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St. Peter.
I give you a new commandment.
I want you to love one another,
as I have loved you.
This way, you will be recognized as My disciples...
if you love one another.
Where are You going, Lord?
Peter,
where I am going, you cannot follow Me,
You will follow Me later.
And not follow You now?
Why? I would give my life for You.
You would give your life for Me?
I say to you, before the rooster crows,
you will turn against Me three times.
I would rather die with You, Lord, than deny You.
He's dead. He's dead!
What happened? What are you talking about?
- You're too late. He's already dead. - Who's dead?
Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah.
If He's dead, He can't have been the Messiah.
Make way, make way!
Peter! Peter! It's me. It's me, your brother.
Come. Don't be afraid.
- Andrew. - I looked for you everywhere.
I was afraid that they'd caught you.
Perhaps I deserve to be caught.
What do you mean?
Soldiers! Peter, come!
Peter, the soldiers are searching
the whole city of Jerusalem.
We must leave, Peter, leave the city,
or they'll kill us as well.
Isn't what they've done to the Lord enough?
- Murderers! - What are you doing?
Have you gone mad?
They crucified the Lord,
crucified Him like a thief!
- Did you not see? - I saw!
I saw.
I died with Him.
No. No, Peter.
It's you who will lead us.
It's you who must guide us now.
- Yes. - Yes, it's you.
Where are the others?
They are waiting for you. Now.
Peter, we weren't able to protect Him. I'll never forgive myself.
But why did He not prove to everyone that He was the Son of God?
One word... one word would have been enough.
That's enough now. Be silent. Let Peter speak.
I feared I would never see you again.
We are all here, except for John and Judas.
Judas has hung himself, Peter...
a few hours after his betrayal.
He hanged himself from a tree outside the gates of Jerusalem.
May the Lord have mercy on his soul.
Peter, it cannot end like this.
We are many, aren't we? Let's make ourselves heard.
What do you suggest, Matthias? A revolt?
- Yes, exactly. - They will slaughter us.
We cannot allow this, Peter.
James is right. We must go to the temple priest in the Sanhedrin
and declare our obedience.
What do you think? You must decide.
Who can that be?
- Can you see? - John. It's John.
John, please tell us,
what do you know? John, what is it?
"This is your son," He said,
looking at Mary.
"And this is your mother,"
He said to me. Yes, to me.
Then... then I heard Him say,
"Father, into Your hands
I commit My Spirit."
And then He said...
What, you were there?
- Peter. - You were beneath His cross?
Peter, you're alive!
Rise.
It is I who should kneel before you.
I lack the courage to stand by Him like you did.
I do not deserve your trust
and l... I am not able to answer your questions,
but John has given us to understand what we should do now.
Jesus has entrusted His mother to us,
and we must look after her
while she buries her son.
- Come, Peter. - No, Magdalene.
Please come.
Oh, please, Mary, do not look at me so gently.
- I don't deserve it. - My son loved you like a brother.
I was not worthy. I deserve only sorrow.
The pain you feel depends on the joy
that He gave us with His presence.
And what did I do with that? I left Him.
You could not have prevented what happened. No one could.
Do you understand?
This was the design. He knew this.
He always wanted this.
I abandoned Him.
But He has not abandoned you.
Look for Him, Peter.
Do not stop looking for Him,
and He will find you.
He will find you.
Help me, Jesus.
Please help me.
I know I don't deserve it.
I count for nothing now,
for I could not even make myself have the courage
to ask You to forgive me...
but please help me to understand
what I must do for my brothers
who are alone now
without You.
But what are you doing? Where are you going?
We're collecting all our possessions,
- returning home to Emmaus. - Me too. My family needs me.
But we had decided to wait.
Wait for what? What else could possibly happen?
It's just more dangerous to stay.
But we need to have faith.
Jesus cannot have left us like this.
Jesus is dead, do you realize?
And who will take care of our families now? How will we manage?
You believed in Him and hailed Him
as the Messiah until a few days ago.
Maybe we were wrong. If He died, He was not the Messiah.
What are you waiting for then?
Go! Return to your homes!
Out!
Why is he like that?
Peter, calm down.
- Peter... - I hear this far too often:
"He was not the Messiah."
You know too well that anger is not the solution.
You are the youngest but the wisest.
I apologize.
You are our guide. You are Peter,
as strong as a rock. Have you forgotten the words of Jesus?
Never for one moment can I forget them.
But above all the rest,
there is one memory that torments me.
- He's missing! He's gone! - What are you saying, Magdalene?
Jesus! The tomb is empty!
Go and see for yourselves if you don't believe me.
Go on! Go on!
The third day, Peter.
The third day.
Do you remember what Jesus said?
"I must be given into the hands of sinners
and be killed
to rise again
on the third day."
Doesn't this mean that He's alive?
Followers of Jesus! They're inside the tomb!
- They're inside the tomb. - No, wait. Careful.
What are you saying? That's blasphemous.
They are followers of Jesus. They've desecrated the tomb.
They're up there! Quickly!
Let's separate.
Offerings. Offerings for a poor beggar.
Offerings.
Offerings. Offerings for a poor beggar.
Please help me.
Help me. Please help me.
Make an offering.
Peter,
I told you
that I would make you
a fisher of men.
Master.
He looked like anyone else...
a traveler on the road to Emmaus.
But then He spoke and He broke the bread.
Only then did we recognize Him.
It was Jesus.
Peter!
I saw Him too.
A beggar.
I thought He was a beggar,
but then I heard His voice.
So He's alive! He has returned to us!
He has not abandoned us.
He has defeated death for us.
How can you all be so sure?
If Peter says so, I believe in him.
Listen to me, John. I do not doubt
the words of Peter or those of our friends.
Well, then I don't understand.
We would all give our lives to see Jesus again.
We want to see Him again with all of our hearts.
This is the problem. How can we be sure
that this is not just our imagination?
All I can tell you is that it was Him.
I believe you, Peter, but I'm worried for us all.
We have suffered enough, all of us.
May peace be with you.
There now.
As you can see, Pilate,
these tents are perfect for your military
and can stand all weather conditions.
Of course, Saul,
you cannot drink with a pagan like myself.
Your religion forbids it. You're a Jew,
and a pretty zealous one at that.
I would say that I am fervent.
The problem is that there are Jews and Jews.
- Sorry, I don't understand. - The body
of that crucified Nazarene
has vanished from the sepulcher,
and now his followers are spreading the news that this Jesus
has risen from the dead
and hence is the Messiah, the Son of God.
They must have stolen the body
to spread this rumor.
I don't know how they could have done it.
I had placed guards there.
They're impostors.
I know,
but some people believe it,
giving way to doubts,
false hopes, and above all,
unrest that I have to quell.
They betray the faith of my people, and what I hate the most
is that they take advantage of the ignorance of simple people.
Mmm. I agree with you,
but I have to govern in a foreign land.
I need to be extremely careful.
I cannot openly take sides.
Saul, you at least are able to fight them openly.
You can use a sword. You're a Jew.
Your people listen to you.
It is precisely to defend my people
that I will go fight the followers
of this Jesus mercilessly.
There he is! There he is!
- Peter, tell us it's true! - He's risen!
There He is!
Peter! Peter!
Peter!
Is it true?
What you are saying is true! It's true!
Yes! Yes, it's true, Matthias!
It's all true! Jesus is alive!
He's among us once again, in flesh and blood!
We must tell everyone.
We must shout the news from the rooftops of Jerusalem...
- Yes! Yes! ...with all of our strength.
- Yes! - Calm down, calm down, calm down.
We must first face the priest of Sanhedrin
to avoid the conflict.
But Jesus spoke to the people in the squares,
not in the Sanhedrin.
Jesus is the Messiah, but what are we?
Can't you see all the soldiers in the streets? We need to be prudent.
It's true. We're being accused of... "Have you stolen the body of Jesus?"
It doesn't matter. We will tell everyone the truth...
that Jesus is alive once more.
Yes, but how?
How will we prove this?
We do not need to prove anything to anyone.
We must only tell the truth without fear,
without fear, without fear!
John is right! John is right!
It really happened! It really happened!
Let us tell everyone
that Jesus has risen!
And then? What will Jesus ask of us?
What is His design?
Peter! Peter, what do you think?
- Peter? - Peter?
Where has he gone?
Come on!
Stand back!
Stop now. Go.
I know you. You are one of Jesus's disciples.
You're mistaken. Leave me alone.
Are you the Son of God?
Yes, I am.
Why do you deny it when I've seen you with Him?
It was not me. I've told you, you are mistaken.
Take him to Pilate.
You were at the Mount of Olives.
You were with Jesus.
You are one of His followers.
I do not know Jesus.
How must I tell you? I've never seen him before.
Forgive me.
Forgive me.
This way.
- Come on. - Wait here.
Stand over here.
Peter...
they really need you.
They're all here.
I cannot guide you.
Don't you understand?
Leave me alone. Go!
Peter, what are you saying?
You must not abandon us.
I have...
I have reneged Him.
I have reneged the living God...
three times.
I didn't even have the courage to confess it
to my family, my brothers, my sons.
Perhaps there is only one thing that I know how to do now...
fish.
What is he saying?
Come on. Come on, let's go.
Jesus had predicted that, you remember,
and I swore not to renege Him,
to have died with Him.
Peter, we were all confused.
- We were all afraid. - Perhaps I would have done the same.
But you were there with Him.
You did not leave Him.
You did not betray Him.
You too were afraid.
And Jesus, was He not afraid?
I saw the fear in His eyes as they led Him away,
and I left Him alone.
I said I did not know Him as He faced the cross.
Yes, He...
He, among all of us...
He's the one I reneged.
But He has returned. He also returned for you.
No.
I do not deserve His trust nor yours,
and I no longer trust myself.
I trust you.
I too trust you.
- I trust you. - I trust you too.
I trust you, Peter.
I trust you too, Peter.
Peter, not a single fish today.
It is not our lucky day.
Why don't you throw your nets on the starboard side?
Did you hear what that guy said?
Yes, the starboard side.
You can tell that man has never been fishing in his life.
Do as he says.
But it's absurd.
That's not the way to fish. Everyone knows that.
Throw the net on the starboard side!
It's a miracle!
It's the Lord!
Look, it is Him! It is Jesus!
Be careful! Peter!
Peter, what are you doing?
Wait!
You trusted Me.
So, do you love Me, Peter?
- Oh, Lord... - Do you love Me, Peter?
Of course I love You. You know that.
Do you love Me more than anyone else?
Three times You asked me, Lord...
three times...
the same number of times that I denied You.
You know everything, Lord.
I love You more than my life.
Then tend to My flock.
You must protect them in My name.
It is your task.
I failed You, Jesus. I failed You.
This is also why I've chosen you,
and why I choose you once again.
But in truth I say to you,
when you were young,
you dressed yourself and you went where you pleased,
but when you grow older,
you will stretch out your hands
and someone else will dress you and lead you
where you do not wish to go.
So be it, Lord. So be it.
Follow Me.
You will all bear witness to Me in Jerusalem,
in all of Judea and Samaria,
and to the furthest corners of the earth.
And how shall we manage that, Jesus?
How shall we bear witness?
Bring Me your kinsmen and people.
Lead them to Me with your words and your actions,
and lead them to Me the same way you came to Me now.
In the water, like baptism.
Go and baptize
in the name of the Father, of the Son
and the Holy Spirit,
and I will be with you every day until the end of time.
Many of Jesus's disciples are returning to Jerusalem
to join Simon, better known as Peter,
to start all over again with the rantings
about the so-called Son of God.
Now they're even saying that He's alive,
that He has risen from the dead.
This is an indecency! They still haven't given up!
It is now obvious why they stole Jesus's body.
It is so we would believe He is immortal.
And of course, he will continue his preachings and create unrest.
This is true.
The followers of Jesus are a menace to Israel.
Rome is watching for the first signs of an uprising
so that they can send over more troops to crush us.
They will crush us.
This time we have to stop them immediately,
before the situation gets out of hand.
I think it would be unjust
to condemn them before having listened to them,
before having a clear idea of their intentions.
Master,
right now Peter and his followers
are our enemies...
and you yourself taught me, Gamaliel,
that it is not prudent to wait
when you're faced with an enemy.
This is true, Saul,
but I also taught you that only God knows His enemies.
Of course,
but we have the duty to fight God's enemies
when they are proved to be such,
and I am ready to do this.
I will not rest until I have succeeded.
Many have come for the harvest festival...
many more than I could have imagined.
The temple will be crowded.
We may not have room for them all.
This is not what worries me.
Are you thinking of Peter and his disciples?
This is a festivity celebrated by all Jews.
They will not miss this opportunity.
They will try to make converts of all these people.
Then they will have to come out into the open.
This is what I hope.
There are many of our soldiers guarding Jerusalem.
They will not go by unnoticed.
Oh! Be careful, little one.
What is your name?
You cannot speak?
My name is Andrew.
He's Stephen. And what is yours?
Of course he didn't answer. He couldn't understand.
I wonder where they came from.
Perhaps Mesopotamia.
Do you understand what we are saying, Peter?
How could we bear witness to the word of the Lord
to the corners of the earth?
How will we make ourselves understood?
None of us speaks any other languages.
Andrew is right. No one had thought of that.
Did you think it would all be easy?
My brothers,
each person who is a Jew like us,
wherever in the world he may be born, whatever language he may speak,
has the right to know
that the Messiah we were waiting for
has finally arrived.
But how will we make ourselves understood by everyone?
All I know is that we must stay united, as Jesus asked,
and He will never abandon us.
Remember?
"Where there are two or three people assembled in My name...
I am with them."
Mommy! Where's my mommy?
- What's wrong, my child? - I got lost.
- What's happened? - I can't find my mother.
How many times do I have to tell you?
You must stay close to me.
- I understood what they were saying. - So did I.
People of Judea,
listen.
Listen to me.
Jesus has risen from the dead.
God has resurrected Him!
Jesus, the Messiah, has risen.
He has defeated death!
He has defeated death because love...
love defeats death.
The Lord said unto us,
"In My last days,
I will bestow My spirit upon each person."
And then He added,
"Whoever invokes the name of the Lord will be saved."
Thus, let yourselves be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ
and thereby receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit.
Baptize me, Peter,
in the name of the Lord.
I too want to be baptized.
Glory be to the Lord.
Everyone! Everyone understood your words, Peter!
Yes, and I too, I too can speak to everyone and understand everyone.
It is a gift from our Lord.
It is the Holy Spirit
answering all our questions, all our fears.
Peter, Peter.
Do not worry. He's not here to harm us.
I wish to be baptized.
Explain to him why he cannot be baptized.
My name is Lucius.
I've wanted to be one of you for some time.
Today I found the courage to ask.
But you are a pagan.
He is a pagan. He's not a Jew.
God wishes us to speak to our own people...
Jews like ourselves.
Our law doesn't even permit us to enter the homes of non-Jews,
let alone sit at their tables.
But you spoke to everyone,
and everyone understood you...
Elamites, Greeks, and people from Egypt.
Our Jewish brothers are everywhere,
everywhere in the world.
My words were addressed to them,
only to...
only to them.
I'm sorry.
Peter, they want to be baptized,
and there are many of them.
Shall we baptize them immediately? We cannot wait.
We must remain prudent. There are guards everywhere.
You must split up into groups
and lead them out of Jerusalem.
Take them to the watering holes, outside the walls?
- Shall we baptize them there? - The Lord be with you.
Be prudent, please.
Thank you.
Are we not going to arrest them?
No, not yet.
There are too many of them, and some might react.
I do not want bloodshed today,
not on a feast day.
So do we just let them go?
Do not take initiative.
Follow from a far distance.
I only want to know what they're doing.
What about you?
I will follow Peter.
He is the one I fear the most.
Of all places, you want to go to the temple?
It is where the people of Israel pray... our people.
I must announce to them the resurrection of Jesus, to them too.
- A little help... - It could be dangerous.
After all that happened today, nothing can happen to us.
It is nevertheless a decision
that I must make by myself.
- I trust your decision. - Stand by me.
My brothers...
people of Israel,
I beg you, listen to me.
And why should we listen to you?
What more do you wish to say to the people of Israel
that they have not heard already
from Abraham and Moses?
That Jesus is the Messiah
that the people of Israel have been waiting for.
- Impostor! - Out of here, you liar!
Do you hear them?
Do you hear what your people think of you?
You are an impostor,
and do you know the punishment for those who lie in temple?
For me, the greater punishment
would be not to speak the truth.
Bless me.
I beg of you.
I can't walk.
Take that and leave!
I have no silver, no gold,
but I can give you the love
of Jesus of Nazareth.
Stand up and walk.
Do you take us for fools? It's only a trick!
You two had agreed to do this.
Soldiers, take them!
We must leave, quickly.
- I've cured him. - Quickly.
Like Jesus used to do, I've cured him.
To the Sanhedrin.
Take him before the Sanhedrin to face judgment.
You! You are the ones who stole Jesus's body!
You stole it so you could say He had risen from the dead.
Jesus really rose from the dead.
I saw Him with my own eyes.
I heard His voice.
I touched His hands with my own hands.
This is a lie
and God will punish you for that!
But first, it is the law of Israel that will punish you.
You are just frauds
who take advantage of the simple nature of others
to steal their possessions.
I baptize you, Jeremiah,
in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
They are making converts. We must warn Saul.
You must swear to stop spreading your doctrine.
I cannot speak against the truth,
the truth that Jesus has risen from the dead.
Arrest them!
Wait.
Lf...
what these two men say is false,
that means their doctrine does not belong to God
and therefore will dissolve in thin air.
If instead their doctrine comes from God,
we'll be unable to stop them.
But we cannot wait. It is necessary
to arrest them for the good of Israel.
Is it for the good of Israel
that we should find ourselves fighting against God?
If any among you want to run the risk
of assuming a position against God,
he should please step forward
and assume responsibility for requesting
Peter and John to be incarcerated.
Let them go.
Master...
Master, this time I'm not in agreement with you.
A frequent occurrence lately.
Peter is dangerous!
He's able to exert an exceptional influence over others.
Forgive me, but perhaps
he has influenced you too.
You are a brave man, Saul,
and you are also honest and loyal,
but you change completely when facing Peter
and the disciples of Jesus.
- L... - It almost seems
as if you were afraid of them.
What are you so frightened of?
What is it
you hide within your heart?
Saul.
They are giving baptism to many, just as Peter ordered.
- This is what I feared. - He is a leader now,
and perhaps he will soon pass himself off as the Messiah.
It's dangerous to touch Peter at the moment.
Gamaliel's on his side, as well as many others.
They may want to revolt, and that is precisely what we must avoid.
What do you intend to do then?
We must lower our sights.
You, stop.
- What can I do for you? - Do you know Simon,
also called Peter? Do you not?
Of course. I know him well.
And he ordered you to give baptism.
Your friend Peter is saying that Jesus has risen from the dead,
and that He is the Son of God.
As everyone knows, there is only one God.
If He had a son, there would be two.
It is blasphemy.
But perhaps you don't agree with Peter.
Warn Peter.
Yes.
Come with me.
Citizens of Jerusalem, come here.
Let's listen to what this young follower
of Jesus of Nazareth has to say.
- Peter, Peter! - What?
Run, quickly! Stephen is in danger. Hurry!
Jesus came to remind us of the teachings
of the law of Moses...
"Love God,
listen to His prophets, practice justice..."
That's enough of all that nonsense!
Answer me, do you believe Jesus to be the Son of God?
Jesus is the Son of God.
For our salvation, He died and rose from the dead.
You all here have heard.
This man has blasphemed. He must be punished and *** for this.
You still have time to retract that.
I have nothing more to say!
Stone him!
Is there anyone here who agrees with Stephen?
Does anyone wish to be *** with him?
Stone him! Stone him!
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Do not blame them for this sin.
What have you done?
- What have you done? - He blasphemed.
He said Jesus was the Son of God.
He spoke the truth.
Jesus is the Son of God.
The time is right.
Let's stone him as well.
No.
I need him alive. Arrest him.
The money we have gathered has provided food for many.
We can still do much more.
What happened?
Stephen...
they have killed him.
And Peter,
he's been arrested.
Our Father, Who art in Heaven,
hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom...
Hmm. I know that you hate me
but I can show you a way out
for yourself and for the followers of your Messiah.
These are the conditions of your release.
Read it.
I do not know how to read.
So you cannot read.
And you expect to preach in the temple?
To teach your faith to all the Jews?
Let me tell you what is written:
You deny everything.
You admit that Jesus did not rise from the dead,
that you stole His body from the sepulcher.
And you swear you will never preach His name again.
This way you will save all your...
I've already denied Jesus.
I will not repeat my mistake.
I wanted to save you.
You are so stubborn,
blinded by your madness.
What if you are the ones...
who are blind?
This way. Follow me. Come on.
This way. This way.
Stop!
Go on, move along. Move along.
Followers of Jesus,
for you it is over.
Everyone out! Get out of here right now!
Come on, let's get out of here.
You are coming with us,
filthy, blasphemous followers of Jesus.
This is the end for you.
What's going on? Stop it!
Move it! Let's go!
- Move! - What's going on?
Don't just stand there! Move move!
Get going! Follow the crowd!
What are you doing? What are you doing?
Let's go!
Let's go!
Jeremiah, wait a little longer before leaving. Things will improve.
Perhaps, but we prefer to move to Damascus.
It will be a long journey,
but it's better than staying here and risking jail.
We fear for our child,
but our faith in Jesus remains the same.
May God protect you.
And please be careful.
To Damascus!
The followers of Jesus are also there.
Come!
Any news of my brother?
- I would like to do something. - We could pray.
Mary is right.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come...
...Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Our Father, Who art in heaven...
...hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done...
Saul.
Saul.
What is it?
Leave me alone!
I have heard that Saul has left for Damascus,
but the streets are still full of soldiers.
They could find us any moment now.
I feel as if I am losing my mind like this. We are trapped in here,
and we don't have any news of Peter.
Perhaps you too should leave Jerusalem,
like so many of the others already have.
- We can't leave Peter behind in jail. - Assuming he's still alive.
That's not possible. Peter is in jail.
- A few of us could stay behind... - It is you!
- This must be a miracle! ...to stay in touch with the others.
It's Peter. At least that's what he says.
Peter!
Peter, it's you! It's you!
Peter, you're alive!
Are you okay? What happened?
- Tell us, tell us. - How did you escape?
- We have been praying for you. - Did they release you?
How did you manage to persuade them?
I just prayed.
Thank you.
There are not many of us left, Peter.
Many have left.
Their flight is not a defeat.
If the seeds are clasped into one's hands
they can never provide fruit,
because they need to be spread all over the fields.
Our brothers who have left
are now the seeds that Jesus has sown everywhere,
and from this moment onwards,
we must spread ourselves like seeds.
But no matter where we go,
we must be of one heart, one soul.
We will give everything we have
to those who are most poor,
to those who are most needy,
and then together we will break the bread
and praise God.
The first sign for us to recognize each other
will be the love we show one another.
Love.
The community in Jaffa was pleased to hear you speak, Peter.
Peter?
Did I hear correct?
Are you Simon, known as Peter, the apostle of Jesus?
I am... my name is Cornelius,
and you have no idea how happy I am to meet you.
I beg you, come into my home.
You cannot.
He is a pagan.
It is a Roman home, and it is impure.
You... you knew Jesus well.
You were with Him. And I believe in Him.
I believe in His resurrection.
You're Barsabas.
I have heard you speak about Jesus here in Jaffa.
I listened from a distance. You are the one who convinced me.
I was speaking to my own people, to the Jews.
I know. I'm not a Jew.
This is why I'm not permitted to enter your homes,
I cannot take part in your meals.
But I would really like to listen
to the word of Jesus from your mouth.
I'm sorry.
We Jews are not permitted to enter the homes of pagans.
It is the law of Moses.
Peter.
Peter.
Do not call impure...
all that God has purified.
Peter. Peter!
Cornelius.
Do you still wish to welcome me into your home?
With all my heart. Please, come in.
Peter!
Do not do this.
God has no favorites.
He's pleased with those who love Him and are just,
whichever people they come from.
Peter!
Praise be to the Lord.
I have a son in Britannia serving the legions,
and this is my family.
This is my wife, Lavinia.
And these are my daughters...
Flavia
and Martia.
I am Peter, servant of God.
Peter!
The laws of our fathers forbid us from entering
the homes of non-Jews.
You are aware of the laws better than any of us, Peter, and yet...
And yet you baptize Cornelius and his family.
Tell us why.
Jesus bestowed the Holy Spirit
upon Cornelius and his family,
as He did for us.
It happened before my eyes.
Jesus is our Messiah, the Messiah of the Jews,
not of pagans, be they Roman or Greek.
- My brothers. - Barnabas.
- Saul! - Murderer!
- Let's get out! - Let's leave! Quick!
- Calm down. Please please, be calm. - Don't move.
Don't move. Don't move.
Don't you see? He has come to capture us.
Your eyes.
It was as you said, Peter.
I was blind, but these eyes have seen.
I'm here
to beg your forgiveness
and that of Jesus.
I wish
to join you.
I wish to spread the Lord's word
to the four corners of the earth, as you do.
Since you have never seen Jesus or listened to Him,
how can you preach and speak in His name?
How?
I think Barsabas deserves an answer.
I did see Him.
Jesus spoke to me on the road to Damascus.
It was when my eyes could not see.
At the very moment, Peter,
He called me to this.
And now I am here
to ask your permission to obey Him...
to ask your help, to understand better.
What were His teachings?
I want to hear the voices who listened to His voice,
follow the example
that follows His example.
Saul...
Saul no longer exists.
Now my name is...
Paul.
"Paul"...that means "the smallest."
Because I am the last among you.
Welcome to our group, Paul.
I was right here, getting the nets ready
with my brother Andrew,
like any other day.
We did not know
that our lives were just about to change.
"Follow me,
and I shall make you fishers of men."
We just dropped our nets
and followed Him.
It was Jesus.
And it was the first time I ever heard Him speak.
What...
what was His voice like?
You couldn't mistake it for anybody else's.
It stays inside you
like a flame that you could never put out.
I want to ask you something
which may compromise our unity
which was so dear to Jesus.
I would like you to bring the word of God to all.
You mean, also to pagans?
Yes. To everybody.
That is precisely what Jesus asked of me
when He called me.
The flame.
It was the same voice.
Here.
I baptize you, Lucius, in the name of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit.
You see, Peter? What did I tell you?
He's baptizing pagans!
Please calm down, Matthias.
How can I be calm?
You have betrayed our law, the law of Moses.
I follow the law of Jesus,
and Jesus makes no difference between Jews and non-Jews.
How dare you speak of Jesus,
you who never even met Him,
who never even saw Him as we did?
I saw Him.
I was at the feet of the cross when Jesus died.
You were under the cross?
So you are one of those who killed Him.
Yes. I was one of them.
I met His eyes.
I heard His voice while He forgave us.
He forgave us,
the very people who were killing Him!
It was then
that I understood that He was the real Son of God.
Lucius is not a believer thanks to my words or yours, Peter.
Lucius believes because Jesus himself
gave him the gift of faith,
even though he's not a Jew,
even though he was
one of His executioners.
Who are we, Matthias, to deny him baptism?
Who are you to make a decision that is only ours to make?
You... you murdered Stephen,
and now you baptize one of Jesus's murderers.
Tell him.
Peter, you tell him too!
Calm down, Matthias.
Calm down.
We must all calm down.
This is not the time to quarrel.
Come with me.
I want to show you something.
- Look! - There he is!
- There he is! - Peter!
Peter!
Peter! Peter! Peter! Peter!
How many of them are Jews?
Not even one.
The people of Antioch no longer confuse us with the Jews.
They have started to call us Christians.
"Christians"? What does that mean?
Believers in the Messiah, Jesus.
"Christ" is the Greek word for "Messiah."
Stay with us this evening,
so you will meet everybody
and we will have the chance to talk.
Peter.
Sit down with us.
- That's enough. Let us leave now! - Mathias...
Let us begin to eat something first.
Should we not discuss things?
I do not wish to sit
at the same table with a pagan.
I respect traditions!
Never mind, Paul. Matthias, come.
Come with me. Let us sit here.
Peter, Matthias,
do you not see you're offending these people?
I was just trying to keep from having an argument.
My mission is to unify all of us.
You will never manage to do this
if you do not openly and courageously say
what is right and what is not.
You cannot expect to please everyone all the time.
If you will not decide for everyone,
you will lose us all.
Thank you, Paul.
Thank you for the honesty of your words.
We shall meet in Jerusalem in a month's time
to clarify this issue once and for all.
Peter, you are the one who must
put an end to this madness.
I have just said it.
We will decide on the best thing to do
when we get to Jerusalem.
Yes, but I warn you,
it is them or us.
Peter.
Peter.
I'm so happy to see you again.
I needed your presence
like a child seeking his mother.
I have a difficult choice to make,
a choice which may divide our church forever.
Well, sit down then.
Keep me company while I make the bread.
The Lord always gives those He really loves
great responsibilities.
I was 15 years old
and I still lived with my parents.
I was waiting to get married to Joseph
and preparing my wedding gown.
It was a sunny morning the day I was told.
What does a young girl feel
when she discovers
she will give birth to the Son of God?
Fear. Fear, Peter.
Great fear.
I did not know whether to tell my parents
or how to tell them
or Joseph.
I thought no one would understand,
that I would lose them forever.
And instead...
Peter, my brothers,
we are all born Jews.
Jesus, the son of God, chose to be born among us.
We cannot retract our laws and all of our traditions.
What would the Messiah say
if He saw us baptizing pagans and sharing meals with them?
Maybe they're right, Peter.
We are the ones who saw Jesus,
who listened to His voice,
who lived with Him.
That is precisely why.
How is it you do not understand?
I know you're defending your laws and your traditions.
That is exactly what I did when I was your enemy.
I stained my hands with blood to defend
the laws and traditions of our people,
even with Stephen's blood.
But now I ask you,
you have heard Peter speak in many different languages.
What do you think this meant? And what about you, Peter?
You saw the spirit and the Pentecost
descend on Cornelius and his family.
- Peter. - God does not discriminate
between people
or individuals.
Jesus has demolished all barriers.
What more must he do to make us understand
that God's only wish is to accept everyone,
absolutely everyone, in one single embrace?
- Peter, l-I believe that... - That is enough.
It is I who must speak now.
Never again must we impose
any particular obligation
on those believers who are of pagan origin.
Jews, non-Jews, Greeks, Romans...
we must consider them all as our brothers,
and as such we should baptize them.
All men are saved in the same manner...
by the grace of our Lord.
Everybody may be Christian.
No one here should feel offended
or proud.
It is Jesus Who guides our steps,
and perhaps even those conflicts that we had
will be useful for us to understand better
the path He wants to show us.
This should be a lesson for us
and for our church in times to come,
when the Lord returns.
Peter, I trust Jesus, Who chose you...
but it's hard for me to understand.
I don't want to see that sadness in your eyes.
We must act with our hearts filled with joy,
like Jesus used to give us.
Have you forgotten?
Do you not remember that joy?
Come with me.
Matthias, come.
What are we doing here?
- What are we doing here? - We are fishermen, are we not?
Yes, fishers of men, of course, but I never caught a fish in my life.
- Well, neither have I. - Get in. I will show you how.
I will stay here and I will light a fire,
so when you return, we can cook the fish immediately.
We need you here with us. Get in the boat. Stop fussing.
L... l...
I can't swim!
Don't be frightened.
If you fall into the water, we'll fish you out.
Don't be afraid.
Come on, get in.
Come on!
We must make sure that they're well-knotted
and properly spread under the water.
We've thrown the bait,
and now all we have to do is wait.
Matthias, come closer to me.
I want to explain something to you.
- Take the helm. - What?
Take the helm.
I have no idea.
Now our lives are in the hands of Matthias.
I do not find that being comfortable.
- It does not comfort me either. - Nor me.
Come on, Peter.
A fisherman in a boat puts his life
into the hands of all the others.
Now the waters are still and calm.
There are no waves.
But we know how terrible the sea can be.
And who would have the courage to face it alone?
Who would leave the safety of the shore
if he did not have faith in his companions,
if he was not sure that they would be ready
to risk their lives for him
as he would for them?
I want you to come one by one
and take the helm for a few moments.
Thank you. John.
It will be the same when we are scattered.
Each one will have his own helm.
Come, Andrew.
Yes.
And we will follow the course that Jesus has shown us.
There will be only one boat.
- James. - Come here.
Take the helm.
But we will all be in it
at whatever time and wherever we are.
Paul.
We are united
as brothers
in calm seas, and most of all
when the waters are stormy.
Andrew to Thessaly,
Thomas to Syria, Bartholomew to Persia.
And you, Paul?
Where will you announce the word of Jesus?
In a city in which there is a little of Thessaly,
a little of Syria...
a little of Persia,
- and a great deal more. - Rome?
Rome.
Do not fear. I will be prudent.
I, on the other hand, believe you will not.
I hope that this is not the last time we embrace.
- God willing. - God willing.