" PAST " SAINT PAUL Part IV THE MISSIONARY ii

 

St Paul the Missionary Part   ii


SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY 49 – 52 AD

(Paul is 44 – 48 years old as he begins).

Covers modern Syria, Israel, Turkey and Greece.

Trouble came to the church in Antioch in the shape of some Jewish Christians from Jerusalem. They began to insist to the Gentile converts that they could not be saved without “ being circumcised according to the tradition of Moses”.

Paul and Barnabas strongly opposed their view and defended the contrary teaching they had given to their Gentile converts. It was finally agreed that Paul and Barnabas should go to Jerusalem to defend their teaching. They set off with several others, travelling via Phoenicia and Samaria.

In Jerusalem they were welcomed by the Apostles and presbyters. When the issue was formally discussed, a group of Jewish Christians of Pharisee background strongly asserted the need for circumcision “ to keep the Law of Moses “. St Peter, returned from one of his missionary journeys, was present and so the matter was able to be dealt with definitively.

The views of the opposing sides were argued with vigor, and then the Vicar of Christ on Earth, St Peter, arose and gave his decision. He reminded them that it was God’s decision that he, Peter, should preach to the Gentiles and that the Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit as had the Apostles and other disciples. He “ had removed all uncleanness from their hearts when he gave them the faith…. It is by grace of the Lord Jesus that we hope to be saved, and they no less.” 

The Law of Moses did not enter into it – they had no need of circumcision. “Then the whole company kept silence”. They listened quietly as Paul and Barnabas related all the signs and wonders God had worked among the Gentiles in the course of their work.

St James, the Bishop of Jerusalem, was present and no doubt he was concerned to mollify his Pharisaic converts to some degree in the face of their correction. He proposed that a letter be written to the Gentile converts in Antioch, Cilicia and Syria confirming that the pro-circumcision group had no authority, but simply requiring the Gentile converts to refrain from food sacrificed to idols, blood meat or meat which has been strangled and from fornication. This was agreed and Judas and Silas accompanied Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch as official representatives of the Apostles to confirm the letter.

Some days after their return, Paul urged Barnabas to come with him to re-visit the churches they had established on their first journey. As we have seen, Barnabas wanted Mark to accompany them, but Paul would not agree, because Mark had not originally gone on with them from Perge, but had elected to return to Jerusalem. Paul’s disapproval of Mark’s action is so strong, and Barnabas’ disagreement with Paul’s stance is so firm, that Barnabas goes instead to his native Cyprus with Mark. Barnabas will remain there for the rest of his life as Bishop of the church there. Paul goes on his projected journey with Silas as his companion. Travelling overland through Syria and Paul’s native Cilicia, Paul and Silas preached as they went and established churches. In due course they made the return visit to Derbe and then Lystra. The return to Lystra has a historic significance for here Paul is introduced to Timothy a convert, son of a Jewish mother and a Gentile father. In both his native Lystra and in Iconium members of the church are full of praise for this young man as someone of faith, devotion and ability. Paul quickly comes to regard him as a promising co-worker.

Recalling the exceptional hostility of the Jewish elements in the region, Paul agrees to the circumcision of Timothy ( it being widely known in the region that his father was a Gentile). His circumcision, though not doctrinally necessary, will make him more acceptable to the Jews and thus enhance his effectiveness in the mission. Their co-operation was to become a major boon to Paul : “I have no one else who shares my thoughts as he does; he has shared my task of preaching the gospel like a son helping his father.”

As they moved from place to place they taught the substance of the Apostles’ letter to the Gentiles and were pleased to see how the churches were growing rapidly from day to day. They travelled on toward Asia Minor and Bithynia but the Holy Spirit intervened and deflected them to Troas. With its beautiful situation and harbour, Troas was the embarkation point for Europe from Asia Minor. A few miles inland, across the plains, lay the ruins of ancient Troy.

Here Luke the physician joins the missionary band. He is believed to have been the brother of Paul’s co-worker Titus, and well known to Paul. In writing Acts, Luke can only let us know when he was personally present indirectly, by using the first person plural ( the “we” sections as they have been called).

They sailed from Troas to Philippi, The Greek sailors of the time sailed only by day and always in sight of the land – the island mountain peak of Samothrace was of great help on the present voyage. Philippi had Hellenistic origins and was founded in 356 BC. The small city of approximately 2,000 people had been the control centre for the nearby gold mines. But in 167 BC the Romans took control of the Macedonian kingdom and Philippi lost importance to nearby Amphypolis. In 42 BC however, Philippi positively leapt into prominence because the site of Octavian’s and Mark Antony’s defeat of the forces of Brutus and Cassius lay in its immediate vicinity. They settled some of their veterans there.

In 30 BC Octavian, now triumphant, but not yet declared Augustus, re-organised the colony and settled more veterans there. When in 27 BC he was declared Augustus, the city was re-named Colonia Augusta Julia Philippensis.

In Troas Paul had seen a vision (Acts 16:9) of a Macedonian standing by him begging him, “Come over into Macedonia and help us”. After several days teaching and preaching, they went on the Sabbath outside the city to a riverside location where people gathered to pray. Among those in the assembly was Lydia a purple seller from Thyatira. She listened carefully to Paul’s preaching and was converted and baptised with all her household. Evidently a wealthy business woman, her home was back in Asia Minor. Her home town was a renowned centre for manufacture of fabrics and dyes. Purple fabrics were highly prized in the ancient world where purple had connotations of royalty, nobility, wealth and power.

Lydia invited Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke to stay with her household “ and she would take no denial”.

Here, Paul’s actions were to produce surprising results once again. A young girl possessed by a “divining spirit” had been following Paul and the others for days proclaiming them “servants of the Most High God proclaiming to us the way of salvation”. Paul became upset by this (perhaps by the circus –like atmosphere this known performer brought to their movements. He commanded the spirit to leave her. It did. This outraged her managers who had done nicely out of her predictions.

They dragged Paul and Silas before the magistrates for “disturbing the peace”(!),suggesting that their teachings were incompatible with the obligations of Roman citizens. They were sentenced to be stripped, lashed many times and imprisoned in the inner prison in stocks.

At midnight an earthquake rocked the prison while Paul and Silas prayed. All the doors flew open and the chains were all undone. The gaoler, fearing punishment for the breach of gaol security, drew his sword to kill himself. Paul called out “Do not harm yourself, we are all here”. Calling for a light, the gaoler came to Paul and Silas falling at their feet. He led them out asking what he must do to achieve salvation. They instructed him and all his household on faith in Jesus Christ and they were converted. He took them to wash their wounds and they baptised him and his household. He took them to his home and fed them and they celebrated his conversion and that of his household.

Next morning the magistrates sent officers to announce their release and to urge them to leave Philippi. But Paul noted that they had been publicly punished and imprisoned without trial and now the effort was being made to secretly get rid of them. This was no way to treat Roman citizens, he said. He required an apology direct from the magistrates. When they heard mention of Roman citizenship, the magistrates hurried along and pleaded with them to leave.

On they travelled to Amphypolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica. Here there was a synagogue and for three Sabbaths they preached there. They won many converts among the Gentiles and among the leading women. The Jews stirred up a mob in the marketplace and went in search of Paul and Silas. They knew that a man called Jason had been giving them hospitality. Failing to find Paul and Silas at his home, they seized Jason himself and some of the brethren and dragged them before the city council. Describing them as ‘the men who are turning the world upside down” and as defying Caesar and saying Jesus is the King, they alarmed the Council which would only allow Jason and his companions to go on bail. Paul and Silas were hurried away to Beroea by the brethren for their safety.

Beroea had been captured by the Romans in 168 BC and Pompey had wintered there in 48-49 BC

Here again Paul and Silas preached in the synagogue, this time with very good results. Hearing of their success some Jewish agitators came from Thessalonica to stir people up against them. Silas and Timothy remained but the brethren urged Paul to leave for his safety’s sake. A group of them escorted him as far as Athens and returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to re-join him in Athens as soon as possible. Reading between the lines, it seems that Paul’s escape from Beroea was made in very great haste – a truly narrow escape.

Waiting for his companions, Paul explored this great pagan city and was saddened by the systematic idolatry so much in evidence. He located the synagogue and taught there and engaged in discussions with all he met in the market place. He encountered Stoic and Epicurean philosophers who led him to the Areopagus where they invited him to publicly expound his teaching. They did not have to ask twice! Here he was in the intellectual and artistic heart of the Roman world. Its political and material glory now somewhat faded, and surpassed by Rome itself, Athens still held its intellectual pre-eminence.

Paul compliments the Athenians on their religious devotion and, noting the shrine “to An Unknown God”, he tells them it is that God he has come to reveal. Skilfully he relates the history of salvation until he gets to the Resurrection. Some openly mocked him for this talk of rising from the dead. Others wanted to hear more. When Paul finished a number attached themselves to him for just this purpose.

Paul then travelled on to Corinth 40 miles west of Athens. Here he met Priscilla and Aquila some of the Jewish Christians only recently expelled from Rome (49 A.D.) by the Emperor Claudius. They were also tent-makers and so he stayed and worked with them.

Corinth lay on the Ionian coast a few miles across a narrow neck of land lay the Aegean port of Cenchrae Two hundred miles of coastline separated the two ports, including the treacherous Cape Malea. To avoid the journey vessels from the east bound for Corinth would unload at Cenchrae and tranship their cargo by wagon for the few miles to Corinth.

Each Sabbath Paul taught in the synagogue disputing with the Jews and the Greeks. Silas and Timothy returned from Macedonia when Paul’s activity was at its height. The Jews became resolute in blasphemous opposition to Paul’s preaching and teaching. He finally shook their dust from his clothes and declared that from henceforth he would preach to the Gentiles. As it happened a convert lived next door to the synagogue, and this man Titius Justus invited Paul to stay with him enabling him to teach next door to the synagogue. Crispus the Leader of the synagogue was converted with his household. Many of the Corinthians were converted and baptised.

Our Lord appeared to Paul urging him to speak boldly in Corinth “ I am with you and none shall come near to do you harm; I have a great following in this city” Paul remained there for 18 months.

Then, when Gallio was Roman Pro-Consul for Achaia, the Jews mounted a co-ordinated attack on Paul dragging him to the judgment seat. Their desperate action was a measure of the success Paul was now achieving.

Gallio, recently arrived in Achaia, was the brother of the famous Seneca at the time tutor to the young Nero. The increased number of Jews in Corinth since their expulsion from Rome by the Emperor Claudius was causing tensions in the city. Gallio, like his brother Seneca, had no time for the Jews. Their plot against Paul was about to backfire. Gallio refused to hear their complaint against Paul. Further, when the assembled mob then turned on Sosthenes the new Leader of the synagogue and beat him, Gallio refused to intervene. (Before long we find Sosthenes also a convert, like his predecessor Crispus.)

Paul remained for several days but then crossed over to Cenchrae and set sail for Syria. Before doing so, he shaved his head, having made a vow We know nothing of the substance of the vow or its intent But we do know about its form. This was the Nazirite vow (Numbers 6) and would involve him taking a portion of the hair he shaved from his hair to Jerusalem to be burned on the altar of the Temple, among other things. It is interesting that Paul who so forcefully insists on the supercession of the Old Law chooses to use this devotional procedure from his Jewish heritage.. He lands in Syria at Caesarea.

Although Acts does not mention it, Paul seems likely to have gone from Caesarea to Jerusalem to visit the Apostles and the Church there.

 Tony Dixon
Copyright  This article first appeared in the September, 2008 issue of FOUNDATION.

" PAST " SAINT PAUL Part III THE MISSIONARY

 

Saint Paul the Missionary






THE GREAT COMMISSION

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age”(Matthew 28:19-20) With these words, Our Divine Lord commissioned the Apostles immediately before His Ascension.

Paul, ”last of all, as one untimely born … for I am the least of the Apostles”(1 Cor. 15:8-9), accepted the great commission with his whole soul, spirit, heart and body –“ for necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel !”

At the time of his conversion the Church was truly in its infancy. Our Lord had been crucified and the Holy Spirit had come down at the first Pentecost in A.D. 32-33.  In the ensuing years, as we have seen, Paul goes from Damascus to Arabia, back to Damascus, to Jerusalem and home to Tarsus. These travels, including 3-4 years in each of Arabia and Tarsus cover a period of 12 –13 years.

CALL TO THE MISSION

It was Barnabas, a Cypriot by birth, who invited Paul to leave his present preaching of the Word in his native Tarsus to join him in Antioch(Syria) where much had been accomplished since St. Peter’s initial preaching, and the potential remained great. Like hundreds of thousands of the Church’s missionaries over the millennia, Paul, in accepting the cross of the missionary life, gave up the familiarity and relative comfort of home and his own people for a life among strangers – for the sake of Jesus Christ.

FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY A.D. 46 –48  (Paul is 41-45 years old as he begins) COVERS MODERN SYRIA, ISRAEL, CYPRUS & TURKEY)

Antioch in Syria (there was a lesser Antioch in Pisidia) on the river Orontes, was the third largest city of the Roman Empire and was dubbed “Queen of the East”. It had Hellenistic origins. When Alexander the Great died in 323 BC the region was acquired by one of his generals who founded this Antioch around 300 BC(He is said to have founded 15 others – of which Antioch in Pisidia was one -  all named after a member of his family.) The people and their Kings had a troubled history and finally Antioch became a free state under Roman “protection” in 64 BC. Julius Caesar visited in 47 BC and confirmed the city’s freedom. Antioch was progressively dignified by major Roman building works under Augustus and Tiberius. Lying in a major earthquake zone it was badly affected by a great earthquake in A.D. 37  and again during Nero’s reign.

The growth of the Church In this large city(population at the time estimated at around 500,000) must have been significant, for here the followers of the Way were given a name for the first time – Christians.

This growth was a remarkable demonstration of God’s grace and the effectiveness of St .Peter’s earlier preaching. For this was a very “modern” pagan city. Its four miles long main street catered to every pagan desire and its climate is such that it would please any modern Australian.

The converts in the church at Antioch were very largely Gentile and so these earliest efforts began the formation of the Apostle to the Gentiles.

When a visiting member of the church in Jerusalem prophesied that a famine was to come upon the world, the church in Antioch elected Barnabas and Paul to take financial aid to the church in Jerusalem. Having done so they returned to Antioch accompanied by John Mark (St Mark the Evangelist).

The work of St Peter and St Paul and St Barnabas in Antioch was in due course, to produce one of the greatest Doctors of the Church – St John Chrysostom (A.D. 349 – 407 ) Patriarch of Constantinople – a native of Antioch.

CYPRUS

Then (Acts 13:2) via the prophesy of a member of the Antioch congregation the Holy Spirit directed that Barnabas and Paul should be set aside for further missionary work. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit they set out for the port of Seleucia, and embarked for Cyprus arriving at the port of Salamis.

In Cyprus there was a greater Jewish population, and as Barnabas was a Cypriot they had connections they could develop. Accompanied by John Mark they visited all the synagogues, travelling the 60 miles paved road across the island from Salamis to Paphos.

In Paphos the Roman Governor Sergius Paulus asked the Apostles to speak to him about Jesus Christ A magician in the assembly, Elymas, contested everything that Paul said. Filled with the Holy Spirit Paul fixed his eyes on him, and firmly condemned him, telling him that for his evil deeds he would be made blind for a time And so it happened in front of the assembly. Sergius Paulus became a believer. It is interesting that Paul chose to demonstrate God’s power using the same means – temporary blindness- by which Our Lord had so dramatically evidenced His power in Paul’s case.

From Paphos they sailed on to Perge in the Province of Pamphylia. Perge was, even then, a truly ancient city dating from around 1,000 BC. Ruled by the Romans since 188 BC, in Paul’s and Barnabas’ time it was a thoroughly Roman city. It stood 20 km inland on the fringes of the mighty Taurus Mountains rising 12,000 feet high and stretching 500 miles east to west in the northern distance. Acts does not record them preaching in Perge at this time.

Passing on through increasingly mountainous country, they made the 100 mile journey to the Roman Provincial capital of Galatia – Antioch in Pisidia.(Mark left them at Perge and returned to Jerusalem.)

Pisidian Antioch was founded in 280 BC and in 25 BC it became a Roman Military Colony. It stood at the intersection of north/south and east/west roads, a location which, coupled with its fertile surroundings and splendid mountain views, made it of great strategic importance for centuries. Augustus had increased its importance in the Empire and settled 3,000 veterans there.

Paul and Barnabas took their place in the synagogue on the Sabbath. Invited to speak, Paul began as St Stephen had done in Paul’s presence on that terrible day 15 years ago, by recounting the history of God’s dealings with Israel culminating with the Messiah –Jesus Christ. The following Sabbath a huge number of the city’s population turned out to hear Paul and his companions . The Jews resented their success with the Gentiles and opposed them in a very hostile manner. Paul and Barnabas clearly instructed them that they had preached to the Jews first out of duty, but, as they had rejected their teaching, they would now concentrate on the Gentiles. Their success in this effort spread throughout the countryside

But the leading Jews of the city conspired to persecute Paul and Barnabas driving them out so that the Apostles “ shook off the dust from their feet as they left them” and proceeded to Iconium.

Iconium –65 miles south-east of Pisidian Antioch is at the foot of Mount Taurus    ( to-day it is known as Konya, Turkey).It stands 120 miles inland from the Mediterranean and almost 4,000 feet above sea level. Excavations on the site reveal settlement as far back as 3,000 BC. In later times it became a Hellenistic city, but it was finally ceded to Rome in 133 BC. Iconium was the last city of the region of Phrygia before the border of Lycaonia. Because of its fidelity to Rome, Claudius, Emperor at the time of Paul’s and Barnabas’ visit, was to grant it the title Claudioconium . It is the only one of the Galatian cities visited by Paul that still exists. It is here that Paul converted St Thecla mentioned previously in regard to the apocryphal “Acts of Paul and Thecla”.

Paul and Barnabas preached in the synagogue of Iconium and made a large number of converts. But again, the leading Jews, despite Paul’s and Barnabas’ successes were able to incite such a tumult among the unconverted Jews and Gentiles that it was necessary for Paul and Barnabas to pass into Lycaonia, visiting Lystra and Derbe.

Lystra was only 30 km south of Iconium and had been a Roman Military Colony since 6 BC to enable the Romans to better control the mountain tribes to the west .A proper Roman road had been built between Lystra and Iconium for military purposes, making the journey an easy one.

Here Paul’s and Barnabas’ preaching had a surprising effect. The pagan inhabitants – not Romans, because they spoke their own local dialect- were astounded when Paul healed a man who had been lame from birth. They were sure that Paul the chief speaker, was the god Hermes and that Barnabas was the god Zeus. The local priest of the god Jupiter (Defender of the city) brought out bulls for sacrifice and wreaths for the city gates to worship the “divine” visitors. Distraught at this diabolical turn of events Paul and Barnabas tore their garments and did everything they could to insist that they were mere mortals ,but servants of the one true God. With great difficulty Paul and Barnabas prevented the sacrifice.

But Jews from Antioch and Iconium had followed them. Again they stirred up the volatile crowd against Paul and Barnabas. They were highly effective and the mob took up stones and commenced pelting Paul dragging him out of the city and leaving him for dead.. But the disciples formed a protective ring around Paul to protect him from any further violence .In time he recovered somewhat and struggled to his feet re-entering the city which he and Barnabas left the next day.

They went on to Derbe 60 miles south-east of Lystra. For 1,000 years from the time of Paul Derbe was to be a Christian city. During the persecution of Diocletian in A.D. 300,  its people were to suffer terribly. Its church was burned and buried under a hill of earth .The survivors became refugees across the lands as far as western Europe. In modern day France the surname “Derbes” testifies to their suffering for the Faith .Paul and Barnabas made very many converts in Derbe before returning to Lystra, Iconium and Pisidian Antioch encouraging the faithful and, after prayer and fasting, selecting and ordaining presbyters for each of the churches.

They returned to Perge, preaching there on this occasion, then went down to the port of Attalia and embarked for Antioch in Syria. They recounted to the faithful in Antioch all that God had helped them to do on their travels, and remained there building up the church for some time.

Tony Dixon

COPYRIGHT This article first appeared in the August, 2008 Issue of FOUNDATION