When the apostles after Pentecost went about fulfilling their duty of proclaiming the word, they met with opposition, especially from the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of their people. They were threatened with death if they did not stop their preaching. Peter and the apostles responded in words which contain an important principle for us today: "Better for us to obey God than men!"

The Christianity proclaimed by the apostles is more than a body of teachings. It is a way of life. In fact the purpose of the teachings is to lead us to live in accord with God's will. In attempting to follow God's will, we will meet with opposition. Think about the pressures from our society, pressures to accept birth control, abortion, and now even incest! There are actually those who propose that friendly incest, as opposed to violent incest, is normal and acceptable. Young people are being brainwashed to believe that there is nothing wrong wiht permarital sex or the use of drungs. Much of the spirit of our economic system, based on the competitive syndrome, lead may to ignore the need for social justice and induces a contempt for the poor who can survive only on welfare.

The apostles were a small group but because of courage in their convictions they helped to transform the world. We should never think that we can do nothing. Often we may not even be aware of how much good we are doing by the witness of our lives. In any event we must live by the words of the apostles, "Better to obey God than men!"