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Bible Maps: Acts 1-12

Key locations in the growth of the early church.
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Nations at Pentecost. <br/>Soon after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to heaven, Jews from all over the world came to the Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of Pentecost. It was during this pivotal gathering that the Holy Spirit first came upon believers in a very visible way, and Peter preached a message that led 3,000 people to become followers of Jesus (Acts 2:1-41). – Slide 1
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Cyrene and Its Surroundings.<br/>A man from Cyrene named Simon, who had likely come to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple during Passover, was compelled to carry Jesus’ cross (Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26). Other Jews from Cyrene were among those in Jerusalem who heard the apostle Peter’s message in their own language at Pentecost (Acts 2:10). Later, other Jews from Cyrene and elsewhere accused Stephen of blasphemy (Acts 6:9). After Stephen was stoned to death, believers from Cyrene were among those who travelled to Antioch and told Gentiles about the good news of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:19-20). Finally, a Cyrenian believer named Lucius was one of team at Antioch who appointed Barnabas and Paul for missionary service (Acts 13:1). – Slide 2
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The Ministries of Philip and Peter. <br/>When persecution of believers first broke out in Jerusalem, Philip traveled to Samaria and conducted a powerful ministry there, and many Samaritans became believers (Acts 8:1-9). Later the angel of the Lord told Philip to take the road to Gaza, and along the way Philip met an Ethiopian royal official who became a believer. Immediately after the Ethiopian official was baptised, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip to Azotus, and then Philip preached in various towns as he travelled to Caesarea (Acts 8:39-40). The apostle Peter travelled to Lydda and healed a believer named Aeneas, and then he travelled to Joppa and raised a believer named Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:32-43). After this Peter travelled to Caesarea to meet with a Gentile named Cornelius, who also became a believer (Acts 10). – Slide 3
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Paul’s conversion and early travels. <br/>As Paul was traveling to Damascus, the resurrected Jesus appeared to him, and Paul became blind. He was led the rest of the way to Damascus, where a believer named Ananias laid hands on him and healed his sight. Paul also mentions in Galatians 1:17 that he went to Arabia for a time and then returned to Damascus. Paul travelled to Jerusalem, where he met with the church leaders and began preaching boldly in the name of Jesus. When another plot on Paul’s life was discovered, the believers took him to Caesarea and sent him to his hometown of Tarsus in Cilicia. – Slide 4
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The Cilician Plain and Tarsus. <br/>Around 67 B.C. the Romans took control of the Cilician plain and made Tarsus the capital. Around A.D. 5 the apostle Paul was born in Tarsus, which he later described as ‘no ordinary city’ (Acts 21:39). Less than 90 miles (144 km) to the southwest lay Antioch, one of the largest cities of the Roman Empire and the place where believers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26). – Slide 5
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