Images of St. Paul
MISSIONARY OF THE EARLY CHURCH
Young Saul, Pharisee student
Learned a portable trade
Enlightened from above
(Ac 9 etc)
His own description of this:
Baptised; future predicted
To Jerusalem, Tarsus, Antioch
What his conversion cost him
“Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss” Ph. 3
Lays bare his motivation
Paul’s story, complemented by
Luke’s narrative framework
Barnabas Mentored Paul from the start
brought him to the
apostles,
and described for them
how on the road he had
seen the Lord, …and how
in Damascus he
had spoken boldly in the
name of Jesus. So he went
in and out among them in
Jerusalem, speaking boldly
in the name of the Lord.
AA 9:27f
Introduced him to the Antioch Community Acts 11:25
They went on mission together (Ac 13-14)
In Jerusalem, Peter lends support
A vital agreement was reached
But later, when they met in Antioch...
(Ga 2)
“I confronted him to his face, for he was
clearly in the wrong..... And even Barnabas
was won over to their insincerity!”
Outcome of that quarrell:
Short-term:
Paul lost status in Antioch; Barnabas sided with
Peter; Paul regarded as trouble-maker
Long-term:
Paul’s principle (Equality for Gentile Xtians)
was vindicated, as vital for the Church’s future
Luke’s serene portrayal of Paul
– Why?
The second missionary journey
The first european converts: in Philippi
Philippians: a joyful epistle. “Gaudete”T
The Christian call: to imitate Christ
Via Thessalonica & Athens and on to
Corinth (Ac 17-18)
The ruins of Ancient Corinth
Important port, on an Isthmus: Sailortown
Friends and hosts, Prisca & Aquila (Ac 18)
Many Corinthians turned to Christ
Hence the subsequent letters
(18:1-18).
Next stop: Ephesus: stay of 3 years
Where he had success, and met with fierce
opposition AA 19:23ff
What Paul wrote from Ephesus...
The letter to the Ephesians.. A
quite superb vocational text
To Jerusalem to be reconciled
(& 2 years imprisonment Ac 21-26)
The appeal to Caesar (Ac 25:12)
When later he arrived in Rome..
With one soldier in charge (28:16)
Last word (28:30-31)
Martyred, by the sword
First welcomed, and later
revered, (“twin pillars”)