But it is not only for them that I am interceding, but also for those who believe in me through their Message,

Father, my desire for all those whom thou has given me is that they may be with me where I am, so that they may see the honor which thou has given me; for thou didst love me before the beginning of the world.

I have made thee known to them, and will do so still; that the love that thou has had for me may be in their hearts, and that I may be in them also."

The place was well known to Judas, the betrayer, for Jesus and his disciples had often met there.

Jesus, aware of all that was coming upon him, went to meet them, and said to them: "For whom are you looking?"

So he again asked for whom they were looking, and they answered: "Jesus of Nazareth."

"I have already told you that I am he," replied Jesus, "so, if it is for me that you are looking, let these men go."

It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews, that it was best that one man should die for the people.

The servants and police-officers were standing round a char- coal fire (which they had made because it was cold), and were warming themselves. Peter, too, was with them, standing and warming himself.

"For my part," answered Jesus, "I have spoken to all the world openly. I always taught in some Synagogue, or in the Temple Courts, places where all the Jews assemble, and I never spoke of anything in secret.

"Do you take me for a Jew?" was Pilate's answer. "It is your own nation and the Chief Priests who have given you up to me. What have you done?"

"So you are a King after all!" exclaimed Pilate. "Yes, it is true I am a King," answered Jesus. "I was born for this, I have come into the world for this--to bear testimony to the Truth. Every one who is on the side of Truth listens to my voice."

"What is Truth?" exclaimed Pilate. After saying this, he went out to the Jews again, and said: "For my part, I find nothing with which he can be charged.

It is, however, the custom for me to grant you the release of one man at the Passover Festival. Do you wish for the release of the King of the Jews?"

When the Chief Priests and the police-officers saw him, they shouted: "Crucify him! Crucify him!" "Take him yourselves and crucify him," said Pilate. "For my part, I find nothing with which he can be charged."

"But we," replied the Jews, "have a Law, under which he deserves death for making himself out to be the Son of God."

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares--a share for each soldier--and they took the coat also. The coat had no seam, being woven in one piece from top to bottom.

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.

It was the Preparation Day, and so, to prevent the bodies from remaining on the crosses during the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a great day), the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.

For all this took place in fulfillment of the words of Scripture--'Not one of its bones shall be broken.'

After this, Joseph of Ramah, a disciple of Jesus--but a secret one, owing to his fear of the Jews--begged Pilate's permission to remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him leave; so Joseph went and removed the body.

Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, went inside too, and he saw for himself and was convinced.

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

"Do not hold me," Jesus said; "for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my Brothers, and tell them that I am ascending to him who is my Father and their Father, my God and their God."

In the evening of the same day--the first day of the week-- after the doors of the room, in which the disciples were, had been shut for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said: "Peace be with you";

Upon this the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter: "It is the Master!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Master, he fastened his coat round him (for he had taken it off), and threw himself into the Sea.

But the rest of the disciples came in the boat (for they were only about a hundred yards from shore), dragging the net full of fish.

When they had come ashore, they found a charcoal fire ready, with some fish already on it, and some bread as well.

And once, when he had gathered them together, he charged them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the fulfillment of the Father's promise-- "that promise," he said, "of which you have heard me speak;

For, while John baptized with water, you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit before many days have passed."

So, when the Apostles had met together, they asked Jesus this question--"Master, is this the time when you intend to re-establish the Kingdom for Israel?"

His answer was: "It is not for you to know times or hours, for the Father has reserved these for his own decision;

But you shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit shall have descended upon you, and shall be witnesses for me not only in Jerusalem, but throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

For he was one of our number and had his part allotted him in this work of ours."

"For in the Book of Psalms," Peter continued, "it is said-- 'Let his dwelling become desolate, and let no one live in it'; and also--'His office let another take.'

These men are not drunk, as you suppose; for it is only now nine in the morning! No!

Yes, even on the slaves--for they are mine--both men and women, I will in those days pour out my Spirit,

And I will show wonders in the heavens above, and signs on the earth below--Blood and fire and mist of smoke;

But God released him from the pangs of death and raised him to life, it being impossible for death to retain its hold upon him.

Indeed it was to him that David was referring when he said-- 'I have had the Lord ever before my eyes, For he stands at my right hand, that I should not be disquieted.

For you wilt not abandon my soul to the Place of Death, nor surrender me, your holy one, to undergo corruption.

It was not David who went up into Heaven; for he himself says- -'The Lord said to my master: "Sit on my right hand,

"Repent," answered Peter, "and be baptized every one of you in the Faith of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is for you and for your children, and also for all those now far away, who may be called by the Lord our God."

All who became believers in Christ held everything for the common use;

One day, as Peter and John were going up into the Temple Courts for the three o'clock Prayers, a man, who had been lame from his birth, was being carried by.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has done honor to his Servant Jesus--him whom you gave up and disowned before Pilate, when he had decided to set him free.

You, I say, disowned the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for the release of a murderer!

For you, first, God raised up his Servant, and sent him to bless you, by turning each one of you from his wicked ways."

Since we are on our trial to-day for a kind act done to a helpless man, and are asked in what way the man here before you has been cured,

And Salvation is in him alone; for there is no other Name in the whole world, given to men, to which we must look for our Salvation."

Judge for yourselves, for we cannot help speaking of what we have seen and heard."

However, after further warnings, the Council set them at liberty, not seeing any safe way of punishing them, because of the people, for they were all praising God for what had occurred;

For the man who was the subject of this miraculous cure was more than forty years old.

The whole body of those who had become believers in Christ were of one heart and mind. Not one of them claimed any of his goods as his own, but everything was held for the common use.

Nor was there any one in need among them, for all who were owners of land or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the sales

"Ananias," Peter exclaimed, "how is it that Satan has so taken possession of your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit, and kept back a part of the money paid for the land?

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

On this, the Officer went with his men and fetched the Apostles--without using violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people--

"We gave you strict orders," he said, "not to teach in this Name. Yet you have actually flooded Jerusalem with your teaching, and you want to make us responsible for the death of this man."

The members of the Council became frantic with rage on hearing this, and were for putting the Apostles to death.

But Gamaliel, a Pharisee, who was a Doctor of the Law and who was held in universal respect, rose in the Council, and directed that the men should be taken out of court for a little while.

For not long ago Theudas appeared, professing to be somebody, and was joined by a body of some four hundred men. But he was killed; and all his followers scattered and dwindled away.

And, in this present case, my advice to you is not to interfere with these men, but to let them alone, for, if their designs and their work are merely of human origin, they will come to an end;

The Council followed his advice, and, calling the Apostles in, had them flogged, and then, after cautioning them not to speak in the Name of Jesus, set them free.

But the Apostles left the Council, rejoicing that they had been thought worthy to suffer disgrace for that Name;

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.

The Twelve, therefore, called together the general body of the disciples and said to them: "It is not well for us to see to the distribution at the tables and neglect God's Message.

Therefore, Brothers, look for seven men of reputation among yourselves, wise and spiritually-minded men, and we will appoint them to attend to this matter;

While we, for our part, will devote ourselves to Prayer, and to the delivery of the Message."

God's words were these--'Abraham's descendants shall live in a foreign country, where they will be enslaved and ill-treated for four hundred years.

And delivered him out of all his troubles, and enabled him to win favor and show wisdom before Pharaoh, King of Egypt, who appointed him Governor of Egypt and of his whole household.

In the course of their second visit, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.

And their bodies were removed to Shechem, and laid in the tomb which Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

As the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise which God had made to Abraham, the people increased largely in numbers in Egypt,

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;

And, when he was abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh found him and brought him up as her own son.

Forty years had passed when there appeared to him, in the Desert of Mount Sinai, an angel in a flame of fire in a bush.

Then the Lord said to him--'Take your sandals off your feet, for the spot where you are standing is holy ground.

This was the Moses who said to the people of Israel--'God will raise up for you, from among your brothers, a Prophet, as he raised up me.'

While they said to Aaron--'Make us Gods who will lead the way for us, since, as for this Moses who has brought us out of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

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

But it was Solomon who built a House for God.

'The heavens are a throne for me, and the earth a stool for my feet. What manner of House will you build me, says the Lord, or what place is there where I may rest?

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.

Some religious men buried Stephen, with loud lamentations for him.

For there were many instances of people with foul spirits, where the spirits, with loud screams, came out of them;

And they paid attention to him because they had for a long time been mystified by his magic arts.

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

You have no share or part in our Message, for your 'heart is not right with God.'

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."

In his lowly condition justice was denied him. Who will tell the story of his generation? For his life is cut off from earth.'

But, when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the Treasurer saw no more of him; for he continued his journey with a joyful heart.

And for three days he was unable to see, and took nothing either to eat or to drink.

"Go at once," said the Lord, "to the 'Straight Street', and ask at Judas's house for a man named Saul, from Tarsus. He is at this moment praying,

But the Lord said to him: "Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to uphold my Name before the Gentiles and their kings, and the people of Israel.

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

And, after he had taken food, he felt his strength return. Saul stayed for some days with the disciples who were at Damascus,