PAUL THE APOSTLE

Saul was one ot them, 13')? This has been regarded by some as an ordination by the Church, which thus put an outward seal on the inward call to Apostleship (Gore, Lightfoot); by others, as an appointment, not to the Apostleship, but to the definite work which lay immediately before Barnabas and Paul (Ramsay). — Returning from Arabia, Saul comes to Damascus (Gal 1") while the deputy (ethnarch) of the Nabataean king Aretas holds the city (2 Co ll^"), and is per-secuted there, but escapes by night, being let down in a basket through the city wall (Ac 9™). He makes his first visit to Jerusalem [36] three years after his conversion — for this is the probable meaning of Gal 1'8 — and is presented by Barnabas to Peter and James (ib. and Ac 9"). Here he is told, in a vision in the Temple, to escape because of the opposition of the Jews (Ac 22'™-) [unless the vision belongs to the Second visit, as Ramsay maintains, St. Paul the Traveller', p. 61 f.], and goes to Tarsus (9™), preaching in the united province Syria-Cilicia, in which Tarsus was situated (Gal l^"-). After several years, no doubt of preparation on Saul's part, Barnabas goes to Tarsus to bring him to the Syrian Antioch [43], where the dis-ciples were first called Christians, and they spend a year there (Ac ll^*). The Gentiles had already been addressed at Antioch by Cypriots and Cyrenians after the persecution which arose on Stephen's death (11'™-). Henceforward this became a great missionary centre. From Antioch Paul made with Barnabas the second visit to Jerusalem, taking alms for those suffering from the famine (11="); and if this is the visit of Gal 2' (see art. Galatians [Ep. to the], § 3), it originated in a Divine revelation, and Titus, a Gentile, accompanied them [45 or 46]. They returned thence to Antioch (Ac 12=8), taking Mark with them [46 or 47].

6. First Missionary Journey, Ac 13'-142« [47 to 49]. — Sent forth from Antioch, Paul and Barnabas with Mark sail to Cyprus and preach there; at Salamis, the capital, on the west side of the island, they for tlie first time address a Roman governor. Henceforward Saul is always in NT called by his Roman name. Opposed by the 'magician' Elymas (or Etoimas), Paul rebuked him, and predicted his blindness; the magus was im-mediately deprived of sight, and the proconsul 'be-lieved.' This can hardly mean that he actually became a Christian; but, having been under the influence of Elymas, his eyes are now opened, and he listens to the gospel message favourably. — From Cyprus they sail to the mainland of Pamphylia, and reach Perga, where Mark leaves them and returns to Jerusalem. The reason of this defection is not obvious, but it may be that St. Paul now made a plan for the further extension of Christianity among the Gentiles of the interior of Asia Minor, which Mark, whose view had not yet been sufBciently enlarged, disapproved. It is not unlikely that St. Paul was struck down with malaria in the low-lying littoral of Pamphylia, and that this favoured the idea of a journey to the mountainous interior, where he would recover his health. Ramsay takes malaria to be the thorn or stake in the flesh (2 Co 12'), and this would agree with the statement that St. Paul first visited Galatia owing to an infirmity of the flesh (Gal 4"). On the S. Galatian theory (here assumed; see the discussion in art. GALATrAj>fS [Ep. to the], § 2) the Church in Galatia was now founded; the journey in-cluded visits to the South Galatian cities of Pisidian Antioch (a Roman Colony), Iconium (where the Apostles were stoned, and whence they fled into the Lycaonian district of Galatia), Lystra (also a Roman Colony, where they were taken for gods, and where the people spoke Lycaonian), and Derbe. Thence they returned, reversing their route, confirming souls and ordaining presbyters. Persecutions in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra are men-tioned in 2 Ti 3". From the port of Attalia they sailed to Antioch, and spent a long time there. In these journeys it was the custom of St. Paul to preach

PAUL THE APOSTLE

to the Jews first (Ac 17^ etc.), and when they would not hear, to turn to the Gentiles. — At this time perhaps occurred the incident of St. Peter at Antioch (Gal 2"«-). He at first ate with the Gentiles, but, persuaded by Judaizers who professed to come 'from James,' he drew back; and even Barnabas was influenced by them. But Paul 'resisted' Peter 'to the face,' and his ex-postulation clearly was successful, as we see from the conduct of the latter at the Council (Ac 15™).

7. The Apostolic Council, Ac 15'-" [49 or 50]. — As soon as Gentiles were admitted into the Church, the question whether they must obey the Mosaic law became urgent. Judaizers having come to Antioch preaching the necessity of circumcision, Paul and Barnabas with others were sent to Jerusalem to confer with the Apostles and elders. This is the third visit to Jerusalem. The Council decided that the Gentiles need not be subject to the Law, but enjoined them to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from fornication, by which marriage within the prohibited degrees is perhaps intended. Paul and Barnabas, with Judas and Silas, were sent to Antioch with the decrees, and the two latter probably then returned to Jerusalem, though there is some doubt about the movements of Silas.

8. Second Missionary Journey. Ac is^-lS^^ [50 to 53]. — Paul and Barnabas had a dissension, the former refusing and the latter wishing to take Mark with them; they therefore separated, and Paul took Silas (sent for from Jerusalem?). These two went through Syria and Cilicia and (by the Cilician gates) to Derbe and Lystra and delivered the Council's decrees. At Lystra they find Timothy, son of a Greek father and of a Jewish mother named Eunice. He had been carefully brought up by his mother and by his grandmother Lois (2 Ti 1^ 3"). St. Paul, wishing to take him with him, first, for fear of giving offence to the Judaizers (as he was half a Jew), caused him to be circumcised. They then go through the ' Phrygo-Galatio region' of the province Galatia (see art. Galatians [Ep. to the], § 2), not being allowed by God to evangelize the province Asia (i.e. the western sea-board of Asia Minor) or to enter Bithynia (the northern sea-board), and come to Troas, where they meet St. Luke. [On the N. Galatian theory they made a very long detour before entering the province Asia, to Galatia proper, founding Churches there and returning almost to the point in the journey which they had left.] At Troas, St. Paul sees in a dream 'a certain Macedonian,' saying 'Come over into Mace- donia and help us' (Ac 16'; see art. Acts or the Apostles, § 3). This induces him to sail over to that province, and they come to Philippi, a Roman colony, where they lodge with one Lydia of Thyatira, a seller of purple. St. Paul casts out a 'spirit of divination' (ventriloquism?) from 'a certain maid,' and, owing to the opposition of the girl's masters, he and Silas are cast into prison. An earthquake looses their bonds and the jailor is converted. In the morning the magistrates send to release them, and then Paul and Silas assert their Roman citizenship. Leaving Luke behind at Philippi, they pass on to Thessalonica; and this mission seems to be the limit ot which the Apostle speaks when he says to the Romans (Ro 15") that he had preached from Jerusalem even unto lUyricum [ = Dalmatia], the lUyrian frontier being not far off. At Thessalonica they spent a long time (1 Th 1' 2'- "•), and had much success; many of the 'chief women' were converted. Paul worked for his livelihood (2 Th 3*), but gifts were twice sent to him here from Philippi (Ph 4>"-; cf. 2 Co S"- 11»). The missionary zeal of the Thessalonians is commended in 1 Th 1*. The opposition again came from the Jews (cf. 2 Co 11^), who accused St. Paul's host, Jason, of disloyalty to Rome; bail was taken from Jason, and the Apostle was thus injured through his friend. This seems to have been the 'hindrance of Satan' which prevented his return (1 Th 2'*- '», 2 Th 1*). They

688