would be Paul's letter to the Thessalonians. The whole story of
Pentecost, and the spread of the Gospel, would be lacking, and,
indeed, we should know nothing of the writer of the above-named
epistle, nor how he came to write to the church in Thessalonica. We
should have absolutely nothing to bridge over the gap between the
ascension and this letter.

[Illustration]

#158.# In the Acts there are six pivotal events, on which all the rest
of the story turns. Master these, and the whole story is clear. These
events we give as follows:

(1) _Pentecost._ This means power. It is suggestive that the Greek
word translated power (Acts 1:8) is the one from which our word
dynamite comes. Bear in mind the situation at the ascension. Here were
fishermen and common individuals, to whom was committed the carrying
of the gospel to all the world, yet they had neither education, nor
wealth, nor social position, nor political influence. What an
impossible task! What they needed, therefore, more than anything else,
was power from above. It was this that Pentecost gave them, and that,
too, in such measure that Peter won, in one day, more disciples for
his Master than the Master himself had won in three and a half years.
Thus the church was founded, and before long numbered in Jerusalem
over ten thousand persons.

(2) _Persecution._ At first persecution might seem to be a disaster to
the church. As a matter of fact, it was a great blessing. There was
danger that the believers in Jerusalem would forget that they were
told to "begin" at Jerusalem, but were to go to Judea and Samaria, and
as far as the ends of the earth. Up to the time of the persecution
that arose about Stephen there is no sign that the church did anything
outside of the City of David. So, in the providence of God, the cloud
of persecution broke on them and they were scattered abroad. Most
fortunate it is that then they did their duty, for we read that the
disciples (except the Apostles who stayed in Jerusalem), went
everywhere "preaching the Word" (Acts 8:1-4). This event marked the
beginning of that spread of the gospel that has never ceased from that
day to this, and never will cease, until the final victory is won.
Through persecution it was that God stirred up the disciples, and
forced them to do work that they seem, in their great joy over the
truth, to have neglected.

(3) _The conversion of Saul._ By far the most dangerous enemy of the
infant church was Saul o