PAUL OF TARSUSThe Apostle of the Gentiles

ByPrudencio García Pérez

January 2009

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION: WHO IS PAUL? ------ 4

CHAPTER I: PAUL’S EARLY LIFE: A FAITHFUL JEW

1.1. Place of birth and its environment ------ 5

1.2. Human and religious education ------ 7

1.3. Profession and social class ------ 9

1.4. Paul, the Pharisee ---------- 9

1.5. Did Paul know Jesus in Jerusalem? --------- 11

1.6. Paul: single, married or widow? --------- 12

1.7. The stoning of Stephen: Paul’s turning point --- 12

CHAPTER II: TIME FOR CHANGE: PAUL’S CONVERSION

2.1. The fall on the way to Damascus --------- 14

2.2. Thirteen years of silence -------------- 17

CHAPTER III: PAUL, THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES

3.1. How did Paul travel all over the world? ----- 19

3.2. Panoramic vision of the journeys of Paul ----- 23

3.3. The acceptance of gentiles in the communities - 30

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CHAPTER IV: PAUL, THE PRISONER AND THE MARTYR

4.1. Paul, the prisoner for Christ -------------- 34

4.2. The last years of Paul -------------- 36

4.3. Paul’s death in Rome -------------- 37

CHAPTER V: PAUL’S PERSONALITY

5.1. The man ---------------------- 38

5.2. The apostle ---------------------- 39

5.3. The saint ---------------------- 40

CHAPTER VI: PAUL’S GOSPEL

6.1. Summary of Paul’s gospel -------------- 41

6.2. Picture of Paul’s gospel from the epistles----- 44

- CONCLUSION: PAUL SPEAKS TO US TODAY ----- 47

- CHRONOLOGY OF PAUL -------------- 50

- THE PLACE OF WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITIES ----- 51

- BIBLIOGRAPHY -------------------------- 53

INTRODUCTION: WHO IS PAUL?

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The year of Saint Paul has arrived! Periodically, the Catholic Church dedicates the whole year to focus on some aspects of our faith. This year, we are invited to celebrate one of the great saints and founders of the early Church – the Apostle Paul.

Who is Paul? It is impossible to write a complete life of Paul. But we can try our best by using the main sources of information: The epistles of Paul and the Acts of the Apostles.

1. THE EPISTLES OF PAUL

The letters of Paul are the most important source of information about his life and missionary activity. In the New Testament, fourteen letters are attributed to Paul. Nowadays, most of the experts (90%) agree that only seven letters were written by Paul: 1Thessalonians, Galatians, Philippians, Philemon, 1-2Corinthians, and Romans.

From the other seven, there is a group of four epistles that the experts consider, without a doubt, not written by Paul: 1-2Timothy, Titus, and Hebrews. The other three epistles (2Thessalonians, Ephesians, and Colossians) are considered authentic by some, but the majority disagrees.

2. THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

The Acts of the Apostles, written by the evangelist Luke, are a good source of information about the life of Paul. This book talks about the conversion of Paul and his missionary journeys, but it finishes before Paul’s martyrdom in Rome.

We need to remember that the objective of the book of Acts is to narrate (around the year 80 A.D.) how the Christian faith, born in Jerusalem, arrived to Rome, the capital of the empire, through the person of Paul. In other words, this book does not offer a complete and critical biography of Paul. So, we must be careful when reading it because it is not a history book.

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CHAPTER IEARLY LIFE: PAUL, A FAITHFUL JEW

1.1. PLACE OF BIRTH AND ITS ENVIRONMENT

“I am a Jew and a citizen of the well-known city of Tarsus in Cilicia” (Acts 21:39), “circumcised on the eighth day of my life, I was born of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrew parents” (Philippians 3:5).

Paul was born in Tarsus1, the Roman capital of Cilicia (today Turkey), between the years 5 and 10 AD2. Tarsus was a big, beautiful,

1 Look also at these passages from Acts: 9:11; 21:39; 22:3; cf. 9:30; 11:25. Saint Jerome is not of the same opinion. He says that Paul was born in Giscalis, in Judea. When the village was taken by the Romans, he and his parents were sent to Tarsus, in Cilicia, probably to be sold as slaves (See Cf. SAINT JEROME, Lives of illustrious men, chapter 5). 2 We get this information from Acts 7:58, where it is said that at the moment of Stephen’s death (year 34 AD), the people put their clothes at the feet of a “young man” called Saul. Furthermore, in the letter to Philemon 9 (written between the years 61-63 AD), Paul describes himself as an “old man”. So, these texts provide some help

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and noisy city. Its population was around 300.000 people. Heading south, there was the Mediterranean Sea. Heading north, there were mountains over 3.000 meters high. It was a fertile and hot region, good for wheat, wine, oil, and linen. On the slopes of the mountains, there were numerous flocks of sheep. The wool and linen contributed to the expansion of the textile industry. Tarsus was also an important place for trading and culture. It had an active river port. Even the Roman road connecting the East with the West passed from there.

Why was Paul born in Tarsus even though he was a Jew? We do not know for sure! Some biblical passages tell us that Jews were forced to migrate to other countries as a result of war or economic difficulties3. During the first century, in the most important Roman cities there was a well-organized Jewish community with its synagogue, even though Jerusalem was still the spiritual center for all the Jews. So, it is probable that Paul’s family migrated from Israel for some of the reasons mentioned above and later became wealthy enough to buy the Roman citizenship or obtained it as a reward. In fact, in the Acts of the Apostles, Paul declares three times that he is a Roman citizen4 from his birth.

Paul was born in a Jew family, so he grew up learning and keeping God’s Law and the traditions of his ancestors (Galatians 1:14). The Jews of the diaspora (living in a foreign land) were very religious. Their most important mission was to observe God’s Law and they fought hard against the Roman laws and customs that were against their faith: worship the Emperor; work on the Sabbath day; do the military service, etc. Acting like this, they fulfilled the idea of being “God’s property or holy nation”, without mixing with the gentiles. For this reason, they were sometimes persecuted and oppressed.

Paul was circumcised on the eighth day and given the name of Saul, like the first king of Israel who was also from the tribe of Benjamin (1Samuel 9:16). But, according to the custom of the Jews of the diaspora, he was also given a Greek name, “Paulos” (in Latin, “Paulus”).

1.2. PAUL’S HUMAN AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

“I am a Jew and was born at Tarsus in Cilicia. I was brought up here in this city. It was under Gamaliel that I studied and was taught the exact observance of the Law of our ancestors” (Acts

in calculating the date of Paul’s birth.3 See Joel 4:6; Isaiah 66:19; Ezekiel 27:10.13; 38:2; 39:1.4 Acts 16:35-39; 22:25-29; 25:1-25.

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22:3). “In the matter of the Law, I was a Pharisee…” (Philippians 3:6).

Like all the children of his time, Paul was educated first at home, then at the synagogue, and finally at the Jewish school. There, he learnt to read and write. He also learnt God’s Law, the history of his people, the religious traditions, and some prayers. Everything was learnt by memory.

Looking at the epistles he wrote, we can appreciate a deep knowledge of the Greek language and culture. He sounds like a master in Greek. He dominates its rhetoric, structure, and literary style. All this implies that he also studied in the famous University of Tarsus5.

As a young man, maybe 15 or 16 years old, Paul was sent to Jerusalem to continue his studies of the Jewish faith under Rabbi Gamaliel6. It would take him around three or four years to complete all the courses and become a young rabbi7. These are the courses he had to complete:

1. God’s Law (Torah): He had to read several times the first five books of the Bible, called “Pentateuch”, until he knew them by memory.

2. The traditions of the ancestors: It was an actualization of God’s Law for the people of the present time. It had two parts called “Halakah” and “Haggadah”.

- Halakah: it was a collection of customs and complementary laws that helped Jewish people to live their lives according to God’s Law. It was accepted by the most important religious authorities. Paul learnt the Halakah of the Pharisees, more strict than the one of the Sadducees.

- Haggadah: It was a collection of Bible stories that

helped people to read their lives from the perspective of God’s Law. This way of reading the history of their

5 See STRABO (63/64 BC – 24 AD), Geography, XIV 5, 13, where he writes about the importance of Tarsus not only in philosophy, but also in all the educational areas. See also P. DREYFUS, Pablo de Tarso, ciudadano del imperio, Ed. Palabra, Madrid 1996, Pág. 30.6 Gamaliel was the grandson of Hillel, the founder of the more liberal of the two rabbinical schools in Jerusalem. The other school was the one of Shammay, much more strict and orthodox. 7 Cf. J. JEREMIAS, Jerusalén en tiempos de Jesús, Cristiandad, Madrid 1985, Págs. 249-260.

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ancestors helped them to see God also acting in their own lives and discover God’s plan for them. It was more liberal and did not have the approval of the religious authorities, even though they respected it.

3. The interpretation of the Bible (Midrash): “Midrash”

means “search or seeking”. It teaches the rules and the way to search for the meaning of the Bible and its application for people’s lives. In other words, it says that the past history of the people of Israel was a clear reflection of what is happening to them today.

After completing his studies, Paul probably went back to Tarsus where he could help his father in making tents and also help the Jewish community in knowing better God’s Law and the traditions of the ancestors. Nobody would argue with someone who studied at the feet of Gamaliel, one of the greatest rabbis of that time.

1.3. PAUL’S PROFESSION AND SOCIAL CLASS

According to Acts 18:3, Paul was a tentmaker (tents made of goat’s hair). At that time, it was common for children to learn the profession of their fathers in order to earn a living. So, his father was for sure a tentmaker as well. Paul also became a tentmaker apprentice at around the age of thirteen (maturity age) and took him a few years of hard work to acquire the necessary skills to succeed in the profession. Was Paul’s father a worker or had his own business?

Paul was proud of being a “Roman citizen” (Acts 16:37; 22:25) because he had this right from his birth (Acts 22:29). So, his father was a Roman citizen and he passed it on to him. Nevertheless, obtaining the Roman citizenship was not easy. Normally, it could be obtained by paying a big amount of money or as a reward for doing something great for the Roman Empire. According to some experts, it is probable that his father or grand-father paid a great amount of money to get the citizenship. This could only be done if they owned a tent making business. So, Paul learnt the profession not only to earn a living, but especially to run the family business.

In that period, the Roman society had three different social classes: citizens, freedmen (liberti), and slaves. Only citizens had the privilege of discussing and deciding the important matters of the city. Freedmen, slaves, and foreigners had no voice in the decision making

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or in choosing the members of the government. It was the government of the citizens8.

1.4. PAUL, THE PHARISEE

Until now, Paul’s profile presents lots of human and religious qualities: he is a Jew by race, a Greek by culture, and a Roman by citizenship. Now we will discover the faithful Jew and the exigent Pharisee.

Paul was a very religious man: “it was under Gamaliel that I studied and was taught the exact observance of the Law of our ancestors” (Acts 22:3); “In the matter of the Law, I was a Pharisee…” (Philippians 3:6); “I outstripped most of my Jewish contemporaries in my limitless enthusiasm for the traditions of my ancestors” (Galatians 1:14); to defend those traditions, he persecuted the Christians (Acts 26:9-11: Galatians 1:13). In other words, he wanted to be a perfect Jew by fulfilling the ideals of his ancestors. What were those ideals?

Israel was born in the Sinai desert where God made a covenant with them. This covenant had two complementary elements:

1. God, in his goodness, offers the people a covenant for free (Exodus 19:4);

2. The people of Israel, after accepting God’s project, must keep the terms of the covenant (Exodus 19:5-6).

It is like the two sides of the same coin: gift from God and personal effort; God’s providence and human activity. When both sides work together the covenant will be complete. During Hebrew history, sometimes the emphasis was put on the covenant as a free gift from God (“God does everything”) and became an empty ritual without any personal responsibility or commitment; some other times, they emphasized the personal observance of the Law (“we must keep all the commandments”) and became an exaggerated attachment to the rules and precepts.

During Paul’s time, the emphasis was put on the “observance of the Law”. The important thing was to keep the law to the letter, even the smallest of the commandments or precepts. They were so busy in

8 Advantages of being a “Roman citizen”: right to travel everywhere; no detention unless under investigation or awaiting punishment; no beating or torture; right to trial and appeal; right to vote; right to make legal contracts; right to sue in court; death only because of treason (never crucifixion).

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doing so that they forgot about showing love, mercy and compassion. They had a business relationship with God: “if I keep the commandments, I can ask God to give me the reward that I deserve”. Observing the law to the smallest details was a synonym of holiness, perfection, and justice. This was the belief of the Pharisees and Paul was one of them. He spent his early youth trying hard to fulfill this ideal of the Pharisees.

1.5. DID PAUL KNOW JESUS IN JERUSALEM?

When Paul was studying the Jewish Law and traditions in Jerusalem, Jesus was still alive and probably preaching all over Galilee. A question comes to mind right away: Did Paul meet Jesus in Jerusalem? Did Paul hear about Jesus of Nazareth? In the epistles, Paul never says to have met Jesus personally9 or to have heard of Jesus while he was in Jerusalem. If he had met Jesus, for sure he would have told us in his letters. This information could have helped him in his missionary ministry.

Paul, while studying at the feet of Gamaliel, was very busy learning the Torah and the traditions, so he did not have time to care about the things that were happening outside. It was like a long spiritual retreat without any contact with the external world. This was the life of a Pharisee student. If he ever heard of Jesus, for sure he did not pay much attention to him. Jesus did not fit the profile of the Messiah that the Pharisees were waiting for: he came from Galilee; he did not study in the rabbinical schools of Jerusalem; according to the Pharisees ideas, the Messiah would come unexpectedly, he would bring all kinds of blessings, especially happiness and permanent peace, he would free the people from their sins and would inaugurate a new time in which the law would not be necessary any longer because the law was established for the sinners and the infidels.

We have the wrong idea that everybody in Israel, even Jerusalem, knew who Jesus was. Some people did, but the majority of them did not know anything about Jesus or did not care too much about a Galilean who believed to be the Messiah. Besides, during the day of the crucifixion, the people were so busy with the preparations for the Passover feast that there was no time to pay attention to a man, with another two thieves, who was going to be crucified outside the city walls.

9 In 2Corinthians 5:16, Paul says, “even if we were once familiar with Christ according to human standards, we do not know him in that way any longer”. But, it does not necessary mean that he met him personally.

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1.6. PAUL: SINGLE, MARRIED OR WIDOW?

Paul never talks about having a wife or children. The Acts of the Apostles do not say anything about it either. Naturally, everybody believes that Paul was single or unmarried.

It is true though that every Jew had the obligation of starting a family, following the precept of the Torah: “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). It is also true that in the Bible there are cases of people who did not get married: Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and Jesus. Among the Essenes, many of them did not marry. Even a Rabbi, Simon Ben Azzai, II century AD, did not marry due to his love for the Torah. According to this perspective, Paul could perfectly be single or unmarried. Paul himself says this:

“I should still like everyone to be as I am myself; but everyone has his own gift from God, one this kind and the next something different. To the unmarried and to widows I say: it is good for them to stay as they are, like me. But if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry, since it is better to be married than to be burnt up” (1Corinthians 7:7-9).

1.7. THE STONING OF STEPHEN: PAUL’S TURNING POINT

“The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul” (Acts 7:59).

The disciples’ experience of the resurrection of Jesus provoked a great transformation in their lives and ideas. The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost completed it by giving them the courage of going outside their hiding place and beginning to preach that Jesus was the Messiah, the only way to salvation. Due to this preaching, day after day, new people joined Jesus’ movement and it became a serious problem for the religious authorities of Jerusalem.

Three or four years later, the number of followers had grown so fast that the apostles were forced to organize the new community. The community was formed by two different groups of Jews: those born in

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Israel (Hebrews: more conservative) and those born in the diaspora (Hellenists: more liberal). A problem came up: the Hellenists complained that in the daily distribution of food, their widows were treated unfairly. The apostles did not want to neglect the preaching of the word of God, so they chose seven men of good reputation, filled with the spirit and with wisdom to be in charge of the food, take care of the belongings of the community and give alms to the poor. The names of these seven deacons are: Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch.

Stephen is presented as a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. He appears to be an exceptional man, a great preacher and a miracle worker. Immediately, some false witnesses accused him of preaching against Moses and God; even against the Temple and the Law10. He is brought to the Sanhedrin (supreme council of Israel) where he is interrogated about these accusations. The young preacher, full of zeal, accused the authorities and the people of Israel of being stubborn, having uncircumcised hearts and ears, resisting the power of the Holy Spirit, and not keeping the Law.

At this point, they were so furious that took Stephen out of the city walls and stoned him to death while he said: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). Paul saw the whole thing as they put their clothes at his feet (year 34 AD). After assisting at such a horrible event, Paul became the main persecutor of the followers of Jesus because their beliefs were a serious threat to the Jewish faith and to the religious identity of the people of Israel.

Gamaliel, Paul’s teacher, thought that the followers of Jesus

were not a threat and the zeal of the movement would disappear with the passing of the time. That is why he said: “you leave these men alone and let them go. If this movement of theirs is of human origin it will break up of its own accord; but if it does in fact come from God you will be unable to destroy them. Take care not to find yourselves fighting against God” (Acts 5:38-39).

10 Those who opposed Stephen’s teachings were mainly members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen in Jerusalem (Acts 6:9). These members were Jews born in the diaspora, like Paul.

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Paul had a different opinion. Paul thought that Jesus’ followers were wrong because if the Messiah had come, there was no need to observe the Law any more. Christians did both things, and that was unacceptable for him. That is why Paul was put in charge by the religious authorities of organizing “death squadrons” whose mission was to hunt down Christians all over Jerusalem. He put men and women in jail, tortured them, beat them up, and would like them to be sentenced to death as well (Acts 26:10-11).

This persecution, the first in the history of the Church, had a double consequence: 1) made the faith of Jesus’ followers stronger and brought many others to believe in Jesus: “sanguis martyrum, semem christianorum” (the blood of martyrs, seed of Christians); 2) the dispersion of the Jesus’ followers all over the country of Israel11.

CHAPTER IITIME FOR CHANGE: PAUL’S CONVERSION

2.1. THE FALL ON THE WAY TO DAMASCUS

Escaping Paul’s persecution, many Christians decided to take refuge outside the borders of Israel, in Damascus, the capital of Syria. Paul, wishing to exterminate this poisonous seed, was granted permission to find them and punish them. Paul himself tells us what happened on the way:

“It happened that I was on that journey and nearly at Damascus when in the middle of the day a bright light from heaven suddenly shone round me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are persecuting me?” I answered, “Who are you, Lord?” and he said to me, “I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting”. The people with me saw the light but did not hear the voice which spoke to me. I said, “What I am to do, Lord?” The Lord answered, “Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told what you have been appointed to do”. Since the light had

11 According to Acts 8:1, the apostles did not leave Jerusalem. It suggests that Paul’s persecution was not directed against the group of those who were born in Israel (Hebrews), but against those who were born in the diaspora (Hellenists, like Stephen).These Hellenists were the ones who scattered all over Israel, especially Judea and Samaria, trying to escape from Paul’s punishment and preaching the good news at the same time.

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been so dazzling that I was blind, I got to Damascus only because my companions led my by hand” (Acts 22:6-11).

The conversion of Paul on the way to Damascus (around the year 36 AD) is told three times in the Acts of the Apostles12. These episodes have the same narrative structure:

1. Presentation of Paul persecuting the Church.

2. Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the way to Damascus.

3. Ananias’ vision of Jesus telling him to welcome Paul.

4. Paul’s baptism in Damascus.

The distance between Jerusalem and Damascus is about two hundred and eighty kilometers. It takes at least seven days to get there travelling at a good speed. It is a long and tiring journey, but Paul overcomes all the difficulties by thinking of the mission he has to accomplish. He is young, full of zeal and has presentation letters from the religious authorities13; nothing can stop him!

When Paul was close to the gates of Damascus, something surprising happened: a bright light struck him and fell to the ground; he heard a voice saying, Why are you persecuting me? I am Jesus the Nazarene! Go to Damascus and you will be told what you are appointed to do. At this point, Paul was blinded by the light and could not see anything.

This is how Paul himself tells us what happened on the way to Damascus14. During this encounter between Jesus and Paul, we expect the announcement of Paul’s punishment for his wrongdoings against the Christians. Instead, he receives a calling to serve Jesus and fulfill a

12 Acts 9:1-19 (told by Luke); 22:3-21 and 26:2-19 (told by Paul). See also Galatians 1:13-17.13 It seems that the religious authorities could only exercise their power in Israel. They had no authority outside the borders. Then, probably the powers given to Paul were just an invitation for the leaders of the synagogues of Damascus to collaborate with him. 14 The story of Paul’s encounter with Jesus is very similar in the three texts. The only important difference is this: Luke says that Paul’s companions heard the voice talking, but did not see anyone (9:7); while Paul says that they saw the bright light, but did not hear anything (22:9).

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mission already prepared for him. This event, even though is a conversion or change of life, is also a calling15 like the callings and visions of the prophets in the Old Testament16.

This personal encounter with Jesus is the key moment in Paul’s life. It brings a radical change to his life; a great transformation. Paul will never be the same! This event marks the end of the old Paul (the persecutor of Christians) and the beginning of the new Paul (the apostle of the gentiles). Before, God’s Law was the center of his life; now, it will be Jesus.

Paul’s three days of blindness, although could be a historic fact, also have a symbolic meaning: it means three days of darkness and death before the resurrection to a new life17. It is a time for reflection and meditation about what happened to him on the way to Damascus and how to deal with it. It is also a time of preparation for important decisions that need to be made for his future life. In other words, it was like a spiritual retreat for Paul.

The Christian community of Damascus has doubts about Paul’s conversion; they cannot believe that the persecutor is now a follower of Jesus. That is why Ananias, the leader of the community, was chosen by Jesus to witness and certify Paul’s transformation. The fact that Paul recovered his sight after hearing Ananias’ words means that his conversion was true. Now Paul is ready to receive the baptism as a symbol of his new life. Because of the baptism his past sins are forgiven, receives the power of Holy Spirit, and is accepted and welcomed in the Christian community.

2.2. THIRTEEN YEARS OF SILENCE

There is not much information about this period of Paul’s life and what we know is confusing and contradictory some times. This is a chronology or overview of these thirteen years:

1. Paul, after his conversion, spent some time with the followers of Jesus in Damascus and preaching in the synagogues. He had to

15 For Luke, the event near Damascus is a conversion. But, Paul, in his letters, does not consider it a “conversion”, but a “calling” to follow Jesus. He aims to defend his title of apostle and justify his mission among the gentiles. We can see this in Galatians 1:15-17; 1Corinthians 9:1; 15:8; Philippians 3:12.16 See Ezekiel 1:28; Daniel 10:7-9. The words -light, voice or fall- often appear in the manifestations or visions of God in the Old Testament. 17 Paul’s three days of blindness are connected to the three days that Jesus spent inside the tomb before his resurrection.

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escape from there because the Jews wanted to kill him (Acts 9:23-25).

2. Because of this plot against his life, Paul traveled to Arabia where he spent three years (Galatians 1:17). We do not know what he did in Arabia, but we can assume that he spent time meditating on the meaning of his conversion and learning about Jesus and the Christian way of life18. Probably he preached in the synagogues and Christians communities as well.

3. Then, he went to Jerusalem to meet Peter, Cephas, and the rest of the apostles (Acts 9:26-30). He spent fifteen days with Peter19

(Galatians 1:18-19). According to Acts, the apostles were afraid of meeting him at first, but Barnabas introduced him to them and preached together in Jerusalem. The Hellenist Jews tried to kill him and he had to flee to Tarsus to save his life.

4. Paul remained in Tarsus and other cities nearby around eight or nine years probably preaching the good news of Jesus.

5. Because of the persecution at the time of Stephen, new Christian communities were born in Phoenicia, Cyprus, Cyrene, and Antioch. At the beginning these communities were formed only by Jews converted to the Church, but now they were also preaching to Greeks and many converted too. The apostles, in Jerusalem, heard about this mixed community of Antioch and sent Barnabas to take care of its administration and organization. Barnabas went to Tarsus and brought Paul with him to Antioch where they stayed for a year (Acts 11:19-26). It was in Antioch were the followers of Jesus were called “Christians” for the first time.

How was Paul’s life during these thirteen years? As we said before, there is not much information about this period of his life. For sure it was a time of preparation for the mission that Jesus had assigned to him. He participated in the life of the communities; he preached the good news in different places and helped to the growth and development of the Christian faith in Syria, Arabia, and Cilicia. During this time, Paul earned his living by making tents. Paul’s conversion was also the beginning of a new life. Jesus gave him new 18 We need to remember that after his conversion, Paul did not stop being a Jew, but his Judaism changed radically with the acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah. Now he understands that Jesus is not only the savior of the Jews, but also the savior of all the people of the world. 19 There is a small contradiction here: According to Acts 9:26-30, Paul stayed with the apostles in Jerusalem; according to Galatians 1:18, Paul spent fifteen days with Peter only, and did not see any other apostle except James, the Lord’s brother.

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eyes in Damascus. Now, he must process this personal experience of Jesus through fasting, prayer, reflection, and meditation. By doing so, he feels Jesus’ love for him and understands his mission.

CHAPTER IIIPAUL, THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES

There is a lot of information about this period of Paul’s life in the Acts of the Apostles and in his own epistles. Paul is now in Antioch. This is how his missionary travels and activity started:

“One day while they were offering worship to the Lord and keeping a fast, the Holy Spirit said, “I want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have called them”. So it was that after fasting and prayer they laid their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13:2-3).

According to Acts, it was not Paul who made the decision of leaving Antioch, traveling all over the world, and becoming a messenger of the Gospel. He was chosen by the Holy Spirit and was sent by the community of Antioch, together with Barnabas, to preach the good news of Jesus. Paul just obeyed and left the place. That decision changed the course of the Church and Paul’s life for ever.

3.1. HOW DID PAUL TRAVEL ALL OVER THE WORLD?

“I have been shipwrecked, and once I have been in the open sea for a night and a day; continually travelling, I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from brigands, in danger in the towns and in danger in the open country, in danger at sea and in danger from people masquerading as brothers” (2Corinthians 11:25-26).

1. The roads and the cities

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According to Acts, the third period of Paul’s life can be summarized by three missionary journeys. Twelve or thirteen years of adventures! His world cannot be compared to ours. At that time there were no buses, trains or planes. He had to travel thousands of kilometers on animals (donkeys, camels, etc), walking on dirty roads, and using unsafe boats.

Only the biggest roads of the Roman Empire had inns or hostels to eat and spend the night safely. The rest of the roads were dangerous because of thieves and robbers. People could be hired for protection during these journeys, but it was expensive. Paul could not enjoy any of those things. He was travelling with God and with his companions. There was no one else to depend on. Travelling was very risky!

During his journeys, Paul spent time in the most important cities of the Empire: Antioch, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Rome, etc. It was like being in a different world if compared to the cities of Israel or the city of Tarsus. People in those giant cities lived according to Greek standards and mentality. Some experts have concluded that Rome at that time had almost a million people, while Corinth, Antioch of Syria, and Ephesus had around half a million. In those cities lived many foreigners, like in our big cities today.

Paul’s mission was really difficult. The gospel came from the country side of Israel, and now it has to be adapted and preached to the people of the big cities. This will be Paul’s challenge during those journeys.

2. Paul’s travelling companions

Paul never travelled alone! He was always accompanied by a friend, a group of friends or companions. On his first journey, he travelled with Barnabas and John Mark (Acts 13:3-5). On the second journey, after the discussion with Barnabas, he first chose Silas as his companion (Acts 15:36-40), later Timothy (Acts 16:1-3) and Luke20

joined the expedition. At the end of the second journey some other people joined the team like the married couple, Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:18). On his third journey, he had many different companions (see Acts 19:22; 20:4-5; 21:16).

20 Luke’s name does not appear explicitly during Paul’s second journey, but we know he is part of it because in Acts 16:10 there is a sudden change of subject: from “they” to “we”. If Luke says “we”, it means that he is travelling with them.

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Paul travelled with companions and friends to ensure his personal safety, but also to feel the presence of the community that sent him while preaching the good news of Jesus. They helped him when writing the letters and had a specific task in his journeys. Without them, he could have never done what he did. They were also his moral support in times of crisis and played a big role in overcoming the difficulties of the mission. Here there are some of their names: Barnabas, his close companion at the dawn of the mission (Acts 9:27; 11:25-25; 1312; 1Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 2:1-13); Lydia, coordinator of the community at Philippi (Acts 16:14-15; Philippians 1:5-8; 4:15); the matrimony of Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:2-18; Romans 16:3-4); Phoebe, the deaconess, (Romans 16:1-2); and especially Timothy, whom Paul loves like a son (Philippians 2:19-22); they helped each other in living according to the gospel and in the service of the people.

3. Paul’s ways of communication

We know that Paul could speak and write Greek perfectly (Acts 21:37), the common language of the cities. He also spoke Hebrew, the language in which the Old Testament was written and frequently used in the synagogues. He spoke Aramaic as well, the common language of the people of Israel that he learnt from his parents and improved while living in Jerusalem. We do not know if he could speak Latin, the language of the Roman Empire.

Even though he could speak a few languages, he still had several problems in communicating with people because many of them could not speak nor understand Greek. One time, in Lystra, he healed a crippled man, and then the crowd thought he was a god and wanted to offer him a sacrifice; he did not know what was going on, so probably an interpreter helped him to solve the mistake (Acts 14:8-18).

4. Paul’s health

Nowadays, whoever likes to travel must be very healthy. Paul’s health was made of steel! That is the only reason he could have travelled for thirteen years: on foot or by boat, moving constantly from one place to another, going up and down the mountains, bearing cold and hot temperatures, living in danger all the time (persecutions, stoning…), suffering from hunger and thirst, and worrying about the situation of the new communities (2Corinthians 11:27-28).

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During the second journey, Paul became ill and had to stop in the land of the Galatians. While sick, probably a problem in his eyes (based on Galatians 4:15), he began to preach the gospel and the community of the Galatians was born. Paul knows how important good health is, that is why he worries about the health of his companions and advices Timothy to drink some wine to solve his digestion and stomach problems (1Timothy 5:23).

5. Paul’s travel expenses

Paul’s biggest problem during his journeys was how to get money to cover his daily needs. At that time a person could walk around 30 kilometers per day. Where did he get the money for his long journeys? How did he survive? It is very simple! When the money was gone, he and his companions stopped in a big town, looked for a job, and stayed there until they had enough money to continue the journey. We know Paul’s slogan: “Do not let anyone eat if he refused to work” (2Thessalonians 3:10). In Acts 20:33-34, he says, “I have never asked anyone for money and clothes; you know for yourselves that these hands of mine earned enough to meet my needs and those of my companions”.

6. Keeping in touch with the new communities: epistles or letters

During his journeys, Paul kept in touch with the communities through messengers (Col 4:10; 1Cor 1:11; 1Thes 3:2-6) and, from his second journey, also through epistles. He asked them to read the letters in their community meetings and send them to the other communities as well. For example, 2Corinthians was written for all the communities in Greece (2Cor 1:1).

Paul wrote many letters, but some of them got lost. In 1 Corinthians 5:9, he mentions a previous letter that disappeared. In Colossians 4:16, he mentions a letter for the community of Laodicea that was also lost. Paul normally did not write his own epistles, but looked for a secretary to do the writing for him: this is the case of Romans 16:22 where the secretary sends his own greetings: “I, Tertius, who am writing this letter, greet you in the Lord”. Paul’s companions also helped in preparing the message of the letters after careful consideration of the situation of the community. At the end, Paul signs

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the epistles with his own signature, just to avoid falsifications or additions (2Thes 3:17).

Even though Paul travelled much, he always kept in touch with all the communities. At that time was not easy to communicate with the different churches (no phones, no internet, no postal services…), but he kept them informed through letters, messengers, and other means available. He was chosen by these communities, together with Barnabas, to represent them in the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:2). He was also the official delegate of the Council for these new Christian communities and the coordinator of the mission among the gentiles (Acts 15:22-25). He was the organizer and carrier of the money obtained in the collection of the gentile communities for the poor of Jerusalem (Acts 24:17; 2 Cor 8-9).

3.2. PANORAMIC VISION OF THE JOURNEYS OF PAUL

“From Jerusalem and all round, even as far as Illyricum, I have fully carried out the preaching of the gospel of Christ; and what is more, it has been my rule to preach the gospel only where the name of Christ has not already been heard for I do not build on another’s foundation…” (Romans 15:19-20).

1. The diary of the journeys

Jerusalem is the central place in the two books of Luke: gospel and Acts of the Apostles. In Jerusalem, the story of Jesus begins and ends. It is the beginning of the history of the Church (Acts 1:4-26) and the starting point of the missionary activity (Acts 1:8). The objective of Paul’s missionary activity is to preach the gospel to the ends of the world. Spain was believed to be the end of the world. The Acts of the Apostles are the main sources of information about these travels, so we will follow their lead:

- FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Acts 13:3-14:28)

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Jerusalem: Paul and Barnabas bring contributions (Acts 11:27-30; 12:25).

Departure point: Antioch of Syria (Acts 13:3).

Itinerary of the journey:- First to Seleucia. Then, by boat, to Salamis, Cyprus.- Crossed the island until Paphos: conflict with the magician

Elymas.- By boat to Perga and then to Antioch of Pisidia: conflict with

Jews.- Went off to Iconium: conflict with the Jews.- Continued to Lystra: conflict with Jews and gentiles- Continued to Derbe: returning point.- Going back from Derbe to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of

Pisidia.- Stop in Perga, then continued to Attalia.- From Attalia, by boat, went back to Antioch of Syria.

Arrival point: Antioch of Syria (Acts 14:28).Important events during his first journey:

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1. Conflict between Paul and Elymas, a Jewish magician, who did not want them to preach the gospel to the proconsul Sergius Paulus. Elymas became blind and the proconsul became a believer (Acts 13:6-12).

2. Paul’s speech in Antioch of Pisidia and conflict with the Jews. Then, Paul and Barnabas started preaching to the gentiles (Acts 13:44-52).

3. Conflict with the religion of the people of Lystra: Paul and Barnabas believed to be Greek gods after healing a crippled man (Acts 14:11-18). Paul was almost stoned to death by Jews and some other people; he was helped by the disciples in the city.

4. During his way back, Paul spent time consolidating the communities and putting some elders or leaders in charge of them (Acts 14:21-23).

5. During the first journey, we have no news about Paul writing any letter or epistle.

- SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Acts 15:36-18:22)

Jerusalem: Paul and Barnabas went there to solve a problem (Acts 15:2.30).

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Departure point: Antioch of Syria: discussion with Barnabas (Acts 15:36).

Itinerary of the journey:- Travelled through Syria and Cilicia, consolidating the

churches.- Passed through Derbe and Lystra: take Timothy with them.- Travelled through Phrygia and the Galatian country.- Continue to Mysia and came to Troas.- By boat to Philippi, in Macedonia: conflict.- Expelled, they went to Thessalonica: conflict.- Sent to Berea: conflict.- Expelled, went to Athens: speech at the Areopagus and

conflict.- Went to Corinth: stayed 18 months.- By boat to Ephesus: promise to come back.- By boat to Caesarea, and probable visit to Jerusalem.

Arrival point: Antioch of Syria (Acts 18:22).

Important events during his second journey:

1. Discussion and separation of Paul and Barnabas because of Mark: Barnabas wants to bring Mark with them and Paul does not (Acts 15:36-40).

2. Foundation of the first community of Philippi. Paul left a group of women in charge and the leader was Lydia (Acts 16:11-15). The gospel was not accepted there: Paul and Silas were put in prison and tortured.

3. Growing conflict with Jews at Thessalonica: Jews envy his success among the gentiles and use the authorities against Paul (Acts 17:5-9).

4. Failure in Athens (speech at the Areopagus: Acts 17:32-34): People laughed at him and did not believe him. Internal conflict in Paul: he learns to trust more the cross of Jesus than his own speech (1Cor 2:1-5).

5. Foundation of the community of Corinth: Paul stayed for 18 months (Acts 18:1-8). This is a problematic community and gave Paul many headaches. It will also help him to grow and mature in the mystery of Christ.

6. Paul’s letters during his second journey: 1-2Thessalonians.

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- THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Acts 18:23-21:17)

Departure point: Antioch of Syria (Acts 18:23).

Itinerary of journey:- Travelled through Galatia and Phrygia: encouraging the

churches.- Stayed 3 years in Ephesus: conflict with Jews and gentiles.- Left for the region of Macedonia: confirming communities.- 3 months in Corinth, Greece: death threats from Jews.- Went to Philippi and then to Troas by boat.- From Troas to Miletus: travelled in two groups.- In Miletus: speech to the elders of Ephesus.- By boat to Tyre, Syria: visiting the brothers for a week.- To Ptolemais and Caesarea: stayed with the brothers there.

Arrival point: Jerusalem: Paul’s arrest in the Temple square (Acts 21:17ss). Important events during his third journey:

1. More than a journey, it looks like a change of place of residence: he lived in Ephesus for three years (Acts 20:31).

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2. Growing disputes and conflicts in the communities: “false brothers” go to the communities where Paul had preached with the intention of destroying his work (Gal 1:7; 2:4; 6:13; 2Cor 11:4; 2Thes 2:2).

3. Growing conflict with the beliefs and way of life of the Greeks: Paul disagrees with the culture and mentality of the Greeks; he considers the popular religion of the Ephesians to be fake, human invention (Acts 19:23-40); he fought against magic in Ephesus and surroundings (Acts 19:18-19).

4. Internal conflict in the communities due to fast spreading and growth: confusion about the Baptism of Jesus and the one of John (Acts 18:24-26); confusion about the action of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-7).

5. Paul organized a money collection among the gentiles converted for the poor in the communities of Jerusalem (2Cor 8:10; Gal 2:10).

6. During his third journey, Paul wrote these letters: 1-2Corinthians, Romans, Philippians, and Galatians.

2. Similar facts and actions during the three journeys

Paul was not an experienced missionary. He learnt everything while preaching the gospel in different countries and listening to his companions or native brothers. He also learnt from his mistakes. We must remember that those communities had different languages, customs, culture, religion, and life style. Here, I present some of the facts that more or less appear in all the journeys:

a) The same plan or strategy of action: when Paul arrives at one place, he first goes to the synagogue to proclaim the gospel. In there, he preaches to the Jews, but also to the gentiles. The result is always the same: the Jews resist his message, while the gentiles welcome it with joy. Because of this refusal, Paul leaves the synagogue and preaches to the gentiles.

b) The visit to the communities: Paul cares a lot for his communities and others. He visits them when possible with the intention of giving them hope and courage in their struggle, confirming and consolidating them in their beliefs, and making them feel part of the whole Church through letters, messengers, and collections.

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c) Persecutions, sufferings, and conflicts: the birth and growth of these communities was very painful. They have to face internal and external conflicts; Paul himself had to face many sufferings to see them grow, but problems never stopped him from reaching his purpose. He was fearless!

d) The use of the Bible: while announcing the good news, Paul’s most important instrument was the Bible. It was the Old Testament, because at that time the New Testament was not written yet. But for sure he told them many stories about Jesus and probably brought with him some small compilations about the teachings and actions of Jesus. The Bible was read and meditated in private and in the public meetings trying to grasp the meaning of Jesus’ message for them and their communities.

e) The action of the Holy Spirit: According to Acts, the action of the Holy Spirit is very important in the missionary activity of Paul: The Holy Spirit takes the initiative in the beginning of the mission; he sends the missionaries; pushes Paul to speak; guides him through his journeys; speak through the prophets in the communities; brings them joy; gives Paul strength in his conflicts.

f) Celebration and prayer: According to Acts, Paul takes advantage of every opportunity for praying and celebrating. Prayer and fasting accompany and stimulate the mission. During prayer or celebration, they are inspired to make decisions about the mission or to choose the right people for a specific task. Paul prays with the communities and breaks the bread with them; he prays with the people or in the synagogues; he prays in the Temple; he prays at the sea, on the mountains, in prison, everywhere…

g) Meaningful speeches: every journey includes an important speech that summarizes the missionary activity of Paul during that travel:

- First journey: mission among the Jews. Paul’s speech for the Jews in the synagogue of Antioch of Pisidia tried to explain to them the sense of the history of the Old Testament through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

- Second journey: opening to the gentiles. Paul’s speech was pronounced in the Areopagus of Athens. Paul offers a key to read the sense of the creation of life and culture through the faith in God, universal creator and judge, who raised Jesus from the dead.

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- Third journey: organization of the communities. Paul’s speech to the leaders of the communities in Miletus. Paul put his personal experience on the table to teach them how to preach the gospel and organize the communities.

3.3. THE ACCEPTANCE OF GENTILES IN THE COMMUNITIES

“Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you have yourselves circumcised in the tradition of Moses you cannot be saved”. This led to disagreement, and after Paul and Barnabas had had a long argument with these men it was decided that Paul and Barnabas and others of the church should go up to Jerusalem and discuss the question with the apostles and elders” (Acts 15:1-2).

At the beginning, the first Christians only preached the gospel to the Jews of Israel. With the persecution started by Paul, many Christians fled to neighboring countries for their safety. In Antioch of Syria, some of them began to preach the good news to the gentiles, the Greeks, and many of them believed in Jesus (Acts 11:20-21). When the apostles knew about it, they sent Barnabas to observe the situation and he was very pleased. Barnabas asked Paul to help him and they worked there for a year. It was in Antioch were the followers of Jesus were called for the first time “Christians”. Here, there are not called Jews21 anymore, they have their own identity. From there and thanks to Paul’s journeys, in about 20 years, we have Christian communities all over the Roman Empire.

The gospel of Jesus, announced by Paul, was good news for the “fearful of God” (see footnote n. 21) because it offered what they were looking for: serious community life, access to the God of Abraham through the faith in Jesus, no need to observe the laws and traditions of the Jewish ancestors, and no need to circumcise. That is why they

21 Since the first century A. D., there were Jews missionaries all over the known world trying to convert gentiles to Judaism. In every big city they built synagogues were the new Jews could pray and learn the Torah. Those who sympathized with Judaism were divided in two groups: “proselytes” and “fearful of God - God worshipers”. The proselytes observed the Law of Moses entirely and were circumcised; the fearful of God accepted some parts of the Law, went to the synagogues on Saturday, read the Torah, but did not want to circumcise. The second was the largest group (Cf. LEIPOLDT, J. – GRUNDMANN, W., El mundo del Nuevo Testamento, Vol. I, Cristiandad, Madrid 1973, Págs. 321-328).

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accepted the message with great joy; it was what they have been waiting and praying for.

The conflict with the gentiles in the communities started when Peter baptized Cornelius, a gentile, without first becoming a Jew (without accepting the Law of Moses and the circumcision). Peter did not want to baptize him, but the Holy Spirit forced him to do so (Acts 10:1-48). Peter’s attitude was not welcomed or accepted in the community of Jerusalem and he had to explain himself because until now everybody had to be a Jew first in order to enter the Christian community. Peter’s attitude and the mixed community of Antioch provoked the first crisis within the Christian faith.

This is the question that needed to be answered: “in order to obtain salvation, is it necessary to observe the Law of Moses and be circumcised? Yes or not?”

- The conservative group, gathered around James in Jerusalem, said “yes”. They believed that it was necessary to keep and follow the traditions of the ancestors, from Abraham to Jesus.

- The liberal group, gathered around Paul and Barnabas, said “no”. The gentiles do not have to become Jews, but Christians. Besides, salvation comes from the grace of Jesus, not from the law.

The Christian Church was divided. In order to solve the problem, they arranged a meeting known as the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:6-21; Gal 2:1-10). Paul’s contribution to the council was impressive and helped Peter to decide in favor of the acceptance of the gentiles in the communities without keeping the Law of Moses and being circumcised. Peter’s decision was based on these three points:

1. The first missionary experience of Paul and Barnabas.

2. Peter’s experience: the conversion and baptism of Cornelius.

3. The lesson from the Jewish history: since the beginning, they tried to achieve true justice and faith through the observance of the Torah, but did not succeed.

Once they had solved this doctrinal problem, now they had to solve other practical issues:

1. Fellowship (life together) between Jews and gentiles converted to Christianity: all Christians, Jews and gentiles, must accept these practices: abstain from food sacrificed to

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idols; from blood; from meat of strangled animals; and from illicit marriages (Peter’s letter to the communities outside Israel: Acts 15:23-29).

2. Organization and coordination of the communities: Peter, John, and James will preach the gospel among the Jews; Paul and Barnabas will go to the gentiles (Gal 2:9-10).

The decision of the Council of Jerusalem was extremely important in the history of the first communities. It did not solve all the problems, but provided an orientation to overcome them. After the council, Paul still had to face some painful conflicts:

1. Conflict with Peter: When visiting the community of Antioch, Peter mixed with Jews and gentiles according to the spirit of the council. Then, some other brothers came from Jerusalem and did not mix with the gentiles, just with the Jews. At that point, Peter, afraid of being criticized, stopped mixing with the gentiles as well. Paul could not stand such a hypocrite attitude and reprimanded Peter for treating the gentiles as second class Christians (Gal 2:11-13).

2. Conflicts with the Jews: Paul, while preaching the gospel in the synagogues of Antioch, Iconium, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus, was able to attract many Jewish sympathizers to believe in Jesus. These people left the Jewish synagogues and joined the Christian communities. So, the Jews were losing members and also influence in the cities. They became angry and envious of Paul’s success and tried to stop him in every possible way: contradict his teachings; stoning him to death; turning the people against Christians; even using the Roman institutions against the Christians.

3. Internal conflicts: “false brothers” (Gal 2:4; 2Cor 11:26). These false brothers were probably Pharisees who converted to the Christian faith (Acts 15:5). They defended the observance of the Law as the only way to attain salvation; they disagree with the decisions of the Council of Jerusalem; they were against the acceptance of gentiles in the Church. In order to reach their goal, these “false brothers” went to the communities were Paul had preached to destroy the seed planted by him, creating confusion, writing false letters, and turning the communities against him.

Paul’s reaction to these conflicts was always the same: when the integrity of the message of Jesus was at stake, he was radical, inflexible and hard; but he was also understanding and humane when

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brothers offered him suggestions to solve problems or ease difficult situations. Faithfulness to the gospel and freedom in the Spirit were the marks of his personality.

CHAPTER IVPAUL, THE PRISONER AND THE MARTYR

4.1. PAUL, THE PRISONER FOR CHRIST

1. Paul’s journey to Rome

When Paul arrived to Jerusalem, after his third journey, he was sent by James to the temple for purification. While he was in the Temple’s square, some Jews recognized him and tried to kill him for all the troubles he had caused the Jewish people in many countries. He was saved by the Roman soldiers who took him to the Antonia fortress for his own protection while learning about his case (Acts 21:27-40). They learnt that Paul was a Roman citizen and there was nothing punishable in his conduct. They also heard of a plot to kill him in Jerusalem, so they decided to send him to Caesarea, the residence of the Roman governor Felix, and put the case in his hands. Felix kept Paul under house arrest for two years in Caesarea (Acts 24:27), where he had freedom of movement and could receive visitors.

At that time, Festus replaced Felix as governor of the region and, wanting to obtain the favor of the Jews, decided that Paul should face trial in Jerusalem. Paul refused this proposal and appealed to the Emperor. King Agrippa22, who came to pay a visit to the new governor with his sister Bernice, and Festus listened to Paul’s defense and admitted that he had done nothing wrong to deserve death or

22 King Agrippa is the son of King Agrippa I, who also had two daughters, Bernice and Drusilla, the wife of Governor Felix. After his father’s death, Agrippa II was named King of some regions of Israel by the Roman Emperor (around the year 48 AD).

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imprisonment. But, since he appealed to Caesar, Festus decided to get rid off him by sending him to Rome (Acts 25:12; 27:30-32). Here we have a map of Paul’s journey to Rome:

After all the preparations, Festus ordered centurion Julius and his soldiers to take Paul and the other prisoners to Rome. Among the prisoners, there was a Christian brother called Aristarchus, from Thessalonica. It was autumn of the year 60 AD. They sailed for Sidon, then to Myra, and finally landed in the island of Crete. At that time of the year, the sea was rough and dangerous because of the strong winds and the storms. Paul advised them to postpone the journey for some time, but they did not listen to him. Not long after leaving Crete, a big storm was formed at sea and they lost control of the boat and feared for their lives (276 people on board). After a few weeks lost at sea and without any hope of saving their lives, they finally spotted the island of Malta and swam safely to the shore while the boat was destroyed by the rocks (Acts 27).

They stayed three months in Malta (winter time). During this time, Paul was bitten by a viper, and because nothing happened to him, people there thought that he was a god. He also healed Publius’ father, the governor of the island, and many other sick people.

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In spring of the year 61 AD, they sailed to Syracuse, then to Rhegium and Puteoli, and finally arrived to Rome. When the brothers who lived near Rome heard about his presence there, they went to meet him. In Rome, Paul rented a place to stay and was put under house arrest with a soldier to guard him (Acts 28:16).

2. Paul preaches the gospel in Rome

Paul spent two years in Rome under house arrest (61-63 AD). During this time, he invited the Jewish leaders to his house and taught them about Jesus, the Messiah promised by God to save the people of Israel. The Jewish leaders had never heard of him and had no complaints against him. The only thing they know is that this “new sect” (Christians) encounters opposition everywhere (Acts 28:22). So, some of the Jews were persuaded by Paul’s preaching, but many others refused to believe in his words. That is why Paul concludes that since the Jews do not want to accept God’s salvation, it will be given to the gentiles who will accept it (Acts 28:28).

The Acts of the Apostles conclude saying that Paul welcomed everyone who came to visit him and preached to them the good news of the Kingdom of God without fear and without getting any trouble from the authorities of Rome (Acts 28:30-31). It was during this time in prison when Paul wrote the letters to the Colossians, Ephesians, and Philemon.

As we said before, in the region of Rome there were some Christians already (Acts 28:15). So, we can say that Paul was the first apostle among them. But, how did they become Christians? Who did bring the gospel to them? We do not know for sure! It is probable that some brothers from Asia Minor came to Rome and tried to spread the Christian faith among the Jews living in Rome and in other cities, like Puteoli (Naples), where there was a community already.

4.2. THE LAST YEARS OF PAUL

With the end of the Acts of the Apostles, our knowledge of Paul’s life ends too. From now on, the Pastoral letters (1-2Timothy and Titus) are the only source of information, but many experts doubt their historical value. They teach us that after his two years of house arrest, Paul’s case was dismissed for lack of evidence and he was set free.

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For sure Paul began to travel again. Paul had the intention of going to Spain (Rom 15:24), but we do not know if he arrived there. Now, he feels the need of putting trusted friends in charge of the apostolic and pastoral activity in the churches founded by him. According to the pastoral letters, he first travelled to Crete, where he left Titus, and then spent the winter in Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). From there, he went to Ephesus and put Timothy in charge of the community. Later, he passed through Macedonia (1Timothy 1:3), Troas (2Tim 4:13), and Miletus (2Tim 4:20). During these last journeys, he probably wrote the first letter to Timothy and the letter to Titus.

4.3. PAUL’S DEATH IN ROME

During these travels, Paul was caught and brought to Rome again. It was the time of Nero’s persecution of Christians23. The people of Rome were filled with hatred and anger against the Christians because of the fire. Because of this, nobody came to meet Paul. He is in prison alone, only Luke is with him (2Tim 4:11). During his imprisonment, he probably wrote the second letter to Timothy. He is aware of the danger of the situation and feels that his death is near. That is the reason behind these words: “I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith” (2Tim 4:7).

The New Testament does not inform us about his last days in prison, his trial, his sentence, and his death. According to the tradition of the Church, he was sentenced to death by decapitation outside the city walls. At dawn, he was decapitated by sword24; his head bounced over three times, and at each spot a fountain of water appeared. This place is called “The three fountains”. He was buried in a cemetery nearby along the Ostian way. It was the year 67 AD. The blood of the martyr became a source of new life!

CHAPTER VPAUL’S PERSONALITY

23 In the year 64 AD, there was a horrible fire in Rome that destroyed a big part of the city. People suspected that the Emperor Nero had ordered it with the intention of building a new one according to his wishes. To avoid rumors and suspicions, Nero blamed the Christians for the fire and began their persecution. Many of them were killed in terrible manners: eaten by beasts, crucified, and burnt alive (See TACITUS, The Annals, book XV). Peter was one of those crucified in the circus near the Vatican. 24 See Cf. EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA, Church History, book II, chapter 25. See also, Cf. CLEMENT OF ROME, Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 5.

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5.1. THE MAN

Paul’s physical appearance was not very impressive: “when you see him in person, he makes no impression and his powers of speaking are negligible” (2Cor 10:10; 12:9). The Acts of Paul and Thecla25 picture him as “small in stature with meeting eyebrows, bald head, bow-legged, strongly built, hollow-eyed, with a large crooked nose; but full of grace”. This portrait of Paul probably corresponds to the truth, since there is no reason to make him look so bad or exaggerate his appearance. Some experts say that Paul was a sickly person, having chronic headaches or nerve diseases. This is hard to believe since a sickly person could not have travelled so much and have endured so many sufferings and tribulations. So, we must conclude that he had an incredible health and physical resistance.

The most important marks of his temperament are: nervous and athletic. He is very active; he cannot stop and relax. He suffers and enjoys the smallest things. But he is also resistant to challenges and difficulties; nothing breaks him down, like an athlete.

Paul’s personality can be easily seen through his letters. He is a man of extraordinary intelligence, exquisite sensitivity, and strong willpower, but all of them centered in the person of Christ. Paul’s intelligence is profound and creative. He is not the “creator” of Christianity, but he is the creator of the Christian theology that we still use nowadays. His understanding of the mystery of Christ is amazing: he is a mystic! He is a great thinker, but can also be practical while governing and organizing the communities. He has a hot and quick temperament, but a warm heart as well; he is full of ideas and loves to go straight to the essence of things and their consequences.

He feels a passionate love for Christ who is the source of his eloquence, courage and willpower. Paul is full of life and speaks with the heart. His will is the will of an athlete, a soldier, a winner. The characteristics of his spirituality are these: personal effort, fighter spirit, and self-denial (1Cor 9:24s; 1Tim 6:11s; 2Tim 4:7s; Philip 3:12s).

His sensitivity is filled with contrasts. In his speech, he can be as tender and loving as a mother, but he can also be cold, distant, angry

25 “The Acts of Paul and Thecla” is an apocryphal story of Saint Paul’s influence on a young virgin called Thecla. It was written on the II century AD. Paul’s physical description is found in the first chapter.

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and hard. Nevertheless, his anxiety and anguish never reaches the depths of his soul.

Paul’s imagination is not so extraordinary though. He uses a few images in his letters and these are very common: stadium, sea, agriculture, building construction, men… During his journeys, he has seen amazing landscapes, but seldom uses them as images in his letters.

Finally, his personality is extremely religious: his ideals, experience and commitment are religious, so he can be compared to the prophets or the great characters of the history of Israel.

5.2. THE APOSTLE

Paul is the greatest “apostle” for two reasons: a) he has been chosen by Jesus to preach the gospel to the gentiles; b) his dedication to the apostolic mission is superior to the one of the other apostles. Paul says that he has brought the gospel of Christ to the ends of the world (Rom 15:19). Looking at his three missionary journeys and how far he travelled is enough to consider him a great apostle; even more if we think of the difficulties and the tribulations he had to face during his missionary activity.5.3. THE SAINT

There is no doubt that Paul is one of the greatest saints of all times. This is his identity card: “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the service of the gospel that God promised long ago through his prophets in the holy scriptures” (Rom 1:1-2). Christ26 is the reason behind his preaching and the only one capable of filling his life with joy and love: Christ is his wisdom, his Lord, his model, his life, his savior, his eternal life. Paul is just his servant, his instrument, and his prisoner. Christ is his mirror: Paul desires to experience in himself the life and death of Jesus. He cannot live without preaching Christ and his love for Christ inspires and moves everything around him (2Cor 5:14).

His calling or vocation is turning point in his life: God revealed to him his eternal design for the world; God looked at him with love; he has been chosen and given the gospel of Jesus. That is why Paul

26 In the epistles, Paul uses several terms to talk about Christ: Jesus, 33 times; Christ, 225 times; Jesus Christ, 82 times; Son of God or Beloved Son, 19 times; God, 2 times; Savior, 3 times; Lord, more than 200 times.

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surrenders to God with generosity and faithfulness. He is a “citizen of heaven” and his life is just a pilgrimage heading towards it.

The ideas of death, judgment, salvation, and resurrection had a great impact in his personal life, thoughts and teachings. Time is short; the end of the world is coming. Sufferings and tribulations are nothing compared to the eternal glory that they can provide (Rom 8:18; 2Cor 4:17s). Heaven is being with the Lord forever; hell is being separated from him. Paul’s joy and hope come from the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul is also humble and optimistic. He is the first of sinners and admits his weaknesses; everything that he is comes from God; he keeps a great treasure in a clay vase; he is grateful to God and prays constantly; he does not want to please human beings, but God. His ideal can be summed up with this phrase: “follow Christ by loving as he loved you, giving himself up for us as an offering and a sweet-smelling sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2-3).

CHAPTER VIPAUL’S GOSPEL

6.1. SUMMARY OF PAUL’S GOSPEL

In order to understand Paul, we must put his ideas in connection with the theology of the restoration of Israel. His religious thinking comes from a Jewish environment, especially from the movement of the Pharisees. Paul’s calling or encounter with Jesus on the way to Damascus was the beginning of his transformation. He understood this event as a special revelation from Jesus, similar to God’s revelations to the prophets of the Old Testament: “But when God, who had set me apart from the time I was in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I should preach him to the gentiles” (Gal 1:15-16). This revelation makes him an apostle as important as the apostles who lived with Jesus while he was on earth (2Cor 2:14-7:4). He is proud of calling himself an apostle because he has been chosen by God to represent Jesus and to preach the gospel with authority. He enjoys God’s trust and his life is an example that the Christians should imitate. These are the key points of God’s revelation to Paul:

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1. Even though Jesus died on the cross, he is the true Messiah. After his death, interpreted as a sacrifice for our sins, God made him Lord and Messiah.

2. This event gave birth to the messianic times, interpreted as the final intervention of God’s power in the world in order to bring salvation to mankind.

3. God has prepared a new plan of salvation; this is a time of grace; God’s promise to Abraham is going to be fulfilled. The Messiah is not only the Redeemer of Israel, but also accepts those gentiles who believe in him. All the people of God, Jews and gentiles, will be gathered at the present moment thanks to the activity of Jesus in the world.

4. Those chosen by God, the apostles, must work hard and fast to achieve the two objectives of God’s project for the final times: a) make sure that Israel accepts Jesus as their Messiah; b) gather a number of gentiles to be part of the true people of God.

5. The end of the world is near; there is not much time left. Soon Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead. It will be the end of the present world and the beginning of God’s kingdom in heaven.

Thanks to this revelation, Paul obtained a clear understanding of the life and mission of Jesus and of what he had to preach about the Messiah: “Now I want to make it quite clear to you, brothers, about the gospel that was preached by me, that it was not human message. It was not from any human being that I received it, and I was not taught it, but it came to me through a revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal 1:11-12). He preaches the true “gospel”; there is no other. If anyone teaches something different, that is not the gospel of Jesus.

Paul’s gospel was perfected and completed with the information and reflections about Jesus that many Christians shared with him in the communities of Damascus and Antioch. When he was ready, Paul begun to preach what he thought was God’s plan for the last days. He tried to convince the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. In fact, when arriving in a city, he would preach in the synagogues about Jesus. Only when his preaching was rejected, he offered the gospel to the gentiles.

When he failed to attract the Jews to the faith in the Messiah, the savior, he realized that God’s plan was more complicated. He had to offer God’s salvation to the gentiles first, and later the people of Israel,

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filled with jealousy, would accept Jesus and his salvation (Rom 11:13-16).

The easiest way to convert the gentiles to the faith in Jesus was to direct his mission to the “God fearers”, those gentiles who sympathized with the Jews and attended the services in the synagogues, but did not become proselytes (converted to Judaism). Paul explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah expected by the Jews, but also the savior of the world. All those who accepted him as savior, Jews or gentiles, would obtain salvation.

Paul was convinced that the number of gentiles requested by God to enter to his kingdom was small. He did not have to convert them all. That would explain his missionary method: moving fast from one place to another while founding new communities (Asia Minor, Greece, Rome, Spain). God alone knew the number of gentiles he needed to fulfill his plan. Paul’s mission was to plant the seed… God would make it grow (1Cor 3:6).

According to the Jewish beliefs, the gentiles were excluded from God’s salvation unless they became Jews (keep the Law of Moses and be circumcised). Now Paul offers the gentiles God’s new plan of salvation:

a) God does not want people to keep the Law of Moses, but the “law of love” according to Jesus teachings;

b) There is no need of physical circumcision, now it is time for “spiritual circumcision” through an act of faith in Jesus.

Paul’s perception of the divine plan of salvation is opposed to the Jewish beliefs; he turned everything around! For Paul, those who seek salvation through their own efforts (circumcision and observance of the Law of Moses) are wasting their time. It is Jesus who destroys the sins of the world and reconciles people with God through his sacrifice on the cross. In order to get the benefits of this reconciliation, every human being must offer to God an act of faith in Jesus as a gift. This act of faith is based on the example of Abraham, the true father of Israel, to whom God promised many descendants and through them his salvation would reach all mankind. With this act of faith every human being fulfills in himself the promise made to Abraham.

For the gentiles who were listening to Paul, mainly the “God fearers”, God’s new project of salvation was wonderful and amazing:

1) No need of circumcision;

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2) No need to observe the Law of Moses (according to the Mishna, a faithful Jew had to keep 613 precepts);

3) They need to follow only two requirements: a) “spiritual circumcision” through an act of faith in Jesus; b) observance of the “law of love” just like Jesus had proclaimed.

There was more! The preaching of Paul to the gentiles had something else to offer that could fill their spiritual needs. The salvation and immortality offered by the different religions of the Roman Empire could be obtained through a long process of initiation away from their homes and after paying a big amount of money to the sanctuaries where they stayed during the process. Christians offered the same, but it was easier and cheaper: first, faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection; later, welcoming in the Christian community through the sacrament of Baptism and the participation in the Eucharist. God’s new plan of salvation, as Paul taught them, was simple, easy, and also… free!

Now the gentiles must hurry and accept the salvation of God through their faith in Jesus because the end of the world is near and God’s promises for mankind are about to be fulfilled.

6.2. PICTURE OF PAUL’S GOSPEL FROM THE EPISTLES

1. Humanity, before the coming of Jesus, was entirely trapped in a state of sin; human beings could not overcome this situation through their own forces and strengths (see Rom 1:18-3:20).

2. This situation goes against the project designed by God since the beginning of the creation; so, he acts, on his own free will, to change it once and for all: everything will be solved in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross (2Cor 5:14-15). Through Adam, sin and death entered the world; through Jesus life will reign again (Rom 5:12-21).

3. The divine savior comes down from heaven and humbles himself by taking a human body. This savior, Jesus of Nazareth, is man and God at the same time. As a man, he represents all mankind in the sacrifice for their sins; as God, his action placates God’s anger. If he is not human and divine at the same time, his redeeming sacrifice will not have any effect on us (Philip 2:6-11).

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4. The savior dies violently on the cross, according to God’s plan. This idea appears everywhere in the Pauline epistles.

5. The death of the savior is an expiatory sacrifice for the sins of mankind (Rom 5:8; 1Cor 15:3; 2Cor 5:14-15).

6. The crucified savior is raised from the death, which confirms his divinity and immortality (1Cor 15:3-8). The resurrection of Jesus is a key element in the Pauline theology because salvation does not come from the dead of the victim (Jesus), but from his resurrection.

7. Therefore, the divine salvation will not happen in the future; it has already happened in the past with Jesus’ death on the cross. What will happen in the future is just the end of the world and God’s judgment.

8. The benefits of this saving event, the death and resurrection of Jesus, will only be effective on those who make an act of faith on the meaning and significance of this redemptive death. This is one of the most important contributions of Paul to the development of the Christian theology: the doctrine of the justification by faith and not by works (Rom 3:21-31; 4:1-5:2; 10:5-13; Gal 2:15-21; Philip 3:9). But we need to remember that after a person has been justified by God (the act of faith), then begins for the Christian a life in a state of salvation that requires doing good works according to the faith (keeping the act of faith alive through good actions: Rom 2:6). In other words, a person is saved by faith, but at the end of his life he will be judge by his works.

8.1. The works mentioned by Paul are those required by the “law of love” or the “Law of Christ” (Gal 6:2; 5:13-14; 6:1-11). This is how Paul himself put it: “act according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh”. To this, we must add the hymn of love (1Cor 13) as the engine that controls the good relationship within the community.

8.2. Consequently, “keeping the law of Moses” does not have any effect on our salvation.

8.3. The justification by faith can be compared to the “spiritual circumcision”. Paul never mentions this comparison, but it is obvious that this is his doctrine.

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8.4. The justification by faith offers eternal salvation and immortality. Our faith in Jesus is evident when we join the Christian community through the baptism and the Eucharist (1Cor 11:2-34).

9. The life of the community. The Law of Christ is realized in the community life with the help of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16-6:10). Christians show their true identity only in the community life and when this community is united in Christ (1Cor 1-4). In order to make it clear, Paul uses the symbol of the body: the body is one, but it has many members and each member has a different function.

10. There is not time to waste, the end of the world is coming (Rom 13:11-14; 1Thes 4:13-18; 5:1-11). Christians must prepare and be vigilant while waiting for Jesus’ coming. Jesus is coming like a judge for the unbelievers, but for the Christians like their savior and comforter.

11. Life in this world is not important (1Cor 7). Paul says that marriage is good, it is a free choice for Christians, but he prefers them to be single or unmarried for two reasons: a) they will not have many worries in this world and can dedicate themselves to the Lord; b) the end of the world is close, so they must prepare for this event. That is why Paul does not try to overcome social problems, like slavery. He also asks Christians to accept this world as it is, without rebellion, because it is not important and soon will be gone.

12. Despite Paul’s preaching, Israel does not convert to the faith in Jesus. How does this fact connect with God’s plan of salvation? (Rom 9-11). God chose Israel to be his holy people, but they refused to accept Jesus as their Messiah. Those who accepted Jesus by faith, the gentiles, are the new Israel faithful to God’s promises and ready to receive his salvation. This is how Paul explains it: the olive tree is Israel; the gentiles are the new sprouts of this olive tree. Since God was merciful with the gentiles offering them salvation, he will be also merciful with Israel despite their rejection of Jesus (Rom 11:30-32).

CONCLUSION: PAUL SPEAKS TO US TODAY

1. PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS

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Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the way to Damascus changed his life forever. Jesus opened his eyes to experiencing and understanding his truth. Without this encounter, Paul still would be persecuting Christians and believing that he was doing the right thing: fulfilling God’s will.

Have we ever had a personal encounter with Jesus-God? Have we ever experienced God’s love for us? Have we ever feel God’s presence in our lives? Do we believe that God is with us and speaks to us today? I really hope so because this is the key point of our faith. Without a personal encounter with Jesus at some point of our existence, going to mass, praying the rosary, helping the poor or sharing our things, mean nothing. They are just habits, customs and good actions from a kind and gentle person.

A personal encounter with Jesus is necessary for those who call themselves Christians. Without this encounter, there is no faith in Jesus. Where do we encounter Jesus? How do we experience his presence in our life? Not everybody encounters Jesus as Paul did. Jesus revealed to him in a special way. Normally, we experience Jesus through intense prayer, meditation, other people, and reflection on the Bible… When this encounter happens, we can experience a total transformation in our ideas, actions and attitudes. We feel that he is with us; he walks with us and talks to us. He brings peace, love and hope to our lives and shows us the way to happiness. No matter what happens in our lives, good or bad, we always understand its meaning and significance. When we have this experience, we still are the same person, but we see everything with different eyes, the eyes of Jesus.

2. PREACHING THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS

After this encounter with Jesus, Paul could not keep quiet; he had to share with others what he had found: the savior of the world. Paul found a treasure and he wanted to share it with others. It was not just a gift for him, but for everyone. For that reason, Paul began to preach the good news of Jesus all over the known world. He wanted the gentiles (unbelievers) to know about God’s love, mercy and compassion through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul did not worry about health, money, tiredness, dangers, sufferings… the important thing was to fulfill his mission; reach as many people as possible, so that they could also enjoy his love and salvation.

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Do we feel the need to preach to the gentiles? Do we share the good news of Jesus with others? There are still many people who do not know or believe in Jesus. So, those who have experience God’s love, mercy and compassion, have no choice but communicating this love and compassion to others. They feel the need of bringing the good news to every person and every home. Their mission is to share this treasure with those who have nothing or who put their faith in the wrong places, far from Jesus. If we have encountered Jesus in our life, we will also bring his message to others so that they can obtain happiness and salvation.

3. UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR THE COMMUNITIES

Paul founded many Christian communities and he could not be with them all the time. He had to preach the gospel to other people as well. He is their father and they are his children. He cannot hide his love for each one of the members of the communities. Even when he is far away, he keeps in touch with them through messengers or letters. In these letters we can feel his love for them; sometimes even the sadness of not being able to spend time with them. He teaches and explains to them the faith in Jesus; he helps them to solve their problems; he warns them against those who divide the communities; he comforts the weak and the suffering. He is always alert and vigilant, so that their faith grows stronger and the community remains united in love with Christ and with one another.

What do we feel about the other members of the community? Do we care for them? Do we love them? Do we help those who lose their faith or are in trouble? Do we comfort the suffering and the weak? The strength of every Christian community is unity and love in the name of Jesus. When selfishness, pride, apathy, jealousy or greed enter our communities, we are condemned to fail; our community loses its identity and power; we do not reflect the true image of Jesus and nobody will feel attracted by our life style. Therefore, if we want to be a true Christian community, we must develop certain values and put them into practice in our daily lives: love, prayer, service, tolerance, care, forgiveness, comfort, help, acceptance, peace, kindness, solidarity, generosity… When a Christian community lives by these values its faith in Jesus grows strong, the members of the community enjoy peace and happiness, and those who do not believe in Jesus will feel attracted and curious about our life style, and some may want to join us.

4. WILLING TO GIVE UP LIFE FOR CHRIST

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Paul’s first experience of the love of Jesus for him was on the way to Damascus. He felt it very deeply. But he also understood that Jesus died on the cross for him, so that he could be saved. Now it was Paul’s turn to show his love for Jesus and he did. For Jesus and his gospel, Paul would do anything: suffer persecution; being stoned; face dangers; travel everywhere; accept beatings and prison; provoke conflicts with Jews, Romans, and gentiles… He was also willing to give up his life for Christ. Nothing was more important than Christ. And, in fact, he was happy to die for him.

Do we love Jesus as much as Paul did? Is Jesus the center of our life? Are we willing to bear suffering and pain for the sake of Jesus and the gospel? Would we give up our life for Jesus? Probably we will never have to choose between Jesus and saving our life. But the key question here is: is Jesus the most important one in my life? Do I love him more than anything or anyone else? This is a question that we must answer personally. Nobody can answer for you! If we believe that Jesus is our savior and our life is meaningless without him, then we will put him first in our life, above family, friends, money, power, fame… We will be willing to do anything for him, like Paul, and will fear nothing because our true life is in heaven.

PAUL’S CHRONOLOGY

PLACE OF BIRTH: TARSUS Between 5 and 10 A.D.

EDUCATION IN JERUSALEM 22-25 IN TARSUS 26-33

IN JERUSALEMStephen’s death by stoning

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CONVERSION OF PAUL 36

TIME OF SILENCE 36-48

FIRST JOURNEY 48-49

THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM 49 or 50

SECOND JOURNEY1-2 Thessalonians

50-53

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THIRD JOURNEYGalatians, Philippians,

1-2 Corinthians, Romans

54-58

PRISONER IN CAESAREA 58-60 JOURNEY TO ROME 60-61

HOUSE ARREST IN ROMEEphesians, Colossians, and

Philemon

61-63

LAST JOURNEYSTitus and 1 Timothy

64-67

PAUL’S DECAPITATION2 Timothy

67 AD

THE PLACE OF WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITIES

The presence and participation of women is vital in the life of the communities, the society, and the Church. Nobody doubts that! Nevertheless, some words from Paul appear to suggest the opposite. These are the episodes that are causing today much controversy:

1. 1Corinthians 11:2-16: woman was created for man, so the head of a woman is a man, like Christ is the head of every man. When a woman prays or prophecies, she should cover her head with a veil. If a woman goes without a veil, she should have her hair cut off too. In this way man shows his authority over women.

2. 1Corinthians 14:34-35: women must remain silent during the assemblies, since they have no permission to speak: theirs is a subordinate part, as the Law itself says. If there is anything they want to know, they should ask their husbands at home: it is shameful for a woman to speak in the assembly.

3. Ephesians 5:21-24: Wives should be subject to their husbands as to the Lord. Man is the head of the woman, like Christ is the head of the Church. Husbands should love their wives…

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4. 1Timothy 2:9-15: Women should wear proper clothes and be dressed modestly, without braided hair, gold, jewelry or expensive clothes. Their adornment is to do good works. During instruction, a woman should be quiet and respectful. I give no permission for a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. Adam sinned because a woman led him astray. Nevertheless, a woman will be saved by child-bearing, provided that she lives a sensible life and is constant in faith, love, and holiness.

These phrases are hard and difficult to understand nowadays. We cannot erase them from the Bible! What we need to do is to put them in the right context and try to find out an explanation for them. The more we know about Paul’s life and personality, the more we understand his words. So, before judging him, we must study the role of women in his life and apostolic mission. The letter to the Romans provides a lot of help:

1. I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae; she helped many people, including myself (Rom 16:1-2).

2. My greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my fellow-workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks to save my life. The community had the meetings at their house (Rom 16:3-5).

3. Greetings to Mary, who worked so hard for you (Rom 16:6).4. Greetings to Tryphaena, Tryphosa, and my friend Persis

who work hard in the Lord (Rom 16:12).5. Greetings to Rufus and his mother, a mother to me too (Rom

16:13).6. Greetings to Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and

Olympas (Rom 16:15).

In these recommendations, Paul speaks about women with great spontaneity and affection. Some of them have an important role in their communities: deaconess or collaborators in Christ. They are presented as sisters who work hard in the communities. Much has been done because of them. Paul speaks of them with love and affection because he calls them mother or friend as well.

At that time, women had no place in the public life. Their place was the house: taking care of the family. At Paul’s time, there were no churches, so the communities had their meetings in houses (domestic church) and women played an important role: in Rome and Corinth, at Priscilla and Aquila’s house; In Philippi, at Lydia’s house; In Laodicea, at Nympha’s house; At Philemon and Apphia’s house… In these domestic

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churches, women had the responsibility of organizing the activities and coordinate the communities.

Paul, when describing his mission in the communities, often uses feminine and maternal images: a mother cares for his children; the pain of giving birth; give them milk to drink; etc. The birth and growth of the communities is compared to a pregnant woman who takes care of the child inside and does not mind the pain she has to bear.

When Paul talks about matrimony, many people think that he was against it. On the contrary, he prefers men and women to be single so that they can dedicate their life to Jesus and the gospel; but if they cannot control themselves, he advises them to get married (1Cor 7:8-9). Paul believed that marriage was an obstacle in preaching the good news and also believed that the end of the world was coming soon, so the most important task was to bring Christ’s salvation to as many people as possible.

In conclusion, Paul is not against the participation of women in the life of the communities. He knows how important women are in the community life. Therefore, his words were not general teachings that had to be applied everywhere and always; these teachings just tried to solve a concrete problem in a specific community at that time. Nowadays we have the freedom of thinking and acting differently.

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- The Pauline circle: Ananias, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Luke, Priscilla, Aquila, Titus, Onesimus, Mark, Paternoster Press, Australia 1985.

CARRILLO ALDAY, S., Pablo, Apóstol de Cristo: su vida y sus epístolas, Verbo Divino, Estella 2008.

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CROSSAN, J. D. – REED, J. L., In search of Paul, Harper, San Francisco 2004.

DREYFUS, P., Pablo de Tarso, ciudadano del imperio, Palabra, Madrid 1996.

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THEISSEN, G., The social setting of Pauline Christianity, T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh 1982.

VIDAL, S., Las cartas originales de San Pablo, Trotta, Madrid 2002.

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