Daily text, Wednesday, March 9. 2016

[Queen Esther]

You will be witnesses of me . . . to the most distant part of the earth.—Acts 1:8.

From the start of his ministry, Jesus stressed the importance of proclaiming the good news of God’s Kingdom. He chose 12 disciples to share in laying the foundation for a global ministry; afterward, he trained a group of 70 disciples. (Luke 6:13; 10:1) These were prepared to take the good news to others, at first to the Jews. Then, a surprise! Jesus’ disciples were going to take it to uncircumcised ones of the nations. What a change that must have been for zealous Jewish disciples! The apostle Peter was sent to the home of Cornelius, an uncircumcised Gentile. Peter then recognized that God is impartial. Cornelius and his household were baptized. Christianity was now expanding into a vast new field; people in all nations could hear the truth and accept it. (Acts 10:9-48) Now the field was the whole world. w14 9/15 1:5, 6