Acts 17 gives us one of the clearest pictures of how the early church engaged the world with the Gospel. Paul and his companions enter three very different cities — Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens — and in each one, the response to the Gospel reveals not only the state of the human heart but also the power of Jesus Christ to save.

“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.”— Acts 16:9

On a cold October morning in 1555, two English bishops—Hugh Latimer (1487-1555) and Nicholas Ridley (c1500-1555)—were led to the stake in Oxford. Their crime? Faithfulness to the Word of God and rejection of papal authority.

Philip (1st century AD), one of the seven deacons chosen in Acts 6, stands out in Scripture not only for his faithfulness in service but also for his zeal in spreading the Gospel far beyond Jerusalem. Alongside Stephen (? -36 AD) the first Christian martyr, Philip was selected to help the apostles by ministering to the practical needs of the early Church — caring for widows and distributing food. Yet God had far greater plans for him.