of Egypt or of the parts of Africa towards Cyrene. Others are visitors from Rome –being either Jews or converts from heathenism– and others are Cretans or Arabians.
»Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you scour sea and land in order to win one convert–and when he is gained, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves.«
But some of them were Cyprians and Cyrenaeans, who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks also and told them the Good News concerning the Lord Jesus.
Now there were in Antioch, in the Church there –as Prophets and teachers– barnabas, Symeon surnamed `the black,' Lucius the Cyrenaean, Manaen (who was Herod the Tetrarch's foster-brother), and Saul.
And, when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and of the devout converts from heathenism continued with Paul and Barnabas, who talked to them and urged them to hold fast to the grace of God.
Then Paul and his companions passed through Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Message in the province of Asia.
Here he found a Jew, a native of Pontus, of the name of Aquila. He and his wife Priscilla had recently come from Italy because of Claudius's edict expelling all the Jews from Rome. So Paul paid them a visit;
The following night the Lord came and stood at Paul's side, and said, »Be of good courage, for as you have borne faithful witness about me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.«
Meanwhile the brethren there, hearing of our movements, came as far as the Market of Appius and the Three Huts to meet us; and when Paul saw them he thanked God and felt encouraged.
The suggestion met with general approval, and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch.
But some members of the so-called `Synagogue of the Freed-men,' together with some Cyrenaeans, Alexandrians, Cilicians and men from Roman Asia, were roused to encounter Stephen in debate.
To all God's loved ones who are in Rome, called to be saints. May grace and peace be granted to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
And their dead bodies are to lie in the broad street of the great city which spiritually is designated `Sodom' and `Egypt,' where indeed their Lord was crucified.