The Gospel First Preached in Other Cities of Macedonia

The Gospel First Preached in Other Cities of Macedonia Acts 17:1-15

As Paul and Silas preach in the synagog, many of the listeners search the scriptures to see if what they say is true. PAUL AND SILAS were not discouraged when they left Philippi. They rejoiced because they had been chosen by the Lord to carry the glad news of salvation to heathen people. They hurried on to other towns and cities to tell about Jesus. In a large city called Thessalonica they found a synagog of the Jews, for many Jews lived in that place. Here they went each Sabbath-day to teach the people the gospel story. And some of the Jews who listened were convinced by Paul's preaching that Jesus is really the Savior. Also many Greeks, both men and women, received the gospel gladly. But the Jews who refused to believe in Jesus were jealous of the missionaries, because many people listened to their teaching. They decided to get rid of Paul and Silas, so they gathered a company of rough men and made great disturbance in the city. Then they called at the home of one believer, named Jason, and searched his house trying to find the missionaries. But Paul and Silas were not there. Because they could not find these men they dragged Jason before the rulers of the city and cried out, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come to our city, and Jason has received them into his house. They are teaching things contrary to the law of the Romans, saying that another is king, even one called Jesus." The rulers were troubled by these words, but they did not punish Jason severely. However, the believers who lived in that city feared that greater troubles might happen soon if Paul and Silas remained, so they sent them away by night to another place, called Berea. In this second city the missionaries found another Jewish synagog, so they met with the Jews on the Sabbath-days to tell them about the Savior, who had come just as the prophets had foretold he should. These Jews listened closely to the words of Paul and Silas. They looked into the books of the prophets to see whether the missionaries had spoken truthfully. And many of them believed, for they read the words that the prophets had written long years before, concerning Jesus, the Messiah. Many Greeks also believed, and a large congregation of believers met to hear the gospel story. By and by the wicked Jews in Thessalonica heard that Paul and Silas were preaching in Berea. They sent at once to make trouble there. But the believers there cared for the missionaries, hiding them from the angry men who sought their lives. Then they sent Paul away at once to another city, but Silas and Timothy remained to encourage the Christians in that church. From Berea Paul left the country of Macedonia, and went into Greece. Here he entered a large city called Athens, and waited for the coming of Silas and Timothy. Tomorrow: Paul Tells the Wise Men of Greece about the Unknown God

Paul and Silas are Arrested and Meet The Philippian Jailor

Paul and Silas are Arrested and Meet The Philippian Jailor Acts 16:16-40

Paul tells the Philippian jailor, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." ONE DAY A mob of angry people led two men down the streets of Philippi to the city prison. These men were wounded and bleeding from the severe beating they had just received in the public square. As they were being half dragged along by the leaders of the mob, every step caused them greater suffering. Finally they reached the prison, and the jailer, seeing the crowd, quickly unlocked the door and thrust the two wounded men inside. These two men were Paul and Silas, the Christian missionaries to Philippi. They had done nothing wrong, but because they had done right they were being punished by the heathen people. And this is how it happened: As Paul and Silas and their other companions walked through the streets on their way to the riverside to pray, a slave girl followed them one day, calling to every passer-by, "These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to show us the way of salvation!" And every day after that time she watched for the missionaries to pass that she might follow behind and cry out to others in this manner. This slave-girl had an evil spirit dwelling in her, which caused her to know that the missionaries were true men of God. Satan and all his evil spirits know every one who loves and worships God. They know the power of God is greater than theirs, but they try to bring trouble upon the people who served God. This slave-girl was controlled by the evil spirit, which caused her to tell people what would happen in the future. Many believed in her, and because of this they would often come to ask her questions. And always her masters would demand them to give money before she answered their questions. In this way the men who owned her for a slave became very rich. Paul felt sorry for this poor slave-girl. One day while she was following him and his companions he turned about and said to the evil spirit that was in her, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of this girl." Immediately the evil spirit obeyed, and the girl was set free from his awful power. But no longer could she tell about future happenings; for without the evil spirit she could not do this. The masters of the slave-girl were angered when they found out that their hopes for further gain from her fortune-telling were gone. They asked what had taken place, and when they heard what Paul had done they seized him and Silas and dragged them before the rulers of the city, saying, "These men, being Jews, are causing great trouble in our city by teaching strange customs which we Romans can not receive." The people of Philippi objected to the teaching of such new religions in their city. When they heard the complaints made against Paul and Silas the rulers at once commanded that these trouble-makers should be cruelly beaten and imprisoned. And so it was that the missionaries were beaten until the blood flowed freely down their wounded bodies, and in this condition they were dragged off to prison. Before the mob departed the leaders commanded the jailer to keep the prisoners safely, and he, supposing Paul and Silas must be dangerous men, cast them into an inner room and fastened them securely by putting their feet in stocks. Here he left them alone in the dark, ill-smelling room, to suffer from their wounds. But Paul and Silas were not like other prisoners. They did not complain because they were treated so cruelly. They did not murmur because they had been wrongfully punished. As the hours passed by they talked to each other about God, and about his great love. Finally they began to pray, and far into the night their voices could be heard in the outer prison, singing songs of praise to the great God who loved them so much. The other prisoners could not sleep. They had seen these two men dragged into their prison that day. They had seen their bleeding backs and suffering faces. Now they could not understand why these prisoners would be so happy, and they listened to the songs of praise and to the prayers of Paul and Silas. At midnight suddenly the foundations of the prison began to shake in a great earthquake, and all the tightly locked doors of the prison swung open. Even the stocks which held the feet of Paul and Silas were unfastened. The jailer heard the great noise when the earthquake shook the prison, and he sprang out of bed. Seeing the doors flung open, he supposed the prisoners had all escaped. He knew the rulers would kill him if he allowed one man to escape from the prison. But Paul and Silas saw that the jailer was about to do, and Paul cried out through the darkness, "Do not harm yourself! We are all here!" Then the jailer called for a candle and rushed into the prison. There he saw all the prisoners, with Paul and Silas among them. Now the jailer was sure these men were not dangerous. He believed they were good men, who really taught the way of the true God, just as the slave-girl had cried. So he ran to them, tremblingly, and fell down at their feet crying, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And there in the prison Paul talked to the jailer and the others who stood by, telling them about Jesus Christ, the Savior of all men. And he said, "If you will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you shall be saved." This glad news brought joy to the jailer's heart, and he believed the message of salvation. That very night he was saved, and all the others in his household also turned to God. Now they took Paul and Silas into the house and washed their wounds, and bound them with clean cloths. Then they gave these two prisoners food, and entertained them as guests instead of fearing them as dangerous men. And before it was day the jailer and his household were baptized in the name of Jesus by these Christian missionaries. When the rulers heard what had happened at the prison that night they sent word for Paul and Silas to be set free. But Paul answered, "The rulers beat us publicly, although we were Romans and had not been condemned by the law; now they must come themselves to tell us that we may go free." These words frightened the rulers. They did not know that Paul and Silas were Romans, and the law forbade any ruler to punish a Roman in this manner. They came quickly to the jailer's house and begged Paul and Silas to leave the city. Before going away from Philippi, the missionaries returned to Lydia's house, to speak words of comfort to the other Christians; then they bade them good-by and went to another place. Years afterward Paul wrote a letter to the church in Philippi, and that letter we have in our Bible today, called the "Epistle of Paul to the Philippians." Tomorrow: The Gospel First Preached in Other Cities of Macedonia

The Second Missionary Journey

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Second Missionary Journey Acts 15:36 to Acts 16:15

Paul teaches the people about God by the riverside. ONE DAY PAUL said to Barnabas, "Let us go again to visit the brethren in the Gentile countries." Barnabas was willing, so they arranged to start at once. Now, John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas, had come to Antioch again and wished to go with them on their second journey. He had started with them on their first journey but had turned back; so Paul did not care to take him this time. Barnabas, however, thought it would be well to take the young man, even though he had turned back the first time. So he took Mark for his companion and Paul chose Silas, the preacher from Jerusalem, to go with him. Barnabas and Mark went to the Island of Cyprus, while Paul and Silas went farther on, to the churches in Asia Minor. When they came to Lystra, the town where Paul had been stoned, they found a young man named Timothy whose father was a Gentile, though his mother was a Jew. This young man was an earnest believer in Jesus, and Paul was pleased with him. Timothy joined Paul and Silas, going from Lystra to other cities where the gospel had been preached. And he continued with Paul for a long time, loving him as a father. Years afterwards, when Paul was shut up in prison he wrote beautiful letters to Timothy, showing how great was his love for this faithful young man. The missionaries did not stop at every place to preach, because the time had not yet come when the people were ready to receive the gospel. The Holy Spirit caused the missionaries to understand this, and they passed on to other places. Finally they came to Troas, a city that was built on the seacoast where ships came from countries even farther away from Jerusalem. Those countries had never been visited by one who knew the gospel. One night while the missionaries were in Troas, Paul had a vision. He saw in his dream a man standing on the shore of the country across the water from Troas and calling. He was looking earnestly at Paul, and crying, "Come over to my country, and help us!" Paul knew from the appearance of this man that he belonged to the country of Macedonia. When he awoke from his dream he told his companions about the vision, and they believed, as he did, that God wanted them to cross over to Macedonia and preach the gospel there. So they bought passage on the first ship that sailed from Troas to Macedonia, intending to preach the gospel to the heathen people who lived there. Now another disciple, a doctor named Luke, joined Paul's company, and sailed with him to Macedonia. This Luke afterwards wrote the "Gospel According to Luke," and also the "Acts of the Apostles," both of which are found in the New Testament. The first city of Macedonia which they visited was Philippi. Here they did not try to find the man whom Paul saw in his dream, calling for help. They knew the vision was meant to teach that many people were needing to know about Jesus, and they believed God had sent them to preach to all who would listen. In this city there were only a few Jews. They had no synagog, but the missionaries found a place outside the city where people met together by the riverside on Sabbath-days to pray. So on the first Sabbath they went down to the riverside. Only a few people were there and they were women. But Paul and his companions sat down and taught them more about the true God. Paul told them about the great gift that God had sent to men in his Son, Jesus. And while he talked, one woman, named Lydia, believed his words about Jesus and knew that her sins were forgiven. Then she was baptized in the name of Jesus. Her household also listened to the gospel and received it gladly. Lydia, the first Christian convert in the far country, now invited Paul and his companions to lodge in her house. She was a rich woman and she showed her gratitude to the missionaries by caring for them while they stayed in her home city. Tomorrow: Paul and Silas are Arrested and Meet The Philippian Jailor

A Puzzling Question, and How it was Answered

A Puzzling Question, and How it was Answered Acts 15:1-34

Paul tells the other Christians who were gathered together, about his Missionary journeys. AFTER PAUL AND Barnabas had returned from their missionary trip, some visitors came to the church at Antioch from Jerusalem. These men were Jews, and they had never yet understood how Gentiles can be saved the same as Jews, without obeying the commands that Moses had given to the Israelites. We remember that the law which God gave Moses to write in a book was intended for the Israelites, or Jews, only. The Gentiles had never kept the law, and many of them knew nothing about its teachings. This law had no power to save the people who obeyed it; the purpose of it was to separate people who worshiped God from those who worshiped idols. Without the law the Jews would have been as ignorant of the true God as were the Gentiles, while with it they could prepare themselves to receive the Messiah, whom God had promised to send into the world, for many passages in it spoke of him. These visitors from Jerusalem looked unkindly upon the Gentile believers and said, Except you keep the law of Moses just as we do you can not be saved." Paul and Barnabas had been among many Gentile Christians, and they had seen how these people received the Holy Spirit the same as did the Jews though they knew little of nothing about Moses' law. So these missionaries told the men from Jerusalem that they were mistaken, for Gentiles could be saved without keeping the law. This question was a serious one with every person who had been a strict Jew. A vision on the housetop was necessary in order to show Peter that Gentiles might be saved as well as Jews. And there were many other strict Jews who had seen no housetop visions. These were the Jews who troubled the Gentile believers. Finally it was decided by the church in Antioch that Paul and Barnabas should go, with certain other teachers, to visit the apostles in Jerusalem and talk with them about this matter. So the company started out, and as they went they visited other churches along the way and told about the success of the first missionary journey in far-off lands. And everywhere the disciples rejoiced to hear how God had blessed the Gentiles who believed in him. In Jerusalem the brethren from Antioch were received kindly by the apostles and the other teachers in the church. And soon they told why they had come. When their errand was made known, some of the teachers who, like Paul, had been strict Pharisees before they believed in Jesus, rose to talk. These men had not, like Paul, seen that believers in the true God and in his Son, Jesus, no longer needed to keep the law of Moses. They did not understand Jesus' teaching, that true religion shows itself in a pure life, and that people who know nothing about Moses' law can live pure and holy without keeping that law as did the Jews. Peter listened with the other apostles and with the visitors from Antioch to the speech of these Pharisees who believed in Jesus. When they had finished, others talked, and finally Peter told about his experience at Cornelius' home, in Caesarea, where many Gentiles received the gospel and were baptized. Then Barnabas and Paul told of their long journey in Gentile countries, where many turned from idol-worship to believe in the true God and in his Son, Jesus. James, the brother of Jesus, stood up as the last speaker, and every one listened quietly for they knew he had received wisdom from God to speak to them. He urged them to cease troubling the Gentile Christians about the keeping of Moses' law. He said, however, that they might write a letter to the Gentile believers, telling them to be careful not to do certain things which they had always done while they were worshiping idols. James's advice pleased all the assembly, and the apostles and teachers in the church at Jerusalem decided to write such a letter and send it by Paul and Barnabas to the Gentile Christians in Antioch. This they did, and they also sent two of their own preachers, men named Judas and Silas, with the missionaries. A large audience of eager-faced people greeted the company when it arrived from Jerusalem. And they listened carefully to the reading of the letter that the apostles had written and sent by these men. When they heard that they would not be demanded to live like the Jews in order to please God, they rejoiced greatly. And they continued to worship God with pure hearts, obeying the teachings of the gospel. Judas and Silas, the men who came with Barnabas and Paul, spoke encouraging words to the believers, and urged them to cling to their faith in Jesus. Then, after certain days, Judas bade them good-by and returned again to Jerusalem. But Silas chose to remain with the church in Antioch. Tomorrow: The Second Missionary Journey

How Idol-Worshipers in Lystra Treated Barnabas and Paul

How Idol-Worshipers in Lystra Treated Barnabas and Paul Acts 14:8-28

Paul cures a lame man at Lystra. THE PEOPLE OF Lystra were idol-worshipers. Never before had they heard the story of the gospel and many of them did not know about the true God of all the earth. When Barnabas and Paul began to preach the gospel in the streets, their words sounded strange to these heathen people. They paid little heed to the preaching until after they had seen the wonderful miracle which Paul performed upon a cripple. A helpless cripple sat near by listening intently while Paul was preaching about Jesus, and when Paul noticed him he knew the poor man had faith to be healed. He looked on the man and cried with a loud voice, "Stand upon your feet!" With a leap the cripple rose to his feet and began to walk about like a well person. And the people were amazed, for they had never seen such a miracle before. Now they crowded round to look in wonder upon the missionaries, and they talked rapidly in their own language, saying, "The gods have come down to us in the form of men!" Paul and Barnabas could not understand what they were saying, for they used the speech of their own country instead of the Greek language which Paul had been using while he preached to them. Excitement seemed to increase all the while, and presently Paul and Barnabas saw the men leading oxen to sacrifice, and bringing wreaths of flowers with which to decorate their visitors. Then the missionaries knew these heathen people had supposed they were gods come down to earth, and were preparing to offer sacrifices to them. The Greeks worshiped two gods called Jupiter and Mercury, and the people of Lystra worshiped those gods, too. Now, they believed that Barnabas was Jupiter, and that Paul was Mercurius. And they called their priests from the temple of the gods to come and offer sacrifices to these men. A feeling of horror came over Barnabas and Paul when they knew this. They rushed among the crowded throng and tore their clothes, crying out, "Sirs, why are you doing this? We also are men, like you are, and we have come to preach that you should turn away from idols to serve the living God who made the heavens, the earth, and all things. It is this living God we preach, who gives us rain from heaven, and who causes our food to grow in the fields." At first the people would not listen to Paul and Barnabas, but finally they were persuaded to cease from their purpose. Although they understood the Greek language, they did not understand about the true God, for their minds were filled with thoughts of idol-worship. Only a few who lived in that city received the gospel gladly and were saved. When the missionaries had been in Lystra for some time, the wicked Jews in Iconium heard that they were preaching about Christ to the idol-worshipers in this city. So they sent men to Lystra to tell untrue things about the missionaries. Many of the people believed these false words and caught Paul and threw stones at him until he fell down as if he were dead. They seized this bleeding body and dragged it outside their city, then returned to their homes again. But the believers stood about Paul's body, weeping. Presently they saw it move, and they knew their dear friend was not really dead. Soon Paul rose up and walked with them back to the city. On the next day he and Barnabas went away to another place, called Derbe, and here they preached the gospel just as courageously as before Paul had been stoned. After spending some time in Derbe, and seeing many people turn to the Lord, the missionaries bade them good-by and started on their homeward journey. As they went they visited the same places where they had been before, and spoke encouraging words to those who believed in Jesus. Finally they came back to Antioch, in Syria, the place from which they had started on this missionary journey. Here they met with the church and told how God had blessed his word as they preached to the Gentiles in far-away cities. They told about the believers in those cities who were worshiping the true God and honoring Jesus as the Son of God. And the disciples in Antioch rejoiced to hear these good tidings. Tomorrow: A Puzzling Question, and How it was Answered

The First Missionaries in the Early Church

Monday, March 19, 2012

The First Missionaries in the Early Church Acts 13:1 to Acts 14:7

Paul begins his first missionary journey. THE CHURCH IN Antioch grew in numbers until there were many who were called Christians in that city. And God caused the teachers in the church to understand that the time had come when Barnabas and Saul (who from the time of this journey was called Paul, by which name we shall hereafter know him) should begin the great work of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, not in cities where other disciples lived, but in far-away countries where few people understood about the true God. And so it was that these two men, taking with them John Mark, the young disciple from Jerusalem, started on their first missionary journey. The Island of Cyprus, lying in the Great Sea, was the first stopping-place of these missionaries. There they visited two cities, called Salamis and Paphos, and preached Christ. While they were preaching in the latter city the Roman governor who lived there sent for them. This governor, Sergius Paulus by name, desired to hear the word of God and listened carefully while the missionaries talked to him. He was almost ready to believe that Jesus is indeed the Christ, when a wicked man began to talk to him and warn him against the missionaries. Just as the Holy Spirit gave wisdom to Peter, causing him to know when Ananias and Sapphira were trying to deceive him, so now the Holy Spirit caused Paul to know the evil purpose of this wicked man. And with great boldness Paul spoke to him, saying, "Child of the evil one, and enemy of all righteousness, will you never cease trying to oppose the right way of the Lord! Because of your wickedness the hand of God is laid upon you now and you shall be made blind for a certain time, not seeing the light of day." As soon as Paul had spoken the man became blind, so that he could not see which way to go, and he called for some one to lead him by the hand. When the governor, Sergius Paulus, saw what had happened he was astonished, and at once he believed in the power of God and in the name of Jesus, his Son. After the Roman governor believed in Christ, the missionaries went on their way, taking ship for the city of Perga, in the country of Asia Minor. Here John Mark left them and returned to his home in Jerusalem, while Barnabas and Paul journeyed on to another city called Antioch. In this Antioch they found a Jewish synagog, so they came on the Sabbath day to talk with the Jews who worshiped there. The rulers of the synagog, seeing they were strangers, invited them to speak, and Paul began to tell them the gospel story. When he had finished, the Jews left the synagog, and many of them were not pleased with his words. But some Gentiles had been listening, and they came to the missionaries and urged them to continue preaching the good news of salvation from sin. Some Jews also were friendly, and they, with the Gentiles, followed Barnabas and Paul, desiring to hear more about the gospel. On the next Sabbath-day a great company of both Jews and Gentiles met to hear the missionaries tell of Jesus. But the Jewish leaders were filled with thoughts of envy when they saw how eager the Gentiles were to listen to these men and they began to speak unkindly about the missionaries, trying to turn the people away from them. Paul and Barnabas knew of their evil thoughts, and they said, '"It was necessary that the word of God should have been spoken first to you; but we see that you will not believe, for you do not count yourselves fit to receive everlasting life through Jesus. Now we will turn from you and preach to the Gentiles, who are eager to hear our message. For God has commanded us to bear the light of salvation to the Gentiles, even in the farthest places in the world." When the Gentiles heard these words they were glad, and many of them afterwards became believers in Jesus. So a church was raised up in this Antioch, and the missionaries taught the believers more about God's words. But the Jews were not content to let these teachers worship in peace with the Gentile believers. They stirred up a bitter feeling in the hearts of the city rulers toward Barnabas and Paul, and started persecuting them. Then they commanded them to leave the city, calling them trouble-makers and other unkind names. But the missionaries knew they were doing only what was right and pleasing to God, so they went on their way joyfully; for the Holy Spirit comforted them when they were being persecuted. Their next stopping-place was in the city of Iconium. Here a great company of both Jews and Gentiles believed in Jesus, and were saved. For a long time the missionaries stayed here preaching the gospel. But there were enemies in this city also. Some Jews who did not believe talked to their Gentile neighbors and told them untruthful things about the missionaries. These false stories caused the Gentiles to dislike Barnabas and Paul, and the feeling of dislike grew until finally the enemies planned to stone the missionaries just as Stephen had been stoned at Jerusalem. Barnabas and Paul heard about the wicked purpose of their persecutors, and they fled from the city, going to another town, called Lystra, to preach the gospel there also. Tomorrow: How Idol-Worshipers in Lystra Treated Barnabas and Paul

The Church at Antioch - Where Believers Were First Called Christians

Sunday, March 18, 2012

The Church at Antioch - Where Believers Were First Called Christians Acts 11:19-30

Certain men come from Jerusalem to visit the church at Antioch. WITH THE PERSECUTION that came to the early church after the death of Stephen, men and women fled from Jerusalem to other cities and even to neighboring countries. And everywhere they went they preached about Jesus to the Jews whom they met. Far to the north of Jerusalem, in the country of Syria, was a large city called Antioch. Some of the believers went to this city and preached Jesus to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews. And many of the listeners were convinced that Jesus is the Christ, so they believed in him as their Savior. Others, mockingly, called them "Christians," because they believed in Christ. In those long-ago days news could not travel so fast as now, and much time passed by before the church in Jerusalem heard about the Gentile believers in this large city of Syria. When they did hear they at once planned to send some one of their number to visit this Gentile church and help those who were preaching the gospel. They chose Barnabas, the kind-hearted man who had befriended Saul when all the other disciples were afraid of him. This Barnabas they sent to visit Antioch. After many days he came to the Syrian city and met the believers there. And when he saw how wonderfully God had saved that large company of heathen Gentiles who came to believe in Jesus, he was glad. He urged them to cling to this new faith, even though they might have to suffer persecution. And as he preached to them, others, who came to listen to this stranger from Jerusalem, became interested and finally trusted in Jesus as their Savior, too. When Barnabas saw that the Gentile church was growing into a vast company of people, he longed to have more helpers. Then he remembered the young man named Saul whom he had befriended at Jerusalem. He knew that Saul was called of God to preach to the Gentiles, and that he had gone from Jerusalem to his home city. That city, called Tarsus, was not far from Antioch, so Barnabas decided to hunt for Saul and ask him to come to Antioch to preach there to the Gentiles. Saul was glad to see Barnabas again, and he consented to go with him to Antioch. For a whole year they lived together in this Gentile city, preaching the gospel and encouraging those who believed in Jesus. Then certain men came from Jerusalem to visit the church. These visitors were men whom God caused to understand what would happen in the future. They told the church at Antioch that a famine was coming in all the lands, when food would be scarce and many would suffer because they had nothing to eat. Not long afterwards this came to pass, and the church in Antioch heard that their fellow believers in Judea were in need. They planned to send help to them. Each man gave an offering, as much as he could spare, and the whole amount was put together. Then the church chose Barnabas and Saul to carry this offering to the saints at Jerusalem. Mary, the widowed mother of John Mark, at whose home the midnight prayer-meeting was held, was a relative of Barnabas, and these visitors from Antioch were doubtless entertained in her home. When their errand was finished and they made ready to return again to Antioch, they invited John Mark to go with them. And because this young man wished to work for the Lord he gladly bade his friends good-by and joined his uncle, Barnabas, and Saul. In later years this young man became very useful as a helper to those who preached the gospel in heathen lands. And finally he wrote the "Gospel According to Mark." Tomorrow: The First Missionaries in the Early Church