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Zealous Witnesses of Jehovah on the March!The Watchtower—1990 | May 15
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PETER—A FAITHFUL WITNESS
The God-given work of declaring the good news can be carried out only in the power of Jehovah’s holy spirit. Thus, when Jesus’ followers receive holy spirit, they will become his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and “to the most distant part of the earth.” At Pentecost 33 C.E., they are filled with holy spirit. Since it is only 9:00 a.m., they surely are not drunk, as some think. Peter gives a thrilling witness, and 3,000 are baptized. Religious opposers try to silence Kingdom proclaimers, but in answer to prayer, God enables his witnesses to speak his word with boldness. Threatened again, they respond: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.” The work goes on as they continue to preach from house to house.—1:1–5:42.
Reliance on Jehovah’s spirit enables his witnesses to endure persecution. Hence, after the faithful witness Stephen is stoned to death, Jesus’ followers are scattered, but this only spreads the word. Philip the evangelizer pioneers in Samaria. Surprisingly, the violent persecutor Saul of Tarsus is converted. As the apostle Paul, he feels the heat of persecution in Damascus but escapes the Jews’ murderous designs. Briefly, Paul associates with the apostles in Jerusalem and then moves on in his ministry.—6:1–9:31.
Jehovah’s hand is with his witnesses, as Acts goes on to show. Peter raises Dorcas (Tabitha) from the dead. Responding to a call, in Caesarea he declares the good news to Cornelius, his household, and friends. They are baptized as the first Gentiles to become Jesus’ disciples. The “seventy weeks” thus end, bringing us to 36 C.E. (Daniel 9:24) Shortly thereafter, Herod Agrippa I executes the apostle James and has Peter arrested. But the apostle experiences angelic deliverance from prison, and ‘the word of Jehovah goes on growing and spreading.’—9:32–12:25.
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Zealous Witnesses of Jehovah on the March!The Watchtower—1990 | May 15
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[Box/Picture on page 25]
PRAYER ON A HOUSETOP: Peter was not being ostentatious when he prayed alone on the rooftop. (10:9) A parapet around the flat roof likely hid him from view. (Deuteronomy 22:8) The roof was also a place to relax and escape street noise in the evening.
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