SIMPLIFIED STORY FOR BEGINNERS Eng

S I M P L I F I E D S TO R Y F O R B E G I N N E R S
1 – An Earthquake at Dawn
(Matthew 27:62 – 28:15)
W hen Jesus died on the cross, He was buried in a tomb made of rock.
The entrance was covered by a huge stone and Roman soldiers stood
guard outside. This happened on a Friday.
Three days later, very early on Sunday morning, there was a strong
earthquake. An angel in shining white clothes came down from heaven. The angel
rolled away the heavy stone to show that the tomb was now empty! The guards
were so scared that they fainted.
Some women who believed in Jesus came to visit His tomb. They saw that it
was open and that an angel was sitting on the stone. They were surprised and
scared.
But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Jesus is not here—He is risen, just as
He said He would! Come and look at where He used to lay. Then go and tell His
disciples what had happened.” So, the women obeyed.
Then the guards woke up and went to the chief priests to tell them what they
had seen. The chief priests paid the guards to lie about what happened. So the
guards told the people that Jesus’ disciples had stolen His body while the soldiers
were asleep.
Shortened Memory Verse:

He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead. Matthew 28:6a nlt
2 – The Man in the Garden

(Luke 24:10-12; John 20:1-18)
M ary Magdalene was one of Jesus’ followers. When the Lord Jesus
died, she was very sad. She watched as He was buried in a tomb
inside a garden. On Sunday morning, she visited the tomb with the
other women. But it was open and Jesus’ body was no longer there!
Mary stood outside the entrance and cried. She looked into the tomb and
saw two angels sitting there. They asked her, “Why are you crying?” And she
answered, “Because they have taken away my Lord and I don’t know where they
put Him!”
Then Mary turned and saw a man standing behind her. He asked her, “Why are
you crying?” She thought he was the gardener. So, she said, “Sir, please tell me
where you put Him, and I will go and get Him.”
Then the man said, “Mary!” And Mary realized that it was Jesus! She said,
“Teacher!”
Jesus told her, “Go and tell My disciples that I am returning to My Father.” And
Mary obeyed Him.

“Your sadness will turn into gladness.” John 16:20b
3 – The Traveler on the Road

(Luke 24:13-35)
O n the day that Jesus’ tomb was found empty, two of His followers left
Jerusalem and walked to Emmaus. They had a long way to go, and as
they walked, they talked about Jesus. They were very sad.
Another traveler joined them and asked what they were talking about. The two
men answered that they were talking about Jesus. They had been hoping that He
would be the Savior of Israel, but their leaders had killed Him. And now His body
was missing from the tomb!
The newcomer said, “But that is what the Scriptures say would happen to the
Messiah! It is written that He would first suffer and die!” And he explained to
them what the Scriptures had to say about Jesus Christ.
When they arrived at Emmaus, the two men invited their new friend to stay in
their house. While they were having dinner, their guest took the bread and blessed
it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, they recognized him—it was
Jesus Himself ! But He disappeared.
The two men were so excited that they returned at once to Jerusalem! They
found the 11 disciples and the other followers of Jesus gathered together. And they
told them that they had seen the Lord.
Memory Verse:
“This is what is written: the Messiah must suffer and must rise from death three
days later.” Luke 24:46
4 – The Locked Room

(Luke 24:36-49; John 20:19-29)
J esus’ followers were gathered together inside a house. The door was locked
because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. But Jesus suddenly appeared
among them!
The followers were surprised and scared—they thought He was a ghost! But
Jesus told them, “Look at My hands and feet; touch Me and feel that I am real.”
Then Jesus explained to them that He had done what the Scriptures say about the
Messiah. He helped them to understand what was written about Him.
One of Jesus’ 12 disciples, Thomas, was not there on that day. The other
disciples told him, “Thomas, we have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “I will
not believe you unless I can see the nail scars on His hands and touch them with
my finger, and unless I can put my hand in His side where He was pierced by a
spear.”
Eight days later, Jesus appeared to His disciples again. This time, Thomas was
there. Jesus told him, “Put your finger here and look at My hands; put your hand
in My side. Stop doubting and believe!”
Thomas said, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Do you believe now
because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who believe even without seeing Me.”

Then Jesus told him, “Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
John 20:29 nlt
5 – The Stranger on the Shore

( John 21:1-23)
S imon Peter, John, and five other disciples went fishing in the Lake of
Galilee. They fished all night but they caught nothing. At sunrise, a man
stood on the shore and called out to them, “Have you caught anything?”
When they said no, the man told them, “Throw your net into the water on the
right side of the boat and you will catch fish.”
They obeyed his instruction and caught so many large fish that they could not
pull up the heavy net! When John saw this, he said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Peter
jumped into the water and swam to shore ahead of the boat!
When the disciples reached the shore, they found Jesus roasting bread and fish.
Jesus said, “Come and have breakfast!” So, they all ate together.
After breakfast, Jesus talked to Simon Peter. He said, “Simon, do you love Me?”
And Peter replied, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Take
care of My sheep.”
Memory Verse:
“If you love me, you will obey my commandments.” John 14:15
6 – The Leave-taking
(Luke 24:48-53; Acts 1; 1 Corinthians 15:6)
J esus showed Himself again to His followers. This time, there were more than
500 of them who saw Him at the same time! All of them can truthfully say
that He has risen from the dead.
Then Jesus appeared once more to His disciples and led them up the Mount of
Olives. He told them, “Wait in the city until I send you the Holy Spirit. He will fill
you with power and you will be witnesses for Me to the ends of the earth.”
Jesus blessed them and went up to heaven. They watched Him go until He was
hidden by a cloud. Then two angels wearing white clothes appeared beside them.
The angels said, “Why are you standing there, looking up at the sky? Jesus will
come back in the same way you saw Him go up to heaven.”
The disciples worshiped Jesus and returned to Jerusalem. They gathered in a
room on the second floor of a house. Jesus’ mother, Mary, and His brothers and
sisters were with them.
But Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed Jesus, was no longer there. He had
hanged himself. The disciples needed someone to take Judas’ place as one of the
12 apostles. So they prayed to God and cast lots, and a man named Matthias was
chosen.

“Jesus . . . will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” Acts 1:11b nlt
7 – Power from Above

(Acts 2:1-21)
J esus’ followers stayed in Jerusalem and waited for the coming of the Holy
Spirit. It happened on the day of Pentecost, which is the Jewish harvest
festival. The disciples heard a noise from the sky that sounded like a strong
wind blowing. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire! The tongues of
fire spread out and touched each of them. The Holy Spirit had come!
The disciples were filled with power. The Holy Spirit gave them the ability
to speak in different languages. Many Jews were in Jerusalem at that time to
celebrate the harvest festival. These people came from many different countries
and spoke different languages. They were surprised to hear Jesus’ followers
speaking in their languages! They heard them talking about the great things God
has done!
The people were excited and confused! They asked each other, “What does
this mean?” So Peter and the other 11 apostles stood up and spoke in a loud voice.
They said, “This is a prophecy that has come true! The prophecy says that God
will pour out His Spirit on men and women, and they will announce His message.
Everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved!”

“But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you
will be witnesses for me.” Acts 1:8b
8 – The Founding of the Church

(Acts 2:22-47)
O n the day of Pentecost, a huge crowd gathered around Jesus’ disciples.

Peter preached to them about Jesus. He said, “Long ago, God already
planned that Jesus would be handed over to you. You killed Him
by letting wicked men crucify Him. But God raised Him back to life. We are
witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection. He is now in the place of honor at the right side
of God. And we are telling you today that this Jesus, whom you crucified, is the
Lord and Messiah!”
When the people heard this, they became very sad. They asked Peter and the
other apostles, “What should we do?”
Peter answered, “Turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of
Jesus so your sins will be forgiven and you will receive the Holy Spirit.”
On that day, 3,000 people believed in Jesus and became part of the church.
The new believers spent a lot of time together. They learned about Jesus from the
apostles, they observed the Lord’s Supper, they had fellowship, and they prayed
together. Every day, they went to the Temple to praise God, and they ate together
in their homes. They shared what they had and treated each other like family. And
every day, the Lord added to the church new believers in Jesus.

You are now. . . members of the family of God. Ephesians 2:19b
9 – Better than Gold or Silver

(Acts 3:1 – 4:31)
O ne day, Peter and John went to the Temple to pray. At the Temple gate
called Beautiful, they saw a man begging for alms. This man had been
lame from birth.
When the lame man saw Peter and John, he asked them for alms. But Peter
said to him, “We have no silver or gold, but we will give you what we do have. In
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I command you to get up and walk!”
Peter helped the man to get up. The man’s legs and ankles became strong. He
began to walk! When Peter and John entered the Temple, he went in with them.
He was walking and leaping and praising God!
The people in the Temple recognized him as the lame beggar who sat at the
gate. They were surprised to see him walking! They ran over to where he stood
with Peter and John. Peter said to the crowd, “Do you think we were the ones who
healed this man? It was the power of Jesus’ name!”
Peter and John shared the Good News about Jesus to the listening crowd. Many
who heard their message believed in Jesus. The number of believers grew to about
5,000!
Memory Verse:
“It was faith in Jesus that has made him well.” Acts 3:16c
10 – Lies and Punishment

(Acts 4:32 – 5:11)
G
od blessed the believers with deep brotherly love for each other. They
shared everything they had with one another so nobody lacked anything.
Those who owned houses or fields sold their property and gave the money
to the apostles. The apostles gave the money to believers who needed it.
There was one believer who became known for being helpful and generous.
They called him “Barnabas” which means “Encourager.” Barnabas sold a field he
owned and gave the money to the apostles.
Then a man named Ananias also sold his property. He kept some of the money
for himself and gave the rest to the apostles. But he told them that he was giving
the full amount from the sale of his land! His wife Sapphira knew all about it, too.
Peter told Ananias, “Why have you lied to the Holy Spirit? You’re not trying to
fool people—you’re trying to fool God!” When he heard this, Ananias fell down and
died on the spot!
Later, his wife Sapphira came in; she did not know what had happened to
her husband. Peter asked her, “Is this the full amount that you received for your
land?” And she answered, “Yes, it is.” Then Sapphira also fell down and died!

So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth. Ephesians 4:25 nlt
11 – The Empty Prison Cell

(Acts 5:12-42)
T he apostles did many miracles. They healed those who were sick and
possessed by evil spirits.
The high priest and other Jewish leaders were jealous of the apostles. They
arrested them and put them in jail. But that night, an angel of the Lord opened the
prison doors. The angel told the apostles, “Stand in the Temple and tell everyone
about this new life.” So the apostles went into the Temple at dawn and began to
teach the people about Jesus.
The high priest and other Jewish leaders sent officers to fetch the apostles
from prison. But the jail was empty! Then somebody told them that the apostles
were teaching in the Temple.
When the apostles were brought before the leaders, the high priest said to
them, “We strictly commanded you not to teach in the name of this man. And
yet you are spreading your teaching all over Jerusalem!” But Peter and the other
apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
The Jewish leaders were very angry. They beat the apostles and ordered
them never again to speak about Jesus. But the apostles were happy because God
allowed them to suffer for Jesus’ sake. Every day after that, they continued to
preach the Good News that Jesus is the Messiah (Savior).
Memory Verse:
“We must obey God, not men.” Acts 5:29b
12 – A G limpse of Heaven
(Acts 6 – 7)
S tephen was a follower of Jesus who was full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.
He was one of seven men who were chosen by the apostles to help them
take care of the believers in the church.
Stephen did many miracles. But some Jews opposed him and argued with him.
When they could not defeat him in a debate because the Holy Spirit made him very
wise, they told lies about him. Stephen was arrested and brought before the Jewish
Council.
The high priest asked Stephen if the complaints against him were true.
Stephen replied that just as their ancestors had killed God’s messengers in the
past, the Jewish leaders had murdered Jesus. This made the Council very angry!
Then Stephen looked up and said, “I see heaven opened and the Son of Man
( Jesus) standing at the right side of God!” The Council members were so angry
that they dragged Stephen out of the city and began throwing stones at him!
Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” He knelt down and cried,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And then he died.
Memory Verse:
If we share Christ’s suffering, we will also share his glory. Romans 8:17b
13 – The Scattering
(Acts 8:1-25; 26:9-11; Philippians 3:5-6)
A fter Stephen died, the Jewish leaders started persecuting the church
in Jerusalem. (To persecute means to bully or make somebody suffer.)
One of these leaders was named Saul of Tarsus. He was a Jew who was
very strict about observing the Jewish religion. He firmly believed that it was his
duty to stop the believers from telling others about Jesus.
Saul went to the believers’ homes, arrested them, and dragged them off to jail.
He had them punished when he found them in the synagogues. And in the court,
he voted that they should be killed.
The persecution was so harsh that many believers left Jerusalem and scattered
to different places. But wherever they went, they continued to share the Good
News! So instead of being stopped, the Good News about Jesus spread further and
more people came to believe in Him!
Philip, one of Stephen’s companions, also left Jerusalem and went to Samaria.
He preached that Jesus is the Messiah (Savior). He did many miracles in Jesus’
name: he healed those who were sick and set free those who were possessed
by evil spirits. Because of this, there was great joy in Samaria. Many of the
Samaritans believed in Jesus and became His followers, too!
Memory Verse:
The believers who were scattered went everywhere, preaching the message.
Acts 8:4
14 – The Queen ’s Treasure-Keeper

(Acts 8:26-40)
A n angel of the Lord told Philip, “Go to the road that goes from
Jerusalem to Gaza.” Philip obeyed, and when he got there, he saw
a man riding a carriage. This man was from Ethiopia, a country in
Africa. He was an important official who was in charge of the queen’s treasures.
He had gone to Jerusalem to worship God and was now on his way home.
The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Stay close to that chariot.” So, Philip ran to
catch up with the carriage. When he got near, he heard the man reading from the
book of the prophet Isaiah. He asked the man, “Do you understand what you are
reading?”
The Ethiopian official invited Philip to sit in his carriage and showed him what
he was reading. It was the part of the book that talked about how Jesus would
suffer and die. Philip used this to share the Good News with the official.
As they rode along, they came to a place where there was water. The official
asked Philip, “May I be baptized?” So, they got down and Philip baptized the man.
When they came out of the water, the Holy Spirit suddenly took Philip
away! The Ethiopian official never saw him again but he went home full of joy.
Meanwhile, Philip found himself in another place, and he continued to preach the
Good News in every town he passed.

Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples. Matthew 28:19
15 – An Unexpected Twist
(Acts 9:1-11; 22:6-11; 26:12-18)
S aul traveled to Damascus, a city in Syria, to arrest the followers of Jesus

who had escaped there. He planned to put them in chains and bring them
back to Jerusalem.
But as Saul and his friends were coming near the city, something happened
that changed all of his plans! An intense light, brighter than the sun, suddenly
flashed from the sky and shone around them. They all fell to the ground, and Saul
heard a voice speaking to him: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Saul asked, “Who are You, Lord?”
And the voice answered, “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. I
have appeared to you to appoint you as My servant. Get up and go into Damascus,
and there you will be told of what you must do.”
When Saul got up, he could no longer see anything! The bright light had
blinded him. His friends took him by the hand and led him into the city. There, he
stayed at the house of a man named Judas, who lived on Straight Street. For three
days, he did not eat or drink anything, but spent his time praying.

I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit. John 15:16a
16 – From Tormentor to Defender

(Acts 9:10-24)
I n Damascus, there lived a follower of Jesus named Ananias. The Lord Jesus
spoke to him in a vision. He told Ananias to lay his hands on Saul so that he
might see again.
But Ananias answered, “Lord, this man has done terrible things to Your
followers in Jerusalem! And now he is here in Damascus to arrest all who worship
You!”
But the Lord Jesus said, “Go, because I have chosen this man to serve Me. He
will take My message to the Gentiles, and to kings, and to the people of Israel.”
So, Ananias obeyed the Lord. He went to the house where Saul was staying and
placed his hands on him. He said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus sent me here so
that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Immediately, something like fish scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he was able to
see again! He got up and was baptized as a follower of Jesus. Then he ate a meal
and his strength came back. He went at once to the synagogues and preached that
Jesus is the Son of God!
All who heard him were surprised! They asked, “Isn’t this the man who was
killing those who worshiped Jesus? And didn’t he come here to arrest them?”
But Saul went on preaching, and his message became even more powerful.
The Jews who lived in Damascus could not argue with him! So, they plotted to kill
Saul. They watched the city gates day and night, waiting for him to come out. But
one night, some of the believers helped Saul escape: they lowered him in a basket
through an opening in the wall. Then Saul returned to Jerusalem.

Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being. 2 Corinthians 5:17a
17 – Waking the Dead

(Acts 9:26-43)
T he church now enjoyed a time of peace. Its members spread all over
Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. During this time, the Apostle Peter visited
the town of Lydda. There, he met a man named Aeneas who had been
paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ
heals you. Get up and make your bed.” At once, Aeneas was able to get up! All
the people who lived in Lydda saw that Aeneas was well, and they believed in
Jesus, too.
Meanwhile, in a nearby town called Joppa, there was a woman named Tabitha
(or Dorcas in Greek). She was a follower of Jesus. She spent all her time doing
good works and helping the needy. Then Tabitha got sick and died. The believers
in Joppa hurriedly sent men to Lydda to fetch the Apostle Peter.
When Peter arrived, all the widows whom Tabitha had helped were weeping.
They showed him the clothes that Tabitha had made for them. Peter made them
all leave the room. He knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the body and
said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes and sat up. Peter helped her to get up.
Then he called all the believers and presented Tabitha to them—alive! This miracle
was told over and over again, until it became known throughout Joppa. As a result,
many people came to believe in Jesus.

He had faith in God, who raises the dead to life. Romans 4:17b cev
18 – Breaking the Barrier

(Acts 10:1-44)
I n the city of Caesarea, there lived a Roman captain named Cornelius. He and
his whole family worshiped God. He gave a lot to help the poor and often
prayed to God.
One day, as Cornelius was praying inside his house, he saw an angel of God
in a vision. The angel told him, “Cornelius, God is pleased with your prayers and
your gifts to the needy. Send some men to Joppa to fetch a man named Peter. He is
staying in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives beside the sea.” So, Cornelius
sent three men to Joppa.
The Apostle Peter was praying on the rooftop (houses in Israel had flat roofs).
He had a vision in which he saw what looked like a large sheet coming down from
heaven, held up by its four corners. Inside this sheet were all kinds of animals,
reptiles, and birds. He heard a voice telling him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.”
Peter said, “Lord, I have never eaten anything called unclean by Jewish law!”
But the voice said to him, “Do not call something unclean if God has made it
clean.”
As Peter was wondering what the vision meant, the Holy Spirit said to him,
“Three men are looking for you. Go with them, because I have sent them.” So,
Peter went down and talked to the men Cornelius had sent. He and some believers
from Joppa went with the men to Caesarea.
When they arrived at Cornelius’s house, it was full of people because Cornelius
had invited his relatives and close friends to come over. In those days, Jews did
not mix with Gentiles (non-Jewish people). But Peter had realized the meaning
of his vision: that God loves people no matter what race they belong to. So Peter
preached about Jesus in Cornelius’s home. While he was still speaking, the Holy
Spirit came down on those who were listening to his message! Cornelius and his
family and friends became believers in Jesus, too!

For Christ himself has brought us peace by making Jews and Gentiles one people.
Ephesians 2:14a
19 – The Church at Antioch

(Acts 10:45 – 11:30)
T he Jewish believers from Joppa were surprised. They had not thought
that God would also give the Holy Spirit to Gentiles! They heard the
new believers in Jesus speaking in foreign languages and praising God’s
greatness. Cornelius and his family were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
When Peter came back to Jerusalem, some of the other apostles and believers
scolded him. “You stayed in the house of Gentiles, and you even ate with them!”
they said. But Peter told them about the vision God gave him in Joppa and why
he came to visit Cornelius. He told them how the Holy Spirit had come down on
the Gentiles as he was preaching the Good News. When they heard Peter’s report,
they stopped blaming Peter and praised God instead. “So, God has also given the
Gentiles a chance to repent and receive eternal life!” they exclaimed.
The church in Jerusalem received another report about Gentiles who had
become followers of Jesus in Antioch, a city in Syria. So they sent Barnabas
to Antioch. Barnabas saw how God had blessed the new believers, and he was
very glad. God used him to bring more people to Jesus. A church was formed in
Antioch!
Then Barnabas looked for Saul and brought him to Antioch. They stayed
with the believers there for a whole year and taught many of them. And it was in
Antioch that the followers of Jesus Christ were first called “Christians.”
Memory Verse:
It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians. Acts 11:26b

20 – Rescued by an Angel
(Acts 12:1-17)
T he ruler of Judea during that time was Herod Agrippa. Herod began to
persecute the church to please the Jews who hated those who believed
in Jesus. First, he had the Apostle James killed. Then he had the Apostle
Peter arrested, too! He put him in prison and assigned 16 guards to watch him.
Peter was chained to two of the guards.
The Christians gathered in a house and prayed earnestly to God for Peter.
On the night before Peter’s trial, he was fast asleep between his two guards.
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared inside the prison cell! The angel woke
Peter and told him to get up. At once, the chains that bound Peter to the guards
fell off his hands. The angel told Peter to put on his coat and sandals and follow
him.
Peter thought he was just dreaming. He obediently went with the angel.
They passed by two guard posts until they came to the prison gate. The gate
automatically opened for them, and they went out and kept walking. Then the
angel disappeared and Peter realized that everything was real!
Peter went to the house where his fellow Christians were still praying for him.
He knocked on the gate until they opened it. They were so surprised to see him!
Peter explained how the Lord had set him free from prison. He asked them to
tell the rest of the believers what had happened. Then Peter went away.
Memory Verse:
His angel guards those who honor the Lord and rescues them from danger.
Psalm 34:7
21 – The Sorcerer
(Acts 11:27-30; 12:18 – 13:12)
O ne day, as the Christians in Antioch were worshiping the Lord, the Holy
Spirit spoke to them. He said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul to
do the work which I have called them to do.” So, the believers placed
their hands on these two men and sent them off as missionaries.
Barnabas and Saul sailed to the island of Cyprus. They preached the Word of
God to the Jews in the synagogues. A young man named John Mark went with
them as their assistant. When they reached Paphos on the far end of the island,
they met a sorcerer named Elymas. This man was a Jew who was claiming to be a
prophet. He was a friend of Sergius Paulus, the governor of Cyprus.
The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him because he wanted to hear
God’s message. Elymas opposed the missionaries and tried to keep the governor
from believing in Jesus. But, Saul, who was also called Paul (his Greek name), was
led by the Holy Spirit to stop the sorcerer. Paul looked straight at Elymas and said,
“You keep trying to turn the Lord’s truth into lies! The Lord will punish you and
you will become blind for a time.”
At once, Elymas became blind! When the governor saw this, he believed in
Jesus, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
Memory Verse:
“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21b niv
22 – The First Missionary Journey

(Acts 13:13 – 14:19)
P aul and Barnabas continued to preach the Good News in other cities.
They came to Lystra, where the people worshiped the Greek gods. As
Paul preached to a big crowd, he saw a man who had been born with
crippled feet. This man had never been able to walk. The man listened carefully
to the message. Paul saw that the man had faith, so he said to him in a loud
voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” The man jumped up and started walking
around! When the people of Lystra saw this, they thought that Paul and Barnabas
were their gods Zeus and Hermes. They shouted in their own language, “The
gods have taken human form and visited us!”
The priest of Zeus brought bulls and garlands of flowers to the city gates. He
and the people wanted to offer these to the missionaries as sacrifice!
When Paul and Barnabas realized this, they ran into the middle of the crowd
and tried to stop them. “We are only human beings like you!” they shouted. “We
are here to tell you the Good News so that you would turn away from false gods
and worship the living God who made everything!” But the crowd was difficult to
stop.
Then some Jews arrived and turned the people against Paul. They stoned him
until they thought that he was dead. Then they left him outside the city.

“Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!” Matthew 4:10b
23 – The Second Missionary Journey

(Acts 14:20-28; 16:1-10; 2 Timothy 1:2, 5; 3:10-11, 14-15)
E ven though Paul had been stoned, he was still alive. He and Barnabas
encouraged the new believers to continue following Jesus even if they
were persecuted. The missionaries also chose elders to lead the new
church. They did the same thing in the other cities where they preached the
Good News. Then they sailed back to Syria. They reported the results of their
missionary journey to the church at Antioch.
Much later, Paul and Barnabas decided to return to the cities they had visited
before. They wanted to see how the churches there were doing. Barnabas took
John Mark with him and sailed to Cyprus. Meanwhile, Paul took Silas as his new
missionary partner. Silas was a leader and teacher from the church in Jerusalem.
Paul and Silas visited and encouraged the churches in Syria and Cilicia.
When Paul came again to Lystra, he met a young man named Timothy.
Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, were faithful believers in
Jesus. Since Timothy was a child, they had raised him to study and obey the holy
Scriptures. Their deep faith served as an example and inspiration to Timothy. He
also became a follower of Jesus. Paul loved him like a son. He took Timothy along
when he and Silas continued their journey.
The missionaries reached Troas, a city by the sea. Here, another person joined
them: a doctor named Luke. He was a Gentile Christian whom God would use to
write down the earliest history of Christianity—the Book of Acts.

For you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ.
Philippians 1:5 nlt
24 – Imprisoned at Philippi
(Acts 16:9-31)
P aul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke sailed across the sea and came to the city
of Philippi. Paul shared the Good News with Jewish women who met
by the riverside during Sabbath. A businesswoman named Lydia, who
sold purple cloth, believed in Jesus. So did her whole family! She invited the
missionaries to stay in her home while they were at Philippi.
In that city there was a slave girl who was possessed by an evil spirit. The
spirit enabled her to tell what would happen in the future. Her masters earned a
lot of money from her fortune-telling. For many days, this slave girl followed the
missionaries around, shouting. So Paul said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus
Christ, I order you to come out of her!” The evil spirit left at once.
When the girl’s masters saw that they could no longer earn money through
her, they were very angry. They had Paul and Silas arrested, whipped, and thrown
into jail. The jailer was ordered to guard them carefully. So he put them in the
innermost cell and fastened their feet between heavy blocks of wood.
At midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God while the
other prisoners listened to them. Suddenly, there was a strong earthquake! All the
prison doors flew open! All the prisoners’ chains fell off !
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he thought that the
prisoners had escaped. He was about to kill himself, but Paul shouted, “Don’t
harm yourself ! We are all here!”
Trembling with fear, the jailer fell down in front of Paul and Silas. He asked
them, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They answered, “Believe in the Lord
Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your family.”
Memory Verse:
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your family.” Acts 16:31
25 – The Unknown God

(Acts 16:32 – 17:34)
T he jailer and his family believed in Jesus after listening to Paul and Silas
preach the Good News. They were very happy! The jailer washed the
missionaries’ wounds. Then they took Paul and Silas to their home and
gave them a meal.
The following day, Paul and Silas were released from prison. The missionaries
continued to travel to other cities and preach the Good News to both Jews and
Gentiles. Many people who heard their message believed in Jesus.
Then Paul went to the city of Athens. It was a Greek city and Paul noticed that
it was full of idols! The Greeks worshiped many gods and goddesses, and all of
them had statues and altars. There was even an altar dedicated “to the unknown
god”!
The people of Athens were fond of hearing and talking about new teachings.
So, when they heard Paul speaking about Jesus, they invited him to their city
council. They said, “We would like to hear about this new teaching that you are
talking about.”
Paul said to them, “People of Athens, I will now make known to you this
‘unknown God’ whom you worship even though you do not know Him. He is the
One who made the world and everything in it. He is Lord of heaven and earth.
He is not like an image of gold or silver or stone made by human hands. God
commands all people everywhere to repent. He will one day judge the world by
His chosen One, whom God has raised from the dead!”
So, Paul preached to them about Jesus Christ. Some made fun of him, but
others believed in Jesus and became His followers, too.
Memory Verse:
“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:24 esv
26 – The Third Missionary Journey

(Acts 18:1 – 19:20)
P

aul went to Corinth, a rich Greek city where many people lived. Here,
he met a Jew named Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. Priscilla and Aquila
earned a living by making tents, which was also what Paul did! So,
he stayed with them in Corinth and they worked together. Priscilla and Aquila
became Paul’s close friends and partners in spreading the Good News about
Jesus. Many Corinthians became believers and were baptized. Then Paul sailed
back to Syria.
After some time, Paul went on his third missionary journey. He came to
Ephesus, a city that was even more famous and important than Corinth. He stayed
there for two years. Every day, he taught about Jesus in the school of Tyrannus.
As a result, everyone who lived in Ephesus or visited that city heard the message
of the Good News. God also did great miracles through Paul. Handkerchiefs or
aprons that had touched his skin were taken to sick people, and they were healed!
Those who were possessed by evil spirits were also set free!
Many of the new believers had practiced witchcraft before they became
followers of Jesus. Now, they publicly confessed their sins. They also brought their
books on witchcraft and burned them in public, even though these were very
expensive.
And so the message about the Lord Jesus spread widely and had a powerful
effect.

The Spirit who is in you is more powerful than the spirit in those who belong to
the world. 1 John 4:4b
27 – The Riot in Ephesus

(Acts 19:21 – 20:12)
T he Ephesians worshiped a goddess called Artemis. But when Paul began

preaching about Jesus and doing miracles in His name, many people
in the city believed in Jesus. They stopped worshiping Artemis and
worshiped the true God instead.
A silversmith named Demetrius was not happy about this. Demetrius made a
lot of money by making and selling silver models of Artemis’s temple. He felt that
his business was in danger. He called together the other craftsmen in Ephesus
and stirred them up to be very angry at Paul. Soon, the whole city was filled with
angry shouts of, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” Paul had to leave Ephesus.
Paul went to Troas where Timothy and his other friends were waiting for him.
On their last evening in Troas, the Christians met together on the third floor of
a house. Paul spoke to them and kept on talking until midnight because he was
leaving on the following day. A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in
the window, fell asleep as Paul was talking. Eutychus fell out of the window to the
ground! His fellow believers ran down and found him already dead. But Paul bent
over Eutychus and embraced him. “Don’t worry,” said Paul, “he is still alive.” And
Eutychus came back to life!

“I alone am the Lord your God . . . I will not let idols share my praise.” Isaiah 42:8
28 – Danger in Jerusalem
(Acts 20:12; 21:1-20, 27 – 23:11)
P aul and his friends went to Caesarea and stayed in the home of Philip
the evangelist. While they were there, the prophet Agabus arrived from
Jerusalem. He prophesied that Paul would be tied up by the Jews and
handed over to the Gentiles.
When they heard this, the other believers cried and begged Paul not to go to
Jerusalem. But Paul said, “I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in
Jerusalem for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” So Paul’s friends stopped trying to argue
with him. They said, “May the Lord’s will be done.”
Paul and his companions went on to Jerusalem, where they were welcomed by
the believers. Paul went into the Temple. But while he was there, some Jews saw
him and stirred up a mob. They grabbed Paul and accused him of breaking the
Jewish law. They dragged Paul out of the Temple and tried to kill him!
The commander of the Roman troops and some officers and soldiers arrived.
When the Jews saw the Roman soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. The commander
arrested Paul and put him in chains. But he could not find out why the mob
wanted to kill Paul because the people were shouting out different things.
The commander ordered his men to bring Paul inside the military fort in order
to protect him. While Paul was inside the fort, the Lord Jesus appeared to him and
said, “Don’t be afraid! You have told others about Me here in Jerusalem; you must
do the same in Rome.”

“I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die for the Lord Jesus.”
Acts 21:13b esv
29 – An Assassination Plot
(Acts 23:12 – 25:23)

T he following day, more than 40 Jewish men met together and planned
to kill Paul. They told the Jewish leaders, “Ask the Roman commander
to bring Paul to the Council. We will kill him on his way here.”
But Paul’s nephew heard them talking! He went to the Roman barracks to tell
Paul and the commander.
The commander wrote a letter to Governor Felix, who was in Caesarea,
to explain about Paul’s situation. Then he ordered two of his captains, called
centurions, to bring Paul safely to the governor. So, that night, Paul left Jerusalem
and traveled toward Caesarea while riding on a horse. He was guarded by 200
soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen!
In Caesarea, Paul was imprisoned in the governor’s headquarters. After five
days, the Jewish high priest and other leaders arrived to accuse Paul. They said
that he starts riots among Jews and that he tried to disrespect the Temple.
When it was his turn to speak, Paul told the governor that the Jews’ complaints
were false. He said, “Your honor, the truth is, I am on trial for believing that the
dead will rise back to life.”
Now Felix knew a lot about Jesus’ followers, so he said that he would decide on
the case later. He ordered that Paul be kept in prison but be given some freedom
and allowed to be with his friends.
Memory Verse:
The Lord saves the righteous and protects them in times of trouble. Psalm 37:39
30 – Storm-tossed
(Acts 25:27 – 27:20)
P aul remained in prison for two years. When Porcius Festus became the
new governor, the Jews tried once more to kill Paul. They asked Festus
to send Paul back to Jerusalem because they were planning to trap him
on the way. But Paul refused to go back to Jerusalem. Instead he asked to speak
to the Emperor. So, Festus ordered that Paul should be taken to the Emperor,
who was in Rome.
Paul and the other prisoners who would also be taken to Rome were assigned
to a centurion named Julius. Doctor Luke came along with Paul. They all boarded a
ship bound for Italy.
It was a hard journey. The wind was against them, so the ship sailed slowly.
When they finally reached a place called Safe Harbors, winter was already coming.
It would no longer be safe to travel, so Paul advised the centurion and the ship’s
crew to wait until winter was over. But they did not listen to him. Instead, they
continued to sail.
Then a very strong wind began to blow from the land and hit the ship! The
ship was tossed around by the waves! The storm continued for many days. The
sky was so dark that the sun and the stars could not be seen, and the strong wind
kept on blowing. Finally, the people on the ship stopped hoping that they would be
saved.

For the sake of this gospel I am an ambassador, though now I am in prison.
Ephesians 6:20a
31 – The Island
(Acts 27:21 – 28:10)
O n the fourteenth night of the storm, an angel of God appeared to Paul.

The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! God will save you and all who travel
with you.” So, Paul told the crew and passengers of the ship, “Be brave!
I trust in God and I know that what He told me will happen. We will reach an
island.”
When morning came, the sailors saw that they were near land. They tried to
come close to it but the ship got stuck in sand! The strong waves kept hitting the
ship and it began to break into pieces! The centurion ordered everyone to jump
overboard. Some swam ashore, while those who could not swim held on to planks
and paddled toward the shore. When everyone was safe, they learned that they
were on an island called Malta.
The people of Malta were very kind. They welcomed the refugees and built a
fire for them, because it had begun to rain and it was very cold. Paul helped to
collect firewood. As he was putting his bundle of sticks on the fire, a poisonous
snake came out and bit him! The islanders thought that Paul would swell up and
drop dead. But nothing happened to him!
The chief of the island was named Publius. He let Paul and his friends stay
in his home for three days. Publius’s father was sick, so Paul prayed for him and
laid his hands on him. And the sick man was healed. When the islanders heard
about this, all the other sick people among them came to Paul, and they were also
healed.

Our God is a God who saves. Psalm 68:20a niv
32 – Journey ’s End
(Acts 28:11-31)
A fter staying in Malta for three months, Paul and his friends were
finally able to board a ship to Rome. The Christians who lived in Rome
heard that Paul was coming and they came to welcome him and his
friends. When he saw them, Paul thanked God and was greatly encouraged.
When Paul arrived in Rome, he was allowed to live in his own rented house
with a soldier assigned to guard him. After three days, he called the Jewish leaders
who lived in Rome for a meeting. He explained to them that he became a prisoner
because he believed in Jesus.
Many of the Jewish leaders visited Paul’s house. For one whole day, Paul
explained to them the Good News about Jesus. He used verses from the Scriptures
to show them that Jesus is the Savior they had been waiting for and that He had
risen from the dead. At the end of the day, some of the listeners believed what
he said. However, others refused to believe. They left Paul’s house while arguing
among themselves.
Paul lived in Rome for two years. People visited him and he welcomed them
all. He preached about the Kingdom of God and taught them about the Lord Jesus
Christ. During this time, Paul also wrote letters to the churches he had helped to
start or had visited during his missionary journeys. His letters to the Ephesians,
Philippians, and Colossians, and his letter to Philemon, were written while he was
imprisoned in Rome. Later on, these letters became part of the Bible.

He preached about the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 28:31a
33 – Roman Fire
T he Book of Acts, which was written by Doctor Luke, ended with Paul’s
imprisonment in Rome. From this point on, except for Story 36 which
is written in the Book of Revelation, our stories will be about what
happened to the early church. These are not written in the Bible. Instead, these
are stories that Christians told their children and grandchildren, until they were
finally written down.
The other disciples of Jesus also obeyed His command to preach the Good News
all over the world. All of them suffered for their faith. James the brother of John
had already been killed by Herod Agrippa for being a follower of Jesus. Sixteen
years later, it was Andrew’s turn to die. The Apostle Andrew preached the Good
News in Patros, Greece. The family of the governor believed in Jesus because of his
preaching. This made the governor angry. He had Andrew arrested and ordered
him to give up his faith in Jesus. When Andrew refused, he was crucified upside-
down on an X-shaped cross.
On July 19, AD 64, there was a great fire in Rome that burned down a huge
part of the city. Many people died in that fire. People guessed that Emperor Nero
started the fire so that he can build new streets and buildings to honor himself.
So that he would not be blamed, Nero blamed the fire on the Christians who lived
in Rome. He arrested them and made them suffer until they died. It is believed
that the apostles Peter and Paul died in Rome during this time. Peter was crucified
upside-down while Paul was beheaded.
Even though the Christians were being mistreated, people saw their gentle
manner and good behavior. Because of this, even more people believed in Jesus
and became His followers!

Happy are you when people insult you because you are my followers. A great
reward is kept for you in heaven. Matthew 5:11-12a
34 – Messengers of the King
T he other apostles also brought the Good News to different nations. They
bravely told others about the Lord Jesus Christ. Almost all of them were
killed: some were crucified, some were beaten or stoned, some were
beheaded, and others were stabbed. But for the apostles, it was an honor to die
while serving the King!
Philip preached the Good News in Greece, Syria, and Phrygia.
Matthew wrote about the life of Jesus. This book became part of the Bible as
the Gospel of Matthew. He also brought the Good News to Persia, Parthia, and
Ethiopia.
James the son of Alphaeus preached the Good News in Syria and also in
Jerusalem.
Bartholomew joined Philip in preaching the gospel in Greece, Syria and
Phrygia. Then, he went with Thomas to India. He gave a copy of the Gospel of
Matthew to the new believers in that country. Finally, he and Thaddeus went to
Armenia.
Thaddeus partnered with Bartholomew in bringing the Good News to Armenia.
Then he joined Simon the Zealot in preaching the gospel all over Judea, Samaria,
Persia, Syria, Mesopotamia, Idumea, Libya, and Lebanon.
Thomas preached the gospel in Babylon (Iraq), Persia (Iran), and India.
Simon the Zealot spread the Good News in Egypt before he and Thaddeus
began traveling and preaching in the Middle East. According to Fox’s Book of
Martyrs, Simon even brought the Good News to Britain.
Matthias, the apostle who was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot, preached the
Good News in Judea and Georgia.

“But I don’t care what happens to me, as long as I finish the work that the Lord
Jesus gave me to do.” Acts 20:24 cev
35 – The King ’s Prophecy
I n AD 66, the Jews rebelled against the Romans. They were very angry because
of a corrupt Roman official who ruled Judea at that time. This official took
money from the Temple, treated the Jews unfairly, and let a mob kill many
Jewish people.
The rebellion spread from Jerusalem to Judea and Galilee. All Jewish citizens
were urged to join in!
But the Jewish Christians who lived in Jerusalem remembered a prophecy
spoken by the Lord Jesus. Before Jesus was crucified, He said that the city and the
Temple would be one day be destroyed. Jesus loved Jerusalem and was sad at what
would happen to it (Luke 19:41-44).
Jesus had also told His disciples that when they see Jerusalem surrounded by
armies, they should run to the hills. So, instead of joining the rebellion, the Jewish
Christians left Jerusalem. They escaped to Pella, a city in the hills along the Jordan
River.
Emperor Nero sent an expert commander named Vespasian to stop the
rebellion with a huge army. Vespasian marched into Galilee and Judea and
defeated the rebels. Then Nero died, and Vespasian returned to Rome to become
the next emperor. Vespasian left his son, Titus, in charge of the army in Judea. In
AD 70, Titus’s army defeated the Jews who were defending Jerusalem. The Romans
burned and destroyed the city and the Temple. They killed some of the people and
turned others into slaves. They also took the treasures in the Temple and carried
them off to Rome. Everything that Jesus had said would happen came true.
Memory Verse:
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
Matthew 24:35
36 – The Return of the King

(Revelation 1; 19:11-16; 21–22)
T he Apostle John was the youngest of Jesus’ 12 disciples. He was still

alive when all the other disciples had died. The emperor at that time
was Titus’ brother, Domitian. The Christians were being persecuted
again, and the Apostle John was sent away to the Island of Patmos.
While John was on that island, the Lord Jesus appeared to him in a vision. He
showed John what would happen in the future. There would be disasters, trouble,
and persecution, but Christians must remain faithful. Jesus commanded John to write
down what he saw and heard. So, John wrote the Book of Revelation, which became
the last book in the Bible.
In his vision, John saw heaven open. Out came a white horse and Jesus was riding
on it! His eyes were like a flame of fire and He wore many crowns on His head. He
was called “King of kings and Lord of lords.” The armies of heaven followed Him,
riding on white horses and dressed in clean white clothes.
All the enemies of the King were defeated and thrown into the lake of fire. Then
John saw a great white throne with God sitting on it. Everyone who had died stood
before the throne. They were judged based on what they had done. Those whose names
were not written in the book of life were also thrown into the lake of fire.
After this, John saw heaven and earth made new. A new city of Jerusalem came
down out of heaven, beautiful as a bride. And John heard a loud voice from the throne
saying, “Now God will live with people! He will wipe away all tears from their eyes.
There will be no more dying, or mourning, or crying, or pain.”
An angel carried John to the top of a very high mountain and showed him the
new Jerusalem. The city was made of pure gold and shone with God’s glory. Its twelve
gates were made of pearl. But nothing unclean or sinful can ever enter the city, only
those whose names are written in the book of life.
John heard Jesus say, “I am coming soon. I will reward each person based on what
he has done.” And John said, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”

“Listen!” says Jesus. “I am coming soon! I will bring my rewards with me.”
Revelation 22:12a
37 – Trouble in Corinth
I n AD 96, the Christians in Corinth were quarreling with each other. The
church was divided into groups. Some of the younger leaders in the church
even banded together against the older leaders in order to remove them from
their positions.
The Corinthian church received a letter from Clement, who was the overseer
or bishop of the church in Rome. It was possible that Clement knew the apostles
Peter and Paul. They could have been the ones who taught him to follow Jesus! In
one of Paul’s letters, he talked about someone named Clement as his fellow worker
in spreading the Good News (Philippians 4:3).
Clement’s letter to the Corinthians is made up of 65 short chapters. It is full
of the teachings he had learned from the apostles. He warned the believers not
to give in to envy because envy causes much evil. He also advised the young
leaders in Corinth to repent of their fighting which had divided the church and
discouraged many of the members. He encouraged them to be humble instead and
to remember that Jesus taught us to be gentle and self-controlled.
Clement was killed on November 23, in AD 100 or 101. It is said that he was
tied to an anchor and thrown into the sea by order of the Roman emperor.
Memory Verse:
Love one another, and be kind and humble with one another. 1 Peter 3:8b
38 – Into the Flames
J ohn, the last of the apostles, was the only one among them who died of old
age instead of being killed. He was able to pass on his faith in Jesus to other
Christians whom he himself taught about the Lord.
One of John’s students was Polycarp. Polycarp lived in Smyrna, a city found in
the country we now call Turkey. We can read about the church in Smyrna in the
Book of Revelation that John wrote when he was on the Island of Patmos. Jesus
had given a message to the Christians in Smyrna. He told them, “Don’t be afraid
of anything you are about to suffer. Be faithful to Me, even if it means death, and I
will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
Jesus’ words came true when Polycarp was an old man and the bishop of the
church in Smyrna. Believers were arrested and killed. Polycarp was also arrested
and brought in front of the Roman official in the amphitheater. The official told
the old bishop, “Curse Christ, and I will release you.”
But Polycarp answered, “I have served Christ for 86 years and He has never
done me any wrong. How can I curse the King who saved me?”
Polycarp was burned to death on that day. But he faced the fire bravely,
knowing that he would receive a crown in heaven.

“Be faithful to me, even if it means death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
Revelation 2:10b
39 – Wild Beasts in Lyons
I n the city of Lyons, which is in the country we now call France, Christians
were also persecuted. Their houses were robbed. Many of them were arrested
and imprisoned. The officials ordered them to give up their faith in Jesus.
Those who refused were brought to the amphitheater to be killed by wild beasts!
Some believers became afraid. They decided to offer sacrifices to the Roman
gods to avoid being punished. But when they saw how their fellow Christians
bravely endured hardship for the sake of Jesus, they were inspired to follow their
example!
Two of the Christians who were martyred or killed for their faith during
this time were Ponticus and Blandina. Ponticus was a fifteen-year-old boy and
Blandina was a slave girl. Every day, the officials tried to force them to deny Jesus
and swear by idols. But instead of being afraid, they continued to follow Jesus.
Blandina’s prayers also inspired the other Christians to be faithful until the end.
The crowd who watched the Christians die was amazed at Blandina’s courage!
That old amphitheater is still in Lyons today. If you go there, you will see a
marker built to remember Blandina and the other martyrs who had given their
lives for Jesus.

“Be brave! I have defeated the world!” John 16:33b
40 – The Arena in Carthage
I n Carthage, a city in Africa, a young woman named Perpetua came to

believe in Jesus. Perpetua had a slave girl named Felicitas who also became a
Christian. Both of them were arrested and told that they must sacrifice to the
gods or die. To make things harder, Perpetua had a newborn baby, and Felicitas
was pregnant.
The two young women refused to sacrifice to the gods and they were thrown
into prison. Felicitas gave birth while they were there. Meanwhile, Perpetua
received visions from the Lord that comforted and encouraged her. The visions
showed her that Jesus was with them in prison.
On March 7, 202, Perpetua and Felicitas were taken to the Carthage arena to
be attacked by wild beasts. But they came joyfully, as if they were already on their
way to heaven!
Perpetua and Felicitas died that day, but they became heroines among their
fellow believers. Because of their faith and loyalty to the Lord Jesus, the other
Christians were encouraged to be brave and faithful as well.

Be firm in your faith . . . Other believers are going through the same kind of
sufferings. 1 Peter 5:9
41 – A New Threat
E ven though the Christians were being persecuted, they grew stronger
than before. Soon, there were big groups of Christians living in cities.
Each group or church had a bishop to oversee them, and they were eager
to spread the Good News about Jesus. The bishops of different cities often wrote
letters to each other. The church also had catacombs or underground cemeteries.
Here, the believers could safely have fellowship and hold worship services.
After some time, the Christians experienced 12 years of peace. The number
of believers grew. But Origen, one of the church leaders, told the Christians that
persecution would come again and be more widespread than ever. Origen was a
very intelligent man from Alexandria in Egypt. He grew up in a Christian home
and was a faithful follower of Jesus since he was young. He studied under the
best teachers and memorized Scripture daily. Origen is known as one of the great
teachers of the early church.
Origen was right. When Decius became the Roman emperor, Christians
experienced widespread persecution. Decius had the leaders of the church
arrested. He also ordered that everyone should sacrifice to the Roman gods. Then
they can get a signed certificate from the government as proof. If Christians
refused to do this, they would be imprisoned and made to suffer until they gave up
believing in Jesus.
Many Christians became afraid! Some of them left for faraway places to avoid
persecution. Others sacrificed to the Roman gods and got certificates. Still, there
were Christians who remained faithful even when they were made to suffer and
killed. Origen was one of them.

The testing of your faith produces steadfastness. James 1:3b esv
42 – The G reat Persecution
E ven though they were being persecuted, the Christians continued to

spread the Good News about Jesus. They also obeyed the Lord’s command
to love each other and their neighbors, even their enemies. Christians
became known as people who took care of the sick. When Christians prayed for
them, the sick were healed. Christians also helped the poor and needy, including
those who were not members of the church. There were many beggars in Rome
at that time, and Christians fed them every day! Their loving service caused
many to believe in Jesus and become His followers, too.
Then Christians had more than 40 years of peace. But after that, on February
23, 303, the Great Persecution began under Emperor Diocletian and Galerius, his
second-in-command. Church buildings were destroyed, worship services were
not allowed, and copies of the Scriptures were burned. Church leaders were
imprisoned. Many Christians were made to suffer and killed because of their faith
in Jesus.
The Great Persecution went on for nearly ten years, but it could not stop the
Christian faith. More and more people came to believe in Jesus. Then Galerius
got sick and became very weak. Since the followers of Jesus could not be stopped
anyway, he decided to stop his order of persecution.
Six days later, Galerius died. The Great Persecution had finally come to an end.

Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble do it, or hardship or
danger or death? . . . No, in all these things we have complete victory through him
who loved us! Romans 8:35, 37
43 – The Turning of the Tide
I n the western part of the Roman Empire, there were two rulers who were
fighting over the throne. One was Constantine. He had an army of 40,000
soldiers. The other was Maxentius, whose army was four times bigger!
On the day before their battle outside the city of Rome, Constantine had a
dream or vision. He saw a cross in the sky with the words, “By this sign, conquer.”
Constantine believed it was a message from God telling him that he should side
with the Christians. When he woke up the next morning, he ordered his soldiers
to mark their shields with this symbol: . It is made up of the first two letters of
the name Christ in the Greek alphabet. Today, this sign is known as the Chi-Rho.
Constantine’s soldiers defeated Maxentius’s bigger army. Maxentius tried to
escape. But as he and his soldiers were crossing a river by a narrow bridge, he was
accidentally pushed off the bridge! He fell into the water. Because his armor was
heavy, he sank down and drowned. Constantine entered Rome as emperor of the
West.
In February 313, Constantine met with Licinius, who was now emperor in
the east. The two emperors made an agreement and signed a law which became
known as the Edict of Milan. According to this law, Christians would no longer
be persecuted. The governors of all provinces were also ordered to return to
the Christians all property that had been taken from them during the Great
Persecution.

We win the victory over the world by means of our faith. 1 John 5:4b
44 – Forty Valiant Soldiers
A t first, Licinius and Constantine honored their agreement and were at

peace with each other. However, the time came when they began to
fight over who would rule the whole Roman Empire. Licinius broke
their agreement. He began to persecute Christians again to show that he was
against Constantine.
Licinius ordered that all the soldiers in his army should sacrifice to the Roman
gods. But 40 soldiers refused to do so because they were Christians. They were
stationed at Sevaste, Armenia, and the governor of Armenia tried to make them
change their minds. The governor had the men whipped and then chained in his
underground prison overnight. Still, the men would not sacrifice to the gods!
The following day, the governor ordered that the men should be made to stand
naked on a nearby frozen pond (it was winter at that time). He told the prisoners,
“You will stand on the ice until you agree to sacrifice to the gods.” To his surprise,
the 40 men took off their clothes and ran to the icy pond! “We are soldiers of the
Lord and fear no hardship,” they shouted.
As the sun set, the Christians sang hymns and prayed aloud to keep up their
courage. However, when it grew colder, one of the men gave up and crawled off
the ice to the shore.
Then something surprising happened! The officer who was guarding the
prisoners admitted that he was also a Christian! He took off his clothes and
marched onto the ice to take the place of the man who had given up. When
morning came, the guards counted 40 martyrs who had given their lives for
Jesus—brave warriors who had fought to the end to win crowns of glory in heaven.
Memory Verse:
Take your part in suffering, as a loyal soldier of Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:3
45 – The Council of Nicea
C onstantine defeated Licinius and became the ruler of the whole Roman
Empire. He announced that he was a Christian. He made sure that his
sons were taught about Christian teachings. He built big and beautiful
church buildings in the Eastern part of his empire. Now that the followers
of Jesus were no longer mistreated, Christianity became very popular! Large
numbers of people joined the church. Soon, the empire was full of people who
called themselves Christians!
In AD 325, Emperor Constantine called a council or meeting of the bishops.
The meeting was held in the city of Nicea, and it became known in church history
as the Council of Nicea. The purpose of the meeting was to solve an issue that
Christians were fighting about. A priest named Arius was spreading a false
teaching about Jesus. Some members of the church believed Arius and others did
not. So the two groups were quarreling and the church was in danger of being
divided!
At the Council of Nicea, around 300 bishops and many church leaders talked
about the issue. In the end, they announced that Arius’s teaching was false. And
they upheld the truth about who Jesus is: that Jesus is fully God, that He was not
created but has always been alive, and that all things were created through Him.
The council also developed what became known as the Nicene Creed. This was
a statement of what Christians believed in based on the writings of the prophets
and the teachings of the apostles (which later became known as the Bible).

In the beginning, the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. The Word became a human being. John 1:1, 14a
46 – The Book above All Books
O ne of the church leaders who attended the Council of Nicea was

Eusebius, the bishop of Caesarea. Eusebius was also a writer. In the
same year, AD 325, he began writing the history of the early Christians.
It was a lot of work, because he had to find out and write about what happened
for the past 300 years! But Eusebius knew that it was important to write this
history so believers in the future would know how the early Christians lived.
When Eusebius had completed his huge project, he had ten volumes! His
writings tell how the apostles of Jesus brought the Good News to different cities
and nations. They tell who served as leaders of the churches in these cities after
the apostles died. Eusebius also wrote about the persecution that the Christians
endured. The stories of their faithfulness to Jesus served to inspire other
Christians who read about them. Eusebius’s history also includes how the books of
the New Testament came to be gathered together.
Long ago, Jewish teachers had listed the 39 books they recognized as part of
the Hebrew Scripture—what we call the Old Testament. The followers of Jesus
agreed with this list. They accepted the Old Testament as God’s Word given to us
through the prophets. But there were other writings they recognized as also from
God. These were the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (which tell about the
life of Jesus), the Book of Acts (which tell the earliest history of the church), and
the letters written by the apostles. Later on, these writings were gathered together
and called the New Testament.
The Holy Spirit inspired the prophets and the apostles to write God’s Word.
He also guided the early church to recognize and accept these writings as coming
from God. Together, the Old and New Testaments form the Bible.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth. 2 Timothy
3:16a
Special Lesson
1
Heroes of the Faith
ATHENAGORAS: Spokesperson for Persecuted Christians

(AD 133-190)
D
uring the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Christians were cruelly
persecuted. Athenagoras was a philosopher from Athens who lived during
this troubled time. He was also a Christian.
Athenagoras could not bear to see his fellow believers being mistreated. So he
wrote a letter to the emperor and his son to defend the Christians!
In his letter, Athenagoras explained that Christians were not evil as some
people said they were. You see, because the followers of Jesus did not worship the
Roman gods, their enemies thought they didn’t believe in any god. Athenagoras
explained that Christians worshiped one God, the Creator of the universe.
Christians were also said to be cannibals (people who eat other people)!
Athenagoras explained that Christians did not kill or eat people; instead, they
were against cruelty and murder. In fact, Christians even rescued the babies that
the Romans threw away.
Athenagoras’s letter asked the emperor and his son to uphold justice for the
Christians. His letter was called “The Embassy (or Plea) for the Christians” and its
message has been saved to this day.

“Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves.” Proverbs 31:8a
Special Lesson
2
Heroes of the Faith
TERTULLIAN: Writer on Fire for God

(AD 150-229)
T ertullian was born in Carthage, North Africa. His father was a captain
in the Roman army. He was well-educated and he became a lawyer. He
could speak and write well in both Greek and Latin.
Tertullian lived during the reigns of two emperors who persecuted Christians.
He saw Christians killed in the Carthage arena, and he greatly admired their
bravery. He decided to find out what Christianity was all about, and he found the
truth about Jesus. He became a Christian himself !
Tertullian used his great skill in writing to defend persecuted believers and
to explain the teachings of the Christian faith. While the other Christian writers
of his time wrote in Greek, Tertullian wrote most of his works in Latin. This was
because believers who lived in the western part of the Roman Empire only spoke
Latin. Tertullian wanted to help these believers grow in the faith as well. He even
created new words in order to translate important ideas about God from Greek
to Latin. One of these words is Trinitas or Trinity. It is a term we still use today
to describe the truth that God, who is one, exists in three Persons: the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Memory Verse:
Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in
the service of others. So use your gift well. 1 Peter 4:10 cev
Special Lesson
3
Heroes of the Faith
AGNES: Teenage Martyr

(AD 291-304)
A gnes was a young girl who lived in Rome during the time of the Great
Persecution. She was only 12 or 13 years old. She loved the Lord Jesus
and decided to remain faithful to Him no matter what it cost her.
According to tradition, Agnes was beautiful and belonged to a rich family. Girls
were married early in those days, but Agnes did not want to marry any of her
suitors. It is believed that one of the rejected suitors got angry. To take revenge, he
told the government officials that Agnes was a Christian.
Agnes was arrested and ordered to offer a sacrifice to the Roman gods. When
she refused, the judge warned that he would burn her to death or hurt her. Agnes
said that she would rather suffer than sacrifice to idols because she wanted to
remain pure for Christ. Finally, the judge sentenced her to death by beheading.
Tradition says that Agnes was martyred on January 21, 304.
Agnes’s life was short, but her loyalty to Jesus still inspires believers today.
Agnes showed us that no matter how young you are, you can be a faithful servant
of the King of kings.

Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for
the believers. 1 Timothy 4:12a
Special Lesson
4
Heroes of the Faith
ATHANASIUS: Defender of Correct Teaching

(AD 296-373)
A thanasius was a short Egyptian man with dark skin. His enemies called
him “Black Dwarf.” But he is honored by Christians today as one of the
most important people in church history.
Athanasius lived in Alexandria, Egypt during the reign of Emperor
Constantine. In AD 325, he was among those who attended the Council of Nicea.
Athanasius believed the truth that Jesus is God who was with the Father from
the very beginning. He led the other church leaders in defending this correct
teaching at the Council of Nicea against Arius. (Arius taught that Jesus was a
created Being.) Athanasius also wrote a book called The Incarnation of Christ. It
was about how Jesus, God the Son, became human in order to save us. The book
was widely read and considered a masterpiece.
Athanasius later became the bishop of Alexandria. But those who believed in
Arius’s teaching kept causing trouble for the new bishop. Athanasius was even
attacked or chased by his enemies so that his life was in danger! Through it all,
Athanasius faithfully declared that Jesus is fully God.
Athanasius died in AD 373, but the teaching that he defended lives on. Today,
Christians all over the world declare that Jesus Christ is God, our Savior and King
who is worthy of worship.

Do your best as a worker who correctly teaches the message of God’s truth.
2 Timothy 2:15
Special Lesson
5
Heroes of the Faith
AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO: Church Father
(AD 354-430)
A ugustine was born in Thagaste, a small North African town in the

country we now call Algeria. His mother, Monica, was a faithful
follower of Jesus. She taught him about the Christian faith as he
was growing up. However, Augustine liked having fun more than obeying God.
He and his friends once stole pears from a neighbor’s garden. That was when
Augustine realized that people were naturally sinful.
When he was 17, Augustine went to study in Carthage. He was a bright
student. When he finished his studies, he came back to teach in his hometown.
His mother found out that he taught beliefs that were against Christian teachings.
She was upset, but she never stopped praying for him. She firmly believed that he
would one day become a Christian.
When he was 30, Augustine became a teacher of rhetoric (speechmaking)
in Milan, Italy. Here, he met Ambrose, the bishop of Milan. Ambrose was a very
good speaker. Augustine began attending church services to hear him preach and
admired him greatly. Ambrose became a friend and teacher to Augustine. Later
on, Augustine realized that that only Jesus can give him the power to overcome his
sinful wants. So, he finally became a follower of Jesus.
As a Christian, Augustine spent a lot of time praying and studying the
Scriptures with some of his friends. He became the bishop of Hippo, a city in
Algeria. He used his skill in making speeches to defend correct teaching against
false ideas. He used his skill in writing to produce books that explained and
defended the Christian faith. His writings served to guide Christians for the next
1,000 years. Some of his most important works, such as Confessions and The City
of God, are still being read today.

Let us help one another to show love and to do good. Let us not give up the habit
of meeting together. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more.
Hebrews 10:24-25
Special Lesson
6
Heroes of the Faith
JEROME: Bible Translator

(AD 345-420)
J erome lived at about the same time as Augustine. He came from a Christian
family. He was baptized as a follower of Christ at the age of 19.
When Jerome was around ten years old, his parents sent him to Rome to
be educated. He became a scholar of Latin classics and he loved learning. After
completing his schooling, he traveled all over the Roman Empire. He also studied
in Germany and lived for a while in Italy. Finally, he stayed in Antioch.
Jerome went to the Syrian Desert east of Antioch and lived there as a hermit.
He met a Jew who had become a Christian and asked this person to teach him the
Hebrew language. He also spent much of his time praying, studying, and writing
letters. A few years later, he returned to Antioch. By this time, he was already
known as an important scholar. He began studying the Bible even more deeply.
In AD 382, while he was in Rome, Jerome began translating the Bible into
Latin. You see, the Bible was originally written in Hebrew (the Old Testament) and
Greek (the New Testament). But Latin was the language commonly spoken during
Jerome’s time. As he worked, Jerome prayed that his Latin translation might tell
God’s message as clearly as the original languages of the Bible.
Jerome finished his great work after 23 years. His translation was called the
Vulgate (which means “common” in Latin). It was the Bible read by Christians all
over Europe for the next 1,000 years.
In our time (as of 2017), the whole Bible has been translated into 670
languages, including our own!
Memory Verse:
The Holy Scriptures . . . are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:15b

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S I M P L I F I E D S TO R Y F O R B E G I N N E R S

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2 – The Man in the Garden

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3 – The Traveler on the Road

4 – The Locked Room

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5 – The Stranger on the Shore

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7 – Power from Above

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8 – The Founding of the Church

O n the day of Pentecost, a huge crowd gathered around Jesus’ disciples.

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9 – Better than Gold or Silver

10 – Lies and Punishment

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11 – The Empty Prison Cell

14 – The Queen ’s Treasure-Keeper

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S aul traveled to Damascus, a city in Syria, to arrest the followers of Jesus

16 – From Tormentor to Defender

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17 – Waking the Dead

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18 – Breaking the Barrier

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19 – The Church at Antioch

22 – The First Missionary Journey

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23 – The Second Missionary Journey

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25 – The Unknown God

26 – The Third Missionary Journey

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27 – The Riot in Ephesus

T he Ephesians worshiped a goddess called Artemis. But when Paul began

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O n the fourteenth night of the storm, an angel of God appeared to Paul.

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34 – Messengers of the King

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35 – The King ’s Prophecy

36 – The Return of the King

T he Apostle John was the youngest of Jesus’ 12 disciples. He was still

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38 – Into the Flames

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39 – Wild Beasts in Lyons

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40 – The Arena in Carthage

I n Carthage, a city in Africa, a young woman named Perpetua came to

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42 – The G reat Persecution

E ven though they were being persecuted, the Christians continued to

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43 – The Turning of the Tide

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44 – Forty Valiant Soldiers

A t first, Licinius and Constantine honored their agreement and were at