Read Ebook: Story of the Life of St. Paul the Apostle by Seymour Mary Active

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Ebook has 690 lines and 34341 words, and 14 pages

A feeling of intense, supernatural hunger came upon him then, and as his friends prepared food, he fell into a rapture, and saw the heavens open, and a sheet descend which contained animals of every description.

St. Peter had the strong Jewish regard for the distinctions of the law concerning the clean and the unclean, therefore when a voice directed him to kill and eat of these animals, he answered, "Far be it from me, for I never did eat anything that is common or unclean."

A second time the voice spoke to him. "That which God hath cleansed do not thou call common," it said; and when this mysterious vision had been three times repeated, the sheet was drawn up to heaven again.

In the same manner that the Jews avoided eating such food as the old ceremonial law of Moses deemed unclean, so they shunned all intercourse with the Gentiles as an unclean nation. This remarkable vision was God's way of teaching St. Peter that the prejudices of his life must be laid aside, and as fully as grace was poured out upon the Gentile world, so he must also admit them to all the blessings of the Christian Church.

While St. Peter pondered over this wondrous revelation of God's Will, two servants and a soldier came to the tanner's house, and asked if one Simon, surnamed Peter, was lodging there.

They came from Cornelius, an officer in the Roman army, who dwelt in Caesarea, a fine city and seaport some thirty-five miles from Joppa. We read in Scripture that Cornelius was a devout man, and that he gave alms to the people, and spent much time in prayer. He must, therefore, have been conscientiously following the light he had, and praying to know God's Will; and such humble constant prayer can never be disregarded by Heaven. So it happened that one evening as Cornelius prayed, a heavenly visitor appeared to him, speaking in gentle tones of love, and yet he was alarmed, and exclaimed, "What is it, Lord?"

Then he heard that his prayers and his alms had gone up as a memorial before the throne of God, and he was bidden to send men to Joppa, who should bring to him Peter, then lodging with a tanner in his humble dwelling upon the sea-shore.

We have already seen these messengers reaching the dwelling of the Apostle; and while they asked for him, the Holy Spirit made their arrival known to St. Peter, and inspired him to go with them, for it was God Who sent them.

Immediately leaving the housetop, the Apostle went to the door, and heard how the messengers had come from Cornelius, and also that he had been directed by an angel to send to Joppa.

Strong though his Jewish prejudices had been, love of his Master's will and his Master's work were still stronger, and St. Peter made the Gentile visitors welcome for the night, and departed with them next day for Caesarea, taking with him some of his Christian brethren.

When they reached the house of Cornelius, they found him with his friends, assembled to receive the much-desired visitor; and meeting St. Peter at the portico of his house, he prostrated himself with the greatest reverence and humility, recognising the Apostle as the visible head of the Christian Church, and the representative of Jesus Christ.

St. Peter raised him from the ground, and entering the house, began speaking of the old Jewish law which had prohibited intercourse with other nations, telling his hearers that God now commanded all those restrictions to end, and therefore he came among them as readily as if they were his own Jewish brethren.

Cornelius then related the favour which had been granted him, and said that they were all there assembled to hear the words of life from the lips of the Apostle.

St. Peter now tells the glad news of Christ's coming amongst men. He tells them that the once despised and outcast Gentiles are not only invited to receive God's grace, but are to be in all things equal partakers with the Jewish people--that Christ, of Whose resurrection and ascension they had already heard, had given an express commission to His Apostles to preach the Gospel to all nations.

Suddenly his address is interrupted. It is a scene second only to that of Pentecost, for the Holy Ghost comes down upon these Gentile converts, and they begin to speak with tongues, to the surprise of St. Peter and his companions. If any lingering feeling of Jewish superiority had been left in their hearts, this unmistakable proof of God's gracious purposes towards the Gentiles destroyed it for ever.

If special grace and special gifts were thus bestowed from Heaven, St. Peter, as head of the Church on earth, must not fear to admit them to every privilege it was his to bestow, and he therefore desired that they should be baptized.

Thus began that mission to the Gentiles which opened a new era in the world's history.

The Apostles had thought much of the blessings and honours intended for their own people, but they had not fully comprehended how broad, how extended Christ's kingdom was to become. So God wonderfully interposed, and called into His service one who was better fitted to be the Apostle of the Gentiles than St. Peter with his zeal, or St. John with his ardent love,--even Paul the persecutor, but afterwards the great and glorious servant of the Christian Church.

The city of Antioch, in Syria, was full of fugitives from other countries.

Many had come from Jerusalem, many also from the adjacent island of Cyprus, others again from Cyrene; and when the truth was preached to them, a great multitude turned to God.

Tidings of this went to Jerusalem, and St. Barnabas was appointed to go to Antioch to instruct the converts more fully in the doctrines they had received, and shortly afterwards, Saul went to assist his labours.

The people of Antioch gave the name of "Christians" to these followers of Christ. Before this the disciples had called themselves "brethren," or "saints," while the Jews in scorn termed them "Nazarenes."

St. Barnabas, with the help of Saul, had been teaching about a year, when some prophets came down from Jerusalem, one of whom, named Agabus, proclaimed a famine throughout Judea.

When the Christians at Antioch heard of the great price of food, and the consequent distress among their brethren in Jerusalem, they collected together a sum of money, and St. Barnabas and Saul conveyed this gift to the sufferers.

But a greater evil than famine troubled the Christian Church--the persecuting cruelty of Herod Agrippa, who had killed James, the brother of John, and now would have taken also the life of St. Peter, had not God interposed, delivering him by the help of an angel.

When St. Barnabas with Saul returned to Antioch, they were accompanied by a young man named John Mark, and probably they would have continued long in their united work, had not the Holy Ghost inspired them to begin that mission to heathen lands to which they were more directly called.

It was about this time that Saul exchanged his name for Paul--a name more pleasing to the ears of Greeks and Romans.

Somewhat near the Feast of Pentecost, in the year 44, the Apostles started from Seleucia, the nearest seaport to Antioch, arriving, after a few hours' sail, at Salamis, a large city on the coast of Cyprus, the birthplace of St. Barnabas.

They began at once to preach in the synagogues, but with no very marked success; however, neither Jews nor idolaters attacked them, or made any opposition to their teaching, until they came to Paphos.

The governor of the island at that time was Sergius Paulus, who, though a Roman and a pagan, was not content with the false deities he had been taught to worship.

At his court there was a false prophet and sorcerer named Bar-Jesus, who had called himself "Elymas," which signifies "the wise one."

When Sergius Paulus heard of the arrival of the Apostles he sent for them to come to him. Perhaps some hope was roused in his heart of hearing from these strangers some truth which would satisfy him.

When St. Barnabas taught of Christ, Elymas the sorcerer began to deny and contradict his words, until the governor said he knew not whom to believe.

St. Paul, appealing to Heaven, called down the punishment of blindness upon this impious man, which so strongly impressed Sergius Paulus with belief in the power of God, that he at once avowed himself a Christian.

"Oh, full of all guile"--thus had the Apostle addressed the sorcerer--"Oh, full of all guile and of all deceit, child of the devil, enemy of all justice, thou ceasest not to pervert the right ways of the Lord. And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a time."

Even as the servant of God spoke, a mist came before the eyes of Elymas, then light faded into a deep, terrible darkness, and blind and helpless he was led to his own home.

Their mission to Cyprus concluded, the Apostles journeyed to Pamphylia, landing at Perga, where there was a celebrated temple dedicated to Diana.

On arriving here, the young companion of Barnabas, "John Mark," determined to return to Jerusalem--probably he shrank from the difficulties and perils which threatened their missionary life.

Together then did Paul and Barnabas proceed on their way, through mountain passes, and across bleak plains, until they reached Antioch in Pisidia--not the city of Antioch in which they had already laboured.

Upon the Jewish Sabbath they directed their steps to the synagogue, where they were invited by the "elders" to address the people.

St. Paul stood up, and in forcible, eloquent words gave a rapid sketch of the history of the Jewish nation, showing that the promises to the line of David were fulfilled in the coming of Christ.

He next proved to them that from this Saviour, this God-man, who had lived and died in their own day, all might receive pardon of sin, and, lastly, he warned his hearers not to incur the dreadful punishment which awaited those who rejected the word of the Almighty.

Some who heard these things were deeply impressed, and followed the Apostles to receive instruction; some had listened with delight to an appeal which showed the preacher's familiar acquaintance with the traditions of their forefathers, but their hearts were not gained for God.

When the next Sabbath came, an immense throng made its way to the synagogue, and this public demonstration of interest roused the anger of the unbelieving Jews, who uttered terrible blasphemies against the name of Jesus, and tried to silence His Apostles.

But neither St. Paul nor Barnabas was afraid. They told these angry Jews that to them had God's grace first been offered, they had been His own chosen and beloved people, but now, as they would not hear, the Divine message was sent to the Gentiles.

Enmity against the Apostles now ran so high that they were forced to leave the city, and on passing out they shook from their feet the dust of Antioch, as Christ had commanded them to do in such a case.

The Jews perfectly comprehended the meaning of this ceremony. They, when they reached the borders of their own land, were in the habit of carefully wiping from their sandals the smallest particle of dust, so that not so much as a grain of the sacred soil might fall on ground which was unblessed.

Some hundred miles eastward stood Iconium, and there the Apostles made their way, preaching with such power in the synagogue that great numbers both of Jews and Gentiles believed.

But again the hard-hearted multitude made efforts to raise a persecution against these messengers of Christ, although they were not so violent as the Jews of Antioch, so that, in spite of opposition, the Apostles remained some time in Iconium, performing by God's power many miracles there.

These wonderful proofs of Divine greatness caused much excitement, and the enemies of the Christian party became so infuriated that they would have stoned the Apostles to death, unless they had escaped and fled to Lystra.

In that city was a poor cripple who had been lame from his birth. He was known by every one, yet none pitied, none cared for him; and as he heard St. Paul tell of the love and compassion of Jesus, he longed to know more of One Who was so good and kind.

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