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Acts to Revelation | Episode 2

April 18, 2018

27:30

Drive Thru History: Acts to Revelation

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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.
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The number of believers in Jerusalem was increasing
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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
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of publicly blaspheming both God and Moses,
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a crime punishable by death.
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They even brought witnesses to testify against him.
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So, Stephen was arrested and brought
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before the council of the Sanhedrin.
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As was customary, Stephen was given the opportunity to defend
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himself, and he went on to deliver a remarkably courageous
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speech, where he carefully summarized Israelite history,
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up to and including the building of the first
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temple here in Jerusalem.
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Stephen connected the ancient rituals of the Mosaic law
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to the new order of things brought about by Jesus.
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In short, Stephen was alluding to a new way of worshiping God
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made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
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This new Way was a direct challenge to the religious
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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

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Acts to Revelation | Episode 2

Acts to Revelation | Episode 2

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Acts to Revelation | Episode 2

Acts to Revelation | Episode 2

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