Now, instead of ministering to the hosts of Heaven, He has remained our faithful High Priest Yahshua, until such a time as this Age also comes to a close, and then He will be given yet another name. No one knows what this name will be, but John the revelator says that it will mean, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” (Revelation 19:16) From Divinity to Archangel, to Prophet, to Priest to King - such are the roles that the Logos (Word) has filled and will fill.

But even this battle on earth is of different types. Those who know not our Father soak the earth with the blood of their fellow man, litter the soil with the burnt remains of their enemies, send them to the grave with lung cancer or liver failure in order to line their own pockets. For those of us who DO know this story, our battle is a little different: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12) We struggle with tempting spirits and our own natures in order to hammer out that Christlike character which leads to life eternal.

That is what this second age is for. The conflict is resolved, now all that is left to occur is for the survivors to choose their sides. The dead have chosen theirs already, now it is our turn. Will we stand under the banner of Love, or the banner of Sin? This choice is now the whole purpose of our earthly lives. And when this choice is made, that’s when the fun begins :)

As for the dead, they who have already had their destinies decided await the Day of Judgement forseen by the prophet Daniel. “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:1&2)

That “time of trouble” and our role in it will be the subject of my concluding letters, but for now, let’s look at how he describes those who await this Day. He said they “sleep in the dust of the earth.” This concurs with Yah’s original explanation of what death really was, when He was describing to Adam the effects of his sin. “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Gen 3:19)

This was the promise of death’s nature to Adam, not some etherial, spiritual ghost-life to look forward to. Sadly, even most Christians do not fully understand the nature of life everlasting to which they say they are looking forward. Christ was resurrected as a man. He spoke, He ate… He was physical - only glorified. It is to this life we shall awake when we come forth from our tombs saying, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Cr 15:55) Also, it was the physical forms of the early saints that came forth from their broken sepulchers at the death of Yahshua in Matthew 27:52&53.

This too was one of Lucifer’s great victories in the early church. Very soon after the death of Christ, he started insinuating his doctrines. Many of the Epistles dealt with remaining true to the “first faith,” which the Apostles taught, and rejecting teachers bringing in strange new spiritualistic ideas. Satan knows that if he can get people to misunderstand the nature of Heaven and death, people rapidly lose interest. The image most people have of heaven is that it’s this whispy, ethereal place full of bodiless spirits. This is not so. It is a spiritual kingdom, true enough, but it is a real place. The physical bodies of Moses, Elijah, Enoch and several others are there. And they are there in person, just as Christ is there in person, for the same body He appeared to the disciples in, this body was glorified to the “warrior archetype” that John saw in his Revelation.

Solomon was another who described death in terms of the human experience. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10) Whatsoever you want to do, and experience… do it now, while you have life, Solomon says. For death is the end. There is no consciousness there. As he says in an earlier passage, “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.” (Ecc 9:5&6) And his father David contributed, “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” (Pslam 146:4)

Thoughts, consciousness, desires, even love - these are benefits of being alive. They are produced in the mind, which is generated by a physical device: the brain. When the electrical activity therein ceases, there can be no thought. This also addresses the Biblical stand on reincarnation, which you asked about, for it says that the dead are without thought or memory and “neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.” And, this is perfectly consistent with the teachings of Christ, who declared that Yah was the God of the living, not the dead. Except for the very few who were translated directly to heaven, or were resurrected early for specific reasons, all humanity is gone from existence, until the Day comes for them to rise and see the Father face to face.

I count this a blessing to know for more reason than one. I am spared the anxiety when thinking of former loved ones, “are they in Heaven or in Hell?” and so on. They are in neither, they don’t exist anymore. Not yet. As to their final destiny, that will be decided by the Son and the Saints which are taken alive from the earth during the final time of trouble (a more just and merciful jury I could not ask for). Also, by realizing that Heaven is a REAL place, with real people doing real things, it becomes more than just a hazy concept. It becomes a true hope, a real “something” to look forward to. It becomes “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) The more truth we learn, the more free we become.

So with that important Biblical teaching understood, we can continue our study of the sin war. Appreciating the events which follow may require a knowledge of the state of the dead. Be warned also that this letter may get very long. There is much to say about the adventures of those Christ left behind to teach in His name, so perhaps you had best read this one in sections - I know I will be writing it that way!

When we left the apostles last, they had just received their final instructions from Yahshua before His last recorded appearance to them. Acts 1:6 states that He was with them for forty days after His resurrection, teaching them more that they would need to know in the years to come; for during His time on earth, Lucifer had also received much practice at temptation. Aside from that, his rage at having failed so utterly during the 33 year stretch was at its peak, and this new fury he intented to visit upon all the disciples left behind. He had been unable to prevent the sacrifice or the example from being given, but he was surely bent upon stamping out all of its messengers.

During His time there, Christ also had the apostles plan to wait in Jerusalem for a “gift” that He would be sending them after His departure. The eleven remaining used the time wisely, in ministering to the other believers, electing Matthias to replace Judas, and fasting and praying, as it was said, “But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.” (Mark 2:20) By the time the day of Pentecost arrived, the twelve seemed to have taken Christ’s lessons of peace among themselves to heart, for it is described that they were in “one accord.” No longer did James and John strive for pre-eminence; no longer did Peter allow his mouth to run ahead of his mind.

During this time of great spiritual harmony, there was a great noise heard in the air all through the house, and flickering flames appeared out of nowhere, coming to rest upon them as they sat. This, then, was the “gift” which Yahshua had promised them, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to equip them for their labors in heralding salvation to all the earth. One of the most noticeable manifestations of the gift was the ability to speak in other languages. The reason for this was the presence of many devout Jews from all parts of the known world. For them also was the message to be given, and when they gathered before the assembled believers, they heard the gospel proclaimed in their own language, “And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, ‘Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?’” (Acts 2:7&8)

Some of the observers believed that the apostles were just babbling nonsensically, and they said that the speakers were drunk. But Peter, hearing this, spoke up and declared that this was not the case. He pointed out to them a prophecy in Joel 2:28-32, concerning the outpouring of the Spirit upon those who awaited Him. He then continued to speak and led their minds back over the events which they had surely heard about concerning the rumored Messiah.

With the power of the Spirit, he revealed to them that Yahshua was indeed the awaited Redeemer, and this was proven in signs and wonders, including the greatest one, the resurrection, which pointed forward to a new and blessed hope for all believers. He then spoke concerning the crucifixion itself, and declared that the blood of the Savior was upon Jewish hands and heads. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom YE have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36)

Despite the fact that many of these Jews were not even present in Jerusalem at the time of the execution, and in fact, were described as “devout,” they nevertheless were considered guilty of the death because of their association with the fallen organization. This fact, and this principle, will become more and more important in these last few letters. Just as the “sin cycle” was one of the main themes of the first five, so shall the concept of “corporate accountability” be one of the vital points of these latter ones.

There are many examples of this running through Scripture, the rebellions of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, the loss of many lives by the transgression of one man, Achan, the devastation of Saul’s army by the seemingly harmless act of his son Jonathan, all of these give us examples of how Yah must deal with an appearance of sin in a community of His followers.

For an even clearer example, think on this. Not only were the Jews responsible for Yahshua’s death. Not only the Romans. But so are you. And so am I. In fact, every human being had a part in it by virtue of this: Why did He come to earth in the first place? Was it not to save US from sin? Had all the descendants of Adam not taken upon themselves the fallen status as sinners, there would never had been the need for the One most innocent to suffer and die. We are all guilty both collectively and individually, which is one of the reasons why we all need Christ’s forgiveness and grace; why even “good” people are in need of repentance and acceptance of the atoning sacrifice.

Lucifer will do anything to prevent an individual from realizing this. For once a person does, he or she will begin to feel the wrongness of Sin, and will then be led to the valley of decision - there to determine his/her eternal destiny. At this point, the fallen angel is closest to losing a soul he has under his dominion, and if he can keep us busy, or distracted, or depressed, or comfortable or just plain in denial for long enough, we may never come to the point of realizing just how much we need the love so freely given by the Son of Yah.

Many of the hearers were brought to the valley that fateful day. Upon hearing Peter’s words, they let the Spirit influence them also, and they felt the weight of their past wrongs. They were “pricked in their hearts” as the Scripture says, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37) Then Peter said unto them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2:38&39)

Repent, Peter said to them. The word means to “turn away,” or to “change your mind.” Save yourselves from your previous lives. The life a man is born into is destined for only death. No matter how successful or happy or how much excitement we fill our lives with, “All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not,” declares Solomon in Ecclesiastes 9:2. All men are destined for the grave.

Yet, whosoever believes in Yahshua, and the coming resurrection to glory, has no fear of such an event. Peter appealed to them to leave their lives of sin, and legalistic justification, and to be baptized into the body of believers. And so deeply were they convicted of the mis steps of their lives, they received the teaching gladly, and wasted no time in complying. We have the blessed testimony that “they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42)

Near the Temple in Jerusalem, there waited by the gates a man who had been lame from birth. He had never taken a step in his life, and therefore had never developed the muscles in his lower joints, or had the cartilage around his knees and ankles excercised. Sadly, he had arrived in town too late to find an audience with the One who had gone around the region healing all the sick, blind and sinful. However, that day it was revealed to the people of the city that the same energy, the same love that caused the deaf to hear and the paralyzed to move was still alive and well in the persons of those Yahshua left behind to carry on His work.

Peter and John were passing by that day at the “hour of prayer” and were about to go into the Temple to give thanks,when the man saw them and asked them for alms. When they heard this, Peter stared at the man intently, and John said, “Look at us.” And the lame beggar did indeed, expecing that he would receive an offering. But Peter said to him, “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6) The two disciples reached out their hands to lift him up, and as they did so, his legs received strength,and he started walking and running and jumping into the air, praising Yah for this miraculous healing.

He, who had never taken a step in his life caused a great commotion with all his excited antics. Such is the healing of Yah. It is complete, it is instant, it is always designed to bring perfect joy - the spirit and the flesh combined in worship of our Father. In fact, the stir brought the attention of onlookers sharply into focus upon the two apostles, for many there knew that the man had been lame from birth. But when Peter saw this, he said to them, “Why are you looking at us like that, as if it was by our own power this man was healed? Haven’t you heard? The same God of Abraham you worship sent to us His son, and glorified Him before us. And Him you delivered up and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, and chose a murderer to go free in His place, and you killed the Prince of life, of whom we are His witnesses.”

Again he pointed out to them the fact that the blood of Christ lay upon them all, and that they were in need of His forgiveness and grace. And as it was in the day of Pentecost, he began to teach the listeners the way of salvation. But on this occasion, he was interrupted by some Sudducees. Most of the Jewish teachers of the law that Christ encountered in His ministry were Pharisees, for they were by far the majority between the two major divisions. However the Sadducees, followers of a Solomonic priest Zadoc, did not believe at all in angels or spirits, or the possibility of resurrection. They were of the opinion that there was a earthly interpretation for every occurrence of an angelic appearance in the Scriptures, and that “Heaven” was just living a holy life under Yah’s law, and death was the final end.

You can see why they would come to the forefront now! These men were preaching that, not only did a man rise from the dead, but anyone who believed in Him would be able to do the same thing! If the people accepted this “new” teaching, it would mean the destruction of their entire order, and their teachers and priests would be put to public shame for misunderstanding the Law so completely.

Few as they were, however, the Sadducees had much political influence, and they had the two teachers arrested and put in jail. It was late in the evening, so their appearance before the judges would have to wait until the next day. And who would the apostles appear before as acting judges? The same Annas and Caiaphas, the two religious leaders that sent Christ to Pilate… They and their relatives formed the judicial body for this case, and when they had set Peter and John “in their midst” in the hopes of intimidating them, they asked, “By what power, or by what name have you done this?”

The Spirit which had been with them since the day of Pentecost fully unfolded within Peter again at that occasion, and he spoke, saying “If you want to know how this helpless man was made well, let it be known to you - it was by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,” and he drove home the accusation, “whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole.” (Acts 4:10)

He continued, “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11&12) Annas and Caiphas must have been furious. After all their beating around the bush to have Yahshua crucified, here now were TWO men who spoke with His boldness and did miracles in His name. Yet, when they saw that a man had indeed been healed, they could not denounce them publicly, for there had been many witnesses to the event.

Instead, they decided to try and suppress the issue. Calling Peter and John before them again, for they had been sent away while the judges debated, they commanded the two not to teach or even speak the name of Yahshua of Nazareth. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than to God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19&20)

All the council could do was threaten more,and then they were forced to let them go. The two returned to the company of believers, and were received with much thanksgiving, and all the faithful praised Yah for delivering His two servants. Those who awaited the verdict had the injustice that had been done to their Master in the forefront of their minds, and they had feared for the safety of the bold apostles. And as they prayed and gave thanks, “the place was shaken where they assembled together,” and yet another fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit fell upon them, and they experienced such a unity of heart that they as one received boldness to teach the message, and declared that their property and worldly goods were not only theirs, but were at the disposal of the brethren for their own sakes, and for the furtherance of the gospel message. Such committment!

All that had extra lands or houses or riches brought them before the apostles, and those who were needy among the believers received their “daily bread.”

Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, a man named Ananias was convicted to sell a certain piece of property and give the funds to the church for the needy among them. But he and his wife sold the property and, instead of donating all the funds to the cause, they kept back a part of the money for themselves. Now, Yah is not a God of force. He had merely suggested to Ananias by the Spirit that he donate this thing. Ananias was the owner of the property and it was his to do as he would with it. However, he made the vow to his conscience, out of a true and pure motive.

However, when he actually had the money in his hands, he was overcome by greed, and fully knowing that he had already promised the money to the apostles, he decieved them and kept some for himself. His wife also went along with the fraud. When he presented the offering to Peter, the apostle immediately knew what had occurred. Hasty Peter, who had been so rash and impulsive, was now doing the very things he had seen and admired in His teacher. And so may we all change and receive miraculous gifts who accept His love with all our hearts, and with that love will come also great power, for we have shown ourselves capable of shouldering the responsibility of it.

And so Peter read Ananias’s heart, just as Christ would have, and said, “Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained (unsold), was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou concieved this thing in thine heart? Thou has not lied unto men, but unto God.” And Ananias, hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came upon all them that heard these things. (Acts 5:3-5)

It was not Yah’s purpose to cause fear, or to arbitrarily kill off a believer for a seemingly slight injunction. When Yahshua was on earth, He taught that there was one sin that was unforgivable. This is given in Matthew 3:29 - “But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.” Any sin a man does can be forgiven, but what is so special about this one, that even the Father cannot save us from it? The truth is, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit isn’t a single thing. It’s not even really any “thing.” No action is this, but a mindset. Lucifer was repeatedly begged to submit. In his spirit (after a while) he KNEW he was in rebellion, yet he stubbornly persisted in following his own course.

The Holy Spirit is that part of Yah that works within a person, that works with an individual’s conscience to refine the character and develop that lasting glory. To resist this, to consciously persist in acting against your conscience, is to start walking down a road that leads to a very dark place. We eventually get to that point where the “sin cycle” I talked about before is complete. When we have no desire to ask Yah for forgiveness, and we feel no need for grace. At that point, God is as willing to forgive as ever, but we will not, we CAN not accept it.

This is just what had occurred with Ananias. Fully knowing the wrongness of his act, he chose to do it anyway. Like Lucifer, there was no new knowledge that could “change his mind” about Yah: nothing that could lead him to repentance, which is what changing one’s mind is. No one forced him to sell his land, or donate the property, but once he decided that it was right to do it, and it was something he WANTED to do, he became bound to it. When the rich young ruler came up to Christ and declared his desire to follow Him, the Messiah didn’t congratulate him on his courage or praise his ability to break out of tradition, instead, “Jesus said unto him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.’” (Luke 9:58)

The first thing Yahshua did was to tell this man what the cost of following Him would be: Don’t make a promise to me you can’t keep. Be sure you know what you are getting into first. It is important that this be understood, for the story of the death of Ananias and his wife in Acts 5:1-11 can cause a lot of questions if it isn’t.

As the popularity of the new church began to spread to regions around, their numbers began to increase quickly. Now that the apostles truly understood the nature and mission of their beloved Teacher, they too went around casting out demons and healing the sick. By His death, Christ planted seeds which, when they sprung up in the hearts of His followers, did more than He in His one human body could have done. For this reason, while He was with them, He said to them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." (John 14:12) The disciples had succeeded in developing the character that Christ set for them as an example. Because of this, the Spirit could work through them as it had through Him, and whereas He was one, they were many.

And of course, as they were preaching in the name of One raised from the dead, they naturally continued to incite the hatred and anger of the Sadduccees, who once again wasted no time in throwing them in jail. The very night this was done, an angel released them, and instructed them to go directly into the temple and teach there. When the high priest and his council sent for the prisoners, they were found instead speaking “words of life” to eager hearers. Still, they went peacefully to the council when they were summoned by the officers.

And when they had been brought (again) to the council, the high priest asked them, “Didn’t we order you not to teach in Christ’s name?” And Peter responded, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” His position was unchanged. And so was this: he again brought to their rememberance who Yahshua was, the one “whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exhalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” Peter just would not allow them to forget two things: 1) They were guilty of His death and 2) They would someday have to give account of it to the Judge Himself. And it was not just to annoy Annas and Caiaphas he did this, but he honestly desired to have them accept this message and turn their lives around.

Of course, this did nothing but cause the pompous leaders to become exceedingly angry. Whereas the pious Jews were “pricked in their hearts,” (Acts 2:37), these men were “cut to the heart” (Acts 5:33) and plotted to kill them. Fortunately, the council of teachers was not without its wise men either. One of their number, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, saw that nothing but disaster and further loss of reputation would result if the disciples were openly persecuted for their beliefs.

He also saw some value to their teachings, and he therefore said, “Refrain from these men and let them alone; for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught. But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.” (Acts 5:39) The council saw the wisdom in this, and had the prisoners beaten and released. They just HAD to have the last word. But nonetheless, the apostles considered it a great honor to have suffered at their hands as Christ did, and they left the presence of the judges with rejoicing, not with shame.

As the number of believers grew even more, it soon became apparent that even the Spirit-filled apostles were not able to do everything to minister to all the church members. Matters of travel, finance, visiting with the sick - there was just not enough time in the day for the few to see to all the needs of the many. Seeing this need, the twelve called the assembly before them and said, “It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:2-4) The others concurred with the leaders’ need for organization, and they chose a young man named Stephen to be the head deacon. The other six were listed as being named Phillip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas.

Now Stephen in particular had chosen to follow the example of Yahshua, and as a result, he was filled with the Holy Spirit as few others. He was described as being able to do “great wonders and miracles among the people.” He was also, as a true decaon is to be, filled with wisdom, and in teaching those not yet within the body of Christ, his logic and skill with words was unanswerable. Because of this, however, those who chose to remain stubbornly within their comfortable lives of sin were made extremely angry by his calm, kind and logical points, and they stirred up the people against him, falsely accusing him of blasphemy, and hiring lying witnesses to secure his punishment.

When brought before the council, when testified against by false witnesses, when jeered at and put down - in all this he maintained perfect calm and joy to be persecuted in the name of Yahshua. “And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:15) When questioned regarding the change of blasphemy, Stephen responded with a most moving speech.

Going back to the time of Abraham, the accepted beginning of the Jewish nation, he began to trace the dealings of Yah with men through Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, and the prophets. When he got to the prophets, he said to the assembled judges, “Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? And they have slain them which showed you before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers. Who have received the law by disposition of angels, and have not kept it.”

It seems the demonic spirits which had led the assembly to cry out for the crucifixion of Christ yet abided with the legalistic authoritarians. They “gnashed their teeth” in fury and threatened him. In response to this, Stephen said only, “Behold, I see the Heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:56) And this vision gave him courage and peace, as the grace of the Spirit was fully withdrawn from his persecutors, who were overcome with hellish hatred, and stopping their ears and crying out madly, they rushed at their prisoner, dragged him to the edge of the city, and pelted him with rocks. Even as he was being killed, he had nothing but sympathy and kindness for his executioners, for he cried out, “Lord lay not this sin to their charge.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:60) Blessed sleep awaits those who die in the service of righteousness when their labors on earth are done, and the promise of resurrection unto glory forever more.

At the end of my last letter, I said that the apostles who were left behind when Christ returned to Heaven would receive some help from a most unexpected place, and it was this - there was a member of the Sanhedrin (governing body of Jews) who observed the entire ordeal converning Stephen and witnessed his execution with pleasure. His name was Saul, and he was one of the Pharisees’ star pupils. By the stoning of Stephen, the followers of the Judaic system had once and for all declared war upon the church of Christ, and this incident was the trumpet blast that began the persecution of the disciples in earnest. Saul was an eager participant in the carnage, for he “made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women, committed them to prison.” (Acts 8:3)

As a result of this attack, the members of the Jerusalem church were scattered, but this proved to be a good thing, for as a result of Phillip, Peter and the others, many were brought to an understanding of salvation who would not have otherwise heard of it. Not content with having scattered the believers, Saul went to the high priest and received documents of permission to go to Damascus, to where many of the faithful fled, and continue his assault there, including any point along the way to the city. And so he made the journey, but as he neared the gates of his destination, a blinding light flashed around him, and he fell to the earth.

“Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me,” came a voice from the light, and it was spoken with such authority that the humbled persecutor was moved to ask, “Who art thou, Lord?” “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest,” came the reply. And in response to his question, “Lord, what wilt thou have me do?” Saul was told, “Arise and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” (Acts 9:3-6) But when he got up, Saul discovered that he was still blinded by the radiance, and the men who had travelled with him had to lead him, dependent, into the city he had hoped to enter as a conqerer.

For three days he waited and fasted and prayed to understand the meaning of his vision, and the words he had heard. During this time of preparation, Yahshua spoke to a disciple by the name of Ananias (another one), and told him where to find Saul, and to cure him of his blindness. But of course, the follower had heard the reputation of the Pharisee from Tarsus, and said, “Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to the saints in Jerusalem; and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (Acts 9:13-16)

Again, it is made clear. Counting the cost of service is a prerequisite - a necessary step to commitment. But look at what great benefits he would gain as a result! Saul’s three days of blindness, without food or drink was spent in contemplation of his life thus far. He now knew for a fact that Christ was indeed risen, and the authority with which He had spoken left no doubt in the human’s mind as to the divinity of the One crucified. He made his decision in that dark valley, and when Ananias restored his sight, he immediately requested baptism.

“And straightaway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.” (Acts 9:20) Saul immediately went to work proclaiming the message, much to the amazement of former friend and foe alike. All the logic and mental strength, all the force of will and conviction that the former Sanhedrin member had employed against the believers was now being used on their behalf. With his “thoughts in subjection to Christ” he was now free of his prejudices and slavish clinging to the hopes of an earthly kingdom and an earthly Messiah, and he accepted the atoning sacrifice of Yahshua.

Naturally, those who were once his allies immediately plotted to destroy this new and powerful threat to their authority. For Saul knew them well, and just what arguments would sway the people away from them to the side of truth. The disciples in Damascus heard of the plot, however, and while the new convert’s would-be assassins awaited him at the gates, he was let down by the believers over the wall of the city in a basket. Having escaped his enemies’ plan for the time being, he made his way from Damascus to Jerusalem to join the main body of apostles.

This was not as easy as Saul had hoped, however, for upon arriving there, he found that his reputation had preceeded him, and he was viewed with suspicion and fear by those still in Jerusalem. However, one of them, Barnabas, had heard about his conversion and his teaching in Damascus, and spoke with him. As a result, he was convinced that Saul’s change was genuine, and he presented him to the apostles. And so Saul joined forces with the followers of Yahshua, and proved himself a great blessing, for “then all the churches had rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.” (Acts 9:31)

Up until that time, the gospel had been preached mostly to the Jews, but true to His words to Ananias, Yahshua also desired that the disciples develop a strong burden for not only their former brethren, but all the people of earth. To bring this about, He set up a chain of events that would lead to the addition of Gentiles to the number of believers.

When Peter was visiting with some of the followers of the Way in a town called Lydda, and healing the sick there, it came to be that a disciple named Tabitha in a nearby town named Joppa became ill and died. Tabitha was much loved and well known in the area, and those church members in her town heard that Peter was close at hand, and sent word to him, asking if there was anything he could do.

So Peter went with the messengers, and arriving at the house, knelt down and prayed. When he had done so, he turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, arise.” He presented her alive once again to those assembled there. When this miracle became known, many believed, and were ready to hear the gospel told in full, so Peter stayed in that town with a tanner named Simon, teaching the citizens.

There was a man named Cornelius, an Italian Centurion who, though not a Jew, was nevertheless a true believer in Yah, and prayed daily and gave alms generously. One day, as he prayed, an angel came to him in a vision and said, “Thy prayers and thine alms have come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter; he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.” (Acts 10:4-6) Cornelius called two of his household servants, and one of the soldiers under his authority, and he told them the story, and then sent them to Joppa.

While the men were on their way, Peter also was receiving a vision from Heaven. As he was atop Simon’s roof praying, he became very hungry, since it was midday (the “sixth hour” by Judaic reckoning). But the food was not yet prepared, so he continued his prayers while it was being made ready. As he prayed, he fell into a trance, and saw a sheet being let down from Heaven, upon which were all kinds of animals which had been declared unfit for food. And a voice came to him saying, “Rise, Peter, kill, and eat.” (Acts 10:13). But Peter knew that such things as were on the sheet were forbidden, and he replied, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice said to him, “What God hath cleansed, that call thou not common.” This happened three times, and each time Peter resisted the call.

Now, while Peter was wondering what this vision meant (for would Yah contradict Himself, after all?) the three men from Cornelius’ household arrived at the house, and inquired about him. Right away, the Spirit spoke to Peter’s heart and said, “Behold, three men seek thee. Arise, therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.” Peter began to get an inkling of what his vision meant. And so he got down from the roof and spoke with them, and journeyed with them the next day (because at that point he wasn’t going ANYWHERE without having lunch first), taking with him a few of the members of the Lydda congregation.

When they arrived at Cornelius’ house the day after, the centurion had been so moved by his vision that he had called all his near friends and kinsmen together to hear Peter speak. Cornelius fell at the feet of the apostle, and worshipped him. But Peter quickly corrected him in that regard saying, “Stand up: I myself am only a man.” And Cornelius stood up, and they went into the house, to the people waiting there. And he spoke to them, explaining his vision, which he now fully understood.

And he said to them, “You know how that it is unlawful for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one that is of another nation; but God hath shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?” Peter finally realized what the sheet from heaven meant. It wasn’t about food at all. Though some Chrisitans have at times tried to make it look like Yah was saying that what he had formerly declared to be unclean was now clean (eg. certain foods), Peter understood no such thing from the vision.

Yah simply said “What I HAVE declared clean IS clean.” He was not taking back anything He had previously said. In fact, the entire purpose of having a Jewish nation, a called out people, was to be an example to ALL men, so that everyone would know that “every nation: he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him.” (Acts 10:35) This was not some new thing. All men have always been Yah’s people; the Jews were the example (supposedly), but all men were equally loved by their Creator.

“And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof” (Exodus 12:48) “And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33&34)

Anyone who dwelt with the people of Yah and kept His ways were to be “as one born among you.” Gentiles were never declared unclean! Somehow the Jews had forgotten this, and saw in themselves a “chosen people,” not as servants to other nations, but as rulers. Christ, by His life and death, showed that they had completely misunderstood what being a “chosen people” meant, and He Himself forgave the Samaritans and Canaanites as easily and as willingly as the Jews for their sins. “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Matt 12:50)

This fact was displayed in most dramatic fasion when, as Peter taught the gospel of Christ to Cornelius and his household, the Holy Spirit descended upon them also! And these Gentiles received the gift of being able to speak in other tongues to preach the Word, and began to praise the name of Yah in the presence of the amazed Jews who had come to Joppa with Peter. And the apostle said, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?” And the assembly there was baptized also in the name of Yahshua.

When the people of Judaea heard that Gentiles also had been baptized, Peter’s wisdom in taking witnesses with him to Joppa became apparent, for they stood by him when he related the tale to the believers, and how they also had recived the gift of the Holy Spirit. “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, “Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life!” (Acts 11:18) This began a new and glorious phase of church history, for now the entire world was shown to be under the grace of the Sacrifice which Yahshua gave at the cross.

At that time, Herod, (son of the Herod who tried to have Yahshua killed as an infant) began to percieve a serious threat to his authority in this new “kingdom” that was being preached by the apostles. The same force which inspired his father drove him, and he “stretched forth his hands” to attack the church. True to Yahshua’s prediction, James was among the first to drink of the cup of suffering of his Teacher, and was beheaded by the attackers. Peter was the next target on the list, but at the time of his arrest, there was a feast of unleavened bread taking place, and so his execution was delayed until after the celebration was over. While in prison, all the people of the church prayed for him “without ceasing,” and the very night before he would have been killed, an angel came and released him. This was some task, for Peter was chained to two guards.

The angel caused his chains to fall off, and Peter followed in a dreamy daze out of the cell block and into the street. When he came fully awake, the angel was gone, and he was standing alone in a deserted section of town. Making his way back to Mark’s house, (whose mother’s name was ALSO Mary, Acts records), he knocked at the door for entrance. A servant there whose name was Rhoda went to the door to listen, and when she heard it was Peter’s voice, she became overjoyed. However, instead of letting him in immediately, she instead ran into the house to tell everyone - leaving poor Peter outside even longer, exposed to the danger of being spotted!

He kept on knocking, though, and eventually he was let in. He related his miraculous escape to the belivers there, and then left town, giving instructions that the incident be related to James and the other apostles. It seems that the incidents above had taken place so close together in time that Peter was still unaware of what had befallen his brother in Christ (or perhaps he was referring to the other James, who is mentioned later in this letter). Peter need not have feared for his life much longer, however, for the angel which released him from prison ensured an even longer-lasting safety when he struck Herod down during a celebration, just as haughty king was acceping the worship of his countrymen. Any man who tries to take the praise rightly due the Father is in danger of an early judgement.

From the time of his calling, Saul had been feeling a heavy burden. Not only for his Jewish brethren, but also the Gentiles. His mission was to take on a new dimension when the Spirit came upon the body of believers in Antioch where he was currently residing, and said, “Separate [for] me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” And so Barnabas and Saul, who started calling himself Paul, set out on a missionary journey to the surrounding regions, taking Mark along with them.

It was a strange trip indeed, for one of the first incidents recorded that befell them was an encounter with a sorcerer named Elymas. Just as the Holy Spirit had come upon the body of believers after the death of Christ, it seems Lucifer bestowed a similar outpouring of power upon his most advanced servants. Though defeated, he still would not put the sword down, and continued his war upon all the followers of his ancient Enemy. On the island of Paphos they found this false-prophet who attempted to stop the pair from teaching the word to the deputy ruler of the country, a man named Sergius Paulus.

Even as the Jewish mystic stood against them in battle, Paul felt the presence of the Spirit upon him, and staring him in the eyes, he said, “O full of all subtlety and mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season.” And immediately there fell on him a mist and darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. (Acts 13:10-12)

As much a triumph as this encounter was, it was not without some effect upon the missionary team. Mark, who was younger in the faith than the other two, was so shaken by the incident that as soon as they arrived at their next rest point, he departed from their company and returned to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas continued their journey, however, everywhere spreading the message of salvation in the synagogues and to those they met along the way. A good many of those who heard believed and were converted.

This was to the annoyance of many teachers of the law, who saw that the pair had taken followers from both Jews and Gentiles. To this, Barnabas and Paul responded, “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo we turn to the Gentiles.” (Acts 13:46) This made those not of “chosen blood” overjoyed, but served only to cause the unconverted Jews to stir up persecution against the travellers, and they had them expelled from the region.

In Iconium, their next stop, Paul and Barnabas were taken to be the gods Mercury and Jupiter, for the people could see the wisdom and the light of heavenly glory upon them. Even the priests of Jupiter were convinced, so powerful were the works of healing that the two did in the sight of people, and would have sacrificed animals to the servants of Yah. Naturally, they were distraught, and quickly attempted to stem the tide of idolatry into which the sin-sick people were rushing. Again they taught about the true Father to the listeners, and in so doing, restrained them (barely) from their error.

Paul and Barnabas took with them on their journey the news that salvation had also passed to the Gentiles, and this caused some issues to come to light in certain areas. Oh, there was rejoicing for the most part, when the unity of Yahshua’s real plan was understood, but a few details needed to be ironed out. For example, many of the churches believed that circumcision was still a necessary step (like baptism) to being fully connected with the body of Christ.

Aside from this, they also stated that observation of the Jewish rites and ceremonies (the sacrificial laws of Moses - not to be confused with the 10 commandments), was a necessary part of being a Christian. This term Christian, by the way, was first coined around the time Paul and Barnabas set off on this trip from Antioch. Peter happened to be present during the time the dissonance arose, and he declared that it was faith by which a believer was justified, not by works, and therefore any keeping of the law (of any kind) which was not a result of faith in Yahshua was without value. Of course, this wasn’t a new idea either, the first chapter of Isaiah is more than plain on this issue. Paul and Barnabas were summoned to Jerusalem to take council with the other elders and church leaders to settle the dispute.

One of the elders, James (not the beheaded brother of John, of course), presided over the meeting, and they discussed the matter for some time. Paul and Barnabas had much to say regarding the miracles they had been able to work in many parts because of the faith of the Gentiles, and Peter again gave his own experiences among them. After much prayer and talk, they came to the decision which James announced: Just as even the Jewish nation was brought out of a “Gentile” people, so the grace had returned to them (actually, it had never truly left). “Wherefore my sentence is,” he concluded, “that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: but that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication,and from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.” (Acts 15:19-21)

James cautioned them in this not to become like the Pharisees, who added on unreasonable and unncessary parameters to the law of Yah, making of them burdens. But, he says, rules and order are not to be cast off either. He advised them to write to them concerning only such restrictions as are necessary to being a Christian - the decalogue (of which they seemed to have the biggest problems concerning idolatry and sexual immorality), certain dietary requirements (so much for those who believe Peter’s vision declared any and all things fit for food), and if there was anything else concerning dos and don’ts, that’s what the sabbath readings were for. But let them not be enforced with strictness or taken as a test of true fellowship except in the case of most blatant rebellion. As Paul said, concerning all else, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” (Romans 14:5)

And this pleased everyone, so they determined to write letters to all the established churches concerning this, and to Antioch they sent Paul, Barnabas, and the prophets Judas (another one, not Iscariot) and Silas. The letter they took with them was very well received by those in Antioch, and there was much rejoicing at the wisdom with which Yah had provided their elders. Yet another of Lucifer’s attempts at dissention had fizzled in the face of holiness and unity. Speaking of which…

After a time, Judas returned to Jerusalem, but the others felt led to remain there, preaching to the people and strengthening their faith. After a while, though, Paul began to feel drawn to visit the brethren in all the places his first missionary journey had taken him, and he approached Barnabas about again taking the long journey with him. Barnabas agreed, but he insisted that they take Mark with them (he’s referred to as John, his first name, in this particular passage). To this Paul objected, for remember that due to his inexperience, Mark had deserted them a short while after their encounter with the sorcerer Elymas.

Their dispute became so sharp that they split up, and started their journey at different places. Barnabas did indeed take Mark and began his trip by going first to Cyprus, “And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cicilia, confirming the churches.” (Acts 15:40&41) Paul’s second journey was as eventful as his first, encountering the snares of Satan once again in both the natural and supernatural realms. The Voyages of Sinbad have nothing on these journeys - and these actually happened!

He also made a few good friends. In Lystra, he met Timothy, to whom he would later address two letters which are recorded in the Scriptures, the second of which was the last he wrote before his own execution under the emperor Nero. Timothy had the training afforded by a Greek father, and the faith bestowed upon him by a devout Jewish mother and grandmother. What a blessing a good and holy upbringing is! How assuredly is the world blessed by those who raise godly families, for Timothy proved himself to be a wonderful student of the apostle, and was a great source of comfort to him in his coming trials. On that occasion, they took an immediate liking to each other, and Paul took him along on the rest of the journey.

In all things, they were led by the Spirit, some places they were told by Yah to stay at and preach, and others to pass by. On one occasion, Paul received a vision, directing him to go to Macedonia, and they went to Philippi, a city in their target region, and stayed there a few days. It seems as if the apostle Luke also accompanied Paul on this journey, for he writes, “And on the Sabbath WE went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake onto the women which resorted thither.” (Acts 16:13)

One of these women was Lydia, who was always a follower of Yah as best she knew. And when she heard Paul’s teachings, she believed them wholeheartedly and accepted the atoning sacrifice of the Son. Her entire household was baptized, and from that point on, they had friends and a place to stay in Philippi.

That was the “good.” Now for the not-so-good. There was a certain girl there possessed by a demon. This was unusual in itself, but this particular spirit allowed her to forsee the future. Some local men, having discovered this, secured her cooperation, and made quite a business of fortune telling around Macedonia. By this unlikely means, however, Satan purposed that he would cast doubt upon the holiness of the travellers’ mission. Fastening her attention on the disciples, she began to follow Paul, Luke, Silas and the other companions on their way to the local place of prayer, and she cried out, “These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation!” (Acts 16:17) And she did this many days, the Book reports, causing many to doubt if it wasn’t indeed the same spirit which led both the disciples and the girl who seemed to be in agreement with them.

A similar charge was brought against Yahshua, when “the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth He out devils.’” (Mark 3:22) The Messiah quickly set them aright on that point, for “what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Cr 6:14) On that occasion, Yahshua said to His accusers, “How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand; And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.” (Mark 3:23-26)

Paul’s response to the demon controlling the damsel was no less forceful. He was filled with the Spirit, and said to the invisible puppeteer, “I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that same hour. (Acts 16:18) This did not go unnoticed by the young woman’s visible puppeteers however, and the ones who had been using her for gain quickly brought the local magistrates into the picture. By declaring that the disciples were teaching customs unlawful to be practiced by Romans, they aroused the anger of the people against them, and had them beaten and thrown in prison.

As He did with Peter, however, Yah had other plans for these particular prisoners, and as Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to their Father during the long, lonely hours of their incerceration, there was a great earthquake; all the bonds were loosened, and all the doors were thrown open. At the sound of the shaking, the jailer was awakened from his sleep, and he ran to check on his prisoners. When he found the doors open, he would have slain himself, for sleeping on guard duty was a capital crime. But looking out, Paul saw the warden with drawn sword, and said in a loud voice, “Do thyself no harm, for we are all here!” (Acts 16:28) The guard, shaking from his extreme fear, and overcome with gratitude to Paul for remaining where he had been, fell at his feet.

His heart broken, and knowing his life was meaningless as it was anyway, he listened eagerly to the teachings of the disciples, when they answered his question of, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The spoke to him of Yahshua, who desired to bring peace and life not only to him, but all his household, and the jailer believed. He brought them out of the jail, washed their wounds, and he and all his family received baptism by their hands. He brought them also into his house, and treated them as honored guests.

By this time, the magistrates had realized that the charges against Paul and his companions were unfounded, and they sent word to the prison that the men should be released, and requesting that they leave town quietly. However, Paul would have none of that. He said, “They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? Nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.” (Acts 16:37) Not for his own honor was Paul protesting this unfair treatment, but because the actions of the magistrates had cast yet another unnecessary shadow over the work the followers of Yahshua were doing, and he desired that they should be as publicly vindicated as they had been chastised.

Fearing a scandal, the magistrates did this, and offered many soothing words that the matter should not be publicized too greatly. Of course, the incidents were all faithfully recorded by Luke’s inspired pen, and now almost two thousand years later, we can read the indellible record. Upon their release, the disciples returned to Lydia’s house, and comforted those who had feared for their safety, and then they departed.

For three sabbaths after that incident, Paul was in the synagogue in Thessalonica, teaching both Jews and Gentiles the way of salvation. Some of them believed, and many citizens received the words of life, as did not a few of the devout Jews. But naturally, this continued to stir up the evil passions of those not led by the Father, and the unconverted teachers were envious of the attention being given to Paul, and found men who Luke describes as “certain lewd fellows of the baser sort” (Acts 17:5 - much to my personal amusement), and they stirred up the crowd against the travellers and the owner of the house where they stayed. I also smiled when the charges the mob levelled against the apostle and his assistants was that they were “These that have turned the world upside down.” (Acts 17:6) The missionaries left the city at night, and quietly, not wishing to cause Jason, the believer at whose house they had been staying, any further trouble.

In Berea, they were much better received, and in this their next stop, they were greeted by those eager and hungry for the truth. They heard the teachings of Paul and (rightly) searched the Scriptures to see the revelation of Yahshua as Messiah for themselves. A greater harvest would have been brought in there were it not for the continuing envy of the impenitent Jews of Thessalonica. They actually followed the travellers into Berea and stirred up trouble there as well. Paul knew that their fury was mostly against him, the most vocal of the group, and so not wishing to put his friends in the path of undue danger, he decided to go ahead and await Luke, Silas and Timothy in Athens. This proved to be a great trial for the mighty leader, alone in such a place.

I’m sure you have seen pictures of Athens on TV or in a book. The mighty marble pillars, the gigantic statues, the beautiful temples… All these things are quite appealing to the eye, and indeed, they are beautiful, but poor Paul felt only sorrow as he saw the brilliant white structures. The temples, the idols, all dedicated to gods who could neither save nor bring joy. So much wealth wasted on the deaf ears and blind eyes of deities who, even if they DID exist, were imperfect. The gods of Rome and Greece were selfish, lustful, envious and cruel. It was to these demons in disguise that the residents of this beautiful city built shrines and temples, pouring their income into these pursuits while the less fortunate of their neighbors starved for want of food or simple love.

He did, however, find a way that he could use to reach the people. In his wanderings here and there along the intimidating walkways, he found an altar labelled, “To The Unknown God.” By speaking in the synagogues there, and in the marketplace with the common folk, Paul’s teachings gradually drew the attention of the philosophers and stoics for which Greece is still famous. Some thought he was just another babbler, but others said, “'He seemeth to be a setter-forth of strange gods,' because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.” (Acts 17:18)

Whatever they thought of him, they surely considered him interesting, and so many of the philosophers spoke with him, and eventually he got an audience at the Areopagus, the meeting place of the “great minds,” of the people. This place, also called “Mars’ Hill” after their god of war (for the disputes sometimes ignited there were legendary) was the scene of Paul’s great address to those of respect in Athens.

And so he spoke, “Ye men of Athens, I percieve that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. God (he said “Yah” here, remember) that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needeth any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, though He be not far from every one of us. For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your poets have said, for we are also His offspring.

“Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:22-31)

This teaching received mixed reactions. Some thought the resurrection was just another mindless fable, but some were interested, and said, “We will hear of this matter again.” Paul left Athens for Corinth soon after, for the scenes of the great city troubled him deeply (what a change this was in the once haughty and cruel Sadducee!), but his speech upon the Areopagus was not without fruit, for he gained some souls for Yahshua’s kingdom in the persons of Dionysus, Damaris, and several others.

In Corinth, Paul stayed with a converted Jew named Aquilla and his wife Priscilla, for he and Aquilla had a trade in common: tent making, by which Paul supported himself when funds and means of travel were low. He stayed in Corinth a year and a half, teaching among the Jews and Greeks. But when the Jews, unwilling to let go of their tradition to learn the truth, started baspheming the name of Yah in their arguments, Paul was so disturbed that he declared that from that point on, he would direct his efforts to the gentiles in that town. He had desired to see those of his background brought into the truth, where their skills and talents could have been put to use by Yahshua as his were, but they would not hear.

That night, the Savior Himself appeared to Paul in a dream and strengthened his courage, and told him to remain there, teaching for a while. “I have much people in this city,” Yahshua declared to him. (Acts 18:10) Just before he left that place, there was an insurrection against him by the Jews, and Paul was brought before Gallo, the ruling magistrate. But as their case had no bearing (Paul wasn’t even being accused of a punishable crime), he threw the case out of court. Then all the Greeks who had sided with Paul took the ruler of the synagogue and assaulted him right in plain view of the judgement seat. Gallo discreetly looked away :)

Though vindicated, Paul saw this as his cue to leave, and he took Priscilla and Aquilla with him for a while, as far as Ephesus, but they remained behind when he went on back to Antioch. From there, he went on to Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the believers there.

While he was travelling in these regions, a Jew named Apollos, who had been taught of John the Baptist, went also to Ephesus, and with zeal and conviciton, taught the devout there. Fortunately (and Yah knew exactly what He was doing), Apollos encountered Aquilla and Priscilla, and they taught him everything else that occurred after John, and his knowledge was improved and his way made more straight. From that point onward, he taught the risen Savior as the way to life eternal. Some time shortly after that, Paul and Apollos crossed paths, for the former ended up back at Ephesus and the latter at Corinth. In Ephesus, Paul met some who had been taught by Apollos before he had learned the full truth, for these knew nothing about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but when Paul taught them, they received it right away and were given the gifts of languages and prophecy.

In this place, Paul also gave powerful examples of the healing powers of Yahshua. He cast out many demons, and healed the sick, just as Peter and the other apostles were doing in Jerusalem, and on one occasion, it was displayed that his actions were well known to both angel and demon. Other people, who were not fully converted to the truth, had seen many examples of demons being vanquished in the name of Christ, and so these exorcists took it upon themselves to make a profession of the matter. They did have some success, for Yahshua Himself had said of these people, “forbid them not,” when James and John had brought it to his attention while He was yet with us.

On this specific occasion, however, a team of seven exorcists (all brothers and the son of Sceva, who was chief of the local Jewish priests), attempted to cast out the devils of a certain man. But when they said, “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth,” the demon responded candidly, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are YE?” (Acts 19:15 - Another passage that never fails to bring me a chuckle) And without waiting for an answer, the demoniac leaped on them, and overcame all seven of them, tearing off their clothing and cutting their skin. The name of Yahshua received much attention after this, and many more believed in His power.

Though this incident caused Paul to be quite well regarded by the locals, he nevertheless took no thought for his own popularity, and was also eager to see Rome, for if he could establish a church there, in the power-seat of the earthly world, it would be a great victory indeed for the cause of light. But first, he would return to Jerusalem to meet again with the apostles there.

Even the journey home was most eventful, for on his journey back, he had contention with worshippers of the goddess Diana in Ephesus. Fortunately, by then he had reunited with Timothy and his other companions, and by their combined efforts they managed to avoid most of the uproar caused by the devout idolaters. Thereafter, he and his companions passed through Macedonia, and to a new place, Troas. It was the feast of unleavened bread at this time, so Paul, Luke and the others stayed there the week. During that time, one young man became so sleepy during one of Paul’s longer sermons that he fell from a high third-floor window into the streets below.

Paul immediately went downstairs and brought him back inside; but though he was dead, Paul said to the assembly, “Trouble not yourselves, for his life is in him.” (Acts 20:10) And sure enough, the youth opened his eyes, and all there were “not a little comforted,” as the Scriptures say.

While in Miletus, Paul realized by the Spirit’s leadings that he would not be able to pass again through these regions. He eagerly desired to strengthen the faith of those he had left behind in Ephesus, for he knew that there the opposition was great. He therefore sent for the elders to meet him were he was, so that he could have one last meeting with them. When they had arrived, Paul gently revealed to them that he had a sure knowledge that he would not see any of them again in this life. He took them through the courses of his two journeys, sharing with them the knowledge he had gained, and warning them from slipping away from the truth faith. “For I know this,” he said, “that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” (Acts 20:29&30)

He pointed out to them his own role, of endless prayer for the faith of those younger in Christ than himself, that he had worked with his own hands (at tentmaking) to support himself when money was scarce, having “coveted no man’s silver or gold or apparel.” He declared that he had experienced a full and happy life in the Spirit, though his labors had been hard, and when he had spoken, he knelt with them and prayed with them all. But the elders “wept sore” at the thought of their beloved teacher’s leaving, and made much of him, and accompanied him that last time to his ship.

When he and Luke and the others had nearly reached Jerusalem, he was warned by the Spirit to take a longer route to get there, so they went by another way, and met up with Phillip, one of the seven deacons. They stayed at his house for seven days with him and his “four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.” (Acts 21:9) While they were there, another prophet named Abagus came to them from Judea, and he took Paul’s belt and tied his own hands with it, saying that in this same way the Jews in Jerusalem would bind the owner of the girdle, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

When Luke and Timothy heard these things, the pleaded with Paul not to go, but the apostle responded, “What mean ye to weep and break my heart? For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 21:13) And he could not be persuaded to stay, so Luke gave up, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” And so ended Paul’s second missionary journey, for he and his companions met up with James and the other elders in Jerusalem, and gave them a full report of what had occurred in the previous years.

They were much pleased by his tales, especially of the miracles Yah had worked among the Gentiles, and pointed out their own successes, for by now they had thousands of Jews who had accepted Yahshua. There were still some points about circumcision and so forth among these Jews, however, so Paul’s return was timely, for he could now give a first-hand account of God’s love and acceptance of the uncircumcised. In the same way, they encouraged Paul to take with himself four Jewish converts who had recently completed certain vows - at the end of which they were to purify themselves in the local temple.

By having Paul associate with them on that day, they intended that the local Jews should accept the missionary’s appreciation of the Jewish customs, and therefore find an easier audience with them for the preacing of the Gospel. This compromise had severe consequences, however, for the local teachers of the law had it in for Paul, and were looking for the slightest imagined infraction of their rituals with which to condemn him. Seeing that he took with him certain Gentile believers to the temple, they also stated that Paul had taken them INTO the temple, a serious breach of custom for non-Jews, and they took Paul out of the synagogue and started beating him, eager to take his life.

The Roman centurions rushed up to restore order, though, and he was spared this way. But the chief soldier took Paul also to the castle, there to explain all the commotion. He was put in chains, just in case he was indeed the cause of the tumult, and so came true Abagus’ prediction that the Jews would hand him over, bound, into the hands of the Gentiles. Eager to stem the tide of anger and demonic hatred he sensed growing in the crowd, Paul asked the centurion for a chance to speak in his defense to the mob, which had followed them all the way up to the steps of the castle.

The soldier gave him leave to do this, and he addressed the assembly in Hebrew. He turned to them, saying, “Men and Brethren, hear ye the defense which I make now unto you.” (Acts 22:1) He began to recount the details of his conversion, eager to show them that the love of Yah was for everyone, not just the Jews. He went through his calling by Yahshua on the road to Damascus, but when he got to the part where he was instructed to go “far hence unto the Gentiles,” there arose such a protest that he could not continue, and so the soldiers escorted him into the castle with no further delay.

Before the council, and the new high priest who had been elected since Caiaphas, Paul began his defense anew: “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” (Acts 23:1) At this, Ananias (yes, another one - this seems to have been a popular name) the high priest commanded that Paul be struck. His guards hit him across the mouth, and Paul retorted, “God shall smite thee, thou whited wall! For sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?” And those that stood by asked if this was the way Paul would address the high priest of Yah. But Paul, ever willing to avoid unnecessary conflict, retracted his hasty words, saying, “I wist (knew) not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.” (Acts 23:5)

But Paul cleverly saw also that the council was composed of both Sadducees and Pharisees, and seeing a chance to throw his accusers into their true light, he said, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, son of a Pharisee: and of the hope of the resurrection of the dead I am called into question.” Now, remember the Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection, or in angels or spirits (and that is why they’re Sadd - u - cee ;) ), and because of this, a conflict arose in the body of his judges. At the same time, the Pharisees, seeking yet another chance to put down their spiritual opponents, chose to take the opportunity to side with Paul, choosing politics over even their own twisted idea of justice (and that is why they’re Phar - I - see).

But they would not fully release Paul, despite this, and had him inprisoned within the castle. That night, Yahshua came to Paul in his cell, and stengthened him for the scenes about to unfold, for that same day, more than forty of the Jews that had accused him made a solemn vow not to eat or drink until they saw the unselfish laborer dead. But Paul’s nephew heard of the plot, and he went to visit the prisoner, revealing to him what he had learned. And Paul directed him to tell also the warden, and when he learned of this, the jailer had two other guards take the prisoner to the relative safety of Felix, the governer who succeeded Pilate, along with a letter of greeting explaining the situation.

After five days, the council to decide Paul’s fate was reconviened, this time under the protection and safety of Felix in king Herod’s judgement hall. Again Ananias and his chief speaker (lawyer) named Tertullus levelled the accusaition of sedition against their captive. In his defense, Paul spoke eloquently, saying that he felt comforted by the fact that Felix had been a governer for many years, and was therefore most likely a just ruler, and a lover of truth. He explained the situation well, declaring he had violated no Jewish ordinances, and was innocent of all the charges brought against him.

Felix was impressed by the speaker, and determined not to turn him over to the Jews, or condemn him to the Gentiles, but instead to keep him a prisoner for a while and refer his case to the chief captain of the region. Political gain was also a motivating power behind Felix, as it had been with Pilate, for he sought to ever be in favor with the Jews, even at the cost of his own moral code.

But the governer also knew the Jewish system well, and in fact his wife Drusilla was Jewish, and so he was much intrigued by the words of Paul concerning Yahshua. He and his wife visited Paul many times during the term of his incarceration, hearing him speak about Christ. But, as with so many even to this day, when it came to the principles of righteousness, of making a change in one’s life to be a true servant, to count the cost of being a disciple, Felix drew back. “Go thy way for a time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” (Acts 24:25) How many evangelists have been turned away with these words! If even an honest seeker waits for Satan to allow him or her a “convenient” season to hear the words of life, he will have a long, long wait. Aside from this, Felix was also hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe for his freedom - boy did HE pick the wrong guy for that.

Two YEARS later, a “convenient season” for Felix had still not come, and he was succeeded by governer Festus. Never again would he have such an opportunity to learn of salvation, and as a favor to the Jews, he left Paul bound in prison when he left.

When the Jews learned that Festus had taken over, they desired to bring the case of Paul to light once again, hoping that the new governor was a less weak-willed man, and that they could finally destroy the follower of Yahshua. Paul had not wasted his time in jail, and had written many of the Epistles we now have from him while awaiting justice in his cell. Nevertheless, he longed for freedom (despite the visits from brethren of various churches), and had been much wearied by his unfair captivity, so when his case finally came up again before Festus, he declared frankly, “I stand at Caesar’s judgement seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews I have done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. For if I be an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die, but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar!” (Acts 25:10&11)

Paul had invoked his right as a Roman citizen to be heard before the highest authority in the land. He wanted his ordeal over with, and would have a speedy resolution of the matter. “Unto Caesar thou shalt go,” Festus said.

Before he could be transported to Rome to be heard before Augustus, Agrippa and Bernice, the current king and queen of Judaea, went to visit Festus. During the course of the days they were there, Festus was discussing Paul with them, telling them of the teachings he had regarding Yahshua and the resurrection. He told them that Paul was still there, being held until such a time as he could be taken to Italy to be heard before the Caesar. Agrippa became interested, however, and said, “I would also hear the man myself.” And so the next day, Paul was brought before the assembly again, the ragged prisoner before unbearably glorious royalty. A marked contrast.

And Festus began to outline the charges the Jews had brought against him, but Agrippa said to Paul, “Thou art permitted to speak for thyself,” for after the reports he had received, he was eager to hear the words of the apostle himself. Again, and with tender eloquence, Paul outlined his conversion and journeys, recounting in vivid and dramatic detail his labors among both Jews and Gentiles, to bring into unity all of the family of Yah. He spoke of Yahshua, that He was predicted even from the time of Moses, to be born and to suffer and die, so that all men might be saved, and he reasoned from the Jewish mindset, knowing that the king was familiar with the faith. “King Agrippa,” Paul said, “believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.” (Acts 26:27)

And the king said to Paul, “Amost thou persuadest me to be a Christian!” How the mighty and proud king had been touched by the gentle apostle’s unselfish ministry. Had he only given in fully with his whole heart, how might the history of the church have been different… Paul said to him, “I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am.” Glancing down at his chains, he added wistfully, “Except for these bonds.” (Acts 26:29) Agrippa had to leave the room at this statement, taking with him Bernice and Festus. “This man doeth nothing worthy of death or bonds. This man might have been set at liberty, even if he had not appealed to Caesar.” (Acts 26:31&32)

Nevertheless, the order had been given, and shortly thereafter, Paul set sail in a ship with other prisoners, bound for Italy. He took with him some willing companions as well, including his biographer Luke. As they passed through territory familiar to Paul from his travels, the centurion Julius, under whose guard he was kept, allowed them some refreshing time among friends there. And when they set sail again, a huge storm rose up, and there was a debate as to whether they should head for land close by, or to make for a more hospitable port to wait out the weather.

Paul advised them to stop at the closer place, saying, “Sirs, I percieve that the voyage will be hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.” But although in the short time the prisoner had earned the great respect of soldier and sailor alike, they yet pressed on with the more risky course. True to Paul’s warnings, this proved to be a disaster, for the ship was caught in the wind, and tossed helplessly about. For some time they were spun about helplessly, the sky so dark with clouds it looked like eternal night. “And neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay upon us, all hope that we should be saved was taken away,” Luke writes.

Paul stood up and gave something of an “I told you so,” speech, but said also, “And now I exort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood with me this night an angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.” (Acts 27:22&23) At one point, several of the shipmen were planning to try to escape in the lifeboats, but Paul called Julius’ attention to the matter, saying that if these were allowed to leave, all would have been lost. All this while, too, the men on the ship were unsure how long the storm would last, and so they had been conserving their food supplies. It had been fourteen days, and there was no sign of the winds slowing. Paul said to them, however, “I pray you to take some meat for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.” (Acts 27:34)

When the day after that arrived, the men saw that they were close to land, but couldn’t reach it with their ship, because the passage to get there was too narrow. When the ship ran aground and was wrecked, the guards had it in mind to kill all the prisoners on board, for some were accused of violent crimes, and it was standard procedure to remove them as a survival factor in emercencies such as this one. Julius did not want Paul to be sacrified along with these others, for he had grown quite fond of the apostle during the course of the voyage, and so for the sake of one righteous man, many were spared the sword.

The swimmers among them jumped into the ocean and swam. Other floated over on boards or pieces of the ship, which was breaking apart by that point. Paul’s words proved true, for not one of the two hundred and seventy-six passengers on the ill-fated voyage was harmed. They discovered that they had been cast unto the island of Melita, which none of the travellers were familiar with. Luke describes that the “barbarians” treated them kindly, though, kindling a fire for them since they were all wet and cold, and it was still raining (no mean feat, if you’ve ever tried to start a fire in the rain).

When Paul tried to help out by putting some sticks on the fire, that old Serpent tried again to cut the evangelist’s career short, and a venomous snake came out of the fire - it may just have been driven out by the heat, we don’t need to assume it was a “magical” snake - and bit him on the hand. The local islanders knew well that the viper was deadly, and the watched Paul with anxiety, saying among themselves, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.” (Acts 28:4) But Paul shook the snake casually into the fire and went about his business. When some time passed and he didn’t succumb to the venom, the natives decided instead that he was a god.

Probably due to this in part, Paul, Luke and the others were lodged with the chief of the island - courteously, Luke adds. Paul’s prayers during that time also cured the chief’s father of a fever and a blood disease, and so he healed many others as well. They gave them much praise, and when they departed, they gave them many gifts and supplies. This happened three months later, aboard an Alexandrian ship, “The Castor and Pollux.” And so finally, after a few more stops, the prisoner arrived at Rome, and managed to present his case one last time to Caesar.

While he awaited his trial, he called together the chief of the local Jews, for due to the favor of the centurion Julius, he was allowed to remain in a house, only guarded by a soldier. And speaking to the Jewish leaders, he outlined his case also for them, stating that he had been unjustly accused of breaking their ordinances. He said that he called for them and desired to speak with them before Caesar, though, as a courtesy, for he still felt a heavy burden for his first people. But he made it clear that he knew salvation was also for the Gentiles, “and some believed the things which were spoken, and some not.” (Acts 28:24) But regardless, none of them constrained him from speaking, and went off arguing among themselves as to whether or not it was true that the Gentiles were also “worthy” of eternal life.

And for the two years awaiting his trial, Paul stayed at the house and taught all who would listen about Yahshua and the coming kingdom, “with all confidence, no man forbidding him.” (Acts 28:31) He also wrote quite a number of letters, some of the collection of which constitutes a large part of the New Testament, from this place.

Luke’s record ends here, but from the Epistles which the apostle wrote while awaiting his trial and after, we can gather a few more facts. He was eventually released from bondage, and cleared of all charges. While free, he attempted to again visit the churches he had established. However, when the emperor Nero took over as Caesar after Augustus, and discovered that many in his own government were heeding the apostles’ teachings, he added his hand also to the persecution.

Paul was again thrown in prison. Many, including Peter, were executed, and John was exiled to a small prison-island called Patmos. During his final imprisonment, Paul wrote his last recorded letter, 2 Timothy. In this, he declares his great love for his pupil, and confidence that he would be a continued blessing to the churches in the area. He spoke of his suffering thus far, of which he was “not ashamed,” (2 Tim 1:12) holding fast to faith and love. He also expressed his prayers that Timothy continue to be mighty in wisdom and understanding and to continue to seek holiness in all things.

Of himself, Paul said this, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4:6&7) And yet, he longed to see his loyal student one last time, for in verse 9 he writes, “Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me.” Some of his former companions had forsaken him, and others he had sent away to fill greater needs among the churches in other areas. “Only Luke is with me,” he writes, “Take Mark, and bring him with thee; for he is profitable to me for the ministry.” That verse is significant, for it speaks of a settlement in the dispute that Paul and Barnabas had over the once erring disciple. Paul now considered Mark to be one of the assets of the church community, and desired also to see him before his execution.

He concluded the letter expressing his desire that Timothy greet the friends he had made on the journey, Priscilla and Aquilla, the slave Onessimus (on whose behalf he wrote the book Philemon) and many others. The last written words we have of him were, “The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.”

Paul did meet his end, beheaded by a Roman blade. As a citizen of Rome himself, it was unlawful for him to be tortured before execution. Peter, history tells us, was not so lucky, and he was crucified. The story goes that he was still so tortured by his denial of Yahshua during His trial that he considered it too great an honor to be killed in the same way. He had them grant him one last request - to be nailed to the cross upside down.

And so ended the first church age. But if you will remember, it was said of the brothers James and John that they especially would suffer persecution for the name of the One they so dearly loved. This was indeed so. As James was among the first to be martyred after Stephen, so John would remain on earth the longest. Instead of being killed, he was exiled. My next letter will deal with John, then, the last survivor of the apostles, and a very important message he received for the churches before he finally gave in to old age.

I’ll draw to a close (finally) here, and give you a chance to breathe. I hope you manage to digest at least some of this, I know it was quite a bit.

Yah’s blessings to you,
David.

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