The History of Christianity / Consisting of the Life and Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth; the Adventures of Paul and the Apostles; and the Most Interesting Events in the Progress of Christianity, from the Earliest Period to the Present Time.

by John S. C. Abbott

The dawn of the morning, revealing the events of the night,created intense commotion in the city. Herod commanded the guard to be put to death, and instituted a rigorous but unavailing search throughout the city for Peter. Soon after, Herod left Jerusalem for Cæsarea, and took up his abode there.On the 1st of August,[115] there was a magnificent festival in Cæsarea in honor of the king. From all the region around, the population flocked into the spacious theatre, whose stone seats rose tier above tier in a vast semicircle, which was thronged with those eager to do homage to the infamous yet powerful monarch. As Herod entered, the edifice rang with applause. Seated upon a gorgeous throne, he addressed the multitude. With one voice the sycophantic throng shouted, “It is the voice of a god, and not of a man!” In the midst of this scene of pride and blasphemy, the angel of death smote Herod with an invisible dart; and the wretched man was taken from the theatre in convulsions, which soon consigned him to the tomb.

Saul and Barnabas had returned to Antioch, and, with other brethren, were earnestly engaged in preaching the gospel there. A divine intimation influenced the brethren to set apart these two distinguished disciples for a missionary excursion to the benighted regions beyond them. After a season of fasting and prayer, they laid their hands upon them, ordaining them for this special work. Antioch was situated upon the River Orontes, about twenty miles from its entrance into the Mediterranean. The two missionaries repaired to Seleucia, an important seaport on the coast. Far off in the west, the mountains of the majestic Island of Cyprus could be seen on a clear day, emerging from the horizon in shadowy glory. Cyprus was the native place of Barnabas. Taking ship, a sail of perhaps a hundred and fifty miles brought them to Salamis, a populous city upon the island, where there was a large colony of Jews.

Here they preached the gospel of Jesus in the Jewish synagogue, but with what success we are not informed; neither is it recorded how long they tarried in that city. They crossedthe island, a distance of about a hundred miles, from Salamis, on the eastern coast, to Paphos, the capital, on the west. Here the governor of the island, Sergius Paulus, resided. He was a serious-minded, worthy man; and he sent for Saul and Barnabas, wishing to hear from them the principles of the new religion.

But a virulent opposer arose, a pretended sorcerer, by the name of Elymas, who did every thing in his power to prevent the governor from listening to the words of the disciples. Saul, “filled with the Holy Ghost,” fixed his eyes upon the impostor, and addressed him in the following terrible rebuke:—

“O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness! wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season.”

The guilty opposer of the religion of Jesus was instantly struck with blindness, and groped his way along, “seeking some one to lead him by the hand.” The governor, already deeply impressed by the teachings of the disciples, and astonished by the miracle, became himself a follower of Jesus. Of his subsequent life we know nothing, but trust that he endured to the end, and that he is now rejoicing in the paradise of God.

In connection with this miracle, we find the name of Saul changed to Paul. Until this time, he is invariably spoken of as Saul. The sacred writer, recording these scenes at Paphos, simply says, “Saul, who also is called Paul.” Ever after this he is spoken of as Paul.

Paul and Barnabas, with Mark, who had accompanied them as their attendant and assistant, sailing from Paphos, crossed the arm of the sea, and landed on the coast of Asia Minor, at the little seaport town of Perga in Pamphylia. Here, for some unexplained reason, Mark became dissatisfied, and excited the displeasure of his companions by abandoning them, and returning to Jerusalem, which had been the home of his earlier years.

The two intrepid disciples made but a short tarry at Perga. Entering the wild passes of the Pisidian mountains, they traversed a desert region, encountering every step of the way perils of robbers, until they reached the important city of Antioch in Pisidia, about a hundred miles from the sea-coast. This populous city was inhabited by Greeks, Jews, and a strong Roman colony. The sabbath came. Paul and Barnabas, according to their custom, repaired to the Jewish synagogue. As strangers of distinction, they were invited to address the people. Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles,has given us quite a full abstract of the address of Paul upon this occasion.[116] Here, as everywhere, “Christ and him crucified” was the theme of the apostle’s discourse. First he proved from the prophets that Jesus was the Messiah; that, in accordance with the voice of prophecy, he had been put to death by wicked men, and on the third day had risen from the grave. He closed with the following words:—

“And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us, their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again. Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets: Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days,—a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.”