, a native of Pontus, who, with his wife Priscilla, had lately come from Italy, in consequence of the order which had been issued by the Emperor Claudius for all Jews to leave Rome. Paul paid them a visit,

Galatia

They next went through the Phrygian district of Galatia, but were restrained by the Holy Spirit from delivering the Message in Roman Asia.

After making some stay in Antioch, he set out on a tour through the Phrygian district of Galatia, strengthening the faith of all the disciples as he went.

And from all the Brothers here.

Cappadocia

Some of us are Parthians, some Medes, some Elamites; and some of us live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Roman Asia,

Asia

But some members of the Synagogue known as that of Libertines, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and Visitors from Cilicia and Roman Asia, were roused to action and began disputing with Stephen;

They next went through the Phrygian district of Galatia, but were restrained by the Holy Spirit from delivering the Message in Roman Asia.

This went on for two years, so that all who lived in Roman Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the Lord's Message.

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so as to avoid spending much time in Roman Asia. He was making haste to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the Festival at the close of the Harvest.

The Churches in Roman Asia send you their greetings. Aquila and Prisca and the Church that meets at their house send you many Christian greetings.

We want you, Brothers, to know that, in the troubles which befell us in Roman Asia, we were burdened altogether beyond our strength, so much so that we even despaired of life.

You know, of course, that all our friends in Roman Asia turned their backs on me, and among them Phygellus and Hermogenes.

It said-- 'Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven Churches, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamus, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicaea.'

Bithynia

When they reached the borders of Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.