The earliest events of the church are recorded in a book called the Acts of the Apostles. This was a time of explosive growth and miraculous signs. Thousands came to faith in Christ. Two men stand out as “apostles” – those sent out with a mission. Peter led the first-generation church. Often beaten and put in prison, Peter preached the Gospel with boldness in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. The Apostle Paul was at first an enemy of Christ, but Jesus miraculously appeared to him and knocked him to the ground in a blinding light. Jesus Himself commissioned Paul as a special ambassador to the Greek and Roman world. Paul is the author of thirteen New Testament books. Through these letters we better understand how Christ is divine, how we are saved by grace through faith, and how we can lead lives that please God.