Acts to Revelation | Episode 2
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Acts to Revelation | Episode 2
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- Dave Stotts: In our last episode of "Drive Thru History," we
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- returned to the life of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded
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- in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
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- We reexamined the impact of his brutal crucifixion
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- and his miraculous resurrection, and set the stage for what
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- happened after Jesus left the scene.
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- We followed his small band of disciples back to Jerusalem,
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- where they were instructed to wait and pray.
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- We explored the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost,
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- when an amazing event transformed these formerly
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- timid students into bold teachers of the gospel.
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- Peter delivered his first sermon to a crowd of amazed
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- onlookers from many nations.
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- About 3.000 people trusted in his message of repentance and
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- forgiveness, believing that Jesus truly was the Son of God.
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- The expanding movement started meeting in homes throughout
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- Jerusalem, and the apostles continued preaching
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- the gospel in the temple complex.
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- The Way, as it was called, was accepted as truth by many
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- of the common people, but was considered a growing
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- threat to the religious authorities of Judaism.
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- Tension was building in Jerusalem.
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- What would happen next?
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- Dave: With the eyes of the religious establishment
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- watching, the apostles continued meeting and preaching here
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- at Solomon's Colonnade on the Temple Mount.
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- In addition to Peter, the other main voice was John.
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- Recall that John was a close friend of Jesus
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- and an eyewitness to his crucifixion.
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- Scripture records that the dying Jesus looked down from the cross
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- and gave John the special job of taking care of his mother, Mary.
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- John went on to write his gospel, three epistles or
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- letters, and Revelation, the final book of
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- the Bible's New Testament.
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- John joins peter each day as they enter the temple complex,
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- and made their way here to Solomon's Colonnade
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- on the Temple Mount, very near the Beautiful Gate.
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- Now, in addition to some Jewish worshipers who were interested
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- in hearing more about this new Way, there were many sick and
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- disabled people who had set up shop in this same area each day,
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- begging for money as people were entering the temple complex.
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- One day, Peter and John met a man in his 40s
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- who had been crippled since birth.
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- "When they approached him, he asked them for money.
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- Instead of money, however, Peter simply said, 'Silver or
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- gold I do not have, but what I do have, I give to you.
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- In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.'
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- Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly
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- the man's feet and ankles became strong.
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- He jumped to his feet and began to walk.
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- Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking
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- and jumping and praising God.
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- When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they
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- recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the
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- temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with
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- wonder and amazement at what had happened to him,"
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- Acts 3:6 through 9.
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- Now, imagine someone saying, "Hey, you know that crippled
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- beggar that's always hanging out at the Beautiful Gate?
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- Yeah, these two guys came over and healed him,
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- and now he's running around."
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- As you would imagine, word spread and crowds gathered.
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- Peter got up, as he had done just a few days earlier, and
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- began to declare to them that the power to heal
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- came from Jesus alone.
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- He went on to tell them about the power of the crucifixion
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- and resurrection of Jesus, and how those events
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- were the fulfillment of ancient prophecy.
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- Many people who heard Peter preach the gospel message
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- here that day believed in that message.
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- And incredibly, the church grew to over 5.000 men that day.
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- "Later, while Peter and John were still speaking, the
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- Sadducees, priests, and temple guards approached the apostles,
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- greatly disturbed that they were teaching the people
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- about Jesus and his resurrection from the dead."
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- The Sadducees were the powerful group of Jewish
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- leaders who ran the temple and conducted other political
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- and social roles in Jerusalem.
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- They also rejected the concepts of resurrection and
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- the afterlife, which were key pieces of the gospel message.
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- Another reason why the Sadducees were so irritated
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- is likely because they enjoyed positions of great
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- power and influence, which stood to diminish the more the
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- people listened to Jesus' disciples.
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- The Sadducees were already not that popular with the common
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- people of Jerusalem because of their great power and wealth,
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- and cozy relationship with the Romans.
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- As evening approached, the temple guards were finally
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- ordered to throw Peter and John in jail for the night.
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- The next day, the rulers, the elders, and the teachers
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- of the Mosaic law met in Jerusalem.
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- Annas, the high priest of Judaism, was there, and so was
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- Caiaphas, who played a major role in the trial of Jesus.
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- Clearly, these religious leaders already had a contentious
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- history with Jesus and his followers, so they had Peter and
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- John brought before them, and began to question them
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- about healing the crippled man.
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- "'By what power or what name did you do this?'
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- Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them,
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- 'Rulers and elders of the people, if we are being called
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- to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man
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- who was lame, and are being asked how
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- he was healed, then know this.
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- You and all the people of Israel, it is by the name of
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- Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God
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- raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.'"
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- Acts 4:7 through 10.
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- Peter's next words were profound because in them lies
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- the key to understanding the gospel message.
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- He said, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there
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- is no other name under heaven given to mankind
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- by which we must be saved," Acts 4:12.
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- Peter's words echoed the words of Jesus that he had just spoken
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- to the disciples, including Peter just a few weeks earlier,
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- when he said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.
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- No one comes to the Father except through me," John 14:6.
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- Peter was finally connecting the dots for his audience.
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- The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus
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- was the power of the gospel message.
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- The religious leaders decided to let Peter and John go, but with
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- a warning to stop teaching and preaching in the name of Jesus.
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- But Peter and John replied, "Which is right in the eyes of
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- God, to listen to you or to him?
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- You be the judges.
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- As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we
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- have seen and heard," Acts 4:19 and 20.
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- Although exasperated, the religious leaders
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- stopped their questioning.
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- They threatened Peter and John one more time,
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- and then released them.
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- Peter and John then went back to their people and reported on
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- everything that had happened.
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- Everyone celebrated, and everyone praised God.
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- The apostles continued to teach at Solomon's Colonnade,
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- commonly known as the portico.
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- More and more, men and women believed in Jesus as their
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- Messiah, and were added to the church.
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- The apostles continued to perform miracles, and crowds
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- continued to come from nearby towns all around Jerusalem.
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- As Luke records, they brought their sick and those afflicted
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- with impure spirits, and all of them were healed.
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- "Then the high priest and all his associates who were members
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- of the party of the Sadducees were filled with jealousy.
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- They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
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- But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the doors
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- of the jail and brought them out.
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- 'Go stand in the temple courts,' he said, 'and tell the people
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- all about this new life,'" Acts 5:17 through 20.
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- That next morning, the apostles did what they
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- were told, and they went back into the temple complex
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- and started teaching again.
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- Apparently, the high priest and the Sadducees were too busy to
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- notice because they were still calling together the
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- full council of the Sanhedrin, sort of like a Jewish
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- supreme court for religious matters to hear the case.
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- They were all set to go when the guards came back
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- with some bad news.
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- They said this, "We found the jail securely locked,
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- with the guards standing at the doors.
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- But when we opened them, we found no one inside," Acts 5:23.
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- "Then someone came and said, 'Look, the men
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- you put in jail are standing in the temple courts,
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- teaching the people,'" Acts 5:25.
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- So, that had to have been a real, "Wait, what?" moment.
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- So, the captain went with his officers to the temple complex
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- and again arrested the apostles.
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- However, they were careful not to use force
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- because they were afraid of the people.
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- The apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin
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- and questioned by the high priest.
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- Peter and the other apostles declared, "We
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- must obey God rather than human beings.
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- The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead,
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- whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.
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- God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior,
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- that he might bring Israel to repentance
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- and forgive their sins.
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- We are witnesses of these things," Acts 5:29 through 32.
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- When the religious authorities heard this, they were furious
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- and wanted to put the apostles to death.
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- But a Pharisee named Gamaliel stood up in the
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- council of the Sanhedrin and ordered that the apostles
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- be removed from the chamber.
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- According to Luke's account, Gamaliel was a man held, quote,
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- "In honor by all the people."
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- So, clearly this was a man who carried a lot of weight.
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- "Gamaliel addressed the council, 'I advise you,
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- leave these men alone.
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- Let them go.
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- For if their purpose of activity is of human origin,
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- it will fail.
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- But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men.
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- You will only find yourselves fighting against God,'"
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- Acts 5:38 and 39.
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- Gamaliel's speech persuaded the council.
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- Instead of a sentence of death, the apostles were beaten and
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- warned again not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released.
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- The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been
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- counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus.
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- "Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house,
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- they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the
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- good news that Jesus is the Messiah."
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- Acts 5:42.
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- As the church continued to grow, Acts tells us that the assembly
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- of believers were, quote, "One in hearts and mind,
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- sharing everything they had.
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- With great power, the apostles continued to testify
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- to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
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- And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all
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- that there were no needy persons among them," Acts 4:33 and 34.
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- The followers of the Way faced some growing pains.
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- Like any group, especially one expanding so quickly, squabbles
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- and tensions were inevitable, even among followers of Jesus.
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- Kind of like when my brothers and I argue about theology,
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- I love saying things like, "Look, you do it your way,
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- and I'll do it God's."
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- They love it when I say that.
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- Luke identified two main groups in this early church,
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- Hellenists and Hebrews.
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- According to Acts, not only were these two groups divided
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- by language and culture, the Hellenists felt that
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- the Hebrews were overlooking their widows
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- in the daily distribution of food and necessities.
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- The apostles didn't want division,
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- so they called a special meeting.
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- The apostles needed a new layer of administrators
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- to handle these types of matters so that they could
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- focus on teaching and preaching.
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- The general assembly agreed that seven reputable men filled with
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- the Spirit and wisdom would be chosen to serve in this role.
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- They were called deacons, derived from the Greek word
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- meaning servant or waiter.
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- The group chose Stephen, a man full of faith
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- and of the Holy Spirit.
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- Also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
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- and Nicholas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
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- They presented these men to the apostles,
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- who prayed and laid their hands on them.
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- At this point, the church was becoming more organized.
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- This would help the apostles in furthering the mission that
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- Jesus gave them to do, which was to spread the gospel message.
- 00:14:56.060 --> 00:15:00.100
- The number of believers in Jerusalem was increasing
- 00:15:00.110 --> 00:15:03.250
- rapidly, and even a large number of Jewish priests
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- had become believers in Jesus.
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- One of the seven new deacons, Stephen, was a charismatic
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- leader, working great wonders and signs among the people.
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- Opponents of the gospel attempted to debate with him,
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- but quote, "They could not withstand the wisdom
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- and spirit with which he spoke.
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- Stephen was bold and brash.
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- He was a fearless proponent of the
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- good news of Jesus' resurrection.
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- Because they couldn't beat him on the merits of his arguments,
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- Stephen's adversaries turned to a more barbaric plan.
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- They went to the religious leaders and accused Stephen
- 00:15:51.030 --> 00:15:53.170
- of publicly blaspheming both God and Moses,
- 00:15:53.180 --> 00:15:56.290
- a crime punishable by death.
- 00:15:57.000 --> 00:15:59.150
- They even brought witnesses to testify against him.
- 00:15:59.160 --> 00:16:03.010
- So, Stephen was arrested and brought
- 00:16:03.020 --> 00:16:05.050
- before the council of the Sanhedrin.
- 00:16:05.060 --> 00:16:08.180
- As was customary, Stephen was given the opportunity to defend
- 00:16:10.140 --> 00:16:13.050
- himself, and he went on to deliver a remarkably courageous
- 00:16:13.060 --> 00:16:16.080
- speech, where he carefully summarized Israelite history,
- 00:16:16.090 --> 00:16:21.010
- up to and including the building of the first
- 00:16:21.020 --> 00:16:23.220
- temple here in Jerusalem.
- 00:16:23.230 --> 00:16:26.140
- Stephen connected the ancient rituals of the Mosaic law
- 00:16:26.150 --> 00:16:29.110
- to the new order of things brought about by Jesus.
- 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:33.200
- In short, Stephen was alluding to a new way of worshiping God
- 00:16:33.210 --> 00:16:38.020
- made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
- 00:16:38.030 --> 00:16:41.270
- This new Way was a direct challenge to the religious
- 00:16:41.280 --> 00:16:45.210
- authorities that Stephen was testifying to.
- 00:16:45.220 --> 00:16:49.090
- Incredibly, Stephen did not hold back
- 00:16:49.100 --> 00:16:51.220
- on delivering the unvarnished truth, even
- 00:16:51.230 --> 00:16:55.000
- though he knew his life was on the line.
- 00:16:55.010 --> 00:16:59.150
- He was staunchly direct, "You stiff-necked people,
- 00:16:59.160 --> 00:17:03.190
- you are just like your ancestors.
- 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:06.030
- Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?
- 00:17:06.040 --> 00:17:09.290
- They put to death those who foretold the coming of the
- 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:12.140
- righteous one, whose betrayers and murderers
- 00:17:12.150 --> 00:17:15.200
- you have now become," Acts 7:51 and 52.
- 00:17:15.210 --> 00:17:21.060
- When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this,
- 00:17:22.050 --> 00:17:24.070
- they were furious and cried out against him.
- 00:17:24.080 --> 00:17:26.290
- But calmly, Stephen gazed up to heaven.
- 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:31.000
- "Look," he said, "'I see heaven open,
- 00:17:31.010 --> 00:17:33.250
- and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.'
- 00:17:33.260 --> 00:17:38.040
- At this, they covered their ears.
- 00:17:38.050 --> 00:17:40.190
- And yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him,
- 00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:43.280
- dragged him out of the city, and began to stone him.
- 00:17:43.290 --> 00:17:48.040
- Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the
- 00:17:48.050 --> 00:17:50.210
- feet of a young man named Saul.
- 00:17:50.220 --> 00:17:54.200
- While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed,
- 00:17:54.210 --> 00:17:57.120
- 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'
- 00:17:57.130 --> 00:18:01.040
- Then he fell on his knees and cried out,
- 00:18:01.050 --> 00:18:04.220
- 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.'
- 00:18:04.230 --> 00:18:08.150
- When he had said this, he fell asleep," Acts 7:56 through 60.
- 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:15.020
- Stephen was the first person murdered because of his belief
- 00:18:16.150 --> 00:18:20.130
- in Jesus Christ, what we refer to as a martyr.
- 00:18:20.140 --> 00:18:23.130
- Now, being stoned was a slow and cruel death,
- 00:18:23.140 --> 00:18:27.200
- but Stephen endured it through his bold faith.
- 00:18:27.210 --> 00:18:30.240
- He even asked God to have mercy on these merciless men, just as
- 00:18:30.250 --> 00:18:35.220
- Jesus had done while dying slowly on the cross.
- 00:18:35.230 --> 00:18:40.010
- Following this brutal event, Luke records that, "On that day,
- 00:18:40.020 --> 00:18:44.250
- a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem,
- 00:18:44.260 --> 00:18:49.090
- and all except the apostles were scattered throughout
- 00:18:49.100 --> 00:18:52.090
- Judea and Samaria.
- 00:18:52.100 --> 00:18:54.240
- Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him,
- 00:18:54.250 --> 00:18:58.250
- but Saul began to destroy the church.
- 00:18:58.260 --> 00:19:02.090
- Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women,
- 00:19:02.100 --> 00:19:06.270
- and put them in prison," Acts 8:1 through 3.
- 00:19:06.280 --> 00:19:13.060
- According to Luke's account, Stephen was dragged out of the
- 00:19:13.070 --> 00:19:17.020
- northwest gate of the city of Jerusalem, likely taken to a
- 00:19:17.030 --> 00:19:22.100
- ledge or an elevated place, and thrown down and stoned.
- 00:19:22.110 --> 00:19:27.160
- Now, the likely location for that gate is behind us to the
- 00:19:27.170 --> 00:19:30.240
- south, inside the walls of what is today the old city.
- 00:19:30.250 --> 00:19:34.290
- Now, the gate you see here today was built in 1537 under the rule
- 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:39.280
- of Suleiman the Magnificent, the sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
- 00:19:39.290 --> 00:19:44.200
- It's still one of the main entrances
- 00:19:44.210 --> 00:19:46.200
- to the old city of Jerusalem.
- 00:19:46.210 --> 00:19:49.070
- But the gate during the time of Stephen would
- 00:19:49.080 --> 00:19:51.140
- have been behind us to the south.
- 00:19:51.150 --> 00:19:54.280
- So, here we are beneath the big gate that dates
- 00:19:57.070 --> 00:19:59.140
- back to the Ottoman period.
- 00:19:59.150 --> 00:20:01.180
- Now, come over here and you'll see what's beneath it.
- 00:20:01.190 --> 00:20:04.100
- It's an ancient gate that dates back to the first century.
- 00:20:04.110 --> 00:20:08.170
- Now, the gate you can see has been reconstructed during the
- 00:20:08.180 --> 00:20:11.190
- reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian in about 130 AD.
- 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:16.140
- As we learned in the "Gospels" series, it was Hadrian who was
- 00:20:16.150 --> 00:20:19.160
- responsible for the rebuilding of Jerusalem in the early second
- 00:20:19.170 --> 00:20:23.130
- century, and the renaming of the city to honor himself
- 00:20:23.140 --> 00:20:27.050
- and the Roman God Jupiter.
- 00:20:27.060 --> 00:20:29.290
- Right there above me, one stone above the lintel of the arch,
- 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:34.180
- you can still see the very worn Latin inscription honoring the
- 00:20:34.190 --> 00:20:38.280
- city's new Roman name, Colonia Aelia Capitolina.
- 00:20:38.290 --> 00:20:44.100
- So, that's the story of the Damascus gate, a gate that would
- 00:20:44.110 --> 00:20:48.090
- later be called by some Porta Sancta Stefani, which is Latin
- 00:20:48.100 --> 00:20:52.170
- for Saint Stephen's Gate as early as the third century,
- 00:20:52.180 --> 00:20:56.240
- because Stephen was stoned very near this location.
- 00:20:56.250 --> 00:21:01.200
- A number of Christian traditions still commemorate
- 00:21:07.190 --> 00:21:10.070
- the martyrdom of Stephen.
- 00:21:10.080 --> 00:21:12.210
- The Feast of Stephen is celebrated on December 26 or 27,
- 00:21:12.220 --> 00:21:16.250
- depending on where you live.
- 00:21:16.260 --> 00:21:18.290
- Stephen's faith and deeds live on in the names of thousands
- 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:23.160
- of churches, schools, and hospitals around the world.
- 00:21:23.170 --> 00:21:27.170
- 00:21:28.060 --> 00:21:37.270
- 00:21:38.080 --> 00:21:48.080
- Dave: I'm just north of the Damascus gates, on the grounds
- 00:21:48.280 --> 00:21:51.250
- of Saint Stephen's Church and Monastery.
- 00:21:51.260 --> 00:21:55.110
- This is the traditional site for the stoning and
- 00:21:55.120 --> 00:21:58.080
- later burial of Saint Stephen.
- 00:21:58.090 --> 00:22:01.060
- Here's the story of this place.
- 00:22:01.070 --> 00:22:05.100
- During the fifth century, an empress of the Byzantine Empire
- 00:22:05.110 --> 00:22:09.080
- named Eudocia was banished to Jerusalem.
- 00:22:09.090 --> 00:22:12.140
- While here, she converted to Christianity and financed all
- 00:22:12.150 --> 00:22:16.030
- sorts of charitable works, including the construction
- 00:22:16.040 --> 00:22:19.070
- of at least six major churches.
- 00:22:19.080 --> 00:22:23.140
- One of Eudocia's big projects was marking the location
- 00:22:23.150 --> 00:22:28.000
- for Stephen's execution.
- 00:22:28.010 --> 00:22:30.120
- She ended up spending the last 17 years of her life building a
- 00:22:30.130 --> 00:22:34.140
- massive monastery complex dedicated to Stephen that,
- 00:22:34.150 --> 00:22:39.110
- when completed, could house 10.000 monks.
- 00:22:39.120 --> 00:22:44.190
- During this time, a church was built over a specific rock
- 00:22:46.290 --> 00:22:51.030
- formation, the traditional site for the martyrdom of Stephen.
- 00:22:51.040 --> 00:22:55.140
- Now, while we don't know the exact location of the stoning
- 00:22:55.150 --> 00:22:58.290
- of Stephen, this site has a long tradition
- 00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:03.010
- with Christian pilgrims to the area.
- 00:23:03.020 --> 00:23:06.260
- According to a fifth century account, Stephen's tomb was also
- 00:23:08.010 --> 00:23:11.170
- rediscovered during this period, and Eudocia had his remains
- 00:23:11.180 --> 00:23:15.280
- relocated to this church.
- 00:23:15.290 --> 00:23:18.170
- We don't know much more other than the church
- 00:23:18.180 --> 00:23:21.100
- and monastery were totally destroyed in the 12th century,
- 00:23:21.110 --> 00:23:25.060
- and Eudocia's work was lost to history.
- 00:23:25.070 --> 00:23:29.210
- That is, until the Dominican order of France came to
- 00:23:29.220 --> 00:23:33.040
- Jerusalem in the late 19th century to establish a new
- 00:23:33.050 --> 00:23:37.160
- monastery dedicated to Saint Stephen.
- 00:23:37.170 --> 00:23:41.000
- The group ended up purchasing four plots of land just north of
- 00:23:41.010 --> 00:23:45.020
- the Damascus Gate because they were intrigued by some ruins
- 00:23:45.030 --> 00:23:49.120
- that were sticking up among the olive groves in the area.
- 00:23:49.130 --> 00:23:54.090
- You see, in addition to being monks, the Dominicans were
- 00:23:54.100 --> 00:23:56.190
- also known to be excellent archaeologists.
- 00:23:56.200 --> 00:23:59.160
- They ultimately uncovered the walls and mosaic floors of
- 00:23:59.170 --> 00:24:03.110
- Eudocia's long lost church, and reconstructed the building
- 00:24:03.120 --> 00:24:07.270
- according to its original dimensions.
- 00:24:07.280 --> 00:24:10.270
- This is what we see here today, Saint Stephen's Church,
- 00:24:10.280 --> 00:24:14.150
- the traditional location for the execution
- 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:17.060
- and burial of Christianity's first martyr.
- 00:24:17.070 --> 00:24:22.090
- The young Judean man who was standing on the sidelines
- 00:24:22.100 --> 00:24:25.180
- during Stephen's execution was named Saul.
- 00:24:25.190 --> 00:24:28.260
- We'll learn more about Saul in later episodes,
- 00:24:28.270 --> 00:24:31.230
- but it's safe to say that Saul had a deep hatred
- 00:24:31.240 --> 00:24:35.090
- for the outspoken disciples of Jesus.
- 00:24:35.100 --> 00:24:38.130
- In fact, he saw it as his duty to help exterminate
- 00:24:38.140 --> 00:24:41.180
- this growing movement.
- 00:24:41.190 --> 00:24:43.160
- At this point in history, the Way was under
- 00:24:43.170 --> 00:24:46.250
- full assault here in Jerusalem.
- 00:24:46.260 --> 00:24:50.010
- The belief that Jesus was the Son of God, and that he was
- 00:24:50.020 --> 00:24:54.030
- bringing an end to the Mosaic law, was becoming a real threat
- 00:24:54.040 --> 00:24:59.050
- to the established rules and rituals entrenched in this city.
- 00:24:59.060 --> 00:25:03.210
- And speaking of mosaic, you can still see an original mosaic
- 00:25:03.220 --> 00:25:08.290
- dating back to the 400s, when the church was first built here.
- 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:14.180
- As a result of the severe persecution, many followers of
- 00:25:17.090 --> 00:25:20.100
- Jesus moved out of Jerusalem and into the villages of Judea,
- 00:25:20.110 --> 00:25:24.200
- Samaria, and beyond.
- 00:25:24.210 --> 00:25:27.020
- Recall the final words of Jesus to his followers
- 00:25:27.030 --> 00:25:30.150
- before he ascended to heaven, "And you will be
- 00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:34.110
- my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria,
- 00:25:34.120 --> 00:25:39.200
- and to the ends of the earth," Acts 1:8.
- 00:25:39.210 --> 00:25:44.050
- Judea, Samaria, and beyond.
- 00:25:44.060 --> 00:25:47.150
- It was persecution that drove many of these disciples out of
- 00:25:47.160 --> 00:25:51.240
- Jerusalem and into their next missions in these places.
- 00:25:51.250 --> 00:25:56.170
- It was persecution that continued to be a driving force
- 00:25:56.180 --> 00:26:01.020
- in spreading the gospel message throughout the world.
- 00:26:01.030 --> 00:26:04.220
- 00:26:05.110 --> 00:26:07.260
- 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:18.130
- 00:26:18.250 --> 00:26:28.250
- 00:26:29.010 --> 00:26:38.170
- 00:26:39.050 --> 00:26:48.280
- 00:26:49.080 --> 00:26:59.040
- 00:26:59.120 --> 00:27:04.070
- 00:27:11.020 --> 00:27:20.280
- 00:27:21.130 --> 00:27:28.140