This king acted deceitfully towards our race and ill-treated our ancestors, making them abandon their own infants, so that they should not be reared.

It was just at this time that Moses was born. He was an exceedingly beautiful child, and for three months was brought up in his own father's house;

He thought his brothers would understand that God was using him to save them; but they failed to do so.

The next day he again appeared upon the scene, when some of them were fighting, and tried to make peace between them. 'Men,' he said, 'you are brothers; how is it that you are ill-treating one another?'

Do you mean to make away with me as you did yesterday with that Egyptian?'

This same Moses, whom they had disowned with the words--'Who made you a ruler and a judge?' was the very man whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer, under the guidance of the angel that had appeared to him in the bush.

Yet our ancestors refused him obedience; more than that, they rejected him, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,

That was the time when they made the Calf and offered sacrifice to their idol, and held festivities in honor of their own handiwork!

This Tabernacle, which was handed down to them, was brought into this country by our ancestors who accompanied Joshua (at the conquest of the nations that God drove out before their advance), and remained here until the time of David.

David found favor with God, and prayed that he might find a dwelling for the God of Jacob.

Yet it is not in buildings made by hands that the Most High dwells. As the Prophet says--

Was it not my hand that made all these things?'

Saul approved of his being put to death. On that very day a great persecution broke out against the Church which was in Jerusalem; and its members, with the exception of the Apostles, were all scattered over the districts of Judea and Samaria.

And many who were paralyzed or lame were cured, so that there was great rejoicing throughout that city.

Every one, high and low, paid attention to him. 'This man,' they used to say, 'must be that Power of God which men call "The Great Power."'

When the Apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had welcomed God's Message, they sent Peter and John to them;

And they, on their arrival, prayed that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit.

When Simon saw that it was through the placing of the Apostles' hands on them that the Spirit was given, he brought them a sum of money and said:

"Give me also this power of yours, so that, if I place my hands upon any one, he may receive the Holy Spirit."

"A curse upon you and upon your money," Peter exclaimed, "for thinking that God's free gift can be bought with gold!

Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, that, if possible, you may be forgiven for such a thought;

For I see that you have fallen into the 'bitterness of envy' and the 'fetters of sin.'"

"Pray to the Lord for me, all of you," Simon answered, "so that none of the things you have spoken of may befall me."

Meanwhile an angel of the Lord had said to Philip: "Set out on a journey southwards, along the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (It is now deserted).

And he has seen, in a vision, a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him, so that he may recover his sight."

I will myself show him all that he has to suffer for my Name."

So Ananias went, entered the house, and, placing his hands on Saul, said: "Saul, my Brother, I have been sent by the Lord--by Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here--so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

All who heard him were amazed. "Is not this," they asked, "the man who worked havoc in Jerusalem among those that invoke this Name, and who had also come here for the express purpose of having such persons put in chains and taken before the Chief Priests?"

Saul's influence, however, kept steadily increasing, and he confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by the proofs that he gave that Jesus was the Christ.

On his arrival in Jerusalem, Saul attempted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, as they did not believe that he was really a disciple.

After that, Saul remained in Jerusalem, in close intercourse with the Apostles; and he spoke fearlessly in the Name of the Lord,

And so it came about that the Church, throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, enjoyed peace and became firmly established; and, ordering its life by reverence for the Lord and the help of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

Just at that time she was taken ill, and died; and they had washed her body and laid it out in an upstairs room.

Jaffa was near Lydda, and the disciples, having heard that Peter was at Lydda, sent two men with the request that he would come on to them without delay.

And saw that the heavens were open, and that something like a great sail was descending, let down by its four corners towards the earth.

While Peter was still perplexed as to the meaning of the vision that he had seen, the men sent by Cornelius, having enquired the way to Simon's house, came up to the gate,

"You are doubtless aware that it is forbidden for a Jew to be intimate with a foreigner, or even to enter his house; and yet God has shown me that I ought not to call any man 'defiled' or 'unclean.'

That was why I came, when I was sent for, without raising any objection. And now I ask your reason for sending for me."

Accordingly I sent to you at once, and you have been so good as to come. And now we are all here in the presence of God, to listen to all that you have been instructed by the Lord to say."

Then Peter began. "I see, beyond all doubt," he said, "that 'God does not show partiality,'

But that in every nation he who reverences him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

We are ourselves, too, witnesses to all that he did in Judea and in Jerusalem; yet they put him to death by hanging him on a cross!

Further, God charged us to proclaim to the people, and solemnly affirm, that it is Jesus who has been appointed by God Judge of the living and the dead.

To him it is that all the Prophets bear witness, when they say that every one who believes in him receives through his Name forgiveness of sins."

Those converts from Judaism, who had come with Peter, were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been bestowed even upon the Gentiles;

"Can any one refuse the water for the baptism of these people, now that they have received the Holy Spirit as we did ourselves?"

And he directed that they should be baptized in the Faith of Jesus Christ; after which they asked him to stay there a few days longer.

The Apostles and the Brethren throughout Judea heard that even the Gentiles had welcomed God's Message.

On the ground that he had visited people who were not circumcised, and had taken meals with them.

At that moment three men, who had been sent from Caesarea to see me, came up to the house in which we were.

Since then, God had given them the very same gift as he gave us when we became believers in Jesus Christ the Master--who was I that I could thwart God?"

Now those who had been scattered in different directions, in consequence of the persecution that followed upon the death of Stephen, went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, telling the Message--but only to Jews.

Some of them, however, who were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, on coming to Antioch, addressed themselves also to the Jews of foreign birth, telling them the Good News about that Lord Jesus.

The power of the Lord was with them, so that a great number who had learned to believe came over to the Lord's side.

And, when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And so it came about that, for a whole year, they attended the meetings of the Church there, and taught a large number of people; and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called 'Christians.'

One of them, named Agabus, came forward and, under the influence of the Spirit, foretold a great famine that was to spread over all the world--a famine which occurred in the reign of Claudius.

It was at that time that King Herod began to ill-treat some of the members of the Church.

And, when he saw that the Jews were pleased with this, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the Festival of the Unleavened Bread.)

Just when Herod was intending to bring him before the people, on that very night Peter was asleep between two soldiers, chained to them both, while there were sentries in front of the door, guarding the prison.

Peter followed him out, not knowing that what was happening under the angel's guidance was real, but thinking that he was seeing a vision.

Passing the first Guard, and then the second, they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them of itself; and, when they had passed through that, and had walked along one street, all at once the angel left him.

Then Peter came to himself and said: "Now I know beyond all doubt that the Lord has sent his angel, and has rescued me from Herod's hands and from all that the Jewish people have been expecting."

She recognized Peter's voice, but in her joy left the gate unopened, and ran in, and told them that Peter was standing outside.

"You are mad!" they exclaimed. But, when she persisted that it was so, they said: "It must be his spirit!"

It happened that Herod was deeply offended with the people of Tyre and Sidon, but they went in a body to him, and, having succeeded in winning over Blastus, the Chamberlain, they begged Herod for a reconciliation, because their country was dependent on the King's for its food-supply.

But Elymas, the astrologer (for that is the meaning of the word), opposed them, eager to divert the Governor's attention from the Faith.

"You incarnation of deceit and all fraud! You son of the Devil! You opponent of all that is good! Will you never cease to divert 'the straight paths of the Lord'? Listen!

The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, and during their stay in Egypt increased the prosperity of the people, and then 'with uplifted arm brought them out from that land.'

It was from this man's descendants that God, in accordance with his promise, gave Israel a Savior--Jesus;

As John was drawing towards the end of his career, he said what do you suppose that I am? I am not the Christ. But there is "One Coming" after me, whose very sandal I am not worthy to untie.'

Brothers, descendants of Abraham, and all those among you who reverence God, it was to us that the Message of this Salvation was sent.

The people of Jerusalem and their leading men, failing to recognize Jesus, and not understanding the utterances of the Prophets that are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.

That our children have had this promise completely fulfilled to them by God, by his raising Jesus. That is just what is said in the second Psalm--'Thou art my Son; this day I have become thy Father.'

I would, therefore, have you know, brothers, that through Jesus forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you,

And that, in union with him, every one who believes in him is absolved from every sin from which under the Law of Moses you could not be absolved.

Beware, therefore, that what is said in the Prophets does not come true of you--

Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out fearlessly, and said: "It was necessary that the Message of God should be told to you first; but, since you reject it and reckon yourselves not worthy of the Immortal Life--we turn to the Gentiles!

And the Lord's Message was carried throughout that district.

The same thing occurred in Iconium, where Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish Synagogue, and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed in Christ.

This man was listening to Paul speaking, when Paul, fixing his eyes on him, and seeing that he had the faith to be healed,

"We are only men like yourselves, and we have come with the Good News that you should turn away from these follies to a living God, 'who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them.'

After telling the Good News throughout that town, and making a number of converts, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

Reassuring the minds of the disciples, urging them to remain true to the Faith, and showing that it is only through many troubles that we can enter the Kingdom of God.

After their arrival, they gathered the Church together, and gave an account of all that God had helped them to do, and especially how he had opened to the Gentiles the door of faith;

But certain persons came down from Judea, and began to teach the Brethren that, unless they were circumcised, in accordance with the custom enjoined by Moses, they could not be saved.

This gave rise to a serious dispute, and much discussion, between Paul and Barnabas and these men, and it was therefore settled that Paul and Barnabas and others of their number should go up to Jerusalem, to consult the Apostles and Officers of the Church about the matter under discussion.

On their arrival at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the Church, as well as by the Apostles and the Officers, and gave an account of all that God had helped them to do.

Some of the Pharisees' party, however, who had become believers in Christ, came forward and declared that they were bound to circumcise converts and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.

After much discussion, Peter rose and said: "You, my Brothers, know well that long ago God singled me out--that through my lips the Gentiles should hear the Message of the Good News, and become believers in Christ.

No, it is through the loving-kindness of the Lord Jesus that we, just as they do, believe that we have been saved."

And that is in harmony with the words of the Prophets, where they say--

That so the rest of mankind may earnestly seek the Lord--even all the Gentiles on whom my Name has been bestowed."

But we should write to them to abstain from food that has been polluted by being sacrificed to idols, from impurity, from eating the flesh of strangled animals, and from blood.

As we had heard that some of our number had upset you by their assertions, and unsettled your minds--without instructions from us--

That you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating the flesh of strangled animals, and from impurity. If you guard yourselves against such things, it will be well with you. Farewell.'

But Paul felt that they ought not to take with them the man who had deserted them in Pamphylia, and had not gone on with them to their work.

This caused such unpleasant feeling between them that they parted, Barnabas taking Mark and sailing for Cyprus,

Wishing to take this man with him on his journey, Paul caused him to be circumcised on account of the Jews in that neighborhood, for they all knew that his father had been a Greek.

So, immediately after Paul had seen the vision, we looked for an opportunity to cross over to Macedonia, concluding that God had summoned us to tell the Good News to the people there.

From there we made our way to Philippi, which is the principal city of that part of Macedonia, and also a Roman Settlement. In that city we spent several days.