THE APOSTOLIC 
 LEADERS- ••• 
 
 
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Class3S&A\o 
 Book__»S.kJi 
 
 Copyright^? 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 
 
HISTORICAL NOTES 
 
 ON 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Professor FRANK K. SANDERS, D.D. 
 
 BIBLE STUDY PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 BOSTON 
 
 C c>^„ 
 

 fuBRARY of CONGRESS 
 Two Copies Received 
 
 Ai'P 25 #07 
 
 * Copyright ( Entry H 
 CLASS A XXC..N9. 
 ;©PY B. 
 
 'i 
 
 Copyright, 1907, 
 by 
 Bibk Study Publishing Company. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 These notes were written to accompany the Bible Study 
 Union biographical lessons on the Apostolic Leaders. They 
 were originally published in various weekly papers, and were 
 found so valuable as to warrant their issue in book form for 
 permanent use. 
 
 The notes follow the lessons chapter by chapter, but present 
 an interpretation of the origin and development of the 
 Apostolic Church as seen iit the lives of its principal founders, 
 rather than an account of its details. They trace the progress 
 of the church from its beginnings in Jerusalem after the 
 ascension of Christ through its extension to Samaria, through- 
 out Palestine and into Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome. In 
 doing this they place its principal incidents and the principal 
 apostolic teachings in their proper historical environment, 
 and reveal their larger meaning. This enables the reader 
 to gain a true historical perspective of these exceedingly 
 interesting events, and thus to understand each lesson in the 
 light of its relation to the development of the apostolic 
 church as a whole. The notes also suggest with more or 
 less fulness the practical application of the lesson truths to 
 the life of to-day. 
 
 Considerably more than one half of the entire volume, 
 chapters 14-48 inclusive, is devoted to the life of the great 
 apostle Paul. These chapters present an exceedingly in- 
 teresting and valuable outline of his life and work. Each 
 epistle is introduced in its proper historical connections, 
 and an outline of its principal contents is given. In this 
 way a flood of light is thrown upon the meaning of the 
 epistles, and also upon the general historical development of 
 the church. 
 
 Dr. Sanders' high reputation as a Biblical scholar guar- 
 antees that these notes will be found a great aid toward the 
 correct understanding and best use of the Scripture narrative. 
 
 tn 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 1. The Humble Beginnings of the Apostolic Church . 1 
 
 2. The Training of the Apostolic Band ... 4 
 
 3. The Ideas of the Apostles Clarified ... 8 
 
 4. The Day of Pentecost 11 
 
 5. The First Manifestation of Friendly Power . . 16 
 
 6. The Boldness of Peter and John . . . .20 
 
 7. The Unity and Constancy of the Church . .24 
 
 8. The Martyrdom of Stephen . . . .27 
 
 9. The Successful Evangelism of Philip . . .30 
 
 10. Peter's Vision. Christianity's Forward Step . 35 
 
 11. Peter at the House of Cornelius . . . .39 
 
 12. Peter's Imprisonment, Deliverance and Departure. 43 
 
 13. The Developing Church : A Review . . .47 
 
 14. The Conversion of Saul . , . . .50 
 
 15. The Training of Saul . . . . . .54 
 
 16. Paul's First Missionary Journey . . . .58 
 
 17. Paul and Barnabas in Galatia . . .62 
 
 18. The Council at Jerusalem 66 
 
 19. Paul in Troas and Philippi . . . .70 
 
 20. Paul at Philippi .74 
 
 21. Paul at Thessalonica and Beroea . . .78 
 
 22. Paul's Address at Athens 82 
 
 23. Paul's Long Stay at Corinth . . . .87 
 
 24. Paul's Letters to the Church at Thessalonica . 91 
 
 25. Paul's Letter to the Churches in Galatia . . 95 
 
 26. The Planting of the Gentile Churches in Galatia, 
 
 Macedonia and Greece : A Review . . .99 
 
Introduction 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 27. Paul at Ephesus . . . . .103 
 
 28. The Riot at Ephesus . . .. . . .107 
 
 29 The Primitive Church at School . . . .112 
 
 30. The Supreme Gift 116 
 
 31. The Great Collection 121 
 
 32. Paul's Tender Appeal to the Church at Corinth . 125 
 
 33. Paul's Defense of his Apostolic Authority . .128 
 
 34. Paul's Letter to the Church at Rome . . .132 
 
 35. The Assurance of the Christian Believer . . 136 
 
 36. The Last Journey to Jerusalem .... 140 
 
 37. Paul's Disappointing Visit to Jerusalem . . 144 
 
 38. Paul's Removal to Cassarea .... 148 
 
 39. Paul's Grappling with Paganism and Judaism 
 
 Alike: A Review 152 
 
 40. Paul's Appeal to Caesar . . . . .156 
 
 41. Paul's Defense before Agrippa . . .159 
 
 42. The Voyage to Rome 164 
 
 43. Paul a Prisoner at Rome . . . . .168 
 
 44. Paul's Letter to the Church at Philippi . .172 
 
 45. Paul's Plea to Philemon on Behalf of Onesimus . 176 
 
 46. Paul's Letters to the Churches of Asia . .180 
 
 47. Paul's Missionary Career, as Told by Himself . 184 
 
 48. The Close of Paul's Career 188 
 
 49. The Last Words of Peter on Behalf of the Church. 192 
 
 50. The Apocalyptic Vision of the Triumphant Christ . 196 
 
 51. The Last Messages of the Apostolic Age . .201 
 
 52. The Later Apostolic Age : A Review . . . 205 
 
 W 
 
THE APOSTOLIC LEADERS 
 
 Chapter 1. The Humble Beginnings of the Apostolic 
 Church. Scattered References A* D. 27, 28. 
 
 The earliest Christian assemblies centered around the 
 apostles. Without the wise and fearless leadership of 
 these men they could not have been maintained. Their 
 personal testimony gave reality to the new faith; their 
 self-sacrifice and indomitable persistence gave it 
 strength; their noble personalities lifted it into dignity 
 and impressiveness and independence. It is conse- 
 quently appropriate that the historian of the Christian 
 Church should begin his narrative by tracing the steps 
 by which the several apostles were first brought into con- 
 tinuous personal contact with their beloved Master, to 
 whose friendship, instruction and foresight they attrib- 
 uted every element of greatness ever manifested by 
 them. 
 
 It is interesting to notice that Jesus laid hold of them 
 strongly at the very first. There was something about 
 Him when He came from Nazareth to be baptized which 
 attracted men of earnest mind. It is far easier to recog- 
 nize fine and noble character than to explain the process 
 of recognition. The little group of men who transferred 
 their attention from John the Baptist to Jesus on His 
 return from His sojourn in the wilderness may not have 
 been able to explain the impulse which they obeyed to 
 follow the One whom their master had extolled, but 
 they knew Him at a glance as One of commanding spir- 
 itual presence, a natural Leader of serious men. He 
 quickly revealed Himself that day as all conversed to- 
 gether. Their convictions answered to the testimony of 
 John. They believed Him to be the long-awaited 
 Messiah. 
 
 That afternoon witnessed the real beginning of Chris- 
 tianity. In these ardent yet thoughtful Jewish patriots 
 
2 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 who had rallied to the summons of the prophet of the 
 wilderness, hoping that he would show them what part 
 to take in the work of preparation for the expected 
 Messiah, Jesus found promptly the responsiveness and 
 the quality which gave Him encouragement and confi- 
 dence. No longer did He stand virtually alone. He 
 
 From a photograph. 
 
 The River Jordan, near Jericho. 
 
 The place where Peter and John are supposed to have first met Jesus. 
 
 became the self-reliant, resourceful, energetic, far- 
 sighted Leader of men. 
 
 No less revolutionary a change came over the little 
 group that followed Him from the Jordan to Galilee. 
 Their relations with Him rapidly became more than 
 casual, and although not yet permanent, were yet signifi- 
 cantly close, affording to these simple, strong natures an 
 assurance of greater revelations through their continued 
 fellowship. The note of expectancy at least was struck. 
 
 The leaders of this group did not fail to appear at the 
 very outset. Peter's rugged strength was unmistakable ; 
 John and Andrew were prominent as disciples of the 
 Baptist. It is useless to try to sketch what the Evangel- 
 ists have failed to record in any way. These disciples 
 were for some time with Jesus. Probably He saw them 
 often at Capernaum before they were taken from their 
 daily toil to follow Him. 
 
 One day, however, crowds so pressed upon Him as He 
 walked along the shore of the lake that He stepped into 
 a boat belonging to Peter and from it taught the multi- 
 tude. When the sermon was finished and the throng had 
 
Chapter 1. Beginnings of the Church 3 
 
 dispersed, Jesus directed His familiar friends to try 
 their fortune in the lake. With a protest against the 
 useless labor, they do so and are astonished to find a 
 whole boat load of fish. So evidently was this both a 
 testing and a bid for confidence that Peter, the out- 
 spoken, put into words their feeling of awe and fealty. 
 They recognized the great difference, as well as the gen- 
 uine sympathy, between Him and themselves. But He 
 with gracious and winning tenderness explained the par- 
 abolic meaning of His action. With His help they were 
 to enter promptly into a higher sphere of activity. They 
 had been catchers of fish; they should become skilful 
 fishers for men. 
 
 This was a new and larger definition of the purpose of 
 life. The Jew was not a natural evangelist, except as he 
 sought to raise his fellow-countrymen to a sense of their 
 manifest duty and opportunity. But Jesus from the 
 outset took the ground that repentance, forgiveness and 
 renewed life were terms which applied in full force to 
 His contemporaries in Judea as well as elsewhere. The 
 great purpose of His followers would be to co-operate 
 with Him in the forming of character and the training 
 of personality. 
 
 The quick and unreserved response of these men to the 
 call of Jesus shows that they had long since contemplated 
 the possibility of such a summons, and had made up their 
 minds regarding Him. The words of the Gospels can 
 hardly lead to any other conclusion. They had been 
 prepared in some way for self-surrender and for the 
 cheerful exchange of the old set of duties for the new. 
 It was a momentous change. Henceforth their life was 
 lived for the kingdom. The church had truly begun. 
 
 The invitation of Jesus is no less for us than it was 
 for them. These earliest members of the Christian, 
 church to be represented distinct types of personality. 
 Peter, Andrew and John stood for three sorts of temper- 
 ament. It is well that they did. They represented 
 more strength and resourcefulness and perseverance 
 than three Peters or three Johns could have assured. 
 
4 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 The strength of the church of Christ continues to lie in 
 the fact that it welcomes and uses every sort of value. 
 We can trace an unbroken chain of development from 
 the twentieth century back to that first day on the banks 
 of the Jordan. Several men merely followed their con- 
 victions and yielded to the influence of the noblest per- 
 sonality they had yet known. It could not have seemed 
 of far-reaching importance to them, but the whole history 
 of Christianity began in their spontaneous loyalty to 
 Jesus. Its continued progress is equally dependent on 
 the fidelity of each Christian to such opportunities. 
 
 Chapter 2. The Training of the Apostolic Band. Scat- 
 tered References. A. D. 28=30. 
 
 The varied influences which helped to mould the 
 Twelve into far-seeing, courageous, persistent men of 
 settled convictions and sacrificial spirit, true representa- 
 tives of Jesus, are in a measure suggested by the nar- 
 rative of each Gospel regarding their call to permanent 
 service. Jesus had been quietly testing the band of fol- 
 lowers who had gathered around Him, and had settled 
 in His own mind whom He would summon. The Gospel 
 of Mark in relating the call lays emphasis upon the need 
 of companionship and service, "that they might be with 
 Him and that He might send them forth to preach." 
 The two belong together. Their intimacy with Him gave 
 them that strong sense of hopefulness which enabled 
 them to spread abroad His message with enthusiasm and 
 conviction. 
 
 The first Gospel lavs stress upon the need of a sei stance 
 in widespread evangelism. Jesus (Mt. 9:35 ft\) had 
 been making an extensive journeving throughout Gali- 
 lee, teaching, preachingr and healinsr. He had met mul- 
 titudes everywhere in bitter need, for whom the national 
 
Chapter 2. Training of the Apostles 5 
 
 leaders seemed to have no care, "sheep not having a 
 shepherd." He longed to give them the helpful message 
 of divine love and human friendliness, and seemed to call 
 the Twelve around Him that this might be quickly and 
 widely achieved. No doubt that at this early day the 
 Twelve began to realize the opportunities and the possi- 
 
 From <ti 
 
 View on the Sea of Galilee. 
 
 bilities of such work. They gained that sympathy fo* 
 men and women in spiritual darkness that heartened 
 them for steady serviceableness. 
 
 Luke says little about the motive of the call, but he 
 emphasizes its importance. Before Jesus made His mo- 
 mentous choice He spent the whole night in prayer for 
 God's guidance. He realized the significance of this 
 appointment and the greatness of the service to be 
 exacted. The apostles were to become transformed into 
 His likeness, guided by His ideals, fitted to continue His 
 work of soul building. 
 
 We thus are impressed with the varied and important 
 outlook before these twelve men. Had they realized at 
 the time what a response to His invitation meant, some 
 of them might have been hesitant. His personality 
 charmed them ; His program attracted them and roused 
 their enthusiasm ; His devotedness kindled their spirit 
 of sacrifice. They responded unreservedly. 
 
 There is a long road to be traversed before a disciple 
 becomes a genuine apostle. The apostle is a leader; 
 the disciple a follower. The apostle assumes responsi- 
 
6 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 bility and marks out new lines of progress; the disciple 
 is faithful to the work made clear to him. The apostle 
 embodies Christlikeness ; the disciple seeks it. The 
 Twelve were not at once prepared to assume the responsi- 
 bilities germane to their position. They had first of all 
 to come to know Him as more than a gracious and 
 beloved Teacher, to have absolute confidence in Him as 
 the Messiah who was to redeem Israel. It would seem 
 that they acquired this partly by association, in part by 
 contrasting Him with the leaders of Judaism and again 
 by His own words, so wise, significant and satisfying. 
 They then needed to grasp the real meaning of Messiah- 
 ship, so different from their inherited conception. Along 
 with it they needed to understand discipleship, particu- 
 larly divorcing it from any other meaning than humble 
 serviceableness. A year of activity and a year of in- 
 struction barely sufficed for these impressions. 
 
 Above all other schooling in value was the continuous 
 fellowship with Jesus. He was the embodiment and 
 illustration of all that He taught. In the light of His 
 presence all perplexities were made plain, all unworthi- 
 ness revealed, all noble impulses glorified. By contact 
 with His unfailing goodness and gentleness and great- 
 ness they became friends of all the world, helpers of 
 every type of need, men of spiritual vision, of unflag- 
 ging enthusiasm, of unquenchable confidence. 
 
 Peter and John by nature excelled the rest. Peter 
 would have been a leader in any a^e or place. His 
 strong, rugged character, his fiery enthusiasm and his 
 deep sincerity made him one whom men would love and 
 follow. He readilv assumed responsibility and brought 
 things to pass. The Gospels depict Peter as a man of 
 vast possibilities of development, needing? a broadening 
 of vision, a steadying of purpose, a development of un- 
 faltering confidence in his Master and a shaking of 
 confidence in himself. He needed the severest sort of 
 discipline in order that he might become the srreat 
 leader of the primitive church. His greatest weakness 
 was his self-confidence. When he had substituted for it 
 
Chapter 2. Training of the Apostles 7 
 
 an absolute and irreversible confidence in God, he became 
 the natural leader of the apostolic band. Peter's experi- 
 ence of discipline was keen and sweetening. He had an 
 unselfish spirit and a noble personality. The love of 
 Jesus filled his soul and made his transformation sure. 
 
 John, the much-loved companion, with whom Jesus 
 had much in common, was a vastly different but equally 
 noble man. He made fewer mistakes than Peter because 
 he was naturally more thoughtful. They found 
 mutual helpfulness in each other, and were inseparable. 
 John clung close to the Master. Capable of being a 
 "son of thunder," as he not infrequently showed, yet he 
 ripened in the close companionship of Jesus into a 
 beautiful, well-balanced, impressive personality, keen of 
 spiritual insight, brave in time3 of peril, strong in con- 
 viction of the truth, yet gentle and persuasive in its dec- 
 laration. We can readily infer the general effect of a 
 long-continued intimacy with Jesus upon his contempla- 
 tive mind. He had become the bosom friend of the 
 noblest and most perfect person that ever lived, enjoying 
 His confidence, entering into His inner life. It elimi- 
 nated almost unconsciously those convictions and ideals 
 which were not in accord with those of his Master. 
 
 It is instructive to note that a group as diverse as the 
 apostles could really get together for great ends. Each 
 maintained his individuality yet each became Christlike. 
 Through loyalty to Him their diversity of temperament 
 and of gifts became available toward the achievement of 
 a common purpose. There is a continuous value in 
 individuality, provided it be consecrated, unselfish, and 
 co-operative. The more of such men to-day the better. 
 We may become one in general purpose, in service, and 
 in sympathy without doing identical things. 
 
 One great quality of these men was their responsive- 
 ness to influences. Their experiences trained them into 
 Christlikeness because they were living at their highest 
 level and in their largest way. All life experiences may 
 be made as fruitful for those of us who deliberately do 
 our best to follow His lead. 
 
8 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 3.— The Ideas of the Apostles Clarified. Scat- 
 tered References. A. D. 30. 
 
 Of all the periods during which the apostles were in 
 living contact with Jesus the most important was that 
 which connected the Last Supper with the ascension. 
 Not until then did Jesus have completely intelligent and 
 sympathetic hearers. His death and resurrection made 
 significant much instruction that otherwise would have 
 fallen on unheeding ears. For the first time the Twelve 
 were enabled to take an unprejudiced survey of the past 
 and future and to receive in all its fullness the teaching 
 of the Master. 
 
 The evening of sacred fellowship in the upper room 
 did much to prepare them for this later comprehension 
 of the truth. There around the table in familiar inter- 
 course Jesus unveiled His soul. Telling them explicitly 
 that there were many things yet in His mind for them 
 of which He could not speak at the time, since they were 
 not prepared to understand, He talked of the separation 
 that would soon take place, of the close and permanent 
 union which it would make possible, of the continuing 
 sense of His abiding presence filling them with confi- 
 dence and power, of the peacefulness of spirit which 
 should be the normal expression of their sense of fellow- 
 ship, of the conquests they would make in their own 
 hearts and in the world through the power of prayer, of 
 their realization of the presence of a Helper at all times 
 of need, and of His work in educating them to a knowl- 
 edge of the truth, and in supplementing and sustain- 
 ing their faith. He dwelt upon the love He had mani- 
 fested for them and had received from them, and 
 urged its continuance as the secret of enduring, sacri- 
 ficial service in the years to come. Such friendship 
 needed not to cease;' it was rather destined to abide 
 and deepen and become more fruitful. He and they 
 were as truly one as the vine and the branches. He 
 was their beloved Master, but a deeper bond of associa- 
 tion had developed. They were His real friends, worthy 
 of sacred confidences, to whom truth would not be 
 
Chapter & Apostolic Ideas Clarified 2 
 
 doled out as to dependents, but revealed as to sympa- 
 thizing supporters and coadjutors. This unreserved, 
 uncalculating friendliness they must make a part of 
 their own personality, manifesting it to one another, as 
 they held Him in affectionate and loyal remembrance. 
 
 Not only were they thus to reproduce His personality 
 as they continued to move about among men. They 
 were to await the Holy Spirit, the Helper, who would 
 enter genuinely into their experience to direct, to influ- 
 
 5 ". »' ffifWtli 
 
 •• -^t !■■■■ ". 
 
 ' '. ■'•;■■■'■ ■:■/' '.■ ■ ■,/■ ■ ^ . ;"-:''■'■ 
 
 1h~ 
 
 
 
 •■' ,',;' , '.''■' ■■!:.■■■■■ i ' ': — ' '— ' ' '' ' ' "' 
 
 From a photograph. 
 
 So-called House of the High Priest, Caiaphas. 
 
 ence, to enlighten. Thus they would be far from help- 
 less, when He, their Friend, had apparently disappeared. 
 A heavy responsibility would rest upon them, but along 
 with it would be provided the assistance which would 
 make their lives fruitful. 
 
 The disciples could hardly have realized the full 
 significance of these declarations, yet they made a deep 
 impression. 
 
 The experiences which followed in quick succession 
 were salutary. Every one forsook Him that night when 
 He was seized by the soldiers. There was not one who 
 could say that he had not flinched in the time of trial. 
 John and Peter recovered quickly from their panic and 
 followed the procession to the palace where the high 
 priest dwelt. Possiblv neither of them dreamed that 
 there could be a fatal ending to this disagreeable epi- 
 sode. As they remained near their beloved Master and 
 the bitterness of spirit manifested by the rulers devel- 
 
10 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 oped and the danger not alone to Him but to all who 
 were identified with Him became clearer, the testing 
 time came for them. So far as evidence goes John 
 played the part consistently of a brave man. There 
 was nothing that he could do to actually aid his Mas- 
 ter. He could only presume upon his acquaintance 
 with those at the palace to enable him and his friend to 
 enter with the rest of the throng and then give Him the 
 support of his presence and sympathy. Even so much 
 called for courage and determination. John may have 
 been accosted very much in the same way as Peter, but 
 without causing him to swerve from his purpose. 
 
 Peter in the crowd without in the court, hardly 
 knowing in the excitement of the moment what he did, 
 thrice denied that he was one of the followers of Jesus. 
 At the third denial His Master turned and looked upon 
 him with a tender, penetrating, sorrowful glance that 
 brought the prediction of a few hours before to Peter's 
 remembrance, as well as his indignant denial. Heart- 
 broken he rushed away to grieve over his disloyalty to 
 the One he tenderly and loyally loved. That experi- 
 ence was the making of Peter the apostle. It forever 
 convinced him of his weakness when dependent upon 
 himself and sent him in humility to his knees. 
 
 The spectacle of the cross made a deep impression 
 upon the disciple's. Not its cruelty, not the suffering, 
 not the hideous mockery of this cruel execution of the 
 best man that they had ever known, impressive as were 
 these phases of the tragedy, influenced them so much 
 as the commanding fortitude, the unforgettable dignity, 
 the resolute self-sacrifice, the glorious heavenly-minded- 
 ness exhibited by Jesus upon the cross. A last unef- 
 faceable impression of what truly God-like character 
 was, He made that day upon their souls. 
 
 The resurrection morning was for them the beginning 
 of a new life, one which had no ending, whose signifi- 
 cance had no bounds. Their Master was back among 
 them; they were assured of His identity; yet He was 
 not the same. He spoke as their Lord with a note of 
 
Chapter 4. The Day of Pentecost, 11 
 
 authority and finality not sounded before. He tenderly 
 forgave their sudden abandonment and knit them to 
 Him by more enduring bonds. He explained to them 
 more fully the work they were to do, and made clear 
 the visions of the past in regard to Himself. 
 
 Our Lord is being placed on trial constantly to-day. 
 Must we, in order to become His reliably loyal disciples 
 undergo the experience of a Peter ? While it was worth 
 all it cost to have such a man emerge as leader, yet his 
 fall was due to his blind self-confidence and was wholly 
 unnecessary. The royal road to high service for Christ 
 is not by way of sin and recovery, but by constant and 
 earnest holy living. 
 
 When the disciples fully yielded themselves to their 
 Lord, He made a sudden and surprising transformation 
 in them. With such complete obedience His work will 
 always be achieved, 
 
 Chapter 4. The Day of Pentecost. 
 
 Acts 1 : 12—2 : 42. A. D. 30. 
 
 Luke commences his notable history of the rise and 
 progress of the Christian Church by relating in terse but 
 telling fashion the story of the period which followed 
 the resurrection and of the last day spent together by 
 the Lord and His disciples. He implies that it was a 
 busy interval, a time of apostolic instruction, of teach- 
 ing which so definitely centered upon the kingdom that 
 was to be that the eager disciples longed to be given 
 more definite information regarding its realization. 
 Jesus gently rebuked their eagerness as inappropriate 
 and declared such tidings to be unimportant. Their 
 work was clearly defined by Him. It was to be a bearing 
 of witness to their fellow men of all that they had been 
 privileged to know and see and comprehend. For this 
 
12 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 service He and they knew that they would need re- 
 sourcefulness in abundance. This He told them they 
 would realize, gaining a great access of power, wisdom 
 and self-confidence, when the Holy Spirit was given to 
 them. Until it was given they should not leave Jeru- 
 salem. Already they had given evidence of earnest 
 discipleship ; they had expressed their consecration in 
 the rite of baptism ; they were now to wait for the bap- 
 tism by the Holy Spirit, which would endue them with 
 heavenly power for the adequate performance of the 
 vast responsibilities about to be laid upon them. After 
 its manifestation they were to go forth fearlessly to 
 disciple all nations, remembering that their Lord, the 
 source of all authority in heaven and on earth, would be 
 with them until the consummation of their hopes. 
 
 It was a stirring program. We may well picture the 
 eagerness and absorption with which the little circle, af- 
 ter their return to the seclusion of the upper chamber in 
 
 the sacred city gave them- 
 selves by way of prepara- 
 tion to unceasing prayei 
 and consideration of the 
 program they should fol- 
 low. One item in the work 
 of careful preparation was 
 the choice of an apostle to 
 take the place made va- 
 cant by the defection of 
 Judas. They were im- 
 pelled to this action by 
 a desire to maintain the 
 representative number of 
 their circle as well as by 
 the urgent need of the 
 full number of acknowl- 
 edged leaders. That witness-bearing was the func- 
 tion they had prominently in mind is suggested 
 by the "requirements formulated by Peter which 
 
 The Upper Chamber. 
 
 The traditional place of the Last Sapper, 
 and of the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost 
 (see cut on page 14). 
 
Chapter 4. The Day of Pentecost. 13 
 
 had to be met. How many of the larger company 
 were eligible is not mentioned. So thoroughly do the 
 Gospels center attention upon the Twelve that one is 
 apt to suppose that no greater number attended Jesus 
 closely. At least a few others, however, had partici- 
 pated in the experiences of discipleship from the very 
 beginning. Matthias was quite as well able as the 
 Eleven to give his testimony concerning the unique 
 personality and life of Jesus. 
 
 We have no evidence that the Twelve were unwilling 
 to recognize the leadership of others than themselves. 
 James the Lord's brother, Barnabas, and Saul of Tar- 
 sus were eminent examples of the pre-eminence which 
 goes by heritage and by natural fitness. They were 
 made welcome and given the honor which was their due. 
 
 The Book of Acts, like other historical portions of the 
 Bible, seems to follow a personal clue. It is the story 
 of the triumphs of the Gospel as preached by Peter and 
 John and by Paul. It may be analyzed geographically 
 as the story of the widening influence of the early 
 Christian Church from Jerusalem to Samaria, to 
 Caesarea, to Antioch, to Asia Minor, to Macedonia, to 
 Greece, and finally to distant Kome herself. Probably 
 that analysis is most satisfactory which makes the aim 
 of Luke the telling of Paul's share in making Christ 
 known to the world. To the author of the book, with his 
 broad sympathies, the most glorious fact regarding 
 Christianity was its extension beyond the walls of 
 Jerusalem or the borders of Palestine, and its welcome to 
 every human being without distinction of race. For this 
 broadening it was chiefly indebted to Paul. With great 
 skill Luke marshalled his facts, portraying first the 
 establishment of the church at Jerusalem, its success, the 
 boldness of its leaders and the consequent persecution; 
 then, indicating the fourfold outcome of this persecu- 
 tion, the conversion of Saul, the scattering of believers, 
 who became self-appointed evangelists, far and wide, the 
 founding of a church at Antioch, and the enlightening of 
 Peter; then following with faithfulness the history of 
 
14 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 the evangelization for which Saul was commissioned by 
 the Antioch church. Until Saul accepted this commis- 
 sion, Peter, John and James were the three acknowl- 
 edged leaders of the Church ; within two years the young 
 evangelist had won an ungrudging admittance of his 
 unquestionable mission to the cultured Greeks of Asia 
 and Europe. Within five years he had become the fore- 
 most figure in the Church, alike beloved and hated as few 
 others could be. 
 
 The starting-point of this thrilling story of the his- 
 tory of Christianity was the outpouring of the Spirit 
 on the day of Pentecost. Expectant as the disciples 
 
 Tomb of David. 
 
 The room shown as the cenaculum or " upper chamber " is in this 
 building at the point marked X (see cut on page 12). 
 
 were, their forecasts were vague. It is not likely that 
 they realized how great a task lay before them. They 
 had no idea of abandoning Judaism, but cherished the 
 hope of making every Jew a believer in Jesus as the 
 promised Messiah. To them on the day of pentecost 
 came a signal and unmistakable token of a divine com- 
 mission. It gave them a sense of power akin to that 
 felt by their Master after His baptismal vision. The 
 form of expression which this experience took was sur- 
 prising alike to them and to those who saw them on that 
 
Chapter 4- The Day of Pentecost lo 
 
 day. No one can satisfactorily explain the "speaking 
 with other tongues." No one, however, can possibly 
 deny that on that "great and notable" day a new factor 
 was introduced into the religious life of the followers of 
 Jesus. The gift they received was one of which the 
 "speaking" was but a symptom. 
 
 Peter's splendid address, of which the words quoted 
 in the second chapter of Acts are only an abstract, re- 
 veals his power of leadership. Explaining the phe- 
 nomena of the day as a fulfilment of familiar prophetic 
 expectation, he declared that Jesus of Nazareth, whose 
 character they had known, had been raised from the dead 
 after His crucifixion, as the Psalmist had declared would 
 be the case, and as His disciples were prepared to testify. 
 This Jesus by the gift of the Holy Spirit was now 
 revealed as the divine Messiah. 
 
 The day of Pentecost was not the date when the Spirit 
 of God was first manifested to the world. Yet on that 
 day the era of the Holy Spirit may be said to have 
 begun. Jesus had said that He must depart in order 
 that the Helper should come to His disciples to aid them 
 in dealing with a world of moral beings. Since Pente- 
 cost His disciples have been able to definitely realize the 
 presence and help of the Spirit of God and to expect it as 
 a factor in their every-day lives. 
 
 The most glorious aspect of this era of the Spirit is 
 its universality. The history of the Church quickly 
 gave evidence that any one could receive spiritual 
 blessings. 
 
16 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 5. The First rianifestatlon of Friendly Power, 
 Acts ch, 3. About A. D. 31 . 
 
 The effect produced upon those who listened to the 
 impassioned yet powerful appeal of Peter on the day 
 of Pentecost was truly remarkable. We need not explain 
 their yielding to his exhortation as a miracle. To a cer- 
 tain extent many of them may have been prepared for 
 just such a crisis. They had known of Jesus ; they had 
 witnessed the loving-kindness and the truth of His life 
 among men ; their sober thought was in His favor. When 
 the apostle, Spirit-filled like his Master, drove home to 
 their consciousness the significance of His life and death 
 and resurrection, they were immediately convinced that 
 he spoke words of soberness and truth, and responded to 
 his appeal for repentance and baptism. The number 
 of those who were thus responsive was very great. 
 
 They formed a marked body, distinguished as enthusi- 
 astic disciples, filled with the spirit of fellowship, hold- 
 ing regularly a service which commemorated their Lord, 
 and engaging constantly in prayer. They were faithful 
 to the routine of Judaism, too, and seemed to be held in 
 favor by all classes. The rulers did not fear them and 
 had no desire to give them trouble. The Judaism of that 
 day was very tolerant of the personal opinions of those 
 who outwardly respected the usages and rules of the Jew- 
 ish religion. There were in Jerusalem numerous syna- 
 gogues maintained by men who had some specific article 
 of faith or peculiarity of birth which led them to wish to 
 assemble together (Acts 6:9). The early Church 
 may have been regarded as forming only one more of 
 these permissible gatherings. Its oneness of spirit, its 
 fraternalism, its splendid generosity, its devotedness in 
 all matters of religious activity, the happiness which 
 characterized its members and the lofty character of 
 their ideals gave it favor among those whose judgment 
 was of value, and were potent to attract a steady addition 
 of members. 
 
 How long this idyllic state continued we have no 
 means of determining. Some time may have passed 
 
Chapter o. Apostolic Power Manifested 17 
 
 before the incident occurred which embroiled them with 
 the authorities. We may well suppose that the instruc- 
 tion of the large addition to their number would for a 
 long period have taxed the energies of the apostles and 
 their immediate circle of matured believers. Such won- 
 derful experiences as came to them might have been 
 confined to the circle of sympathizers, and occasioned 
 no remark or objection. 
 
 One day, however, the two leaders of the church, 
 Peter and John, were about to enter the temple to join 
 with the great throng of worshipers in the afternoon 
 service of prayer and sacrifice. Like many other devout 
 Jews, they loved to witness the beautiful symbolism of 
 this uplifting service, and to give both silent and open 
 expression to the thoughts of reverence, praise and grat- 
 itude which filled their hearts. The great majority of 
 the Christians were probably present at that time. 
 
 The two apostles were passing from the great outer 
 court of the temple through the magnificent entrance 
 which was fittingly termed the "Beautiful Gate" into 
 the inner courts, when a 
 poor cripple of middle 
 age, placed daily on the 
 steps of the ascent that 
 he might solicit alms 
 from those who were 
 benevolent, besought them 
 to help him. Something 
 about the man or in his 
 eager gaze aroused the 
 responding sympathy of 
 Peter. To be thus solic- 
 ited was surely no nov- 
 elty, since it had long 
 been customary for beg- 
 gars to make this en- 
 trance their place of re- 
 sort. The beggar may 
 at a time when 
 
 The Beautiful Gate, Restored. 
 
 have made his appeal 
 Peter was prepared to deal more 
 
18 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 aggressively with the people at large than before, or he 
 may have shown an expectancy which was based on the 
 habit of goodness on the part of these apostles. At all 
 events Peter took a quick resolution. Looking at the 
 cripple with a piercing gaze which conveyed decision and 
 encouragement, he bade him give attention, promised 
 him healing in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, 
 and lifted him to his feet. To the cripple's unbounded 
 wonder and delight, he could both stand alone and walk. 
 Accompanying the apostles he attended the solemn 
 service in the manner of other men for the first time in 
 his life. Like an Oriental, he could not refrain from 
 extravagant demonstrations of joy. Being so well 
 known to all who were wont to enter the temple, he was 
 readily identified as the long-time cripple, and his 
 evident healing made a profound impression upon all the 
 people. 
 
 The service over, he would not let his new-found 
 friends escape. The throng, desiring to have the mar- 
 vel explained, gathered, as usual, in the portico known as 
 Solomon's, which extended along the inner side of the 
 eastern wall of the temple area, the popular forum in 
 Jerusalem. Here Peter addressed them at length in a 
 discourse of which we have an abstract in Acts 3 : 12-26. 
 Denying that he or his companion were able to achieve 
 this 'work of healing, he declared that the God of their 
 fathers through the power of Jesus, the Holy and 
 Righteous One, wickedly crucified by the people, but 
 raised from the dead and glorified, had wrought the 
 cure. Since they acted fenorantly, and inasmuch as 
 this experience was needful for Him who was to become 
 the Saviour of men, they could by repentance and obedi- 
 ence obtain full forgiveness and hasten the Messiah's 
 reappearance. Jesus had been that Prophet who was to 
 instruct the people. Fatal indeed would be the ignor- 
 ing of His words. As men of Israel and heirs of the 
 promise given to Abraham, it was fitting that they 
 should be foremost to accept God's Messenger, the long- 
 expected Messiah, and to give Him obedience. 
 
Chapter 5. Apostolic Power Manifested 29 
 
 These were bold words and of great significance. 
 They affirmed in unequivocal terms the Messiahship of 
 Jesus of Nazareth and his continuing Lordship, as 
 proven by His resurrection from the dead. To give them 
 utterance called for great courage and clear-headedness. 
 Nothing could give stronger testimony to the change 
 which had been already wrought in Peter. 
 
 How interesting an illustration this narrative affords 
 of the value of the co-operation of good people ! Taken 
 singly they have small chance to forward the ideals which 
 they approve. United they command any situation and 
 may uphold their principles with success. The unity of 
 the early Church was one secret of its power. 
 
 The other cause of its aggressive power was its loy- 
 alty to Christ. He seemed very real and near to every 
 Christian, therefore they had confidence and courage. 
 The nearer the Church of any age can keep to Him, the 
 more assured its power. 
 
%0 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 6. The Boldness of Peter aod Johe. Acta 4 ; 1» 
 31. A. D, 3!. 
 
 The bold and definite words of Peter, who did not 
 hesitate to denounce the people to their face as mur- 
 derers of Jesus, came to the ears of those in control of 
 the temple. Perhaps they would have overlooked his 
 iitterances with that tolerance born of entire confi- 
 dence in their own strength which was characteristic of 
 the official Jew in dealing with his excitable countrymen, 
 but he had definitely declared that Jesus had risen from 
 the dead. That this abhorred belief should be spread 
 abroad from their own precincts was too much for the 
 Sadducean priests. They sent the temple officer and his 
 soldiers to arrest the bold speakers and place them in 
 detention for the morrow. It was too late to spoil the 
 effect of Peter's stirring address. Many more enrolled 
 themselves among the number of acknowledged 
 believers. 
 
 We can only conjecture the feelings of the two im- 
 prisoned men that night, liable to cruel punishment on 
 the following morning. To be under the ban of the 
 haughty hierarchy was no trifling matter. It might 
 mean continued confinement or severe scourging or any 
 other discipline winch these arrogant rulers might 
 devise. Yet we may be sure that their courage was 
 undaunted and their purpose unchanged. Heretofore 
 their work had gone on unchallenged by the authorities. 
 Now they were certain of an examination, perhaps of 
 a condemnation. From Peter's words we can infer that 
 their thoughts were not so much on such consequences 
 as on the notable opportunity of witnessing which they 
 would have in the presence of the Sanhedrin. 
 
 Two men brought up as they had been might well 
 stand in awe of the council and dread its displeasure. 
 From infancy they had been trained to regard it as the 
 arbiter of Israel's acts and to honor its members as 
 worthy of supreme reverence. But their companion- 
 ship with Jesus had been an additional training in the 
 art of judging men. He had been so unmoved by mere 
 
Chapter 6. The Boldness of Peter and John 21 
 
 display, so ready to make a stand against unrighteous- 
 ness, even when veiled in dignity or protected by usage, 
 so straightforward in estimating every man of what- 
 ever degree on the basis of his actual merit or useful- 
 ness, that other considerations ceased to have power to 
 blind His disciples to the real truth. They were able 
 to face men as men, frankly and fearlessly, because in 
 addition to this candor and keenness of judgment they 
 possessed a supreme confidence in the protection of God 
 and the leadership of the risen Christ. The assurance 
 of faith was never more clear and strong than to these 
 prisoners awaiting trial. 
 
 The tribunal before which they came was indeed an 
 august and imposing one. Composed of men of dig- 
 nity and repute, ac- 
 customed to a 
 proud self-valua- 
 tion, it would be in 
 no mood to brook 
 resistance. It in- 
 cluded the men of 
 greatest fame and 
 widest influence in 
 the nation. It had 
 supreme jurisdic- 
 tion over civil and 
 religious questions 
 in Judea. No doubt 
 i t contemplated 
 little trouble in dealing with these men who had given 
 rise to such a disturbance. 
 
 But it was dealing with men who were far from ordi- 
 nary. The skill exhibited by Peter in meeting the situa- 
 tion was a great surprise to them. The apostle laid stress 
 upon the undisputed benefit which had been rendered to 
 the man so long known as a cripple, and forced the 
 Sanhedrin to recognize it as such. He did not hesitate, 
 moreover, to declare with boldness that the cure was due 
 to the power of Jesus of Nazareth, despised and cruci- 
 
 Copyrtght, 1896, by J. J. Tissot. 
 
 Annas and Caiaphas. 
 
22 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 fied by them, but raised from the dead by God and 
 given pre-eminence as the expected Messiah, through 
 whom, and through whom only, would there be sal- 
 vation. 
 
 These were strange words for the ears of the haughty 
 rulers. Regarding Peter and John attentively, they 
 saw that these were men who made no pretence of being 
 trained scholars, yet were men of power and skill and 
 insight. Only their intimacy with Jesus explained the 
 wonder, but it was adequate. The authorities felt 
 themselves blocked in their intention of punishment by 
 the embarrassing fact that the former cripple was now 
 a well man. To penalize such a meritorious deliver- 
 ance was to arouse against themselves all right think- 
 ing men. So they chose to try that last refuge of baffled 
 tyrants, — bluster and browbeating. They strictly for- 
 bade the apostles to speak or to teach in the name of 
 Jesus, claiming that He was still a factor in the lives 
 of men. 
 
 Had the two men gone forth silently, accepting their 
 discharge and rejoicing in their freedom, no one would 
 have had a word of blame for them. But they took a 
 braver course in firmly declaring that they must con- 
 tinue to bear testimony concerning the momentous facts 
 of which they were eye-witnesses. At all hazards they 
 would clearly and honorably maintain this right. We 
 cannot suppose that this straightforward declaration 
 was satisfactory to the members of the Sanhedrin, but 
 they did not dare to oppose the mood of the people 
 which was highly favorable toward the men who had 
 done so notable a deed. 
 
 Freed from all restraint, Peter and John joined the 
 company of believers at their usual rendezvous and 
 reported all that had taken place. The renewed courage 
 and increased enthusiasm of all were voiced in a prayer 
 which is a model of pointedness and appeal. It 
 ascribed to God all power as the Creator and Preserver 
 of the universe, quoted the second Psalm as being ex- 
 pressive of the conditions prevailing at Jerusalem under 
 
Chapter 6. The Boldness of Peter and John 23 
 
 the rule of Herod and Pilate and the Sanhedrin, and 
 appealed for a new enduement of strength and courage 
 to witness, and for a continuance of the gracious man- 
 ifestation of healing power. It forgot all but the 
 opportunity and plead for success in meeting it. No 
 wonder that the petition was answered by a new sense 
 of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 This experience of Peter and John may not have been 
 the only one of its kind, but it was probably the most 
 representative one. It was important both because of 
 the confidence which the disciples gained in themselves 
 and in that for which they stood, and because the San- 
 hedrin discovered that the "superstition" regarding 
 Jesus had by no means lost its hold. It gave the new 
 movement a prominence it had not sought, but which 
 was not wholly unprofitable. 
 
 What changed these people so completely was their 
 developing confidence in God. This transformed a 
 halting Peter into a calmly courageous one, a timid 
 gathering into one which prayed for courage to keep 
 on witnessing. Such reliance is the secret of all true 
 progress and of all serene firmness. 
 
 That the two apostles had "been with Jesus" readily 
 balanced all disqualifications for dealing with the San- 
 hedrin. To imitate His spirit, to adopt His ideals, and 
 to view life from His standpoint fits one for any 
 experience, 
 
24 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 7. The Unity and Constancy ©f the Church, 
 Acts 4 s 32—5 s 42. Between A. D. 32 and 34. 
 
 The fortunate outcome of the encounter with the 
 Sanhedrin gave a real impulse to the life of the little 
 community of believers. More than ever they exhibited 
 a unity of spirit which was truly remarkable. Their 
 feeling of brotherhood was so keen that each one who 
 had means treated his possessions as if they belonged to 
 all. Many went so far as to dispose of their lands or 
 houses and to bring the price secured for these as an 
 offering to God to be distributed freely by the apostles 
 to all who had need. 
 
 While the church was but a congregation or a com- 
 munity in which the apostles were the recognized lead- 
 ers and the circumstances of each member were well 
 known, this kind of self-sacrifice and enthusiasm was 
 not without its advantages. It served to knit the whole 
 body of believers together. Moreover, it enabled the 
 poorer members of the brotherhood to receive aid 
 without putting them under personal obligation. Yet 
 the apostles must have chiefly valued it as the manifes- 
 tation of a splendid Christlike generosity and brotherli- 
 ness, befitting those who professed to be following close 
 after Jesus. 
 
 A notable instance of the exhibition of this grace 
 of brotherly generosity in its finest form was that 
 of Barnabas, a native of Cyprus, a natural leader of 
 men, a man of fine qualities and noble personality. He 
 felt deeply the prevailing tone of sentiment and with 
 genuine consecration brought to the apostles the pro- 
 ceeds of the sale of a portion of his property. 
 
 The commendation, naturally and unhesitatingly 
 given to Barnabas and to others for their thoughtful 
 and yet royal generosity, aroused the envy of others of 
 less thorough consecration, who coveted the honor and 
 the recognition given these without being willing to 
 make the sacrifice they entailed. A man named Ananias 
 and his wife Sapphira determined to sell some property 
 
Chapter 7. Unity and Constancy of the Church 25 
 
 and pretend to bring to the apostles the whole of the 
 proceeds, secretly retaining a portion themselves. They 
 thought thereby to cheat the apostles and the com- 
 munity, but they were really trying to deceive God. No 
 doubt the manifestation of the presence of the Holy 
 Spirit had been particularly marked in the case of those 
 who had shown this Christlike virtue. Moreover the 
 apostles had received the money not merely on behalf 
 of the brethren but in the name of the risen Christ. 
 The suddenness and severity of the punishment of the 
 guilty couple not only revealed the determination to 
 enforce the sanctity of the relations between God and 
 the church but the peculiar meanness of their Bin. It 
 was a warning that liars and hypocrites had no place in 
 the new community. 
 
 The result of this judgment was a strong impulse to 
 the church. Men and women of the right sort were 
 continually being added to it, until its strength was 
 apparent to all observers. 
 
 The Sanhedrin had gradually become infuriated by 
 this rapid development of the new community. They 
 could not readily find occasion for dealing drastically 
 with it, since each member was a devout Jew, faithful 
 to all his obligations and perhaps unusually faithful to 
 the duties of public worship for one of his station in life. 
 Not until the name of Jesus was being heralded 
 throughout the city and country did the council try to 
 force an issue with the apostolic leaders. 
 
 At the meeting of the council, made more momen- 
 tous and perplexing by the strange deliverance from 
 prison of those who had been shut in the day before, and 
 by the steadfast refusal of any of the leaders to obey 
 the strict commands of the council, the high priest made 
 a threefold charge that they had been disobedient to the 
 Sanhedrin, had been active in propagating what they 
 had been ordered to cease from teaching, and were seek- 
 ing to make the populace believe that the members of 
 the council were responsible for the death of Jesus. 
 
 In reply Peter simply stated that he and his fellows 
 
26 TM Apostolic Leaders 
 
 mufet follow their consciences. They could not desist 
 from a work to which they believed that God had called 
 them at the mere command of men, however venerable 
 and worthy. This was a principle which no Jew would 
 dispute. God's will, once clearly made known, was at 
 all costs to be obeyed. 
 
 But Peter went on to justify the assumption of the 
 disciples that they were truly grasping and following 
 the will of God. The council had condemned Jesus to 
 die a shameful death which would under ordinary cir- 
 cumstances have ended His career ignobly and irrepara- 
 bly, as one under the curse of God. But instead God 
 had glorified this Jesus and exalted Him, attesting His 
 divine personality and proving Him to have been the 
 Messianic Saviour of men, as He claimed to be. Of this 
 wonderful fact, so full of interest and value to all Israel, 
 the disciples were witnesses. But further evidence of 
 it was seen in the spiritual manifestations which the 
 risen and ascended Lord had vouchsafed to the whole 
 body of believers. The duty of the apostles clearly was 
 to continue to exercise the glad privilege of witness- 
 bearing, whatever the consequences to themselves. 
 
 Little wonder that the council was enraged at these 
 words to the pitch of murder. But Gamaliel, the 
 revered and learned Pharisee, had wiser counsel. Its 
 character proves little concerning his sympathies. He 
 advised that the movement be unrestrained. If born 
 of human energy alone it would come quickly to destruc- 
 tion as its predecessors had done ; if really set on foot by 
 God, to oppose it would be not only dangerous but 
 foolish. His advice was taken, the apostles 'scourged, 
 ordered to cease from preaching, and dismissed. They 
 went home rejoicing that they had been able to endure 
 the trial, and threw themselves with renewed energy 
 and resolution into the work. 
 
 True courage roots itself in a clear conscience. None 
 are so brave as they who truly serve and genuinely love ; 
 none so impotent and useless for the really great 
 achievements of life as they who pretend to be what they 
 
Chapter 8. The Martyrdom of Stephen 27 
 
 are not conscious of being. A Peter or a Barnabas 
 stirs men's souls and quickens their sympathies. A 
 Caiaphas or an Ananias blights all aspiration. 
 
 Chapter 8. The ilartyrdom of Stephen. Acts chs. 6,7. 
 About A. D. 34. 
 
 The renewed vigor with which the apostles preached 
 and taught had its effect in the steady growth of the 
 body of disciples. Their number made it very difficult 
 for the apostles to keep track of cases of individual 
 need. Complaints were made by Greek speaking Jews, 
 numbered among the body of believers, that their needy 
 ones were often overlooked in the daily ministration to 
 those who were afflicted in any way. This charge can 
 have had no serious foundation, since this service to the 
 poor was still in the hands of the apostles, who could 
 hardly be accused of favoritism. The mistakes arose 
 because the Twelve were overburdened by their varied 
 responsibilities. 
 
 Their sensible suggestion regarding the best remedy 
 to apply has helped to solve many a problem in the life 
 of the Christian church. They had a duty which was 
 likewise a great opportunity. They needed to give their 
 whole time and strength to the work of witnessing to the 
 eager people concerning the things of God. It was 
 neither needful nor fitting that they should consume 
 that energy in the work of hunting up poor women and 
 ministering to their needs, when among the body of 
 believers were an abundance of men well qualified to 
 perform duties of this sort and even to assume a sort of 
 leadership in matters of minor interest affecting the 
 welfare of all. 
 
 Their proposition that a board of seven representative 
 men should be entrusted with the administration of the 
 
28 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 charitable relief pleased the community of believers. At 
 once the recommended action was taken. These men 
 were selected because of their unblemished repute, spir- 
 ituality and 'sound sense. The apostles established their 
 official standing by formally setting them apart for 
 their responsibilities. They were evidently to have the 
 right to do their best as associates of the apostles in the 
 leadership and guidance of the whole community. Their 
 names are Greek names, yet some of them may well 
 have been Jews of Palestinian birth. Doubtless the selec- 
 tion was made under apostolic influence on the basis of 
 spiritual and mental qualifications rather than on racial 
 lines. It seems to indicate the prevalence on the whole 
 of genuine brotherliness in a community in which the 
 natives of Palestine probably far outnumbered those of 
 foreign birth. 
 
 This step was one of great importance to the infant 
 church, not alone because it was a first step in organiza- 
 tion, but likewise a recognition of the rights of the laity 
 in leadership. The Seven, as 'subsequent events indi- 
 cate, were not mere almoners of charity but genuine 
 leaders of their fellows, accorded adequate respect and 
 ready obedience. 
 
 Two significant results followed hard upon this 
 action. There was a marked increase in the impetus 
 given to the spread of the Gospel, many even of the 
 priests in this priest-ridden city declaring their adher- 
 ence to the faith; and Stephen, the foremost of the 
 Seven in personal gifts and spiritual power, began to 
 acquire a widespread reputation as an effective associ- 
 ate of the apostles. He was altogether a different sort 
 of man, with ideas less cramped by the teachings of the 
 Palestinian rabbis. Full of enthusiasm and devotion 
 he gave himself heart and soul to the exposition of the 
 truth regarding Jesus. As he studied His life and 
 teachings he readily grasped their universal values, and 
 their certain setting aside of many of the current cus- 
 toms and ideas of Judaism. It may be doubted whether 
 he implied by any words of his any disrespect for the 
 
Chapter 8. The Martyrdom of Stephen 
 
 29 
 
 temple or for the law. Rather like one of the ancient 
 prophets he asserted God's privilege to reform or 
 punish. He was ready to defend his views before 
 his earlier associates and did so with such success that 
 they could only seek to silence him by demanding his 
 arrest and punishment. He was seized, brought before 
 the council and made to plead. 
 
 The address that follows in the book of Acts is a 
 truly notable one. It bears all the marks of authen- 
 ticity and reasonable accuracy. It is "a prophetical 
 philosophy of Israel's religious history." He begins by 
 referring to the promises given to Abraham, to his set- 
 tlement in Canaan, to the covenant, to the descent into 
 Egypt and the deliverance through Moses, noting the 
 unwillingness of the people to believe or follow Moses or 
 to adopt the institutions which he introduced. Finally 
 under Solomon the temple was erected, yet, as Isaiah 
 declared, God was in no sense confined to it or by it. It 
 was merely His creation. By their stupid persistency in 
 making the temple of more importance than God, they 
 were but exhibiting 
 in another form the 
 peverseness which 
 had all along marked 
 their fathers, and 
 were thereby resist- 
 ing the Holy Spirit. 
 Not he but they 
 were breaking the 
 law. 
 
 They suffered him 
 to say no more. 
 Furious with anger, St. Stephen's Gate, in Jerusalem. 
 wholly beside themselves in their rage, stung to the 
 quick by the forceful and pointed criticism, they 
 threatened him with death. Unmoved by their 
 clamor, absorbed by the vision that rose before his 
 eyes, he spoke of seeing in the heavens the glori- 
 fied Jesus in His majesty. This was blasphemy in- 
 
SO The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 deed in their opinion, and they hurried him to a shame- 
 ful death by stoning. Probably it was an irregular pro- 
 cedure from the Roman point of view, although justi- 
 fied under Jewish law in the ease of one convicted of 
 blasphemy. 
 
 The refusal of the apostles to spend their time in dis- 
 pensing charity was based upon an important and eter- 
 nal principle — the necessity of giving one's energies to 
 the noblest service within his range of influence. Inci- 
 dentally it opened careers without number of generous 
 and thoughtful philanthropy unto consecrated men 
 and women. The career of Stephen was very brief ; but 
 like Martyn, Keith-Falconer and Pitkin, he used his 
 opportunity for all that it was worth, and did the work 
 of years in one heroic representative act. No one needs 
 time for his work so much as opportunity and fidelity. 
 
 Chapter 9. — The Successful Evangelism of Philip. 
 Acts ch. 8. About A, D. 34. 
 
 The day of Stephen's martyrdom had been mo- 
 mentous for the church. He had helped many to find 
 themselves, and to realize what belief in Jesus really 
 meant. He also forced the church to declare 
 itself, and directed suspicion against it. The com- 
 munity was now more than an annoying synagogue 
 or sect; it was known as a dangerous set of men 
 and women. Hence with great promptness a bitter 
 persecution ensued which quickly broke up the com- 
 munity and scattered its members. Among those who 
 labored zealously to destroy its vigor was the young man, 
 Saul of Tarsus, who had been the witness at Stephen's 
 stoning. He was relentless and persistent, taking the 
 lead among those who hunted down men and women 
 and imprisoned them. There ensued an orgy of cru- 
 elty, supported by the fanaticism and intolerance of the 
 
Chapter 0. The Evangelism of Philip 31 
 
 Pharisees, and justified to the people by the supposed 
 necessity of rooting out the pestilential heresy laid bare 
 by Stephen. 
 
 But this persecution proved to be a blessing in dis- 
 guise. It forced Christianity into its proper environ- 
 ment and outlook. The history of the spreading of the 
 gospel at Jerusalem became a history of its wider ex- 
 tension throughout Palestine. Doubtless the church 
 had begun to broaden itself before this, for how else 
 would Saul (9:2) have found disciples at Damascus? 
 But the swift dispersion of many believers from Jeru- 
 salem served to strengthen greatly 'such little groups 
 of disciples as had been formed here and there in Pal- 
 estine and to establish many new centers. 
 
 Luke turns to the work of Philip and others in 
 Samaria. The agents of the Sanhedrin were without 
 authority or influence among the Samaritans, with 
 whom all strenuously orthodox Jews were at feud. The 
 Samaritans were a people of mixed blood. Their re- 
 ligious traditions ran parallel to those of the Jews and 
 were of common origin. They seemed to recognize 
 some form of the Messianic tradition (Jo. 4:25) and 
 to believe in Jesus as, at least, a political and relig- 
 ious Tenewer. Consequently a Christian preacher in 
 their midst had a working base for appeal and instruc- 
 tion. Philip was, however, in all probability, a for- 
 eign born Jew, since no Judean would have found it 
 easy to come into friendly contact with the hated Sa- 
 maritans. But under any circumstances the work rep- 
 resented a breadth of sympathy and a depth of convic- 
 tion which went far to equip the evangelist for a stir- 
 ring and successful campaign. How he came to select 
 Samaria as the scene of his ministry we are not told. 
 Evidently, however, the people were ready to listen to 
 his message. They were eager to know more about the 
 Christ, and were deeply impressed by the personality 
 and power of Philip, who, in his Master's name, did 
 mighty works. The work progressed rapidly and large 
 numbers were given baptism by the evangelist to the 
 great joy of all who shared in these experiences. 
 
32 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Word concerning this unexpected addition to the 
 body of believers was sent to Jerusalem, whence the 
 apostles had not departed. The evidences of religious 
 interest were unmistakable, and the apostles concluded 
 to investigate the movement. They sent down Peter 
 and John, who as leaders of the church and broad- 
 minded men of Galilean origin, were able to judge fair- 
 ly concerning the sincerity and permanence of the re- 
 ligious interest. These apostles noted that the last 
 tokens of full acceptance by God were lacking. None 
 of the converts had manifested the possession of the 
 Spirit. So they invoked the blessing of God and laid 
 their hands upon those who gave evidence of religious 
 responsiveness, and rejoiced to note that the Spirit 
 came upon them in abundant measure just as upon 
 those who had professed faith in Christ at Jerusalem. 
 With what joy must they have seen this evidence that 
 the prediction of their Master was coming true. The 
 witness concerning Him was being accepted beyond the 
 bounds of Judasa. 
 
 Simon, the magician, was a type of adventurer, char- 
 
 Frotn a photograp] 
 
 Hercd's Colonnade, in Samaria. 
 
 This magnificent colonnade of marble pillars eighteen feet high, many of them monoliths, 
 extended on both sides of a terrace sixtyfeet wide around the brow of the hill of Samaria, a dis- 
 tance of nearly a mile. Over seventy of these columns are still standing and many others lie 
 half buried in the ground. They are a part of the ruins of the city of Sebaste, rebuilt by 
 Herod the Great. 
 
 acteristic of those days of religious ferment. He may 
 have been self-deceived to some extent; but had passed 
 among the credulous people as a great man, and prob- 
 ably had gained that reputation because of practices 
 
Chapter 9. The Evangelism of Philip 33 
 
 which were illegitimate and claims which rivalled those 
 of the apostles. The preaching and healing of Philip 
 served to turn the allegiance of the people away from 
 Simon and even influenced the magician himself who 
 professed repentence and received baptism. 
 
 It would doubtless be fair to compare these results in 
 Samaria with those obtained to-day by a foreign mis- 
 sionary. Such an one can touch the hearts and awaken 
 the consciences of a very rude, ignorant and supersti- 
 tious people. Their conversion is real, but requires 
 their careful education in order to be lasting. Their 
 motives are mixed and their ideas extremely crude. In 
 course of time their belief becomes intelligent. It was 
 not altogether strange that Simon supposed that he 
 could obtain the apostolic gift by making a sufficiently 
 liberal offer to Peter and John. He had won all re- 
 sults thus far by cleverness, and probably thought that 
 the apostles were possessors of a superior sort of mag- 
 ical skill, which they would share with him for a suffi- 
 cient inducement. Such a low ideal of spiritual things 
 was Christianity's greatest danger. It needed Peter's 
 vigorous rebuke to define the right point of view. 
 
 But Philip had another great opportunity to which 
 he was quick to respond. An officer of Candace, 
 queen of the Ethiopians, trusted greatly by her, had 
 become converted to Judaism in his own land and had 
 made the long journey to Jerusalem, presumably to at- 
 tend one of the great festivals. Philip was providen- 
 tially led to go southward along the road leading from 
 Jerusalem to Gaza. If we adopt the view of the older 
 commentators and of Prof. George Adam Smith that 
 the word "desert" in verse 26 refers to the town, dis- 
 tinguishing it as Gaza in the desert or old Gaza in con- 
 tradistinction to the newer city near the coast, it sug- 
 gests a highway comparatively undisturbed by traffic. 
 Philip's prompt obedience to a command which must 
 have seemed to him strange since it took him away 
 from a useful work which God was blessing, his alert- 
 ness in availing himself of the missionary opportunity 
 
34 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 suddenly presented to him, and his broad-minded dis- 
 regard of national and religious prejudices (8:38) 
 have often been noted as justifying the title "the evan- 
 gelist" by which he has been generally known. 
 
 The Ethiopian officer to whom Philip was sent had 
 perhaps purchased in Jerusalem a roll of the prophe- 
 cies of Isaiah and was earnestly studying it but with- 
 out great result. He gladly welcomed Philip as a 
 teacher of its fulness of meaning. He had been read- 
 ing a Messianic passage which gave Philip a notable 
 opportunity for explaining its fulfilment in Jesus and 
 to tell of His life and death for the whole world. Over- 
 joyed by the message and ripe for its acceptance the 
 officer asked for baptism as one who embraced the new 
 faith and Philip unhesitatingly administered it. Thus 
 one more of the barriers which had hedged Judaism 
 about was broken down. 
 
 The progress of God's kingdom at all ages depends 
 on such readiness as this to follow the clear leadings 
 of the Spirit of God notwithstanding prejudice or cus- 
 tom or fear. There is a continuous need of Philips, 
 sensitive to 'spiritual direction yet wise and thoughtful 
 in its execution, prompt and zealous to act yet never 
 forgetting that their service is for spiritual ends. 
 
Chapter 10. Peter's Vision 
 
 85 
 
 Chapter 10.— Peter's Vision. Christianity's Forward Step. 
 Acts 9 : 31— 10 ? 23a. About A. D. 40. 
 
 When Peter returned with John from Samaria he 
 may have remained at the capital city for some time. 
 The conversion of Saul, the persecutor whose zeal knew 
 no abatement, weakened for a time the energies of his 
 allies and followers. There ensued a period of relative 
 peacefulness and prosperity for the growing church. 
 
 This progress of the church gave rise, no doubt, to 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 View in Lydda. 
 
 the need of many an apostolic journey of visitation. 
 Each new group of congregations desired the approval 
 and the helpful counsel of one of the church leaders. 
 Possibly a system of circuit-visitation was gradually 
 growing up. On one such tour Peter came to the con- 
 gregation at Lydda, a village on the old frontier of 
 Judea, three hours from Joppa. In common with 
 Joppa it was in these days a place of importance and 
 a center of intense Jewish nationalism. Here he 
 healed -ZEneas, a palsied man, and at Joppa restored 
 to life an estimable woman named Dorcas. Such works 
 of power gave the church great confidence and drew 
 many to belief in Jesus. 
 
 But the really important achievement of the journey 
 was Peter's victory over the prejudices of his race. At 
 Joppa he was the guest of Simon, a tanner. This fact 
 goes far to establish his growing breadth of mind and 
 resoluteness of will. The Jews despised and even 
 
36 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 hated those who practiced the trade of a tanner, re- 
 garding them as unclean, because they were obliged to 
 come in contact with dead animals. Possibly this feel- 
 ing was not shared by the unpunctilious common peo- 
 ple, the working classes to which Peter belonged. One 
 day, a remarkable experience came to Peter near the 
 time of noon, which he felt to be in some form a divine 
 intimation that it was not fitting that he should aim 
 to be more scrupulous than God. He saw a vision 
 while at prayer, of a great sheet lowered from the 
 heavens in which were all sorts of living animals, fit 
 for food. While gazing at the strange sight a voice 
 seemed to say to him, "Rise up, Peter ; slay and satisfy 
 your hunger." But impulsively as ever Peter made re- 
 ply, "Far be it from me, Lord, for I have never 
 eaten anything which the law declared to be unclean 
 and unbecoming the use of godly men." It was not an 
 unworthy reply. Peter was but remaining loyal to the 
 principles which had been inculcated from his very 
 youth. The distinction between clean and unclean he 
 regarded as established by God, to be blindly conserved. 
 Imagine his astonishment and wonder at hearing the 
 words, "What God hath set before you as clean and in- 
 vited you to eat, do not presume to regard as inadmissi- 
 ble." It was a lesson over which he began to ponder. 
 What God had made clean he could also make usable. 
 The Jews for centuries had been observing artificial 
 distinctions because of God's ordinance; they had 
 drawn many lines between themselves and other peo- 
 ples from the same motive; was all this to cease? 
 
 While he was reflecting a group of men knocked at 
 the gate of Simon's house, inquiring for him. Prompted 
 by the inward voice of the Spirit to regard their mis- 
 sion as a providential one for him, Peter went down 
 from the housetop and inquired their message. They 
 told him that Cornelius, a Roman centurion at Cassa- 
 rea, a "fearer of God" and well liked by the Jews of 
 that city, had sent by them to have Peter come to his 
 house and declare the will of God. Coming hard upon 
 
Chapter 10. Peter's Vision 37 
 
 his strange experience that noon, Peter understood that 
 this invitation, with which a few days before he would 
 not have dreamed of complying, was in reality a divine 
 call. He therefore made ready to obey it. 
 
 The significance of the act and the necessity of the 
 precedent vision became clearer to one who studies the 
 situation with which Peter had to deal. Only a direct 
 divine command, or what he interpreted as such, could 
 have justified him in ignoring the strongest convictions 
 and dearest conventions of his own people. 
 
 Cornelius was clearly a man who was held in high 
 esteem by the Jews who knew him. He was the com- 
 manding officer of a cohort known as the "Italic co- 
 hort," stationed as Csesarea. It seems probable that 
 this cohort was one recruited from volunteer Roman 
 citizens in the East and used as an auxiliary body of 
 troops. Such a cohort was commanded by regular So- 
 man officers. Cornelius, then, was unquestionably a 
 Roman, a foreigner. He is described as a very devout 
 and very liberal man, "one that feared God." This last 
 phrase means, by general consent of students, when 
 used in the book of Acts, one who was attracted by the 
 religious beliefs of Judaism, and had adopted certain 
 Jewish customs, especially the habit's of regular prayer, 
 of Scripture study, of synagogue worship, almsgiving 
 and meditation. Such an one was given grateful recog- 
 nition in the Jewish community as a religious and vir- 
 tuous man, worthy of respect and confidence, yet he was 
 in no sense a real proselyte, recognized as a member in 
 good standing of the Jewish community. He was still 
 an outsider, a Gentile, because he was unwilling to 
 wholly conform to the requirements of the law. The 
 contact of Judaism with the world during the several 
 centuries just preceding the life of Jesus induced at 
 once a more rigid drawing of the line between a real 
 Jew and son of the covenant and one who remained 
 outside, and a friendlier treatment of those who were 
 disposed to fraternize with Jews and to adopt their re- 
 ligious beliefs. 
 
38 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 This centurion was recognizable as a truly religious 
 man, who affiliated as nearly as possible with the Jews, 
 whom he respected and liked. One day he was engaged 
 in prayer, quite possibly for guidance in regard to his 
 duty in acknowledging his relationship to God. The 
 question of entering fully into the membership of the 
 Jewish community may well have been a perplexing one 
 to him. While praying he saw a vision and heard a mes- 
 
 View in Joppa. 
 
 sage bidding him send messengers to Joppa and invite 
 to Csesarea a man named Simon Peter, who would in- 
 struct him. He promptly summoned two of his confi- 
 dential servants and a soldier, all being in sympathy 
 with him, related to them his vision, and bade them go 
 to Joppa to find Peter and bring him back with them. 
 
 It is interesting to note that God is represented in 
 Scripture as executing His purposes through those who 
 are living up to their ideals. Peter and Cornelius were 
 both terribly in earnest. Each was anxious for divine 
 leading and ready aj; all costs to obey it. Such men 
 may alter the trend of centuries. 
 
Chapter 11. Peter and Cornelius 39 
 
 Chapter 11. Peter at the House of Cornelius. Acts 10: 
 2Zb—\ 1:18. About A. D. 40. 
 
 We can well imagine the thoughtfulness of Peter 
 that night at Joppa after his guests had retired. The 
 vision of the daytime had made a deep impression upon 
 him. He could not doubt that it portended some line 
 of action which nothing less than a divine authorization 
 would justify to himself or to his brethren. The story 
 told by the soldiers gave him a clue to the probable 
 duty which confronted him. His own fidelity to the 
 custom's of his fathers emphasized the importance of 
 any action which he might be forced to take. With the 
 shrewdness which ever supplemented his impulsiveness 
 he determined to take with him to Cassarea a group of 
 Christians, men whose standing as such and as loyal 
 Jews would be beyond question, in order that they too 
 might participate in the event, whatever it was, and be 
 reliable witnesses regarding his own share in it. 
 
 We cannot overstate the perplexity which would be in 
 hi's mind and in the minds of those brethren with whom 
 he discussed the vision. Jewish exclusiveness had based 
 itself on the thought of holiness. The Jews were a dis- 
 tinctive people that they might remain a holy nation, 
 absolutely ready for divine serviceableness. It was a 
 noble idea, belittled in the execution, but satisfying 
 still to the average Jewish mind. Without such a vision 
 of the possible abolition of a purely ceremonial distinc- 
 tion Peter might not have felt himself at liberty to 
 respond to the wish of Cornelius. 
 
 Probably the apostle had no plan of action completely 
 in his mind, as he walked northward in company with 
 the others. He was far from realizing the full signifi- 
 cance of his concession. Familiar as he was with the 
 commission of Jesus to make disciples of all nations, he 
 could only enter into a full perception of its implica- 
 tions through experience. When confronted by a con- 
 crete case he could with encouragement deal with it in 
 the spirit of Jesus. Until that necessity arose, he was 
 
40 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 not likely to even consider the broader aspects of the 
 commission. 
 
 Arriving at Csesarea, he and his companions found 
 that Cornelius had assembled a group of kinsmen and 
 acquaintances to meet them. The centurion received 
 Peter with great respect, making deep obeisance to him. 
 Doubtless he meant only to express real reverence, not 
 worship; but Peter was quick to disclaim any unusual 
 
 Old Mole at Csesarea. 
 
 a photograph*. 
 
 distinction. Entering the house with Cornelius and 
 explaining his waiving of scruples by alluding to his re- 
 cent vision and its lesson of tolerance, Peter called for 
 the reason of his summons. The centurion complied by 
 recounting his own vision, four days previous, at the 
 time of afternoon prayer, declaring with soldierly terse- 
 ness how he instantly obeyed the heavenly mandate 
 and sent messengers for Simon. Eealizing that the un- 
 expected coincidence in their experiences was a proof 
 that God had brought them together for some purpose 
 of His own, Cornelius requested Peter to give them the 
 message he had for them. 
 
 Peter's sermon is interesting as affording an example 
 of apostolic preaching. It is just such a sermon as must 
 have been preached many a time in those early days. 
 Extolling God's readiness to receive and bless those of 
 any nation who are real workers of righteousness, he 
 declared that Christ's message of heavenly peace was not 
 limited to the Jewish people but was for all mankind. 
 
Chapter 11. Peter and Cornelius 41 
 
 His ministry all knew about, how, anointed with the 
 Spirit, He went about doing all manner of good and 
 delivering all from the thraldom of the devil. Of all 
 this the apostles were competent witnesses. The Jews 
 put Him to a shameful death, but God restored Him to 
 life and made this renewed life perfectly apparent to 
 many. He laid upon His followers the duty of wit- 
 nessing concerning Him as the universal Lord of all. 
 The prophets too were witnesses of His power to grant 
 forgiveness of sins. 
 
 While Peter was speaking, the customary indications 
 of the presence of the Spirit came upon those who were 
 listening. Just what these were is not made clear. 
 Probably those present were unable longer to restrain 
 their emotions, and burst out into rhapsodies of praise 
 to God. They were filled with an overwhelming sense 
 of consecration and devotion, with a great desire to serve 
 God. Such indications were regarded as proof of di- 
 vine acceptance. The Jewish Christians who had come 
 with Peter were greatly amazed. But Peter, prepared 
 in a measure for just such a result, authorized their 
 receiving the rite of baptism as the formal sign of ad- 
 mittance into the Messianic brotherhood. Moreover, 
 yielding to their earnest persuasions and ignoring alto- 
 gether the conventions which had hitherto been so dear 
 to him, Peter remained with Cornelius as his guest for 
 a while, doubtless improving the opportunity for im- 
 parting instruction. 
 
 When Peter returned to Jerusalem the exciting news 
 of this action of his had preceded him. He was taken 
 vigorously to task by the conservatively minded Chris- 
 tians who believed that no one could be a good disciple 
 who was not first of all a good Jew. How natural it 
 was for such to feel indignant and even scandalized by 
 Peter's action we realize when we recollect that every 
 leading Christian up to date had been a Jew, careful to 
 respect and maintain every Jewish ceremonial obliga- 
 tion. Peter's defense was straight and simple. He had 
 not dared to oppose the will of God, manifested so un- 
 
42 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 mistakably and confirmed so promptly. Of the impor- 
 tant fact that the Spirit of God had been given to the 
 Gentiles the brethren from Joppa were competent wit- 
 nesses. When thus the group at Cassarea had been ad- 
 mitted by God Himself into the brotherhood, how could 
 Peter regard them as unworthy of close and friendly 
 fellowship ? 
 
 This argument was unanswerable. It silenced every 
 objector, so far as Peter was concerned. Apparently, 
 however, there was no general conviction that God had 
 thus thrown wide open the doors of Christianity to the 
 uncircumcised. At best it was understood to be a special 
 instance of grace, such as might always be expected. 
 The great majority of Christians still regarded the path- 
 way of Judaism as the normal road to Christlikeness. 
 
 It is instructive to notice how difficult men have found 
 it in all ages to admit that other men may become 
 heavenly-minded in other than their own familiar way. 
 Cornelius was a genuinely good man, as all bore witness, 
 but nothing less explicit than this experience would 
 have sufficed to make Peter accept him as a fellow- 
 disciple. Intolerance and narrowness are not unknown 
 in the twentieth century. They usually must be broken 
 down in a similar way by the unquestionable manifesta- 
 tion of spiritual experience. Fortunate will the church 
 of Christ itself be when its development can be as nor- 
 mal and unprejudiced as that of Its great Head. 
 
Chapter 12. Peter's Imprisonment 43 
 
 Chapter 12. Peter's Imprisonment, Deliverance and De° 
 parture. Acts 12 : 1-23. A. D. 44. 
 
 The last episode in which Peter figures followed hard 
 upon the baptism of Cornelius. It arose in connection 
 with another persecution which gave the Christian com- 
 munity trouble. A part of its great interest to us is 
 due to the fact that it brings the narrative of Acts into 
 definite contact with the world's history and gives the 
 student of this history an exact point of reference. 
 
 The rapid growth of the Christian community all 
 over Palestine, as well as at Jerusalem, gave great con- 
 cern to the religious authorities of Judaism. They 
 recognized far more clearly than did the Christians 
 themselves the irreconcilable differences which made 
 such a growth dangerous to Judaism. The older re- 
 ligion was based on absolute obedience to fixed rules, 
 and in practice those rules were interpreted by the relig- 
 ious leaders themselves. Any questioning of their au- 
 thority was really fatal to the type of religious life they 
 had developed. These leaders were naturally pleased 
 when Herod Agrippa seized the apostle James and put 
 him to death by the sword. 
 
 Some have thought that James was the first member 
 of the apostolic body to be martyred because he hap- 
 pened to be within reach at the time of this royal ca- 
 price. No further reason would be really necessary, 
 since James was one of the recognized leaders, whose 
 shameful death would be expected to fill the hearts of 
 the Christians with terror. But James was a "son of 
 thunder" and may have been, despite the silence of Acts, 
 one of the boldest and most uncompromising of preach- 
 ers. The failure of Luke to give him a place of promi- 
 nence is no assurance of his obscurity. The plan of the 
 book of Acts, as we have already seen, excludes the men- 
 tion of all incident's but those which became turning 
 points in the evolution out of Judaism of a free, pro- 
 gressive world-wide Christianity. 
 
 The appearance of a Herod on the scene with the 
 power of life and death demands explanation. Since 
 
44 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 the deposition of Archelaus as tetrarch of Judea in A.D. 
 6 no one belonging to the family of Herod had exer- 
 cised such power in Judea. Herod Antipas (Lu. 13 : 31 ; 
 S3 : 7; Mk. 6 : 17) to whom the will of Herod the Great 
 gave Galilee and Perea, ruled that territory until 39 
 A. D., a period of more than forty years. Herod Philip 
 (Lu. 3:1), who had received the northeastern territory, 
 ruled it with great success for thirty-seven years until 
 34 A. D. He was a Gentile in spirit and had little to 
 do in any way with the religious fortunes of the Jewish 
 people. The only contact of the active career of Jesus 
 with him was at the occasions of withdrawal from Gali- 
 lee (Mk. 8:27). 
 
 When Herod Philip died the emperor Caligula made 
 Herod Agrippa ruler over his dominions with the title 
 of king. Agrippa was the son of Aristobulus, and the 
 grandson of Herod the Great. After the tragic death 
 of his father he had been sent to Rome to be educated. 
 He inherited the attractive personality of his father 
 and the wiliness and ambition of his grandfather. He 
 was nearly fifty years of age before his real opportunity 
 came. In youth he had led an extravagant, brilliant 
 social career. During the long reign of Tiberius his 
 fortunes ranged through every scale, but at last he be- 
 came the intimate personal friend of Prince Caligula, 
 on whose succession to the throne he staked his fortunes. 
 The death of Philip and the enthronement of Caligula 
 happened in close succession, so that one of the first 
 acts of Caligula was the raising of Agrippa to royal 
 rank. In A. D. 39 Herod Antipas was deposed and 
 banished and his territcries added to those of Agrippa, 
 who thus became king of Galilee, Perea, and the north- 
 eastern regions as far as the neighborhood of Damascus. 
 During the last two years of Caligula's reign, when he 
 conceived the insane purpose of having his statue erected 
 in the temple at Jerusalem, it was Agrippa who at 
 great personal cost and risk persuaded him to forego 
 it. At the death of Caligula, Agrippa helped Claudius 
 to the imperial throne and was rewarded by the addition 
 
Chapter 12. Peter's Imprisonment 
 
 45 
 
 of Samaria and Judea to his royal demesne. Thus in 
 41 A. D. he became king of all the territory of his 
 grandfather. 
 
 His reign was short but glorious. His subjects liked 
 him. Probably he was as much of a pagan in heart as 
 all his family, but he was outwardly scrupulous in his 
 relations with his people, taking an occasional vacation 
 to a Greek city like Berytus in order to enjoy the Greek 
 games and atmosphere. 
 
 In pursuance of his two-sided policy of strict legal- 
 ism and liberality he began to persecute the Christians. 
 Having won ap- 
 proval by the exe- 
 cution of James, 
 lie arrested the rec- 
 ognized leader of 
 the apostolic band. 
 Peter. The apostle 
 was placed under 
 strict guard, six- 
 teen men in four 
 watches taking him 
 in charge until the 
 Passover should 
 have concluded. 
 Two of the soldiers 
 guarded the prisoner 
 
 From a photograph. 
 
 Gate to Peter's Frisoc, in Jerusalem. 
 
 cell, 
 
 bemg chained 
 
 within the 
 to him, and two were at the door. 
 
 The one refuge of the church was earnest supplication 
 to God. Apparently the community gathered in one 
 place and organized a continuous service of prayer. The 
 crisis was a supreme one. No earthly help could avail. 
 They plead for the life so precious to them and for the 
 continuing leadership which 'seemed so essential. 
 
 God heard those prayers and delivered the apostle 
 from his dangerous position. The narrative is dramatic. 
 Peter's profound and trustful slumber between his burly 
 guards, his sudden and complete deliverance, his own 
 bewilderment, his prompt repairing to the well-known 
 
46 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 gathering place, where he would find the disciples, the 
 ready faith of the maiden and the skepticism of the as- 
 sembly — every detail is lifelike and corroborative. Poor 
 human nature manifested itself then as now. The 
 church did not take its prayers with half enough seri- 
 ousness. 
 
 Herod's sudden death followed very soon. While at 
 Csesarea, probably for the purpose of celebrating public 
 games in honor of the 'safe return of Claudius to Rome 
 from Britain, and after a public manifestation of pride 
 which all regarded as blasphemous, he died a speedy 
 but terrible death, the victim in fact of a profligate and 
 luxurious life. It was a sovereign calamity, which gave 
 pause to the outburst of persecution. 
 
 The career of James is instructive for the average 
 man with powers of leadership. He was one of the first 
 four disciples, invariably honored with his Lord's confi- 
 dence. He must have been a man of great usefulness 
 and prominence, but it brought, so far as we know, no 
 honorable mention. But the greatest need of the 
 church of to-day is a body of leaders who like James 
 rejoice in usefulness rather than prominence, or, like 
 Peter, maintain a serene and childlike confidence in 
 Grod under the most appalling conditions. Such are the 
 men needed for crises, and crises never cease. 
 
Chapter IS. The Developing Church 47 
 
 Chapter 13. The Developing Church: a Review. 
 
 The writer of the book of Acts was a literary artist, 
 and he used his varied material in the early chapters 
 with consummate skill. To tell a great story by sugges- 
 tion is no easy task. It demands the historian's range 
 of vision, the student's grasp of the detailed course of 
 development, and the writer's skill in deftly suggesting 
 to the active mind through a cleverly ordered series of 
 narratives the true picture which is before his own gaze. 
 Our author had in mind the rapidly extending church 
 of the days of Paul, the apostle to the Gentile world. 
 He had to indicate the steps of transition by which the 
 little company of believers, differing from their Jewish 
 acquaintances only in their absolute conviction that 
 Jesus was the Christ of prophecy and the Lord of the 
 church which was to be organized, became the promise 
 of an army of resolute, untrammeled, far-visioned mis- 
 sioners, aiming at nothing less than the acknowledgment 
 of His Lordship by the whole human world. 
 
 The group of disciples who awaited in the upper room 
 the manifestation of the Holy Spirit were faithful and 
 fairly conservative Jews. At least they cherished at 
 that time no thought of heading a revolt from Judaism. 
 They were reformers and yet sympathizers. They cham- 
 pioned a return to the ancient simplicity and spirit- 
 uality. They believed that Jesus had indicated the true 
 spirit and the proper method's of Judaism, but did not 
 realize that He had virtually abolished it as a religious 
 system. The significant comment of Mark 7:19 was 
 the remark, made a generation later than the period 
 which immediately followed the departure of Christ, of 
 a writer who had been educated by the illuminating ex- 
 periences which are rehearsed in the book of Acts. 
 
 This group of men were of fine yet not extraordinary 
 quality. They could hold their ground, once having 
 taken it, but they were not of a creative disposition. 
 They had come to know well a great personality. Life 
 could never be restored to its old low level for them. 
 
48 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 They were possessed by a grand ambition- — to give ex- 
 pression in word and life to the ideals He had made 
 real to them. His personality and His ideals were their 
 basis of comparison and departure. As nearly as pos- 
 sible they meant to live the Christlike life and spread 
 abroad His teachings. 
 
 Such a resolve in no way interfered with their cus- 
 tomary acts of piety. The Christian community in 
 those early days was more than ever solicitous to do its 
 full measure of holy service, which meant a constant 
 round of devotional acts in private and at the temple. 
 The disruption between its members and the leaders 
 and the rank and file of Judaism arose in natural ways. 
 
 These rulers betrayed their unwillingness to face ex- 
 isting facts. They threatened and punished the apostles 
 in a vain attempt to make them cease from witnessing 
 concerning the resurrection of Jesus. They were evi- 
 dently more anxious to be exempt from criticism than 
 to ascertain and to uphold the truth. Consequently the 
 disciples were forced to make a deliberate choice be- 
 tween obeying them and obeying God. Once awakened 
 to the spiritual captiousness and blindness of these 
 leaders, the disciples were sure to quickly emancipate 
 themselves from such leadership. 
 
 They had reason to have confidence in themselves as 
 led by the Spirit of God. No wonder that they were 
 brave and resolute. The day of Pentecost was a day of 
 transformation, but also a day of conviction. No expe- 
 rience, however bitter, could from that day affect their 
 consciousness of the direct support of God. This was a 
 mighty factor in their personal development, dignifying, 
 broadening, deepening their conscious life. 
 
 It is of interest, however, to note that the steps of 
 enlargement were mostly of a practical character. Con- 
 fronted by some actual problem the disciples solved it 
 and passed on. The healing of the lame man who sat at 
 the temple gate aroused them to a sense of their own 
 strength and of the inability of the rulers to gainsay 
 the patent exhibition of divine resourcefulness dis- 
 
Chapter 13. The Developing Church 49 
 
 played in the presence of the multitude. When the sin 
 of Ananias and Sapphira was laid bare and punished 
 with such promptness, it gave a new value to the inner 
 purity and faithfulness of the loyal church. When the 
 priesthood sought in vain to repress the plain speech of 
 the apostles, all took new courage and confidence. When 
 the distractions of personal service to the needy breth- 
 ren made it wise to elect laymen to relieve the apostles 
 of this responsibility and to give them freedom for their 
 work of evangelization, the double result was a larger 
 number of official spokesmen and the addition of men 
 who took a broader view of the significance of the work 
 and words of Jesus. 
 
 After the martyrdom of Stephen the course of de- 
 velopment was more rapid than before. His impas- 
 sioned words aroused Pharisaic hatred and fear, and 
 justified in their sight a vigorous persecution which 
 quickly scattered the Christian community to other 
 parts of the country and in foreign lands. Wherever 
 these men or women went, they became preachers and 
 teachers of the new faith in Jesus. These were still 
 propagators of Christianized Judaism, but they found 
 that others than Jews were affected by their message of 
 faith and righteousness. Samaritans were converted, 
 then a proselyte from the South, and then Peter was 
 led by the Holy Spirit to baptize, instruct and associate 
 with a group of Romans, acknowledging them as Chris- 
 tian brethren. No one of these steps was anticipated 
 beforehand; none of them could be gainsaid. The 
 church was gradually led to see that God purposed to 
 include within the range of the Messianic promise others 
 than His historic people. Whoever in any nation ex- 
 hibited a spirit of genuine faith was acceptable to Him. 
 This was a great advance, although it was but the prep- 
 aration for the truly notable advance to be made under 
 another sort of leadership. 
 
 This period of fourteen or fifteen years after the res- 
 urrection witnessed some notable achievements; the 
 self-consciousness of the new community; the appear- 
 
50 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 ance of fearless, consecrated leaders determined to give 
 expression to the will of Christ as they understood it; 
 the rapid growth of the community into real strength; 
 the wonderful spirit of brotherhood and unity; and the 
 gradual widening of the scope of the church. These 
 were achieved because of the recognized leadership of 
 God. 
 
 These early Christians got at the very heart of the 
 matter. The principal factors in human progress are 
 dependence and independence, faith in a personal God 
 who guides, and courage to do whatever such guidance 
 seems to demand. These are the elements which the 
 life of every age needs to include. 
 
 Chapter 14. The Conversion of Saul. Acts 9: 1-19^, 
 and scattered references. About A. D. 35. 
 
 The 'story of the active career of Saul is a real theme 
 of the book of Acts. It singles him out as the one 
 agent through whom the Gospel was given to the Gen- 
 tile world. He did not do this work alone. At times 
 others seemed of more importance. Yet on the whole 
 he was the master mind and the one who gave direc- 
 tion to all. In a significant sense the true life of the 
 church was bound up with his life. 
 
 It is somewhat surprising under these circumstances 
 to note how varied in character is the narrative which 
 gives us the data concerning the great apostle. Por- 
 tions of his career are related in minute detail, par- 
 ticularly 'some of the experiences of the years succeed- 
 ing the last visit to Jerusalem. But we are told 
 almost nothing of his early life and very little of de- 
 tail regarding his apostolic career. Much which the 
 student of his career would gladly know of his en- 
 
Chapter 1J/.. The Conversion of Saul 51 
 
 viuonment and activity, his opinions and his motives, 
 is given no expression in the narrative of Acts, 
 
 On the other hand, however, the story of the apos- 
 tle's life, as given in Acts, is a 'stirring narrative. 
 It bears the stamp of the skilled writer with the power 
 of seeing the trend of a generation and deftly sketch- 
 ing it. It quickens the imagination of the reader, 
 who is made to live over the scenes of Paul's ministry 
 among men, and to realize the noble character which 
 ripened under the storm and sunshine of his checkered 
 career. 
 
 When we are first introduced to Saul, he is a young 
 man, yet sufficiently mature and trustworthy to be 
 given very great and responsible commissions by the 
 high priest. Quite possibly he came from a family 
 of distinction. He had been brought up in Tarsus 
 and was perhaps a graduate of the famous university, 
 of that city. Doubtless he had not been in Judea while 
 Jesus was carrying on His active ministry. It has 
 been suggested that he was away in his home city or 
 on a mission of some kind. At the time of his con- 
 version, however, he was in Jerusalem, studying with 
 Gamaliel, a learned and gentle rabbi, tolerant and 
 large-hearted. 
 
 Saul, at this time, by his own confession, was fiercely 
 intolerant and zealous, eager to destroy the stubborn 
 fanatics who persisted in exalting Jesus as the Christ. 
 He believed that they were conspiring to break down 
 the exclusive sanctity of the temple and the authority 
 of the law. He threw himself whole-heartedly into 
 the work of checking their progress. Who can ques- 
 tion that he was one of those who disputed with 
 Stephen in the "synagogue of the Cilicians," and, 
 willingly or unwillingly, was a participant in the crime 
 of stoning him to death. 
 
 Saul was the kind of man whom only that curious 
 age would produce. He was a Pharisee of straitest 
 sect, a Hebrew of pure blood, proud of his lineage, 
 proud of his attainments, a zealot yet a nobleman. 
 
52 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 His Pharisaism, it has been well said, was of the type 
 displayed by the young ruler who came running and 
 kneeled at the feet of Jesus, saying, "What shall I 
 do that I may inherit eternal life?" He continually 
 longed to secure the righteousness that comes by the 
 law. But he went to Jerusalem as something more 
 than a Pharisee. He was, as he himself declared, a 
 free-born Eoman citizen, a fact of great social as well 
 as political value. He was likewise a man of broad 
 culture, possibly in the technical sense, as one who had 
 studied long in a Greek university, certainly in the 
 general sense, as one who had caught the nobler spirit 
 of the Hellenism of his day and its deeper feeling. 
 Few men were as well prepared as he by the circum- 
 stances of their early life to make a radical change 
 in their outlook and emphasis, to reinterpret Chris- 
 tian thinking to itself and to grasp in a moment the 
 world-Messiahship of Jesus. He himself regarded the 
 "whole experience of his early life as a providential 
 shaping of his character and capacities for his divinely 
 appointed calling." 
 
 Particularly should we so interpret his bitter perse- 
 cution of the church at Jerusalem. Saul at that time 
 was in a strange mental and spiritual condition. He 
 thought he was doing God service. He was goading 
 himself on to deeds of bloody violence, wholly alien 
 to his exceptionally gentle and tender disposition. Only 
 the enthusiasm and the determination of the logically 
 sustained persecutor upheld him. Yet he was full of 
 misgivings, which made him almost, desperate. In his 
 disputes with Stephen and the others, in the noble 
 martyrdom of which he was a witness, in the lives 
 of those whom he was persecuting to the death, he 
 must have been constantly made aware of the genu- 
 ineness and depth of the religious life of his opponents 
 and victims. The strength of his own position lay 
 in a fixed belief that a crucified man could under no 
 circumstances have been the expected Messiah. The 
 weakness of it hv in the possible appeal to fact. 
 
Chapter IJf. The Conversion of Saul 
 
 do' 
 
 The three stories of SauFs conversion found in Acts 
 are not exactly alike, but the principal factors are clear. 
 Commissioned by Caiaphas to carry the persecution 
 to the ancient city of Damascus, and accompanied by 
 
 View in Damascus. 
 
 a photograph. 
 
 Damascus is the oldest city in the world. Its Biblical history dates from the time of 
 Abraham, but it is chiefly interesting from its connection with the life of Paul. The dty 
 is situated in an oasis produced in the Syrian desert by the river Barada (the Abanah o'f 
 the Bible), making the site one of rare beauty. 
 
 others, he was drawing near about midday, when a 
 blinding light flashed from heaven and Saul fell pros- 
 trate. He heard a voice addressing him in the spoken 
 Hebrew tongue, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 
 It is hard for thee to kick against the goad." At this 
 very moment it must have been that Paul received 
 that conviction which forever remained his, that he 
 gazed upon his risen Lord. An assurance was his that 
 wholly changed his point of view. He arose blinded 
 and dazed, was led to Damascus and there was received 
 by the disciples. 
 
 The conversion of Saul to the Christian faith was the 
 event, after Pentecost, of greatest importance to the 
 growing church. He was fitted, r.s none of the apostles 
 were, to enter into the plans of Jesus and to develop 
 Christianity as a world-religion. They had realized 
 the spiritual values of Jesus and His larger significance 
 for Judaism, but there was need of a master mind to 
 give His teachings their final importance. 
 
 Many others were being converted by the Gospel, 
 
54 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 but his conversion meant more than those of all the 
 others combined, because Saul, in addition to being 
 a cultured, broad-minded, experienced man, was also 
 a man of sincerity, courage, and conviction. Whatever 
 he believed directed his life. He became the champion 
 of Christianity, just as he had been the zealous defender 
 of Judaism. Such men and women are the real sup- 
 porters and promoters of religion in every age. 
 
 Chapter 15. The Training of Saul. Scattered References. 
 About A. D. 35=45. 
 
 The movements of Saul after his conversion cannot 
 be dogmatically affirmed. The narrative of Acts 9: 
 19&-30 and that of Galatians 1 :16-19 do not perfectly 
 agree. Some authorities give greater stress to the 
 "straightway" of Acts 9 : 20 and regard him as beginning 
 at once to preach in Damascus, and after a short time 
 withdrawing to Arabia. Others emphasize the "straight- 
 way" of Gralatians 1 : 16, concluding that the retirement 
 occurred as soon as he had recovered sight and strength. 
 The fact of this retirement is, however, of much greater 
 importance than its exact date. A revolution had 
 occurred in Saul's point of view. Heretofore he had 
 denied that there was a living Christ. Now he knew 
 to the contrary. This raised many questions in his 
 active mind, and time was needed, even for one so finely 
 trained as he, for the reconstruction of his entire system 
 of thinking. 
 
 The authority for his absence in the desert is himself 
 in Galatians 1 : 17. Where he hid himself and how long 
 he was there are nowhere stated. His motives in retir- 
 ing may have been varied. He surely aimed to deter- 
 mine what he would henceforth do. He may also have 
 wished to let some time pass before taking up any 
 active public service. Doubtless during this long 
 season of solitary meditation he came to a realization, 
 
Chapter 15. The Training of Saul 55 
 
 not merely of his natural fitness to become a witness to 
 the Gentiles of divine grace, but also of the issues truly 
 involved in the sacrificial work of Christ. No one had 
 as yet seen the issues or stated them, not even Stephen. 
 To Saul's trained mind they were sure to stand forth 
 clearly in due time. 
 
 After an interval spent in calm review and readjust- 
 ment of the data so familiar to him from boyhood, Saul 
 returned to Damascus and labored there earnestly. He 
 was his old aggressive 'self, disputing in the synagogues 
 and proclaiming that Jesus was the Son of God. He 
 met with astonishing success; and no wonder, for he 
 was familiar with every trick of argument and every 
 hidden prejudice and every point of approach of which 
 his opponents could make use. No one could seem to 
 stand against him. In the end they utilized the last 
 resource of beaten men and plotted to kill him. Learn- 
 ing of this scheme, Saul's friends felt it best that he 
 should slip away quietly from the city where his life 
 was no longer safe. 
 
 There are some differences of opinion regarding the 
 first visit of Saul to Jerusalem as a Christian. Gener- 
 ally, however, the accounts of Acts 9 : 26-30 and Gala- 
 tians 1 : 18-24 are blended as both referring to this visit. 
 They mention different names but do not seem to be in 
 opposition. 
 
 According to Galatians it was a furtive visit, inten- 
 tionally secret, made for the specific purpose of getting 
 facts from Peter regarding Jesus. The account of Acts 
 assigns the timidity of the disciples at Jerusalem as the 
 reason for his meeting so few of them, and emphasizes 
 the share of Barnabas in bringing him into contact with 
 some of the Twelve, who in Galatians are specified as 
 Peter and James. Acts 9 : 29 indicates that he 
 attempted to take up the congenial task of preaching in 
 the 'synagogues in Jerusalem. But the Jews plotted 
 against his life, and the disciples hurried him away 
 before the church as a whole had had any chance to 
 really know him. 
 
The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Between his departure from the holy city to his call 
 to Antioch is a considerable interval, perhaps eight or 
 ten year's. During this period Saul was said to be "in 
 the regions of Syria and CHicla," where he was engaged 
 in the active work of preaching, probably also of organ- 
 izing chuiches. Quite a group of them were fostered, 
 whether chiefly by Saul we are nowhere told. 
 
 Meanwhile a church of great strength and influence 
 had been growing up in Antioch. Some of those who 
 
 =jg 
 
 
 i h 
 
 ^^<z 
 
 
 '■,.<■.:'[.:■■■ 
 
 ~~ x~ s ^\~ 
 
 Antiocii, from the Kortli Banfc of tlie River Orontes. 
 
 The bridge is on the road to Seleucia, the seaport of Antioch. The celebrated grove 
 in Daphne was about four miles down the river to the right of the picture. 
 
 had been driven out of Jerusalem after Stephen's mar- 
 tyrdom went as far as that city. In the main these 
 refugees preached only to Jews, but a few of broader 
 sympathies preached to the Greeks. The result was 
 astounding to those of strict Jewish standards. That 
 these converts were sincere Christians could hardly be 
 denied; how significant and permanent their conver- 
 sions would be merited friendly investigation. 
 
 It speaks much for Barnabas that he was selected for 
 this mission. He was in excellent standing at Jeru- 
 salem as a generous and kindly disciple. He was ap- 
 parently a man of broader sympathies and more valu- 
 able experience than any of the others. He went to 
 Antioch and entered heartily into the work of the 
 church established there on an inclusive rather than 
 exclusive ba'sis, 
 
Chapter 15. The Training of Saul 57 
 
 The church grew with increasing rapidity, so that 
 Barnabas needed a coadjutor. He thereupon bethought 
 himself of Saul, by whom he had been deeply impressed 
 years before. He found him at home and persuaded 
 him to go to Antioch, where they became companions 
 and congenial fellow-workers. 
 
 The preceding years had been full of value for Saul. 
 He was now in the full maturity of his powers, with 
 an experience which made him successful in his work 
 and eager for it. He had become fully convinced, prac- 
 tically as well as ideally, that the Gospel was indeed 
 universal. He could labor unreservedly and enthusias- 
 tically at Antioch working with Jews and Gentiles alike. 
 His great heart yearned for them both, his brethren of 
 the faith once given to Israel and those whom he wel- 
 comed out of deeper darkness. Having pursued an 
 independent career thus far, he could act not alone 
 with decision and persistence, but with an ever broad- 
 ening apprehension of the issues involved in the freedom 
 of the Gospel message. All was ready, therefore, for an 
 advance. 
 
 Saul's most important preparation for his future work 
 was his whole-souled devotion to his duty. When once 
 convinced that he had been in the wrong, he began to 
 practice the right. As soon as be had become clear with 
 regard to what he should preach, he commenced a work 
 of evangelization. He no sooner faced a responsibility 
 than he met it. 
 
 We find a helpful thought also in his brave and 
 patient enduring of discipline. It could hardly have 
 been easy or pleasant for one who must have been con- 
 scious of his powers to wait those many years for the 
 opportunity of leadership. He had been a notable man 
 among Jews; Christians almost looked on him with 
 suspicion. But he was meanwhile in the making. 
 
58 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 16. Paul's First Missionary Journey. Acts ch. 
 13. A. D. 45 or 46. 
 
 In the book of Acts we gain the impression that the 
 work of evangelizing the Gentiles was begun in spite of 
 apostolic plans. It might be wrong to declare that the 
 apostles resisted the manifest indications of the willing- 
 ness of God to bless repentant Gentiles. More prob- 
 ably they saw so abundant a work before them amid 
 the congenial surroundings of the Jewish settlements, 
 where they knew their power and the efficacy of the 
 Gospel message, that the need of the great world beyond 
 had not yet laid hold of them. It was better in the 
 providence of God that this call came through their own 
 natural associations and sympathies and through the 
 convictions of their brethren of the free church of Anti- 
 och to the two loyal disciples, Barnabas and Saul. Each 
 had come out of non-Palestinian surroundings; each 
 was a faithful and reverent Jew; each took a broader 
 view of the mission of the Christ than the average of 
 his Christian associates; each had thoroughly tested 
 himself in the actual work of evangelization. 
 
 The conviction had doubtless long been forming in 
 the mind of Saul that some one should carry the mes- 
 sage of the Gospel into parts hitherto unpenetrated, 
 letting it help whom it would. Probably he and Barna- 
 bas had many a time talked it over together and with 
 the leaders of the church at Antioch before the resolu- 
 tion to send them forth as its representatives was taken. 
 It was one of those epochal acts, the result of many co- 
 operating judgments, on which the Divine seal was set 
 at the very start. 
 
 This mission thus begun gave Saul his first real 
 opportunity. Hitherto he had been acting in an obscure 
 environment or as an associate of more prominent men. 
 But the exigencies of such a tour were just such as he 
 could cope with better than most men. His unrivaled 
 knowledge of the technicalities of Judaistic argument, 
 his lifelong acquaintance with Gentiles and their ways 
 of thinking, his familiarity with conditions along the 
 
Chapter 16. Paul's First Missionary Journey 59 
 
 coast and in the interior of Asia Minor, his skill as a 
 speaker and his quickness and coolness of judgment 
 gave him a vast advantage over Barnabas, who was his 
 superior in appearance and perhaps in geniality. The 
 moment real leadership was demanded, Saul came to 
 the front. 
 
 There went with the two a young man, John Mark 
 by name, whom they had brought back from Jerusalem. 
 He was related to Barnabas (Col. 4: 10), and doubtless 
 was included at his request. He was a useful member 
 of the party, helping in many ways. 
 
 The probable plan of campaign was to tour through 
 Cyprus and then by way of the coast back to Antioch 
 of Syria. The chief reason for so thinking is the unex- 
 plained defection of Mark before the interior journey 
 had been begun, and 
 Paul's unwillingness 
 a year later to take 
 him again as an asso- 
 ciate on the ground 
 that he had not been 
 willing "to go to the 
 work" (Acts 15:38). 
 Mark may have clone 
 all that he had ever 
 agreed to do, but Paul 
 wished for men who 
 had just one ambition, 
 and that was to go 
 where the need was 
 patent. 
 
 They landed on the 
 eastern end of the 
 great island of Cyprus, at Salamis, where there were 
 many Jews, to whom they spoke at once. Synagogue 
 preaching was an obvious and sensible way of opening 
 their mission in any place. They had ready access to it, 
 were sure to be invited to speak, and met there just 
 those men for whom they were looking, the well- 
 
 Temple of Veams, at Papiios, Restored, 
 
 The imajre of the goddess was the cone shown in the 
 shrine. Incense was burned on the altar in front of 
 the shrine. 
 
60 Tlw Apostolic Leaders 
 
 informed Jews and the enlightened Gentiles. They 
 met with no particular hindrance, at least not until they 
 came to the other end of the island to Paphos. 
 
 Here occurred an event of considerable importance, 
 in that it not only led Saul to assert himself and made 
 him the accepted leader of the party, but it was the 
 first recorded occasion of the declaration of his Gospel. 
 
 Sergius Paulus, the Eoman proconsul, was a man of 
 intelligence and reverence. He was listening with glad- 
 ness to the words of the apostles, when Elymas, a pro- 
 fessional "sage," who feared that his hopes of gain 
 would be cut short, tried to prevent a continuance of 
 their influence. With tremendous earnestness and 
 force Saul, facing the man with a piercing gaze which 
 startled him, denounced his motives and declared his 
 judgment. 
 
 From that emergency thus met to the end of his days 
 Saul was the foremost missionary of the Christian 
 church. Henceforth he is known as Paul. The 'sig- 
 nificance of the change of name at this time is not 
 wholly sure. The apostle may have already had the 
 additional name from Eoman sources. He may have 
 taken the name in view of the new work about begin- 
 ning. 
 
 From Cyprus the party sailed across to Perga on the 
 coast. For some reason, either because it was not 
 healthful to remain at the coast and work or because 
 Paul already was making plans for an enterprise far 
 bolder and of wider scope than the original plan, no 
 long stop was made at Perga. They pressed on after 
 Mark's defection, up into the uplands of Pisidian 
 Antioch. 
 
 After a journey which must have included a fair 
 number of hardships and perils, the little company came 
 to Antioch in Pisidian Galatia. Here there were 
 plenty of Jews who in their synagogues as usual 
 afforded an easy method of approach. The apostles 
 were courteously received, and invited to speak. Paul 
 accepted the invitation and with a gesture compelling 
 
Chapter 16. Paul's First Missionary Journey 01 
 
 silence began to preach. The sermon is not different 
 from what other apostles would have said, because the 
 audience was composed of Jews. He traced the provi- 
 dences of God which finally resulted in the choice of 
 David and the establishment of the kingdom. But that 
 was in order that the Saviour might come, whom John 
 the Baptist recognized in Jesus of Nazareth. This 
 Saviour Paul was proclaiming to them all. Misunder- 
 standing Jesus, the Jerusalemites had put Him to 
 death, but God had raised Him from the dead, a fact 
 known to many witnesses. These were they who were 
 witnessing regarding Him to all people. To those who 
 accepted Him there was available the opportunity of 
 forgiveness, and of redemption and of justification. 
 Let those who would not act be warned. 
 
 The Holy Spirit works along the natural lines of 
 intellectual obedience. Paul and Barnabas were con- 
 vinced of the need and the duty of their new work 
 before the irresistible command came to them. They 
 were, doubtless, looking for light and guidance. 
 
 It also uses real ability. Barnabas was a kindly and 
 worthy man, but Paul was a great one. The emergency 
 developed him and made his place. The honest and 
 earnest man or woman can afford to wait God's time. 
 
62 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 17. Paul and Barnabas in Gaiatia. Acts ch. 
 14. About A. D. 48 or 49. 
 
 Paul's experience in Antioch of Pisidia was of no 
 little importance in determining his missionary policy 
 for the future. The silence of Acts prevents us from 
 knowing much about the events of the years preceding 
 his stay with the church in Syrian Antioch or during 
 that year. Apparently his work had in the main been 
 with those of Jewish birth and training. 
 
 During the week which followed the first sermon in 
 the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas 
 were busy talking with those who sought their counsel. 
 They shortly established a strong influence over such 
 men. When the second Sabbath came the synagogue 
 was crowded, not alone with Jews or proselytes, but 
 with Gentiles who were eager to hear what the apostles 
 had to say. Such responsiveness on their part, offset 
 and encouraged, no doubt, by an obvious willingness on 
 the part of Paul and Barnabas to encourage them, en- 
 raged the Jews, who quickly saw to what all such activ- 
 ity was tending. They gave expression to their feelings 
 by interrupting and denouncing the proceedings. Their 
 rudeness and bigotry called forth a well-merited rebuke 
 from the apostles, who, thinking of the noble word of 
 Isaiah regarding Israel's mission, declared that they 
 would not fail to carry the message of the Gospel to the 
 Gentiles. The people of the city gave them a hearty 
 welcome and among these they found many ready 
 listeners. 
 
 A work of real magnitude began at once. It extended 
 throughout the "region" of which Antioch was the cen- 
 ter. Those who came to the city for trade heard of the 
 new faith which was being preached by the Jewish mis- 
 sionaries to Jew and Gentile alike. This fact in itself 
 would seem to them very strange and quite attractive, 
 and they would wish to hear for themselves, and thus 
 came under the spell of Paul's persuasive eloquence. 
 
 After some time, possibly several months, a period 
 marked by an increasing range of apostolic influence. 
 
Chapter 17. Paul and Barnabas in Galatia 63 
 
 the Jews determined to put an end to their preaching. 
 They stirred up the women of rank, who were their 
 blind supporters, and the leading men, and drove out 
 Paul and Barnabas. We may not suppose that this 
 happened without a protest or in a moment. The book 
 of Acts has little to say about apostolic sufferings. But 
 Paul reminded Timothy once (2 Tim. 3:11) of the 
 severity of the persecutions endured at Antioch and 
 elsewhere in Galatia. Quite possibly some of the beat- 
 ings and scourgings recorded in 2 Cor. 11 : 24, 25 came 
 to them at this time. 
 
 But persecution, however severe, could not daunt the 
 spirit of the apostles or crush the ardent hopes of the 
 converts. All were faithful to their vows and rather 
 gloried in the privilege of suffering on behalf of the 
 Gospel. 
 
 At Iconium, some ninety miles to the southeast and 
 outside of the Antiochaean sphere, the apostles halted. 
 As usual they first entered the Jewish synagogue and 
 preached there with abundant success. Both Jews and 
 Greeks received the message. Again this stirred to 
 jealousy and violence the hearts of the Jewish 
 leaders. These were willing that such a message as 
 that of Paul should be preached in the synagogue, 
 but they were not ready to refer it to Gentiles, 
 thus putting them on the same religious plane as Jews. 
 The popular good-will toward the apostles was so gen- 
 uine and widespread that the attitude of these leaders 
 did not for some time succeed in making the situation 
 perilous for them. At last, however, so bitter became 
 the factionalism and so imminent the danger that Paul 
 and Barnabas deemed it wise to slip away into the 
 Lycaonian "region." 
 
 They had to go only eighteen miles to reach Lystra, 
 a garrison town, a "colony" like Antioch, and a place of 
 considerable importance. They found here a good 
 example of the hybrid religion that officially existed in 
 a community with the veneer of Greek civilization. It 
 took the forms and names of Greek deities but main- 
 
64 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 tained the ideas of the locality. Paul healed a cripple, 
 a deed which aroused to the highest pitch the wonder 
 and joy of the populace, which planned at once a public 
 welcome to the deities who had, as they conjectured, 
 
 come to visit them. 
 Neither of the apos- 
 tles understood the 
 cries of the people, 
 expressed in the local 
 speech, but they 
 quickly apprehended 
 the meaning of the 
 action of the temple 
 servitors, who were 
 unmistakably prepar- 
 ing to offer sacrifice. 
 It is interesting to 
 note that the princi- 
 pal place was accorded 
 Ruins of an Ancient Churcn in Lystra. f o Ba r nabas on purely 
 
 There are so many ruins of churches in this vicinity, nv fflrnol frrnnnrlc: TTo 
 that it has been called "the place of a thousand arid ^Aieilldi glUULLUb. Xie 
 
 one churches.- ^ w ithout question 
 
 the more attractive and impressive personality. 
 
 Some may wonder at the complaisance of the priest- 
 hood. Possibly the sudden enthusiasm of the populace 
 was not to be gainsaid, more likely the priest was not 
 jealous. It is not impossible that the local guardians 
 of the temple of the city were as ignorant as the mass 
 of the people. At all events the apostles with difficulty 
 prevented the consummation of their purpose. Exhib- 
 iting distress and horror they appealed to the multitude 
 to stay the sacrificial rites, declaring that they were not 
 gods but men, witnesses of the true message of the one 
 living God, the Creator and Euler of the whole universe, 
 who had in times past allowed peoples to have their 
 own peculiar fashion of worship, yet knit Himself to 
 them and their needs by continuous deeds of kindly 
 providence. 
 
 Surely such enthusiasm gave the apostles a rare 
 
Chapter 17. Paul and Barnabas in Galatia 65 
 
 chance for evangelizing, but again their jealous Jewish 
 foes, following them up from Antioch and Iconium, 
 spread abroad suspicion of their motives, and soon 
 stirred up a mob which stoned Paul and left his body 
 outside of the city, supposably dead. But he recovered 
 sufficiently to return quietly with his disciples to the 
 city and to proceed on the next day to Derbe, still 
 farther to the southeast and at the very edge of Galatia. 
 After a successful work of some duration in this city the 
 apostles determined to retrace their steps, revisiting the 
 places in which they had labored, rather than to go 
 direct to Syrian Antioch overland. Possibly this was 
 because the mountain roads were impassable at the 
 time; more likely the decision was due to a well-con- 
 sidered policy. Paul and Barnabas had determined to 
 assume the responsibility of formally recognizing inde- 
 pendent churches in these communities without advice 
 or permission from Antioch or Jerusalem. Their 
 installation of new officers in the cities gave them rea- 
 sonable freedom in meeting and counselling the congre- 
 gations. They therefore exhorted each group of Chris- 
 tians to be true to their faith, expecting and enduring 
 tribulations; they organized a church in each com- 
 munity, and encouraged it to begin to live its inde- 
 pendent life. Thus they returned to Syrian Antioch 
 with a report which thrilled all hearts. 
 
 Those who are looking for opportunity, setting their 
 gaze ahead, are the ones whom neither abuse nor danger 
 nor ridicule can swerve from their course. The more, 
 like these apostles, we let the possible future of the 
 kingdom of God grow before our vision, the more avail- 
 able as real leaders we become. 
 
66 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 18. The Council at Jerusalem. Acts 15:1-35; 
 Gal. ch. 2. About A. D. 50 or 5 1 . 
 
 The successful work of Paul and Barnabas in Cyprus 
 and Galatia must have greatly stirred even the church at 
 Antioch which had sent them forth. It is hardly 
 within the bounds of probability that either the two 
 missionaries or their sponsors anticipated what had 
 happened. Not merely had they spread the word of the 
 Gospel, but it had taken remarkable effect. Whole 
 churches, made up of Gentile members, or at least 
 having them in the dominant majority, had come into 
 being. Galatia and Cyprus as well as Syria and Pal- 
 estine were enrolled as provinces of the church, where 
 men and women were being rapidly added to the body 
 of believers. 
 
 The Antioch church was no doubt able to receive this 
 report with complacency and to sympathize with the 
 ardor of their apostolic messengers. But what of the 
 Christians at Jerusalem ! Mark had returned thither 
 and it is fair to presume that his account of what was 
 being ventured by the missionaries was not unaffected 
 by his own reluctant attitude. No criticisms, however, 
 were necessary to fan the flame of opposition at Jeru- 
 salem. The word sent on from the missionaries them- 
 selves was sufficient to horrify the straitest of the Jewish 
 Christians. 
 
 We mast not forget that the majority of the com- 
 munity at Jerusalem were ardent Jews as well as 
 believers in Jesus as the Messiah. They were very 
 careful to walk according to the ordinances, blameless. 
 They still clung to the Jewish idea that salvation was 
 to be granted only to those who were actuallv Jews or 
 to those who became as like them as possible in spirit 
 and attitude. Such did not relish the letting down of 
 barriers in the wholesale fashion practiced by Paul and 
 Barnabas, who seemed to make it as easy for a rank 
 outsider without instruction to enter the kingdom of 
 God as it was for one of Jewish training. They even 
 
Chapter 18. The Council at Jerusalem 
 
 67 
 
 seemed to be advising the Jews who lived in Gentile 
 countries "to forsake Moses and not to circumcise their 
 children/' Of course such charges were untrue, but 
 they were believed in the general excitement. 
 
 Certain zealous conservatives journeyed down to 
 Antioch in order to bear testimony to the truth. They 
 were in earnest, had the prestige of coming from the 
 center of Christendom, presumably reflected the views 
 of all there, including the apostles, and created at once 
 much trouble. Paul and Barnabas were not men who 
 would permit such declarations to go unchallenged. 
 They had at least the visible tokens of the indwelling 
 of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of their Greek or Gala- 
 tian converts to strengthen their own convictions and 
 confirm their policy, and to them this seemed clearly to 
 supersede any other 
 authority. Hence they 
 sturdily resisted the 
 argument of the Juda- 
 izers, until the per- 
 p 1 e x e d church at 
 Antioch deputed the 
 two evangelists and 
 some others unnamed 
 to go to Jerusalem and 
 have the question set- 
 tled there before the 
 Twelve. 
 
 According to Gala- 
 tians, second chapter, 
 Paul at one time 
 went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas for a private 
 conference with the leaders, his purpose being to make 
 sure that they were in reasonable sympathy with his 
 plans of evangelization. He took along Titus as an 
 object lesson of the obvious fact that a Gentile could 
 become a Christian. In spite of the opposition of cer- 
 tain intruders of legalistic temperament, these leaders 
 were large-minded and generous. They saw that Paul 
 
 Paul, the Cbainpion of Christian Liberty. 
 
 By Raphael. 
 
68 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 was by nature and training the herald of a Gentile 
 gospel, a work which their own predilections and heri- 
 tage made very difficult for them. They indorsed his 
 purpose, only urging that he instruct his converts to 
 remember the poor. 
 
 Most authorities identify this visit with the one 
 described in the fifteenth chapter of Acts. Identifica- 
 tions are always precarious. It is quite possible that 
 in Galatians Paul refers to an earlier visit to Jerusalem, 
 even, as Bartlet thinks, before the visit of Acts 11 : 30. 
 The private nature of it would have been reason enough 
 for entire omission in the Acts narrative, which is 
 admittedly meagre until we reach the travel narrative. 
 The question is not one of supreme importance. Paul 
 might well have wondered how he would come out at 
 Jerusalem, had this earlier understanding with the 
 apostles never taken place. 
 
 It exhibits the large-mindedness of Paul in an 
 attractive light when he consented to go to Jerusalem. 
 He was willing to run the risk of being misconstrued 
 as one who needed to 'submit to the judgment of the 
 Twelve, if only he could thus draw the two branches of 
 the church together. His dearest wish was to have his 
 Gentile converts and his brethren in the faith at 
 Jerusalem see eye to eye. 
 
 All the way up to Jerusalem the deputation told 
 their wonderful story, to which the simpler-minded 
 Christians in the villages responded with great joy. 
 This shows that the Judaizers were not the real repre- 
 sentatives of the church at large. 
 
 At Jerusalem they were received by the whole com- 
 munity of believers, who listened to the stirring narra- 
 tive of their experiences. One whose soul has been 
 thrilled by some great missionary speaker, describing 
 the things he has seen and the wonderful works of the 
 Lord, can readily imagine how Paul by his eloquent 
 tongue moved the very souls of all present. For that 
 very reason the Pharisaically trained auditors broke in 
 with the declaration that to attain fulness of Christian 
 
Chapter 18, The Council at Jerusalem 69 
 
 experience these converts must be made subservient 
 to the law. The discussion was adjourned, but only to 
 provoke an acrimonious debate. If Lightfoot is correct, 
 the experiences of Gal. 2 : 1-10 probably occurred at 
 this time. When the discussion had spent itself and the 
 time for decision seemed to have come, Peter and James 
 turned the scale. The former referred to his own 
 experience that God had accepted Gentiles, and this 
 without waiting for them to Judaize. Was it right, 
 therefore, to lay upon them the wearisome bondage of 
 Judaism? Not so had Jesus taught. 
 
 After Paul and Barnabas had emphasized again the 
 clear manifestations of divine grace in their experi- 
 ences of Gentiles, James summed up what he saw was 
 the prevailing sentiment. It was not desirable to ham- 
 per the coming of the Gentiles to Christ, but only to 
 urge them to be scrupulous to abstain from the gross 
 defilements which every Jew held in horror. 
 
 With thankful hearts, accompanied by delegates who 
 would deliver the authoritative message, they returned 
 to Antioch. Galatians 2:11-21 describes a visit of 
 Peter which apparently followed. Following Paul's 
 example Peter without especial thought ate with Gen- 
 tiles. For this the Jerusalem church was not quite 
 prepared. They criticised, and Peter withdrew, to PauF3 
 indignation. The latter saw that the whole principle of 
 Christian freedom was involved, and the question of 
 salvation. There was only one way of salvation, by 
 faith in Christ. 
 
 These incidents well exhibit the generosity and the 
 keenness of Paul. He would voluntarily surrender all 
 sorts of liberty, if such a surrender was of value to a 
 brother man, but he stood like a rock for that which he 
 believed to be fundamental truth and wavered in no 
 presence. 
 
70 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 19. Paul in Troas and Philippi. Acts 15: 36— 
 16:15. About A. D. 51. 
 
 When Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch of 
 Syria it was with the definite intention of continuing 
 their missionary labors in the rich field which they had 
 opened. Their heart was burdened by the thought of 
 the struggling churches which they had founded, which 
 were in sore need of comfort and encouragement, and 
 perhaps even more by the waiting world, so ready for 
 the Gospel, to which it would be their privilege to 
 minister. 
 
 It was Paul who made the proposition, after a short 
 sojourn at Antioch, that they should at once revisit the 
 churches which they had founded. Barnabas was 
 willing but desired to take Mark along again. Paul 
 demurred at this, for the possible reason that he thought 
 of this revisitation as only a preliminary to a wider 
 work, necessarily undefined in its scope. Mark had once 
 abandoned an expedition of this sort and he did not 
 regard him as dependable. So strenuously did they 
 differ regarding Mark that they concluded to part com- 
 pany, Barnabas taking his relative, Mark, and sailing 
 for Cyprus, where he was at home, while Paul chose a 
 new companion, Silas, one of the two delegates from 
 Jerusalem to the churches. 
 
 This separation was not an unmixed calamity. Each 
 apostle had qualities of leadership, which he exercised 
 thereafter for the benefit of the church. Moreover, 
 Mark was apparently made more diligent and earnest 
 by reason of Paul's disapprobation. In later days the 
 great apostle cherished for him the deepest affection 
 and referred to him (Col. 4: 10, 11) as of much value. 
 
 It was no small gain that Silas was added to the 
 number of the avowed missionaries to the Gentile world. 
 He had probably given evidence of his fitness for such 
 work, not alone by his preference for Antioch over Jeru- 
 salem as a religious home, but by his tact and efficiency 
 in dealing with Jewish Christians on the one hand and 
 
Chapter 19. Paul in Troas and Philip pi 71 
 
 with Gentile converts on the other. Like Paul he was 
 a Hebrew of high standing, held in honor by the Jeru- 
 salem church (Acts 15 : 22) ; like him also Silas was a* 
 Roman citizen (Acts 16: 37). In character he was such 
 another as the great-hearted Barnabas, beloved of all 
 the disciples. 
 
 The two set out for Galatia by the overland route, 
 visiting the churches of Syria and Cilicia by the way, 
 passing probably through the "Cilician Gates" and com- 
 ing first in order to Derbe and then to Lystra. At the 
 latter city an event of great importance took place. 
 Here lived Timothy, a young man of good family, whose 
 father was a Greek. From his youth he had been 
 trained in the Scriptures by his mother and grand- 
 mother (2 Tim. 1:5). Doubtless he had been a con- 
 vert to Paul's earlier preaching and one of his active 
 supporters, and had also been a valued member of the 
 church in his own city, winning golden opinions from 
 all the Christians there and in the vicinage. This 
 young man Paul took to be his companion and helper. 
 As a preliminary he circumcised him, not because it was 
 an essential to salvation, but as expedient in view of 
 their constant contact with Jews as well as Greeks. The 
 fact that Timothy submitted to it at his age would 
 afford the clearest evidence that both he and his spirit- 
 ual father did not despise the Abrahamic covenant, 
 and would predispose loyal Jews to listen to him. By 
 selecting Timothy Paul added to himself a loyal and 
 loving friend, who greatly lightened his labors and 
 gladly shared his perils. 
 
 Wherever Paul and Silas went in Galatia they deliv- 
 ered the decree of the Jerusalem council and urged upon 
 the members of the congregations a compliance with its 
 spirit. Everywhere they found the churches in vigor- 
 ous condition, growing in numbers and increasing in 
 definiteness and fulness of faith. 
 
 Thus the little group passed through the whole 
 region with which Paul at least was so familiar, until at 
 last having visited Antioch of Pisidia and its outlying 
 
72 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 churches the question was where they should go next. 
 Paul's hopes seem to have turned toward Ephesus, the 
 most important city of the great province of Asia, but 
 in some way it was made clear that such a visit was not 
 permitted by God. They then planned to spend some 
 time in the province of Bithynia, where later on Chris- 
 tianity became so strongly planted, but again it was 
 made clear that this was not the divine will. Passing 
 therefore through Mysia they came to Troas, a Roman 
 colony and important port of entry in northwestern 
 Asia Minor. 
 
 The reason that led Paul to go to Troas is not made 
 clear by the narrative, but the reason that led God to 
 
 Troas, the Place of Paul's Call to Macedonia. 
 
 send him there is made very plain. Here he met some 
 one who became his intimate companion, and whose 
 diary of events was one of the most valuable sources of 
 information utilized by the author of the book of Acts. 
 Not all students agree in calling this unnamed com- 
 panion Luke, but it seems at least highly probable that 
 he was the Luke, the beloved physician, who played a 
 more or less important part in the life of Paul there- 
 after. 
 
 At Troas Paul had a vision which defined for him 
 the purpose of God. He saw a man of Macedonia beck- 
 oning to him and asking that he should come over and 
 evangelize. Such a vision may well have accompanied 
 and concluded a growing conviction formed through 
 
Chapter 19. Paul in Troas and Philippi 73 
 
 conversations with men who knew the Macedonian coun- 
 try that the way was absolutely clear for a fruitful tour 
 of missionary service there. 
 
 With characteristic promptness the apostle and his 
 associates started for the opposite shore. The writer of 
 the diary rarely fails to describe the voyages which 
 ensued. They made a straight run to Samothrace, and 
 on the day following came to Neapolis, the harbor of 
 Philippi. Desiring to reach the latter city Paul did not 
 delay at the seaport. Philippi was an interesting city, 
 the leading one in that division of Macedonia, and 
 with the status of a Eoman colonia. At this city the 
 party made quite a stay, although not as extended a visit 
 
 Heapolis, Fad's First Landing-place in Europe 
 
 as they themselves desired. On the first Sabbath they 
 sallied forth to find the place of prayer which served 
 in place of a synagogue for the small Jewish com- 
 munity. Here they preached to an audience composed 
 mainly of women, one of whom was a woman of impor- 
 tance, engaged in business as the agent of the purple- 
 dyed garment makers of Thyatira. With her they 
 found a hearty hospitality and a very 'sincere faith. 
 
 The independence of Lydia and her occupation 
 impress the casual reader with surprise. But the 
 records of those days make it very evident that women 
 in Macedonia occupied positions of considerable free- 
 dom and of social influence combined with entire 
 respectability. Moreover, the extent of commerce and 
 
74 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 business transacted was very great. The business in 
 which Lydia was engaged required a good deal of 
 capital and she was probably prosperous. 
 
 Her household joined with her in gladly accepting 
 the teachings of Paul, and she insisted that the mis- 
 sionary party should become her guests. 
 
 The dominant impression of these events upon the 
 writer of Acts was the good guidance of God. Even 
 the deplorable difference between Paul and Barnabas 
 gave occasion for a wider evangelization and for the 
 addition of two notable men to the circle of apostolic 
 workers. Moreover, Paul's ideas grew steadily broader 
 and more far-reaching because of a pressure which he 
 recognized as coming from God and which prevented his 
 settling down to tasks which seemed congenial, con- 
 venient, and promising. 
 
 Chapter 20. Paul at Philippi. Acts 16: 16=40. About 
 A. D. 51. 
 
 One day Paul and his companions were met 
 by a slave girl who possessed the power of sooth- 
 saying and brought to her masters much gain by 
 her predictions. "Her unstrung mind, rendered the 
 more abnormal by her very belief in its own super- 
 natural possession, was hyper-acute in its perceptions, 
 especially as regarded the moral magnetism of strong 
 personalities." She felt strangely moved by the pres- 
 ence of these great-souled men of God, and followed 
 them for many days crying out, proclaiming that they 
 were true servants of the Most High. Paul endured 
 this annoyance stoically for some time, but at last, 
 tried beyond endurance, he commanded the spirit in the 
 name of Christ to come out of her. The result was 
 immediate and radical and she ceased to be of any profit 
 to her owners. 
 
Chapter 20. Paul at Philippi / 5 
 
 This deed put the work of the apostles into a new 
 light. So long as they had confined themselves to 
 preaching and social intercourse with a few women and 
 others, no one cared to oppose them, but when they 
 interfered with the golden harvests of some of the 
 people, they met with bitter opposition at once. The 
 men who had owned the slave lost their comfortable 
 income. She no longer had any power, and people 
 ceased to come to her to have their fortunes told or to 
 get help in finding things that they had lost. This 
 deprivation angered them and they haled Paul and Silas 
 before the rulers of the city. 
 
 The charge brought against the apostles was that 
 they, being Jews, were disturbing the city and urging 
 customs which no Eoman could receive or observe. It 
 was intentionally vague, yet skilfully worded. With 
 the reputation which the city must necessarily sustain it 
 was a dangerous charge. Paul and Silas were given no 
 real chance to defend themselves. The praetors or mag- 
 istrates, spurred on apparently by the clamors of the 
 mob which the accusers had raised, commanded that 
 they be stripped and given a cruel scourging. Amidst 
 the confusion no protests could be heard, or if heard 
 they were unheeded. It was the judgment of a mob, 
 not a deliberate trial by judges who asked for evidence. 
 
 There was a widespread prejudice against all Jews, 
 which made this act of violence possible. Eomans and 
 Greeks alike felt for the race only hatred and contempt. 
 This was due in part to the cleverness and business 
 acumen of the Jew, which made him the easy superior 
 of any rival in commercial intercourse, and in part, 
 also, to the attitude of exclusiveness and to the peculiar 
 practices of the Jew. Only a renegade Jew could be a 
 true companion for a Eoman or Greek. So little 
 impression had been made on Philippi as a city by the 
 missionaries that the inhabitants made no discrimina- 
 tion whatever between Paul and Silas and any other 
 Jews, although these men represented a wholly different 
 attitude toward the world. 
 
76 
 
 The Apostolic Leade 
 
 rs 
 
 The fierceness of the mob and the high-handed action 
 of the praetors finds explanation in the character of the 
 city. Its inhabitants, whether native Greeks or Roman 
 colonists, were people of privilege, who were proud of 
 their position. The introduction of any elements of 
 disturbance they would not tolerate for an instant, lest 
 
 The Site of Philippi. 
 
 they seem unfaithful to the imperial trust and lose the 
 distinction in which they took such pride. 
 
 After the scourging the hapless prisoners were thrust 
 into the prison with a command to the jailer to keep 
 them safely. He then, to make sure, placed them in 
 the most secure portion of the jail, a small cell without 
 openings except the doorway, and fastened their feet in 
 stocks. 
 
 No situation could be less inviting, but the brave 
 souls of the prisoners were not depressed. Rather were 
 they seeking strength in prayer and praise to God when 
 an earthquake shook the prison, opened the doors, and 
 released the prisoners. As Ramsay has remarked, no 
 one who is familiar with Turkish prisons to-day, which 
 do not differ materially from public prisons of the 
 Oriental past, need wonder at the results. The earth- 
 quake by forcing the door posts apart would cause the 
 bars to drop out, and by loosening the 'stones in the 
 rough prison wall would detach the chains or stocks 
 which secured the prisoners. 
 
 Awed by the earthquake, the prisoners scarcely had 
 time to realize that they might escape when the jailer, 
 
Chapter 20. Paul at Philip pi 77 
 
 awakened suddenly, saw that the outer door was open. 
 Rather than meet the disgraceful penalty of remissness 
 he would have committed suicide, but Paul from the 
 inner room called out that all were present, and stayed 
 his purpose. Calling for lights, and going to the inner 
 prison, the trembling jailer did his best to show his 
 reverence for Paul and Silas. He was convinced that 
 the maiden had spoken truly concerning them, and that 
 they were real messengers of God. He was within his 
 rights in treating them kindly, since they were merely 
 in his custody until the morning. His heart was now 
 open to their teachings, and both he and his household 
 became glad and eager followers of the Lord. 
 
 The next morning early the praetors sent their lictors 
 with an order to release the two prisoners, which the 
 jailer transmitted to them. But to slip away in such 
 fashion, as if glad to be released and as if accepting a 
 boon, was not the way of Paul. He stood upon his 
 rights, thinking, no doubt, for his converts and their 
 standing in the city as well as for himself. He declared 
 that the praetors had violated all law and justice in 
 dealing with them, free Roman citizens, without inves- 
 tigating the charges against them. These words hum- 
 bled the praetors and caused them to come in person and 
 release the prisoners, apologizing for their own disre- 
 gard of law. They then urged Paul and Silas to leave 
 the city, with which request, after conferring with the 
 disciples and exhorting them to remain faithful, they 
 complied. 
 
 Short as was their stay at Philippi, it had been worth 
 while. A church had been founded which was loyally 
 and continuously active for many years. The converts 
 were mostly Greeks. One was a business woman of 
 good standing, one a jailer, with their dependents. The 
 congregation with its leaders was a striking illustration 
 of the universality of the Gospel of Christ. 
 
 Apparently it enlarged the thought of Paul until he 
 began to study the evangelization of the great Roman 
 world. The mob, the scourging, the unfair magistrates, 
 
78 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 were all as nothing to such as he, in view of those, 
 though they were few, who had become genuine follow- 
 ers of Christ. 
 
 Chapter 21. Paul at Thessalonica and Bcroea. Acts 17: 
 1 = 15; lThes.2: 1-12. About A. D. 52. 
 
 With heavy hearts the little company must have left 
 Philippi, where they had found so warm a welcome. 
 The loyalty of the church which began in the household 
 of Lydia was marked and strong. For years to come 
 in manifold ways it ministered to the great apostle 
 (Phil. 1:5; 4: 15, 16) in times of need, not alone by 
 material gifts but by manifestations of comradeship and 
 interest. Probably it would be fair to say that the 
 church at Philippi was on the whole the one for 
 which Paul cherished the deepest affection and in which 
 he placed the most unswerving confidence. 
 
 They passed along westward over the famous road, 
 the Via Egnatia of Horace, which was the continuation 
 through Macedonia of the Appian Way. Had Paul 
 thought of it, he was on his way directly to Kome. But 
 at the present he thought rather of the cities near at 
 hand. The narrative refers to their passage through 
 Amphipolis and Apollonia, cities at natural stages of 
 the hundred mile journey to Thessalonica. Amphipolis 
 was a natural rival of Philippi, disputing with it the 
 pre-eminence. It is not at all impossible that Paul and 
 his party preached in these cities, since Acts does not 
 purport to relate more than a part of Paul's work. 
 Moreover there are references in his letters to the 
 churches of these parts, which fairly imply the found- 
 ing of more than three or four in Macedonia. But in 
 any case the stop in these cities could not have been 
 long; the apostle was really aiming at the political and 
 commercial center of Macedonia. 
 
Chapter 21. Paul at Thessalonica and Beroea 79 
 
 Ancient Cnnrch in Thessalonica. 
 
 Thessalonica was then, as now and since Paul's day, 
 a city of natural importance. Founded about 300 b. a, 
 it became in 146 b. c. the real capital of the region. 
 It was situated at the head of the gulf of Salonica, the 
 natural distribut- 
 ing center for the 
 imports and ex- 
 ports of a large 
 and populous re- 
 gion, a Eoman 
 naval station, in 
 direct communica- 
 tion with West 
 and East by land 
 or sea. Because of 
 its support Octav- 
 ius made Thessa- 
 lonica a free city 
 ruled by its own 
 assembly (Acts 17:6) and by its own magistrates, the 
 "politarchs." When Paul reached the city he found 
 it populous and prosperous. Being such a commercial 
 center, Thessalonica had attracted a large colony of 
 Jews, who had built a synagogue. Naturally the mis- 
 sionaries went first to this place of advantage and began 
 to declare their message. Judaism seems to have made 
 a better impression at Thessalonica than at Philippi, 
 since through the synagogue Paul came into ready 
 contact with the better classes among the Greeks. 
 
 The narrative of Acts taken by itself would perhaps 
 lead the reader to suppose that the apostles were at 
 Thessalonica only three weeks or so. But the fourth 
 verse of chapter seventeen must cover at least as many 
 months. Ramsay thinks that the party remained at 
 Thessalonica about six months. Philippians 4:16 and 
 1 Thessalonians 1 : 8 clearly imply a far longer period 
 than a few weeks. It is highly probable that after three 
 Sabbaths of preaching in the synagogue, the opposition 
 of the more rigid Jews became so pronounced that Paul 
 
SO The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 was obliged to carry on his work in other ways. By 
 that time he had won the respect and attention of the 
 enlightened and responsive Greeks of culture and refine- 
 ment, who had formerly repaired to the synagogue, and 
 thus was able to inaugurate a work of real and perma- 
 nent importance. He founded a church chiefly of 
 Gentiles (1 Thes. 1:9) which began to co-operate with 
 him boldly from the very start. Into this work Paul 
 threw his whole soul (1 Thes. 2 : 8, 9). 
 
 In course of time the hostile Jews determined to 
 drive Paul from the city. They persecuted him and his 
 converts (1 Thes. 1:6; 2:2, 14-16 ; 3 : 3) in many ways 
 without avail. Finally they hired or excited a number 
 of the rabble which is readily available in any large 
 commercial center, gathered a mob and stirred up a 
 riot, assaulting the house of Jason, the leading member 
 of the Christian church, hoping to find Paul and his 
 associates there. 
 
 Not finding the missionaries at Jason's house, the 
 mob dragged him with other prominent Christians 
 before the politarchs, as the rulers of Thessalonica were 
 called. This title is not a common one and its use 
 threw for a long time some suspicion upon the accuracy 
 of the narrative of Acts. Research, however, has con- 
 firmed the declaration that the magistrates of Thes- 
 salonica had this peculiar designation. 
 
 The charge which Paul's opponents made before these 
 politarchs was one to which the magistrates were very 
 sensitive. It was not, as at Philippi, a charge that they 
 were introducing religious innovations, but a much more 
 serious matter. It was declared that the missionaries 
 were bent on treasonable agitation. The Roman rulers 
 were so afraid of such political disturbance that they 
 punished severely the slightest indications of a revolt, 
 whether apparent or real. 
 
 The magistrates seem to have been unconvinced of 
 the guilt of Paul and his company, but they dared not 
 refuse to take action. They came to an ingenious and, 
 for Paul, perplexing solution of the matter. They put 
 
Chapter 21. Paul at Thessalonica and Beroea SI 
 
 the leading Christians under bonds to keep the peace, 
 and dismissed the case. Probably a part of the contract 
 was the departure of Paul from the city. At least he 
 writes later on to the Thessalonian church that "once 
 and again" he was only prevented from visiting them 
 "by Satan." By this he must mean some device so 
 crafty and effectual that it must have been inspired by 
 the devil himself. Such would have been the arrange- 
 ment that his return would involve the leaders of the 
 church in legal penalties. 
 
 From Thessalonica the party went to Bercea, where 
 for a while the work went very well. The Jews of 
 Bercea were less jealous and unreasonable than those of 
 Thessalonica. They were eager to consider Paul's 
 instruction. Here, too, many of the better class of the 
 Greek population became deeply interested. But when 
 the Thessalonian Jews heard of Paul's successful work 
 in Bercea, they sent emissaries who aroused another 
 mob against him and drove him from the city, doubt- 
 less under the same charge that occasioned his expulsion 
 from Thessalonica. 
 
 From the letters written by Paul to his churches at 
 Philippi and at Thessalonica we know that an exten- 
 sive work was promoted at this time and later through- 
 out the Macedonian region. Either Paul visited more 
 than the three cities mentioned in Acts, or he made 
 these cities the working center of a far-reaching activ- 
 ity. Probably the latter was the actual course of action. 
 It was the method of evangelization organized by Paul 
 in the province of Asia from Ephesus as a center, later 
 on, a method fully approved by him. Paul planted 
 himself in the large commercial centers, where men 
 were always coming and going. Many of them became 
 his messengers. 
 
 There is reason to think that he regarded the syna- 
 gogue preaching mainly as introductory to the wider 
 audience of thoughtful Greeks whom he longed to evan- 
 gelize. For them in particular he had a message, which 
 set his heart aglow. 
 
82 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Neither he nor his companions counted the rough 
 usage of these months as an indication that the work 
 should cease. It was rather an indication that results 
 were being achieved of such moment that their enemies 
 were becoming vindictive. The best evidence, often, for 
 a movement for evangelization or for reform is the 
 character of the opposition it arouses. 
 
 Chapter 22, Paul's Address at Athens. Acts 17 : 16-34. 
 About A. D. 52. 
 
 By his hurried exit from Bercea Paul brought appar- 
 ently to an abrupt close his work in Macedonia. But 
 we have seen evidence that it had already been more 
 firmly established and more broadly extended than the 
 meagre narrative of the book of Acts would lead us to 
 infer. The great apostle had really accomplished a 
 second great provincial foundation, the one for which he 
 afterward cherished the tenderest affection. 
 
 He went to the coast, leaving Silas and Timothy at 
 Bercea, and probably uncertain as to his own move- 
 ments, but on reaching the harbor, twenty miles away, 
 he determined to go to Athens. From there he 'sent 
 word to them to join him as speedily as possible. After 
 they reached him, he despatched Timothy to visit and 
 encourage the Thessalonian church (1 Thes. 3 : 1, 2) and 
 bring him word again; and probably sent Silas on a 
 similar errand to some other Macedonian church, per- 
 haps the one at Philippi, for we are told of their rejoin- 
 ing him at Corinth a few weeks later (Acts 18:5). 
 
 He was practically alone at Athens, and had there 
 a unique and humbling experience. There is some 
 reason to think that he needed or at least strongly 
 craved constant companionship. He should have 
 reached the city refreshed by the easy voyage of two 
 hundred miles, all the time in sight of land and with 
 noble mountain ranges within view. 
 
 Paul could not long remain quiet. He 'soon began 
 
Chapter 22. Paul's Address at Athens S3 
 
 to examine the city in which he found himself. He 
 was well used to Greek cities, but Athens represented a 
 type which exceeded them all. Stokes has called atten- 
 tion to the description of Athens made by Pausanias 
 within the century following Paul's visit and when the 
 city was practially unchanged from its aspect in Paul's 
 day. In that century Athens was at the very height of 
 its literary glory and architectural splendor. It was the 
 leading university city of the world, adorned by admir- 
 ing devotees of science and philosophy with temples, 
 palace and statues. 
 
 These manifestations of outward splendor and beauty 
 aroused in the great apostle a sort of horror at the com- 
 pleteness with which these philosophers and their dev- 
 otees were given up to the contemplation of the purely 
 aesthetic or the merely superficial aspects of the divine 
 life in the world. He was no stranger to university 
 ways, having been familiar with and probably a student 
 of the university of Tarsus, reputed to be the third 
 greatest in the world of his day. But his interest in 
 the academical glories of the city was overmastered by 
 his indignation at its spiritual condition. It was 
 packed with images. He understood of course the real 
 purpose of these statues, but was made sick at heart by 
 his realization of the character of the religion which 
 took delight in them. As usual he began at once to take 
 part in the life around him as opportunity offered, in 
 the synagogues among the Jews and the proselytes, and 
 in the Agora among those with whom he could converse. 
 The Agora was the busy central square of the cit} 7 , lined 
 with beautiful porticoes, adorned with priceless statues, 
 crowded at all hours with a varied group of men of 
 every nationality, every one in search of a new sensa- 
 tion. Some of the leaders among them were among his 
 hearers, and either they or the bystanders made the 
 petulant remark that Paul was but one who aped the 
 ways and words of true philosophers, retailing their 
 views at second hand. Still others, misunderstanding 
 what he said about Jesus and His resurrection, thought 
 
84 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 that he was talking about two more gods. Ramsay 
 thinks that the recognized guild of lecturers at the 
 university, looking on Paul as a new candidate for their 
 privileges, then brought him before the Areopagus, or 
 council, which meeting not on the hill necessarily but 
 also in the Agora, could take cognizance of questions 
 bearing on public teaching in the city. Before this 
 august body they desired him to state his case. Sur- 
 rounded by these critics and listened to by others who 
 were idly interested, he responded to their request to 
 explain more in full his point of view and teaching. 
 
 The passing remark of the author about Athenian 
 interest in novelties was very keen and characteristic. 
 They were restlessly inquisitive, as their own great 
 orator, Demosthenes, once declared. But Paul thereby 
 had his chance, which he was very eager to improve to 
 the utmost, to declare unto them the God whom he 
 served. 
 
 This Areopagus address is the only recorded address 
 delivered to an educated Greek audience. It can hardly 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 iSllllteffl 
 
 v-^§8&~~ 
 
 
 
 • 3p ~L "' 
 
 SjS5§l=: 
 
 fc^^Sjg^ggg 
 
 lajj^gg 
 
 The Areopagus, Athens. 
 
 have been the only one, and it must have been a fairly 
 representative one. It was clearly an address rather 
 than a defense, and made with consummate skill in view 
 of the varieties of culture and belief in the audience. 
 More than that, it is a broad and generous recognition 
 of the best that is in the natural man along with a 
 searching avowal of the realities of sin and judgment. 
 
ArNa)ZT&dee<di 
 
 £ 
 
 Chapter 22. Paul's Address at Athens 85 
 
 Its reception gives the clearest evidence of the spiritual 
 poverty of the pagan religious thought of the time. 
 
 Paul began by expressly commending their religious 
 zeal, their great respect for things divine. He instanced 
 among other objects of worship which had attracted his 
 notice an altar inscribed to "An unknown God/' and 
 declared that the deity 
 thus blindly and vague- 
 ly worshiped was the 
 very One about whom he 
 came to preach. He 
 was not, however, a 
 Deity to be noted with 
 scant attention. He was 
 the one true God, Maker 
 of the universe, uncon- 
 fined in space or time, 
 in need of nothing but 
 loyal service from the 
 world of His creation, Altar to an Unknown God. 
 
 for which He manifests a loving providence, thereby 
 helping toward the light of conviction and contact those 
 who are stretching out feeble hands of faith and grop- 
 ing their way along. In Him men discover the true 
 significance of life. Being His spiritual children, how 
 assuredly ought men to scorn the unworthy repre- 
 sentatives of the Godhead suggested by the images! 
 Such devices might have been excused in the olden days 
 of ignorance, but now God calls upon all men to come 
 into direct personal relationship to Him, forsaking all 
 that will hinder; and He will hold men to their 
 responsibility for the truth proclaimed through Him 
 whom He raised from the dead. 
 
 Paul's mention of a resurrection was greeted with 
 scoffing and evasion. At best he had made a slight 
 impression upon his audience. The philosophers 
 regarded him as a religious enthusiast, too much in 
 earnest to be of a true philosophical temper. Paul's 
 experience had enlightened him as well. He saw that 
 
86 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 his audience took delight in unpractical discussion, and 
 that one who preached to them must confine himself 
 to the simple natural realities of sin, its bondage and 
 deliverance. 
 
 The accredited results of his brief stay at Athens were 
 meagre. Dionysius seems to have been a man of high 
 standing, but he had no associates. A church was 
 ultimately founded at Athens, but probably not by Paul, 
 who at least makes no further reference to one. On the 
 whole he seems to have been grievously disappointed by 
 the outcome of his visit. He had done his best, adapt- 
 ing himself with dignity, aptness and force to those 
 whom he would persuade, only to find them uncon- 
 cerned and unmoved. 
 
 But Paul's extremity became God's opportunity- 
 Paul's very humiliation led him to determine to deal 
 with all men as needy sinners to whom he would carry a 
 simple Gospel. Thus began a new phase of his won- 
 derful career. 
 
Chapter 28. Paul's Long Stay at Corinth 87 
 
 Chapter 23. Paul's Long Stay at Corinth. Acts 18: 1- 
 22; 1 Cor. 2: 1—3:2. About A. D. 52-54. 
 
 Paul had probably intended to remain at Athen? 
 until his companions could rejoin him; but in view of 
 the slight impression which he was able to make upon 
 that self-admiring city, he abandoned his purpose and 
 went to Corinth, some forty-five miles away, the politi- 
 cal and commercial capital of Achaia. From the stand- 
 point of location, near the neck of land between the 
 eastern and the western seas, and of importance, Cor- 
 inth far outclassed Athens, although the latter never 
 
 The Acro-Corinthus, at Corinth. 
 
 The temple of Venus, the chief deity of Corinth, was on the summit of this hill. 
 
 lost its intellectual ascendency. Corinth was a city 
 devoted to business and to pleasure. It had a popula- 
 tion which represented the whole Mediterranean shore. 
 Externally very beautiful and abounding in material 
 wealth, it was noted for open, unblushing profligacy of 
 every sort. The city has been called the London and 
 Paris combined of the first century. 
 
 At Corinth Paul found a congenial friend, Aquila, a 
 Jew born in Pontus, who had long been a citizen of 
 Rome. The emperor Claudius had issued an edict 
 against the Jews which led to their departure from 
 Rome and settlement m Corinth. (Apparently this 
 edict was never fully executed because of the numbers 
 of Jews in Rome.) Whether Aquila was a Christian 
 
88 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 when in Rome is uncertain, but not unlikely. His wife 
 Priscilla was evidently a woman of refinement and edu- 
 cation. She is given a prominence in the New Testa- 
 ment which testifies indirectly to her ability and 
 influence. The apostle, being largely dependent on 
 his own exertions for support, and going for work to 
 the haunts of the tent makers, came quickly and nat- 
 urally into contact with these fellow citizens, who 
 proved to be such helpful companions. 
 
 As usual Paul began at the synagogue, preaching 
 earnestly and aiming to persuade all whom he found 
 there, both Jews and proselytes, of the truth of his 
 message. After a time he was joined by Silas and 
 Timothy (whereupon he became completely absorbed in 
 the work of preaching). Their message of cheer may 
 have heartened him so that he seemed to redouble his 
 energies. In the first epistle to the Corinthians, Paul 
 declares that when he went to Corinth it was to preach 
 a straightforward, simple message of salvation through 
 the crucified Christ. All thought of a philosophical 
 presentation of truth he set aside, and addressed him- 
 self to the plain convictions of men as he met them. 
 
 A more than usually determined opposition among 
 the Jews was encountered by him at this time. Some 
 of them put themselves in bitter opposition, so that 
 Paul at last lost all patience, and with a gesture which 
 emphasized his idea he declared that he would no longer 
 continue his attempt to preach the Gospel to them, but 
 would turn with a clear conscience to the welcoming 
 Gentiles. 
 
 Paul no longer made use of the synagogue but set up 
 an opposition place of worship next door with a former 
 ruler of the synagogue as one of his prominent con- 
 verts. Eamsay remarks that Titus Justus, his host, 
 was evidently a Latin of the coloni in Corinth. Through 
 him Paul was doubtless able to get a hearing among the 
 more cultivated citizens of Corinth. 
 
 In due time he had great success in his Corinthian 
 ministry, but it was achieved amid many discourage- 
 
Chapter 23. Paul's Long Stay at Corinth 89 
 
 ments. His vision of encouragement implied that he 
 had some reason to fear opposition. That this was 
 exceedingly bitter one would infer from some of the 
 expressions in Thessalonians, written by Paul at about 
 this time. Paul does not refer more specifically to 
 these experiences; but his words in First Corinthians 
 2 : 3, "And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and 
 in much trembling/' imply that they were such as to 
 give pause to most men, and sufficient to affect even 
 the stout-hearted apostle. 
 
 But as at other critical moments of his career, the 
 apostle received from God an assurance of protection 
 and support which gave him courage to endure and 
 labor on. With continuing confidence he prolonged 
 his ministry in Corinth for many months. It was a 
 very successful ministry. Paul won a great number of 
 disciples and left behind him a well-organized and 
 enduring church. He drew his converts from all ranks 
 of society, but in the main from the poor and humble. 
 "Not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not 
 many noble." As a church, however, they included 
 some men of capacity and influence. Moreover, the 
 community was able to be generous to the brethren at 
 Jerusalem, and therefore could not have been poverty- 
 stricken. 
 
 Such success as this among the Gentile population 
 so inflamed his Jewish opponents that they attempted 
 to get Paul into trouble by accusing him before the 
 judgment seat of Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia. 
 Gallio was the brother of Seneca, the famous philoso- 
 pher. He was an easy-going, affable man, and the Jews 
 possibly supposed that he could readily be deceived. 
 But he seems to have penetrated their motives and to 
 have been undisturbed by their insinuations. He was 
 no country magistrate, fearful of being reported as lax 
 in maintaining the honor of the state. Declaring that 
 their hostility to Paul was a matter only of concern to 
 them and not in the least of concern to the empire, he 
 dismissed the complaint and had them driven from his 
 
90 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 court. The discomfiture of Paul's opposers was com- 
 plete, when the Greek rabble, delighted at their rejection 
 by the proconsul, seized their leader, Sosthenes, and 
 gave him a severe beating in the very presence of 
 Gallio, who did not interfere. 
 
 There was considerable significance in the attitude of 
 Gallio. It indicated nothing as to his attitude toward 
 Christianity itself; it merely exhibited the fundamental 
 policy of Eome to give the right to freedom of speech 
 and action, so long as they were consistent with loy- 
 alty to Eome. Such a decision made Christianity^ 
 pathway an open one, and its range as wide as the civ- 
 ilized world. Eamsay is right, therefore, in regarding 
 this episode as noting an epoch not alone in Paul's 
 career but in the development of Christianity. It 
 created a most valuable precedent. 
 
 A while after this episode Paul took leave of the 
 church which had grown so dear to him and sailed for 
 Syria. With him went his two beloved and loyal 
 friends, Aquila and Priscilla. At the harbor of Cen- 
 chreae Paul cut his hair, which had been allowed to 
 grow long during the fulfilling of some vow, such as 
 people made freely in his day. It may have been in 
 connection with his own safety at Corinth that he 
 made it. 
 
 Eeaching Ephesus he left his companions there, but 
 before departing southward he preached in the syna- 
 gogue. Much, no doubt, to his own surprise, the Jews 
 received him cordially and urged him to remain awhile. 
 He felt the pressure of duty, however, and merely 
 promised that he would return. Going on to C&sarea, 
 he went up hastily to Jerusalem and then returned to 
 Antioch. Thus concluded a long, adventurous and 
 most fruitful tour, which had established two new 
 groups of churches. 
 
 The assuring vision in Corinth represented the domi- 
 nant impression of the tour. His life was being 
 directed and protected by a power which exceeded his 
 own or that of his foes, to which he could trust. No 
 
Gltapter 21*. The Epistles to the Thessalonians 92 
 
 wonder that his ideas broadened and his courage deep- 
 ened. The world could not resist a friendly attack of 
 such a combination. 
 
 Chapter 24. Paul's Letters to the Church at Thessalonica. 
 Selections from 1 Thessalonians. Written from Cor- 
 inth, about A. D. 53. 
 
 The return of Timothy from Thessalonica, whither 
 he had gone to visit the little church and bring Paul 
 word of its condition, was a joyful event for the great 
 apostle. It gave him assurance that his work there had 
 not been in vain, and that although, as he had feared, 
 the little Christian community had been exposed to 
 much persecution, it had bravely withstood all attacks 
 and even been active in evangelistic labors. He was 
 
 Thessalonica, Modern Salonica. 
 
 From a photograph. 
 
 likewise reassured in regard to the personal regard of 
 the church for him as its spiritual father. Its members 
 were eager to see him and were thoroughly loyal. 
 
 It is evident that Timothy reported to Paul that the 
 Thessalonians were discussing the question whether 
 those who died before the coming of the Lord would 
 share in the glories of that day. Like other Christian's 
 of that age, Paul, in fact, being among the number, 
 they were expecting a not distant coming of Christ and 
 a conclusion of the existing world. They all inter- 
 
92 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 preted the declaration of Jesus in regard to His future 
 manifestations in a most literal way. Since the Thessa- 
 lonian Christians believed that the coming of the Lord 
 was not far ahead,, they had an additional reason for 
 mourning the death of one of their number, who would 
 thereby be deprived of the joy of welcoming his Lord 
 and the new dispensation. The immediate cause of 
 Paul's delightful letter was, consequently, the relief of 
 this anxiety. 
 
 First Thessalonians was unquestionably written at 
 Corinth. The apostle, Silas and Timothy (1 Thes. 1: 
 1) are together. Timothy (1 Thes. 3:6) had just 
 returned from a visit to Thessalonica (Acts 18:5), 
 bringing the assurances which rejoiced Paul's heart. 
 He also reported the incidental trials which the Chris- 
 tian community were bearing so bravely and the per- 
 plexities over winch they were concerned. The 
 sympathies of the thoughtful and loving apostle were 
 kindled, so that he wrote to the church without delay 
 this affectionate, inspiring letter, so ideal in its com- 
 bination of direct instruction with inspiring suggestion 
 that the church could never let it cease to be used as a 
 stimulus to Christian growth. 
 
 This letter began with an expression of thanksgiving 
 to God for the splendid qualities which they had man- 
 ifested since their conversion — their faith and love and 
 steadfastness. From the outset their religious life had 
 been strong. They had not merely listened to Paul's 
 preaching with eagerness, but had shown in abundance 
 every proof of spiritual power. Despite the sufferings 
 they, like their Lord and His apostle, had been obliged 
 to endure, they had been the means, through their cheer- 
 ful resoluteness, of preaching the Gospel wherever 
 Greek speaking peoples were to be found. Paul had no 
 need of telling elsewhere the story of their conversion. 
 He found it everywhere known that he had won them 
 to Christ from their idols and that they had come to 
 believe in the resurrection and the second coming of 
 Christ and in His saving work. 
 
Chapter 2J+. The Epistles to the Thessalonians 93 
 
 Paul then recalled the circumstances of his first visit 
 to Thessalonica. It was well that he had come there, 
 bruised but not disheartened, ready to begin again the 
 work of preaching. No base motives kept him at that 
 task, but an assurance of a message for men and of 
 responsibility to God for its delivery. He did not 
 seek selfishly to please others or to gratify himself^ or to 
 claim the consideration which was his natural due. 
 Instead he dealt with them tenderly, imparting, along 
 with the message of truth, as it were his heart too. He 
 had no mercenary motive, for he toiled zealously early 
 and late to support himself. They could themselves 
 testify to his pure and righteous life among them, not 
 that of a master with his disciples, but of a father with 
 his children, seeking to warn, encourage, and enlighten 
 them, training them for adequate serviceableness to God. 
 
 They had received his message of repentance and 
 salvation as a call from God to righteousness and stead- 
 fastness, and had bravely endured all manner of perse- 
 cution from their countrymen, such as the Jewish 
 Christians suffered in Juclea. Paul had longed to see 
 them many a time, but was prevented in a way that 
 grieved his very soul. He had therefore despatched 
 Timothy to visit them and give them comfort. They 
 had reason to anticipate affliction, and Paul feared for 
 their constancy as untried Christians. Judge, there- 
 fore, of his delight when Timothy reported such endur- 
 ance and affection. It gave him a new lease of life, and 
 new occasions for thanksgiving. The apostle cherished 
 two great desires, to see them face to face and to know 
 of their Christian perfection. 
 
 The apostle then addressed himself to certain evils of 
 character to which the Greeks were particularly liable. 
 In the fulness of Christian experience to which they 
 were called there was no. room for unchastity or sharp 
 practice. Brotherly love they had already manifested. 
 He exhorted them to make it grow and to be ambitious 
 to exhibit it as a normal element in a peaceable, indus- 
 trious and independent life, 
 
94 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 He then referred to the matter that was troubling 
 them, assuring them that those believers who had died 
 would have an equal share with those who were alive at 
 Christ's second coming. The order of events would be 
 that first the Lord would come from heaven with 
 accompaniments denoting His power; secondly would 
 be the resurrection of the Christian dead; then those 
 who were alive would be made to enter into a blessed 
 and eternal fellowship with Christ. That day will come 
 unexpectedly, but those who are looking for it will not 
 be afraid. 
 
 Some valuable practical hints conclude this letter, 
 which must have been followed after no long interval 
 by the second one. PauPs teaching in his first letter 
 had apparently been misunderstood in some particulars. 
 The Thessalonians had inferred that the Lord's coming 
 was to be expected at once, and in consequence some 
 had ceased to work and were giving themselves to gossip 
 and folly (2 Thes. 3 : 10-12). Paul wished to set them 
 right in the matter. 
 
 In the second letter he corrected the misapprehen- 
 sions aroused by the first. They were not to cease from 
 daily performance of duty because of the coming of 
 Christ, but to remain continuously fruitful. 
 
 These are two remarkable letters. They reveal the 
 great soul of the apostle. He wished his spiritual chil- 
 dren to attain to real heights of experience, to "abound" 
 in all things. He believed in recognizing fully what 
 they had already achieved, as a basis for encouraging 
 them to more earnest efforts. 
 
 There are many problems to-day just as acute. We 
 are often tempted to cease our efforts for their solution. 
 Paul's advice would be to make the best of the situation 
 and to keep on working and praying. 
 
Chapter 25. The Epistle to the Oalatians 95 
 
 Chapter 25. Paul's Letter to the Churches In Galatia, 
 Selections from Gafiatians. Written about A.D. 53 
 or 54. Place uncertain. 
 
 To set a date for this wonderful letter of the great 
 apostle is not easy, since the essential conditions might 
 have been fulfilled at various times. Paul somehow 
 heard that the Judaizers (Acts 15 : 1, 24) had again 
 gotten among his converts and were poisoning their 
 minds against him and inculcating their narrow ideals 
 as those which were alone fitting for genuine Christians. 
 
 They were declaring that he was a sort of second- 
 hand apostle. He had not, they claimed, been with the 
 Master during His ministry. He had gotten his 
 information and ideas from the others, who had had 
 better advantages. How absurd for him to set up his 
 opinions in contradiction to theirs who went in and 
 out with Jesus! Yet they all were good Jews, being 
 careful to keep the law, while Paul was seeking to 
 ignore it. 
 
 The Judaizers must have stated in effect that while 
 there might be salvation without circumcision, yet a 
 first-class Christian would seek to keep the whole 
 Mosaic law. Do not all the leaders of the church do 
 thus, they would say; was not Jesus careful to main- 
 tain the ordinances ? Is Paul likely to be right in this 
 matter, standing, as he does, practically alone? 
 
 These specious arguments had made great havoc of 
 the group of churches in Galatia which were so dear 
 to Paul. Possibly he got word of the situation through 
 Timothy, who went up from Ephesus and rejoined Paul 
 in Antioch of Syria. A flame of indignation arose in 
 his soul over the meanness of the tactics of his oppo- 
 nents and the strange forgetfulness of his disciples. 
 He wrote while at white heat a letter to the latter 
 which for directness and vigor and dignity could hardly 
 be surpassed. 
 
 We must not be unfair to the Judaizers in our 
 sympathy for the position which Paul took. It was 
 
96 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 but natural that among the earliest Christians there 
 should be many sincere believers in Christ who could 
 not forget their training from childhood in the belief 
 that God approved of men in proportion to their strict 
 observance of the Mosaic law. It is easier for some 
 minds to estimate religion through its forms than 
 through its principles. They had adopted a new prin- 
 ciple, but had never realized the consequences. They 
 did not dream of denying that faith in Christ was 
 essential to every Christian, but they insisted that the 
 keeping of the law was just as essential to the com- 
 pleteness of the Christian life. 
 
 Paul therefore had a great doctrinal point to argue 
 and this was the leading motive for his letter, but he 
 sought first of all to meet the petty insinuations regard- 
 ing himself by which his opponents had sought to 
 weaken his influence over his Galatian converts. He 
 addressed himself at once to the question of his own 
 authority, independence, consistency and fulness of 
 experience. 
 
 The salutation (1:1-5) of the letter was not to be 
 misunderstood. "As an apostle who received his com- 
 mission and his message from none other than the 
 risen Lord Himself, I give you greeting in the name of 
 Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself for our thorough- 
 going deliverance from the bondage of sin." Paul thus 
 announced his double thesis that his message was God- 
 given and that it was adequate. 
 
 All students of Galatians have noted the omission of 
 the customary courteous acknowledgment of the divine 
 goodness toward Paul's correspondents or toward him- 
 self or the expression of his thankfulness, which we 
 find in other letters written by Paul. The stress under 
 which he wrote is indicated by the abruptness with 
 which he began. He was amazed that they were giving 
 heed to a new gospel and pronounced a curse upon any 
 one responsible for its introduction. 
 
 By an autobiographical review of the facts relating to 
 his first presentation of the Gospel to the Galatians he 
 
Chapter 25. The Epistle to the Galaiums 97 
 
 proceeded to show that it was not derived from any 
 earthly source. Before his conversion he was an over- 
 zealous Jew. Immediately thereafter he retired to 
 Arabia. In the third year he made a brief visit to 
 Peter at Jerusalem. In the fourteenth year he again 
 went to Jerusalem to confer with the apostles, and was 
 treated by them as their equal, charged with a Gospel 
 for the Gentiles. At another time, when Peter at Anti- 
 och yielded to the criticisms of these Judaizers, Paul 
 was independent enough to reprove him to his face in 
 public. 
 
 Paul's summary of what he said to Peter on that 
 occasion shades imperceptibly into a general consid- 
 eration of the basis on which Gentiles and Jews alike 
 would be assured of salvation. Its ideas are repeated 
 in the chapters which follow. 
 
 The apostle now addresses himself directly to his 
 hearers. He planned to show them that, as a matter of 
 fact, his Gospel had been effective in bringing them 
 into the spiritual life. "Were you not, Galatians, 
 converted at the beginning? Do you need to begin the 
 slavery of the works of the law in order to attain a 
 higher stage of religious life ? As Abraham's faith was 
 counted to him for righteousness, so your faith in Jesus 
 was counted to you. Men of faith are sons of Abra- 
 ham. Now a covenant, or will, must be maintained. 
 The promises were made by God to Abraham and to his 
 seed. His true seed was Christ, that is, the whole body 
 of Christians, who are therefore the heirs of the prom- 
 ises. The law was given by God as a preparation for 
 the fulfilment of the promises. It promoted a clear 
 consciousness of sin. It has been a sort of guardian 
 keeping charge of us until the day of Christ should 
 come. Every heir needs such guardianship; moreover, 
 as children we must be guided under rules. When 
 Christ came into the world, it was to assure men of 
 sonship and possession. Should we then voluntarily 
 return to the old bondage? You seem to be so doing. 
 
 "On my first visit you gave me an unusually cordial 
 
98 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 reception and rejoiced over your good fortune. Am I 
 your enemy when I warn you of faults existing among 
 you? These missionaries are zealous indeed, but not 
 to your real advantage. 
 
 "You suppose that the Jews are the true sons of 
 Abraham and that you ought to make yourselves like 
 them. But the Scriptures referring to this must be 
 treated allegorically, not literally. The Jews, enslaved 
 to the law, are the children of Hagar; we Christians 
 are sons of Sarah and children of the promise. As 
 Isaac was persecuted by Ishmael, so are we by the Jews. 
 Our deliverance from sin was that we might be spir- 
 itually free. 
 
 "If you adopt circumcision you commit yourselves to 
 the legal method of salvation and must go on to do all 
 that the law requires. Circumcision itself is nothing, 
 but it proves that you no longer trust to Christ. Who 
 drew you into this disloyalty ? Surely, no messenger of 
 God! I am sure that you will recover your sense, but 
 your leader will be properly punished. Would that all 
 such might dispose of themselves! 
 
 "As Christians you are free. Be not, however, law- 
 less, but lovingly helpful. Those who are disputatious 
 cannot maintain fellowship. 
 
 "My advice is: Make the Spirit your guide and you 
 will not live the sensual life. They are in conflict, but 
 the spirit will be victorious. You can see on every side 
 the vices which come from gratifying natural impulse 
 and how incompatible they are with membership in the 
 kingdom. Notice also the fruitage of the Spirit which 
 needs no law for its realization. Let us therefore de- 
 termine to make the spiritual life our own. 
 
 "The law of love requires kindly and thoughtful 
 treatment of one who has sinned. Share each other's 
 sorrows and cares. Eemember your obligations to all 
 men, particularly to the Christian brethren. 
 
 "The Judaizers desire your circumcision that they 
 may prove their zeal. I glory only in the cross of 
 Christ, in whom is newness of life. The proof that I 
 
Chapter 26. Planting of the Gentile Churches 99 
 
 am His I carry on my scarred body. His grace be with 
 you all." 
 
 This letter is scarcely argumentative; it is rather 
 invigorative. It appealed to their quickened con- 
 sciences. Its glorious keynote is Christian freedom. 
 Its distinctive purpose was to protest against the idea 
 that Gentile Christians would attain a higher grade of 
 spiritual development by becoming obedient to the law. 
 It saved the growing Gentile church from shipwreck. 
 
 Chapter 26. The Planting of the Gentile Churches in 
 Galatia, Macedonia and Greece : A Review. 
 
 The series of events from the conversion of Saul of 
 Tarsus to the end of the second missionary tour cover 
 approximately twenty years. Half of the period was 
 spent in comparative obscurity; during the other half 
 he was growing by leaps and bounds into great prom- 
 inence as the acknowledged leader of Gentile Christians. 
 
 Looking backward from the standpoint of his mis- 
 sionary service one can see the great value of his train- 
 ing as a young man and as a waiting disciple. He 
 came to know Judaism through and through, and from 
 the inside. It was his life. Taught by its noblest 
 scholars, associating with its acknowledged leaders, set 
 apart for its important missions, selected finally as its 
 defender, Saul was possessed of all that Judaism had 
 to offer by way of experience or instruction. As one of 
 its chosen champions he learned in active debate against 
 men like Stephen to use every argument which in later 
 years he would need to be able to refute. As a young 
 man favored by the Jewish leaders and populace alike 
 he became intimately acquainted, stranger to Jerusalem 
 as he was, with the plans and feelings of those who 
 controlled Judaism. 
 
 Lora 
 
100 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 But keen as must have been the disappointment of 
 these leaders when they heard that Saul of Tarsus had 
 joined the hated sect of Nazarenes, not even they could 
 realize the significance of the act. His conversion was 
 important. From it, as Eamsay urges, he thenceforth 
 dated the occurrences of his life. But of even greater 
 importance, so far as his future work was concerned, 
 were the years which intervened before Barnabas 
 sought him out at Tarsus and took him to Antioch. 
 These were years of readjustment and ripening, spent 
 mainly in comparative obscurity, yet Saul filled them 
 full of experience. He went to Antioch a man re- 
 markably trained for service with Gentiles and Jews 
 alike, for a ministry to the churches or for diplomatic 
 struggles with Jews or Judaizers. At that time he 
 could hardly have been fully conscious of his mission 
 to the Gentiles except so far as he realized that he would 
 be unable to work in Palestine and for his fellow coun- 
 trymen. Such a passage as Acts 26 : 17, 18 may 
 express a commission, which began at that moment to 
 be realized, although it was not consciously executed 
 until after the lapse of years. 
 
 At Antioch Barnabas and Saul worked with such 
 success and were so manifestly fitted for evangelizing 
 enterprise, that in due time the church solemnly 
 ordained them to go forth to the regions beyond. 
 Apparently their first plan was a tour through Cyprus, 
 across to the main land and down along the coast to 
 Antioch again. 
 
 Now, at last, Saul was where he belonged. He took 
 the leadership at once, became known by his Gentile 
 name rather than by his Jewish one, and £ave himself 
 in whole-souled fashion to the work. Having com- 
 pleted the tour of Cyprus and reached the Pamphilian 
 coast, the apostles determined for some reason, per- 
 haps Paul's physical need, to go to the highlands of 
 Pisidia. In the cities of this region, Antioch, Iconium, 
 Lystra and Derbe, with their dependencies, Paul and 
 Barnabas did a notable and significant work. "Not 
 
Chapter 26. Planting of the Gentile Churches 101 
 
 alone did they win large numbers to the Christian 
 faith, principally Gentiles, but they definitely con- 
 cluded that God was setting them apart for such 
 service. Their work was thorough-going. It resulted 
 in the organization of churches which were permanent 
 and vigorous. Paul was no novice. He knew his peo- 
 ple and he knew his own mind. In the letter to the 
 Galatians (1:6,8,9,11,12) he refers to the Gospel 
 which he preached to them at the first, that is, at this 
 visit. It was the message of redemption through the 
 crucified Christ (Gal. 3:1) to the life of the Spirit. 
 They received it and gave abundant manifestations of 
 its hold upon their lives. 
 
 When Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch of 
 Syria with the story of the triumphs of the Gospel 
 among the Gentiles it produced both rejoicing and con- 
 cern. The more liberal Christians, especially those 
 who were of non-Jewish birth, were unfeignedly glad. 
 Those, however, who had been trained as strict Jews 
 and still conformed rigidly to the law were troubled. 
 They rested upon the divine origin of the law and con- 
 cluded that it would be needful for all Gentiles to 
 adopt it's regulations in order to become true Chris- 
 tians. Paul and Barnabas strenuously resisted any 
 such declarations. The question was one of prime im- 
 portance and was finally discussed at Jerusalem by a 
 delegation from the Antioch church, headed by the two 
 apostles. At this council a reasonable spirit prevailed. 
 The facts of the actual conversion of Gentiles in great 
 numbers and of their spiritual living could not be 
 gainsaid. It was therefore agreed to receive the Gala- 
 tian Christians as true brethren, urging them merely to 
 refrain from practices which would distress and outrage 
 their Jewish associates. 
 
 The way was thus made wide open for a continuation 
 of the work of evangelization. The apostles could not 
 long remain at Antioch, when their duty was so clear. 
 Dividing their forces because of the unseasonable strife 
 regarding Mark, Barnabas went to Cyprus, while Paul, 
 
102 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 taking Silas as his comrade and selecting Timothy as a 
 helper, began a second great enterprise. He had planned 
 to preach at and near Ephesus, but God had other plans 
 for him. Baffled in one purpose and another, he was 
 led along through Asia Minor until he came to Troas, 
 where the meaning of his experiences became clear. God 
 intended that he should enter Macedonia. 
 
 The campaign in Philippi, Thessalonica and Beroea 
 involved much hardship for Paul and Silas, but led to 
 permanent and valuable results. The Macedonian 
 churches became strongholds of Christianity, centers of 
 evangelistic activity and active supporters of Paul in 
 his work elsewhere. 
 
 Forced out of that region by circumstances which he 
 could not control, Paul went to Athens and Corinth. 
 In the former city, following the precedents of his 
 varied life, he sought to adapt himself to his environ- 
 ment, and present his message in a way which would 
 appeal to those of philosophical temperament. He dis- 
 covered that the philosophers were more concerned over 
 speculative questions than over a change of heart and 
 life, and that they would not listen to instruction which 
 opposed their preconceptions. Departing to Corinth, 
 Paul gave himself to a plain, "straightforward appeal to 
 the hearts of those who heard him. His work was 
 chiefly among the Greeks. When the Jews sought to 
 bring it to an end, they were stayed by the clear-sighted 
 justice of Home, whose representative would not lend 
 his aid to persecution. 
 
 Thus to three great regions, not counting the 
 churches of Syria and Cilicia, Paul introduced the Gos- 
 pel during a decade or so. Well might he have been 
 satisfied with what he had accomplished, but his vision 
 enlarged with each new conquest of faith. He now 
 realized that Christianity was of universal scope, 
 adapted to all peoples. He thought of Rome, the cen- 
 ter of the political world, as the natural point of 
 departure for the world's evangelization. 
 
 His experiences had taught him that human opposi- 
 
Chapter 27. Paul at Ephesus 103 
 
 tion could be absolutely ignored. His was a divinely 
 directed work. At times of crises his way bad been 
 and would be made clear. In this confidence he 
 advanced serenely to face the great crises of his career. 
 
 Chapter 27. Paul at Ephesus. Acts 18:23 — 19:22. 
 About A.D. 54=56. 
 
 Paul was not a man who could take his ease when 
 duty called him, and we may assume that he did not 
 make a long stay at Antioch after his return thither 
 from his visit to Jerusalem. He longed to see his Ga- 
 latian converts and to be assured of their willing re- 
 sponse to his letter. 
 
 The apostle now saw his way made clear to the 
 achievement of a purpose which had been in his mind 
 for years. He was fixed in his intention to go to Ephe- 
 sus and begin a work in that active center of trade and 
 religion in the province of Asia. The region of whose 
 life Ephesus was the focus was the one remaining im- 
 portant region in which the Gospel message was not be- 
 ing preached. 
 
 Paul made his way thither by way of Galatia. He 
 was surely received by the churches and people there 
 with overflowing penitence and good will. Nothing 
 further do we hear in Galatia regarding the influence 
 of the Judaizing Christians, who had nearly wrecked 
 his work. Some time may have elapsed before he left 
 the Galatic region and betook himself to Asia. 
 
 Meanwhile an interesting series of events was taking 
 place at Ephesus. A Jew, named Apollos, a very 
 learned and eloquent as well as deeply spiritual man, 
 had come thither and taken a prompt and helpful share 
 in the work which was going on. He believed in Jesus, 
 but knew no more about Him than he had received from 
 disciples of John the Baptist. Priscilla and Aquila 
 
104 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 met him and gave him additional instruction, which 
 he received with sincere joy and great access of power. 
 Hearing of the growing church at Corinth, he desired 
 to put his gifts to service there. The Christians at 
 Ephesus encouraged him in this resolve, and gave him 
 hearty letters of introduction which insured him imme- 
 diate recognition. Apollos thus found a congenial field. 
 Corinth was such a battle ground as he would choose. 
 He was a trained rhetorician and philosopher, able to 
 discuss in the fashion the Greeks loved the ideas of the 
 faith. He was thus able to render a real service to the 
 Corinthian church, at the very time when it was needed. 
 He soon gained distinction as a powerful debater and 
 helpful preacher. 
 
 When Apollos was well settled at Corinth Paul 
 reached Ephesus and went to work. His first experi- 
 
 Raius at Epiiesus. Sometimes Called tlie Gate of Persecution. 
 
 ence was a novel one. He met a dozen men who called 
 themselves Christians, but who had not been converted 
 under apostolic preaching. Like Apollos they vaguely 
 believed on Jesus as the expected Messiah. They had 
 been baptized, like John's disciples, unto repentance and 
 expectancy, but had no notion regarding the gift of the 
 Spirit. Paul, thereupon, gave them instruction, so 
 that they thankfully received Christian baptism and 
 immediately exhibited the customary tokens of the 
 Spirit's presence. These two instances of earnest and 
 zealous but half-taught, crude Christians were, probably, 
 only illustrations of a common happening. 
 
Chapter 27. Paul at Ephesus 105 
 
 Following his usual custom Paul made free use of 
 the synagogue, so long as he was unhampered in his 
 work there. It was after all the ideal place for the 
 preacher. To the synagogue resorted those who were 
 keen to consider matters of religion among the Greeks 
 as well as among the Jews. But Paul's bold and broad 
 preaching produced the inevitable result. After three 
 months the opposition of some of the Jews became so 
 bitter and unfair that he found it expedient to change 
 to the adjacent lecture room of a teacher named Tyran- 
 nus. Since he was working daily in self-support 
 (20:34), his hours for public disputation Eamsay has 
 reckoned as between eleven in the morning and four 
 in the afternoon, these not being the customary hours 
 of either labor or trade. 
 
 The two years thus spent were not merely years of 
 constant activity. They were years of striking inci- 
 dents. Among these the narrative of Acts has pre- 
 served the mention of two. So deep an impression did 
 Paul make on the community that it was devoutly be- 
 lieved that he could exercise at will all magical powers. 
 People even vied in touching his person with pieces of 
 clothing which were then regarded as possessed of 
 magical virtue. Paul himself had healed some at least 
 in the name of the Lord Jesus. Imitating him, the 
 seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew of high repute, under- 
 took to perform acts of healing. Two of them experi- 
 mented upon a demented man with serious personal re- 
 sults to themselves, but to the increased fame of Paul. 
 Many of those who had made a living by the practice of 
 magical arts publicly confessed their trickery and be- 
 came devoted Christians. Thus the repute of the Chris- 
 tian body grew apace. 
 
 Such notable incidents provoked brutal opposition. 
 There can be little doubt that these years were the years 
 of greatest personal danger for the intrepid apostle. 
 His Jewish opponents would stop at nothing. The 
 Ephesian mob had no manner of scruples. When the 
 apostle remarked that he "died daily," he hinted at the 
 
106 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 humiliations, the threatenings, the insults, the perils of 
 which he never had any lack. Nothing but the hope of 
 a resurrection could nerve him for such experiences. 
 
 Yet they were years of rapidly extending influence. 
 Paul was not alone at Ephesus. He nowhere calls the 
 roll of his loyal followers who were with him there. 
 Silas, Timothy, Titus, Sosthenes he mentions, but 
 others were doubtless at his command, for the work 
 carried on was quite extensive. As the riot which 
 closed his career in the city imputed, the missionary 
 work of the band had made itself felt far and wide. 
 The churches mentioned in the first chapters of the 
 Revelation were probably planted during this period of 
 activity as well as others nowhere directly mentioned. 
 
 Ruins of an Aqceduct, at Epnesns. 
 
 At last Paul felt that he had reached the end of his 
 work at Ephesus. He purposed to carry into effect the 
 visit which he had been planning to make to Jerusalem, 
 the home of Christianity and of the mother church. He 
 had exhorted each of the national groups to lay by lib- 
 eral contributions toward a fund which they were to 
 give in common to the church at Jerusalem. The great- 
 hearted apostle longed to reconcile his converts and the 
 brethren at Jerusalem, and to bring about a willing and 
 hearty recognition where now there existed a forced one. 
 In order to take the last steps in the collection of the 
 fund Paul determined to visit Macedonia and Achaia 
 before sailing for Jerusalem. He had likewise the de- 
 
Chapter 28. The Riot at Ephesus 107 
 
 sire to come to an understanding with the church at 
 Corinth, with which he had been obliged to take severe 
 measures, stretching to the utmost his apostolic author- 
 ity. Having achieved this, he would turn with a sense 
 of blessed relief to the duty of drawing together the two 
 great wings of the Christian church. 
 
 These two years reveal Paul at his best. During 
 this time he probably wrote three letters to the Cor- 
 inthians, — our First Corinthians and two which are lost, 
 unless perhaps the last one is included in the present 
 Second Corinthians. He was harassed, but not cast 
 down; opposed, but only to the forming of broader and 
 finer purposes; supported by loyal friends without be- 
 coming vainglorious; attested by the manifestation of 
 spiritual power, yet true to his Master. He was great 
 in serviceableness, declaring unto men "the whole coun- 
 sel of God," holding not his life of any account. 
 
 Chapter 28. The Rfct at Ephesus. Acts 19:23-41. 
 About A. D. 57. 
 
 One of the most interesting and truly instructive 
 pictures of social life in a great Asiatic city is afforded 
 by the narrative in the book of Acts which describes 
 the great riot which arose in Ephesus because of the 
 successful work of Paul in that city and its extended 
 environs. 
 
 Ephesus was a focus of all kinds of life. The East 
 and the West blended there as at Corinth. It was a ral- 
 lying center for the commercial and educational inter- 
 ests and the religious ambitions of all Asia. A city 
 proud of its culture, Ephesus nevertheless inclined to 
 the showy and the sensual. Religion was ever in evi- 
 dence, but was openly ministering to superstition and 
 sorcery, to selfishness and sensationalism. Paul could 
 
108 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 have had but little sympathy with the worship of Arte- 
 mis, or Diana, to use the Koman name adopted in the 
 English text. Doubtless he took a more aggressive atti- 
 tude in relation to the worship of the goddess than he 
 had taken at Athens to the general worship of deities by 
 way of their images. At all events the worshippers 
 of the goddess had a real grievance against him. 
 
 The great temple at Ephesus was dedicated to the 
 goddess Diana. Worshipers at her shrine were accus- 
 tomed to carry away, as tokens of their attendance and 
 as amulets which would preserve their good fortune, 
 little shrines, the most perfect and costly ones exe- 
 cuted in silver, representing the great shrine of Diana 
 
 Temple of Diana, at Epnesns, Restored. 
 
 with the statue of the goddess within. Citizens and 
 strangers alike, those whose worshipful motives were 
 unmistakable and those who were merely visitors to this 
 wonder of the world, purchased these miniature temples 
 and often wore them as ornaments. Those who could 
 not afford the shrines made from silver purchased those 
 made from terra cotta or marble. 
 
 Various trades were thus affected by the decline in 
 the demand for the shrines by pilgrims. It was suf- 
 ficiently serious to awaken their genuine alarm and 
 solicitude. Each trade had its well organized guild, 
 that of the workers in silver being perhaps the most 
 important. Demetrius was possibly the master of thi^ 
 guild for the year, thus having the power to convene it 
 
Chapter 28. The Riot at Ephesus 109 
 
 for any purpose. To judge from his opening remark 
 to his fellow craftsmen he and they were men of sub- 
 stantial wealth, the source of which Paul had seriously 
 undermined. 
 
 The narrative of Acts taken alone would give an 
 inadequate idea of the extent of PauPs work in the 
 province of Asia, were it not for the report of this 
 movement on the part of Demetrius and his fellow 
 craftsmen. Paul's missionary efforts must have taken 
 a far wider range than the city of Ephesus. Through 
 his lieutenants he evangelized far and near, founding, 
 probably, not a few churches, and developing a new 
 group as distinct as either of the other three groups of 
 churches organized by him. No one could anticipate the 
 extent of his work and the remarkable results from it. 
 There was real reason for the panic and the determined 
 action of the guild of shrine-makers. 
 
 The superstition of all Asia seemed to be con- 
 centrated at Ephesus, yet it was the interests of this 
 business which first caused an alarm. Demetrius clev- 
 erly aroused the fears of his fellow craftsmen by 
 reminding them that their continuing prosperity 
 depended upon the persistency of the reverence paid to 
 the great goddess, the patron of their city, and that Paul 
 had made such progress with his missionary endeavors 
 that he was likely to achieve, not merely their ruin, but 
 the collapse of the whole system of stately and splendid 
 worship, and the yielding by their city of its great 
 influence and prosperity. 
 
 The city mob in Ephesus was readily stirred against a 
 Jewish or Christian preacher. The rage of the undisci- 
 plined, uncontrollable mob, acting on behalf of a pre- 
 tended loyalty to home or sovereign, was always the 
 most dangerous foe which Christian leaders had to 
 face. It may or may not have been the leasts at 
 Ephesus" of which Paul had written a little earlier, but 
 no more dreaded experience could well have been his. 
 
 The craftsmen, stirred to their souls by the words of 
 Demetrius, rushed out of the guild hall into the street 
 
110 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 exclaiming, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" The 
 crowd took it irp and re-echoed it, until, under the spell 
 of an excitement which was irrepressible, they rushed 
 into the great theatre capable of holding 
 twenty-five thousand people, to hear fur- 
 ther from their leaders, and plan con- 
 certed action. On the way they picked 
 up two of Paul's companions, known to 
 belong to his company. 
 
 The apostle heard the uproar and with 
 a courage that kindled in the face of dan- 
 ger he determined to enter the theatre 
 and say what he could in defense of his 
 friends and of his policy. This would 
 simply have been signing his own death 
 warrant in the inflamed condition of the 
 public mind, hence the responsible of- 
 ficials called Asiarchs sent word to him 
 to do nothing of the sort. 
 
 These Asiarchs were officials, partly 
 political, partly religious. They de- 
 veloped out of the necessity of devis- 
 ing forms of worship which should have a political value. 
 The Romans understood to the full the art of thus bind- 
 ing together loyalty and religious entertainment. Each 
 province of the empire was organized on a politico- 
 religious basis. Of the polity thus developed the Asi- 
 archs were the recognized heads. They were leading 
 citizens given this high position because their elevation 
 afforded them satisfaction and honor and thus com- 
 mitted them to the use of their influence in maintaining 
 loyalty and preventing disturbance. 
 
 The mob was not in the mood to listen to any one 
 who could not command their obedience. The Jews 
 were in fear that the mob would turn upon them 
 and put forward a countryman, Alexander, to speak, 
 but he was not allowed to do so. Then the secretary of 
 the city, a very important official, realizing the growing 
 gravity of the situation, took it upon himself to quell the 
 
 Diana of the 
 Ephesians. 
 
 From an alabaster 
 image iu the museum 
 at Naples. 
 
Chapter 28. The Riot ai Ephems 111 
 
 populace. Probably he was the most influential man 
 in Ephesus. It was his business to collect and hold the 
 public revenues and to serve as the medium of communi- 
 cation between the imperial government and that of the 
 city. He was neither influenced by the shouting of the 
 citizens, nor blind to the probable innocence of Paul, 
 nor unaware of the serious consequences of the report of 
 such proceedings at Kome. Declaring that Paul was 
 guilty of no disrespect either in act or language to the 
 goddess of the city, and warning them that the Eoman 
 authorities were wont to uphold the rights of every 
 citizen or visitor, he bade them disperse and quelled the 
 disturbance. But Paul could no longer continue his 
 work of evangelization. He left with as little delay as 
 possible for Macedonia. 
 
 Kome's impartial justice had saved Paul more than 
 once in his career, and it saved him again. A strong 
 and stable government is the foundation of all true 
 religious development, compelling men to consult their 
 reason instead of their prejudices, to follow wise leaders 
 rather than act from impulse. 
 
112 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 29. The Primitive Church at School. 1 Cor. 
 chs. 1-11. Written from E plies us, about A. D. 57. 
 
 While Paul was busily engaged at Ephesus he did 
 not forget the churches he had founded. Their inter- 
 ests were very dear to him, and without doubt he kept 
 in far closer touch with their development than our ex- 
 isting information would indicate. 
 
 The church at Corinth was not far away and for its 
 troubles he had full sympathy. It was growing up 
 under conditions which menaced its fruitfulness and 
 spiritual life. In a general way every one of the Chris- 
 tian churches was exposed to such condition's, but not to 
 the degree of that at Corinth. The Corinthian church 
 
 s^Sif^^ 
 
 Old Temple in Corinth. 
 
 From, a photograph. 
 
 This temple was built in the seventh century before Christ, and was probably in 
 perfect condition in the time of Paul. 
 
 members were mainly Gentiles (1 Cor. 12:2) and for 
 the most part were recruited from the humbler classes 
 (1 Cor. 1:26). From infancy these men and women 
 had been accustomed to a freedom of speech and action 
 which bordered on the immoral. Corinth was noted 
 in that age for its general depravity. A Corinthian 
 was a synonym for dissoluteness on the stage. Under 
 these circumstances, we need not wonder that excesses 
 of one kind and another had to be dealt with in the 
 little church in that wicked city, and that the apostle 
 centered all his energy in the struggle with them. 
 A variety of causes were at work in the church to 
 
Chapter 29. The Primitive Church at School 113 
 
 disturb its harmonious growth. On the one hand, as a 
 cursory reading of the first few chapters reveals, there 
 were some who were criticising Paul, comparing him 
 to the eloquent Apollos or denying his right to have any 
 authority over them, even questioning his apostolate 
 (1 Cor. ch. 9). Evidently the Judaizing bacillus had 
 made its way across the sea to Corinth, and had begun 
 its secret work of disparagement and the breaking down 
 of the loyalty of Paul's churches to their leader. 
 
 There was also a manifest tendency to split into war- 
 ring factions, each adopting the name and striving to 
 uphold the claims to supremacy of Paul, Apollos or 
 Peter, while a fourth faction refused to honor any 
 human leader and declared that they followed Christ 
 only. Equally important to check were the excesses, 
 born of untutored impulse and long-prevailing habits, 
 manifested even in religious exercises and in church 
 relations, while on doctrinal matters there was con- 
 tinual necessity of simple instruction. The Corinthian 
 Christians, as Paul declared, were a set of little chil- 
 dren as regards Christian experience. They needed 
 leadership. 
 
 Practically no one denies the authenticity of the two 
 epistles of Paul to the Corinthian church. There are 
 many who think we find trustworthy evidence in our 
 present epistles for the writing of at least four letters 
 by Paul to the Corinthian Christians. First Corinthians 
 5 :9 points to a note, at least, which was sent to the 
 church before its own receipt. Our First Corinthians 
 would then be the 'second writing which passed from 
 Ephesus to Corinth. 
 
 The immediate cause of the writing of First 
 Corinthians is plain to one who reads the letter. It 
 was clearly in reply to one from the church (7:1) ask- 
 ing for the apostle's opinion regarding a number of 
 questions which were dividing the church. It had been 
 sent over by the hands of a deputation of three (1 Cor. 
 16 : 17) and was answered categorically by the apostle. 
 
 But he had also gotten word concerning the church 
 
11J{. The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 from others who had come from Corinth to Ephesus, 
 and was deeply moved by their report of factionalism, 
 selfishness, excesses, the denying of the resurrection, 
 and of flagrant immorality tolerated by the church. 
 
 The apostle without delay wrote a letter which placed 
 these problems in a way for being correctly solved. 
 With great wisdom he did not utter a fiat and seek to 
 compel every church member to obey. He rather aimed 
 to reveal the broad spiritual principles under which 
 each particular difficulty found its free solution. Paul's 
 idea of a Christian was not one developed by obedience 
 to rules, but rather by the application to life's condi- 
 tions of great principles. He would remove the tempta- 
 tion to the misuse of the body by exalting it as a temple 
 of the Holy Spirit, never to be defiled in such ways. 
 
 The letter begins with a beautiful salutation, as 
 Christ's ambassador to those who had consecrated them- 
 selves to a holy life of service, continuing with the gra- 
 cious expression of his joy in their Christian vitality 
 and enthusiasm. 
 
 Paul then turned at once to the troubles of which he 
 had been made aware. He first gives attention to the 
 factionalism which was wrecking the unity of the 
 church and sapping its strength (1:10 — 4:21). He 
 met it by declaring the pre-eminence of Christ, the 
 only Saviour of men. Paul could be a father of the lit- 
 tle churches; Apollos and Peter could build them up; 
 but the crucified Christ was their one and only Head 
 and Saviour. He also declared that by following one 
 teacher and shutting out the others they were impover- 
 ishing and defrauding themselves, listening to a re- 
 stricted message. 
 
 The next case noted is one of open immoralit}', 
 (ch. 5) of a type which not even the Greeks would ap- 
 prove. The sinner was a member of the church. Paul's 
 opinion regarding him was explicit. The guilty one 
 should be excommunicated, until he manifested re- 
 pentance. Moreover, church members should keep out 
 of the intimate companionship of people of loose lives. 
 
Chapter 29. The Primitive Church at School 115 
 
 Another matter which required advice was the grow- 
 ing habit of taking disputes to the courts for settle- 
 ment. The Corinthian Christians were in danger of 
 forgetting that they were brethren in Christ (6: 1-11). 
 They quoted Paul's own glowing words of spiritual 
 freedom in defense of license, apparently of immor- 
 ality. But the apostle reminds them that Christian 
 liberty asks two questions rather than one. It not 
 alone considers what may be lawful but also what is 
 best. Our bodies belong to God; let us glorify Him 
 through them. He who longs to honor God will settle 
 the question of fornication forever. 
 
 The apostle then replies in succession to the details 
 of the questions of the church in the deputation's let- 
 ter. The first one related to marriage (ch. 7). Paul 
 considers this from a practical point of view. Those 
 who were unmarried and could give themselves con- 
 tentedly and wholly to active service he advised to re- 
 main single. This capacity for celibacy was a gift, but 
 one without moral value. The married he directed to 
 remain faithful, not making a change of heart the ex- 
 cuse for separation. 
 
 The next question was a delicate one. Corinthian 
 society was partly Christian and partly pagan. Among 
 the latter every meal was consecrated by offering 'some 
 small portion in private or public. It signified that the 
 meal was shared by the god. All public feasts were 
 thus hallowed. A Christian often felt obliged to choose 
 between patriotism and fidelity to his religious convic- 
 tions. With regard to this there was an honest differ- 
 ence of opinion among Christians. Paul stood by the 
 doctrine of liberty (ch. 8) but tempered it by love. He 
 believed in being guided by one's own convictions, yet 
 pleaded for Christian considerateness. 
 
 His own example (ch. 9) was in point. Having all 
 apostolic rights, he did not enforce them, because he 
 desired to preach the Gospel without remuneration, 
 that he might serve all men alike, and make his own 
 salvation sure. 
 
116 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Finally (10 : 1 — 11 : 1) he declares that the Christian 
 life is arduous. It is a fulfilment of earnest purposes. 
 Men cannot be Christians and pagans at the same time. 
 It calls for clear vision and deliberate choice. He who 
 truly seeks the glory of God is apt to do right. 
 
 The eleventh chapter discusses two more faults in the 
 church: the indecorous behavior of the women (vss. 
 2-16) and the disorderliness at the celebration of the 
 Lord's Supper (vss. 17-34). Each is settled by a prin- 
 ciple. Let women do that which is seemly. Let 
 brethren beware of turning the cup of remembrance 
 into a cup of intoxication, and remember that they are 
 brethren indeed. 
 
 Thus in this noble letter the great apostle shows the 
 Corinthians the larger and better way. He lifts them 
 out of petty and selfish interests into the realm of the 
 eternal. 
 
 Chapter 30. The Supreme Gift. 1 Cor. chs. 12=15. 
 
 While the whole of the First Epistle to the Corin- 
 thians was of great value to those for whom it was writ- 
 ten, the closing chapters have more of continuing value. 
 In them the apostle reveals the simple grandeur of his 
 thinking and the depth of his experience. It is Paul, 
 the constructive Christian thinker, who could deal with 
 the religious disorders of his day, admitting the ele- 
 ments of sincerity and reality, eliminating that which 
 was useless and emphasizing that which was essential. 
 He was at his best in a kind of crisis. The necessity 
 of making clear the distinction between excesses and 
 exercises, or between religious self-glorification and 
 spiritual gifts acted as a stimulus to his mind. With- 
 out criticising the cruder manifestations of religious 
 zeal, or denying their legitimacy, he revealed the larger 
 value of the heavenly grace of love, and quickened an 
 
Chapter 30. The Supreme Gift 111 
 
 aspiration toward it's complete embodiment in each 
 Christian experience. Thus Paul made the crisis at 
 Corinth the occasion for the most remarkable charac- 
 terization of spiritual realities to be found in Scripture. 
 
 It has often been said that the First Epistle to the 
 Corinthians is likely to disabuse the mind of the reader 
 of to-day of the notion that the primitive church was a 
 continuous love feast and prayer meeting, entirely free 
 from the troubles which harass the churches of the 
 twentieth century. It was rather a body of meagerly 
 educated believers who had to be trained slowly into a 
 comprehension of the necessity or the value of many 
 things which we take for granted. The members of 
 these churches had passed through varied experiences. 
 Many were slaves; many were very humble people, des- 
 perately poor and quite unrefined; their religious ca- 
 pacity was often limited; they varied greatly in the 
 methods by which they gave their emotions expression. 
 
 A superficial reading of the epistle might lead one 
 to say that the church at Corinth was in need of re- 
 construction. Jealousies, partizanship, the condoning 
 of flagrant immorality, the growth of contentions at 
 law one with another, profligacy, license, indecorous 
 behavior, even at the celebration of the Lord's Supper, 
 questioning of the truth of the resurrection, rivalry in 
 regard to religious usefulness and recognition, — what 
 a row of crudities, contentions and evils ! We have to 
 remember that they were but the manifestations of a 
 quickened life, and of a progressing redemption from 
 ignorance and idolatry. 
 
 Among such men and women there were certain to 
 be mis judgments. They set a disproportionate value 
 upon some manifestations of spiritual power. As in 
 earlier days and in frontier communities in this coun- 
 try the quiet and meditative or the useful aspects of re- 
 ligious life were obscured. People honored unduly 
 those who could "speak with a tongue." 
 
 What this really was is not wholly clear. According 
 to our present narrative in Acts ch. 2, it was at Pente- 
 
118 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 cost the power of speaking in a foreign tongue so as to 
 be intelligible to any one who understood that language. 
 This ability, if given, seemed to be of no permanent 
 value. It did not enable apostles to preach the Gospel 
 in other lands. It was at best, and whatever form it 
 actually took, a sign of possession by the Spirit of God. 
 So far as we may judge by the scattered references in 
 the New Testament and by such a letter as this, the gift 
 of tongues ordinarily was manifested in ecstatic utter- 
 ance which need not have been wholly meaningless but 
 was not likely to be coherent or logical. Often it was 
 really unintelligible to the average listener, but could 
 be given a meaning by one in perfect sympathy with the 
 one who was haranguing. Occasionally, when believers 
 who had the gift of speech gave it freedom all at once, 
 it seemed (1 Cor. 14:23) to one unused to such out- 
 bursts like a very Bedlam. 
 
 The apostle did not undervalue the speaking with 
 tongues but sought to give it an appropriate emphasis 
 and setting in the three wonderful chapters of First 
 Corinthians which follow the twelfth. He first called 
 attention to a certain test of the reality of the spiritual 
 experience back of the gifts. Absolute loyalty to Jesus 
 as Lord would characterize the true Christian believer. 
 This loyalty might manifest itself in various ways. 
 One man has certain distinctive traits; another man 
 may greatly differ from him; each may be wholly sin- 
 cere in his religious life and truly devoted to Christ. 
 True Christianity involves the free and joyous co-opera- 
 tion of all for the promotion of their common interests 
 and for the glory of God. Each one should have his 
 place and his responsibility. His success should rest 
 upon his actual usefulness within his proper sphere. 
 
 Spiritual gifts are bestowed for edification of others, 
 not for the exaltation of the individual. The ones most 
 to be coveted are those which are most profitable. 
 Prophesying, by which Paul meant either preaching or 
 the giving of testimony, is far preferable to the speak- 
 ing with tongues, because it does good to all. When 
 
Chapter SO. The Supreme Gift 119 
 
 men get together for spiritual stimulus, each gift is 
 needed, and should have expression, but in orderly 
 fashion and with Christian courtesy and forbearance. 
 
 Paul thought that all gifts were worth coveting, but 
 he longed to have his disciples get the very best. Hence 
 he showed "a more excellent way" in the immortal 
 chapter about love. Without it all other gifts, however 
 brilliant, are profitless. It heals and sweetens every 
 form of life, it develops every grace. It is always 
 effective, always stimulating improvement, always hope- 
 ful, the mainspring of life, the test of condition, the 
 reward of faithfulness. Life can bring us to no better 
 achievement than an abiding spirit of love. It is the 
 best of gifts. 
 
 One other great theme the apostle considered before 
 bringing his letter to a close. It seemed to him a mat- 
 ter of prime importance, which he must not overlook. 
 It concerned the resurrection of Christ. There were 
 those in the church at Corinth who denied the resur- 
 rection. To them the apostle declared first that a belief 
 in the resurrection was fundamental, and second that 
 the resurrection as a fact was adequately attested 
 (1 Cor. 15:1-19). Those who denied it declared 
 thereby that the apostles were false witnesses, that 
 Christ Himself had not risen, that our hope in Him 
 must be confined to this life, and that it was supremely 
 foolish to live a life of privation and toil in ordei that 
 men should be transformed in their lives. 
 
 Paul touches here on a supreme value of the truth of 
 the resurrection. Why should men suffer now, unless 
 supported by the assurance of a future inheritance 
 unfading and uncorruptible? A few men and women 
 will spend their lives in human service irrespective of 
 any other gain than that of doing good to tho?e in 
 need. But the majority of men would live an earthly 
 life, reckless and sensual, if they had no conception of 
 immortality, no thought of a life beyond. 
 
 But the question raises itself, what will the resurrec- 
 tion life be like? Paul did not answer this except in a 
 
120 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 negative way, and by analogy. A seed by death attains 
 its true development into a very different form. So 
 through death may be set free a far better body than our 
 souls have at present. What that body will be who can 
 say? God's resources are infinite. It will know no 
 decay, no weakness, it will be spiritual ! This new 
 life will thus be the fruition of our old, natural life. 
 Thus death may be faced, not merely with confidence 
 and courage, but with a sense of triumph. We are 
 entering upon an experience of endless and boundless 
 satisfaction. 
 
 How could the sanity and cheer of normal Christianity 
 be more clearly manifested than in the deliberate judg- 
 ment of these four chapters? It is a service. It 
 calls for discriminating and unselfish co-operative effort, 
 which gives every one his place, which affords room 
 for the exercise of every gift, which supremely honors 
 usefulness and which deliberately continues to the end 
 in the clear consciousness of a process of character 
 building for eternity. 
 
Chapter 31. The Great Collection 121 
 
 Chapter 3 1 . The Great Coltection. 1 Cor. 16:1-4; 2 Cor. 
 ens. 8, 9. About A. D. 57. 
 
 One theme which never left the mind of the great 
 apostle during the controversies or triumphs of these 
 days was the very practical question of taking a generous 
 collection in the churches, which he had been instru- 
 mental in founding, for the benefit of the poor of the 
 mother church at Jerusalem. To accomplish this suc- 
 cessfully was very near to Paul's heart during the whole 
 of the third missionary tour, ever since leaving Antioch 
 for Galatia. In every letter written by him during 
 this period the subject is mentioned and one or another 
 group of disciples stirred to a generous emulation. The 
 Galatians had already responded, the Macedonians like- 
 wise. The Corinthian church had yet to complete its 
 quota. 
 
 It was not uncharacteristic of the apostle to connect 
 the matter with the glorious argument just brought to 
 a close. His wonderful study of the future life con- 
 cluding with the glorious fact of the Christian's expected 
 transformation and victory over death, a thought which 
 should stir him to worthily accomplish his life's work, 
 carried his readers far above the atmosphere of parti- 
 zanship or discussion, of sensuality or social rivalry, of 
 selfishness and pettiness to seat themselves in heavenly 
 places in Christ Jesus. He urged them while still 
 influenced by the spell of his appeal to have in mind the 
 "collection for the saints" at Jerusalem. 
 
 The apostle must have gone about this enterprise with 
 great hopefulness but without assurance as to the result. 
 No more unreasonable, dogged and obstinate people ever 
 lived than the Jews. They were always the more con- 
 firmed in their likes and hatreds, because they thought 
 that they were honoring God thereby. The average Jew 
 at Jerusalem held a special aversion for Paul, because 
 he was regarded as an apostate, one who was entrusted 
 'with the confidential missions of Judaism and distin- 
 guished with its honors, only to suddenly abandon his 
 
122 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 own people for the despised Christians. Many Christian 
 Jews hated him just as actively and bitterly because 
 they believed him to be undermining the confidence of 
 Christians in the things ordained of God and substitut- 
 ing for Judaistic Christianity something entirely dif- 
 ferent and vastly inferior. 
 
 Even the more liberally inclined realized that Paul 
 was not in their class, that he stood for a type of think- 
 ing to which they were unable to conform, yet because 
 of the manifest presence of the Spirit in the hearts of 
 his Gentile converts they were not unwilling to recog- 
 nize them as fellow Christians. 
 
 Paul's day-dream was that he might turn this latter 
 class into hearty fraternization with his disciples and 
 might at least induce those who hated him to assume an 
 attitude of passive approval. These enemies, however, 
 he could not fathom. They might urge that the contri- 
 bution be refused ; they might consider it a sort of bribe 
 in return for which Paul's opposition to the law was to 
 be condoned and the "equal standing of his upstart 
 churches acknowledged." Eomans 15 : 31 indicates the 
 uncertainty of his mind regarding this. Possibly the 
 Jerusalemites would fail to see in the gift any brotherly 
 love whatever. 
 
 Yet he would, as always, do his full duty, and let 
 God take care of the rest. It was while he was making 
 this gift and taking the utmost pains to conciliate this 
 fierce Jewish temper at any cost to himself that he lost 
 his liberty. Doubtless he often wondered when at 
 Caesarea in prison why God should have cut him off thus 
 abruptly from his active career of service and while per- 
 forming the most gracious and forgiving of deeds. But 
 we who look back over his life and read the rich treas- 
 ure of Christian thought packed into the three letters 
 which Paul wrote at Home after several years of 
 enforced reflection can see readily the reason in the 
 divine mind. Paul's immediate purpose may never 
 have been gained ; curiously enough, the writer of Acts 
 leaves us in complete suspense as regards that matter 
 
Chapter 81. The Great Collection 
 
 128 
 
 as well as others of much interest; but the influence of 
 the scheme and its outworking on his own character 
 and life was not slight. 
 
 The collection had evidently been completed when 
 the letter to the Komans was written (Rom. 15 : 25-32). 
 Paul took great satisfaction in the fact. Every one of 
 his provincial churches had responded to his appeal. 
 
 We cannot wonder that the Christians at Jerusalem 
 could be regarded as in need. 1 Thes. 2 : 14 rather 
 implies a recent Judean persecution. Jerusalem gave 
 little opportunity for the earning of a living except by 
 
 Iconium 
 
 Philippi. 
 
 Beroea. 
 
 Corinth. 
 
 Ephesus. 
 
 Coins from the Cities in which Paxil Gathered Money for the Great 
 Collection. 
 
 Several of these are from specimens in the British Museum. 
 
 ministering to the needs of those who were there on 
 pilgrimage or by purveying for Jerusalemites. In 
 either case an avowed Christian was likely to be at a 
 disadvantage. Few of the community were rich ; many 
 of these had been driven away by persecution at one 
 time or another. Doubtless Paul had good reason to 
 think that the gifts were really needed. Whether they 
 would be accepted was another question. 
 
124 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Paul urged the Corinthians more than once to activity 
 in raising this gift. Many of the members were slaves 
 without any stated income. Paul suggested that each 
 one at his own home should lay aside each Lord's day, 
 when the action could be deliberate, the sum which he 
 could spare. He did not himself wish to raise the 
 money by appeals in person/but to have it a "grace" on 
 the part of those who should give, a gift conscientiously 
 made, a true act of worship to God. 
 
 Paul's discussion of giving in 2 Cor. chs. 8, 9 was 
 a marvelous handling of a delicate theme. How deftly 
 he praised the Macedonians for their generosity, declar- 
 ing it to be a fit expression of their joy in Christ ! How 
 beautifully he instanced the sacrificial life of Jesus as 
 motive for Christian generosity even to the point of 
 self-sacrifice; how wisely he declared the freedom, the 
 readiness and the fraternity which must work true 
 liberality. He was true to his habit of giving great 
 reasons for ordinary acts. To him this Christian liber- 
 ality ranked as an act of faith and of brotherhood. 
 
 The privilege of giving is an idea reserved for 
 Christian thought. Men have always been liberal, but 
 for selfish reasons. If it is to be a "grace," there must 
 be no other end in view than the promotion of the 
 kingdom and the blessing of men. Many have then 
 realized the truth of the word of our Lord which the 
 apostle quoted that to give is far more blessed than to 
 receive. 
 
Chapter 32. Paul's Appeal to the Corinthians 125 
 
 Chapter 32. Paul's Tender Appeal to the Church at 
 Corinth. 2 Cor. 4 : 16 — 6:10. Written during the 
 second tour in Greece, about A. D, 57. 
 
 No epistle written by Paul is simpler of construc- 
 tion and easier to comprehend than Second Corinthians, 
 yet none raises more questions of an interesting if not 
 absolutely vital character. One who reads it carefully 
 notes with some surprise the marked changes of theme 
 which indicate its three great sections. Each of these 
 sections is complete in itself, and might be taken quite 
 by itself as an independent production. The first sec- 
 tion consists of chapters one to seven inclusive. It takes 
 for granted a real repentance on the part of the church, 
 explains Paul's failure to visit them at the appointed 
 time, expresses gratification over the outcome and 
 declares a continuing and deepening affection which 
 gives the apostle new courage in his work. 
 
 There were those in the Corinthian church who had 
 been bitter against him, not hesitating to decry his 
 right to reprove its members, on the ground that he was 
 no real apostle, but only one permitted by the apostles 
 to engage in mission work. While refuting this charge 
 Paul makes a noble declaration concerning the glorious 
 work of the minister of Christ Jesus. 
 
 The second section includes chapters eight and nine. 
 It refers wholly to the generous gift which Paul desired 
 his churches to make to their poorer brethren at 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 The third section consists of chapters ten to thirteen. 
 It differs widely in tone and in intensity from the sec- 
 tion preceding. Some students have realized this differ- 
 ence so keenly as to pronounce it impossible that Paul 
 could have written these chapters as a part of a letter 
 to which chapters one to seven belonged. These later 
 chapters take up distinctly the charges made against the 
 apostle and with indignation and scorn elaborate a 
 defense. While we sympathize with the great leader, 
 wounded to the quick by the sneers of those who once 
 
126 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 had been proud to receive his notice, we cannot but be 
 glad that he was given occasion to make so magnificent 
 a self-defense. Paul's words furnish a side-light upon 
 his career of the greatest value to his biographer. 
 
 These last four chapters correspond in subject matter 
 to the letter to which Paul refers in the eighth verse of 
 chapter seven, a "stern and highly painful letter/' One 
 of such a character must have been written by the apos- 
 tle between First and Second Corinthians. The ref- 
 erences in the early chapters of Second Corinthians 
 cannot fairly refer to the first epistle. This last letter 
 may be represented by 2 Cor. chs. 10-13, or the sudden 
 change in attitude in the epistle between chapter seven 
 and chapter ten must be explained by a resumption of 
 his unfinished task by the apostle when in a very 
 different and far more militant mood than that which 
 filled his soul when dictating the earlier chapters. The 
 question is in no way important. Paul beyond question 
 wrote at least four letters to the Corinthian church. 
 That portions of two of these letters became united as 
 one is not an impossible supposition. 
 
 The great theme of the first seven chapters, called out 
 by the glad news brought by Titus to Macedonia, is 
 apostleship. Paul declares that there is no need that 
 he should commend himself, since his Corinthian 
 Christians themselves were his living letters of com- 
 mendation. They by their lives were continuous testi- 
 monials to his apostolic power, for they had been its 
 result. God had given him the needful wisdom and 
 strength and made him adequate to his ministry. 
 
 Thus the apostle comes to a setting forth of his own 
 conception of "the ministry of Christ," its character, 
 motive, and persisting support (3:5 — 6:10), which 
 has given inspiration and confidence to generations 
 without number of those who have followed in his steps. 
 
 Paul's idea of the Gospel which he was preaching is 
 suggested by the descriptive terms he uses. He glories 
 in being the minister of a "new covenant" (3:6), not 
 of the letter but of the spirit, aiming not at mechanical 
 
Chapter 32. Paul's Appeal to the Corinthians 127 
 
 fidelity to God but to impart real loyalty. This new 
 ministry far surpasses the old because instead of 
 declaring penalties it aims to upbuild in righteousness 
 (3:9) and to bestow forgiveness and freedom from sin. 
 The law was glorious, but its glory is not to be com- 
 pared with the surpassing splendor of the Gospel. 
 Moreover, the herald of the Gospel may speak without 
 reserve or concealment. His message makes for 
 freedom. He seeks for nothing but the truth as it is 
 gloriously revealed through Christ. Contemplating 
 that ideal he is gradually transformed into its likeness. 
 
 One with such a theme has no reason for cunning or 
 deceit or lack of courage. It is "veiled" (4:3) only 
 to those who have become self-blinded through delib- 
 erate sin. The heavenly vision of the glorious face of 
 Jesus is like the gift of light on the creative morning 
 (4:6). 
 
 My ministry, continues Paul, is one of weakness and 
 tribulation, but these things are cheerfully endured 
 because of the ends in view (4:1-15). He who has a 
 vision of God and of the abiding glory of the life to 
 come looks upon sufferings or disappointment as but 
 trifles (4:16-18). Moreover, our certainty through 
 God's assurance that bodily death is but an immediate 
 entrance into the presence of Christ makes it our one 
 ambition to do that which is well-pleasing to Him 
 (5:1-10). 
 
 "Whatever my motives may seem to be, I am aiming 
 to win men to holy living. The sense of Christ's great 
 love for men has been the compelling motive of my 
 service, ever since I saw that His saving death meant 
 that they whose lives are transformed through Him 
 should henceforth live unselfishly and for His sake. 
 One who knows Christ in spiritual fellowship observes 
 the world from a new and higher point of view. To 
 bring this about is my constant aim" (5: 11-17). 
 
 This ministry is, therefore, one of reconciliation and 
 fellowship with God. Do not cripple or thwart it by 
 unchristian lives. "That it has been sincere and zeal- 
 
128 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 ous I have given abundant proof through sufferings and 
 toils, through the purity, gentleness and godliness of 
 my life, through the success of my service with men. 
 Whatever my experiences, they have only served to 
 quicken and define my ministry unto all." 
 
 These glorious yet touching words of the apostle have 
 given inspiration to many a one who has sought to 
 become one that ministers to his fellow men. They give 
 expression to the joy and confidence which belongs with 
 the higher life of unselfish faith. Their message is for 
 every Christian man and woman who is struggling to 
 serve. 
 
 Chapter 33. Paul's Defense of his Apostolic Authority. 
 2 Cor. 11:21 — 12: 13. 
 
 The apostle Paul was one of those who achieve the 
 aims which they set before themselves but hesitate to 
 speak of what they have done. No theme was of 
 less interest to him than the question of his own merits. 
 But the time may come for any great leader, when ho 
 must make clear his position and his right to lead or 
 else yield much, if not all, that he has gained to those 
 whose enmity and criticism is due to their jealousy. 
 
 Paul did not expect to have all men adopt his point 
 of view. He met honest opposition without complaint. 
 He endured like a soldier the hardships entailed by his 
 spiritual campaigns, 'serene in the belief that his would 
 be the ultimate victory. He was sensible enough to 
 presume that one who represented ideals such as his 
 would meet with every species of persecution. P>ut he 
 was sensitive over accusations that raised anv barrier 
 between him and his converts, putting him before them 
 in a false light. 
 
Chapter 33. Paul's Defense of his Apostleship 129 
 
 His enemies in the Corinthian church had been par- 
 ticularly bitter and contemptible in their methods. 
 The spirit of factionalism had led them into habits of 
 disparagement, the full effect of which Paul encoun- 
 tered. The calumnies which he had silenced in the 
 Galatian churches were given renewed expression at 
 Corinth with additions. Here, as there, his enemies 
 declared that he was only a second-hand apostle, deriv- 
 ing his authority and even his message from the "pre- 
 eminent" (2 Cor. 11:5; 12:11) apostles. They thus 
 excused themselves for opposing his will. They went 
 on to declare that, because of his own conscious inferi- 
 ority, he feared to come to Corinth to confront his oppo- 
 nents, as a true apostolic leader would do, and that, 
 for the same reason, he did not venture to claim the 
 support which was always accorded an apostle. Thus 
 Paul's own tenderness for the converts who were dear 
 to him and his generosity toward the church gave occa- 
 sion for charges that could not but rankle in the mind 
 of one accused. 
 
 They also seem to have spoken slightingly of his 
 personality and of his courage, saying that Paul was a 
 terrible fellow a long way off from the scene of action, 
 putting all manner of brave words into a letter 
 (2 Cor. 10: 10), but a humble and apologetic figure in 
 the presence of those who knew him well. His retort 
 (10:13-15) is a masterpiece of mingled irony and 
 plain speaking. He was at all events a match for the 
 Corinthian church. 
 
 Much of this kind of talk the great apostle would 
 have turned aside with a keen, well-chosen thrust, 
 serving to put the argument of his opponents into a 
 ridiculous light— a species of verbal warfare at which 
 he was apt — but when they went so far as to decry his 
 spirituality, declaring that he "walked in the flesh," 
 pursuing his own worldly and selfish ends, he felt that 
 a crisis had been reached and that he must declare 
 himself. 
 
 These chapters contain, not a defense of himself alone 
 
ISO The 'Apostolic Leaders 
 
 but an appeal to the loyalty of his converts. Paul was 
 sure that when they gave themselves a chance to reflect, 
 the truth would be clear to them. He wrote with no 
 vindictiveness, but "in the meekness and gentleness of 
 Christ." He was willing to plead with them to so order 
 their conduct that he would be spared the necessity of 
 demonstrating in person the falsity of the slanderous 
 charges against him. 
 
 But the crisis indicated by these chapters was an 
 acute one. Severe indeed had been the outbreak of 
 hatred against Paul which impeached his honesty of 
 purpose, stopped at no personal slander, and sought to 
 make him a reprobate before his own disciples. It 
 centered evidently in a little coterie of men, who had 
 possibly come in from the outside, representing the 
 Judaizing faction in the church at large, had intrigued 
 for leadership and were seeking to undermine the loyalty 
 of the church at Corinth toward Paul. His stirring 
 appeal brought the church to its senses again, and put 
 an end to the influence of the disturbers. Whether 
 these chapters are to be counted as the third epistle to 
 the Corinthians and regarded as the letter referred to 
 in the first section (2 Cor. 2:4; 7:8), the epistle of 
 commendation (2 Cor. 3: 1), or are to be considered as 
 a part of the fourth letter to the church, the third hav- 
 ing been entirely lost, is a question sufficiently argued 
 in the last chapter. 
 
 Out of a full heart bursts the apostle's first long 
 sentence (2 Cor. 10:1,2). His indignation, its 
 restraint, his resentment at the imputation of cowardice 
 and his resolve to return, if need be, to administer pun- 
 ishment are given simultaneous expression. They 
 charged him with "walking after the flesh," that is, 
 with working for his personal interests. He replies that 
 of course he is but human and yet that in his Christian 
 warfare he uses divinely powerful weapons. Their out- 
 look had become pitifully narrow (10: 7). They were 
 forgetting that when it came to evangelistic compari- 
 sons it was not Paul who would be shamed (10:8). 
 
Chapter S3. Paul's Defense of his Apostleship . 131 
 
 Without presuming, however, to claim a place by the 
 side of his detractors (10:12), he would remind the 
 Corinthians that he at least measured up to them, for 
 they were his spiritual children. 
 
 His motive in rehearsing his services to the church 
 was impersonal. He feared that the church would 
 accept another "gospel" and cease to be unwaveringly 
 loyal to Christ. Except, perhaps, in skill of speech, he 
 yielded precedence to no one. He differed from other 
 teachers only in that he supported himself. He did this 
 that he might imitate the self-sacrifice of Christ. In 
 contrast to the violent behavior of his critics toward the 
 church (2 Cor. 11:19-21) his demeanor may have 
 seemed weak. But in whatever they were glorying, he 
 surpassed them, be it in lineage, knowledge, experience, 
 sufferings, or sympathy for all in need (11:22-28). 
 Nay, he had, many years before, been through a sacred, 
 indescribably blessed experience in heavenly places, a 
 secret of his inspiration for service, a temptation to 
 spiritual pride, the cause of his sharpest trial, some 
 humiliating and recurrent malady, the nature of which 
 we can only conjecture. But along with the painful 
 reminder came the cheering assurance of God's abiding 
 grace and help (2 Cor. 12:2-10). 
 
 Once more Paul appeals to their good sense. Wherein 
 had his ministry failed? His one objective was their 
 souls' good. "Not yours, but you" (12: 14). He also 
 declares explicitly that if he finds the church on his 
 arrival upholding sins of self-will and self-indulgence, 
 he will use his disciplinary authority without reserve 
 (12:19—13:10). 
 
 This "apology" is a powerful argument for Paul's 
 nobility of character. He exalts Christ, not himself; 
 he glories in serviceableness not in supremacy; he 
 reproves, yet with the gentleness of a true Christian 
 pastor; he rejoices that God's grace keeps pace with 
 every affliction. It went to the heart of his converts; 
 they remained thereafter wholly loyal. 
 
132 
 
 The Apostolic Leadei 
 
 Chapter 34. Pawl's Letter to the Church at Rome. Rom. 
 1:1-17; 15:14=33. Written from Corinth about 
 A. D. 58. 
 
 Paul did not long delay in following his last letter to 
 the Corinthian church from Macedonia to Corinth. 
 There he remained three months (Acts 20 : 3). During 
 these months, and probably during the last one, he 
 wrote the wonderful epistle to the church at Rome 
 which an early writer regarded as presenting "the whole 
 tenor of the Scriptures." 
 
 Ever since he was at Ephesus, Paul had been looking 
 forward to a visit to Rome (Acts 19:21). He was 
 
 View in tae Scalar Fcr^m 
 
 The seven columns in the foreground are all that remains of the splendid temple of 
 Saturn, which was the Roman treasury in the time of Paul. 
 
 beginning to feel that his pioneering work in the East 
 was well along, if not completed. From Jerusalem and 
 round about even unto Illyricum he had "fully preached 
 the gospel of Christ" (Rom. 15:19). No longer had 
 he any available new territory (Rom. 15:23) to ex- 
 plore and organize — territory, that is to say, in cyhich 
 he was obviously the proper type of missionary. 
 
 He had many reasons for desiring to visit Rome. A 
 citizen of the world in the finest sense of that term, he 
 regarded the imperial capital as the great center of all 
 kinds of influence. A missionary who had labored with 
 such success at Antioch, Corinth and Ephesus would be 
 strongly attracted to the queen city of all. 
 
Chapter 34. Paul's Letter to the Romans Job' 
 
 We do not know how strongly he was drawn to the 
 church itself, for we know practically nothing about its 
 history. The traditions concerning it are certainly of 
 little value, while conjectures are varying. It may have 
 originated through those who, when "scattered abroad 
 went everywhere preaching the word" (Acts 8:4). 
 Christians drifted to Rome and gradually got together, 
 forming a church. From the allusions in the epistle it 
 may be conjectured that the bulk of the members were 
 Gentiles, so that without hesitation the apostle might 
 send to them a letter of this kind. 
 
 The epistle is a many-sided one, hardly to be summed 
 up in one word. It is more of a deliberate unity than 
 any letter previously written. It is the systematic expo- 
 sition of the Gospel which he preached, not a letter, 
 really, so much as a treatise. Some have attributed 
 this peculiarity of Eomans to the importance and situ- 
 ation of the church at Rome, it being essential that it 
 should receive a correct impression of all that Paul 
 stood for in view of his approaching visit and anxiety to 
 be properly understood and received. Others, having 
 in mind the perilous journey which he was about to 
 undertake, explain its completeness of argument as a 
 sort of written formulation of his views that they might 
 be preserved. Still other interpreters explain the char- 
 acter of Romans as an attempt on the part of the 
 apostle, in view of rumors that had come to him (Rom. 
 16 : 17-20), to forestall the divisive and disturbing influ- 
 ence of some Judaizers who were making themselves felt 
 in the church. 
 
 Whatever the reason that impelled Paul, we may be 
 profoundly grateful that he felt himself at this period of 
 his career compelled to state in exact and final fashion 
 his reasons for preaching salvation through Chriet alone. 
 For years he had been justifying this Gospel to congre- 
 gations without number. Though he knew it not, his 
 controversial career was nearinsr an end. The letter to 
 the Roman Christians put into permanent form the 
 result's of these years of argument. It gave an answer 
 
134 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 to the Jew who rested upon the divine origin of the law, 
 and encouraged the Gentile who felt in his heart that 
 forgiveness had been given him through the grace of the 
 Lord Jesus. It expressed the present and prevailing 
 duty of the Christian believer. It is and yet is not the 
 greatest of the letters of Paul. The judgment of the 
 student regarding it will be determined by his bent of 
 mind. The admirer of a well-sustained argument 
 regarding important problems in religion will declare 
 the letter to the Eomans a masterpiece. Nor is it 
 devoid of deep feeling and grand enthusiasm. The 
 Paul who penned it was not a recluse bending over his 
 manuscript, but a mighty pioneer who planned to win 
 the world for Christ. His majestic religious purpose is 
 as impressive as his argument. 
 
 As usual the letter opens with an elaborate salutation 
 and thanksgiving. In the former (1:1-7) Paul declares 
 his apostolic call to preach the Gospel; in the latter 
 (1: 8-15) he recognizes their faithfulness and expresses 
 his desire to work among them with a Gospel message 
 which they will welcome, viz., the opportunity of salva- 
 tion through faith for every man (1:16,17) whether 
 Jew or Greek. 
 
 The apostle then exhibits sin as a universal fact to be 
 taken for granted, not alone among the unevangelized 
 heathen (1:18-32) but among the instructed Jews 
 (ch. 2). The latter have an advantage (3:1, 2) but 
 their unbelief is unjustifiable (3 :3-8). All men are 
 guilty in God's sight (3: 9-18), as the Scriptures imply 
 (3:19,20). No one can win salvation for himself by 
 his works. 
 
 From 3 : 21 to 8 : 39 is the positive argument to prove 
 that salvation is a free gift of God bestowed through 
 faith in Christ alone. The faith method of salvation 
 was revealed by the Old Testament and accomplished 
 through Christ (3:21-31). Abraham was saved by 
 faith, not by works ; and believers, his spiritual children, 
 inherit through faith not through the law (ch. 4). The 
 assurance of salvation gives peace and hope and joy to 
 
Chapter $4. Paul's Letter to the Romans 135 
 
 every one. It will be made complete since God's grace 
 outmatches the power of sin (ch. 5). The Christian is 
 not thereby enabled to disregard the moral law, but as 
 he comes into fellowship with Christ he enters upon a 
 life of holiness (6:1-14). His freedom from the law 
 is not a freedom to do wrong (6: 15 — 7: 6). The law 
 was merely a useful instrumentality, not an end in 
 itself. It reveals the character of sin but cannot deliver 
 men from sin (7: 7-25). The Christian, living the life 
 of the Spirit, is assured peace and immortality. AD. 
 the resources of God's grace are his (ch. 8). 
 
 Was God's providential relationship to Israel a 
 failure? Only as Israel has failed to accept the 
 Messiah. But the true Israel is the result of a historio 
 selective process, and God in rejecting the nation is not 
 refusing to honor His pledge (9:1-29). The Jewish 
 race sought 'salvation through works and rejected the 
 easy conditions of faith (9:30 — 10:21). Their atti- 
 tude hastened the salvation of the Gentile world, that 
 Gentile and Jew alike might share God's final blessing 
 (ch. 11). 
 
 In view of the divine goodness may every one recon- 
 secrate himself (ch. 12). Let him do his public duties 
 honorably (ch. 13). Let him deal with fellow Chris- 
 tians in all forbearance (14 : 1 — 15 : 13) . These are the 
 ideals I am longing to set before you in person 
 (15:14-33). 
 
 A truly noble outline of a world-wide Gospel of 
 redemption by faith and re-creation by the Spirit. 
 "Verily no man can read it too oft or study it too 
 well" (Tyndale). 
 
136 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 35. The Assurance of the Christian Believer. 
 Rom. ch. 8. 
 
 The great epistle to the Eomans cannot be dismissed 
 in one quick analysis. Its depth of thought and mar- 
 velous insight into experience is realized only by those 
 who take the argument more in detail. We may well 
 afford, therefore, to dwell in particular upon the three 
 great chapters, six to eight, which show what Paul 
 really meant by justification by faith. Then, as now, 
 the zeal of men for phrases and arguments not infre- 
 quently led to the obscuring of actual facts. Paul's 
 arguments might well be misunderstood by many who 
 heard them for the first time, and regarded as encour- 
 aging moral wrong. 
 
 After setting forth the universal sinfulness of men, — 
 Gentile and Jew alike, — and their need of divine 
 righteousness, the apostle had shown that this right- 
 eousness was put within their reach through the 
 redemption which is in Christ, that it is appropriated 
 through faith in Him, thus giving no one an oppor- 
 tunity to boast over his salvation, and making it free to 
 all on identical terms. He further showed, citing the 
 example of Abraham and the testimony of David, that 
 this conception of salvation not only does not upset but 
 rather establishes the religious relationship under which 
 Abraham lived; it illustrates, extends and confirms it. 
 Happy, then, are they who are conscious of being made 
 right with God through faith. The love of God becomes 
 very real and present to them and their future blessed- 
 ness is assured. 
 
 Passing over the obscure digression (5: 12-21) which 
 draws a comparison between the universal reign of sin 
 since Adam and the universal forgiveness through 
 Christ, we note that the apostle in the next three chap- 
 ters sought to address the moral consciousness of human- 
 ity and to show that justification through faith in Christ 
 was in no sense whatever a warrant for license. Dr. 
 Denney puts the argument concisely in these words: 
 
Chapter 85. The Assurance of the Believer 137 
 
 "Chapter six shows that the Christian, in baptism, dies 
 to sin ; chapter seven, that by death he is freed from the 
 law, which, in point of fact, owing to the corruption of 
 his nature perpetually stimulates sin; chapter eight, 
 that the Spirit imparted to believers breaks the power 
 of the flesh, and enables them to live to God/' It will 
 be worth our while to go over the argument more in 
 detail. 
 
 Two clever rather than substantial objections to Paul's 
 theory of salvation would occur to one brought up under 
 a theory which laid full stress upon man's responsibility 
 for his acts and the bearing of those on his relationship 
 with God. If God's grace, one might say, keeps pace 
 with human sinfulness, why not sin the more, so as to 
 evoke the more grace? Such a conception ignores the 
 real character of the Christian life. The Christian 
 enters into a fellowship for life with Christ which means 
 a complete breaking off of relations with the old life of 
 sin. He dies to sin and is resurrected to holiness and a 
 pure, moral life. He lives henceforth, like Christ, a 
 Godly life. 
 
 Again, such an one might say, if we are not under 
 law but under grace, are we not free to sin? Not so, 
 because we are servants of righteousness and bound to 
 conform to its ideals. Instead of using our bodily 
 powers for selfish and wicked ends we should make them 
 promote holiness of life, a life which becomes eternal. 
 
 Getting free from the bondage of the Old Testament 
 law is accomplished by death. Just as a wife is made 
 free by the death of her husband to enter into new rela- 
 tions with another, the marriage bond being dissolved 
 by death, so the Christian by his moral death to sin is 
 freed from his bondage to sin and made free to serve 
 his new Master, Christ, with joy and serenity (7; 1-6). 
 
 Let us not infer, however, that the law is evil. Not 
 at all, but it has been the occasion of awakening the 
 consciousness of sin (7:7-13). Life under the law 
 comes to this in experience that when one wishes to do 
 good^ evil is ever present with him, and the law does 
 
138 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 not enable him to conquer sinful impulses. In fact, 
 evil propensities gam the victory often over deep and 
 true moral desires, making one the hopeless slave of sm. 
 There is no release except through Christ (7 : 14-25). 
 
 Now the contrast between the old life under the law 
 and the blessed life which the Christian may lead is 
 sweepingly complete. The life of the (Spirit is not a 
 life of continual struggle against a dominating law. In 
 Christ, God sent a new saving power into the world and 
 brought to an end the claims and the authority of sin 
 for those who are united to Christ (8: 1-4). The one 
 who has been justified by God's grace in Christ is one 
 who has surely begun to live a good life in the Spirit 
 (8:5-11). 
 
 This life of the Spirit creates in us a new nature. By 
 a sort of adoption we become a part of the true family 
 of God, a relationship that quickly becomes more and 
 more real. As God's children we naturally inherit the 
 great blessings of His kingdom, and therefore share in 
 the 'sufferings which a faithful adherence entails 
 (8:12-17). 
 
 Of the blessedness to which the Christian may look 
 forward there is on every side an eager expectation. In 
 some sense inanimate creation seems to be awaiting it; 
 its hope and promise are involved in the very constitu- 
 tion of things. When the curse is wholly lifted from 
 man, it will be lifted from nature also, and man will 
 find himself in a new world matching his new condi- 
 tion (8:18-22). 
 
 The Christian, too, is looking always ahead. What 
 he has already experienced is but the foretaste of heaven 
 itself. Only by death, when he has exchanged his mor- 
 tal body for an immortal one, can he possess the full 
 privileges and joys of sonship (8:23-25). 
 
 Moreover, the Holy Spirit intercedes for the Christian 
 in his deep need, understanding and expressing that 
 need in ways which only God can fully understand. 
 This is the Spirit's constant aim. What a prospect this 
 extends to the sincere believer ! He is sure of the fore- 
 
Chapter 35. The Assurance ef the Believer 139 
 
 seeing, unchangeable love of God, which follows him 
 continuously (8:^0-30). 
 
 This leads to a glorious conclusion. In the light of 
 all this certain blessedness, how insignificant become 
 the sufferings we encounter! Redemption implies 
 divine care for the redeemed. When God gives His 
 Son, He gives the universe too. In spite of all impedi- 
 ments, God's chosen ones will be carried through. No 
 one can condemn them, since Christ died, rose, and 
 intercedes for them. No hardship or suffering, not even 
 death, nothing that God has made can do more than 
 give us deeper and more thrilling experiences of the 
 love of Christ (8:31-39). 
 
 One great thought of these three wonderful chapters 
 is that justification and moral righteousness are co- 
 existent and inseparable. The new life in the Spirit 
 begins the moment a real forgiveness from ein is 
 attained. The evidence of the deliverance is the actively 
 righteous life. 
 
 Another thought, equally great, is that of the place 
 in the Christian's life of the victorious spirit of love. 
 Love is stronger than law. The one who, though con- 
 scious of weakness, deliberately chooses to follow the 
 pathway of faith and love and holiness, has assurance 
 of success. 
 
140 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 36. The Last Journey to Jerusalem. Acts 20 : 3— 
 21 : 16. About A. D. 58. 
 
 The subject of the journey ings of the apostle Paul to 
 the mother city, Jerusalem, their number, dates and 
 purpose is one which may never be decided to the entire 
 satisfaction and acceptance of New Testament scholars. 
 Of this particular journey and its right to be called the 
 last one which the apostle made to Jerusalem there is 
 no question whatever. 
 
 It was a journey for which he had long been prepar- 
 ing, and to which he had alluded, again and again, in 
 the letters of these active years. By it he hoped to 
 carry out a scheme which had long been in his mind 
 for uniting fraternally his churches with those in 
 Palestine. He desired, if possible, to be the means of 
 healing the breach to which his own work and words 
 had given the chief occasion. He hoped to make such 
 proof of the genuineness of the Christian virtues in the 
 hearts of his converts that even the bigoted and deter- 
 mined brethren at Jerusalem would be unable to reject 
 it or to continue their attitude of suspicion. 
 
 Paul had arranged to sail from Corinth for Jerusalem 
 at the opening of navigation, hoping probably to reach 
 Jerusalem by Passover, but the discovery that a Jewish 
 plot had been laid against him, a plot, perhaps, to be 
 executed on the ship which would have been crowded 
 with pilgrims, Jews of Corinth and Asia, his sworn 
 foes, made him change his plans so as to reach Jeru- 
 salem by a different route and at a later date. 
 
 Quite a number of men were preparing to accompany 
 him. These were the chosen representatives of the vari- 
 ous groups of churches, sent by them at Paul's request 
 to make the journey with him and to witness the out- 
 come, so that there 'should be no chance for such 
 malicious charges as, to his cost, he had found even his 
 own converts capable of. A question of the correct read- 
 ing of Acts 20:4, 5 makes the actual course of their 
 getting together a little obscure, but it is clear that they 
 
Chapter 86. The Last Journey to Jerusalem 141 
 
 all met at Troas, whither Paul came after a hasty visit 
 to the churches in Macedonia. 
 
 The narrative of the voyage to Jerusalem is vivid 
 and valuable. It is again in the words of an eye witness, 
 for the interesting first personal pronoun begins once 
 more with verse five. We do not read much relating to 
 the companions, since the author of Acts was interested 
 mainly in Paul, the leading personality in all these 
 events. Altogether they must have made quite a com- 
 pany, for the church at Corinth and perhaps those of 
 Cilicia and the mother church at Antioch were sharers 
 in the enterprise. 
 
 The stay at Troas continued for a week, and concluded 
 on Sunday evening. It is most interesting to note this 
 earliest reference to the "first day" as being marked out 
 by the Christian church as the special day for public 
 worship and in particular for the regular celebration of 
 the communion in the "breaking of the bread." It was 
 possible, as Ramsay long since pointed out, fcr the 
 company to remain with the church at Troas even until 
 far into the night, since the proper wind from the north, 
 with the advent of which their ship would set sail, could 
 not be expected before daybreak. The rest of the party 
 joined the vessel at its anchorage, but Paul lingered, in- 
 tending to go overland to Assos, below the cape around 
 which the vessel had to sail. 
 
 A curious incident happened at Troas during the 
 prolonged service of the evening. A young man, 
 belonging, doubtless, to one of the Christian families of 
 Troas, and probably coming to the service after a day of 
 toil, was so overcome by drowsiness that he fell out of a 
 window and was taken up for dead. The apostle assured 
 the friends that he would live, and continued the dis- 
 course. Whether the narrative intends that it should 
 be understood that Paul wrought a miracle of healing is 
 not wholly clear, but at all events the young man recov- 
 ered, and that which might have cast a blight over the 
 farewell of Pnul to his followers became rather an 
 occasion of rejoicing. 
 
142 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 The story of the voyage proceeds clearly enough as 
 far as Miletus. Eamsay explains the straight course to 
 Miletus and the delay there instead of at Ephesus by 
 supposing that the ship in which the company took 
 passage from Troas was due to make one stop only 
 between Troas and Patmos, and that at Miletus. The 
 delay at Miletus would give just time enough for com- 
 munication with Ephesus, whereas a stop at Ephesus 
 might cause a considerable delay, not to mention 
 possible dangers or complications. 
 
 He lost no time in despatching a messenger from 
 Miletus to summon the leaders of the church at Ephesus 
 to join him. They responded at once, so that he had 
 
 Xu 
 
 
 Earns at Miletus. 
 
 The arches are on the site aS the ancient city. The harbor in which rani's ship lay 
 was in the central part of the picture. It is now mostly rilled up with mud. 
 
 one last opportunity for an interview, which none among 
 them would ever forget. 
 
 In the report of this conference, condensed as usual 
 into a discourse which at best but broadly represented 
 the earnest words of that night together, Paul gave 
 frank expression to the forebodings which pressed upon 
 his soul. He was sure that it was the Lord's will that 
 he should go to Jerusalem, but he also realized that some 
 fresh test of his courage and faith would present itself. 
 He was, like a true pastor, more concerned for them, 
 left without his helpful guidance, than for himself. 
 Reminding them of the zealous and unselfish character 
 
Chapter 36. The Last Journey to Jerusalem 143 
 
 of his ministry when among them, and declaring that 
 they might never see him again, he affectionately and 
 solemnly appealed to them to be faithful, generous and 
 sincere shepherds of the flock of God, praying that God 
 would uphold them in their service. It was such an 
 address as we might expect from the great apostle, 
 tender, intense and stirring. It broke their hearts to 
 think that such a leader was going to meet a fate 
 unknown. 
 
 Paul did not lack other tests of his fixedness of pur- 
 pose and courage. At Csesarea he received unmistak- 
 able confirmation of his own forecasts. The whole 
 Christian community united in pleading with him to 
 keep away from Jerusalem, and his comrades added 
 their petitions. All manner of specious reasons were 
 adduced for permitting his companions to execute the 
 mission and saving himself for the needed work of 
 evangelization. No doubt they urged him to sail for 
 Eome, promising to quickly follow him thither with a 
 message of success. But Paul was not to be deterred 
 from following his conviction that he himself was sum- 
 moned to Jerusalem. So at last they yielded and all 
 set out for the city of Jerusalem. 
 
 This voyage narrative throws a vivid light upon the 
 true grandeur of Paul. He was made in heroic mould. 
 The prospect of sufferings never affected his course in 
 the least. He was not his own man, but Christ's man. 
 He found his highest joy in executing the Master's will, 
 whatever that might imply. He was never foolhardy, 
 but he would not allow danger to interfere with duty. 
 All lives may be made heroic on this simple principle. 
 
 It meant much to him of comfort that he could truly 
 say on looking back that no one could accuse him of a 
 selfish or slack or superficial ministry. Always lie had 
 aimed to do his best for others, entering into their 
 experiences and leading them to God. There is no 
 joy in life quite equal to that of the consciousness of 
 first-rate service to one's fellow men. It is reachable 
 by all, .even by the humblest and least experienced. 
 
144 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Jesus Himself said it was but the giving of a cup of cool 
 water, the doing for the love of it of simple service in 
 the Master's name. 
 
 Chapter 37. Paul's Disappointing Visit to Jerusalem. 
 Acts 21 : 17—22: 22. About A. D. 58. 
 
 At last the apostle and his company had reached the 
 goal of his long deferred hopes. He was again at the 
 city where so many experiences, fruitful for good and 
 for evil, had come to him. Without knowing it himself, 
 he was at another great turning-point in his career of 
 much significance in history. 
 
 The leisureliness of the last stage of his trip may 
 well indicate that he and his company found themselves, 
 after all, in good season for the great feast of Pentecost. 
 Jewish pilgrims from all parts of the world were in 
 Jerusalem. Not a few of these were Paul's bitter 
 enemies; all were excited over exaggerated and twisted 
 reports of his teachings. From the standpoint of per- 
 sonal safety Paul might as well have entered a den of 
 hungry lions as the beautiful city crowded with those 
 who had fresh reasons each year to regard him as the 
 greatest obstacle to their dreams of a universal Judaism. 
 
 His first experience, however, was one of friendship 
 and fraternity. The Christian leaders received him as 
 one of themselves. Accordingly, on the day follow- 
 ing his arrival, Paul and his whole party were received 
 by James and the elders. Since there is no mention of 
 the apostles, it may be assumed that they were not pres- 
 ent. The acknowledged leader of the Christian church 
 at Jerusalem was James, the Lord's brother, a very 
 strict upholder of the law. Before him and the other 
 men of influence Paul gave a detailed account of his 
 ministry in Syria, Galatia, Asia, Macedonia, and Greece. 
 His hearers were stirred to enthusiasm, and determined, 
 then and there, to bring about an understanding con- 
 
Chapter 37. Paul's Last Visit to Jerusalem 145 
 
 cerning him among the great body of Jewish Christians 
 which would enable them to hear this inspiring ac- 
 count of the progress of the Gospel among those who 
 had been unbelievers. 
 
 The cause for the persistent hatred toward Paul of 
 all partisan Jews was due to the report that he was 
 teaching, not Gentiles alone but the Jews whom he 
 found in other countries, that they should no longer re- 
 gard the Mosaic law as binding. This idea was not with- 
 out justification on their part, yet it was not fair to 
 Paul. He taught freely that the keeping of the law 
 was not essential to salvation, but he did not advise 
 those who had been born Jews to neglect its require- 
 ments. However, an outcry against him even among 
 the Christians was to be anticipated, and this the leaders 
 wished to avoid. So James and the others proposed 
 that he make a demonstration of his readiness to act un- 
 der the law. Paul was yielding no principle here. He 
 had made a vow only a short while before. The conclu- 
 sion of that vow would formally be in some ceremonial 
 of Judaism, best of all at the temple at Jerusalem. He 
 was thus acting no part in consenting to the scheme pro- 
 posed by the friends. He was making a concession, but 
 one which he could rightly regard as harmless. He had 
 but to join a party of Nazirites and pay their expenses 
 in order to manifest his friendliness for Judaism and to 
 prove his patriotism. It was a prudent course, but not 
 an unprincipled one. Paul ran some risk of misrepre- 
 sentation among his own converts, but his act was wise, 
 friendly and Christlike. 
 
 It is interesting to note that, so far as the evidence 
 goes, this scheme was successful in impressing the 
 Christians at Jerusalem with a conviction of Paul's sin- 
 cerity and wise leadership. The writer of the narrative 
 in the Book of Acts evidently regarded the series of 
 events as ordained of God and conducted by Him. 
 
 The apostle's plan was interfered with by the attack 
 upon him of some non-Christians from Asia whose en- 
 mity he had escaped not long before. They were ready 
 
146 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 to seize upon any pretext for attacking him. When his 
 week of. purification was drawing to a close, these Jews, 
 who recognized him as their enemy, with strong appeals 
 to the prejudices of the Jews, aroused a frenzied mob. 
 
 They identified 
 
 fMHOENAAAADrDHEEnO 
 PEYEI0AIENTOITCMIE 
 
 I F1TQEPQ^TPY#AKTOYPJ 
 i nEPIBOAOYOI^ANAH 
 laOHEAYTQIAITKEEI 
 LTAIAIATOEZAKQAOY 
 
 in 
 
 One of the Tablets on the "So 
 Temple, 
 
 The " Soi-eg" was a low stone balustrade marking the 
 boundary between the outer and inner courts in tue tem- 
 ple. On it were tablets bearing inscriptions in Greek and 
 La:in forbidding Gentiles to go within it on pain of death. 
 One of these tafjiels was found in 1871, with this inscription 
 in Greek: "No man of alien race is to enter within the 
 balustrade or embankment that goes around the temple. 
 If any one is caught, let him know that he has himself to 
 blame for the death that wiil follow." 
 
 him as the one 
 who went every- 
 where deriding the 
 Jewish race and 
 the sacred law and 
 the holy temple, 
 and specifically 
 charged him with 
 the crime of delib- 
 erately defiling the 
 inner temple by 
 introducing thith- 
 er those who were 
 not Jews. This 
 would have been 
 in defiance of 
 a warning con- 
 spicuously posted 
 along the balustrade which separated the great outer 
 court into which all peoples could come from the inner 
 courts which only Jews could enter. Of course it was not 
 true, but a Jewish mob rarely stopped to investigate. All 
 ran together at the outcry, seized Paul with the inten- 
 tion of putting him to death, and began dragging him 
 out into the great outer court so as not to pollute the 
 temple proper with his blood. The temple officers made 
 haste to shut the gates, so that the responsibility should 
 not be theirs. 
 
 Meanwhile tidings of the tumult had come to the 
 chiliarch or tribune in charge of the soldiers in the 
 tower of Antonia, from which a stairway led directly in- 
 to the outer court. He sent soldiers in a hurry, who laid 
 hold of Paul and bound him securely, then sought the 
 cause of the uproar. Unable to determine this they took 
 
Chapter 87. Paul's Last Visit to Jerusalem 147 
 
 Paul to the castle. So great was the pressure of the 
 angry crowd that to reach the stairway with their 
 prisoner the soldiers had to carry him. 
 
 The dignity, self-possession and courage of Paul at 
 this trying juncture were impressive. Bound as he was 
 with chains, covered with dust and blood, he demanded 
 and received a courtesy which the chief captain would 
 not commonly concede to one charged with crime. He 
 asked for permission to speak to the multitude. Address- 
 ing the people in their own vernacular, he declared him- 
 self to be one of themselves, educated as a Pharisee and 
 zealous in every form of persecution. He reminded 
 them of the havoc he wrought and of his commission to 
 go to Damascus for a similar purpose. Here Jesus had 
 revealed Himself and claimed Saul as His own, and set 
 him apart for service. Later, when at Jerusalem, pray- 
 ing in the temple, he had received a definite commission 
 for missionary service among the Gentiles. 
 
 These words were enough to drive his excitable audi- 
 ence to frenzy. Apparently the attempt at conciliation 
 had been a disastrous failure. So Paul might well have 
 thought. Yet it had quite the opposite result. It led, 
 to be sure, to Paul's detention for some years in prison, 
 but the time was by no means lost. For twenty years 
 Paul had been incessantly active. Beyond all else _ he 
 now needed time to think. 
 
 A spirit of compromise which ignores the principles 
 upon which right action should be based finds no real 
 justification from Paul's willingness to stand sponsor 
 for the Nazirites. A true compromise is one which is 
 born of courage, not fear, which unites brethren by fair 
 concessions to prejudice or habit, and which promotes 
 the growth and greatness of the kingdom. 
 
148 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 38. Paul's Removal to Gsesarea. Acts 22 ; 23 — 
 23:35. About A.D. 58. 
 
 When the apostle, in his speech from the steps of the 
 Castle Antonia, referred to the Gentiles, his appeal to 
 the multitude came to an abrupt conclusion, for the 
 people with one accord cried out, "Away with such a fel- 
 low ; it is not fit that he should live \" They were so 
 beside themselves with wrath that the chiliarch with- 
 drew Paul into the castle itself. Taking for granted 
 his wickedness in some respects, Lysias gave orders that 
 Paul should be scourged in order to obtain the truth 
 from his own lips. With complete self-possession, be- 
 fore the cruel lash was applied, Paul asked the officer in 
 whose charge he was whether it was lawful to scourge a 
 Eoman without due reason in law. The knowledge that 
 he possessed Roman citizenship led at once to consid- 
 erate treatment by all. It was a privilege highly valued, 
 obtained sometimes at great cost and always respected. 
 
 The next day the chiliarch brought Paul before the 
 most representative Jewish body, the Sanhedrin. 
 Through them he hoped to discover the nature of Paul's 
 offense. But it was soon evident to Paul that he could 
 hope for little consideration from the Sanhedrin as a 
 body. It was violently prejudiced against him. Even 
 when he sought in a conciliatory appeal to arouse their 
 friendliness, or at least their tolerance, the high priest 
 commanded that he, as a prisoner, be smitten on the 
 mouth as a warning to keep quiet. Justly angered Paul 
 made a sharp rejoinder, for which he partly apologized 
 when he was told that his critic was the high priest. 
 It is not so strange that the apostle did not distinguish 
 the high priest. He wore on ordinary occasions no dis- 
 tinctive dress, and may have been personally unknown 
 to Paul. 
 
 The council was not really there to render a real judg- 
 ment or to tell the truth, and Paul well knew it. Seeing 
 that his only way of averting a hostile decision, which 
 under any circumstances would have injured his cause 
 
Chapter 88. Paul's Removal to Ccesarea 149 
 
 in Roman estimation, was to take shrewd and quick ad- 
 vantage of their theological differences, the apostle al- 
 tered the issue and got the opposing sects to warring 
 over him. Declaring that he was a Pharisee born and 
 bred, and that the issue in his case related to the resur- 
 rection, he cleverly led the members of the two great 
 parties, with whom the resurrection was a frequent 
 theme for discussion, into a vigorous wrangle which 
 turned their attention away from Paul's own character 
 to this matter of controversy and even led some cf the 
 Pharisaic scribes to begin to defend or excuse him. In 
 the end Lysias had to rescue Paul again from the mob 
 which was disputing over and about him. 
 
 That night Paul had a cheering vision. The Lord 
 Himself stood at his side and bade him have cheer. 
 Despite his courage the apostle needed the message. His 
 future looked dark indeed. But he was assured that 
 he was yet to be a witness-bearer at Eome itself. There 
 was to be the climax of his active ministry. 
 
 But Paul's enemies were by no means daunted. By 
 the next morning an agreement had been formed by a 
 group of Jews that they would kill him before they 
 touched food again. Doubtless they anticipated little 
 difficulty in accomplishing their purpose, but such rash 
 vows were given absolution without much difficulty. 
 These assassins secured the active co-operation of some 
 of the Sanhedrists, who agreed to ask Lysias to bring 
 Paul down again to them for further examination. 
 Fortunately for Paul, he had a nephew who must have 
 been highly connected. This lad happened to hear about 
 the plot and told Paul, who at once referred him to the 
 chiliarch, Lysias, who was deeply impressed by his nar* 
 rative. 
 
 Paul's family relations are rather obscure. Ramsay 
 points out with justice that this sister's son cannot have 
 been a Christian, and must have belonged to some very 
 influential coterie among the leading Jewish families of 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 His finances at this critical period arc of interest . His 
 
150 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 status as a prisoner implies that he was regarded as a 
 man of means. Not much earlier, however, he had been 
 glorying over the recollection of an independence gained 
 by severe, daily labor, which was made necessary by un- 
 questioned poverty. In some way his condition was 
 altered. Two suppositions have been made to account 
 for this. One is that of Ramsay, that in some way, 
 either through the death of his father or by a change of 
 attitude within his own family, Paul had come into con- 
 trol at last of his rightful portion of the family estate. 
 The other assumes that the silence of Acts regarding 
 the receipt by the church at Jerusalem of the gifts 
 brought by Paul and his company is significant. Before 
 Paul could hand it over, he was perhaps seized and in- 
 
 View on the Mole, in Caesarea. 
 
 Sometimes called the prison of St. Paul, but this is undoubtedly a mistake, since he 
 was confined in Herod's palace on the mainland. This building was probably erected 
 by the Crusaders. 
 
 carcerated. In that case, how readily and gladly would 
 the donors of the funds authorize their trustees to use 
 a portion at least for the benefit of their beloved brother 
 in Christ. The former theory is perhaps the more likely 
 one. 
 
 The chiliarch lost no time in placing his prisoner out 
 of harm's way. He ordered at once a large escort of 
 foot-soldiers and horsemen to proceed at once to 
 Caesarea, taking Paul with them to Felix, the procu- 
 rator, who dwelt at that city, rather than in Jerusalem. 
 Caesarea had been, ever since the days of Herod the 
 
Chapter 38. Paul's Removal to Ccesarea 151 
 
 Great, the real political capital of Palestine, and the fa- 
 vored abode of the Roman rulers. Felix, the procurator, 
 had extensive powers. He could deal with Paul much as 
 he wished. A man of low origin, he was chiefly dis- 
 tinguished for license, severity and favoritism. But 
 even so, he was better as a judge than the Sanhedrin, 
 whose decisions were made in advance of the facts. 
 
 Lysias forwarded with the cavalcade a letter which is 
 full of interest, not alone as indicating the form of such 
 a note passed between two men of standing, but as 
 showing how readily men can re-state facts in a light 
 favorable to themselves when necessary. Lysias repre- 
 sents himself as Paul's friend and defender, more than 
 ready to support the dignity of Pome. 
 
 This act of Lysias' was shrewd. It typified the 
 methods by which the Romans found it necessary to 
 deal with their Jewish subjects at this time. The Jew- 
 ish people were becoming increasingly dissatisfied with 
 existing conditions. They were a very impressionable 
 people. The least cause was liable to lead to a virtual 
 insurrection during which thousands would be slain and 
 armies set in motion. Lysias could easily see that Paul 
 was a dangerous man to have in Jerusalem. For some 
 reason the Jewish mob, fanatical and unreasoning at all 
 times, hated him intensely and was thrown into a tem- 
 pest of rage by his mere appearance. Lysias could not 
 fathom the reason and had been unable to get the repre- 
 sentatives of the people to state it. Finding that Paul 
 was one whom he must treat with consideration and 
 protect at all hazards, he quickly and secretly removed 
 him to Caesarea and shifted all responsibility to his su- 
 perior officer, Felix. 
 
 How impressive the power, so ready to protect its 
 own, that the mere claim of Roman citizenship con- 
 verted surly and cruel officers into those who were com- 
 plaisant and courteous! No wonder that Christian 
 thinking has been dominated by the imperial idea. 
 
 Paul was a man of sound sense. He would take a 
 scourging and bear it manfully when occasion arose, 
 
152 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 but he did not crave martyrdom for its own sake. A 
 Christian has due rights of which it is no less his duty 
 than his privilege to take advantage. 
 
 Chapter 39. Paul's Grappling with Paganism and Judaism 
 Alike : A Review. 
 
 The four years or so of Paul's life between the begin- 
 ning of his last great tour and the blocking of his active 
 career at Jerusalem were of supreme importance in the 
 history of the religious development of mankind. Cir- 
 cumstances forced the apostle to grapple with some of 
 the greatest problems that the religious life raises. He 
 had to define in his own mind not alone the relationship 
 of pagan religions to the faith preached by Jesus and 
 the apostles, but even more sharply the relationship be- 
 tween that faith and Judaism. At the same time lie was 
 dealing with the conditions of organized paganism in a 
 great and representative city and with the life of an or- 
 ganized and independent Christian community in an- 
 other great center. 
 
 To grade these great tasks in the order of their im- 
 portance is manifestly impossible. They were each but 
 phases of the advance in the comprehension of the mu- 
 tual linking of the grace of God with the life of man 
 which Paul himself was enabled to further more than 
 most men. His method was not the philosophical, but 
 the practical. He considered the situation and acted 
 upon it first ; later on he formulated his reasons. 
 
 The active missionary campaign in Asia, with head- 
 quarters at Ephesus, was in itself a great achievement. 
 The apostolic leader settled down in a thickly populated 
 and resourceful province of the empire, at its capital 
 city, the very heart of pagan strength, and began a 
 course of organized evangelization, rarely if ever sur- 
 passed for rapid results. Paul himself, according to the 
 narrative, remained at Ephesus or was there predomi- 
 
Chapter 39. The Period of Struggle 153 
 
 nantly. But lie must at the same time have been direct- 
 ing and inspiring the movements of a number of helpers 
 who covered the surrounding county. Among them all 
 the province was quickly stirred, and with such efficiency 
 that the silversmiths of Ephesus found their trade seri- 
 ously cut down. The riot at Ephesus was the best possi- 
 ble proof of the success of Paul's campaign, but an 
 equally noteworthy and more lasting evidence was the 
 existence in subsequent years of the "churches in Asia," 
 founded to endure. 
 
 Meanwhile there pressed upon him daily "anxiety for 
 all the churches." While actively engaged in disputa- 
 tion and in oversight of this campaign in Asia, he had 
 much cause for solicitude lest his Jewish opponents 
 should undermine the confidence reposed in him by his 
 own churches. The Judaizers were blocked in Galatia, 
 yet they were the more active elsewhere. There is only 
 the slight hint in Philippians 3 : 2-4 to indicate that the 
 Macedonian churches were troubled by the emissaries of 
 the partizans in Judea, masquerading as direct repre- 
 sentatives of James, the Lord's brother, and the elders at 
 Jerusalem. But in Greece and especially at Corinth 
 there was much trouble. Party spirit had become rife 
 in the Christian community, aroused in large measure 
 by the quiet nurture of a spirit of independence and of 
 opposition to Paul by those who were even more con- 
 cerned to thwart his purposes and antagonize his policy 
 than they were to exalt themselves or their ideas. 
 
 Paul was cut to the heart again to find that any of 
 his disciples were capable of thus turning against him 
 and of even listening to such baseless charges as those 
 which were busily circulated. Any slander which could 
 do duty in breaking down his hold upon the Christian 
 community was freely used. But, as in the case of the 
 Galatian churches, he gave sturdy battle to his traducers, 
 and, what is far more important for our purpose, he 
 stated and restated his positions, defining them with in- 
 creasing clearness until the Judaizing faction was de- 
 prived of all power to do further harm. When the out- 
 
154 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 come of such a contest was the epistle to the Eomans 
 with its masterly setting forth of the adequacy of the 
 conception of salvation through faith in Christ, and of 
 the preparatory function of Judaism, we can really re- 
 joice over Paul's tribulations. It needed such a crisis to 
 arouse his greatest powers and bring these truths to com- 
 plete formulation. 
 
 But what about the fortunes of the individual 
 churches ! Paul's dealings with the church at Corinth 
 had great significance for the Church universal. Had it 
 not been for their tendency to over-emphasize the "gift" 
 of incoherent religious speech, how could the apostle 
 have had occasion to set a supreme value on that which 
 upbuilds in speech or action and to glorify the indwell- 
 ing spirit of love. Had not the church submitted for 
 his judgment a series of knotty questions, how 
 would he have shown the true way of attempting a solu- 
 tion of such things? The problems were local, but his 
 method was eternal. "Settle your problems/' he vir- 
 tually said, "in the light of comprehending principles. 
 Do not ask whether you may drink or smoke or be glut- 
 tonous. Simply remember that your bodies are a temple 
 of the Holy Spirit." 
 
 Had the church failed to raise the issues of morality 
 and the standards which they should enforce upon 
 church members, how would Paul's noble declarations 
 regarding the motives which should control the acts of 
 every man and the conduct of every church have been 
 given expression? We may finally rejoice at the covert 
 attacks upon the apostle, since they stung him into a 
 declaration of his inner motives and a review of his 
 eventful life. 
 
 Along with these varied causes for concern, Paul had 
 on his heart an engrossing desire. He hoped to be able 
 to bring about a fraternal union of the two separated 
 sections of the Christian church, the Christians of Judea, 
 whose thinking and practice were molded by the Juda- 
 ism of which they were a part, and the Christians of the 
 Greek world, whose complete salvation without recourse 
 
Chapter 39. The Period of Struggle 155 
 
 to Judaism Paul had maintained. They might not be 
 made to agree in all things, but they could regard each 
 other as brethren. Paul sought to bring this about by 
 generous gifts in token of Christian love from the Gen- 
 tile churches to those in Judea. His determination led 
 to his arrest, and to a complete change of his course of 
 ministry. Probably it was successful or measurably so, 
 but of this there is no clear-cut proof. 
 
 The outcome of this period most instructive of all is 
 the fuller opportunity given to every one to consider a 
 truly great personality. Biography in the making is 
 most impressive. No one can read Paul's words of self- 
 defense and refrain from a sincere and grateful tribute 
 to his generosity as well as masterfulness, to his consid- 
 eration for his followers as well as wisdom in forming 
 their ideas, to his sincere humility in unimportant mat- 
 ters as well as aggressiveness in those which he deemed 
 critical. Like his great Master, he beckoned men to 
 follow ; he filled them with his spirit ; he conquered them 
 by his goodness. 
 
156 Tlve Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 40. Paul's Appeal to CaBsar. Acts 24 : 1—25 : 12. 
 About A.D. 58-60. 
 
 With the admission of the great apostle within the 
 walls of the splendid palace of Herod at Cassarea, the 
 official residence of the Roman procurators, a period of 
 his life began which was of momentous significance for 
 the Christian church. To his followers this long incar- 
 ceration must have seem an unrelieved calamity for all 
 concerned; they would have been thinking of the sud- 
 den stoppage of a career of fruitful missionary activity. 
 No doubt his own restless, ardent spirit chafed sorely 
 over the enforced idleness, at a time when he was hop- 
 ing to enter upon a campaign at Rome and throughout 
 the little-known West. He needed the assurance of 
 God's purpose, which his vision at Jerusalem would 
 have given him, in order to submit with patience and 
 resignation to the delay. 
 
 And yet this detention in prison was really a most 
 beneficent circumstance alike to Paul, to his churches, 
 and to Christendom. He had been for twenty years 
 keeping up a rapid pace of evangelization. The re- 
 sponsibility for entering new regions and for minister- 
 ing to the churches thus organized pressed upon his 
 heart. He had no such experience as leisure. His 
 productiveness had been forced upon him by these very 
 responsibilities. Every single letter of the six already 
 written to the churches, excepting, possibly, that to the 
 Romans, had been written to meet some emergency, 
 little or large, personal or social, casual or important, 
 among these churches. Even that latest and most for- 
 mal letter had been called out by the desire to antici- 
 pate his coming work at Rome and to make an explicit 
 presentation of his "Gospel." 
 
 The first value of his leisure was in the relief from 
 the immediate pressure of this insistent problem of 
 church extension and development. Unable to respond 
 to any calls, Paul could think of the church at large, of 
 its strength or weakness,, its triumphs and perils, its 
 
Chapter J+0. Paul's Appeal to Cmar 157 
 
 past and future. He was, in the second place, enabled 
 to deal more effectively with the current problems of 
 the church. It is not unreasonable to suppose that, 
 during this long waiting at Caesarea, with its large 
 measure of freedom of intercourse, Paul received many 
 a delegation from his own churches and from the more 
 liberal ones of Palestine; that he was able to cement in 
 some degree by conference with the leaders of the church 
 at Jerusalem the friendly union of the Palestinian and 
 Gentile sections of the Christian church, on which he 
 had set his heart; and that he encouraged Luke, who 
 was afterward his fellow-voyager to Eome, to begin that 
 work of research in Palestine which made possible, 
 years later, the noble gospel which sets forth the Christ 
 as one who belonged, not to Judea or to the Jewish race, 
 but to the whole inhabited world, the Saviour of man- 
 kind. But the largest value of this detention, after all, 
 to the church was in the opportunity given to Paul to 
 think through the questions which were troubling the 
 growing churches, and to give a formulation to them 
 which was relatively permanent. The wonderful let- 
 ters to the Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians 
 could scarcely have been written without this interven- 
 ing period of quiet meditation. True the two years at 
 Cassarea were far from being wasted years. 
 
 A thoughtful reader of the Book of Acts wonders to 
 himself at the relative preponderance given to the de- 
 tails of Paul's arrest, the various trials and the voyage 
 to Eome. They occupy what seems, at first, a dispro- 
 portioned number of chapters. The answer cannot be 
 the mere possession, on the part of the writer, of an 
 abundance of first-hand information regarding this pe- 
 riod. The narrative of Acts is far too skilfully devel- 
 oped to be thus explained. The compiler was in full 
 control of his material, and shaped its development in 
 accordance with his own purpose. In view of this fact 
 the space accorded to the trials, at Caasarea and else- 
 where is significant, and the view of Eamsay, Bartlet and 
 others is reasonable. It is that one great purpose of 
 
158 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 the author of Acts was to demonstrate the approval on 
 the part of the Koman authorities of the spirit and acts 
 of early Christianity and their repeated deliverance of 
 Paul from hostile Jewish attack. 
 
 Be that as it may, there is a particular interest in 
 the details of this trial before Felix. It was not Paul's 
 first appearance before a Koman tribunal at the in- 
 stance of Jewish enemies, but it was more of a crisis 
 than usual. His accusers were the most representative 
 men at Jerusalem. They had engaged an eloquent ad- 
 vocate. They were determined to compass his death. 
 Only the fact that Paul had in some way impressed 
 both Lysias and Felix with a sense of his real impor- 
 tance saved him from being yielded to his foes as an 
 easy method of quieting their turbulence. 
 
 The advocate made a specious plea, embellished and 
 introduced with oratorical art. He claimed that Paul 
 was a fomenter of sedition, a ringleader of a pestilent 
 sect and a profaner of the temple, and cited all who 
 had accompanied him in support of these charges. 
 
 But Felix was not a man to be readily deceived. He 
 had had long experience in dealing with dangerous men. 
 He knew, almost by instinct, that Paul was neither a 
 revolutionist nor a traitor, and that the trouble was 
 some technical matter of Judaism, in relation to which, 
 like all Eomans, his ignorance was only exceeded by his 
 contempt. His judgment was supported by Paul's calm 
 and convincing denial. He had been in Jerusalem, he 
 said, but a few days, at most, had been making no tu- 
 mult, and had acted only in reverent fashion while at 
 the temple. He admitted being a Christian, but de- 
 clared that it was no crime in Eoman jurisprudence. 
 
 Felix availed himself of an opportunity to defer the 
 case and have further contact with this interesting per- 
 sonality. With his Jewish wife, Drusilla, he repeatedly 
 listened to Paul's discourse. With his accustomed 
 earnestness the apostle argued regarding the true God. 
 human responsibility to men and to Him, and the time 
 of reckoning soon to come. He fairly overawed the 
 
Chapter 41. Paul's Defense before Agrippa 159 
 
 hardened procurator who had a long roll of crimes to 
 atone for, but to little effect. The greed of gain had 
 taken such possession of Felix that he looked on office 
 only as a means of plunder. Hoping that Paul would 
 pay liberally to be freed, Felix detained him until he 
 himself was supplanted by Festus, and then left him a 
 prisoner as a sop to Jewish sentiment. 
 
 The new procurator was inclined to use Paul as a 
 means of making himself popular with the Jews by let- 
 ting their great council decide his case. Consequently 
 Paul appealed, as a Eoman citizen of standing, to the 
 emperor. In consequence of Paul's demand, he ulti- 
 mately went to Eome. 
 
 Paul's submission to circumstances savored of com- 
 mon sense. He held to his rights tenaciously, and did 
 his utmost to order his life as he conceived it should 
 develop. 
 
 Chapter 4 1 . Paul's Defense before Agrippa. Acts 25:13— 
 26:32. About A. D. 60. 
 
 Paul was eminently a fair adversary. He was a for- 
 midable antagonist, as many who sought to oppose him 
 found to their cost, yet he met men on their own 
 ground. It is not unreasonable to suppose that he had 
 cherished the hope that from Festus he would receive 
 the proper treatment of his case. The procurator's in- 
 tentions may have been good (Acts 25 : 20), but Luke's 
 interpretation (25 : 9) of his governing motive seems 
 dependable. He cared nothing about Paul as an indi- 
 vidual; and judged it better to sacrifice one man, if, by 
 doing so, he could bring under his influence a turbulent 
 and unreasonable race. But Festus underestimated 
 Paul. His was a case which could not be settled in the 
 manner so often practised in the provinces. He knew 
 his rights as a Eoman citizen and was able through his 
 friends to have them sustained. 
 
160 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 To appeal to the emperor at Rome was by no means 
 a simple matter in that day. Any governor could re- 
 fuse to entertain such an appeal, if he ventured to meet 
 the consequences of an error of judgment on his own 
 part in the matter. He was no mere executive automa- 
 ton. He would send to the emperor only important 
 cases. Moreover, the expense attendant upon such ap- 
 peals was formidable, even as in our own court pro- 
 cedure to-day. Paul must have deliberately made up his 
 mind that, unless Festus gave signs of dealing with him 
 fairly and promptly, he would appeal. 
 
 It is an open question whether or not he made a mis- 
 take in so doing. The emperor then on the throne was 
 Nero. He was young and frivolous and careless alike of 
 justice or mercy, yet had been guided in matters of 
 state by older and wiser counsellors. When PauFs case 
 came to its long deferred trial, all this had altered. Not 
 only had Nero broken loose from all restraint, but had 
 been induced to charge against the sect of Christians 
 the responsibility for the crimes which he and his 
 satellites had committed. We may possibly explain the 
 strange absence of definite information at the close of 
 the Acts regarding Paul by regarding the silence as sig- 
 nificant, not of a continuing third volume of history, 
 as Eamsay suggests, but of the disastrous result of the 
 solemn appeal to Caesar, and of the fulfilment of Paul's 
 earlier forebodings. 
 
 Not long after Festus and his council had determined 
 that Paul's appeal would be allowed, King Herod 
 Agrippa came to make the procurator an official visit. 
 This Agrippa was the son of the Herod, also called 
 Agrippa, referred to in Acts, eh. 12, who had died a 
 loathsome death in A. d. 44. He had been brought up 
 at Rome, and was an intimate friend of emperors and 
 courtiers alike. Consequently his career had been one 
 of rapid promotion. About eight years before the time 
 of this incident he had been given the territory for- 
 mally ruled by Herod Philip (Luke 3:1) with the 
 coveted title of king. Three years later the greater part 
 
Chapter 41. Paul's Defense before Agrippa 16 J 
 
 of Galilee was added to his domain, leaving only Judea 
 and Samaria under the direct control of the procurators. 
 He was thus a sovereign of marked dignity and im- 
 portance, and conducted himself so shrewdly that he 
 was liked both by the Eoman overlords and by the Jew- 
 ish nation. Like all of the Herodian family, however, 
 his grace of manner masked a corrupt and selfish heart. 
 He was a real friend to no one. 
 
 The arrival of King Agrippa led Festus to seek his 
 advice regarding Paul, whose case seemed very puzzling 
 to the procurator. It turned on matters of technical 
 religious importance, wholly out of his range of experi- 
 
 A Roman Hall of Justice. 
 
 Showing the raised platform on which the judges sat, with the lictors carrying the 
 fasces, the emblem of authority, on either side. These basilicas, which were the largest 
 Roman halls of meeting, are said to have been copied by the early Christians for their 
 churches, many of which are still called basilicas. 
 
 ence or interest. He had determined to send his 
 prisoner to Eome, as soon as opportunity should offer, 
 but was at a loss to know how to draw up a set of 
 charges which would not expose himself to ridicule or 
 rebuke from his superior authorities. Agrippa, he 
 thought, would be able, after hearing Paul's own decla- 
 rations, to assist him in preparing the official transcript 
 of the case. A brilliant gathering was convened, the 
 very next day, in the hall of judgment. The king and 
 his consort, with those whose importance gave them a 
 place in what was really a social function rather than a 
 trial, made an impressive spectacle. Before them was 
 
162 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 brought the prisoner, to whose versatile mind the occa- 
 sion seemed an opportunity. 
 
 The two charges made by his accusers which Paul ad- 
 mitted were that he was a Christian; and a Leader of 
 Christians. He addressed a man of the world, yet one 
 who well knew the ingrained beliefs of his Jewish sub- 
 jects and others who quite possibly shared them. Barely 
 within the limits of Palestine could Paul have such an 
 audience, rivalling in dignity and official significance, 
 the circle that had faced him that last day at Jerusalem. 
 
 His address was intended for those of Jewish train- 
 ing. It elaborated an absolute excuse for such a course 
 as he had taken. Every loyal Jew admitted that the 
 evident command of God would be binding upon the 
 conscience and the activity of every son of Israel to the 
 setting aside of whatever stood in the way. 
 
 Beginning, therefore, with a courteous expression of 
 his recognition of the insight and sympathy which he 
 might fairly count upon, in view of Agrippa's acquaint- 
 ance with Judaism and of his sense of justice, the 
 apostle appealed to the general knowledge of the fact 
 that he had been brought up a zealous and scrupulous 
 Pharisee and declared that his present plight was due to 
 his desire to witness concerning the fulfilment of the 
 promise which a Pharisee existed to secure. At the out- 
 set of his career, as every one knew, he had been a leader 
 of the bitter and determined persecution of the Chris- 
 tian sect. He had even planned to punish its adherents 
 wherever found. Commissioned to this end by the au- 
 thorities of Judaism he had journeyed to Damascus, 
 and on the way, at mid-day, had suddenly seen a visioD 
 and heard a voice which interpreted to him his inmost 
 thought. Responding to what he knew to be a Divine 
 manifestation, he had been claimed by God from that 
 day as his witness-bearer and appointed for apostleship. 
 
 According to Paul's words, as reported in this con- 
 nection, he was active from the first as an apostle to the 
 Gentiles. We would naturally infer that he was con- 
 scious of this commission from the time of the vision. 
 
Chapter 41. Paul's Defense before Agrippa 163 
 
 but such a conclusion is not obligator}'. Paul's words 
 surely imply that his work for the Gentiles was in God's 
 mind when the vision was granted, and that he had 
 himself no more than fairly interpreted the Old Testa^ 
 ment Scriptures. 
 
 When the eloquent prisoner ceased to relate his thrill- 
 ing experience and talked of Moses and a Christ and 
 resurrection, Festus thought he was becoming in- 
 coherent, arid said, to use Ramsay's clever phrase, 
 "Paul, Paul, you are a great philosopher, but you have 
 no common sense." But Paul seized this half-con- 
 temptuous remark as a basis for an appeal to Agrippa 
 to recognize the reality and importance of that which 
 Paul had been saying. Agrippa was not taken off his 
 guard. "The first I know you will make me out a Chris- 
 tian," he easily replied. Paul had no satisfaction from 
 him, but closed the interview with his customary dig- 
 nity and earnestness. "Would to God that in any fashion 
 I might bring all who hear me to my position, except 
 these bonds." 
 
 A great-souled hero, true to his best self in the face 
 of patronage or ridicule or hostility or any other 
 attitude on the part of great or small was the 
 apostle Paul. Always ready with his testimony to what 
 he held to be the truth, he was also courteously fair to 
 any other new point, a true "Christian gentleman ," 
 
164 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 42. The Voyage to Rome, Acts 27 : 1—28 : 15. 
 About A. P. 61, 62. 
 
 The narrative of the long voyage to Rome with its 
 delays and perplexities, its dangers and triumphs, has 
 justly been termed one of the most vivid and striking 
 stories pjeeerved in the New Testament. It abounds 
 with details which bespeak the eyewitness as well as the 
 friendly biographer. Yet the one who penned it was 
 not thinking so much of making a diary of the voyage 
 as of enhancing the apostle's repute for courage, self- 
 control, good sense and sincere faith. 
 
 The narrative has met the test of expert critical inves- 
 tigation and is everywhere admitted to be a first-hand 
 account of the events described, of great value geograph- 
 ically and religiously. It adds the completing touch to 
 the portraiture of the hero of the apostolic age, while 
 being "the most valuable record of navigation which has 
 come to us from ancient times." 
 
 A true hero Paul showed himself to be amid the 
 scenes of peril and disaster. His was the personality 
 around whom all others gathered, whose calmness and 
 force gave every one courage and energy. Christianity 
 had no more effective witness than the great-souled and 
 stout-hearted apostle, whose confidence in God was un- 
 shakable and unfailing. 
 
 The interesting details of the voyage from Caesarea 
 to Malta have been exhaustingly discussed in Smith's 
 famous monograph, "The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. 
 Paul" and by Eamsay, in "St. Paul the Traveller" 
 Not all authorities agree as to minor details; but con- 
 cerning the voyage as a whole there is little difference 
 of opinion. 
 
 The "we" of the first verse included Paul, Luke and 
 Aristarchus. Eamsay argues that they must have gone 
 with Paul as his slaves, passing as such. His reasons 
 for so thinking are that they would not have been al- 
 lowed to accompany Paul as his friends, and thai Paul 
 was treated with the deference and courtesv which im- 
 
Chapter 42. The Voyage to Rome J 65 
 
 plied his recognition as a man of importance. If the 
 vessel was, as Ramsay holds, an imperial ship, belong- 
 ing to the Alexandrian transport service, Paul's friends 
 may not have had the status of passengers ; if, as Wendt 
 thinks, it was a privately owned vessel, made use of as 
 a convenience by the centurion, they may havo been 
 able to take independent passage. We may be sure, in 
 any event, that Luke and Aristarchus would have ac- 
 cepted any status, however menial, in order to accom- 
 pany and minister to their beloved leader. 
 
 Paul was in the charge of a high-minded centurion 
 named Julius, who dealt with him courteously and with 
 consideration. He belonged, according to our narra- 
 tive, to the "Augustan cohort," which means that he 
 was either an officer of one of the auxiliary or provincial 
 companies, or, as Ramsay conjectures, that he was a 
 legionary centurion on detached service for communica- 
 tion between the emperor and his armies in the prov- 
 inces. He had other prisoners under his charge and a 
 considerable number of soldiers. 
 
 They embarked on an Adramyttian coaster which was 
 bound homeward, there being probably no available 
 vessel ready to sail for Rome. Stopping one by one in 
 the harbors of the Syrian coast or of Asia, they were 
 likely to pick up such a vessel as they needed. On the 
 second day out from Caesarea the ship touched at Sidon, 
 where Paul received permission to go ashore and meet 
 the Christian community. It must have been to him 
 a precious privilege to mingle freely once more among 
 those who loved and venerated him. It was all over too 
 soon. Probably it was their last sight of the great- 
 hearted apostle and his last experience of the region 
 at once so dear to him and so hostile. 
 
 Continuing the ship worked its way along east of 
 Cyprus until it reached the Cilician coast and then 
 from point to point, until it came to Myra, one of the 
 notable ports for the traffic of the Mediterranean. Ships 
 bound to and from Egypt invariably called at this port, 
 from which under a favoring breeze they could sail 
 
166 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 straight to Alexandria, and to which they could beat 
 their way up the coast from Egypt. Egypt was a 
 granary for Rome and the grain trade between the two 
 countries was of great magnitude and importance. The 
 ship which the centurion found at Myra was one of the 
 vessels engaged in this sort of commerce. It was 
 loaded with wheat and bound for Rome. From the 
 fact that it could carry two hundred and seventy-eight 
 passengers we may infer that it was of considerable size. 
 Conybeare and Howson estimate it at five hundred tons 
 burden. 
 
 The second voyage progressed rather slowly, and they 
 were forced at last to find shelter on the south shore 
 of Crete in the harbor of Fair Havens. Here for some 
 time they lay weatherbound, until the dangerous season 
 for navigation had well begun. Paul advised wintering 
 at Fair Havens, but the centurion, whose decision 
 seemed preponderant, not unnaturally preferred to fol- 
 low the advice of the sailing-master and the captain, 
 who desired to make every effort to reach a better 
 harbor. 
 
 A moderate breeze arising from the south, the captain 
 seized the chance to make the desired harbor, only 
 forty miles away. But a sudden, eddying squall blew 
 down with tremendous force from the towering moun- 
 tains which lined the coast, and drove the ship before 
 it. Sheltered slightly behind the little island of Cauda, 
 it was possible to haul in and make fast the boat, to 
 undergird the badly strained vessel with cables and to 
 shorten sail, leaving just enough spread to keep the 
 ship from helpless drifting. Their great danger was 
 that the ship would founder under such a continual 
 strain. The sailors therefore began to throw overboard 
 the cargo and the fittings of the vessel, so as to lighten 
 it. Day after day the storm continued. Sailors and 
 passengers alike lost hope. But at this emergency Paul 
 came as ever to the rescue. With calmness and the 
 courage born of conviction he assured them that in a 
 vision he had been told that all would escape. 
 
Chapter 42. The Voyage to Borne 
 
 167 
 
 On the fourteenth night the sailors became certain 
 that the ship was drawing near to land. Fearing a 
 rocky coast they cast out four anchors and waited for 
 daylight. Meanwhile some of the sailors attempted to 
 desert but were prevented by Paul's keenness and vig- 
 ilance. At this moment of anxiety and uncertainty 
 Paul with supreme common sense, alive to the fact that 
 they needed strength for the struggle of the morrow, 
 encouraged all to take food, setting an example himself. 
 
 When daylight came they saw that the coast was un- 
 familiar but noted a sandy beach onto which they 
 hoped to drive the vessel. Making for this the vessel 
 
 Fnteoli. Paul's Landing-place in Italy. 
 
 grounded unexpectedly and began to be broken by the 
 violence of the waves. At this juncture the soldiers de- 
 sired to kill the prisoners, for whom they, not the 
 sailors, were responsible, but Julius, with a lively sense 
 of their obligations to Paul, commanded that every one 
 should be allowed to get to shore. 
 
 The island on which they had been wrecked was 
 Malta. The inhabitants were barbarous only in the 
 sense of being unable to speak Greek. They treated the 
 shipwrecked company with kindness and generosity as 
 long as they remained on the island. This kindness 
 Paul fully repaid by healing the father of the chief 
 magistrate and many others who were diseased. 
 
 At last, however, another grain ship was found which 
 was ready to sail for Rome. It quickly reached Puteoli, 
 
168 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 whence the remainder of the journey would be over- 
 land. Both there and nearer Rome Paul came into 
 such friendly and unexpected contact with the Christian 
 brethren that it gave him new courage and confidence 
 for the trial which awaited him. 
 
 By his calm courage, his thoughtful good sense and 
 his absolute reliance upon God, Paul had been a real 
 savior of those with whom he voyaged. His was the 
 privilege of every true Christian, to exhibit the "power 
 of an endless life." 
 
 Chapter 43. Paul a Prisoner at Rome. Acts 28 : 16-31; 
 Rom. ch. 16; Phil. 1:12-26. About A.D. 61-63. 
 
 The hearty welcome which he received from repre- 
 sentatives of the Christian churches at Puteoli and at 
 Rome gave gladness of heart and encouragement to 
 Paul. Again he was among his friends and well- 
 wishers, those with whom he could have fellowship and 
 through whom he could work. It is idle to ask whether 
 this friendly reception grew out of the letter sent from 
 Corinth two or more years before or rested upon the 
 admiration and confidence which all Gentile Christians 
 must have felt toward the apostle. If the sixteenth 
 chapter of the letter to the Romans is a genuine part of 
 the letter, as the majority of students find no difficulty 
 in believing, then Paul found among those who came to 
 greet him some at least whom he had known in his 
 missionary journey ings in Asia and Greece. If Phoebe, 
 who had been such a valued friend, and Prisca and 
 Aquila, his trusted fellow-workers, and Epaenetus, his 
 first convert in Asia, were still at Rome, with what over- 
 flowing joy the apostle would have greeted them! If 
 the rest of those saluted in that chapter by name or any 
 portion of them were among the group which walked 
 out forty miles to meet him at the Market of Appius, or 
 ten miles nearer, at the Three Taverns, there is no occa- 
 
Chapter J+3. Paul a Prisoner at Borne 1 69 
 
 sion for surprise at the warmth of Paul's reception or at 
 the good effect of it upon him. The presence of loyal 
 friends, who loved him for his own sake and were eager 
 to join with him in sacrificial service, was a balm which 
 quickly healed the apostle's distress and gave him cheer. 
 
 The centurion, Julius, must have testified strongly to 
 the character of Paul, and to his own conviction of his 
 innocence, for the latter was treated, from the Roman 
 point of view, with great leniency. The stern spirit of 
 justice, which pervaded the 
 administration of Roman 
 law, led that people to be 
 slow to overlook offenses as 
 well as prompt in dealing 
 with them. Paul was under 
 serious charges and, despite 
 his evident nobleness and 
 probable freedom from 
 guilt, was to be closely 
 guarded until properly 
 acquitted. He was evi- 
 dently given permission to 
 live in lodgings of his 
 own, although kept under 
 the unceasingly vigilant 
 surveillance of a soldier 
 to whom he was fastened by a light wrist-chain. At 
 his own house he was free to receive whom he chose and 
 to do as he would, subject only to the presence and the 
 whims of the soldier. So courteous and companionable 
 a man as Paul soon made subjection of his guards, so 
 that they hindered him in the least possible degree. He 
 thus converted a trying situation into an opportunity. 
 
 On the third or fourth day after his arrival Paul 
 invited the leaders among the Jews to meet him. He 
 doubtless wished, if possible, to conciliate them and to 
 anticipate the false reports which were sure to come 
 from Judea at the earliest possible moment. It is sur- 
 prising to note that they declared themselves unaware 
 
 Traditional House of St. Paul, 
 Rome. 
 
170 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 of the case against Paul, and in the dark as to the nature 
 of the Christian sect of whose existence and bad name 
 among the Jews they were fully informed. Doubtless 
 with them as with the leaders in Jerusalem at the first, 
 Christianity had simply been recognized as a fanatical 
 movement or new sect of Judaism. Of this sort of 
 thing Judaism was fairly tolerant. Its leaders could 
 calmly ignore such developments, so long as the adher- 
 ents of these sects were loyal to the general principles 
 of Judaism. 
 
 This personal meeting led to another at which Paul 
 presented his Gospel to a large assembly. All day long 
 he set forth his views of the fulfilment through Jesus 
 of the hopes of the prophets. Some of his hearers 
 believed ; many were indifferent. There was much fruit- 
 less discussion and at last Paul dismissed them with 
 the declaration that Isaiah's prophetic word regarding 
 his practically ineffective mission to the men of Judah 
 was finding a continuing fulfilment in them. They 
 were unwilling to consider God's message with unpreju- 
 diced minds. Hence it would be set before the Gentiles 
 who were ready to listen to it. His last words carried 
 a note of assurance and triumph, "They will also hear." 
 Paul was not disheartened by the unwillingness of his 
 Jewish brethren to listen to his words, for he knew that 
 by the grace of God the message had been received 
 before and had full confidence that it would be the 
 means of bringing men and women to a loving accept- 
 ance of Christ as their Saviour in the days to come. 
 
 How Paul measured those days we can only con- 
 jecture. Probably he had hoped for a speedy trial and 
 confidently expected a release. The reasons for the 
 long delay are nowhere stated. Bartlet calls attention 
 to the probability that the "first five years" of Nero's 
 reign, during which that young prince was much under 
 the guidance of Seneca, his old tutor, and of Burrus, 
 the noble-minded praetorian prefect, were now passed. 
 Burrus died in a. d. 62, and was succeeded by Tigelli- 
 nus, one of Nero's most profligate and worthless associ- 
 
Chapter 48. Paul a Prisoner at Rome 171 
 
 ates, a man incapable, save by accident, of acting from 
 motives of justice. Under their joint regime anything 
 might happen. 
 
 Toward the end of Paul's stay in Eome he wrote the 
 beautiful letter of thankful acknowledgment of their 
 generous friendship which we know as his letter to the 
 Philippians. From the allusions in this letter to his 
 experiences we gain some light upon the events of these 
 two years. As the closing verse of Acts declares, he had 
 been able to preach the Gospel with boldness and suc- 
 cess, "unhindered." His apparent misfortunes had only 
 served to advance his purposes. Even throughout the 
 praetorian guard, to which his soldier companions be- 
 longed, he had made Christianity honored. His example 
 of courage and zeal had stimulated his Christian breth- 
 ren, so that they were likewise zealous in preaching. 
 Even his enemies, in their desire to give him trouble, 
 only aided in making Christian ideas known far and 
 wide. 
 
 These two years were not, therefore, unfruitful, nor 
 were they jesus of unhappiness. Paul believed in mak- 
 ing use for noble ends of any situation in which he 
 found himself. He would not be controlled by it, but 
 became its master. The Christian is continually placed 
 where he feels himself circumscribed and hindered. 
 Like Paul, he may discover therein a new opportunity. 
 
172 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 44. Paul's Letter to the Church at Philippi. 
 Selections from Phillppians. Written from prison 
 between A. D. 61 and 63. 
 
 While Paul was in prison at Caesarea and at Koine he 
 had found much time for careful meditation. For 
 twenty years previous his life had been one of constant 
 activity as an evangelist and overseer of the churches. 
 Such letters as he wrote, with the single exception of 
 the epistle to the Komans, were emergency letters, 
 aimed at specific troubles, and made of permanent value 
 because they gave expression to the mind of Christ and 
 dealt with even petty problems in a noble, far-reaching, 
 Christ-like way. 
 
 During these months of enforced inactivity or rela- 
 tive leisure the great apostle had come more and more 
 
 From a photograph. 
 
 Rains of the Palace of the Caesars, ia Rome. 
 
 clearly to see that the great Christian remedy for all 
 manner of evil was to cultivate Christlikeness, and 
 that so to do was to enter into the religious inheritance 
 of the ages, since Christ was the summation of all which 
 they had helped to reveal regarding God. 
 
 The controversy regarding the value of circumcision 
 and literal obedience to the Mosaic law had passed by. 
 The Judaizers were no longer formidable, although not 
 wholly eliminated. There was a growing sense of the 
 unity of the church as a whole over which tlie apostolic 
 leader could rejoice. The personal opposition to him- 
 
Chapter 44- Paul's Letter to the Philippians 173 
 
 self had ceased to be dangerous. But there was a new 
 tendency, prevailing especially in the churches centering 
 near Ephesus, toward ascetic practices as aids to holi- 
 ness, and toward philosophical speculation with regard 
 to the person of Christ, with which it was needful for 
 him to deal. He avoided direct attack and adopted the 
 vastly more effective method of urging upon his dis- 
 ciples a conception of Christ and a pattern of life which 
 would of themselves set aside or obscure the specula- 
 tions and the practices. Paul's method is more obvious 
 in his letters sent directly to the churches of Asia, viz., 
 Colossians and Ephesians, than in the letter he wrote to 
 his Philippian friends. 
 
 The letter to Philippi was first of all a friendly let- 
 ter, written to express Paul's gratitude toward the 
 church which had so unfailingly and ungrudgingly 
 come to his help in times of need, not because of any 
 appeal on his part, but out of an overflowing heart of 
 affectionate love. It is therefore a letter of recognition 
 and encouragement, rather than a discussion of contro- 
 verted matters. Tt is dominated by the glorious thought 
 of the headship of Christ and refers to speculative mat- 
 ters only in an individual way. Tt is beyond question 
 such a letter that no church receiving it would ever per- 
 mit it to be lost. It reveal? the apostle's noble self, 
 his responsiveness, his deep affection, his generosity, his 
 modesty and his wonderful courage. It shows also the 
 growing simplicity and directness of his creed. "Have 
 this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." 
 
 The epistle explains itself. It was probably written 
 after the other three of this group of letters of the im- 
 prisonment at Pome. It was evidently occasioned 
 (2 : 25) by the return of Epaphroditus to Philippi from 
 Rome. The church had sent him to Rome to bear a 
 generous gift to their beloved but imprisoned leader. 
 Paul had detained him in Eome (2:25) to assist in 
 evangelistic work. In the course of this he was infected 
 with some disease (2:30) and became desperately ill. 
 His convalescence was retarded (2:26) by his home- 
 
1 74 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 sickness and anxiety lest the church should be disturbed 
 over the news of his illness. Paul, therefore, thought 
 best to despatch him to Philippi without delay (2:25) 
 and sent along this model of friendly letters of acknowl- 
 edgment, which gathers up, not only this last evidence 
 of the generous thoughtfulness of the Philippians, but 
 the many earlier testimonials (e. g. 2 Cor. 11:9) of 
 their love. 
 
 It begins, as his letters usually do, with a salutation, 
 which is unique, however, in containing a reference to 
 officers of the church. It is the earliest reference in 
 first hand New Testament writings to bishops or 
 deacons. 
 
 The thanksgiving is noteworthy. There is nothing 
 perfunctory in it. Paul gives expression to the joy with 
 which he recurs in thankful prayer to their continuing 
 fellowship in things spiritual from the very beginning, 
 and to the tender love with which his heart is filled, and 
 to the hope that they may so advance in sound Christian 
 character and in insight and in goodness that their lives 
 will abound in all manner of Christian fruitfulness 
 (1:3-11). 
 
 Eeferring in passing to his situation as a prisoner, 
 regarding which they would be anxious, Paul declares 
 (1: 12-18) that his imprisonment had resulted in pro- 
 moting the preaching of Christ among the soldiers and 
 in encouraging other Christians to boldness of speech. 
 Not all were single-minded even among those who 
 preached Christ, some so doing it as to embarrass Paul. 
 But after all, in one way or another, Christ was pro- 
 claimed. 
 
 Such proclamation could but result in good so long 
 as the apostle was sincere and brave. Whether he lived 
 or died was immaterial. To die and be with the blessed 
 Master, this was his preference; but yet, he would 
 gladly live, if by living he could contribute to their re- 
 ligious growth (1: 19-26). It was for them to be con- 
 tented with nothing less than the finest and noblest type 
 of life, to be steadfast and courageous under persecu- 
 
Chapter 44- Paul's Letter to the PMlippians 175 
 
 tion, transforming it into an assurance of fellowship 
 with Christ (1:27-30). 
 
 Then follows an affectionate appeal (2:1-5), in view 
 of such spiritual blessings, to cultivate oneness of spirit 
 and that glorious unselfishness which characterized 
 Christ, who through putting Himself into the limita- 
 tions of humanity and living a life of service made 
 possible His exaltation and universal recognition 
 (2 : 6-11). They were to be zealous in works of right- 
 eousness, recognizing the help of God, and to avoid be- 
 ing disputatious, in order to wield a strong influence 
 among men. 
 
 Paul paused to pay a beautiful tribute to Timothy 
 for his genuinely unselfish serviceableness, and to 
 Epaphroditus, their messenger, who had proved himself 
 a brave and zealous co-worker with Paul, who had been 
 dangerously ill, but had been providentially spared to 
 them and to him. Paul bade them receive him gladly 
 and with every token of appreciation of his courageous 
 friendship (2:19-30). 
 
 The apostle then touches upon matters which require 
 a little friendly advice. He bids them beware of Juda- 
 izers and their boasts. Whatever they boasted about, 
 Paul could claim in greater measure (3:1-6). But 
 matters of this sort he counted as of minor importance, 
 not to be compared with the value of a real knowledge 
 of Christ, a knowledge of His personality, of His sacri- 
 ficial spirit, an insight by experience into the suffering 
 He must have undergone (3: 7-11). This supreme at- 
 tainment not even he could claim, but he was eagerly 
 and constantly pressing toward it (3:12-16). 
 
 This spirit Paul would commend, warning his dis- 
 ciples to beware of the example of some who had given 
 themselves over to self-indulgence. The life of the 
 Christian must be in the heavens, then his Lord will 
 make his body sometime to correspond (3:17 — 4:1). 
 
 With a personal word for some members of the 
 church, Paul, in separate sentences, urges his friends to 
 •rejoice, to be gentle, to thankfully rest on God (4:2-7), 
 
176 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 and, in unforgettable words, proclaims the ideals of life 
 for which he has always stood (4: 8, 9). 
 
 The closing paragraph is another beautiful expression 
 of his gratitude and joy over their generosity. Not be- 
 cause his need was relieved, for, if need be, he could en- 
 dure privation cheerfully, but because it laid bare their 
 loving hearts and their true faith in God. His last wish 
 was that God would freely supply their spiritual needs 
 out of the riches of His grace. 
 
 So gracefully and tenderly closes this friendly letter 
 of thanks. Paul expressed his gratitude by trying to 
 take them out upon the mountain top with him, and to 
 give them a vision of the glorious kingdom of which 
 they were all citizens. They who gained "the mind of 
 Christ" would not be readily tempted by the petty 
 thoughts of those who never knew Him, 
 
 Chapter 45. Paul's Plea to Philemon on Behalf of 
 Onesimus. Philemon. Written between A. D. 61 
 and 63. 
 
 Some one has said with reference to the letter of Paul 
 to the Philippians that it is "in his happiest mood, the 
 noblest reflection of his personal character." Quite pos- 
 sibly the careful reader of his exquisite note to Phile- 
 mon would challenge the superlative. Where could he 
 find a friendly plea more fitly framed, more delicately 
 yet definitely urged and on a broader basis ? How could 
 the greatness and gentleness and personal friendliness 
 of the apostle be made more apparent! 
 
 The note to Philemon, which we find tucked away at 
 the end of the collection of epistles supposed to be 
 Pauline, as if it were both the shortest and the least 
 important, must have been sent to Colosse along with 
 the letter to that church and the one intended for 
 Laodicea (Col. 4 : 16). It alludes to the same set of fel- 
 
Chapter 45- Paul's Plea to Philemon 177 
 
 low workers (Philem. vss. 23, 24; cf. Col. 4: 10, 12, 14) 
 and salutes as a member of Philemon's household an 
 Archippus, who is probably the very one given a 
 friendly warning at the end of the letter to the church 
 at Colosse (Col. 4:17). 
 
 It is a private letter to one whom Paul had converted 
 to Christianity (vs. 19) and with whom he stood in 
 close and friendly relations. Philemon must have been 
 a man of prominence and substance. The church 
 gathers weekly at his house (vs. 2). His son, Archip- 
 pus, if we are warranted in so placing the one thus 
 named, is an evangelist, a fellow soldier, with (Col. 
 4 : 17) a great opportunity before him. 
 
 The student of the writings of Paul comes to realize 
 that we are by no means in possession of all that Paul 
 wrote. The epistles to the Corinthians should be multi- 
 plied by two in order to represent the letters sent from 
 him to them. There is much probability that he wrote 
 more than two to the Thessalonians. It is scarcely 
 credible that he never made written acknowledgment 
 of the repeated gifts of the church at Philippi to him 
 until the very end of his life. Moreover with his wide 
 acquaintance and restless energy and constant interest 
 in churches and individuals it seems not unreasonable 
 to suppose that he put forth during the twenty years or 
 so of his busy ministry a really voluminous correspond- 
 ence, of which we have only a portion extant. This 
 genial, affectionate, tactful note represents in all prob- 
 ability many others with which he delighted and 
 inspired his faithful followers. Why it should have 
 been spared from the oblivion which overtook the others 
 we can only conjecture. When Paul wrote at all, he 
 probably wrote in some such way as this, never foolishly 
 or weakly. It is fortunate that one of his notes was 
 preserved, that we might see a model of what a Chris- 
 tian letter may be. 
 
 The purpose of Paul in writing was to intercede on 
 behalf of Onesimus, a former slave of Philemon, who 
 had run away from his master and drifted to Rome? 
 
178 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 where he had been converted under Paul's preaching. 
 He had shown his gratitude by zealously devoting him- 
 self to Paul's personal service, and the apostle came to 
 have a sincere regard for him. As a matter of princi- 
 ple, however, Paul felt that Onesimus ought to return 
 to his master, whose lawful property he was. He 
 despatches him along with Tychicus, carrying this per- 
 sonal note to his master. 
 
 And how could Philemon resist its seductiveness! 
 ©an any one question the probability that Onesimus 
 Srent back to a relationship which was far different from 
 the old bond service from which he had fled! He 
 served once more, no doubt, but with pride in doing 
 his best for conscience' sake and with friendly recog- 
 nition on his master's part. From Paul's play on the 
 name of the slave (vs. 11) we may perhaps infer that 
 Onesimus had been a problem to his owner and may 
 have needed discipline. 
 
 Paul's salutation is comprehensive and yet direct. 
 Uniting Timothy, who was well known among the 
 churches of Asia, with him in it, he addresses Philemon 
 as an old and valued associate, Apphia, a lady who was 
 probably his wife, and Archippus, the evangelist also 
 mentioned in the letter to the church, probably his son, 
 and finally the church which was accustomed to meet 
 at his house. The time of stately edifices of worship 
 had not come as yet. Christians met for their "Lord's 
 day" services in private houses, in the open air at some 
 secluded spot, wherever they might be undisturbed. 
 They were very few and often very poor. 
 
 The thanksgiving is tactful but sincere. Paul had 
 probably met Philemon at Ephesus but had not seen 
 him for years. He alludes to the thankfulness ever in 
 his heart over Philemon's course of life, his sturdy faith, 
 his generous spirit of love, and declares that his con- 
 stant prayer is that Philemon's Christian experience 
 may ripen into an abounding in everything that makes 
 for Christian perfection. Above all Paul rejoiced in 
 his hospitality and helpfulness to his Christian brethren. 
 
Chapter Jf.5. Paul's Plea to Philemon 179 
 
 Here again we find an incidental reference to the sense 
 of fellowship and mutual obligation which was so 
 characteristic of early Christianity in its best phases. 
 
 Now Paul comes to the point. Although as an 
 acknowledged apostle and leader of the Christian 
 brotherhood he might command, he rather prefers to 
 ask as a favor, in view of his years of hard service, his 
 gray hairs and his present duress on behalf of the 
 faith, that Onesimus, the runaway slave, once 
 "Unprofitable" but now again truly "Profitable"— 
 punning on the meaning of the name Onesimus, "Help- 
 ful" — be received back with forgiveness and cons: dera- 
 tion. Paul adds that Onesimus had become so helpful 
 that he could hardly bear to send him away. He begged 
 Philemon to treat him, not as a slave without rights, 
 but as a Christian brother. If Onesimus had a debt 
 remembered against him, let it be wiped out. Paul 
 would gladly pay for it. 
 
 Paul's last appeal was that he should do what Christ 
 would have him do. "Show me that you have the mind 
 of Christ." He closes with an expression of his confi- 
 dence that his release would soon come,, and bespeaks 
 Philemon's hospitality. 
 
 A delightful letter in every way, but noteworthy 
 because of the way in which it dealt with an important 
 social problem. Slavery was a universal fact of Paul's 
 day, all forms of labor being carried on by slaves. Some 
 were very degraded ; many were intelligent ; a few were 
 cultured. They were at the mercy of their masters. 
 
 Christianity and slavery could not always coexist. 
 The very essence of Christianity was self-determination, 
 freedom, responsibility. The slaves listened eagerly to 
 the teachings of the evangelists and apostles and entered 
 the Christian brotherhood. They naturally chafed 
 under the galling yoke of servitude in proportion as 
 they realized the true significance and opportunity of 
 manhood. 
 
 Paul dealt tactfully and wisely with this delicate 
 situation. The recognition of their standing as Chris- 
 
180 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 tian brethren was the sure starting-point of permanent 
 emancipation. But he ever counseled slaves to be zeal- 
 ous to do their recognized duty. As if to help take away 
 the sting of the word, Paul, at this period, delights to 
 call himself "the slave of Jesus Christ," as if to say, 
 servitude is no disgrace in itself, but may be made hon- 
 orable and noble. He deals with the relations of slaves 
 and masters in Colossians, Ephesians, First Timothy 
 and Titus. The keynote of what he says is, "Ye serve 
 the Lord Christ, not merely your human master. Let 
 this glorify and irradiate your hard toil." To the mas- 
 ters he said, "Make these Christian slaves your partners, 
 treat them as devoted brethren." Under such princi- 
 ples of action slavery was doomed. 
 
 Chapter 46. Paul's Letters to the Churches of Asia. 
 Selections from Ephesians and Colossians. Written 
 between A. D. 58—63. 
 
 With the friendly note to Philemon of Colosse went 
 at least two other letters of supreme importance to 
 Christendom, representing, as they do, Paul's ripest 
 thought and most impressive presentation of his funda- 
 mental Gospel. Through them he enabled his devoted 
 followers to meet with confidence a form of belief far 
 more subtle and dangerous than that for which the 
 Judaizers were sponsors, perilous to faith because of its 
 apparent simplicity and philosophical reasonableness, a 
 danger only to be set aside by clear thinking and 
 by the grasp of the fundamental conceptions of 
 Christianity. 
 
 One of these letters was addressed to the church at 
 Colosse, a Phrygian city of the Roman province of Asia, 
 one of the three situated in the beautiful Lycus valley. 
 It was of little importance, commercially far inferior to 
 either Laodicea or Hierapolis, its neighbors. Paul had 
 not founded the church at Colosse, except by indirec- 
 
Chapter J+6. The Letters to the Churches of Ask 181 
 
 tion; at least he had never visited it (Col. 2:1). 
 Epaphras, who at the writing was with Paul (Col. 4: 
 12, 13), had been the evangelist under whom the Colos- 
 sian church came into being (Col. 1:7). This doubt- 
 less happened while Paul was conducting his great cam- 
 paign at Ephesus. 
 
 From the reference in Colossians 4:16 we may infer 
 that another letter given into the charge of Tychicus was 
 intended first of all for the church at Laodicea. Each 
 latter was to be passed along to the others of the larger 
 group of churches to which they belonged. Whether 
 this Laodicean letter is, as many suppose, the letter to 
 the Ephesians or was a letter, otherwise unknown, sent 
 along at this time with the two well-known epistles, 
 cannot be surely determined. 
 
 One who closely examines the letter to the Ephesians 
 clearly notes that it is a general letter, adapted to a 
 group of sister-churches rather than a specific letter to 
 some particular church. The words "at Ephesus" in 
 verse 1 are wanting in the two best manuscripts, and are 
 ignored by some of the earliest commentators. Prob- 
 ably, therefore, the epistle was intended by the apostle 
 to be a circular letter for the instruction and stimulus of 
 the group of churches for which Ephesus was a center. 
 Like Colossians it deals with the speculative problems 
 which seem to have been rife among these churches, 
 asserting by way of greater and clearer spiritual uplift 
 the glorious supremacy of Christ over the universal 
 church and the entire adequacy of His power in heaven 
 and on earth. 
 
 The inhabitants of the Lycus valley, Jews and pagans 
 alike, were full of ideas which made their appearance in 
 Christian thinking. The members of these churches, 
 while sincere Christians at heart, found it hard to 
 emancipate themselves from bondage to these ideas, so 
 natural to them. They set a high value on asceticism. 
 They often forgot that salvation is a moral and spiritual 
 emancipation, and strove to attain to it by some form 
 of enlightenment or by correct conduct which was 
 
182 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 ordered by rules. Of such attainment they were very 
 proud. It elevated its disciples above the masses. 
 
 By these speculations the sense of close relationship 
 of the Christian with Christ was obscured and likewise 
 the sense of the necessity of His redemptive power. God 
 became a being so removed in character from sinful men 
 that a working connection between Him and them could 
 only be maintained through various grades of angelic 
 beings, partly divine, partly human. Paul dealt with 
 these aberrations in his characteristic fashion, not so 
 much by direct attack as by setting forth a clearer and 
 simpler religious philosophy. They had been redeemed 
 solely through Christ, through whom therefore they 
 would reach complete salvation. In view of His exalted 
 power there is no need of intermediate beings. Through 
 Him they had become dead to their old world and born 
 again into a new life with renewed and sanctified wills. 
 By the earnest exercise of this new life they would come 
 to realize its possibilities of character and knowledge. 
 
 The two letters, to the Colossians and to the Ephe- 
 sians, are very similar. They must have been written 
 at the same time. The former centers attention upon 
 the unique divinity of Christ in contrast to any other 
 so-called heavenly beings; the latter emphasizes the 
 majesty of the church of which Christ is the Head. 
 
 Colossians begins, like the other epistles, with a salu- 
 tation and an expression of thankfulness for the fruit- 
 fulness of their lives (1:1-8). Paul then declares his 
 passionate desire that they should pattern after Christ, 
 the Head of the church, the summation of all things, 
 Reconciler of the world to God. This "mystery" it was 
 his privilege to preach that all men might lay hold on 
 God. For its realization by men he longed (2:1-5). 
 He warns them against a false philosophy, declaring that 
 through Christ men are born into a new life (2: 6-15). 
 Over such a life ordinances can have no influence (2: 
 16-23). The Christian should seek heavenly things, as 
 those risen with Christ (3:1-4). Sensuality, malice 
 and the like should be put away and the full Christian 
 
Chapter 1+6. The Letters to the Churches of Asia 183 
 
 life be lived (3:5-17). Prayerfulness, practical good 
 sense and grace of speech are worth cultivating 
 (4:2-6). 
 
 The letter to the Ephesians takes as its keynote 
 association with Christ "in the heavenlies." The salu- 
 tation is from Paul alone. The latter begins with a 
 stately invocation to God who has adopted us as chil- 
 dren, redeemed us through the Son, and sealed us 
 through the Spirit. For those who are loyal to Christ 
 there ought to be a steady enlightenment until they 
 realize the greatness of His power and His real place in 
 the moral universe (ch. 1). Made alive again by Him 
 the Christian should rise to live with Him, a citizen of 
 heaven, a part of God's holy temple. That Gentiles 
 have this possibility is the real "mystery" of the ages, 
 now known to all (3:1-13). In view of these things 
 let every Christian crave a knowledge of Christ's love 
 and a religious life with dimensions (3 : 14-21). There 
 is a loving unity which is made up of variety, the body 
 composed of different members. Let each member do 
 its proper part. Put away heathen vices and put on the 
 "new man" (4:17-24). This means right relations 
 with those with whom one deals (4:25-32). He who 
 follows after Christ abhors immorality or covetousness. 
 He is a child of the light (5:1-14). He makes wise 
 use of the world; his heart is full of praise and rever- 
 ence (5:15-21). The relation of husband and wives, 
 of children and parents, of slaves and masters, should 
 be conditioned on their common relationship to Christ 
 (5: 22 — 6: 9). In the earnest fight against evil which 
 every one must wage, let the Christian make use of every 
 spiritual weapon and go on to victory (6:10-20). 
 
 The great ideas of these letters are the unquestionable 
 supremacy of Christ over all creation, material as well 
 as spiritual, the unity of the church with Christ as its 
 Head, the importance of remaining with Him "in the 
 heavenlies," and the desirableness of aiming at fulness 
 of experience and all-roundedness of attainment. 
 
184 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 47. Paul's Missionary Career, as Told by Him- 
 self. Selections from Phllipplans, written about 
 AD, 62; and from 1 Timothy, written about A.D. 66. 
 
 There are not a few scholars who think that Paul 
 was never set free from the first Roman imprisonment. 
 More take the view that the second letter to Timothy 
 was written from Rome during a second short im- 
 prisonment following several years of freedom. The 
 question is perplexing, and may never be laid at rest, 
 in the absence of decisive data. In either case Paul's 
 effective missionary career terminated with his incar- 
 ceration at Rome for the first time, and we may ap- 
 propriately review that course of development, aided 
 by his own declarations. 
 
 The great apostle was notable for delicacy of feel- 
 ing and self-forgetfulness. Nothing was less natural 
 to him than to review his own achievements. But he 
 was also a man who demanded fair play. Traduced 
 by his cowardly opponents, who delighted to decry and 
 accuse him behind his back, he was led, at various 
 times, to defend his own good name by recounting 
 the labors and perils which had been his. Not infre- 
 quently, like every good leader, he surveyed the re- 
 sults of his unselfish warfare as a good soldier of Jesus 
 Christ. More often still he alluded in passing to the 
 methods and motives, the obstacles and joys of his 
 career. From these we can reconstruct with assur- 
 ance the principles of his active ministry. 
 
 His apostolate, he repeatedly declared, originated 
 with the Lord Jesus, who had appeared unto him (1 
 Cor. 15:8), had commissioned him to his apostolic 
 work (Gal. 1:1; Rom. 1:5) and had revealed to him 
 his Gospel (Gal. 1:12). Bidden to work among the 
 Gentiles (Gal. 1:16; Rom. 1:5; 15:16; Eph. 3:8; 1 
 Tim. 2:7), not alone by God (Acts 26:16-20), but 
 also by the Three (Gal. 2:9), he carried on for up- 
 wards of twenty years with noteworthy success an 
 evangelizing campaign in Syria, Cilicia, Galatia, 
 
Chapter 47. Paul's Missionary Career 185 
 
 Macedonia, Greece and Asia, which had resulted in 
 the founding of Christian churches in all these re- 
 gions (Kom. 15:18, 19). 
 
 Paul was a natural pioneer. He was attracted by 
 the problem of organizing and developing churches in 
 new communities. He aimed to go to unevangelized 
 regions (Eom. 15:20) where he might lay broad 
 foundations (1 Cor. 3:6,10; Kom. 15:23). It seemed 
 to him when he wrote at Corinth to the church at 
 Rome that he had actually completed the work which 
 he could best do in the countries bordering the eastern 
 end of the Mediterranean (Eom. 15:23). Paul had 
 unbounded faith in the self-sustaining and self-prop- 
 agating power of Christianity when once established. 
 He therefore bent his energies toward making strong 
 beginnings. 
 
 He did not, however, neglect these churches, when 
 once they were founded. He carried them, individu- 
 ally and collectively, on his heart (2 Cor. 11:28). He 
 received letters from them and wrote carefully in re- 
 turn. He kept close watch of their growth, and main- 
 tained relations of deep affection with their leaders. 
 
 When we heed his own words regarding himself, we 
 would not rate him as a learned or eloquent speaker, 
 although an impressive one (1 Cor. 2:1,4; 2 Cor. 
 10:10). His personal presence was, perhaps, inferior 
 (2 Cor. 10:1,10). It was his capacity, his great en- 
 thusiasm, his deep earnestness, his sympathy and re- 
 sourcefulness, that gave him such power over men. 
 He was ready of speech, beyond question, and perhaps 
 over modest in referring to his own oratorical powers. 
 
 It was a matter of principle with Paul to identify 
 himself with all types of men, to reach them, as far as 
 he could consistently do so, at their level (1 Cor. 
 9:20-23; 10:32,33). Yet he could boast on occasion 
 of a splendid lineage (2 Cor. 11:22; Phil. 3:4-6). 
 He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a cultured aristo- 
 crat. But his proudest boast was, after all, that in 
 course of time God drew him from that life of holy 
 
186 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 selfishness on which he had embarked, and made him 
 a preacher of the "mystery" of Christ. In compari- 
 son with this no other experience seemed a privilege. 
 He bent his energies to the work of preaching, leaving 
 details of church procedure or of the instruction of 
 the converts whom he made to others (1 Cor. 1:17). 
 His ministry was frank and outspoken. He dealt 
 with his converts as a father (1 Cor. 4:15; 1 Thes. 
 2:7,10-12) might, with all gentleness and considera- 
 tion, and yet with authority. He seems to have taught 
 them rules of right conduct (1 Cor. 11:2), and dis- 
 cussed the proprieties of many habits. Inasmuch as 
 his converts came in large proportion from among the 
 poor and ignorant, not a few being slaves, who were 
 not credited with even a rudimental morality, such 
 instruction was necessary (1 Thes. 4:1). Paul never 
 hesitated to declare plainly what he felt the situation 
 demanded (1 Thes. 2:4-6; 2 Cor. 4:2). 
 
 PauFs career had not been an easy one. From the 
 first day he met with trouble (Acts 9:23). As an 
 evangelist he passed through experiences which would 
 have broken down or silenced any ordinary man (1 
 Cor. 15:32; 16:9; 2 Cor. 7:5), but they seemed to a 
 man of his splendid idealism but incentives to more 
 incessant endeavor (2 Cor. 4:8,9,16-18). With the 
 utmost difficulty was he forced to mention them. They 
 read like the adventurous experiences of intrepid pio- 
 neers. Paul constantly ventured on behalf of the Gos- 
 pel all that men have ever been willing to hazard for 
 the heaping up of treasure or for the gratification of 
 lust. The long roll which in various connections he 
 rehearses (1 Thes. 2:2; 1 Cor. 4:11-13; 2 Cor. 1:8,9; 
 6:4-10; 11:23-28; 2 Tim. 2:9; 3:10,11; 4:7) merely 
 gives us a glimpse of his hardihood, persistence, cour- 
 age and faith. 
 
 It was like Paul to wish to be beholden to no oiie. 
 He never would levy on a community, as some of Wis 
 contemporaries did. Gifts for his personal use, which 
 came under the promptings of love and not as salary 
 
Chapter 47. Paul's Missionary Career 187 
 
 he did not refuse (2 Cor. 11:8,9; Phil. 1:6; 4:15, 
 16), but he wished to have the independence and the 
 satisfaction involved in paying his own way (2 Thes. 
 3:7,8; 1 Cor. 9:15). 
 
 The apostle had so sane and well-balanced a mind 
 that his declarations about the revelations which he 
 had received (2 Cor. 12 :l-4) arouse a sort of sur- 
 prise. We agree with him that the "thorn" (Gal. 4: 
 13; 6:17; 2 Cor. 12:7) was well bestowed. At all 
 costs so great and noble, so sweet and fine a soul must 
 be kept humble. 
 
 Paul's strength lay in his absolute loyalty to Christ. 
 Every power was controlled and subordinated to His 
 service. With whole-heartedness he did his work, 
 with resistless and incessant energy. In this work 
 God gradually gave him such a revelation of Himself 
 as few men can gain. It will be ever true that tho 
 real disciple finds power and vision, as Paul found it, 
 in self -forget ting zeal for God. 
 
188 TJie Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 48. The Close of Paul's Career. Selections 
 from 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. About A.D. 
 64—68. 
 
 The details of Paul's last days are very obscure and 
 concerning them there is no unanimity of opinion. The 
 majority of interpreters in the past have followed the 
 lead of Lightfoot in attributing the Pastoral Epistles to 
 a period subsequent to the two years in confinement at 
 Rome of which the Book of Acts speaks (28: 30). The 
 few allusions to persons and places in these epistles then 
 suggest a release from imprisonment, a year or two of 
 visitation of churches and a second arrest and imprison- 
 ment at Rome, this time terminating fatally. There are 
 scholars of good judgment, such as Bart let, who regard 
 First Timothy and Titus as having been written prior to 
 the imprisonment mentioned in Acts, and deny that they 
 furnish any evidence regarding Paul's movements in 
 later years. The allusions in Second Timothy would fit 
 into either scheme. 
 
 Other arguments are singularly inconclusive in rela- 
 tion to this matter. The Book of Acts as a whole, in the 
 decisions or declarations of Lysias, Felix, Festus and 
 Agrippa, that Paul was not worthy of death or of bonds, 
 would seem to anticipate his release from the charge 
 made against him. Yet his words at Miletus (Acts 
 20: 17 ft.) imply also that he was not to look upon his 
 friends at Ephesus again. Paul's great confidence that 
 he was to be quickly released, given expression near the 
 close of the two years of imprisonment (Philemon 22; 
 Phil. 1: 25; 2: 24), counts for something as an indica- 
 tion of the course of events; yet a great and sudden 
 surprise would not have seemed a strange happening at 
 that time. 
 
 The reference in the First Epistle of Clement of Rome 
 to the Corinthians, dated about a generation after Paul's 
 death, which declares that he "reached the goal of the 
 West," is too obscure to be regarded as valuable evidence 
 in regard to his movements. Tt may bo merely rhetoric 
 
Chapter 48. The Close of Paul's Career 189 
 
 or it may refer, in its context, merely to Home. It is 
 necessarj% therefore, that no dogmatic assertions be made. 
 
 For all practical purposes Paul's life was over. Even 
 if he was released and returned to the East he made no 
 protracted stay in any place. Possibly he went at once 
 to Spain, as Zahn conjectures. Probably he would have 
 spent some time at and near Ephesus and with the 
 churches near Colosse. Surely he would not have over- 
 looked the Macedonian churches, for which he had such 
 an affection. The church at Corinth would, perhaps, 
 have been the very first of all to be visited. While thus 
 renewing the faith and stimulating the courage of these 
 beloved communities in Christian fellowship, he must 
 have been once more apprehended and taken to Eome for 
 the last time. 
 
 The uncertainty whether the great apostle was 
 beheaded about a. d. 62 or 63, or several years later 
 does not prevent our having a fairly vivid idea of the 
 circumstances under which his last days were spent. We 
 may be sure that he maintained his courage to th3 very 
 last. The long imprisonment at Eome was a bitter dis- 
 appointment to him. The emperor Nero in the earlier 
 part of his reign was regarded by his far distant sub- 
 jects in the East as a model ruler. The palace intrigues 
 and family murders of which we hear hardly affected 
 their interests, which were directed in large measure by 
 Seneca and Burrus. Probably Paul, when he appealed 
 to Caesar, expected to receive quick and genuine justice. 
 He knew that the flimsy character of the charges against 
 him would be evident to any impartial judge of last 
 resort, and expected a prompt decision in his favor. On 
 the supposition that the letter to Titus was written by 
 him on the voyage to Rome after leaving Crete, perhaps 
 from Malta, Paul's expectation (Titus 3: 12) of spend- 
 ing the next winter at Nicopolis would indicate his sup- 
 position that his trial would be speedy and favorable. 
 After his usual fashion he made good use of the oppor- 
 tunities afforded by his contact with the guards and by 
 his freedom of intercourse with citizens. Yet as the 
 
190 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 months went by there was a growing sense of injustice 
 and danger which would have sapped the energies of a 
 less heroic personality. To the last he was the most 
 dependable of all. 
 
 So strong was his faith, and so keenly did he feel the 
 continuing need of his presence among his followers, that 
 he could say to the Philippians, "And having this confi- 
 dence, I know that I shall abide, yea, and abide with you 
 all, for your progress and joy in the faith." He had so 
 many plans, and could meet so many emergencies and so 
 
 The Three Fountains. 
 
 From a photograph. 
 
 The Church of the Three Foontai ns is said to mark the spot where Paul was executed. 
 The tradition is that when tiis head was stricken from his Dody it bounded twice, thus 
 striking the ground In three places, at each of which a fountain of water appeared. 
 These fountains are under the altars in the cut. At the right is seen the executioner's 
 block on which the great apostle is said to have been executed. Few of the places shown 
 in Rome as memorials of Paul have any Historical basis. The fact that they should be 
 visited in reverent interest by thousands'^/ people every year shows the wonderful influ- 
 ence which this greatest of Christian disciples still exerts in the world. 
 
 much land still remained to be possessed that he could 
 not bring himself to feel until the very end that his life 
 was actually over. 
 
 How he carried the burden of the churches is evinced 
 by the character of the letters written at this last stage 
 of his life. The letters to the Colossians, to the 
 Ephesians, to the Philippians and the Pastorals, are 
 essentially letters to the church at large, dealing with its 
 insistent problems, inculcating the true principles of 
 Christian faith and life, breathing tender yet inspiring 
 messages of assurance and comfort and conviction. 
 Through these marvelous letters Paul did the culminat- 
 ing work of his long ancl active career. In a true sense 
 
Chapter Jf8. The Close of Paul's Career 191 
 
 the determination of the question of one imprisonment 
 at Rome or two may be regarded as unimportant. His 
 work had really come to a fitting end. 
 
 There came a sudden turn in his fortunes. His last 
 hope of justice fled. He knew that he had no longer 
 any hope of deliverance. That presentation to God of 
 the Gentile world as inheritors of His gracious promises, 
 which was the great task of his life, was now, as he 
 wrote to his beloved Timothy, to be accompanied as a 
 sacrificial gift by his own blood "poured out as a liba- 
 tion" (Phil. 2 : 17 in anticipation; 2 Tim. 4:6). 
 
 But with what superb self-command he awaited the 
 lictor's axe. It was "for the testimony of Jesus" (Eev. 
 20:4) and thus to die was gain (Phil. 1:21). His 
 death was triumphant. No emperor's decree could set 
 aside the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the 
 righteous judge, would grant him. He had fought a 
 good fight ; he had kept the faith. 
 
 Paul's life has been a continuing inspiration to all who 
 seek to make the utmost use in the Lord's service of such 
 powers as they possess. Clement of Rome, about 95 
 a. d., referred to Paul, who by his example pointed out 
 the prize of patient endurance. After that he had been 
 seven times in bonds, had been driven into exile, had 
 been stoned, had preached in the East and in the West, 
 he won the noble renown which was the reward of his 
 faith, having taught righteousness unto the whole world 
 and borne testimony before the rulers. The lesson 
 which we draw to-day is not dissimilar. Paul succeeded 
 against great disadvantages because of his singleminded- 
 ness, his devotion and his faith. He was truly "God's 
 
192 
 
 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Chapter 49. The Last Words of Peter on Behalf of the 
 Church. Selections from 1 and 2 Peter. Dates 
 uncertain. 
 
 It is with a sense of loss that the student of early 
 Christian history comes to realize that so little is 
 recorded in the New Testament regarding the last 
 fifteen years or so of the active life of the apostle Peter. 
 That he was not in retirement may be taken for 
 granted, not merely because of his temperament, but as 
 evidenced by the allusion made by Paul to his journey- 
 ings in First Corinthians 9:5. It must have been his 
 custom to make long tours of apostolic visitation and 
 presumably in Asia Minor. 
 
 Even before the conference at Jerusalem (not far 
 from 50 a. d.) James had become the acknowledged 
 
 head of the church in 
 Judea, so that Peter's 
 duty no less than his nat- 
 ural bent would have 
 taken him out among the 
 churches. It had doubt- 
 less seemed to him and 
 to the others at that time 
 (Gal. 2:9) that a nat- 
 ural distribution of ener- 
 gy would send Paul to 
 those who were distinct- 
 ively Gentiles, and Peter 
 to those who were by 
 birth and training Jews. 
 As years went by, how- 
 st. p«ter. ever, we cannot imagine 
 
 ^From^tatueinlheehurchof St. John Late- p e ter aS Continuing On a 
 
 narrow basis. He was 
 "ever sensitive," as Bartlet remarks, "to the teaching 
 of divine facts," and the unquestioned success of the 
 work of Paul and the rapid growth of the churches 
 under his inspiring leadership would have quickly evi- 
 
Chapter J>9. The Last Words of Peter 19S 
 
 clenced to Peter the real breadth of the Messianic 
 kingdom-to-be. Tradition connects Peter rather with 
 Pauline than with later Palestinian Christianity. 
 
 Where Peter labored all these years must be a matter 
 of conjecture. Doubtless he worked in Palestine and 
 Syria and perhaps up through Asia Minor as far as 
 Pontus and Bithynia. He was surely well known in 
 the other Christian centers, at least Paul refers famil- 
 iarly to him, when writing to his own churches. 
 
 The evidence of the First Epistle of Peter as well 
 as that of tradition makes it probable that Peter came 
 to Pome after Paul's martyrdom and was there be- 
 headed. Whether he was at Rome only a year or two, 
 and wrote First Peter not far from 80 a. d. must ever 
 remain one of the perplexities of interpretation. One 
 who reads the epistle carefully recognizes the stamp of 
 a first-rate personality. No other book, not written by 
 Paul, so nearly resembles his writings. It is wholly 
 worthy of the other great pillar of Christianity, and 
 may be with strong probability ascribed to him. 
 
 First Peter was written from "Babylon," probably 
 meaning the Rome which had begun to persecute the 
 church. It was addressed to the Christian communi- 
 ties of Asia Minor north of the Taurus range, because 
 a similar sort of persecuting policy had been begun 
 among them. The apostle sought to send them a mes- 
 sage of comfort and cheer, as a stimulus to their courage 
 and a stay to their faith. He addresses independent 
 communities, each with its elders (5:1), its sense of 
 brotherhood (4: 10), its personal freedom (4: 11), and 
 puts his plea on the broad ground of the wisdom of 
 righteous and sincere lives. 
 
 We know but little about the churches addressed, and 
 the way in which they came to be organized. Ramsay 
 makes it an argument for the relatively late date of the 
 first epistle that Christianity could not well have got- 
 ten a strong hold of the region of Pontus and Bithynia 
 as early as a. d. 64. We hear of the region many years 
 later through the interesting rescript of Pliny to the 
 
194 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 emperor Trajan. Pliny was proprsetor of these prov- 
 inces between a. d. 103 and a. d. 105. He had to 
 deal with Christians and asked the emperor for advice. 
 Incidentally his letter proves that Christianity had at 
 that time made great progress, including "many of 
 every age, of every rank, of both sex.es also ... in 
 country towns and rural districts" as well as cities, so 
 that the temples, once thronged, were almost deserted. 
 
 First Peter was probably directed to the converts of 
 a generation earlier. It is addressed in figurative fash- 
 ion to the "elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion/' 
 identifying thus these Christian believers with the true 
 Israel of God, and suggests that they are elected to 
 complete holiness and purity of life. Then follows a 
 thanksgiving (1:3-5) for the heavenly inheritance 
 reserved for those who have triumphant faith. Such 
 faith (1:6-9), even though tested severely, is sustained 
 by love for the unseen Christ, whose sufferings and 
 glory (1: 10-12) prophets foretold. As those redeemed 
 by the blood of Christ unto a new spiritual life (1: 13- 
 25) may you all with soberness aim to live holy lives. 
 Put away everything which will retard your growth 
 (2:1,2), or make you unfit to fashion with Christ a 
 holy temple (2:3-10). 
 
 This glorious introduction leads the way to a series 
 of exhortations to duty. As true pilgrims (2:11,12) 
 they were to avoid all impurity or cause for criticism. 
 As loyal subjects of the government (2:13-17) they 
 were to be obedient and thus put calumniators 
 to silence. Slaves (2:18-20) . were to be obe- 
 dient and patient even under wrong, in imitation 
 of the wonderful patience (2 : 21-25) of Christ. Wives 
 were not to use their Christian freedom as an excuse 
 for discontent or extravagance (3:1-6). Husbands 
 were to love and honor their wives (3:7). All should 
 seek to exhibit the qualities which make for brother- 
 hood and blessing (3:8-12). If tribulation seemed 
 imminent, let it be for righteousness and never 
 deserved (3:13-17). Christ Himself was not free 
 
Chapter 49. The Last Words of Peter 196 
 
 from suffering, but it was because of the sins of others 
 and for their salvation (3:18-20). Through His res- 
 urrection and ascension all obtain a right relationship 
 with God (3:21,22). As sharers then with Christ in 
 sufferings, share with Him the life of God and abandon 
 the old heathenish practices (4:1-6). In view of the 
 approaching end of the age, let all give themselves 
 soberly and reverently to prayer and mutual friendli- 
 ness and helpful deeds, each one contributing his best 
 (4:7-11). 
 
 The writer now reaches the real reason for his writing. 
 His readers were not to wonder at the trials they were 
 experiencing, nor to resent them, but rather to rejoice 
 at suffering with Christ, and exalting His precious 
 name. To suffer as a criminal would be scandalous; 
 to suffer as a Christian would be glorious (4:12-17). 
 
 He closes with a few charges. First the elders of the 
 church (5: 1-4) are to take great pains to be good pas- 
 tors and leaders. Again the younger members (5:5) 
 are to be obedient and helpful. And all are to exhibit 
 the virtues of humility, alertness, trust, soberness and 
 steadfastness (5:6-9). God Himself would help them 
 to a perfect development (5: 10, 11). 
 
 It is interesting to note the emphasis laid upon the 
 sufferings of Jesus in this epistle, doubtless because it 
 was addressed to those who were in the midst of serious 
 trouble. He urges that their sufferings, like those of 
 the Master, make for redemption. To be worthy of the 
 rich inheritance which is theirs is their privilege and 
 duty. 
 
 Second Peter is a much disputed epistle, and a truly 
 remarkable one. It differs much from First Peter in 
 style and in thought, but seems to have incorporated 
 Jude almost entire. Many question the Petrine author- 
 ship, yet the unknown author was a remarkable man. 
 It begins with an appeal for progress in acquiring 
 Christian virtues (1:3-11) and a noble declaration of 
 the truth of Christian teaching (1:12-21). The sec- 
 ond chapter sets forth the evil practices of the false 
 
196 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 prophets. The closing one extends a rebuke to those 
 who disbelieve in the final judgment and declares that 
 the coming of the Lord will be sudden and sweeping. 
 Consequently all" are urged to be patient, diligent, and 
 full* of sincerity. 
 
 We cannot' go far afield if we think of Peter as the 
 true spiritual successor of Paul, for a while at least. 
 He was quite possibly the chief administrator in the 
 western church; he surely became, like Paul, a cheerful 
 martyr to the faith. As Clement of Rome says, "He 
 endured, not one or two, but many labors, and having 
 borne his testimony, went to his appointed place of 
 glory/' 
 
 Chapter 50. The Apocalyptic Vision of the Triumphant 
 Christ., Rev. chs. 4, 5 ; 7:9—17. About A. D. 68. 
 
 It is rather strange that there are so few examples of 
 apocalypse in the Bible, and particularly in the New 
 Testament, when it was such a frequent and favorite 
 type of literature during the centuries just preceding 
 and that including the early days of Christianity. 
 Among the books which Christians read, apocalypses 
 were often found, such as the Book of Enoch, or the 
 Apocalypse of Peter. They were always couched in 
 strange, symbolic language, and purported to unveil the 
 mysteries of the past or future. They were a revival of 
 prophecy but not of the old sort. They looked for a 
 judgment, not upon Israel but upon the foreign nations, 
 her enemies; they paid little or no attention to the life 
 of their time, but directed it toward the universe at 
 large; they described the Messianic or ideal future as 
 something not to be realized in this sphere but in a 
 heavenly world; they paid scant attention to Israel the 
 nation, and much to the individual inheritor of God's 
 promises. 
 
 Apocalyptical writings are really aids to robust faith. 
 
Chapter 50. The Apocalyptic Vision 197 
 
 They arise in times of danger, when active persecution 
 threatens to cause widespread apostasy, when heathenism 
 is rampant and all believers must get together. They 
 make for encouragement and for hopefulness by empha- 
 sizing the factors which 
 stand for righteousness 
 and by asserting that 
 these will be made man- 
 ifest. 
 
 The least profitable 
 method of studying an 
 apocalypse is to dwell 
 upon the details of its 
 bold imagery. It is 
 full of figurative repre- 
 sentations of spiritual 
 realities. The faith and 
 hope behind them are 
 important, rather than 
 the symbols themselves. 
 Its interpretation is in 
 the large rather than 
 minutely. 
 
 The book of Revelation predicts the speedy coming 
 of God as judge, to divide true Christians from the false. 
 "Rome will fall and Satan, whose power Rome em- 
 bodies, will first be bound and then destroyed." All 
 believers will finally live with God and Christ in eternal 
 blessedness. Amidst the profusion of figurative expres- 
 sion, it is clear that two definite declarations are made ': 
 that the Roman empire is to fall, and that the faithful 
 Christian will receive a power and blessedness far 
 beyond any conception of human experience. 
 
 Its great themes are the transcendence of God and the 
 certainty that His purposes will prevail in the history 
 of the world. Through the risen and enthroned Christ 
 He overcomes and redeems. 
 
 The first chapter is introductory. The superscription 
 (1:1-3) ascribes the revelation to Christ and declares 
 
 St. Joiin. 
 
 From a statue by Thorwftldsen. 
 
198 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 that its contents are of high importance. The intro- 
 duction (1:4-8) asserts the coming of Christ as the 
 theme of the book, which goes on to describe the com- 
 mission of the prophet, given by the eternal Christ Him- 
 self, to write down what was revealed unto him 
 (1:9-20). Then follow, still by way of preliminary, 
 the well-known letters to the seven churches of Asia, to 
 Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Phila- 
 delphia, and Laodicea. Each receives approval, recog- 
 nition or reproach according to its desert. They are 
 really addressed, in all probability, to a wider circle, 
 perhaps to the Christian world of that day. It is 
 unlikely that these churches ever actually received them 
 individually. The writer's purpose seems to be ideal. 
 The letters form an appropriate introduction to the book 
 as a whole. These letters give a vivid picture of the 
 Christian church of that day, its victories and defeats. 
 The church at Ephesus was a firm upholder of the 
 faith, but had lost some of its early spirit of brotherly 
 love. Those at Smyrna and Pergamum were praised 
 for fidelity in the face of persecution and difficulty. At 
 Thyatira was a church exhibiting Christian growth but 
 blamed for permitting the presence of a false prophetess. 
 Sardis was mainly dead. Philadelphia was faithful 
 and would be rewarded. Laodicea abounded in wealth 
 but was really in spiritual want. Those churches needed 
 a stirring message to arouse them to confidence in God. 
 
 Chapter 4 exhibits Cod upon His throne, surrounded 
 by the heavenly chorus, and worshiped by the angelic 
 leaders as the Supreme Creator and Ruler of the universe. 
 Chapter 5 introduces the Christ, who is able to unlock 
 the secrets of heaven and earth, in whose praise the 
 whole creation joins. Thus these two chapters describe 
 the heavenly, scene of the visions. 
 
 The next three chapters introduce a vision of the 
 judgments to come. The destroying power of war, 
 famine, pestilence, earthquake, all portend the day of the 
 Lord (ch. 6). The seventh is the worst of all, but 
 before it are two comforting visions of the safety and 
 
Chapter 50. The Apocalyptic Vision 199 
 
 blessedness of those who are faithful. Some are kept 
 from the evil (7:1-8); others come through it trium- 
 phantly (7: 9-17). This last passage anticipates chap- 
 ter 21, but prevents dismay. The seventh seal involves 
 a series of preliminary judgments. One-third of the 
 earth is destroyed and one-third of mankind (chs. 8, 9). 
 
 With chapter 10 the prophet is given a new commis- 
 sion to prophesy in place of the description of the result 
 of the seventh trumpet. This account is followed by a 
 short and obscure passage of comfort for those who keep 
 the faith (11:3-13), which is followed by a heavenly 
 song of anticipated victory (11:16-19). 
 
 The powers of evil against whom these forces are to 
 wage successful war are then introduced. First is Satan 
 himself, the personification of all wickedness, desirous 
 of destroying the Messiah-child, but when foiled turn- 
 ing with renewed fury against the faithful Christians 
 who were His followers (ch. 12). Satan gives his 
 malign authority to a beast, which exercise offensive 
 and oppressive dominion over men and especially over 
 believers (13:3-10). A second beast appears which 
 compels all men to worship the first (13: 11-18). By 
 these beasts sober minded interpreters understand the 
 Roman empire of the days of Domitian and the system 
 of emperor-worship, which constituted Christianity's 
 great danger. Over against these foes stands a com- 
 forting vision of Christ and His great array of pure- 
 minded followers. To further stay the courage of those 
 who were to pass through fiery trials a series of warn- 
 ings are uttered by heavenly messengers who proclaim 
 the glory and supremacy of God the Creator (14: 6, 7), 
 the fall of Rome (14: 8,) the doom of those who yield 
 to Rome's behest (14:9-12), the blessedness of the 
 faithful dead (14:13), and the certain judgments to 
 come (14:14-20). 
 
 Then is poured out the seven-fold wrath of God (chs. 
 15, 16), preceded as before by a glimpse of the heavenly 
 blessedness of the redeemed who have shown their fidel- 
 ity (15:2-4). The wrath of God is in seven bowls, 
 
200 Tht Apostolic Leaders 
 
 which are poured out one by one, against the earth, the 
 sea, the fresh waters, the sun, the throne of the beast, 
 the Euphrates, and the air. 
 
 These outpourings of wrath prepare the way for the 
 overthrow of the powers of evil. First of all is Rome, 
 the harlot-city, red with the blood of martyrs, seated 
 on her seven hills, doomed to destruction from within 
 (ch. 17). Angels announce her destruction and desola- 
 tion, because of her sins (18:1-8). Those who traf- 
 ficked with her are overwhelmed with grief (18: 9-19), 
 but saints will rejoice at her well-deserved downfall 
 (18: 20-24). And in heaven and on earth there is one 
 loud acclaim of praise to God because of the overthrow 
 (19 : 1-10) . Then the warrior Messiah in blood-red gar- 
 ments executes the wrath of God and puts a final end to 
 the beasts and to all who followed them (19:11-21), 
 i. e., to the Eoman empire and its godless worship. 
 
 With the fall of the wicked empire, his tool, Satan is, 
 as it were, deprived of freedom for a time (20:1-3). 
 During it the resurrected martyrs share with Christ in 
 ruling the world (20:4-6). When loosed Satan will 
 vainly gather his hosts. They shall be consumed and 
 he doomed eternally along with the two beasts (20: 
 7-10). Then will come the final judgment of all man- 
 kind (20:11-15). 
 
 For those who have been worthy, who have persevered 
 amidst temptations and persecutions, a new and blessed 
 life now begins. The heaven and earth becomes new 
 (21:1,2). God and man dwell together (21:3,4). 
 The heavenly city, the abode of the blest, is inconceiv- 
 ably beautiful, bright and pure. Life there is joyful 
 beyond expression (21 : 9 — 22 : 5. God is always there, 
 and His people will be in fellowship with Him. 
 
 The closing verses emphasize the importance and the 
 certainty of the visions of the book. 
 
 Revelation is a wonderful book. Its imagery is almost 
 confusing when studied in close detail, but very effective 
 when interpreted broadly. Its message of assurance 
 bases itself on the power and wisdom of God, whose 
 
Chapter 51. Last Messages of the Apostolic Age 201 
 
 plane for the universe must finally prevail. Its prom- 
 ises are to those who are spiritually faithful and worthy. 
 Those who seek to find in its words an unveiling of 
 the details of the historical or even spiritual future will 
 be disappointed. Those who look for encouragement in 
 the sturdy resistance of all forms of evil, in the main- 
 tenance of a serene faith in God, in the conquest of self, 
 and in the acceptance, if need be, of martyrdom rather 
 than apostasy, find an eternal message. 
 
 Chapter 51. The Last Messages of the Apostolic Age. 
 Selections from 1 John. Written apparently between 
 A. D. 80 and 100. 
 
 There can be no question that the writings ascribed 
 by common consent to the aged apostle John belong 
 to the very last decade of the first century of our 
 era. In what exact proportion, if at all, others than the 
 apostle shared in these writings will always be a theme 
 of scholarly discussion, but of comparatively small 
 importance. It is certain that for all practical pur- 
 poses these noble writings represent the thoughts and 
 utterances of that aged saint of Ephesus, whose whole 
 life had been given to the bearing of witness to the 
 Word whom he had seen and known, had loved and 
 served. 
 
 The closing decade of the century was a time of 
 comparative peace for the Christian congregations. 
 The persecuting movement of Domitian's early reign 
 had spent itself. The dangers to which the leaders 
 of the church were alive came from within the church 
 rather than from the outside. There were serious 
 forms of unbelief or speculative heresy which had be- 
 gun to gain ground. Prominent among these was 
 the Cerinthian view of the person of Jesus Christ. 
 Claiming that divinity and humanity were so opposite 
 
202 
 
 Tlte Apostolic Leaders 
 
 in substance that no one could possibly be God and 
 man at the same time, Cerinthus, who accepted the cur- 
 rent traditions regarding the active life of Jesus, ex- 
 plained the supernatural element in that life by the 
 hypothesis that the man Jesus was taken possession of 
 at the baptism by the spiritual Christ, who remained 
 with Him until the cross. This spiritual Christ, not 
 
 being corporeal or hu- 
 man, could not suffer, 
 and had no part in the 
 agony of the cross. 
 
 This ingenious theory 
 had the practical result 
 of absolutely denying the 
 divinity of Jesus Christ. 
 It roused the aged apostle 
 to the necessity for a de- 
 liberate and comprehen- 
 sive reply. This we have 
 from one point of view 
 in the first epistle of 
 John and from another 
 
 St. JohE, the Last of the Apostles. ' m the foiirtn Gospel. 
 
 They are impressive 
 presentations of the personality and the work of Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 The first epistle of John contains the substance of 
 every important declaration in the other two. It be- 
 gins with an impressive formulation (1:1-4) of the 
 theme which he wished to treat, viz., the reality of 
 the living Word and His possible continuing relation- 
 ship with men. Fellowship with Him means (1 : 5-10) 
 walking in the light and confessing one's sins. Jesus 
 delivers from sin those who strive constantly to fol- 
 low Him (2 : 1-6). He who loves God loves his brother 
 man (2 : 7-11), and ranks God above all else (2 : 12-17). 
 As our Lord declared and as Paul said also, these men 
 whom wc know, who are denying that Jesus was the 
 Christ, the Son of God, these antichrists ar^ ordy fore- 
 
Chapter 51. Last Messages of the Apostolic Age 203 
 
 runners of the day of His appearing. Remain faithful 
 to Him and thus show that you are indeed His children 
 (2: 18-29). As children, let us be, pure and righteous 
 and loving (3 : 1-12). Loving one another in truth, let 
 us believe on Jesus (3:13-24). The spirit of anti- 
 christ is worldly (-1:1-6); the spirit which God in- 
 spires is a spirit of love (4: 7-21). He who knows and 
 follows Christ is a true child of God (5: 1-12). These 
 things we know (5:13-21). 
 
 The letter is a testimony to the reality and power 
 of the fundamental facts of the Gospel message. 
 These facts, however, are set forth with much greater 
 fulness in the Gospel of John. Whether this Gospel 
 was written before or after the first epistle is un- 
 certain, but it looks at Christ's life from the same 
 point of view, and was probably one of the latest of 
 the New Testament writings. Its purpose was not 
 evangelistic, like that of the other Gospels, but like 
 John's epistles, was for the establishment and con- 
 firmation of Christians in the faith. 
 
 This Gospel is an interpretation rather than a record 
 of the life of Jesus. So far as it is a narrative, it 
 details the self-revelation of Jesus — to His compan- 
 ions, to the people, to the Eleven in the upper room, 
 and finally to human-kind. It sets forth the inner 
 life and the genuine spirit of Jesus as exhibited in 
 His dealings with men and His declarations to them. 
 Just as Matthew lays great stress upon the year of 
 gradual self-disclosure between the choosing of the 
 Twelve and the affirmation by Peter on their behalf 
 that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God, 
 so the fourth Gospel details the less obvious, more 
 gradual self-disclosure of the life as a whole. It be- 
 gins by setting forth Christ's eternal nature as the 
 Word made flesh, the true Light of the world, the One 
 who revealed God unto men by exhibiting in Himself 
 at once the perfection of human nature and the sub- 
 stance of the divine nature. It then shows how Christ 
 presented Himself to the nation, claiming over and 
 
204 TJie Apostolic Leaders 
 
 over again His divine sonship, and affording the most 
 complete proof of the truth of what He said, notwith- 
 standing which He was utterly rejected by the Jews. 
 Beginning with the thirteenth chapter, it describes 
 Christ's unreserved revelation of Himself to the inner 
 circle of disciples who were now prepared for the 
 precious message. The book closes with the account 
 of His crucifixion and burial, and His triumphant 
 resurrection through which His disciples were made 
 certain of His real character. 
 
 It was thus a noble message to be given to the 
 church as its particular Gospel, a fitting word for the 
 close of the New Testament age, a cure for those who 
 had begun to be affected by doubts regarding the true 
 divinity of our Lord, or whose faith was formal, un~ 
 vital, chilly. For all these centuries it has served to 
 quicken, to cheer, to assure, to deepen and to estab- 
 lish the spiritual life of every earnest servant of God. 
 In writing it the beloved apostle rendered the church 
 a service of inconceivable value, 
 
Chapter 52. The Later Apostolic Age 205 
 Chapter 52. The Later Apostolic Age. A Review. 
 
 The imprisonment of the apostle Paul at Csesarea 
 marked the beginning of the second Christian genera- 
 tion. It was far more of a turning point in Christian 
 history than has been commonly supposed. The first 
 thirty years of Christian history were years of activity 
 and movement, of pioneering and organization, of the 
 discovery or awakening of needs rather than of their 
 satisfaction. Paul's long imprisonment not only gave 
 him an opportunity for reflection, and a consequent 
 maturing of his thought, but it accentuated the feeling 
 all over the Christian world that the earlier era had 
 come to a close and that the second generation had 
 begun. 
 
 The next three decades registered a great advance 
 for Christianity. During the first of these Jerusalem 
 rapidly approached its doom. The relations of peo- 
 ple and procurators grew less and less endurable on 
 either side; the signs of a revolt became increasingly 
 definite. At last, after several years of tumult and tor- 
 ture, the sacred city of Jewry was captured, the tem- 
 ple destroyed, and the people scattered. The strength 
 of Judaism was broken. 
 
 Meanwhile Christianity had suffered and achieved. 
 Paul, in prison, had written those matchless epistles, 
 which forever uphold the supremacy and the satisfy- 
 ing character of Christ, and declare His significance. 
 Later on He had laid down His noble life in martyr- 
 dom. But He had first inspired a church to heroism 
 and faithfulness. There was rapid progress every- 
 where. Churches sprang up on every hand; they en- 
 dured and even flourished in spite of danger. Not 
 even the bitter persecution encouraged by the emperor, 
 Nero, was a check to the Christian church; it 
 rather became a stimulus. The disaster of a. d. 70 
 clid jQot hinder Christianity, although it was deeply 
 mourned by many Christians who had been born Jews. 
 
 Not long before the fall of Jerusalem the Gospel of 
 
206 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 Mark was written. It represented most closely the 
 sifted tradition regarding the active life of Jesus. 
 Either shortly before or after that notable date the 
 Gospel of Matthew likewise appeared, at least in sub- 
 stance. It was such a Gospel as was greatly needed 
 at that juncture, when such a multitude of Jews had 
 been shaken to the very foundation of their faith by 
 the terrible disasters which they had endured and by 
 the fate of the temple which seemed to them the very 
 abode of Gocl. Such minds had rejected Jesus because 
 He had not proven Himself to be of the Messianic 
 type for which they had looked. The Gospel ap- 
 pealed to such men. It traced the actual fulfilment 
 of Messianic expectation as seen in the life of Jesus. 
 It reported His repeated declaration that suffering and 
 sympathy were essential elements in Messiahship. It 
 emphasized the glory and the triumph of the cross and 
 the sublime range of His last command. Such an 
 epistle as that to the Hebrews reinforced the thought 
 of Matthew by showing that the New Testament re- 
 ality far outvalued the Old Testament practice, while 
 embodying all in it that was truly valuable. 
 
 These* writings were the products of the second gen- 
 eration of thinking. They represent a more reflective 
 age and a maturity of judgment which gave to them 
 increased value. The Lukan writings, which prob- 
 ably appeared about 80 A. d., are fine examples of this 
 maturity. As Bruce has remarked, it is not the active 
 Jesus who is the theme of the third Gospel, but the 
 Lord Jesus Christ. By this he means that Luke at- 
 tempted to sketch the life of Jesus in its permanent 
 rather than its passing aspects. It is certainly true, 
 as the careful reader does not fail to realize, that the 
 book of Acts is anything but a record of current 
 events. Such a diary was among its sources but the 
 book itself is a well digested, carefully arranged ex- 
 ample of literature written with a dominant purpose 
 and using historical facts for its illustrations. Whether 
 First Peter and Revelation belong to the era between 
 
Chapter 52. The Later Apostolic Age 207 
 
 60 and 80 A. d.., or to a later time, must be uncer- 
 tain. Very likely First Peter is relatively early and 
 Revelation relatively late, but the determination is un- 
 important. Each belonged to the' literature of encour- 
 agement and comfort, of which there was sore 
 need, both in the days of Nero and in the days of 
 Domitian. 
 
 The work of Paul for each generation, that which 
 witnessed the founding of the church and that which 
 formulated the place of the church and its work, was 
 equally important. He was one of the personalities 
 which grow greater as they are the more clearly un- 
 derstood. The deliberateness of his heroism, the 
 clearness of his intellect, the greatness of his soul, the 
 sincerity of his judgments, the extent of his influence, 
 and its helpfulness — 
 these qualities become 
 increasingly impres- 
 sive to the student of 
 Paul's career. He tri- 
 umphed by a won- 
 derful combination of 
 genius and straight- 
 forward sincerity over 
 obstacles which would 
 have baffled ordinary 
 great men. He was a 
 leader among men of 
 strength, not merely 
 in default of other ag- 
 gressive personalities. 
 He was not free from 
 mistakes ; he laid 
 
 stress on some matters with regard to which the 
 Christian thought of to-day is at variance; he cer- 
 tainly used many arguments which were good when 
 he used them, but are unconvincing now, yet he 
 laid broad, strong and square the essential founda- 
 tion for a working Christianity which should be truly 
 
 St. Paul. 
 
 St. Peter. 
 
 From a medallion in the Vatican library at Rome, 
 which is supposed to date from about 200 A.D., and 
 probably presents the earliest existing portraits of 
 these two great apostles. 
 
208 The Apostolic Leaders 
 
 universal. No other one personality was so impor- 
 tant as his in the history of the early church. 
 
 The work of Peter was hardly less useful. In say- 
 ing this we must trust in part to tradition, for our New 
 Testament records follow the work of Paul rather than 
 of Peter. The latest Gospels sketch, however, a Peter 
 who would surely be at the forefront of the apostolic 
 care of the churches. Despite the rebuke administered 
 by Paul to his colleague because of his vacillation 
 at Antioch (Gal. ch. 2), there was ever a cordial and 
 fraternal feeling on Paul's part for Peter. When the 
 barriers between the Gentile portion of the church and 
 the Judaistic portion had broken down, we may fairly 
 suppose that Peter was active in the superintendency 
 and visitation of the churches at large. The tradition 
 which credits him during the silent years with active 
 work in Asia Minor is wholly probable. The tradi- 
 tion which declares that his closing years were spent 
 at Eome, strengthening and developing the church in 
 that region and serving as the generally acknowledged 
 leader of the church in all the world is exaggerated, 
 but based on probability. There can be little doubt 
 that he died at Rome, and that he was influential over 
 a wide area. That he became a virtual pope is with- 
 out any historical confirmation. 
 
 He could not have wielded any universal authority, 
 derived upon a general organization of the church into 
 a unity. The early church followed its leaders, but 
 it was sectional. At a comparatively early period in 
 the second century the churches of Alexandria, Syria, 
 Asia Minor, Greece, Northern Africa, and Eome, 
 were distinguishable. Each group cherished its in- 
 dependence, and followed its particular group of prel- 
 ates or scholars. This independence was inherent in 
 the conditions under which the churches were founded, 
 and affected the history of the church from earliest 
 times. 
 
 Within the first century it only remains to notice the 
 dace occupied by the venerable apostle John. Long 
 
Chapter 52. The Later Apostolic Age 209 
 
 after the others had passed away, he remained a living 
 link between the days of the Lord's active ministry and 
 the rapidly growing Christian church. We can but 
 faintly conjecture the pride and affection and respect 
 which he inspired. It was of no little significance to 
 the church that he was spared to say the last word of 
 the eye witnesses of the events and ideas which lie 
 at the basis of all Christian faith. No other testi- 
 mony could have been as powerful on behalf of Chris- 
 tian certitude, obedience, character and ideals. No 
 other human being could have made such a permanent 
 contribution to our understanding of the real personal- 
 ity of Jesus. No one could have so decisively spoken 
 the needed message for a church beset by doubts en- 
 gendered by philosophical skepticism and by unem- 
 phatic morality. The aged yet clear-minded compan- 
 ion of Jesus was privileged to render his beloved Mas- 
 ter the greatest service of all. 
 
 Thus the apostolic age came to a well-rounded end. 
 The factors were not wanting to complete the record 
 of the revelation of God through the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, so that it should be adequate for every age. 
 Through all these writings runs a golden thread of 
 anticipation, a looking forward to the glad consumma- 
 tion of the age-long purposes of God. The "com- 
 ing," as they hoped for it, has not yet taken place. 
 Their message to us, as to their own generation is an 
 exhortation to be alert and faithful, prepared in every 
 way to welcome the Lord, should He appear. A great 
 work yet remains before the knowledge of the Lord shall 
 cover the whole earth, and all nations shall reverently 
 call upon His name. These glorious men of Gold 
 appeal to us, every one, each in our appointed way, to 
 bend our energies to the hastening of this end, 
 
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