Saul, not thinking it necessary to procure authority to teach from the apostles
that were before him, went after his conversion to Arabia, and returned from
thence to us. We know nothing whatever of this visit to Arabia; but upon his
departure from Damascus we are again on a historical ground, and have the double
evidence of St. Luke in the Acts of the apostle in his Second Epistle the
Corinthians. According to the former, the Jews lay in wait for Saul, intending
to kill him, and watched the gates of the city that he might not escape from
them. Knowing this, the disciples took him by night and let him down in a basket
from the wall. Having escaped from Damascus, Saul betook himself to Jerusalem
(A.D. 40), and there "assayed to join himself to the disciples; but they
were all afraid of him, and believed not he was a disciple." Barnabas’
introduction removed the fears of the apostles, and Saul "was with them
coming in and going out at Jerusalem." But it is not strange that the
former persecutor was soon singled out from the other believers as the object of
a murderous hostility. He was, therefore, again urged to flee; and by way of
Caesarea betook himself to his native city, Tarsus. Barnabas was sent on a
special mission to Antioch. As the work grew under his hands, he felt the need
of help, went himself to Tarsus to seek Saul, and succeeded in bringing him to
Antioch. There they labored together unremittingly for a whole year." All
this time Saul was subordinate to Barnabas. Antioch was in constant
communication with Cilicia, with Cyprus, with all the neighboring countries. The
Church was pregnant with a great movement, and time of her delivery was at hand.
Something of direct expectation seems to be implied in what is said of the
leaders of the Church at Antioch, that they were "ministering to the Lord
and fasting," when the Holy Ghost spoke to them: "Separate me Barnabas
and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." Everything was done
with orderly gravity in the sending forth of the two missionaries. Their
brethren after fasting and prayer laid their hands on them, and so they
departed. The first missionary journey. A.D. 45- As soon as Barnabas and Saul
reached Cyprus they began to "announce the word of God," but at first
they delivered their message in the synagogues of the Jews only. When they had
gone through the island, from Salamis to Paphos, they were called upon to
explain their doctrine to an eminent Gentile, Sergius Paulus, the proconsul, who
was converted. Saul’s name was now changed to Paul, and he began to take
precedence of Barnabas. From Paphos "Paul and his company" set sail
for the mainland, and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. Here the heart of their
companion John failed him, and he returned to Jerusalem. From Perga they
traveled on to a place obscure in secular history, but most memorable in the
history of the Kingdom of Christ –Antioch in Pisidia. Rejected by the Jews,
they became bold and outspoken, and turned from them to the Gentiles. At Antioch
now, as in every city afterward, the unbelieving Jews used their influence with
their own adherents among the Gentiles to persuade the authorities or the
populace to persecute the apostles and to drive them from the place. Paul and
Barnabas now traveled on to Iconium where the occurrences at Antioch were
repeated, and from thence to the Lycaonian country which contained the cities
Lystra and Derbe. Here they had to deal with uncivilized heathen. At Lystra the
healing of a cripple took place. Thereupon these pagans took the apostles for
gods, calling Barnabas, who was of the more imposing presence, Jupiter, and
Paul, who was the chief speaker, Mercurius. Although the people of Lystra had
been so ready to worship Paul and Barnabas, the repulse of their idolatrous
instincts appears to have provoked them, and they allowed themselves to be
persuaded into hostility be Jews who came from Antioch and Iconium, so that they
attacked Paul with stones, and thought they had killed him. He recovered,
however as the disciples were standing around him, and went again into the city.
The next day he left it with Barnabas, and went to Derbe, and thence they
returned once more to Lystra, and so to Iconium and Antioch. In order to
establish the churches after their departure they solemnly appointed
"elders" in every city. Then they came down to the coast, and from
Attalia, they sailed; home to Antioch in Syria, where they related the successes
which had been granted to them, and especially the opening of the door of faith
to the Gentiles." And so the first missionary journey ended. The council at
Jerusalem. –Upon that missionary journey follows most naturally the next
important scene which the historian sets before us –the council held at
Jerusalem to determine the relations of Gentile believers to the law of Moses.
Second missionary journey. A.D. 50-54. –The most resolute courage, indeed, was
required for the work to which St. Paul was now publicly pledged. He would not
associate with himself in that work one who had already shown a want of
constancy. This was the occasion of what must have been a most painful
difference between him and his comrade in the faith and in past perils,
Barnabas. Silas, or Silvanus, becomes now a chief companion of the apostle. The
two went together through Syria and Cilicia, visiting the churches, and so came
to Derbe and Lystra. Here they find Timotheus, who had become a disciple on the
former visit of the apostle. Him St. Paul took and circumcised. St. Luke now
steps rapidly over a considerable space of the apostle’s life and labors.
"They went throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia." At this time
St. Paul was founding "the churches of Galatia." He himself gives some
hints of the circumstances of his preaching in that region, of the reception he
met with, and of the ardent though unstable character of the people. (Galatians
4:13-15) Having gone through Phrygia and Galatia, he intended to visit, the
western coast; but "they were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach the
"word" there. Then, being on the borders of Mysia, they thought of
going back to the northeast into Bithynia; but again the Spirit of Jesus
"suffered them not," so they passed by Mysia and came down to Troas.
St. Paul saw in a vision a man, of Macedonia, who besought him, saying,
"Come over into Macedonia and help us." The vision was at once
accepted as a heavenly intimation; the help wanted, by the Macedonians was
believed to be the preaching of the gospel. It is at this point that the
historian, speaking of St. Paul’s company, substitutes "we" for
"they." He says nothing of himself we can only infer that St. Luke, to
whatever country he belonged, became a companion of St. Paul at Troas. The party
thus reinforced, immediately set sail from Troas, touched at Samothrace, then
landed on the continent at Neapolis, and thence journeyed to Philippi. The first
convert in Macedonia was Lydia, an Asiatic woman, at Philippi. At Philippi Paul
and Silas were arrested, beaten and put in prison, having cast out the spirit of
divination from a female slave who had brought her masters much gain by her
power. This cruel wrong was to be the occasion of a signal appearance of the God
of righteousness and deliverance. The narrative tells of the earthquake, the
jailer’s terror, his conversion and baptism. In the morning the magistrates sent
word to the prison that the men might be let go; but Paul denounced plainly
their unlawful acts, informing them moreover that those whom they had beaten and
imprisoned without trial; were Roman citizens. The magistrates, in great alarm,
saw the necessity of humbling themselves. They came and begged them to leave the
city. Paul and Silas consented to do so, and, after paying a visit to "the
brethren" in the house of Lydia, they departed. Leaving Luke and perhaps
Timothy for a short time at Philippi, Paul and Silas traveled through Amphipolis
and Apollonia and stopped again at Thessalonica. Here again, as in Pisidian
Antioch, the envy of the Jews was excited, and the mob assaulted the house of
Jason with whom Paul and Silas were staying as guests, and, not finding them,
dragged Jason himself and some other brethren before the magistrates. After
these signs of danger the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by
night. They next came to Berea. Here they found the Jews more noble than those
at Thessalonica had been. Accordingly they gained many converts, both Jews and
Greeks; but the Jews of Thessalonica, hearing of it, sent emissaries to stir up
the people, and it was thought best that Paul should himself leave the city
whilst Silas and Timothy remained-behind. Some of the brethren went with St.
Paul as far as Athens, where they left him carrying back a request to Silas and
Timothy that they would speedily join him. Here the apostle delivered that
wonderful discourse reported in He gained but few converts at Athens, and soon
took his departure and went to Corinth. He was testifying with unusual effort
and anxiety when Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia and joined him. Their
arrival was the occasion of the writing of the First Epistle to the
Thessalonians. The two epistles to the Thessalonians–and these alone–belong to
the present missionary journey. They were written from Corinth A.D. 52, 53. When
Silas and Timotheus came to Corinth, St. Paul was testifying to the Jews with
great earnestness, but with little success. Corinth was the chief city of the
province of Achaia, and the residence of the proconsul. During St. Paul stay the
proconsul office was held by Gallio, a brother of the philosopher Seneca. Before
him the apostle was summoned by his Jewish enemies, who hoped to bring the Roman
authority to bear upon him as an innovator in religion. But Gallio perceived at
once, before Paul could "open his mouth" to defend himself, that the
movement was due to Jewish prejudice, and refused to go into the question. Then
a singular scene occurred. The Corinthian spectators, either favoring Paul or
actuated only by anger against the Jews, seized on the principal person of those
who had brought the charge, and beat him before the judgment-seat. Gallio left
these religious quarrels to settle themselves. The apostle therefore, was not
allowed to be "hurt," and remained some time longer at Corinth
unmolested. Having been the instrument of accomplishing this work, Paul departed
for Jerusalem, wishing to attend a festival there. Before leaving Greece, he cut
off his hair at Cenchreae, in fulfillment of a vow. Paul paid a visit to the
synagogue at Ephesus, but would not stay. Leaving Ephesus, he sailed to
Caesarea, and from thence went up to Jerusalem, spring, A.D. 54, and
"saluted the church." It is argued, from considerations founded on the
suspension of navigation during the winter months, that the festival was
probably the Pentecost. From Jerusalem the apostle went almost immediately down
to Antioch, thus returning to the same place from which he had started with
Silas. Third missionary journey, including the stay at Ephesus. A.D. 54-58. The
great epistles which belong to this period, those to the Galatians, Corinthians
and Romans, show how the "Judaizing" question exercised at this time
the apostle’s mind. St. Paul "spent some time" at Antioch, and during
this stay as we are inclined to believe, his collision with St. Peter (Galatians
2:11-14) took place. When he left Antioch, he "went over all the country of
Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples," and giving
orders concerning the collection for the saints. (1 Corinthians 18:1) It is
probable that the Epistle to the Galatians was written soon after this visit–A.D.
56-57. This letter was in all probability sent from Ephesus. This was the goal
of the apostle’s journeyings through Asia Minor. He came down to Ephesus from
the upper districts of Phrygia. Here he entered upon his usual work. He went
into the synagogue, and for three months he spoke openly, disputing and
persuading concerning "the kingdom of God." At the end of this time
the obstinacy and opposition of some of the Jews led him to give up frequenting
the synagogue and he established the believers as a separate society meeting
"in the school of Tyrannus." This continued for two years. During this
time many things occurred of which the historian of the Acts chooses two
examples, the triumph over magical arts and the great disturbance raised by the
silversmiths who made shrines Diana –among which we are to note further the
writing of the First Epistle to the Corinth A.D. 57. Before leaving Ephesus Paul
went into Macedonia, where he met Titus, who brought him news of the state of
the Corinthian church. Thereupon he wrote the Second Epistle to the Corinthians,
A.D. 57, and sent it by the hands of Titus and two other brethren to Corinth.
After writing this epistle, St. Paul traveled throughout Macedonia, perhaps to
the borders of Illyricum, (Romans 15:19) and then went to Corinth. The narrative
in the Acts tells us that "when he had gone over those parts (Macedonia),
and had given them much exhortation he came into Greece, and there abode three
months." There is only one incident which we can connect with this visit to
Greece, but that is a very important one–the writing of his Epistle to the
Romans, A.D. 58. That this was written at this time from Corinth appears from
passages in the epistle itself and has never been doubted. The letter is a
substitute for the personal visit which he had longed "for many years"
to pay. Before his departure from Corinth, St. Paul was joined again by St.
Luke, as we infer from the change in the narrative from the third to the first
person. He was bent on making a journey to Jerusalem, for a special purpose and
within a limited time. With this view he was intending to go by sea to Syria.
But he was made aware of some plot of the Jews for his destruction, to be
carried out through this voyage; and he determined to evade their malice by
changing his route. Several brethren were associated with him in this
expedition, the bearers no doubt, of the collections made in all the churches
for the poor at Jerusalem. These were sent on by sea, and probably the money
with them, to Troas, where they were to await Paul. He, accompanied by Luke,
went northward through Macedonia. Whilst the vessel which conveyed the rest of
the party sailed from Troas to Assos, Paul gained some time by making the
journey by land. At Assos he went on board again. Coasting along by Mitylene,
Chios, Samos and Trogyllium, they arrived at Miletus. At Miletus, however there
was time to send to Ephesus, and the elders of the church were invited to come
down to him there. This meeting is made the occasion for recording another
characteristic and representative address of St. Paul. The course of the voyage
from Miletas was by Coos and Rhodes to Patara, and from Patara in another vessel
past Cyprus to Tyre. Here Paul and his company spent seven days. From Tyre they
sailed to Ptolemais, where they spent one day, and from Ptolemais proceeded,
apparently by land, to Caesarea. They now "tarried many days" at
Caesarea. During this interval the prophet Agabus, came down from Jerusalem, and
crowned the previous intimations of danger with a prediction expressively
delivered. At this stage a final effort was made to dissuade Paul from going up
to Jerusalem, by the Christians of Caesarea and by his travelling companions.
After a while they went up to Jerusalem and were gladly received by the
brethren. This is St. Paul’s fifth an last visit to Jerusalem. St. Paul’s
imprisonment: Jerusalem. Spring, A.D. 58. –He who was thus conducted into
Jerusalem by a company of anxious friends had become by this time a man of
considerable fame among his countrymen. He was widely known as one who had
taught with pre-eminent boldness that a way into God’s favor was opened to the
Gentiles, and that this way did not lie through the door of the Jewish law. He
had thus roused against himself the bitter enmity of that unfathomable Jewish
pride which was almost us strong in some of those who had professed the faith of