Literature and history come.

Hello and welcome to literature and history. Episode 78, the Book of Acts.

This program will cover the Acts of the Apostles, the fifth book of the New Testament, a book

that tells us about how the first generation of Christians burst into action following the

death of Jesus and mobilized throughout the Eastern Mediterranean

to found churches and spread their message. Most commonly thought have been

composed in the 15 or so years following 85 CE, the Book of Acts picks up the story of Christianity

in the aftermath of Jesus' death.

And I'd like to begin this episode with a long quote, a quote in which the apostle Paul's

companion describes setting out on an eventful and perilous journey, a journey during which Paul was a prisoner, to Rome.

Quote,

When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose. They weighed anchor

and sailed along Crete, close to shore. But before long a stormy wind beat down from shore,

which is called Euroclyden.

When the ship was caught and couldn't face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.

Running under the lee of a small island called Clada, we were able with difficulty to secure the boat.

After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship.

Fearing that they would run aground on the sirtis sandbars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along.

As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard. On the third day they threw out

the ships tackle with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days and no small storm pressed on us all hope that we

would be saved was now taken away. When they had been long without food Paul stood up in the middle of them and said,

Sir, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and have gotten

...