Now great numbers of the Jews found out that Jesus was at Bethany; and they came there, not solely on his account, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

His disciples did not understand all this at first; but, when Jesus had been exalted, then they remembered that these things had been said of him in Scripture, and that they had done these things for him.

Meanwhile the people who were with him, when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, were telling what they had seen.

But, though Jesus had given so many signs of his mission before their eyes, they still did not believe in him,

Yet for all this, even among the leading men there were many who came to believe in Jesus; but, on account of the Pharisees, they did not acknowledge it, for fear that they should be expelled from their Synagogues;

If I had not done among them such work as no one else ever did, they would have had no sin to answer for; but, as it is, they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.

I did not tell you all this at first, because I was with you. But now I am to return to him who sent me; and yet not one of you asks me--'Where are you going?'

Now we are sure that you know everything, and need not wait for any one to question you. This makes us believe that you did come from God."

O righteous Father, though the world did not know thee, I knew thee; and these men knew that thou has sent me as thy Messenger.

Meanwhile Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. That disciple, being well-known to the High Priest, went with Jesus into the High Priest's court-yard,

One of the High Priest's servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, exclaimed: "Did not I myself see you with him in the garden?"

From Caiaphas they took Jesus to the Government House. It was early in the morning. But they did not enter the Government House themselves, lest they should become 'defiled,' and so be unable to eat the Passover.

"Do you ask me that yourself?" replied Jesus, "or did others say it to you about me?"

So they said to one another: "Do not let us tear it, but let us cast lots for it, to see who shall have it." This was in fulfillment of the words of Scripture--'They shared my clothes among them, And over my clothing they cast lots.' That was what the soldiers did.

But, on coming to him, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

Stooping down, he saw the linen wrappings lying there, but did not go in.

For they did not then understand the passage of Scripture which says that Jesus must rise again from the dead.

After saying this, she turned round, and looked at Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

Just as day was breaking, Jesus came and stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was he.

This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after he had risen from the dead.

So the report spread among the Brethren that that disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say that he was not to die, but said "If it is my will that he should wait till I come, what has that to do with you?"

There are many other things which Jesus did; but, if every one of them were to be recorded in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not hold the books that would be written.

The first account which I drew up, Theophilus, dealt with all that Jesus did and taught from the very first,

They all united in devoting themselves to Prayer, and so did some women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Brothers, I can speak to you the more confidently about the Patriarch David, because he is dead and buried, and his tomb is here among us to this very day.

Peter fixed his eyes on him, and so did John, and then Peter said: "Look at us."

The very Guide to Life you put to death! But God raised him from the dead--and of that we are ourselves witnesses.

And yet, my Brothers, I know that you acted as you did from ignorance, and your rulers also.

Much annoyed because they were teaching the people, and because, through Jesus, they were preaching the resurrection from the dead.

Let me tell you all and all the people of Israel, that it is by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead--it is, I say, by his Name that this man stands here before you lame no longer.

And who, by the lips of our ancestor, your servant David, who spoke under the influence of the Holy Spirit, have said-- 'Why did the nations rage, and the peoples form vain designs?

While it was unsold, was not it your own? and after it was sold, was not the money at your own disposal? How did you come to think of such a thing? You have lied, not to men, but to God!"

"Is it true," Peter asked, addressing her, "that you sold your land for such a sum?" "Yes," she answered, "we did."

Then Peter said: "How did you come to agree to provoke the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The foot-steps of those who have buried your husband are at the door; and they will carry you out too."

Instantly Sapphira fell down at Peter's feet and expired. On coming in, the young men found her dead; so they carried her out and buried her by her husband's side.

But, when the officers got there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported that,

And never for a single day, either in the Temple Courts or in private houses, did they cease to teach, or to tell the Good News of Jesus, the Christ.

God did not at that time give him any part of it, not even a foot of ground. But he promised to 'give him possession of it and his descendants after him, though at that time he had no child.

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

'I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses trembled, and did not dare to look.

So God turned from them and left them to the worship of the Starry Host, as is written in the Book of the Prophets--'Did you offer victims and sacrifices to me, O House of Israel, all those forty years in the Desert?

O! stubborn race, heathen in heart and ears, you are for ever resisting the Holy Spirit; your ancestors did it, and you are doing it still.

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.

Peter, however, lifted him up, saying as he did so: "Stand up, I am only a man like yourself."

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!

Not indeed to every one, but to witnesses chosen beforehand by God--to us, who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead.

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.

"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 this they did, sending it to the Officers of the Church by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Instantly an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory; and he was attacked with worms, and died.

But God raised him from the dead;

As to his raising Jesus from the dead, never again to return to corruption, this is what is said--'I will give to you the sacred promises made to David;'

David, after obediently doing God's will in his own time, 'fell asleep and was laid by the side of his ancestors, and did undergo corruption;

But Jesus, whom God raised from the dead, did not undergo corruption.

'Look, you despisers, and wonder, and perish; for I am doing a deed in your days--a deed which, though told you in full, you will never believe'."

Presently, however, there came some Jews from Antioch, and Iconium who, after they had won over the people, stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the town, thinking him to be dead.

Now God, who reads all hearts, declared his acceptance of the Gentiles, by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.

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

And went to the prison, and did their best to conciliate them. Then they took them out, and begged them to leave the city.

He laid before them and explained that the Christ must undergo suffering and rise from the dead; and "It is this man," he declared, "who is the Christ--this Jesus about whom I am telling you."

Some of the people were convinced, and threw in their lot with Paul and Silas, as did also a large body of Greeks who were accustomed to join in the Jewish services, and a great number of women belonging to the leading families.

Because he has fixed a day on which he intends to 'judge the world with justice,' by a man whom he has appointed--and of this he has given all men a pledge by raising this man from the dead."

On hearing of a resurrection of the dead, some began jeering, but others said that they would hear what he had to say about that another time.

Crispus, the President of the Synagogue, came to believe in the Lord, and so did all his household; and many of the Corinthians, as they listened to Paul, became believers in Christ and were baptized.

Then they all set upon Sosthenes, the President of the Synagogue, and beat him in front of the Bench, but Gallio did not trouble himself about any of these things.

"Did you, when you became believers in Christ, receive the Holy Spirit?" "No," they answered, "we did not even hear that there was a Holy Spirit."

God did miracles of no ordinary kind by Paul's hands;

So irresistibly did the Lord's Message spread and prevail.

And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, was gradually overcome with great drowsiness, as Paul continued his address. At last, quite overpowered by his drowsiness, he fell from the third story to the ground, and was picked up for dead.

Serving the Lord, as I did, in all humility, amid the tears and trials which fell to my lot through the plots of the Jews.

In my persecution of this Cause I did not stop even at the taking of life. I put in chains, and imprisoned, men and women alike--

The men with me saw the light, but did not hear the speaker's voice.

"I did not know, Brothers, that it was the High Priest," said Paul, "for Scripture says--'Of the Ruler of thy People thou shalt speak no ill'."

Noticing that some of those present were Sadducees and others Pharisees, Paul called out in the Council: "Brothers, I am a Pharisee and a son of Pharisees. It is on the question of hope for the dead and of their resurrection that I am on my trial."

So a great uproar ensued, and some of the Teaches of the Law belonging to the Pharisees' party stood up and hotly protested: "We find nothing whatever wrong in this man. Suppose a spirit did speak to him, or an angel--"

Except as to the one sentence that I shouted out as I stood among them--'It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on my trial before you to-day'."

But I found that there were certain questions in dispute between them about their own religion, and about some dead man called Jesus, whom Paul declared to be alive.

Why do you all hold it incredible that God should raise the dead?

And I actually did so at Jerusalem. Acting on the authority of the Chief Priests, I myself threw many of the People of Christ into prison, and, when it was proposed to put them to death, I gave my vote for it.

After that, King Agrippa, I did not fail to obey the heavenly vision;

That the Christ must suffer, and that, by rising from the dead, he was destined to be the first to bring news of Light, not only to our nation, but also to the Gentiles."

The natives were expecting inflammation to set in, or that he would suddenly fall dead; but, after waiting for a long time, and seeing that there was nothing amiss with him, they changed their minds and said that he was a God.

But, as to the spirit of holiness within him, was miraculously designated Son of God by his resurrection from the dead.

Because, although they learned to know God, yet they did not offer him as God either praise or thanksgiving. Their speculations about him proved futile, and their undiscerning minds were darkened.

Then, as they would not keep God before their minds, God abandoned them to depraved thoughts, so that they did all kinds of shameful things.

For God set him before the world, to be, by the shedding of his blood, a means of reconciliation through faith. And this God did to prove his righteousness, and because, in his forbearance, he had passed over the sins that men had previously committed;

Under what circumstances, then, did this take place? After his circumcision or before it?

For the promise that he should inherit the world did not come to Abraham or his descendants through Law, but through the righteousness due to faith.

As Scripture says-'I have made thee the Father of many nations.') And this they do in the sight of that God in whom Abraham had faith, and who gives life to the dead, and speaks of what does not yet exist as if it did.

Though he was nearly a hundred years old, yet his faith did not fail him, even when he thought of his own body, then utterly worn out, and remembered that Sarah was past bearing children.

But also with reference to us. Our faith, too, will be regarded by God in the same light, if we have faith in him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead;

Heaven forbid! We became dead to sin, and how can we go on living in it?

Consequently, through sharing his death in our baptism, we were buried with him; that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by a manifestation of the Father's power, so we also may live a new Life.

We know, indeed, that Christ, having once risen from the dead, will not die again. Death has power over him no longer.

So let it be with you-regard yourselves as dead to sin, but as living for God, through union with Christ Jesus.

Do not offer any part of your bodies to Sin, in the cause of unrighteousness, but once for all offer yourselves to God (as those who, though once dead, now have Life), and devote every part of your bodies to the cause of righteousness.

And so with you, my Brothers; as far as the Law was concerned, you underwent death in the crucified body of the Christ, so that you might be united to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that our lives might bear fruit for God.

But now we are set free from the Law, because we are dead to that which once kept us under restraint; and so we serve under new, spiritual conditions, and not under old, written regulations.

What are we to say, then? That Law and sin are the same thing? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, I should not have learned what sin is, had not it been for Law. If the Law did not say 'Thou shalt not covet,' I should not know what it is to covet.

Did, then, a thing, which in itself was good, involve Death in my case? Heaven forbid! It was sin that involved Death; so that, by its use of what I regarded as good to bring about my Death, its true nature might appear; and in this way the Commandment showed how intensely sinful sin is.