and they took with them the following letter: »The Apostles and the elder brethren send greeting to the Gentile brethren throughout Antioch, Syria and Cilicia.
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.
»I am a Jew,« replied Paul, »belonging to Tarsus in Cilicia, and am a citizen of no unimportant city. Give me leave, I pray you, to speak to the people.«
»I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I was carefully trained at the feet of Gamaliel in the Law of our forefathers, and, like all of you to-day, was zealous for God.«
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.