"Freedom for [the early Christians] was freedom from self- obsession and self-protection and for obedience and service to Christ in every corner of the earth.

And it was freedom to hope in and to anticipate God's good work everywhere even in the face of demise and death. The resurrection of Jesus established a future beyond death to which the Christians looked forward and which reached back into the midst of the present. Their vision was for eternity, and that gave them remarkable freedom and power in the present.

They believed that life would win even when death struck its mortal blow. And they thus trained not to fear death in a world full of its obvious power. And that meant that no matter what came the Christians were completely free to surprise the world.

They had good news, and they were going to share it. High and low, near and their way, far, the gospel went to work."