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SAINT PAUL
The Apostle

By

REV. WALTER SULLIVAN, C.S.P.

THE PAULIST PRESS

401 West 59th Street New York 19, N. Y.



Nihil Obstat

Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D.,

Censor Librorum.

Imprimatur:

* Francis J. Spellman, D.D.,

Archbishop of New York.

New York, March 9, 1942.

Copyright, 1942, by

The Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle

in the State of New York

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED IN THE U. S. A.

BY THE PAULIST PRESS, NEW YORK, N. Y.

Deaefdfffed



SAINT PAUL

Introduction

QT. PAUL labored more abundantly than all the Apostles,
^ more than the dynamic Peter, more than the zealot,
James, more than the beloved John.

St. Paul was a Jew—a thorough-going Jew. While we
have no actual picture of the man, he probably had a

strong Jewish face. An old tradition has it that he was

bald, bandy-legged, and rather on the stout side. Ramsy,

the famous Scripture scholar, suggests that he was impetu-

ous and given to gesticulating with his hands. We may
well believe it. Some claim that he was near-sighted and

offer passages in an effort to sustain their opinion. By the

inhabitants of Lystra he was called Mercury, while Barna-

bas was called Jupiter, probably because Paul was the

more ready speaker, and Barnabas a more handsome figure,

Certainly he was far from a dapper saint, this man who

could work with his hands, do without sleep, walk tremen-

dous distances, experience indescribable horrors, all in the

face of sickness and pain and weariness, and still struggle

on. He was not eloquent. He spoke good Greek, but not

as an orator. He attempted oratory in the Aeropagus when

he delivered his speech on the Unknown God. His audi-

ence was not impressed and he never tried it again.

How then did he achieve so much? He left the mark

of his personality upon Asia and upon Europe. He threw

his voice to the four winds. It was heard in the synagogue

and in the Agora. The Jews heard it and the Greeks, and

the Romans. The slaves and the free listened to him and

he preached before governors and kings.

Besides all this, St. Paul wrote some of the greatest

letters that have ever been written. Weary, sick, worried,

pre-occupied with the Gospel, he found time none the less



4 SAINT PAUL

to compose some of the world’s greatest literature. This is

all the more remarkable when one realizes that in these

writings he covered nearly the whole of Catholic Theology.

His language is often hurried, as of a man filled with a great

story and anxious to tell it all lest any escape him. He

hastens very often from point to point, attempting to de-

scribe the indescribable, and trying to compress
5

all within

the space of a letter. These writings alone would be a

monumental contribution to the thought and happiness of

the world. But to the world St. Paul gave much more.

How did he do it? Because, it would seem, that hu-

manly speaking, he possessed as few if any have ever pos-

sessed, that untiring application to business which to this

day characterizes the Jew. His business was the Gospel.

He was a saint of God, but he worked for his sanctity.

St. Paul could meet every man with arguments he under-

stood. He was all things to all men. To the Roman he

was a citizen of Rome; to the Jew, a Pharisee of the Phari-

sees. He could quote authors and heroes to the Greeks

and use metaphors taken from their athletic contests. He

was hungry and a working man to the outcast and the

slave; to the down-trodden he was a prisoner in chains.

To the Christian—an Apostle of Jesus Christ.
He achieved what he achieved by the grace of God.

But that grace did not remove the obstacles and the bur-

dens. It gave Paul strength to overcome them. Under

God he accomplished what he did by hard work, work that

made his body weary and his bones sore and his heart

heavy and his head ache. We glorify his endeavors today

and cast over them the convenient cloak of supernatural

glory. St. Paul undoubtedly saw and felt the glory. But

he also felt the sweat of hard labor and long walking, the

chill of cold water and exposure, the bruises and welts of

stripes and the lash, the fractures caused by stoning. He

experienced the consolations of the new-born Faith. But



SAINT PAUL 5

he saw also the disheartening spectacle of rejected grace

and unbelief.

This pamphlet contains only a little of the man and

his works. It is written in the hope that it may lead some

to study more of the life and teachings of St. Paul and

to read his writings.

BACKGROUND OF AN APOSTLE

Memories of Past Glories

Tarsus is now a scrubby little town of modern Turkey,,

situated on the unhealthy and inconsequential Cydnus

River. But it was not always thus. Buried fifteen or

twenty feet below the surface lies the ancient city steeped

in memories of past glories. It was in Tarsus that the un-

fortunate Mark Antony met that ill-starred Egyptian*

glamour girl, Cleopatra, when she passed up the Cydnus in

her perfumed boat with its silver oars and purple sails.

Athenodorus, tutor and friend of the Emperor Augustus,,

was born in Tarsus and blessed with royal favor, returned

to live there in the twilight of his years. The ancient city

had echoed to martial tread and witnessed military great-

ness when Alexander passed through with his army.

But were Antony and Cleopatra, Athenodorus and

Alexander, and all other things about the place forgotten,

Tarsus would still be remembered because it was there that

St. Paul the Apostle was born about the beginning of the

first century.

St. Paul was proud of Tarsus, and regarded it as “no

mean city.” It had every right to praise and respect, for

it was one of the great cities of the ancient world.

The industry of the citizens and the skill of the engi-

neers had so dredged and altered the Cydnus that it was

navigable to the coast. Consequently, it was a great com-

mercial center, and to Tarsus came ships from all over

the Mediterranean. With the ships came trade and profit



6 SAINT PAUL

and economic security and visitors from distant lands,

burdened with new ideas.

To the east of the town rise the Taurus mountains,

sturdy and forbidding. Yet even the mountains could not

withstand the energy of the inhabitants of the old city.

With dauntless enthusiasm and determination they chiseled

a pass through the mountains, and gained access to the in-

terior of Asia Minor. Through this mountain pass, called

the Cilician Gates, came the riches of the East to be traded

for the goods of the West.

Besides being the center of trade, Tarsus was also a

university city. Few universities of the time could com-

pare with that at Tarsus. Very few, if any, were superior

to it. Strabo, the geographer, lists it as the most famous

university of his day; greater even than Athens and Alex-

andria.

Influences That Helped to Shape Paul

Tarsus was a cosmopolitan city. Favored by Rome, it

enjoyed the status of a free city. It was governed by the

wisdom of Roman Law. It harbored a considerable num-

ber of Jews and Gentiles from the ends of the earth. The

common language was Greek.

Who can deny that Tarsus of old was an ideal training

ground for the Apostle of the Nations? In his own home

he learned the law and fulfilled the obligations of the Jew-

ish religion, as was befitting a Pharisee of the Pharisees.

On the street, he who was to become a world traveler, met

people from strange lands and became familiar with their

strange customs. St. Jerome has said that the majestic

cadences of St. Paul’s Greek reminded him of pealing thun-

der. It was in Tarsus that St. Paul first heard that lan-

guage. Unifying and harmonizing all, he saw the influ-

ences of Roman Law and he learned the value of being a

citizen of Rome.



SAINT PAUL 7

The glory of Tarsus has passed away. So be it. Its

one great task is over, its one great duty done, and so the

city sleeps. It was a liberal education to have lived in

Tarsus in St. Paul’s day. It afforded good preparation and

he utilized it all. So we would be ungrateful if we did not

appreciate the excellent background Tarsus gave to the

broadminded, liberal St. Paul, who was to become “all things

to all men.”

Heredity, Environment, Education—Which?
It is always interesting when studying the lives of great

men to give special attention to what went to constitute and

make possible their greatness. In the case of St. Paul this

is especially fascinating. In a large measure he was blessed

with “a happy combination.” At birth he inherited the

best Jewish blood. He was a member of the tribe of Ben-

jamin, one of the purest lines of Israel. In token of that

noble heritage his parents called him Saul after the first

king of Israel. His home environment left little to be de-

sired. With God-fearing parents, strict observers of the

Law, he lived in an atmosphere of religious discipline and

order. Outside his home he was molded broadly by the

rich and varied contacts and experiences which cosmopoli-

tan Tarsus afforded.

His education began where all education should begin

(and, as a matter of actual fact, for good or evil, does be-

gin), in the home. Since his people were Pharisees, Paul

was naturally educated in the same tradition. While still

young he was taught a trade. This was not due to family

necessity, but was merely an admirable provision in the

old Hebrew educational system. An ancient Jewish maxim

warned, “He who does not teach his son a trade teaches

him to steal.” Paul learned the trade of tent making.

The tents were made from the hair of Tarsus goats woven

finely into waterproof felt. Even to this day, when all other



8 SAINT PAUL

vestiges of the remote past seem to have disappeared, this

industry still flourishes in Tarsus. Through the mastery

of this trade, St. Paul was thereafter able to earn his own

livelihood. This remarkable man, traveler and scholar, a

Jew who spoke Greek and claimed the justly enviable title

of Roman Citizen, was truly all things to all men. To the

workers he could show hard, capable hands, and, what is

more, he could use them.

When he had attained the age of about fourteen, he was

sent to Jerusalem to complete his education. There he

rubbed elbows with Jewish boys from many places who had

come to the Holy City to round out their education. His

master was the learned and gentle Gamaliel, who later on

was to counsel moderation toward the Christians.

Under the guidance and inspiration of his learned mas-

ter, Paul studied the sacred books of the Old Testament.

He learned to love the Law as the manifestation of the

Divine Will. Moreover, this love for the Old Testament

was never lost or lessened. The old Covenant was God’s

preparation for the coming of His Son. It was Paul’s

preparation for receiving Him. In becoming a Christian,

Paul did not repudiate the religion of his fathers; he merely

accepted its fulfillment. Knowledge acquired during this

time would enable Paul in the future to enter the syna-

gogues where the Scriptures were so reverenced, and feel

at home and on familiar ground. He could quote Scrip-

ture with the best of them, and after his conversion he was

given an advantage over all his Jewish adversaries, for he

could not only quote the prophecies, but could point to their

fulfillment.

With the interpretation of the Scriptures, however, there

grew up minute regulations, often narrow, complex, and

arbitrary which became an intolerable burden. Thus, from

the time of the appearance of three stars on Friday eve-

ning until the same time the following day, the devout Jew



SAINT PAUL 9

was doomed to complete inactivity. He couldn’t light a

fire, nor put one out—no, not even though his house was
burning down. He could not write or erase two letters of

the alphabet; nor could he carry an object the size of a

dried fig from one place to another. He could not walk

more than half a mile. And there was some doubt as to

whether a cripple could use his wooden leg on the Sab-

bath. Other exacting, stultifying, and even puerile prescrip-

tions there were, but why go on? From the case men-

tioned one can readily understand why our Lord said, “Woe

to you lawyers also because you load men with burdens

which they can not bear, and you yourselves touch not

the pack with one of your fingers.” And why St. Peter at

the Council of Jerusalem admonished, “Why tempt you

God to put a yoke upon the necks of the disciples, which

neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” Such

was St. Paul’s education—the good and the bad of it.
Viewing,the picture of St. Paul’s background you may

be tempted to demur, and say that not anyone of these

elements nor all of them together appear to be sufficient to

explain his greatness. Let there be no argument. Some-

thing happened to St. Paul one day on the way to Da-

mascus. He received a new birth and a new vision.

A BATTLE THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

First Appearance of St. Paul in Christian History

Mob violence is a gruesome business. Yet, it is against

the background of an infuriated mob, shedding innocent

blood, that St. Paul first appears on the pages of Sacred

Scripture. Outside the city of Jerusalem a man was being

stoned to death. His only offense was that he had preached

the good news of men’s redemption to a stubborn and stiff-

necked people. He had preached it with such uncom-

promising conviction and compeling eloquence that they



10 SAINT PAUL

were helpless to answer his arguments. Finally, in des-

perate fury, they laid violent hands upon him. They hur-

ried him outside the city, and there stoned him to death.

He was Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

Against this background we discover St. Paul. He,

himself, committed no act of violence, but he consented to

everything that was done. Immediately following this he

did, however, move into vigorous action. With the eager-

ness of a mad wolf, he hunted down his victims in the

Holy City. Finally, not content with harrassing the fol-

lowers of Christ in Jerusalem he sought permission from

the Chief Priest of the Jews to push on as far as Damascus,

to ferret out the Christians of that city and bring them

to Jerusalem for trial. The Chief Priest gladly commis-

sioned Paul to this savage work which he rejoiced to see

accomplished. Accordingly, preparations were made and

Paul set forth.

Damascus lies about one hundred and thirty miles

north of Jerusalem, a distance of seven days’ Journey. All

the way from Jerusalem Paul led his men a furious pace.

He pressed on relentlessly, impatient of delay. It would

appear that the followers of the Nazarene were in for a

bad time from this man of fierce determination and fiery

zeal.

A Light Shineth in the Darkness

It was towards noon of a glorious day about the year

32, shortly after the death of Stephen, that this party of

men, armed and mounted, approached the ancient city of

Damascus. Paul was getting closer to the thing he sought.

Suddenly a light, brighter than the sun, appeared. The

party, in amazement and fear, fell to the ground. Then

came a voice, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” who

said, “Who art Thou, Lord?” and He, “I am Jesus Whom

thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the

goad.” Trembling and astonished, Paul answered, “Lord,



SAINT PAUL 11

what wilt Thou have me to do?” And the Lord said to

him: “Arise and go into the city and there it will be told

thee what thou must do.”

“Life on earth is a warfare,” said Job, and whether

or not we like it, Job was right. The history of men and

of nations has often been determined by the outcome of

wars, in some instances by the issue of a single battle.

Hilaire Belloc in perhaps his best and greatest book,

Europe and the Faith, endeavoring to explain the Protes-

tant Reformation, says: “I for my part incline to the be-

lief that wills other than those of mortals were in combat

for the soul of Europe, as they are in daily combat for the

souls of individual men, and in this spiritual battle fought

over our heads perpetually some accident of the struggle

turned it against us for the time.”

We may perhaps visualize what took place before Da-

mascus as a conflict between the forces of light and dark-

ness for the possession of the soul of Saul of Tarsus. Re-

garded as a battle, it was one of the greatest battles of

the world, and one of the greatest victories of light and

truth over darkness and error. Saul had been so eager to

accomplish what he considered the most important business

in life. And in this strange way it was accomplished. Christ

had conquered Saul before Damascus gate and forever after-

wards Paul was to be the servant of Christ. The Church

had made its greatest convert.

Some critics who deny anything that involves a miracle

no matter how well it be proved, make an obstinate but

futile effort to explain what happened to Paul by saying he

suffered sun stroke. Nonsense! Through the years that

same sun has gone on shining, but there never has been an-

other Saul of Tarsus. When the sun set that night, a new

force was abroad in the world, a veritable firebrand to spread

the light of truth, and to burn into the consciousness of

the Western World a knowledge of Jesus Christ.



12 SAINT PAUL

THE YEARS BETWEEN

Saul of Tarsus upon his conversion did not immediately

become a famous missionary and world traveler. Years

separated his conversion from his first missionary journey.

They were fruitful years of transformation and preparation.

Disappearance of St. Paul

When, outside Damascus, Saul the persecutor had been

unseated from his horse and unsettled in his hatred of the

Church, he arose from the ground blind; physically blind,

for his spiritual blindness was over forever. He had wit-

nessed an apparition which was burned into his conscious-

ness, and which he in turn would burn into the conscious-

ness of Europe. The apparition was Christ. His compan-

ions led him to Damascus where he remained three days,

sightless and without food or drink. Then at the Lord’s

command, the reluctant Ananias, who remembered only too

vividly this man’s savage hostility toward the Christians,

sought him out. The moment Ananias laid hands upon

Saul, his sight was restored, then he was baptized and he

took some food. Slowly he commenced to regain his

strength. He did not remain long in Damascus but shortly

this restless, energetic, eager convert retired to Arabia,

where he disappeared for a period of about two years. Paul

always insisted that he learned the Gospel from Christ.

What intimate communications were received from the Lord

during this period we can only surmise. It might well cause

us to pause in our anxiety for external, hurried, hurly-burly,

bewildered activity when we realize that a man who was a

firebrand and a zealot, the greatest missionary that ever

lived, eager to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth,

retired to the desert and remained for two years or more

in secret silent meditation and preparation. Outside Arabia

the things of the mighty Roman Empire were handled and



SAINT PAUL 13

mishandled on a grand scale. The conceited Augustus

yielded his regal power to the imperious Tiberius, who was

himself succeeded by the mad Caligula. The proud Roman

Legions marched and paraded and kept order as best they

might. But in Arabia, hidden away, a lonely Jew just

turned Christian meditated the awful things that apper-

tain to God, with which he would one day conquer the

Empire.

Missions at Antioch

When Paul returned to Damascus he entered enthusi-

astically upon a campaign of earnest preaching which dis-

concerted the Jews. These Jews remembered Paul as a

zealot for the Law. To find him now preaching Christ in-

flamed their anger beyond control. Finally when they

could tolerate the renegade no longer, they plotted his death.

Their conspiracy was discovered and Paul escaped, but a

narrow and reckless escape it was. He was lowered down

the side of the city wall in a basket, because the gates of

the city were guarded. The experience made a profound

impression upon Paul, and he remembered it ever after.

But it was only the first in a series of harrowing adventures

that were to be his in this new life that was taking shape.

It must have caused him no little anguish to think that his

old Jewish friends had followed him willingly in his folly

and error; but now when he had the fullness of truth, he

could only arouse wrathful indignation. He had led them

in ways of error but could not lead them to the Truth.

He probably smiled in igrim remembrance when he thought

how he had directed these men to hunt down the Chris-

tians. Now he was hunted by these very men whom he
had taught too well.

After his escape from Damascus, Paul made his way

to Jerusalem, where he sought out the disciples of Christ.

He knew that his doctrine would agree with their doctrine

because it was received from the same Christ. The dis-



14 SAINT PAUL

ciples recalled this man, for the Church had suffered under

his hand. He was received with scant courtesy until Barna-

bas came to his defense and explained the glorious circum-

stances of his conversion. Very soon Paul commenced to

preach in Jerusalem as he had in Damascus, and with much

the same result. He entered into disputations with the

Greek-speaking Jews and they became so wild with anger

that they sought his life. In order to prevent his being

murdered the disciples took him out of the city to Caesarea,

whence he left for Tarsus. His stay in Jerusalem had been

only fifteen days.

Again Paul disappears and we hear nothing more of him

until Barnabas brings him forth for the work of teaching

and converting at Antioch. What did Paul do during this

period of several years? Doubtless he was engaged in the

work of the Lord, but the details are unknown. The Lord’s

ways are strange and wonderful, and it may well be that

the foundation for the future greatness of St. Paul was laid

in the silence of Arabia and Tarsus.

Paul the Apostle was a far different man than Saul the

persecutor. He thought with the same mind, was ener-

gized by the same spirit, possessed the same dynamic

nature; his appearance was the same, but all his faculties

were chastened, disciplined, and directed aright.

For a whole year Paul worked with Barnabas in An-

tioch and made many converts. Antioch was a great city,

the third largest of the ancient world. It was there that

the disciples of Christ were first caMed Christians.

When Agabus, a prophet, predicted that a great famine

would impoverish the land, the Christians of Antioch raised

such funds as they could and dispatched them to Jerusalem

for the relief of the needy. Barnabas and Paul were en-

trusted with the responsibility of carrying the funds. It

was perhaps during this visit that news came of the terrible

death of Herod Agrippa, who was struck down before a



SAINT PAUL 15

vast multitude in Caesarea that had begun to shout that

Agrippa spoke with the voice of a god. It was this man

who had put James to death and imprisoned Peter and

generally persecuted the Church because he saw it pleased

the Jews. With his death the Church was liberated from

a treacherous enemy.

When Barnabas and Paul had fulfilled their mission

they returned to Antioch, bringing with them John Mark,

who was a cousin to Barnabas. It was not long after this

that under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul and

Barnabas were set apart for special work. Hands were

imposed upon them and taking John Mark along with them

they started out. They went first to Seleucia, the harbor

of Antioch, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. The first

great missionary journey had begun.

It was an unspectacular departure. There were no re-

porters, no cheering thousands, no sensational headlines.

The three unimpressive men were scarcely awarded a sec-

ond glance, we may well suppose. Yet, that we have the

Faith today is due under God, in largest measure, to St.

Paul the Apostle and men who helped him in his work.

FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY

Cyprus was not a place of great importance in the

scheme of the Roman Empire, being off busy routes of

heavy commerce. Paul himself was rather partial to cities

and had an instinct for centers of influence where Christi-

anity once planted might spread. But to Cyprus the party

went, since it was the home of Barnabas, who was at this

time the leader of the expedition, and he probably desired

it.

Saul Becomes Paul

They landed at Salamis and tramped the entire eighty-

five miles until they came to Pamphos on the western end



16 SAINT PAUL

of the island. It was in Pamphos that the pro-consul Ser-

gius Paulus lived. He was a good man, but a pagan. To

beguile an idle hour and dispel the ennui of his uninterest-

ing position he dabbled in magic, and encouraged a quack-

ster named Elymas who enjoyed official favor. When the

pro-consul heard of the Apostles he sent for them despite

resentment and protest on the part of Elymas. When the

missionaries arrived at court, the charlatan over-reached

himself, for he tried to discredit them in the presence of

his patron. But Paul heaped maledictions upon his head

and he was struck blind. Sergius Paulus was so much im-

pressed by the issue of the contest between the fakir,

Elymas, and the Apostle, Paul, that he accepted the Faith.

After this incident Paul assumed leadership of the expe-

dition. His name thereafter in the narrative of the Acts

is mentioned first, and always as Paul, not Saul.

One Turns Back

With Paul as head, the missionaries took a new direc-

tion. They abandoned their efforts in Cyprus, fruitful

though they were, and sailed for the mainland, landing in

Perge in the Province of Pamphylia. At Perge, however,

they did not delay to preach the Gospel but started inland,

over the treacherous Taurus mountains, headed for Anti-

och of Pisidia. It was here that the youngest member of

the party, John Mark, withdrew and returned home. Paul

and Barnabas quite probably asked the inevitable “Why?”

Certainly the question has been asked frequently enough

since. Why did John Mark quit? Was he ill? Lone-

some? Afraid? Did he resent the leadership of St. Paul?

Did he object to preaching to the Gentiles?

The country through which they were passing was wild,

forbidding country, pestilential, infested with malaria,

abounding in robbers, and constantly dangerous by reason

of swollen streams. The inhabitants were never over-



SAINT PAUL 17

friendly and sometimes downright hostile. It is not diffi-

cult to understand how a young man coming from the sweet

security of a pleasant home might find conditions beyond

endurance. There is further the possibility that St. Mark

was genuinely upset and awed by the impetuosity of St.

Paul, so eager to preach to the Gentiles. Whatever the

reason, John Mark left, and St. Paul was human enough

to resent it most keenly.

Suffering and Success

After the departure of John Mark the two pushed un

to Antioch. Here they attended synagogue on the Sab-

bath and Paul found opportunity to speak. He told the

story of Christ, the Messiah, Who fulfilled the prophecies

and redeemed men from their sins. PauPs message was

enthusiastically received and the following Sabbath found

a still greater crowd gathered at the synagogue to hear

him. His success angered the Jews and they heckled him

and contradicted what he said. So the Apostles laid down

an ultimatum, saying that the Jews were the chosen people

and had been prepared for the Gospel, but since they re-

jected it, they must turn to the Gentiles, and this they did

with great success. Finally, however, the Jews had their

revenge, for by stirring up the women of the place they had

the missionaries thrown out of the city.

Banished from Antioch, they made their way to Iconi-

um, where they preached the gospel of peace. But their

stay was short, for the Jews caught up with them and they

were forced to depart for Lystra.

In Lystra their introduction was most spectacular.

Paul worked a miracle in bringing about the cure of a

cripple. The inhabitants, tremendously impressed by what

they saw, thought that surely the Apostles were gods and

proceeded forthwith to prepare a sacrifice. Barnabas they

called Jupiter, and Paul they called Mercury. The Apos-



18 SAINT PAUL

ties by rending their garments and making vigorous protests

barely escaped being given Divine worship. Yet it was not

a great while after this that troublemakers stirred up these

very people against the Apostles. Apparently, as violent

in their dislikes as their likes, and in their fickleness easily

swayed from one extreme to the other, they stoned the mis-

sionaries, whom they had previously tried to worship. So

thoroughly did they do the job that Paul was dragged out-

side the city and left for dead.

St. Paul, despite his frequent attacks of illness, must

have been blessed with a rugged constitution to have been

able to endure the strenuous exertion and exhausting labors

and the sheer physical abuse that characterized his exist-

ence. His travels on foot were long and difficult. He was

often weary and cold and hungry. On this occasion after

being stoned he was left for dead. Yet, he did not die, but

slowly revived, dragged himself painfully into the city, and

the next day departed for Derbe.

Derbe is not a very great distance from Antioch in

Syria, the place of their departure. In a short time they

might have crossed from Derbe to Antioch but this they

did not do. Instead, after they had preached in Derbe,

they retraced their steps revisiting the places previously

evangelized. On this return visit they encouraged their

converts, and most important of all ordained priests that

the Church in these towns might endure.

When they neared the end of this return journey and

came to Perge, they preached the Gospel there also, as they

had not done so upon their first visit. Finally, they went

to Attalia and took ship for Antioch, where they met the

brethren and told the glad news of the spread of the Faith.

The missionaries had been absent three or four years. They

had endured great hardships and suffered many trials. But

now that it was over, all rejoiced because out of great tribu-

lation the Faith had been advanced.



SAINT PAUL 19

SALVATION— WHENCE?
Christ Is All in All

Man is redeemed by the Blood of Christ. Thus only

does salvation come. There is no other way. Yet it ap-

pears that attempts have been made and are still being

made to escape this truth and to discover some other means.

Today, for example, salvation by natural means is com-

monly preached. Spiritual salvation is sought through

health or posture or physical exercise. Salvation is prom-

ised to those who cultivate the proper mood and acquire

the right frame of mind. It is looked for in action or in

rest, in companionship, in prosperity, in State aid or by

Act of Congress. But, despite all such clever and compli-

cated formulas, salvation still comes only through the Sacri-

fice of Christ applied to the soul.

Even in the days of the early Church there was misin-

terpretation and misunderstanding of the truth. Some

denied the sufficiency of redemption through Christ alone,

and sought to bolster it by adding the Law of Moses to

the religion of Christ.

The matter came to a head shortly after the First Mis-

sionary Journey. When Paul and Barnabas returned to

Antioch after that journey, there was general rejoicing.

For three or four years they had been absent, traveling and

preaching and making converts. The Church at Antioch

was glad, both because of their return, and because of their

success. The rejoicing, however, was short lived. Certain

converts, who had been Pharisees, came down from Jeru-

salem to Antioch on a visit. They listened with keen in-

terest to the account of the conversion of the Gentiles to

the Faith. But when they were told that the Gentiles were

received into the Church without first having been circum-

cised, they demurred, shook their heads, and insisted that

this should not be. They contended that entrance to the



20 SAINT PAUL

Church was only through the Law, consequently that all

converts were bound by the Law of Moses as well as by the

Law of Christ. So the dispute waxed hot. Finally, appeal

was made to Jerusalem for settlement. We must realize
that at no time in the Church has one been allowed to teach

as he pleased. Christ gave to His Church a Supreme Au-

thority with the power to infallibly interpret His mind.

The disputants had recourse to that Authority.

Teaching of St. Paul Sustained

Representatives of both views went up, and Paul and

Barnabas went along to defend their claims—that Gentile
converts were free from the observation of the Jewish Law.

The two missionaries passed through Phenicia and Samaria,

and were well received all along the way. Finally, the

Council of Jerusalem was held. Strong personalities were

present, and we may suppose that they freely and strongly

expressed their views. After much disputing, Peter arose

and announced his decision, and by that decision vindicated

the doctrine of St. Paul. The Gentile converts were not

bound by the Mosaic Law. And this teaching was even

cheerfully received by St. James who was a zealot for the

Law.

Thus we have our teaching on the sufficiency of the

Sacrifice of Christ, coming not from Gentiles but from Jews.

St. Paul had been Pharisee of the Pharisees, and he never

lost a consciousness of the mission of his people. It was his

practice to preach to the Jews first, and then to the Gen-

tiles. He, himself, was a Christian because he was a Jew,

just as today every logical Jew should be a Christian, for

only in the Christian Religion can a Jew discover the ful-

fillment of the expectations of the Jewish Religion. With-

out Christianity Judaism must end in futility and frustra-

tion. Yet St. Paul was ever ready to defend the Jews, and

warned against a too smug condemnation of their unbelief.



SAINT PAUL 21

From such men, Jews, by birth, Pharisees, zealots for the

Law, there came this decision that the Law of Moses was

not to be imposed upon converts from paganism. “By the

grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we believe to be saved, in

like manner as they do.”

After all these years the doctrine is still the same. “By

His stripes we are healed.” Thus only does salvation come.

There is no other way.

THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY

Saints Disagree

The prelude to the Second Missionary Journey was a

dispute. When St. Paul had suggested to Barnabas that

they revisit the scenes of their First Journey, he met with

agreement; but there agreement ended. Barnabas requested

that his cousin St. Mark be taken along as on the first

expedition. St. Paul recalled all too well that John Mark

had abandoned that adventure in the forbidding foothills of

the Taurus mountains, and the memory of it still rankled.

He refused Mark as a companion. The dispute was prob-

ably hot enough. There was no appeasement and no com-

promise. St. Paul was not easily argued down. There was

a wholesome skepticism about his mind that precluded

credulity. That is why his wholehearted acceptance of

Christ carries such tremendous weight. Before Paul be-

lieved he had to be convinced, and he based his convictions

upon evidence. He was tenacious of his considered opinion

and not easily to be swayed. St. Barnabas tried to persuade

him regarding John Mark, but with no apparent success;

and we may presume that Barnabas was no pushover in

debate. Years after this when Paul became a prisoner, in

Rome, he expressed admiration for John Mark, but that

was after Mark had proved himself. At the time of this

controversy, St. Paul was decidedly not convinced, and

could not be convinced of the advisability of taking Mark



22 SAINT PAUL

as a companion. The stalemate was finally solved when

Barnabas took Mark and set out for Cyprus, his home

country. Paul selected Silas, like himself, a Roman citizen,

and thus the Second Missionary Journey was launched.

The Journey Begins

Paul, in the first stages of the Second Missionary Jour-

ney, carried out his intention of returning to the places of

his first journey. Starting from Antioch, they traveled over-

land through Asia Minor as far as Tarsus, whence they

passed through the treacherous Taurus mountains at the

Cilician Gates, and so at length came to familiar territory:

Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia. At Lystra

it was that St. Paul met Timothy, his dear friend and con-

fidant in so many labors and trials. Timothy, along with

his mother and grandmother, had been converted on the

occasion of Paul’s first visit. Now Timothy wished to join

in the missionary activities of St. Paul and was accepted

by him.

The Irish of Asia

At Antioch, the Apostle was eager to press into the

populous cities of Asia. But this was not in accordance

with the Divine plan, so he pushed on towards Bithynia,

passing through the country of Galatia. Possibly he had

not intended to stop in Galatia, but he was constrained to

do so because of illness. We learn from the Epistle of St.
Paul to the Galatians that he was treated royally by them

and he conceived a great fondness for them. These strange

people have ever been a source of romance, mystery, and

debate. They were a Celtic Tribe that migrated from

Europe about three hundred b. c. Invading first the coun-

tries around the Danube they finally crossed the Helles-

pont and eventually settled on the continent of Asia. They

mingled freely enough with the natives but were not ab-



SAINT PAUL 23

sorbed by them, retaining their own language and customs.

They were the Celts of Asia, and they retained many of the

characteristics of their European brothers. They were live-

ly, friendly, sympathetic and generous.

When the Apostles left Galatia, they pushed on to the

province of Bithynia, where Paul was again anxious to

preach, but was once more forbidden to do so by the Holy

Spirit. So they traveled toward Alexandria of Troas with-

out evangelizing. At Troas, Paul received the famous vi-

sion of the Man of Macedon, inviting him to come over to

that country to preach the Gospel: “Come over to Mace-

donia and help us.” St. Paul harkened to the call and went.

He is now accompanied by an important companion St.

Luke, a Greek physician, and an artist. As the author of

the Acts of the Apostles, he is an accurate and competent

historian. His presence is revealed by his use of “WE”;

and those parts of the Acts which disclose his personal pres-

ence are called “We Sections.”

St. Paul was now in a region famed in history, for the

site of ancient Troy was laid at Troas. Homer had cele-

brated its glory. To the west across the Mgean was Mace-

don whence had come Alexander with his all conquering

armies. But of such things Paul thought little if at all, for

his consuming interest was the Gospel of Christ, “To the

Jews, indeed, a stumbling block, and to the Gentiles, fool-

ishness.” To Paul it was the very essence of life.

Sailing from Troas, they reached Neapolis on the north-

ern shores of the iEgean, and on the borders of Macedonia

and Thrace. With St. Paul and his companions, the Gospel

of Christ, about twenty years after the foundation of the

Church, found its way into Europe.

Departing from Neapolis, they entered Phillipi, a dis-

tance of about nine miles. Phillipi is familiar to high school

students of history and Shakespeare as the scene of the

battle in which Brutus was defeated. In Phillipi St. Paul



24 SAINT PAUL

pursued his usual plan of preaching first to the Jews. Since

they were not very numerous in this city, they had no

synagogue, and for their religious rites withdrew to the river

bank where the water used in their ceremonies was readily

available.

Joys and Sorrows

After his first Sabbath’s preaching, he made a splendid

convert of Lydia, a seller of Purple of Thyatira, who of-

fered the hospitality of her home to St. Paul. But after this

excellent beginning, Paul soon found himself in difficulty.

There was a girl of the town who was possessed, but accord-

ing to the custom of the time and place, she was allowed to

go about the city mouthing and telling fortunes, bringing

considerable gain to her masters. In the course of her wan-

dering she finally began following St. Paul and crying out:

“These men are servants of the Most High God.” Finally,

St. Paul thought the matter had gone far enough and so he

commanded the spirit in the Name of Jesus Christ to leave

her. The spirit obeyed and the girl was normal again. But

being normal she began to mind her own business and

there was no more divining. Consequently, as far as her

former masters went, she was a total loss and no longer a

source of profit. In their anger at what had come to pass,

they hailed Paul and Silas before the authorities and slyly

accused them of fomenting disorder, disturbing the peace,

and, worst of all, preaching doctrines contrary to what was

allowed by Rome. This they did since divining and fortune

telling were forbidden, and they realized that if they told

the truth they would accomplish no revenge.

The upshot of the charges was that the Apostles were

brutally assailed and thrown into prison without investiga-

tion. During the night an earthquake shook the prison.

The keeper thinking that all the prisoners had escaped was

about to commit suicide when Paul convinced him that all

the prisoners were present and accounted for, and the whole



SAINT PAUL 25

matter of the earthquake had been through Divine inter-

vention. The keeper accepted the word and also the Faith

of Christ along with his entire family. He then bathed the

painful welts and bruises of the Apostles.

The morning after the imprisonment, the official ordered

that the two men be quietly released. It was then that Paul

took them severely to task for the manner in which they

had acted, highhandedly condemning them without trial,

and then beating them publicly, all contrary to the Law,

since they were Roman citizens. This attitude of Paul

frightened the officials who realized their mistake and hur-

ried personally to release these men who were Roman citi-

zens and whom they had maltreated. After they set them

free they begged them to leave the city.

Freed from prison, the Apostles visited Lydia, took gen-

eral leave of their friends and departed for Thessalonica, a

distance of about seventy-five miles. Thessalonica was, in

those days, the Capital of Macedonia, residence of the Ro-

man Governor, a large city and one of the busiest markets

of the ancient world. As a matter of fact, the city is still a

city of importance in our fast changing modern world, un-

der the name of Salonica. The Jews attracted by trade and

commerce were quite numerous in the city and they had a

synagogue there.

According to his plan, Paul appeared at the services on

the Sabbath and explained the truths of Christianity, empha-

sizing two points
;
namely, that Christ was the Messiah, and

that He redeemed men through His Blood. Some of the

Jews who heard him were convinced, but, for the most part,

his converts were from the pagans, many of whom were per-

sons of distinction.

It was not long, however, before the ill will and envy of

the Jews became manifest. They stirred up the rabble, de-

scended upon the place where Paul had been staying, and

not finding him, took his friend and host, Jason, and such



26 SAINT PAUL

Christians as they could lay hand on, and dragged them be-

fore the rulers of the city. The charge leveled against them

was calculated to arouse the severity of the magistrates

since it accused them of disloyalty to Caesar. The same

charge has been trumped up again and again ever since.

As Paul was not present at the trial, Jason and the other

Christians were allowed to go free. However, it was in-

creasingly evident that missionary activity in Thessalonica

was hereafter to be greatly impeded with the official dis-

approval and the open hostility of the Jews. Accordingly,

the night following, the Apostles took their leave and set

out for Berea, situated in beautiful country on the slopes of

Mount Bermius, a distance of about sixty miles.

The people of this town received the Apostles cordially,

and conversions were numerous until the perennial Jew-

ish troublemakers appeared on the scene, stirred up the pop-

ulous, and again fomented such hostility that further effort,

as far as Paul was concerned, was at the time dangerous

and unproductive. Consequently, Paul and his companions

were taken to the coast, about twenty miles away and from

here they sailed for the city of Athens.

As Paul pursued his course southward, he passed the

scene of the heroic battle of Marathon where a small force

of Athenians outnumbered ten to one had thrown back the

Persian hordes. With all their power and numberless hosts

they could not gain entrance to the Western World, guarded

as it was by the valor of the Greeks. And now, a tired old

Jew was approaching the citadel of Greece, bringing his

Gospel from the east. All the might of the west could not

check it, nor all the wisdom and cynicism of Greece hold it

back.

Athens and the Unknown God

The Athens which St. Paul knew was not the Athens of

the age of Pericles. The great days of the city were of the

past; but vestiges of ancient glory lingered on. It was



SAINT PAUL 27

still a university town, pompous, sophisticated, critical, liv-

ing on borrowed time. It no longer gave to the world either

great leaders or thinkers of profound ideas, but the ancient

prestige and the former glory commanded, even then, the

respect and reverence of those who came to Athens. It was

a rundown college town, pervaded by an atmosphere

of intellectual sophistication and snobbishness. The people

could repeat all the answers with a shallow, ready-made

smartness. While great achievement declined and vanished,

cynical criticism, idle, inconsequential prattle and endless

chatter occupied their unproductive minds and satisfied

their sterile intellects. This was the Athens which St. Paul

knew. It was yet a favored city and even the conquering

Romans vied with each other in showing it favor and be-

stowing privileges. As he walked through the place, he was

affected not by its beauty and splendor, but by the appalling

futility and waste. He was weary and lonely and anguished

in spirit—the only Christian with a knowledge of Christ in
a land that was pagan.

As he walked about he was amazed at the startling num-

ber of statues erected to the gods and goddesses. Amongst

this plethora of monuments, he observed one raised to the

Unknown God. This was a device resorted to frequently

enough by the Athenians when they wished to avoid giving

offense. When they were in doubt as to just precisely which

one of the gods was concerned and should be placated, they

recoursed to vagueness. By being vague and indefinite the

burden was shifted to the gods who had to figure out for

themselves just which one was concerned.

It was with little or no difficulty that St. Paul struck up

a conversation with the news-loving—not to say gossipy

—

inhabitants of the ancient city who frequented the market

place with open ears and ready tongues. He told them the

story of Christ. They seemed to have missed its implica-

tions. The dual gods of the East were familiar to them, and



28 SAINT PAUL

when Paul spoke of Christ and the Resurrection (the word

for resurrection, in Greek, is Anastisis), they thought he was

introducing another pair of oriental dieties after the manner

of Isis and Osiris. However, he did arouse sufficient interest

to be invited to the Areopagus, the ancient center of judg-

ment of the city, and there he was allowed to explain his

doctrine. He made an auspicious beginning by referring to

the statue of the Unknown God they knew so well. This

was promising and served to capture their attention, arouse

their curiosity, and whet their appetites, for he said he was

going to describe and identify that Unknown God.

They settled back and listened patiently enough until

he spoke of the Resurrection. This time they manifested a

decided weariness and utter lack of interest. With scarcely

concealed boredom and a kind of gentle amusement, they

interrupted his speech and promised to listen to him some

other time. Manana, tomorrow, later, any time, but surely

not right now.

Paul had tried hard in his speech and so eager was he

to impress, that he had gone to the extent of using an unac-

customed approach. He attempted eloquence, at least he

attempted to impress his stiff, intellectual, snobbish audience

with fine speaking and graceful figures. He even quoted

their poets. He failed in this method and he never tried it

again. Thereafter he was ever to use the straight forward,

forceful, unadorned Gospel. He did not fail entirely for he

did find some who harkened to his words and believed. Of

these were Dionysius and a woman named Damaris.

Dionysius is honored at the first bishop and patron saint of

Paris. Of the woman we know only the name.

To apprehend means to accept or to take hold of a thing.

But just as in the affairs of life there are things which

people grasp and take hold of with reluctance, so also in

the domain of the mind. Thus, a man does not too readily



SAINT PAUL 29

seize a heavy object because it entails a burden. Likewise

men will not carry things that might cause them anxiety.

So also for ideas. Those of great weight and consequence,

those that might entail a burden or bring reproach are ac-

cepted with reluctance.

The men at Athens were the heirs of Socrates, Plato, and

Aristotle. Plato and Socrates seem at times in their writing

to have been conscious of the need of a great teacher who

would reveal to men the right way of life; and they even

expected and longed for his coming. Yet, when the Great

Teacher came, when His Truth was finally taught, the

Greeks closed their minds against it. The Light shone in

the darkness and the darkness did not apprehend it. Why?

Did they suspect that believing might involve difficulties?

That Faith demands a price which they refused to pay?

Possibly. But the more likely explanation is that they re-

garded Paul as a purveyor of cheap, inconsequential notions

of no importance and to be treated with contempt. They

were not humble enough to receive the teaching of One Who

was “meek and humble of heart.”

It is hardly to be wondered at that St. Paul experienced

no great enthusiasm for the city of Athens. He probably

left it behind him with no regrets. The intellectual

snobbery, the unyielding cynicism, superficial cleverness,

and incessant harping upon a past that was gone, chilled

the sincerity of the Apostle. The time would eventually

come when the Gospel would have its revenge and the

Parthenon would be converted into a Christian Temple.

But that was far in the future.

Corinth

When he left Athens, Paul made his way to Corinth

where he met two tentmakers, Aquila and Priscilla, his wife,

with whom he stayed. These two had been banished from

Rome by an edict of Claudius issued against the Jews.



30 SAINT PAUL

Corinth was a cesspool of vice and shamelessness. Debauch-

ery and excess of every description held high holiday. It

was all lush territory for the sowing of wild oats and ap-

parently the crop was never rotated.

Complying with his accustomed procedure, Paul went

every Sabbath to the synagogue for the purpose of reason-

ing with the Jews and to preach the doctrine of Christ. By

the time that Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia

to join Paul, he was already hot in debate with the unbeliev-

ing Jews who heckled and contradicted him. In the end

Paul abandoned the Jews for the Gentiles. He found meet-

ing quarters in the house of Justus adjoining the synagogue

and there he held his meetings. His efforts were crowned

with encouraging success for amongst his converts was

Crispus the head of the synagogue. Of course, one might

reasonably presume that St. Paul was never surprised by a

convert, but rather surprised and grieved that so many

failed to respond to the Story of Christ, the Gospel, the

Reality, and the Truth.

For a year and a half Paul remained in the city teaching

with consoling results. However, this success was a tor-

ture and a torment to the Jews and in the end they rose up

against him with might and fury and brought him before

Gallio the Pro-Consul. The charge preferred against him

was that he persuaded men to worship contrary to the Law.

Gallio was not to be taken in, however, and immediately

recognized a religious issue. He turned up his nose and

bade them settle it themselves. It was no concern of his.

Furthermore, the crowd hostile to Sosthenes, the ruler of the

synagogue, finally laid violent hands upon him and gave

him a thoroughly fine thumping, all of which Gallio feigned

not to see.

It was shortly after this that Paul took leave of the

city and accompanied by Aquila and Priscilla sailed for



SAINT PAUL 31

Ephesus where he stopped briefly. With a promise to return

he made his way to Caesara and finally to Jerusalem.

THE THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY

After a brief sojourn in Jerusalem, Paul again returned

to Antioch whence he departed upon his Third Missionary

Journey accompanied this time not by Timothy but by

Silas, a young Greek. He was anxious to revisit some of

the established churches, and therefore traveled through the

region of Phrygia and Galatia which he had previously

evangelized. Then he pushed down into the Roman

Province of Asia as far as Ephesus where he remained for

two and a half years. This was a city that he had long in-

tended to visit and his labors were successful above the

average. He taught daily in the school of a man named

Tyrannus from eleven in the morning until four in the

afternoon. Many were converted from witchcraft and su-

perstition. His influence was so great that the believing

inhabitants brought their books of magic and burned them.

The estimated value of these books was a tremendous sum

for those days—about $9,000.00.

Adventure at Ephesus

It is worthy of remark that Paul seemed to be very little

daunted by the moral laxity and openly flaunted vice that

was the accepted thing in some of these large cities. Ephe-

sus positively reeked of depravity and lewdness. It is now

little more than a backward village stagnating on a murky

harbor that is unapproachable for silt and seaweed. The

Ephesus of St. Paul’s day was a prosperous seaport that

enjoyed extensive trade. More important still it was the

site of the Temple of the great Diana, and pilgrims came

from the earth’s ends to worship there. With worshippers

came criminals seeking refuge for the Temple of Diana was

a city within a city and held the right of sanctuary.



32 SAINT PAUL

In the end it was the warship of Diana or the lack of

it that made it imperative for St. Paul to leave the city.

The sale of images of the goddess was a bountiful source

of revenue when the fervor of the devotees was running

high. But St. Paul had put a crimp in the enthusiastic

ardor for Diana and consequently reduced the income of

those who sold statues, keepsakes and charms. Business

became so bad, the silversmiths began to feel the pinch,

and one of them, Demetrius, being a bit of an organizer,

roused up bitter resentment amongst the tradesmen, and

then amongst the people who milled about the square of the

city shouting to their lungs’ capacity, “Great is Diana of

the Ephesians.” Finally, after great effort, one of the re-

sponsible officials of the city obtained a hearing, and in

a very disarming and simple manner disbanded the wild,

unreasonable assembly. He said, in effect, that everyone

knew that Diana was a great goddess and there was no one

to contradict them. If however, there was any man there

who had a real grievance, then let him present his case

legally—there were law courts for that purpose. In the
meantime, it would be wise if they went home before they

got into real trouble. Paul when he knew of the commotion

had been eager to rush into the midst of the mob where he

might well have been tom to pieces. Fortunately, he was

restrained, and when the excitement had died down, he

was prevailed upon to withdraw from the city, which, due

to the agitation, was rendered unreceptive to further

evangelization at that time.

History Repeats Itself

This incident was a forerunner of an interesting inci-

dent that took place, years later, in the Province of Bithynia,

when Pliny the younger was Governor of that Province un-

der the Emperor Trajan. Trajan was more or less a benevo-

lent ruler, although the practice of Christianity was still



SAINT PAUL 33

prohibited. Pliny wrote to him to say that there was con-

siderable complaint on the part of the pagans because the

Christians were increasing so in numbers that the pagan

temples were being deserted. The meat offered for sale

for the purpose of sacrifice was going to waste and a loss

was being incurred by those engaged in its sale. Trajan

replied that the Christians should be punished when appre-

hended but not sought out by systematic persecution. That

was between the years of 111 and 113. It is remarkable

that about a half century before the Governorship of Pliny

St. Paul encountered opposition in Ephesus for a reason

similar to that of Bithynia; namely, the complaint of the

pagans of the loss of lucrative markets.

Paul had for some time been considering another visit

to Greece, and was contemplating a visit to Rome. Ac-

cordingly, when he withdrew from Ephesus, he went to

Troas and thence to Macedonia where he wrote the Second

Epistle to the Corinthians. Shortly afterwards he paid the

Corinthians a visit, and remained with them three months.

While in Corinth he wrote his great letter to the Romans.

After his sojourn here he had arranged to take ship for

Palestine when he became aware of a plot to kill him. He,

therefore, suddenly altered his plans and returned through

Macedonia to Philippi and Troas. On this journey he had

a considerable group of companions.

Expectation of Trouble

At Troas, Paul addressed a considerable gathering of

the brethren on the eve of his departure. And there is in

this connection a very amusing incident which St. Luke re-

lated quite probably with tongue in cheek. St. Paul con-

tinued his discourse long into the night so that a young

man named Eutychus who was sitting in the window fell

sound asleep, and, worse still, fell out of the window. He

fell three stories to the ground where he was picked up



34 SAINT PAUL

dead. He was revived by St. Paul. The account in the

Acts appears to be purposely ambiguous. There was a great

many lamps in the place. Paul was long in preaching. Was

it the lamps? The preaching? Or both? Anyhow, the inci-

dent should be a source of genuine consolation to lengthy

speakers.

When St. Paul left Troas for Assos, it is significant that

he did not take ship as did some of the others, but rather

walked the distance of about twenty miles. The fact that

he did this would tend to show that despite frequent illness,

he was, nevertheless, a man of tremendous endurance, for

after being up the entire night, he was able to travel this

long distance on foot. It would also show that St. Paul was

devoted to the practice of walking which is so thoroughly

neglected today.

At Assos St. Paul boarded the ship and sailed down the

western coast of Asia Minor. At Miletus the Ephesian

friends of St. Paul were on hand to greet him, and when he

departed they bade a very sad farewell for they heard from

his own lips the dire prophecy they “should see his face no

more.”

At Tyre the party remained a week, and then continued

on to Caesarea where they visited the Evangelist Philip.

Here again they were dejected because Agapus, the prophet,

who had prophesied the famine in Jerusalem, foretold the

future doom of St. Paul.

In Caesarea Paul remained three days and then set out

for Jerusalem.

IN PERIL IN JERUSALEM

The brethren in Jerusalem, although rejoicing in St.

PauPs presence, were somewhat upset. The rumor was cir-

culated that St. Paul had been persuading the Jews, living

amongst the Gentiles, to forego the Jewish Law, and not to



SAINT PAUL 35

circumcise their children. In order, therefore, to demon-

strate that Paul was not opposed, in any way, to the ob-

servance of the Jewish Law by the Jews, even after they

had become Christians (provided they did not impose it

upon the Gentile converts)
,
the brethren in Jerusalem made

this suggestion: “We have four men who have a vow on

them. Take these and sanctify thyself with them: And

bestow on them that they may shave their heads: and all

will know that the things which they have heard are false:

but that thou thyself also walkest keeping the Law.”

Paul, a Prisoner

Paul followed the suggestion, and went with the men to

the Temple. However, when the Jews of Asia saw him in

the Temple, they stirred up the people and laid hands on

him and accused him of violating the Laws of Moses, and es-

pecially of bringing Gentiles into the Temple, thus violating

it. (They had seen Trophimus, an Ephesian Gentile, in the

company of St. Paul, and they concluded wrongly that Paul

had taken him into the Temple.) Quite an uproar re-

sulted. Paul was thrown out of the Temple and the gates

immediately shut. Then they laid merciless and violent

hands upon him and were about to beat him to death. The

disturbance was reported to the Tribune who hastened to the

scene of the disturbance with soldiers. The Jews, on seeing

him, stopped beating Paul.

Paul was bound at the bidding of the Tribune, who

ordered him carried to the castle. All the time the soldiers

stayed close to Paul, for the people were in an ugly mood

and cried out at frequent intervals: “Away with him!”

When they got to the castle, Paul asked the Tribune

if he might address his persecutors. The Tribune, very

much taken aback, said: “Can you speak Greek? Art not

thou that Egyptian who, before these days, raised a tumult,

and didst lead forth into the desert four thousand men who



36 SAINT PAUL

were murderers ?” Paul said: “I am a Jew of Tarsus in

Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city. I entreat you to allow

me to speak to the people.”

The Tribune gave permission and he raised his hands

for silence and addressed them in Hebrew. When they

heard him speaking in Hebrew, they gave him their at-

tention. He was not thinking of the great welts and

bruises causing stiffness and excruciating pain throughout

his body. He spoke eagerly, rapidly and, perhaps, excitedly,

but not in anger. He regarded them not as enemies, but

men misled as he himself had once been misled to persecute

Christians and the Church of Christ.

In his speech he told them the story of his conversion.

They listened attentively until he told them that he had

received a commission to preach to the Gentiles. W
T

hen

they heard that their anger broke forth. “Away with such

a one from the earth.”

The Tribune was not a little highhanded. He decided

to torture Paul in order to force the truth from him, and

commanded that he be bound with thongs. Paul knew

what was coming for he had been tortured before. The

Roman soldiers were masters of the art of administering

punishment. Previously he had endured pains and tortures

patiently and without complaint, happy to be considered

worthy to suffer for the Name of Jesus. But in this instance

he forestalled the torture by an appeal to his Roman Citi-

zenship. “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a

Roman and uncondemned?” The question brought prompt

results. The Tribune came running, breathlessly, he said:

“Tell me, art thou a Roman Citizen?” When Paul said he

had been born a Roman Citizen, the Tribune, who had pur-

chased his citizenship, was impressed and disturbed. He

ordered them not to torture him.

The next day the Tribune held a hearing to ascertain



SAINT PAUL 37

the cause of the disturbance of the previous day in which

St. Paul had been a prominent figure. He ordered the priests

to come together and all the Council, and then he brought

forth Paul. Here there occurred a scene that gives an in-

sight into the spontaneous humanity of St. Paul. He was

a Saint, and getting to be an old Saint, but he still retained

his quick temper.

When Paul stood before the Council he said: “Brethren,

I have conversed with all good conscience before God until

this present day.” Such a remark from St. Paul prompted

Ananias to command those who stood near to strike him

on the mouth. Paul exploded: “God shall strike thee, thou

whited wall. For sittest thou to judge me according to the

Law, and contrary to the Law thou commandest me to be

,
struck?” Those that stood by then challenged him: “Dost

thou revile the High Priest of God?” Immediately, Paul,

Saint of God, that he was, humbly asked pardon: “I knew

not that he is the High Priest. For it is written: ‘Thou

shalt not speak evil of the prince of thy people.’
”

The examination got under way. St. Paul, declaring

himself a Pharisee, caused the meeting to become divided.

The Pharisees were in favor of allowing him to go free;

the opposite faction, the Sadducees opposed it. The debate

became so hot that finally the Tribune sent soldiers to rescue

Paul lest he be pulled to pieces.

That night the Lord came to Paul and said to him: “Be

constant for as thou hast testified to Me in Jerusalem, so
must thou bear witness also at Rome.” St. Paul was destined

by Divine Providence to see the Eternal City.

Plot to Murder Paul

The next day some of the Jews, thus far defeated in

their attempt to inflict fatal injury upon Paul, bound them-

selves by oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed

him. About forty men entered thus into the conspiracy.



38 SAINT PAUL

They revealed their secret to the Chief Priests and ancients

who were sympathetic toward them and willing to aid them

in their plot. The plan suggested was simple enough. The

Tribune was to be requested by the Council to produce Paul

once again for questioning. When he was brought forth

they would gang up on him and do him to death.

Their plotting came to naught. Paul had a sister in the

city, and she had a smart young son. He picked up the

details of the plot, and not wishing to see his uncle put to

death, he hastened to Paul and revealed his discovery. Paul,

in turn sent his nephew with his story to the Tribune.

Things had grown hotter than the Tribune had ever ex-

pected. He had saved Paul from death at the hands of the

Jews. Then he had unjustly ordered him to be scourged.

When he found that he was a Roman he had rescinded his

order just in time. He rescued Paul a second time from

the Council where it appeared he would be pulled to pieces

by opposing factions. Now there was the threat of death

again. The Tribune decided to take no further chances.

He ordered out a large detail of soldiers in their keeping

shipped Paul off to Felix the Roman Governor of Caesarea.

PAUL BEFORE FELIX

When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea they brought

Paul to the Governor, and presented the letter of explana-

tion from the Tribune. Felix read the letter and decided

to hear his case when the accusers came from Jerusalem.

In the meantime, Paul was a prisoner in Herod’s judgment

hall.

In about five days Ananias, the High Priest, and some

of the ancients appeared against Paul. They had with them

an orator named Tertullus who was to prosecute the case.

Tertullus reviewed the charges
;
namely, that Paul had upset

the peace, spread sedition, and profaned the temple. The

Jews present promptly confirmed these charges.



SAINT PAUL 39

Charges Unsustained

Paul, in defense, said he had been in Jerusalem only

twelve days. Before that he had been in the city of

Caesarea. He had neither given cause for any disturbance

nor had he violated the Temple. Such charges were ground-

less and could not be proved. These very Jews themselves

had seen him in the Temple in times past and had never

raised a tumult. This disturbance had been instigated by

the Jews from Asia and they had not so much as come

down to give testimony. The only fault the present Jews

had found with him, when a short time previously he stood

before their Council, was the fact that on that occasion he

had maintained the resurrection of the dead.

Felix refused to render a decision and put off the case

until Lysias the Tribune who had sent Paul to Caesarea,

should come to the city and present his version of the story.

Paul, in the meantime, was held under guard but it was an

easy guard, for Felix had ordered that friends should be

allowed to minister to Paul.

Paul had aroused the interest and curiosity of Felix and

not many days passed before Felix made arrangements for

Paul to appear before himself and Drusilla his wife, to tell

them about the teachings of Christ.

At the appointed time, Paul presented himself. It must

have been quite a spectacle—there in the court of Felix
that day long ago. Paul, the Jew, a member of a despised

race, and a prisoner. Felix, surrounded by all the pomp

and circumstance, all the luxury of a Roman Court.

Felix Is Afraid

Paul, ready at all places and at all times to preach

Christ and Christ crucified, began. On that occasion he

treated of justice and chastity, and of the judgment to

come. Felix listened well and understood—so much so that



40 SAINT PAUL

he became terrified. Justice and chastity were not Felix's

forte. He was short suited in both virtues. Indeed, he

was probably short suited in all virtues. Tacitus, the Ro-

man historian, said that he exercised the powers of a king

with the mentality of a slave. Drusilla, whom he called

“wife" at this time, had been the third woman to have

that questionable distinction. She was rightly the wife of

Azizus, King of Emesa. Felix had no regard for that and

he took her for himself. The truth from the Jew was too

much for him. He interrupted Paul and said that he would

hear more at another time. He didn't send for Paul again,

that is, not to hear about religion. Paul's religion was too

difficult and he spoke the truth with burning conviction.

Repeatedly, however, he sent for Paul to suggest that a

little money might accomplish * his release. Paul wasn't

interested in purchasing justice. Consequently, during the

two years Felix remained in office, Paul was kept in cus-

tody. When he yielded office he left Paul in Caesarea, still

a prisoner to be dealt with by Festus, his successor.

PAUL BEFORE FESTUS AND KING AGRIPPA

Festus, the new Governor, went up to Jerusalem three

days after his arrival in Caesarea. There the Jews ap-

proached him and questioned him on the prisoner, Paul,

and suggested that he be brought to Jerusalem for trial.

This would have given them an opportunity to waylay the

party and put Paul to death. Festus did not fall for their

proposal. He said he was returning shortly to Caesarea,

and, if the accusers would come down, he would conduct the

trial.

The Appeal to Caesar

After a sojourn of about ten days in Jerusalem, Festus

returned to Caesarea and the next day held court. Paul



SAINT PAUL 41

was brought in to answer the accusations of the Jews. The

session ended dramatically. Festus, for some reason or

another, had decided to curry favor with the Jews and Was

ready to do what he had hitherto refused. He said to Paul:

“Will you go up to Jerusalem and there be judged of these

things by me?” Paul was not to be taken in so easily.

The case had dragged on for over two years. Although his

friends had access to him, nevertheless, the Gospel had been

hindered. Justice evidently was not to be forthcoming in

the Province where the Jewish enemies exerted so much

influence against him. Paul, therefore, decided to put an

end to the interminable bickering. He replied to Festus

by saying: “I appeal to Caesar.

Festus could not ignore that; he could do nothing but

acquiese. “Have you appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you

shall go.” The case had been removed from the jurisdiction

of Festus.

A few days after this incident, King Agrippa and his

sister, Bernice, came down to Caesarea to pay their respects

to Festus. During the course of their visit, Festus told

them about Paul. Agrippa became curious and requested

to hear what Paul had to say for himself. Arrangements

were readily made. Once again Paul could plead his case

and this time not before a Roman Governor alone, but be-

fore a Provincial King as well.

Festus made the occasion spectacular. Agrippa and

Bernice entered the hall of audience with the Tribunes and

all the dignitaries of the city, and when all were sitting in

the luxurious court, Paul the prisoner, was brought forth.

It is not recorded that he was over-awed by the splendor

of the setting. Festus spoke very briefly, saying that this

man was accused by the Jews at Jerusalem, who had not

proved their charges. Recently, Paul had appealed to

Caesar, but Festus confessed he was at a loss what to

write to Caesar concerning him.



42 SAINT PAUL

Then Agrippa spoke to Paul and asked him to tell his

own story. This Paul did, and very fully. Knowing that

Agrippa was a Jew and acquainted with Jewish custom and

history, he emphasized these things.

When he came to the Resurrection of Christ, Festus

interrupted saying: “Paul, thou art beside thyself; much

learning doth make thee mad.” Paul knew he had made an

impression even upon Festus, but he was particularly in-

terested in Agrippa. He promptly replied: “I am not mad,

most excellent Festus, but I spread words of truth and so-

berness. The King knows these things, to whom also I

speak with confidence, for I am persuaded that none of

these things are hidden from him. Neither was any of these

things done in a corner.”

Then directing a question toward the King, he forced

an answer. “Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa?

I know that you believe.”

What Did Agrippa Mean?

Agrippa made a very strange and ambiguous reply:

“In a little, you persuade me to become a Christian.” Did

he mean a little more would convince him? Or was he

taunting Paul because he thought he could be so lightly per-

suaded. Did Agrippa come close to the Faith that day?

We don’t know. Possibly.

Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice were members

of the infamous family of the Herods. They were a bad

lot. Cutthroats and sensualists. Herod the Great had mur-

dered the Innocents in his attempt to kill the Child Jesus.

Antipas, his son, had beheaded John the Baptist and had

mocked our Lord and clothed Him in a purple garment be-

fore the Crucifixion. Agrippa I had killed St. James.

Agrippa II, this last of an unspeakable, vicious line of

tyrants heard St. Paul. He was not converted. Bernice,



SAINT PAUL 43

like all the Herod women, had the body of an angel and

probably the spirit of a devil. Neither was she converted.

The meeting broke up quickly after the dramatic appeal

of St. Paul to Agrippa. The king, Bernice his sister, and

Festus arose shortly thereafter, and left the hall.

Paul had not convinced Agrippa to embrace Christianity,

but he had convinced him he was not guilty of the charges

alleged by the Jews, for he said to Festus: “If he had not

appealed to Caesar this man might have been set at liberty.

But since he had appealed, he must be sent to Rome for

judgment.”

SHIPWRECK

A Centurion, named Julius, was commissioned to con-

duct Paul to Rome for trial along with other prisoners.

The discipline was not severely rigid, at least for St. Paul.

Luke and Aristarchus, his friends and disciples, were per-

mitted to sail on the same ship and were allowed con-

siderable freedom in ministering to him.

Advice Rejected

The season was advanced for sailing and it was, there-

fore, slow and difficult, and dangerous as well. They skirted

the coasts of Syria, Cicilia, and Pamphylia and, at length,

arrived at Lystra in Lycia. Here they were transferred to

an Alexandrine vessel bound for Italy. Their voyage from

this point became even more hazardous and difficult. When

they came to a harbor near Thalassa called Good Havens,

Paul offered the very sensible suggestion that the winter be

spent there. Paul was an experienced traveler and he knew

that a continuation of the voyage incurred the risk of los-

ing the ship with all on board. He was overruled. It was

a small place, perhaps with none too much life. The cap-

tain was eager to press on, and the passengers were anxious

to reach a more agreeable harbor—one near a larger town.



44 SAINT PAUL

The Storm

They sailed under favorable auspices from Good Havens,

and the captain and ship's company probably smiled very

complacently on Paul, the prisoner who had demurred and

counseled the Centurion against leaving the harbor. They

had a gentle south wind, well suited to their course. How-

ever, they were not long out of port when Paul's judgment

was vindicated. The sky became overcast and the wind in-

creased. They were unable to tack, so they gave the ship

to the wind, and were driven. Then, passing by the Island

of Cauda, they ran into worse difficulty, and nearly grounded

the boat on a sand bar. When they escaped that, their

troubles had only begun. The fury of the gale increased.

St. Paul had been right—there was grave danger of losing
the ship and all their lives. To avert that catastrophe they

laid hold of the cargo and started to throw it into the sea.

The third day they even threw out the tackling. After

that, when the sky was still overcast and neither sun nor

star appeared, they abandoned hope. It was then St. Paul,

whom they had scorned hitherto as a prophet of doom, be-

came for them a prophet of good hope. An angel had ap-

peared to him during the night saying that he was destined

to go to Rome to appear before Caesar, and that none

aboard the ship would perish. They probably believed St.

Paul, but whether or not they believed him, he was right.

About midnight after fourteen days of violent buffeting by

storm in the open sea, they began to run into shallow water.

Fearing that they would run aground, they dropped anchor

and waited for the dawn.

It was now that the sailors who had been so anxious for

the sea and all too ready to ridicule the misgivings of St.

Paul, showed a rather craven fear. They decided to aban-

don .the ship, save themselves and leave the others to their

fate. They pretended to be lowering the life boat for the



SAINT PAUL 45

purpose of casting the anchors out of the forepart of the

ship. The passengers suspected no treachery. But Paul

detected their designs and went to the Centurion and soldiers

and said: “Except these men stay in the ship, you cannot

be saved.”

There was not a minute to be lost. The soldiers cut the

ropes and the boat went splashing into the sea. The sailors

all remained on the ship with the rest, making a total of two-

hundred and seventy-six souls.

Land and Safety

When day came they discovered a small creek which

they thought might serve to dock the ship. They weighed”

anchor, set sail and made for the creek. The ship grounded

—the prow holding fast, but the stern was in rough, turbu-
lent waters and was broken by the violence of the sea. The

soldiers, seeing that in the confusion the prisoners might

escape, were in favor of putting them all to the sword. The

Centurion had conceived a great liking for St. Paul, and he

probably realized that it was due to the mysterious power

of St. Paul that they owed their lives. The Centurion,

therefore, demurred, and refused to allow the prisoners to

be slaughtered in cold blood. Those that could were al-

lowed to swim to shore. The others managed on boards-

and floats of various kinds. Thus all were saved.

ST. PAUL IN ROME

The island on which they found themselves after their

harrowing experience was the Island of Malta. The in-

habitants were courteous. They kindled a fire to give those

that were shipwrecked an opportunity to get warm and dry.

Paul made himself useful by gathering sticks and throwing

them on the fire. When a deadly viper fastened on his

hand, the natives judged him to be a murderer suffering the

divine vengeance, but when he apparently received no harm,



46 SAINT PAUL

they quickly altered their opinion and regarded him as a

god. Shortly afterwards he again aroused the admiration

of the people of the island. Publius, the chief, received

them most kindly and entertained them for three days.

Now it happened that his father was dangerously ill of fever

and a bloody flux. St. Paul cured him, and not only him

but all the sick of the whole island.

The Eternal City

After they had spent three months on the island, they

obtained a ship of Alexandria that had put in at the island

for the winter. The Alexandrine ship carried them to Syra-

cusa, Rhegium, Puteoli, and finally to Rome. The Chris-

tians in Rome heard of the arrival of St. Paul and went

forth to meet him. When Paul saw them—all followers of
Christ—he gave thanks. During his stay in Rome, Paul
was granted considerable freedom. After he was there three

days he made a plea before the Jews, telling the circum-

stances of his coming to Rome. They had heard nothing

of his case, but they were interested to hear about the Chris-

tian Religion. Accordingly, a day was appointed when Paul

should speak to them more fully. St. Paul, using the Scrip-

tures, told them about Christ. Some believed, and, as al-

ways, some refused to believe.

For two whole years St. Paul remained in the city. He

stayed in his own hired lodging, but was quite probably

guarded by a soldier. Thus the Acts of the Apostles ends.

It was now about the year sixty-three. The general

opinion is that St. Paul, when at the end of two years, his

trial came up, was acquitted and allowed to go free.

TWILIGHT OF HIS YEARS

Freedom

Festus, the Roman Governor, had been rather favorably

impressed by St. Paul and had more than likely sent in a



SAINT PAUL 47

favorable report to the authorities. The Centurion, who

had taken a fancy to St. Paul, we can safely assume, also,

delivered testimony in his favor. The Jews in Jerusalem

apparently were not pressing their charges against St. Paul

because the Roman Jews had been sent no notification of

the accusations. Paul, during this period, expressed him-

self as confident of acquittal. Finally, there are certain

writings of St. Paul that seem to have been written after

the period of his First Roman Captivity.

Admitting that Paul was given his freedom, there occurs

the space between his Roman captivity and his death. This

period is shrouded in twilight and darkness due to the fact

that we do not have the clear account of the Acts to follow

his movements.

Journey and Second Captivity

Toward the end of the captivity, he spoke of going to

Spain. He probably carried out his intention. After his

journey to Spain he visited the churches in the East. He

remained in Crete sufficiently long to found churches and

confide them to Titus, his fellow worker. Later, he went

to Ephesus where he asked Timothy to remain until he went

to Macedonia. On this occasion, he visited the Philippians.

In the spring following, he probably returned to Asia. He

was apprehended there, perhaps in Troas, and then taken

to Ephesus, the Capital of Asia. Finally, he was sent to

Rome for trial. From his second Roman captivity he wrote

to Timothy, complaining of loneliness and neglect* He

seemed to have been deserted by nearly all his friends. He,

apparently, felt that all human hope was lost, and he begged

his disciple, Timothy, to rejoin him as quickly as possible

for he was alone with Luke. The Apostle of the Gentiles

was worn out from journeying often, from beatings and

stripes and hunger, and the care of all the churches. The

greatest missionary was approaching the end. Timothy



48 SAINT PAUL

hurried to Rome. We do not know if he arrived before

Paul felt the sharp edge of the Roman sword and tasted

death.

DEATH OF ST. PAUL

Near the city of Rome and east of the Ostian Way, is a

place called Aquae Salviae. Tradition has it that it was

here St. Paul suffered martyrdom. It was toward the end

of the reign of the Emperor Nero. Paul was brought forth,

an old man, now burdened with years, worn out by labor

and suffering. He knelt down, bent his neck. The sword

flashed. St. Paul was dead.

No longer would he feel the rod and the stripes, hunger

and thirst, weariness and anxieties. Such things were over.

Paul had finished his course and was with Christ. His

own words concerning death will ever remain to give conso-

lation to those who mourn: “We would not have you

ignorant brethren, concerning those who are asleep—that
you be not sorrowful even as those who have no hope. For

if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again, even so them

who have slept through Jesus will God bring with Him.”

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