Re: The Early Christians: In Their Own Words

Such demons were often seen as dark shadows, smoke, or s****s showing the 
slanderous and seductive character of darkness. Yet what really mattered 
was the religious and moral effect on the people. There is a story about a

prostitute who listened for hours to the singing of psalms and hymns, and 
was so deeply stirred that she broke down under the burden of her life and

started on the new way. Another story tells how the aged John of Ephesus 
looked for a young renegade in the mountains. Finding him, he threw his 
arms around the young bandit, who, weeping bitterly, asked for pardon.
With 
the power of his authority, the apostle assured the man of the Savior’s 
complete forgiveness and healing. John then fell on his knees and covered 
the bandit’s hand with kisses. The hand that had wielded the murderous 
weapon was now washed clean of blood. He brought him back to the church as

a living example of repentance and rebirth, a trophy of Christ’s power of 
resurrection.