I. Let us draw =the Map of the Lands= occupied by the church during those fifteen years. 1. Draw the coast line of the Mediterranean Sea. 2. The island of Cyprus. 3. The lands east of the Mediterranean Sea. Judea (or Palestine), Syria, Phoenicia. 4. The lands north of the Mediterranean Sea, in Asia Minor, Cilicia, Pamphylia, Pisidia, Lycaonia. 5. The places: Jerusalem, Joppa, Cæsarea and Samaria in Judea, Damascus and Antioch in Syria, Tarsus in Cilicia, Antioch in Pisidia, Lystra and Derbe in Lycaonia. II. Let us carefully note the =Progress of Events= in this remarkable evolution of the church. 1. =The Preaching of Stephen.= Stephen was a Hellenist, or a Jew of foreign origin. He was the man who first had the vision of a church wider than the bounds of Judaism; and he proclaimed this great truth. See evidences of this in: 1.) The new and bitter _enmity_ which his teaching aroused (Acts 6. 12). 2.) The _accusation_ against him, which contained a half truth (Acts 6. 11, 13, 14). 3.) The _prominence_ of the man, and his discourse, the longest public discourse reported in the New Testament, except the Sermon on the Mount (Acts 7. 1-53). 4.) The _logical aim_ of his address: to show that the Jews had shown themselves unworthy of their trust, implying that it would be given to others. This sermon was never finished, being broken up by the riotous acts of the council. 2. =Saul's Persecution= (Acts 8. 1-3). We shall study this man's early history later. (See page 96). He was intense and furious in his loyalty to Judaism, and undertook to crush out the gospel of Christ by violent measures. See Acts 22. 4; 26. 10, 11; Gal. 1. 13. 1.) As a result the Pentecostal church was broken up and its members were scattered. 2.) But, as another effect, these disciples who were scattered went everywhere preaching (Acts 8. 4). These "preachers" were not the apostles; they were lay-members; not delivering sermons, but testifying in country synagogues and in homes the gospel of Christ. 3.) Another result followed, churches sprang up throughout Judea (Acts 9. 31), Samaria (Acts 8. 14), and Syria (Acts 9. 2, 10; Acts 11. 19). Thus Saul by his persecution unconsciously aided the spread of the gospel. 3. =The Gospel in Samaria= (Acts 8. 5-8). One of these disciples, Philip (not the apostle, but one of the "seven" Acts 6. 5), went to Samaria, and there preached with great success. A significant event, showing breadth of view and victory over prejudice. See John 4. 9. The Samaritans were regarded, not exactly as Gentiles, but as irregular and inferior, and despised even more than Gentiles. Still more significant, the Samaritan church was recognized by the apostles and received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8. 14-17). Note also that, after his work in Samaria, Philip went down to the coast and established a chain of churches from Azotus to Cæsarea (Acts 8. 40).