"Being ordained an apostle to the Gentiles, it is but meet that I should assume the risks of the journey and take as personal the command to preach the Gospel in Rome or elsewhere and to every Gentile nation. A gospel of universal faith granting to Jew and Gentile alike repentance unto life and grace through the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ.
"This work has been most successful and many strong Gentile churches have been established; but God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"After the establishment of a number of these churches, when I returned to Jerusalem I was falsely accused of teaching all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake the law of Moses; and of having brought Greeks into the temple and polluted the holy place. And after this charge I was cast from the temple and the doors closed; then set upon and beaten with staves and stones until Roman soldiers came to quiet the disturbance; and by them bound with chains was led towards the castle. When asking and receiving permission to speak unto the people, I did so in the Hebrew tongue saying:
"'Men, brethren and fathers, hear ye my defense, now made unto you, I am verily a man, a Jew born in Tarsus, in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers and was zealous towards God, as ye all are this day.
"'And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prison both men and women. As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders; from whom also I received letters unto the brethren and went to Damascus, to bring them which were bound unto Jerusalem for to be punished.
"'And it came to pass that as I made my journey and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and hearing a voice saying unto me, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"
"'And I answered, "Who art thou Lord?" And he said unto me, "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecuteth."
"'And they that were with me saw indeed the light and were afraid, but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
"'And I said, "What shall I do Lord?" And the Lord said unto me, "Arise and go unto Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do."
"'And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.