Then Saul was instructed as to what he was to do, and was told that he
would become a minister of Christ. From that time Paul preached and
taught the Christian religion, and converted many people to it.

But he was persecuted in his new work as he had persecuted others, being
finally taken prisoner and threatened with scourging; he declared
himself a Roman citizen, however, and therefore safe from such
treatment, and went on openly confessing his faith and telling of his
conversion, and he appealed for protection to the Roman emperor.

He was then put on board a ship as a prisoner to be taken to Rome. While
they were at sea a violent storm came up, and Paul warned the sailors
that they were in great danger; but they would not listen to him. At
last the ship was wrecked, all on board being cast ashore upon an
island, whither they had been carried, clinging to boards and broken
pieces of the ship.

The barbarous people of the island treated them kindly, building a fire
that they might dry their clothing and get warm; for it was cold and
they were, of course, drenched.

The men were very glad to be safe once more; but a strange thing
happened after a little: Paul gathered up an armful of sticks to put
upon the fire, and as he placed them upon the flames, a viper, which is
a kind of poisonous snake, came out of the bundle and clung to his hand;
he shook it off into the fire, however, without the slightest sign of
fear.

Those who were about him thought that the hand would swell and that