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CHAPTER V

MISSIONS TO THE GENTILES

O Antioch we return, in the winter of 46-7 a.d. The young Hellenist and Gentile body has already arrived at full consciousness of its corporate life and responsibility. It has collected and sent its alms, by

Antioch startingpoint of Gentile missions.

its chosen delegates, to the famine-stricken. brethren at Jerusalem. After the return of these delegates, Barnabas and Saul, bringing with them Barnabas' cousin, John Mark, the historian makes a solemn fresh start in

his narrative. He enumerates the five leaders of the Antiochene Church, even as in his opening chapter he had enumerated the eleven Apostles at Jerusalem; and then, corresponding to the description of Pentecost in the second chapter, follows a notice of the direct commissioning of Barnabas and Saul by the Holy Ghost.

Barnabas heads the list of "prophets and teachers," and Saul concludes it: the other three are Manaen, or Menahem, foster-brother of Herod Antipas, Lucius of Cyrene, not to be confounded with Lucas the historian, but possibly identical with the "kinsman" of St. Paul who sends greetings to the Roman Church,1 and Symeon Niger, of whom nothing is known, though he may be,

1 Rom. xvi. 21.

together with Lucius, among the "men of Cyprus and Cyrene" who first initiated the work among the "Greeks" in the city. In the spring-time of 47 (or 46) A.D., possibly in preparation for the Paschal Feast, the leaders of the Church were engaged in "liturgies and fasts" when a clear message came to them, recognised as that of the Holy Ghost: "Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them."1

From this commission, when the two were "sent forth by the Holy Ghost," dates the beginning of that series of conquests that shifted Christendom's centre of gravity from Jerusalem and Antioch to Ephesus and Rome. The story of the missions round the Mediterranean is, in the main, the story of the life-work of St. Paul. Within a space of ten years (47-57 A.D.) he accomplishes that marvellous series of missionary circuits which ensured the ultimate Christianisation of the entire Roman Empire. Sailing from Seleucia, the port of Antioch, in March, 47, the Apostles land at Salamis in Cyprus, trav- St. Paul's Ist journey. erse the island, and at Paphos win the first educated Roman convert of whom we have recordSergius Paulus, the proconsul, whose name an extant inscription still records. After the brief voyage to the Pamphylian coast, they evangelise the Phrygian and Lycaonian districts of the Roman province of Galatia the Churches, probably, to whom the Epistle to the Galatians was written some six years later— passing successively to Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, and back in reverse order. The Jewish synagogue forms in each case their base of

1 Acts xiii. 1, 2.

H

operations but Jewish jealousy constantly dogs their steps, rousing opposition and bitter persecution, yet failing to rob them of their work's reward. At Antioch, in Pisidia, Jewish opposition leads to a bold step on the Apostles' part, a definite breach with Judaism. "Seeing ye judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles!"

Returning to Syrian Antioch in August, 49, they are called to answer for their bold advance, and gain their point at the Apostolic Council. Henceforth Jew and Gentile, circumcised and uncircumcised, are equal in the Church of Christ.

St. Paul's

2nd

journey.

In the spring of the following year (50 A.D) St. Paul starts off again with Silas, one of the two envoys of the Jerusalem Church who had accompanied Paul and Barnabas when they returned with the Conciliar Letter to Antioch. This time they set out by land, taking the great trade route along the Syrian coast to Cilicia, where St. Paul had spent -and spent, no doubt, with good effect-the four years or so (? 38-43) which intervened between his first visit to Jerusalem and the day when Barnabas sought him out at Tarsus to come and help in the evangelisation of Antioch. Then crossing the Taurus range by the pass known as the Cilician Gates, he struck his old tracks again and revisited Derbe, Lystra (where Timothy joined them), Iconium, and Antioch, delivering everywhere the decrees of the Council. From Antioch he seems to have pushed on direct1 to the coast at Troas, a tramp of seventeen days. There, came to him that vision of the man of Macedonia, crying: "Come over

1 Possibly (North-Galatian Theory) with an excursion north-east into the heart of Galatia proper. But see below, ch. vii., p. 129.

and help us," which drew him to set foot in Europe. There, too, he seems to have met the He sets "beloved physician," who was to be his foot in faithful companion and biographer and the Europe. first historian of the Apostolic Church.1 In Macedonia he visited successively Neapolis, Philippi, Amphipolis, Apollonia, Thessalonica, and Beroea, with very important results, as his Epistles testify.

In Greece he visited only the intellectual capital, Athens, and Corinth, the political and commercial capital with its port of Cenchreae. At Corinth his work proved much more telling, and during his long stay there as guest first of Aquila the Jew, and then of Titus Justus, (September, 51, to February, 53) he wrote his two Epistles to the Thessalonians. The return journey in the spring of 53 was made by sea direct to Caesarea, with but a single call, at Ephesus, where he was to spend two full years on his next missionary journey. His object was to be at Jerusalem for the Paschal Feast, and he spent in the Holy City probably the week March 22-9. April saw him at Antioch again, ready to start in the summer on a St. Paul's tour of four years' duration (53, summer, 3rd to 57, spring), spent principally in "con- journey. firming the churches." The chief fresh ground broken during the eventful two years' stay at Ephesus (December, 53, to March, 56), when the whole province of Asia was more or less evangelised, including the cities of the Lycus Valley, Laodicea, Colossae, and Hierapolis. At this time also the First Epistle to the Corinthians

1 In Acts xvi. 10, immediately after the vision, the use of "we" (1st pers. plur.) begins. Ramsay conjectures that St. Luke is the man of Macedonia."

was written: the Second following in the summer or autumn of 56 from Macedonia, whither the Apostle proceeded by way of Troas. At Corinth itself he seems to have spent the winter of that year, and to have despatched from thence his great Epistle to the Romans. In the spring of 57 he hastens back by sea to Tyre, calling at Miletus for a farewell interview with the Presbyters of Ephesus. From the Palestinian Churches at Ptolemais and Caesarea he received a warm and affectionate welcome, and sped on his way to Jerusalem, arriving in time for Pente

cost.

The story of this last eventful visit to the Holy City has already been sketched elsewhere.1 Its final issue in the appeal to Caesar and consequent voyage to Rome alone concerns us here.

The voyage to Rome, interesting enough from a biographical point of view and as a study for the nautical His voyage expert, throwing fresh and valuable light on to Rome. the versatile capacity of the narrator and of his hero, has little bearing, in its details, on the history of the Church.

It is doubtful whether the "breaking of bread" with thanksgiving refers to an actual celebration of the Eucharist on board ship, though the word eucharistése is employed.2 One cannot fail to notice in the short account of the three months' sojourn in Melita, St. Paul's literal reliance on the Lord's promise of special protection: "They shall take up serpents ..."3 and the employment of his Apostolic powers of healing

1 See above, ch. iv., p. 84, 85.
2 Acts xxvii. 35 (evxaplotnoe).
3 Mark xvi. 18.

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