Sec. 6. C&sareia and Jerusalem. 303
for a night with Mnason of Cyprus, one of the earliest Christian converts. The next day the Brethren returned with the conveyances to Caesareia, while Paul and his company performed the rest of the journey (which was probably not far) on foot. Time had passed rapidly, when a convert of A.D 30 or 3 1 was " ancient " in 57 ; but the immense changes that had occurred made the Church of 30 seem divided by a great gulf from these Macedonian and Asian delegates as they approached Jerusalem.
7. THE CRISIS IN THE FATE OF PAUL AND OF THE CHURCH. From the moment when Paul was arrested onwards, the narrative becomes much fuller than before. It still continues true to the old method of concentrating the reader's attention on certain selected scenes, which are described in considerable detail, while the intervening periods are dismissed very briefly. Thus XXI 17-XXIV 23 describes the events of twelve days, XXIV 24-27 of two years, XXV i-XXVIII 7 of about five months, XXVIII 8-1 1 of three months. But the scenes selected for special treatment lie closer together than formerly ; and it is beyond doubt that, on our hypothesis, the amount of space assigned to Paul's imprisonment and successive examinations marks this as the most important part of the book in the author's estimation. If that is not the case — if the large space devoted to this period is not deliberately intended by the author as proportionate to its importance — then the work lacks one of the prime qualities of a great history. It is essential to our purpose to establish that we are now approaching the real climax, and that what has hitherto been narrated leads up to the great
304 The Voyage to Jerusalem. Chap. XIII.
event of the whole work. If we fail in that, we fail in the main object for which we are contending ; and we should have to allow that Acts is a collection of episodic jottings, and not a real history in the true sense of the word.
It must strike eveiy careful reader that Luke devotes special attention throughout his work to the occasions on which Paul was brought in contact with Roman officials. Generally on these occasions, the relations between the parties end in a friendly way : the scene with the proconsul of Cyprus is the most marked case ; but Gallio, too, dismissed the case against him, and the formal decision of a proconsul had such weight as a precedent that the trial practically resulted in a declaration of religious liberty for the province.
To come to subordinate Roman officials, the " Praetors " of the colony Philippi, though treating him severely at first, ended by formally apologising and acknowledg- ing his rights, and only begged of him as a favour to move on — a request which he instantly granted. In the colonies Antioch and Lystra he was treated severely, but the blame is laid entirely on the Jews, and the magistrates are not directly mentioned ; while in both cases it is brought out in the narrative that condemnation was not pronounced on fair charges duly proved. But though the reader's attention is not drawn to the magis- trates, there can be no doubt that, at least in Antioch, the magistrates took action against Paul ; and there is some probability that in each place he was scourged by lictors (p. 107), though these and many other sufferings are passed over. In the first stages of his work in Asia Minor, he was in collision with Roman colonial officials ;
Sec. 7. The Crisis in the fate of Paul. 305
but these events are treated lightly, explained as due to error and extraneous influence, and the Roman character of the cities is not brought out. While the picture is not discoloured, yet the selection of details is distinctly guided by a plan.