PAUL THE ΑΡΟΒΊΓΕ.
PAUL THE APOSTLE 713
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Casarem. This course involved the appellant in heavy expense ; it is unlikely that Paul, taxed the Churches for personal ends; and Ramsay finds here, and in other circumstances of his imprison- ment, reason to think that the apostle at this time was in command of considerable private means, and had entered into his patrimony (St. Paul the Trav. xiii. 8).
The voyage to Rome, with its shipwreck and winter detention in Melita (Malta), related in Ac 27 and 28 with vividness and accuracy, ex- hibits Paul’s practical and manly qualities to great advantage, his singular personal ascendency and strong good sense. He was received cordially by the Church at Rome. The Jewish leaders profess to know nothing of his case: his appeal must have taken the rulers at Jerus. by surprise, and they had failed during the winter to advertise their brethren at Rome of the matter. Paul preaches to them with the same result as at Pisidian Antioch, Thessalonica, and Corinth (28'7-*), The narra- tive of Acts leaves him at Rome, ‘remaining in his own hired lodging,’ in dibera custodia, allowed to ‘receive all that came to visit him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things con- cerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all freedom, unhindered.’ The government at Rome took the same view of Paul as Gallio and Festus: he was a man politically harmless, but the cause of trouble- some ferments amongst the Jews, and therefore well out of the way. His trial was allowed to linger. King Agrippa ΞΡ have joined with Festus in making favourable representations of the prisoner’s character; and the report of the centurion Julius oe helped him with the military officer (the Princeps Peregrinorum, St. Paul the Trav. p. 348) in whose charge he was
The fact that the account of St. Luke, written a considerable time after the events, concludes with the words above quoted, raises a decided presump- tion against this trial reir Pear in the apostle’s condemnation and deeth. The indications of Ac 21-28 (going to show that no capital charge was forthcoming against Paul), and the expectations of the Epp. οὗ the captivity (Philem *, Ph 1*-* 2%),
int the other way. If Paul had remained in
me till the summer of 64, he would doubtless have fallen a victim to the Neronian persecution ; and this many critics have supposed. Chrono- logical inquiry, however, makes it more and more certain that the ‘two years’ of Ac 28” terminated before this epoch—in 63 A.D. at the latest.
The two years (Ac 2455: of Paul’s residence in Cesarea, but for the speeches of defence, are almost a blank for us. He was granted such alleviations as a strict confinement allowed, and private friends had access to him; but public work was impossible. The apostle, doubtless, communicated by messenger and letter with his Churches; and the extant Epp. to Philemon, the Colossians, and Ephesians are dated by some lead- ing critics—even Philippians (very improbably), by one or two—from the Czsarean captivity. The weight of opinion inclines to the Roman origin of all four (see artt. on these Epp.). At Rome Paul enjoyed greater freedom, and exercised a not- able public influence. His misfortunes ‘have re- sul in the progress rather rs hindrance] of the gospel’ (Ph 1), His trial has given him the opportunity of representing Christ before ‘the preetorium’ (the emperor’s court of justice, v.¥: cf. 2 Ti 417; and see St. Paul the Trav. p. 357), and Christianity has St. Paul’s courage under his trials has stimulated the Roman Church generally to greater boldness ; even the ill-disposed (legalist) minority, which existed at Rome (cf. 33:5), has been provoked by
ποτ nga the palace (4%). |
jealousy to exertions which, since they served to spread the name of Christ, caused to Paul added joy (1°48), From Col 41% 4 jt appears that Paul could name only three Jewish Christians at Rome who were heartily on his side; and two of these were helpers from a distance (cf. Ph 2%“), Notwith- standing certain notes of depression and the sense of Weariness and age (Ph 13, Philem *—but see ΤΙΝΆ Τα, ad loc.), these Epp. breathe a tranqui and elevated joy. Compared with the letters ot the third journey, those of the Roman captivit are more inward and chastened in spirit. Soli- tude, restraint, and advancing years have told on the heroic missionary. There is less ion, less vivacity, less exuberant strength of thought; but more uniform tenderness, a richer fragrance of devotion, and a quiet insight that reaches to the depths of the things of life and of God. The letter to Philemon, moreover, shows a genial and playful humour refreshing in a man of St. Paul’s stern intensity. These are well styled the after noon Epp., as the writings of the Judaic contro. versy are the noonday Epistles of Paul. COLOSSIANS signalizes the rise of a new antago- nism in the Church, of which Paul was to see but the Poeun His address to the Ephesian elders at Miletus (Ac 20'7-*) reveals his presentiment of the rise of heresy in the province of Asia, and strikes the keynote of his later ministry. The missionary and the controversialist now mes above all the pastor, devoting himself to ‘feed the Church of God, which he purchased through the
blood fof] his own [Son]’ (Ac 20%; see critical note of WH). The greatness of the Church and the Divine glory of Christ fill Paul’s prison meditations.