" PAST " THE MIRACLE OF LOVE SAINT PETER AND THE HOUND OF HEAVEN

 

This post had an unusual origin but I believe it will be useful, perhaps to a particular person I shall never meet.

 

Saint Peter is of particular importance in the long history of the Church. We know a reasonable amount about him. He came from Capharnaum where he lived with his wife and mother-in-law. He was a fisherman together with his brother Andrew, and it seems they had more than one boat , so they may have been significant among the local fishermen. Fishermen are proverbially rough and tumble folk , hardy and hard living. So it might seem surprising that Jesus chose Simon Bar-Jonah - for that was then his name, to be an Apostle.Jesus knew all about Simon of course, but Simon did not yet know that.
 

Such was the power of God's grace at work, that when Jesus bade Simon and Andrew to "Come follow Me, and I will make you Fishers of men", they dropped their nets and followed Him. In those earliest days their following of the Master was evidently not full time. For a day or so later , we find the two have been fishing when Jesus comes to them and bids them to push out into the deep , and put down their nets for a catch. Here, the Fisherman in Peter comes out fully and he tells Jesus they have been out all night and caught nothing, but, God's grace gets the better of the Fisherman, and because it is Jesus who makes the request, Simon will do it.

 

And what a catch it is! The nets are full to breaking!

 

Simon is no fool- he knows that what he is seeing is supernatural and that Jesus is the Person responsible for it. He still does not understand that Jesus knows everything. He kneels before Our Lord and begs Him in great humility :"Depart from me, for I am a sinful man O Lord".

 

Centuries later , the poet Francis Thompson ( 1859-1907),  because of the misguided medical practice of his day, became addicted to the tincture of Opium, called Laudanum , then very widely used for the relief of pain. Thompson was a devout man , and haunted by his addiction, which after repeated relapses killed him. He was always conscious of God's love and of God's pursuit of him no matter how seriously he fell. He wrote the marvellous, harrowing poem "The Hound of Heaven" to describe the unremitting character of God's love for him, even when -  in the grip of his addiction - he was rejecting it. He wrote of the Hound of Heaven pursuing him "down the labyrinthine ways". He was aware that this loving pursuit was part of a process , and cried out in anguish:

 

 "Must Thou char the wood, ere'st Thou can limn with it?"

Saint Peter was at the beginning of the discovery of the constant faithfulness of God's Love, at the beginning of being "charred"that the Lord might "limn"with him.
 

SAINT PETER

 

 

 

We know even more about Saint Peter, for his personality radiates strongly from the Gospels and his Epistles. Saint Peter is seen to be a man of burning enthusiasms which cause him to often commit himself beyond the strength of his will or common prudence.He is a spontaneous, big-hearted man .He means well but often stumbles. Jesus in due course let Peter know that He had him summed up all along. For He said to him "Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not, and thou being once converted confirm thy brethren."

This was a remarkable Revelation of the Life of the  Trinity in effect, but Simon's personality has no time for reflection on Divine wonders : his gratitude and enthusiasm wells up and he positively gushes : "Lord, I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison, and to death." We will return to this exchange in due course - but for the moment it clearly reveals the generous, well-intentioned  character of Saint Peter.

Earlier on , Our Lord had given Simon Bar - Jonah  a new name - the beginning of the ancient tradition of adopting "names in religion" - e.g. Brother Albanus, Sister Austin, Father Antonio and Pope Pius XI. In many areas this custom begun by Our Lord has been abandoned by those who say"I gotta be ME". Be that as it may, Our Lord gave Simon the name "Cephas"( in Greek) that is "Petrus"(in Latin) and "Peter"(in English).
The word means "Rock" and Our Lord went on to say "And upon this Rock , I will build My Church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it."

There are two times in the Gospels when it seems to me anyway, we can, between the lines see a loving affectionate smile likely on Our Lord's face. One is when the rather short, rich publican Zaccheus clambers up into a sycamore tree in his enthusiasm to see the Lord. He must have looked ridiculous, short, rich , no doubt overweight hanging up there in a tree like some street urchin. And Jesus bids him by name to come down quickly "for this day I must abide in thy house". Each time I read it I cannot avoid the thought that Our Lord was gently, kindly looking upon this man who was in haste and desperation to know Him. Similarly, Our Lord chose the name "Rock"for Simon to reflect the historic role this improbable man was to have in the history of the world. Yet, knowing Simon as the Sacred Scripture presents him to us, warts and all, is there anyone who could be in essence less like a "Rock"? Solid, reliable - that is not the Simon we come to know. But Jesus knows EVERYTHING about Simon Peter and knows all his weakness, and He also knows what he can become with the Holy Spirit's help. Jesus loves Simon Peter, he loves that bigheartedness, that generosity of spirit, and even that weakness that brings all the positives so often undone.It is hard to resist the thought that there was a certain gentle, loving irony in Our Lord's choice of "Rock"for His very wobbly Apostle.

Time and again we see Saint Peter revealed in  various situations, acting in the same way. On the Lake the Apostles  see the a figure walking on the water as they fear their boat will sink in the storm. "Be of good heart : it is I, fear not"Jesus says. Peter as usual in moments of stress or trouble is the one to speak up :"Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come to Thee upon the waters."

Now, a more natural response would have been " Lord , come here and save us ". But Peter was no doubt inspired to say what he did in order that a salutary lesson could be taught.Jesus simply answered "Come"" and that was enough for Peter, over the side he went and began to walk on the water toward Jesus! His Faith drove him. But, what was this? The wind was howling in his face and the sea was lashing him and :"seeing the wind strong, he was afraid: and when he began to sink he cried out saying : "Lord save me".And immediately Jesus stretching forth His hand took hold of him , and said to him : "O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?"The lesson is plain for the Church and for all of us, our Faith must be strong and constant in good times and in the face of horrendous opposition, and Our Loving Lord will always see us through!

Still later, very late in the day , as Our Lord , in the Upper Room, goes to wash the feet of Peter, we see typical Peter - he has looked askance as Jesus  washed the feet of the others - this is not fitting he thinks, and he  cannot stop himself saying "Lord, doest Thou wash my feet?"  Unworthy me - and you the Christ - the Son of the Living God! But Jesus answers simply : "What I do thou knowest not now;  but thou shalt know hereafter."Peter is determined and emphatic : "Thou shalt never wash my feet."

Jesus is calm , but resolute : "If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with Me." The response is typically Peter - the big heart, the great enthusiasm : "Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head". Jesus answers him gently, correctingly, as one might speak to an excitable child: "He that is washed, needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean wholly. And you are clean, but not all of you."( The discourse goes on to deal with Judas Iscariot.)

Later in the evening, in the Garden of Gethsemane, when the Temple police/soldiers come to arrest the Lord, and they move to lay hands upon him, Peter - ever excitable- forgets Jesus' foretelling that He must suffer, and whipping out a sword lashes out and cuts off the ear of one of the Temple police. Instantly Jesus commands him to put up his sword and heals the man's ear. Peter is slow to learn , but very quick to act and talk. Earlier he had, as we know assured Our Lord that he would gladly go to prison or to death with Jesus. And the Lord had promised him that before the cock crowed Peter would deny Him three times - not once, but - systematically - three times.

So it happens, in the outer courts of the High Priest's home, whilst the Lord of the World is being questioned and insulted by the proud High Priests who had bought their offices from the Roman conquerors, and assaulted by their crude troops, Peter is hovering safely outside hoping to hear what happens.

 

 Not so safely, as it transpires. For three time in succession he is challenged as a follower of Jesus by common servants of the household.The cock indeed crows and as the Lord is being led out . He is to be imprisoned for a few hours until they can hurry Him as early as possible on Friday before the Roman Procurator Pontius Pilate. The Gospel is dramatically sparse in recording the scene. Here is Peter, still in the panicky flush of his third denial of Christ - Jesus is led out past him, and Peter sees his sorry, bloodied condition and the rough handling He is receiving. He is stricken and sick with guilt. And Jesus... and Jesus.. the Gospel tells us simply two words : "Conversus Dominus". The Lord turned and looked at Peter. No words of reproof, no accusation, no correction. 

 

The Anointed One - the Christ -  simply, sadly looked at Peter. And Peter, we are told, burst into bitter and uncontrolled tears. Tears which were to recur and recur as the years passed and he absorbed the horror of what he had done. Tradition has it that his tears created great furrows down his face.

SAINT PETER - El Greco 

 

Time passed, the Resurrection, the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and Peter is transformed - there he is , the Leader preaching to and converting thousands, speaking out boldly in front of the Temple authorities and defying their strictures not to preach about Christ.He is transformed - largely - but still human. When there are no Jews around Peter rightly ignores the now displaced old Law dietary restrictions. But when some Jews come to town, rather than risk a confrontation with them, Peter conforms to those dietary restrictions. Saint Paul , not without his own human weaknesses , as he tells us elsewhere,and we see for ourselves, will have none of this and confronts Peter on the point and wins the day. A little glimpse of the old weak willed Peter had been seen and put down.

Peter is now no longer a young man. This work of evangelisation had obviously not come easily to someone who had known nothing but catching fish. But he had walked with Jesus Christ and learned from Him and he had received the Holy Spirit, and years on the Mission had made the most of him, from Capharnaum to Jerusalem, to Antioch and finally to Rome the home of the Beast the monstrous pagan Empire. Now as an old man, he works on in the heart of the Evil Empire when persecution breaks out. It seems that the whole future of the Church             (Christ's promise to be with her always, forgotten perhaps) is at risk. It is decided that Saint Peter and numbers of the disciples should save themselves by escaping the City. Out they tramp along the Appian Way, until Saint Peter meets..... he meets Jesus Himself carrying His Cross in the opposite direction! Peter cries out to Him:

 

 "Quo Vadis , Domine?"    "Where are you going Lord?"

The answer is concise "Iterum Romam Crucifigi!' "I am going to Rome to be crucified again!" Saint Peter, even in his old age is still being pursued and humiliated by his failings. He turns about and returns to Rome against all human wisdom. Here traditionally. he was martyred on the very same day as Saint Paul. 

 

Paul a Roman Citizen - that proudest boast of the ancient world - had the "privilege"of being beheaded. But this Jewish Fisherman, Peter,  is to be crucified as befits aliens. But now he has courage in word and in deed : he asks that he be crucified upside down, saying he is not worthy to be crucified as was Jesus Christ. And so it happened on the Circus of Nero across the road from the Vatican Hill and he was taken across that road for burial in the cemetery there which can now be seen in the Scavi or Excavations under Saint Peter's Basilica's High Altar..

Crucifixion of SAINT PETER - Carravagio

The Hound of Heaven , the Love of God , had pursued Peter across the Roman world and won the conclusive victory at what is now the Heart of Christ's Church. The lesson is immense for all of us, God's Love for us is relentless and ardent. No matter what our weaknesses, no matter how often we stumble, God loves us and pursues us for our salvation .

 

The Miracle of Love - how could we fail to respond?

TONY DIXON

" PAST " SAINT PAUL PART XII SAINT PAUL WRITES FROM ROME SEGMENT II

 

 

 

 St Paul Writes from Rome II


Letter to the Ephesians

This letter is, in many ways, among St Paul’s finest. It has also been the cause of some academic controversy in past years concerning its direction and its authenticity. On both points there is now general favourable agreement.

Direction

We know the letter as “Ephesians” because two of the manuscripts that survive contain the words “en Epheso” in the first verse of their Greek texts. But these words are not in the most ancient manuscripts and St. Basil (AD 330 – 379) affirms that in his day they were not in the manuscripts. They are not in two of our surviving manuscripts known as Codex B and Codex Aleph.

The internal evidence from the letter itself also suggests that it was not directed to the church at Ephesus. When St Paul wrote to a specific church – especially one he was extremely familiar with – he constantly makes reference to his relations with its members. There is nothing of that here. His customary personal tone is entirely absent. It has been convincingly argued that it was a letter intended for circulation among the churches of the distant parts of Pontus, Galatia and the Kingdom of Polemon all situated along the River Iris. But it seems that from very early times it came to be believed that this major and quite important letter must have been intended for the large church in Ephesus.

Authenticity

At various times in the past arguments have been raised claiming that this is not the work of St Paul at all. Those doubts have been conclusively disposed of during the last century. They were found to be based on poor analysis of New Testament texts and inadequate reflection on St Paul’s life and writings.

Among the objections raised was the fact that the letter used 75 words that St Paul had never used before. But 9 of the words come in quotations from the Old Testament, while others were particular to matters St Paul had not previously dealt with and still others were in common use at the time. Nothing in the sum of them could be used to indicate a different person as author or the distinctive vocabulary of a different author. In his earlier writings Paul had already dealt with a large amount of doctrine – the theology of justification, of the Law and what was necessary for salvation he had covered thoroughly, especially in the Epistle to the Romans. Now in Rome himself, with the “leisure “of a prisoner – no longer devoting his time and energy to traveling, preaching, teaching and controversy, he had the time to further reflect on revelation and to pray, He came to see that it was the very subject of Christ Himself and His relationship with His Church that needed to be further examined and expounded. Once his powerful mind and great heart warmed to this subject, the multiplicity of inspired ideas and thoughts explode onto the page, sometimes overwhelming his efforts to organize them. Free of the discipline of his customary writings to known churches on specific events, Paul’s style of writing suffers and loses its edge occasionally.

The authenticity of the letter is well – attested not only by the research and technique of the present day, but also by its obvious familiarity to St. Peter in his First Epistle, to St.Polycarp, to St. Justin, to the authors of the Didache and in I Clement. Both Marcion and St. Irenaeus attribute it to St Paul.

Structure

The letter differs from his normal practice. The address mentions Paul alone. There is no Prologue. It is replaced by a dogmatic exposition of the eternal plan of God for man’s redemption, a Divine gift to man, sealed by the Holy Spirit. He then praises God in a solemn doxology and moves on to the moral teaching of the letter.

Dogmatic

Paul tells his readers of his ceaseless prayer that they might be given by the Father in the spirit of wisdom and revelation, deep knowledge of Christ. He now reigns at the Father’s right hand and will do so for eternity, with all things subject to Him. He is the Head of the Church, which is His Body. Because of the Great mercy and love of God his readers have become part of the Body and, in the ages to come, His overflowing riches of Grace in kindness to us will come in Christ Jesus.

By grace they have been saved through faith. This faith is the absolute gift of God, free and not earned in any way. In Christ both Jew and Gentile become one. Circumcised or uncircumcised they are one in Christ and heirs to the promise of the covenant. Both are now reconciled to God in the one Body by the Cross. They are built together into a temple holy in the Lord, upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets and Christ Himself is the chief cornerstone (N.B. the “angularis fundamentum lapis” of Foundation’s banner).Paul relates his appointment as the Apostle to the Gentiles, and that the truth above is a revelation made to him. This revelation had been hidden from mankind in past ages. And not only from mankind, but from the “Principalities and Powers in the heavens” (Eph. 3: 10) who will learn of it from Christ’s Church.

He asks his readers not to be disheartened by his tribulations. He prays that God will grant them many graces through the Spirit to strengthen them inwardly and that Christ may dwell in their hearts, and they may know the fullness of his love.

Moral

Paul urges his readers to use all humility, meekness and patience in bearing with one another in love, being always concerned to preserve the unity of the Spirit. There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all.

He reminds them that God’s graces to each one vary, but all are intended to work to build up the unity of the Church. “For from Him (Christ) the whole body (being closely joined and knit together through every joint of the system according to the functioning in due measure of each single part) derives its increase to the building up of itself in love.”(Eph. 4: 16)

Paul exhorts them to recall that they are to put pagan ways of sensuality and uncleanness behind them. They are to “put on the new man, which has been created according to God in justice and holiness of truth”. (Eph. 4:24) He urges them to have nothing to do with anger, bitterness, wrath and indignation and malice. Rather, they should be kind, merciful and generously forgiving, as God is to them. He urges them to have nothing to do with uncleanness or covetousness or obscenity or drunkenness which will alienate them from God. Rather, they should be concerned with, talk about and sing about the things of God. He once again elaborates on the duties of husbands, wives and children, of slaves and masters.

Finally he urges his readers to put on the armour of God in order to resist the wiles of the Devil “….. having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of justice, and having your feet shod with the readiness of the Gospel of peace, in all things take up the shield of faith, with which you may be able to quench the fiery darts of the most wicked one. And take unto you the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit that is the word of God”. (Eph. 6:14-17) He closes calling himself an ambassador in chains “and asking for their prayers so that he might write and speak as he ought. He informs them that Tychicus who bears the letter will let them know all about his present circumstances. He wishes them all the peace of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and grace to all whose love of Christ is unfailing.

To the Philippians

Written toward the end of St Paul’s imprisonment, this letter has a special tone and warmth which sets it apart from all his other letters. The special affection he feels for the Philippians and they feel for him is clear. He had visited them three times and in fact had been imprisoned there also. In Acts St. Luke relates a number of conversions there and the cure of a girl possessed by a demon as a result of Paul’s action, as well as his imprisonment. There is about this letter a sense of comfort in unity of spirit and mutual sympathy.

Hearing of Paul’s imprisonment the Philippians had sent gifts to support him, as they had done in the past when he was in Thessalonica and on other occasions. Paul sends greetings to “all the saints in Christ Jesus that are at Philippi, with the Bishops and Deacons: grace be to you and peace from God Our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The words St Paul uses to begin his remarks to the Philippians are enshrined in the rite of ordination “He who has begun a good work in you will bring it to perfection…..”He assures them of his total concern for them and their salvation “For God is my witness how I long for you all in the Heart of Jesus Christ”.

St Paul tells them that even in his current imprisonment his missionary work goes on and even prospers. He makes it clear that whether he lives or dies matters not – only that God’s will be done: “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain”.(Phil. 1:21) He suggests some possibility that he might yet visit them again.

He encourages them to continue in unity of mind and spirit in Christ, each caring for the other in humility. At this point he delivers the great injunction which has resounded down the millennia:

“Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus, Who though He was

By nature God, did not consider being equal to God a thing to be clung to

But emptied Himself, taking the nature of a slave and being made like unto

Men. And appearing in the form of man, He humbled Himself, becoming

obedient unto death, even to death on a cross. Therefore God also has

exalted Him and has bestowed on Him the name that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven

on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that the Lord

Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 1: 5-11)

 

2,000 Years on, we stand in awe of the truth St Paul has so wonderfully expressed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Paul expresses his loving concern for the perseverance of the Philippians who he says “shine like stars in the world “in “the midst of a depraved and perverse generation”. (Phil. 2:15) He announces his intention to send Timothy to visit them. Of Timothy he says “I have no-one so like-minded who is genuinely solicitous for you.” He has also sent back Epaphroditus, who bore their gifts to Paul. He had been “sick, almost to death”(Phil. 2:27) but Epaphroditus is now recovered and has been sent more quickly because “he was longing for all of you and was grieved because you had heard that he was sick”.(Phil. 2:26)

St Paul warns them against the Judaizers and to remain on guard. He goes on to inspire them with his personal approach to his life in Christ :

 “But one thing I do : forgetting what is behind, I strain forward to what is before, I press on towards the goal, to the prize of God’s heavenly call in Jesus Christ.”(Phil. 3: 13-14) 

He urges them, “my joy and my crown” (Phil. 4: 1) to stand fast in the Lord, not to follow those enemies of the Cross whose god “is the belly, their glory is their shame, they mind the things of the earth” (Phil. 3: 19)

Evodia and Syntyche are urged to be of one mind in the Lord. (How sad to have one’s petty disagreement recognized through 2,000 years.)

He urges them to rejoice in the Lord always, not to be anxious at all but to put all needs into their prayers with thanksgiving. Everything that is true, holy and loveable should be their desire and concern and practice. He thanks them for their unique assistance in his past labours. And he prays that God will supply their every need.


He closes with greetings from all his companions especially those of “Caesar’s household”- this would seem to allude to some converted members of the Praetorian Guard which had custody of Paul and which formed part of “Caesar’s household”. And he imparts the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ upon their spirit.

Epistle to Philemon

Here we have something unique in Sacred Scripture – a private letter. And it is unmistakably and irrefutably written by St Paul.

The addressee, Philemon, is a wealthy citizen of Colossae. He is a Catholic and in fact the church meets in his home. The subject of the letter is Philemon’s slave Onesimus. He has run away from his master and has defrauded him. Coming to Rome he has made himself known to Paul. He has been converted and has been an important assistant to Paul. Perhaps he had known of Paul and heard him speak in Ephesus where Philemon had been converted.

But Paul knows that he must do right by Philemon. Onesimus is Philemon’s legal property and he owes Philemon the money he stole. It is evident from the text that Philemon is a leader of the church in Colossae (V 2). Mention is made of Appia and Archippus and historically she has been regarded as Philemon’s wife and Archippus as their son. (We recall that in Colossians, Archippus is admonished in a crisp note included in the Epistle to “Look to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it”. Perhaps this son of a wealthy family was a Deacon – responsible for ministering to the needy?

We do not know whether or not Philemon had received ordination, but St Paul makes it plain that he was very dear to him (our beloved and fellow-worker”) Paul’s letter is masterly. Though, as Lightfoot writing in 1892 (Colossians and Philemon p 389) put it “the word emancipation seems to be trembling on his lips”- Paul does not use it. After praising Philemon in the Introduction, Paul recounts Onesimus’ coming to him, his conversion and his valuable service to him. He acknowledges Onesimus’ debt to Philemon and undertakes to pay it himself. He is sending Onesimus back to Philomen as is right and “pleads” with Philemon to receive him as a brother in the Faith, and indeed as if he were Paul himself. He says he knows Philemon will even go beyond what he asks. He closes asking Philemon to prepare to receive him as a visitor, for he has hopes of regaining his freedom.

Lucky Onesimus – to have received the gift of Faith and to have such an advocate, capable of such subtlety and delicacy in pleading that he be made a free man – without needing to say as much, and willing to repay Onesimus’ debt to Philemon. It is a gem of a letter which leaves one hoping that Philemon proved as generous as Paul expected. We have evidence through ancient tradition ( from the Menaia – a Byzantine daily commentary on the lives of the saints used in the Liturgy of the Hours of the Eastern Church) of the commemoration of the martyrdom of Philemon, Appia, Archippus AND Onesimus at Colossae. The Apostolic Constitutions – VII 46 – speak of Onesimus as Bishop of Beroea. It seems Paul’s confidence was not misplaced.

Tony Dixon
COPYRIGHT. This article first appeared in the May 2009 issue of FOUNDATION




 

" PAST " SAINT PAUL PART XI SAINT PAUL WRITES FROM ROME Segment I

 

St Paul Writes from Rome I




The chain that secured him to the wall and the constant attention of the Praetorian Guards reminded Paul that he was a prisoner of the Emperor Nero. But the wall was in a house he had rented at his own cost possibly near the Jewish quarter of the City, and the regular stream of visitors reminded him of the relative privilege his Roman Citizenship afforded him. Imprisoned by the authorities in Jerusalem and Caesarea at the behest of the Jews, Paul had used his Roman Citizen’s right to be tried by the Emperor himself to ensure the fulfillment of his long held desire to visit Rome. It seems he arrived there around March AD 61.

Being a prisoner of the increasingly demented Nero was a very insecure position. Nero had ordered the murder of his own mother in circumstances that degenerated into blackest “comedy “in AD 59 and would have his wife murdered in AD 62. What hope could a humble imprisoned preacher hold out for himself?

Only three days after arriving in the City and securing the house, Paul invites the leaders of the Jewish community to visit him, preaches to them and seeks to ensure that they will not persecute him as the Jews in Jerusalem and Caesarea did. They had heard nothing about him from Jerusalem and were not concerned about his work, saying that all they knew about the followers of Christ was that they were everywhere reviled.

Paul’s circumstances, as might be expected, affect the content of his letters. Unlike St. Peter, who as yet, remained free to move about the great City, Paul is not exposed to its glamour and cosmopolitan splendour. St Peter is, and he is greatly concerned, warning his flock to avoid conforming to the dress and manners of the pagans about them. St. Paul’s world is confined physically to his room. But his soaring spirit and classically Jewish trained and powerful mind cannot be so easily confined. His physical immobility gives him for the first time since his retreat in Arabia so many years ago, time to reflect on the totality of his teaching to date.

He perceives that there is room to develop more fully his teaching about the centrality of Christ and about His relationship to His Church, the relationship of Head to mystical body. Indeed St. Paul discloses that this teaching came to him by direct revelation. This intense mental and spiritual reflection during his two years captivity gives rise to a substantial written output. Thirty per cent of all of St Paul’s writings come from this relatively short period.

Three of these “captivity “letters, as they are known, form a group in time- all being delivered by Tychicus(Col. 4:7-9) and (Eph. 6::21) on the same journey. Internal evidence suggests that Colossians was written before Ephesians. Each of the letters is different in type – Colossians is pastoral and monitory, Ephesians is mainly a doctrinal reflection and Philemon is a private letter. The fourth, Philippians was written at a different time.

COLOSSIANS

St Paul refers to the founder of the church at Colossae, Epaphras, as his “fellow servant”(Col.1:7). In Monsignor Ronald Knox’s excellent translation this is rendered “bondsman”. However later, in Philemon V 23 Paul refers to him as “my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus”. So it appears that Epaphras came to Rome to see St Paul, or happened to be in Rome and called on Paul, and told him of his concerns for the church he led in Colossae. which Paul had not visited. It seems that he stayed in Rome too long and came to be imprisoned for his activities and perhaps for his association with Paul, but this is unlikely since Paul seems to have been allowed free visiting privileges. We cannot know precisely.

Heresy seems to have been the problem in Colossae. Specifically, the heresy that later came to be known as Gnosticism. It is referred to as “philosophy “in the Epistle, the very description of some Jewish teaching used by Josephus and Philo.

We are told in V 16:23 that these false teachers wished to introduce the observance of Sabbaths new moons and other such days, and forbad the eating, drinking, tasting, touching of certain things. Worse still they held angels to be equal to or superior to Christ and promoted worship of them. (There were at the time a variety of Jewish sects, including the Essenes, who held bizarre obsessions with “angels” of the stars, of the seasons, months, days of the year, heat, cold etc., etc.)

Remembering that Paul had not been to Colossae and that Epaphras had come from there and was asking Paul to help correct these false teachers and their errors, conjures up a scene of the anxious Epaphras hovering about as the great Apostle to the Gentiles seeks to devise his address to these strangers in a strange place, occasionally pausing to receive further input from Epaphras or to question him further. The letter as it evolved, falls into two parts, the first is doctrinal and polemical, and the second is moral and pastoral.

FIRST PART

Paul opens by thanking God for the faith of the Colossians made known to him by Epaphras. He prays that the Colossians may remain steadfast in belief and practice.

He opens his teaching at its very heart: the pre-eminence of Christ - God become Man. He is the Creator of all things and creatures in the natural order and in the supernatural order: angels, Thrones, Dominations and Powers. He is the Head of His Church which is His Body. (Here we see Paul clearly enunciating the existence of the one Universal Church of which individual local churches are parts. Christ did not found Churches but only one Church.) And he identifies the role of Christ as reconciler of man to God “through the Blood of His Cross” (1:20).

Paul knows that the majority of Colossians is Gentile - converts of Greek and Phrygian origin (1:26, 27 & 2: 13). There may have been a small number of Jewish converts also, because Josephus (Ant.XII, iii and 4) refers to a scattered Jewish population in the Colossae area. He reminds them that before their conversion they were estranged from God by their evil works. But now, through Christ’s saving Death and Resurrection they are reconciled to God. He affirms his role as Apostle to the Gentiles and his great concern for them and also for the Laodecians because he has been unable to visit them.

Paul urges them to build their faith on Christ as they have been taught and to beware of false teachers whose human traditions are based on the “elements of the world” (see above). He emphasises how they have been brought alive by Baptism and spiritually “circumcised”. He warns against those who preach dietary taboos and new moon festivals, sabbaths and the false practice of worshiping angels (as opposed to legitimate veneration of them and their true role). Disregard mere human teachings, seek and follow what comes from above, he urges them.

“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life shall appear, then you too will appear with him in glory”.(Col.3 3-4)

SECOND PART

Paul urges the Colossians to avoid immorality, uncleanness, lust, evil desire and covetousness which the unbelievers practice, and to avoid “anger, wrath, malice, abusive language and foul-mouthed utterances. Do not lie to one another”. (Col. 3:8-9) They are all one in Christ with no racial or status distinctions. Physical circumcision has no privileged position or value among them.

He urges on them all the practical virtues and they should show forth: mercy, love and forbearance and forgiveness and do and say everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus whilst thanking God the Father through Him.

He counsels these virtues in specific terms within the families of the faithful, with detailed attention to the roles of husbands, wives and children and their relations with one another. He cautions convert slaves to work diligently for the sake of their fidelity to God. As we saw in Foundation for March, Paul had urged Timothy to preach along the same lines. Few things could more certainly bring down the wrath of the Roman state on the infant Church than to be seen by Romans as fomenting rebellion among the slaves.

Paul urges upon the Colossians regularity and consistency in prayer and asks them to pray for him. He exhorts them to consider carefully how they spend their time with, or enter into discussion with unbelievers, so that all will work toward their conversion. He explains that Tychicus is carrying the letter and will tell them more about Paul and how he is faring. He is also to be accompanied by Onesimus, himself a Colossian, who has been working with Paul and is now returning to them.

He sends greetings from his “fellow prisoner” Aristarchus (we recall that whilst in Ephesus with Paul, Aristarchus had been set upon by a mob in the theatre) who had sailed from Caesarea with Paul being one of his close co-workers. Greetings also come from Mark, Barnabas’ cousin and of course from Epaphras whom Paul assures the Colossians is ever solicitous for them in his prayers, as he is for Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Finally he sends greetings from “Luke, our most dear physician” (Col. 4:13) and from Demas. He sends his personal greetings to the church in Laodicea and to the church in the house of Nymphas and sends a brief message to Archippus – “Look to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it.)

He finishes “in my own hand”: “Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen”.

Tony Dixon
Copyright. This article first appeared in the April, 2009 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