" PAST " SAINT PAUL PART V THE MISSIONARY Part III

 

St Paul the Missionary Part III


THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY 53 - 58 A.D.( Paul is 48-52 years old as he begins.) Covers modern Syria, Turkey, Greece and Israel.

SILAS RETURNED to St. Peter. Timothy remained with Paul and they were joined by Luke’s brother Titus.

From Caesarea Paul returned to Antioch in Syria. He spent some time there during the winter months building up the church. Then he moved on again through the Phrygian region of Galatia strengthening the Faith of the churches he and his companions had previously visited. At Derbe they were joined by the disciple Gaius.

They travelled on to Ephesus. For three months Paul preached in the synagogue there, but the Jews in the main hardened their hearts against his teaching. So Paul and his companions withdrew from the synagogue and based their preaching and teaching efforts each day in the school of Tyrannus. They operated in this way with great effect for two years. Paul worked many miracles and exorcisms in this time by the power of God.

Numbers of others purported to perform exorcisms in Our Lord’s name. Among them were the seven sons of Skeva one of the Jewish chief priests. In the course of one of their efforts, the evil spirit addressed them. It acknowledged the Name of Jesus and even of Paul which they had used, but expressed contempt for them and violently attacked them forcing them to flee naked and wounded. News of the event spread widely through Ephesus. The Name of Jesus came to be treated with great reverence and those who had followed the black arts of sorcery came forward making a bonfire of their books and instruments and seeking conversion.

Paul decided to travel on through Macedonia and Achaia to Jerusalem and on to Rome. Pausing a little longer in Asia Minor, he sent Timothy and another disciple, Erastus, on into Macedonia. During this period there was a spectacular disturbance when the silversmiths of Ephesus, whose business relied on making images of the goddess Diana, stirred up a riot against Paul and his companions. The mob seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonian companions of Paul, and forced them to the theatre where the tumult grew with great confusion and lack of direction. Paul wanted to go to the theatre to address the mob but was dissuaded by the disciples who feared he would be killed. The Jews at the theatre pushed forward Alexander who tried to speak. But as soon as the mob found out he was a Jew, he was drowned out. For two hours the tumult went on aimlessly. Finally, the town clerk calmed the mob down, reminding them that if called to account for this disturbance of the peace, they could not do so. He convinced them to break up and, if they had any legitimate complaint to take it to court.

Paul then gathered the disciples to comfort and encourage them and set out on his journey to Macedonia with Titus, Gaius and Aristarchus.

Here, where the Church had been hounded by an enraged mob shouting “Great is Diana of Ephesus”, some 374 years later, the Council of Ephesus was to define the doctrine that Mary is the Mother of God. A man-made “goddess” had been forgotten and the honour of the Blessed Virgin became the focus of attention in Ephesus.

Having travelled through Macedonia, Paul and his companions went on to Greece where they spent 3 months preaching and teaching. Paul was preparing to sail for Syria when he learned of a plot by the Jews to murder him during the voyage. Rapidly changing his plans, he returned through Macedonia accompanied by Sopater of Beroea. Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe and Timothy, together with Tychicus and Trophimus of the Asian church sailed on to Troas where they were re-united with Paul, Sopater and Luke. It was at Troas, whilst Paul was preaching for many hours, that the young man Eutychus, who had been sitting on the sill of a window dozed off and fell to his death in the street.. Paul miraculously brought him to life.

Paul moved on to Assos by land whereas the rest of the group travelled on by sea. Assos was an ancient city founded around 1,000 B.C. In 133 B.C. it was absorbed into the Roman Empire. Here Paul came aboard and they sailed on to Mitylene the capital of the island of Lesbos.

This group of representatives of the various churches which Paul led was travelling to Jerusalem with funds collected to aid the disciples there. Paul was eager to reach Jerusalem promptly, hoping to be in Jerusalem in time for the feast of Pentecost. It was for this reason that from Mitylene he asked the leaders of the Church of Ephesus to come to him on the coast, and there in most moving terms encouraged them and farewelled them forever, well aware of the continuing peril to his life.

They sailed on via Cos and Rhodes to Patara where they joined another ship sailing for Phoenicia and on to Syria where the vessel was busy discharging cargo and re-loading for a week. They spent this time in Tyre. This very ancient city was founded around 3,000 B.C., so that, even in Paul’s time it was truly ancient. It had been devastated by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. – its 30,000 inhabitants massacred or sold into slavery. In 64 B.C. the inevitable happened and, along with the rest of Syria, it came under Roman control.

Paul and his group stayed with the church in Tyre. Here disciples were moved by the Spirit to warn Paul against going to Jerusalem .Undismayed they sailed on in due course to Ptolemais and Caesarea where warnings and prophesy of danger to Paul in Jerusalem multiplied. Despite it all Paul would not be deterred – “the will of the Lord be done “ was his response..

After some days they set off for Jerusalem, accompanied by some of the brethren from Caesarea. They were joyfully welcomed in Jerusalem and stayed at the home of Mnason a Cypriot and one of the first converts in Jerusalem. The following day they called upon St. James the Bishop of Jerusalem and all of the presbyters had gathered to meet them and hear their account of all that God had done through them.

It is interesting to recall that it was on this visit, his first to Palestine, that St Luke gathered much of the information for his Gospel and Acts, including, for example, the encounter between St. Phillip and the Ethiopian (Acts 8)

The leading brethren in Jerusalem were concerned for Paul’s safety because many Jewish converts were still hostile toward Paul, principally over the circumcision issue .To make a public demonstration of his respect for the Law they encouraged Paul to accompany four men under a vow to the Temple to join in their purification rite and meet the cost of their head shaving.

The following day, taking their advice, Paul did just that. He repeated the action daily as the vow observances required, but nearing the seventh day, some Jews from Asia Minor saw him in the Temple. They quickly stirred up the crowd thronging the Temple for Pentecost time, accusing Paul of disrespect for the Law and the Temple. Further they accused him of bringing a Gentile into the Temple ( some had seen Paul and Trophimus in the city and assumed he had also brought him into the Temple). The commotion extended beyond the Temple precinct into the city. They dragged Paul out of the Temple seeking to kill him The Roman garrison was installed in the Antonia Fortress which was next to and higher than the Temple site, affording good supervision of what went on there. The Romans were on high alert during such religious festival times, when the population of the city swelled enormously and any number of factors could create major problems if not nipped in the bud. As a result the mob dragging Paul out of the Temple ran straight into the arms of the Roman detachment which had been turned out in the most efficient bit of “policing” recorded in the Gospels. The mob was quickly subdued and the Tribune had Paul secured in double chains mistaking him for an Egyptian trouble maker then being sought. He ordered that Paul be taken into the Fortress since the mob had again become rowdy and irrational.

Paul asks to speak to the Tribune - a Greek who had purchased his Roman Citizenship at high cost (Acts 22:28) The Tribune is surprised that Paul speaks Greek. Paul asks for permission to address the mob and the Tribune agrees. Paul is known to many of the leading Jews from his studies under Gamaliel and his pre-conversion persecution of the Church. He addresses them in Hebrew, the language used by their biblical scholars and he gains a hearing. He moves them beyond what they know of him, relating the story of his miraculous conversion, the vision of Our Lord during Paul’s visit to Jerusalem ( it seems he is speaking of the second visit after his conversion, not the first)commanding him to preach to the Gentiles.

At the mention of the Gentiles, the mob, which had listened quietly until then, burst out in a new clamour. The Tribune ordered Paul to be removed to the soldiers’ quarters and examined under the lash. As the Centurion moved to execute the order Paul asked if he had the right to scourge a Roman citizen who had been neither tried nor sentenced.

The assertion of his Roman Citizenship alarmed the Centurion who went directly to the Tribune to warn him of the problem. The Tribune came to question Paul on the point. Noting Paul’s simple attire, the Tribune comments that his own Roman Citizenship had cost him a great deal of money. Paul is quick to point out that he is a Roman citizen by birth.

So Paul was released until the following day when the Tribune had called him to attend a meeting with the leading priests and members of the Council., to enable the Tribune to hear both sides of the matter. When Paul asserted his lifelong fidelity to God, the High Priest Ananias ordered those near to Paul to strike him in the mouth. Paul rebuked him for pretending to judge Paul by the Law whilst breaking the Law by ordering him to be struck. The bystanders cried out that he should not thus insult the High Priest. Paul makes it clear that he did not know the man was the High Priest and that he is aware of the respect the Law accords him.

But seeing the obvious division between the Sadducees and the Pharisees on the Council, he states that he is being attacked because of his belief as a Pharisee in the resurrection of the dead. The assembly dissolved into a furious dispute between the two factions .The Tribune, fearing for Paul’s safety ordered his troops to protect him and return him in custody to their quarters

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

" 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.