When Stephen was being stoned, among the spectators of this torture was also a young man named Saul, who also approved of the murder of Stephen. This Saul was the blindest zealot of the law of Moses, and therefore the most cruel persecutor of the Christian church. He went into houses, looking for Christians who were hiding everywhere, and imprisoned them. Because of this persecution, Christians were scattered in the surrounding cities and villages, and everywhere they went, they preached the word of God. Thus, one of the deacons of the Jerusalem church, Philip, came to the city of Samaria with a sermon about Christ, and the people of Samarin unanimously listened to him, hearing and seeing how he worked miracles. After some time, an angel of God appeared to him and said: "Get up and go at noon, on the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza." Philip got up and walked. And behold, there came an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a nobleman of the Ethiopian queen Candace, who had come to Jerusalem to worship and was now returning home. He sat in the chariot and read the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip: "Come and harbor to this chariot." Philip ran up and, hearing that the Ethiopian was reading the prophet Isaiah, asked him: "Do you understand what you read?" The eunuch answered: "How can I understand if someone does not instruct me?" The words of the Scriptures, which he read, were as follows: "As a sheep is led to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent to him who shears it: so he does not open his mouth. In His humility His judgment is taken; Who shall tell His generation? For His life shall be earthed from the earth." The eunuch said to Philip: "Please tell me, of whom is the prophet speaking? For himself or for anyone else?" Then Philip, beginning with these words of writing, began to preach to him about Jesus. Meanwhile, continuing their journey, they came to the water, and the eunuch said: "Here is the water! What prevents me from being baptized?" Philip answered him: "It is possible, if you believe with all your heart." And when he answered: "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," both of them got down from the chariot and went to the water, in which Philip baptized the eunuch. After that, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip, and he became invisible, and the eunuch, full of joy, went on his way.

41. Saul's Conversion

Meanwhile, Saul, breathing threats and murder, was not content to persecute the disciples of the Lord in Jerusalem; he also begged from the high priest a written command to the Jewish synagogues in Damascus, that even there, whom he found from among the followers of Christian teaching, he would be bound and brought to Jerusalem. But on the way, not far from Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven shone on him, and he, falling to the ground, heard a voice saying to him: "Saul, Saul! When he asked, "Who art thou, Lord?" the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It's hard for you to go against the." Then Saul, trembling and terrified, said: "Lord! What wilt thou command me to do?" And the Lord saith unto him: Arise and go into the city, where thou shalt be told what thou shalt do. Saul got up from the ground and, opening his eyes, could not see anything. Then those who went with him took him by the arms and led him to Damascus, where he spent three days in fasting and prayer. In Damascus there was then a certain disciple of the Lord, whose name was Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision: "Ananias! Get up and go to the street called the Straight Street, and ask in the house of Judas a certain Tarsian named Saul; for behold, he was praying, and saw in a vision a man named Ananias, who came in to him and laid his hand on him to restore his sight." Ananias answered: "Lord! I have heard from many about this man! How much evil he has done to Thy saints in Jerusalem, He has authority from the chief priests here also to bind all who call on Thy name." But the Lord said to him: "Go, for this man is my chosen vessel; he will carry my name to the nations, and to kings, and to the children of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake." Then Ananias obeyed, went into the house and, laying his hands on Saul, said: "Brother Saul! The Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were walking, sent me so that you might receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." And immediately it was as if scales fell from his eyes, and he began to see, and arose, and was baptized. From then on, Saul began to preach openly and boldly in Damascus and Jerusalem that Jesus was the Son of God.

42. Centurion Cornelius

In Caesarea there lived a Roman centurion named Cornelius. He was a pious man and fearing God with all his household; he gave much alms to the people and prayed fervently to God. One day in the middle of the day he clearly saw a vision of an angel of God, who came to him and said: "Cornelius! Thy prayers and thy alms have come to the remembrance of God. Therefore send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose name is Peter, who dwells in the house of a certain tanner, Simon, by the sea. From him you will hear how to save you and all your house." Cornelius immediately called two servants and one soldier to him, and having told them all, sent them to Joppa. As they approached the city, Peter went up to the top of the house to pray. It was about noon, and he felt hungry and was getting ready for dinner. But while the table was being prepared, he fell into a frenzy, and behold, he saw heaven opened, and a vessel, like a large tablecloth, tied at the four corners, descended from heaven and descended to earth. In that vessel were various four-legged animals, reptiles and birds. At this he heard a voice: "Arise, Peter, kill and eat!" Peter answered: "No, Lord! I have never eaten anything filthy or unclean." But a voice says to him: "What God has cleansed, do not consider it defiled." This vision was repeated three times, and then the vessel was taken to heaven. While Peter was perplexed in himself what this vision meant, messengers from Cornelius appeared at the gate of his house. And the Spirit said to Peter, "Behold, three men are looking for you, get up, go down, and go with them, not doubting in the least, for I have sent them." Peter went down and said to the people, "I am the one you are looking for! When they told him about the vision of Cornelius and conveyed his request, Peter entertained them in his house, and the next day he set out with them on his journey, taking with him some of the brethren from Joppa. And the next day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was already expecting them, and summoned his relatives and friends to him. At the entrance of Peter, Cornelius met him as a messenger of God and, falling down at his feet, bowed down to him, but Peter, lifting him up, said: "Get up, for I am the same man." Entering the house and finding there a large assembly, he addressed everyone and began to speak thus: "You know that the Jews are forbidden to enter into the company and to deal with foreigners, but God has revealed to me that I should not consider any person unclean or unclean. Therefore, having been called, He came without question. Tell me, then, for what business have you called me?" Then Cornelius told him in detail about his vision, and then added: "Now we all stand before God, ready to hear all that is commanded you from Him." Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "Verily I know that God is not partial, but in every nation he who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him." And then he began to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them. Peter had not yet finished his speech, when the Holy Spirit descended upon all those who heard his word. The Jewish believers who came with Peter were horrified, seeing that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles as well, for they heard them speaking and praising God in different tongues. Then Peter said: "Who then can forbid those who have received the Holy Spirit like us from being baptized with water?"

43. The Release of the Apostle Peter from Prison

King Herod, having started a persecution against Christians, put to death with the sword James, the brother of John. Seeing that this was pleasing to the Jews, he seized Peter also; but since it was the feast of the Passover, he put him in prison for the time being, under strong guard, in the thought of putting him to death after the feast. Meanwhile, all the Christians of Jerusalem diligently prayed to God for him. And so, on the very night when Herod wanted to take him out to be executed, and when Peter was especially guarded, so that he, bound with two chains, slept between two soldiers, and there were guards at the door, suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone on the prison. Waking Peter, the angel said to him: "Get up quickly!", and the chains fell from his hands. The angel said to him: "Gird yourself and put on your shoes!" Then the Angel commanded: "Put on your clothes and follow me!" Peter went out and followed him, not knowing for himself whether it was in reality or whether he was seeing all this in a dream. Thus they passed through one watch, and passed through the other; they came to the iron gate leading to the city, and they disappeared of their own accord before them. Through the gate they entered the city and passed through a certain street, when suddenly the angel was no longer with him. Then Peter came to his senses and said: "Now I truly see that the Lord has sent His angel to deliver me from the hands of Herod."

Then, after thinking, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, surnamed Mark, where many gathered together and prayed. Approaching the door, Peter knocked, but the maidservant, who came out to listen, recognized Peter's voice and for joy did not open the porch, but, running in, announced that Peter was standing at the door. This news seemed so strange to all that they said to her: "Are you out of your mind?" While they were in the house discussing this, Peter continued to knock at the door. At last they opened the door to him, and when they saw him, they were all amazed. Then he, making a sign with his hand that they should be silent, told them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. Then, having asked James and the brothers to be informed of this, he left Mary's house and went to another place. At the onset of day, great anxiety arose among the soldiers: no one knew where Peter had gone. Herod, having searched for him and not finding him, tried the guards and ordered them to be executed.

44. The Apostle Paul in Lystra

Paul (who was first called Saul) was appointed by the Lord to preach to the Gentiles. The first place of his preaching was Antioch, where the Hellenes who accepted the faith were the first to be called Christians. Then, accompanied by Barnabas, passing through Asia Minor with the preaching of the word of God, he once came to Lystra. There was one man who had not used his legs from birth. Among many others, he also listened to Paul's preaching. Looking at him and noticing faith in him, Paul turned to him and said with a loud voice: "To you I say in the name of the Lord Jesus, Stand up straight!" Seeing this, the people raised a cry, saying: "The gods in human form have come down to us!" And the priest of the idol of Jupiter, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, having brought oxen to the gates and brought wreaths, was already about to make a sacrifice in honor of the apostles with the people. Hearing of this, Barnabas and Paul tore their garments and, rushing into the crowd, shouted: "Brethren! What are you doing? We also are men like you, and we preach that you may turn from these false gods to the living God, who created the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them." that he was stoned and dragged out of the city almost dead. But when the disciples were gathered around him, he arose and went into the city, and the next day he withdrew with Barnabas to Derbe. There, as in Lystra, he preached the Gospel and, among other things, converted to Christ a certain young man, named Timothy, who had a pious mother and grandmother, and then knew the Holy Scriptures from childhood. This Timothy later became a zealous disciple and companion of the Apostle Paul and, having been bishop of the Ephesian church, suffered a martyr's death.

45. The Apostolic Council of Jerusalem

Upon the return of the Apostle Paul to Antioch, some of the converted Jews came there, who began to confuse the newly-baptized pagans, saying to them: "You cannot be saved unless you are circumcised according to the rite of Moses." On this occasion Paul and Barnabas had a great dispute with them, so that it was decided to send some on this matter to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders. Paul and Barnabas were among these messengers. Upon their arrival in Jerusalem, the apostles and elders gathered together to discuss this matter. After a long discourse of some believers from the Pharisaic sect, the Apostle Peter stood up and said: "Brethren! You know that long ago God chose me from among us, that out of my mouth the Gentiles might hear the word of the Gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, gave them His testimony, giving them the Holy Ghost just as He did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Why then do you now tempt God, desiring to put upon the necks of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we could bear? On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, just as they are." Then the whole congregation fell silent and listened to the narration of Barnabas and Paul about the miracles that God performed through them among the Gentiles. Then the Apostle James stood up and made a speech, in which he expressed his agreement with the opinion of Peter, confirming his word with the testimony of the prophets, and in conclusion he proposed not to burden those who converted from paganism with the ceremonial law of Moses, but only wrote to them, that they should abstain from food defiled with the blood of idolatrous sacrifices, from fornication, from strangled goods, and from blood, and that they should not do these things to others, what they don't want for themselves. This opinion was accepted by the whole Church, and the apostles and presbyters decided to send an epistle to the Gentile Christians, in which they set forth the opinion of James as a decree of the council of the apostles and of the whole Church, inspired by the Holy Spirit. At the end of this council, Paul again returned to Antioch, where he stayed for some time and went again to preach the Gospel, having been entrusted by the brethren with the grace of God.

46. The Conversion of Lydia and the Prison Guard

When Paul was in Troas, a Macedonian appeared to him in a vision, who asked him, saying: "Come to Macedonia and help us." Paul immediately followed this call and came to the city of Philippi. One Sabbath he went out of the city to the river where the Jews had their prayer house, and sitting down, he talked there with certain women gathered around him. Among other things, a God-fearing wife from the city of Thyatira, named Lydia, who was a merchant in scarlet, listened to him. The Lord opened her heart to accept the Gospel, and she, having been baptized with all her household, begged Paul and his companions to settle in her house. In the same city, Paul met a certain soothsayer and expelled from her the spirit of divination. For this reason her masters, who had thereby lost their income, rose up against Paul, and, seizing him, brought him before the judgment seat, denouncing that these Jews were stirring up the people and introducing a new worship, which the Romans should not accept. The judges gave orders for this to beat the apostles with rods and, giving them many blows, threw them into prison. But about midnight, when Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison was shaken, all the doors were opened, and the fetters fell from all the prisoners. The jailer, awakening and seeing that the prison doors were open, drew his sword and wanted to kill himself, for he thought that the prisoners had fled. But Paul, shouting loudly, said: "Do no harm to yourself, we are all here!" Then the guard demanded fire, ran into the prison and trembled at the feet of the apostles. Then, leading them out, he said: "My lords! To which they answered: "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you and your household will be saved!" then they prepared a table, and he and all his household rejoiced that they had believed in God. The next morning the apostles were solemnly released and declared innocent.