The men traveling with Saul were meanwhile standing speechless; they heard the sound of the voice, but saw no one.

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?"

But it became known to him. They even watched the gates day and night, to kill him;

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.

But, when the Brethren found this out, they took him down to Caesarea, and sent him on his way to Tarsus.

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

On the next day, while these men were on their way, just as they were nearing the town, Peter went up on the housetop about mid-day to pray.

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!

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."

For they heard them speaking with 'tongues' and extolling God. At this Peter asked:

"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.

So Peter began to relate the facts to them as they had occurred.

On hearing this statement, they said no more, but broke out into praise of God. "So even to the Gentiles," they exclaimed, "God has granted the repentance which leads to Life!"

The news about them reached the ears of the Church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

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.'

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

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.

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

Meanwhile Peter went on knocking, and, when they opened the gate and saw him, they were amazed.

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.

When Barnabas and Saul had carried out their mission, they returned to Jerusalem, and took with them John, who was also known as Mark.

While they were engaged in the worship of the Lord and were fasting, the Holy Spirit said: "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them."

Accordingly, after fasting and prayer, they placed their hands on them and dismissed them.

Barnabas and Saul, sent on this mission, as they were, by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there sailed to Cyprus.

On reaching Salamis, they began to tell the Message of God in the Jewish Synagogues; and they had John with them as an assistant.

After passing through the whole island, they reached Paphos, where they found an astrologer who pretended to be a Prophet--a Jew by birth, whose name was Barjoshua.

The others went on from Perga and arrived at Antioch in Pisidia. There they went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath and took their seats.

And, when they demanded a king, God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.

They found no ground at all for putting him to death, and yet demanded his execution from Pilate;

And, after carrying out everything written about him, they took Jesus down from the cross, and laid him in a tomb.

But the sight of the crowds of people filled the minds of the Jews with jealousy, and they kept contradicting Paul's statements in violent language.

They, however, shook the dust off their feet in protest,

And there they continued to tell the Good News.

So they called Barnabas 'Zeus,' and Paul 'Hermes,' because he took the lead in speaking;

But, when the Apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd. "Friends, why are you doing this?" they shouted.

Even with this appeal they could hardly restrain the people from offering sacrifice to them.

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.

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

They also appointed Officers for them in every Church, and, after prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had learned to believe.

From there they sailed to Antioch--the place where they had been committed to the gracious care of God for the work which they had now finished.

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;

And at Antioch they stayed with the disciples for a considerable time.

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.

The Church, therefore, sent them on their journey, and they made their way through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling the story of the conversion of the Gentiles, to the great joy of all the Brethren.

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.

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

Every voice in the assembly was hushed, as they listened to Barnabas and Paul, while they gave an account of all the signs and wonders which God had shown among the Gentiles through them.

After they had finished speaking, James addressed the Council. "Brothers," he began, "hear what I have to say.

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

They were bearers of the following letter--'The Apostles, and the Brothers who are the Officers of the Church, send their greetings to the Brethren of Gentile birth in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.

We are accordingly sending Judas and Silas, and they will tell you by word of mouth what we are now writing.

So the bearers of this letter were sent on their way, and went down to Antioch. There they called a meeting of all the brethren,

After some stay, they were dismissed with kind farewells from the Brethren, and returned to those who had sent them.

Paul and Barnabas, however, remained in Antioch, where they taught and, with the help of many others, told the Good News of the Lord's Message.

Some time after this, Paul said to Barnabas: "Let us go back and visit the Brethren in every town in which we have told the Lord's Message, and see how they are prospering."

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,

Among other places Paul went to Derbe and Lystra. At the latter place they found a disciple, named Timothy, whose mother was a Jewess who had become a believer in Christ, while his father was a Greek,

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.

As they traveled from town to town, they gave the Brethren the decisions which had been reached by the Apostles and Officers of the Church at Jerusalem, for them to observe.

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

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

Passing through Mysia, they went down to Troas;

This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, calling: "These men are servants of the most high God, and they are bringing you news of a way to Salvation."

When her masters saw that there was no hope of further profit from her, they seized Paul and Silas, dragged them into the public square to the authorities,

And took them before the Magistrates. "These men are causing a great disturbance in our town," they complained;

"They are Jews, and they are teaching customs which it is not right for us, as Romans, to sanction or adopt."

"Believe in Jesus, our Lord," they replied, "and you shall be saved, you and your household too."

Then they spoke to him of God's Message, and to all his household as well.

But Paul's answer to them was: "They have flogged us in public without trial, though we are Roman citizens, and they have put us in prison, and now they are for sending us out secretly! No, indeed! Let them come and take us out themselves."

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

When Paul and Silas left the prison, they went to Lydia's house, and, after they had seen the Brethren, and encouraged them, they left the place.

But the Jews, becoming jealous, engaged some worthless fellows from the streets, and, getting a mob together, kept the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason's house, with the intention of bringing Paul and Silas before the Popular Assembly;

And, not finding them there, they proceeded to drag Jason and some of the Brethren before the City Magistrates, shouting out: "These men, who have turned the world upside down, have now come here,

And have been harbored by Jason! They say that some one else is king--a man called Jesus!"

And, before letting them go, they took bail from Jason and the others.

That very night the Brethren sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and on reaching that place, they went to the Jewish Synagogue.

These Jews of Beroea were better disposed than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the Message with great readiness, and daily examined the Scriptures to see if what was said was true.

But, when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that God's Message had been delivered by Paul at Beroea, they came there too, exciting and disturbing the minds of the people.

The friends who escorted Paul took him as far as Athens, and, after receiving a message for Silas and Timothy to join him as quickly as possible, they started on their return.

So they laid hold of him and took him to the Court of Areopagus. "May we hear," they asked, "what new teaching this is which you are giving?

For you are bringing some strange things to our notice, and we should like to know what they mean."

That they might search for God, if by any means they might feel their way to him and find him. And yet he is not really far from any one of us;

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.

However, as they set themselves against him and became abusive, Paul shook his clothes in protest and said to them: "Your blood be on your own heads. My conscience is clear. From this time forward I shall go to the Gentiles."

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.

They put into Ephesus, and there Paul, leaving his companions, went into the Synagogue and addressed the Jews.

When they asked him to prolong his stay, he declined, saying however,

This man began to speak out fearlessly in the Synagogue; and when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained the Cause of God to him more carefully still.

"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."

"John's baptism was a baptism upon repentance," rejoined Paul, "and John told the people (speaking of the 'One Coming; after him) that they should believe in him--that is in Jesus."

On hearing this, they were baptized into the faith of the Lord Jesus,

And, after Paul had placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit descended upon them, and they began to speak with 'tongues' and to preach.

An attempt was made by some itinerant Jews, who were exorcists, to use the Name of the Lord Jesus over those who had wicked spirits in them. "I adjure you," they would say, "by the Jesus, whom Paul preaches."

Then the man, in whom this wicked spirit was, sprang upon them, mastered both of them, and so completely overpowered them, that they fled out of the house, stripped of their clothes, and wounded.

This incident came to the knowledge of all the Jews and Greeks living at Ephesus; they were all awe-struck, and the Name of the Lord Jesus was held in the highest honor.

While a number of people, who had practiced magic, collected their books and burnt them publicly; and on reckoning up the price of these, they found it amounted to five thousand pounds.