CHAPTER VII.
MISSIONARY ADVENTURES.
The First Controversy.—Views of the Two Parties.—Council at Jerusalem.—Results of Council.—The Letter.—Vacillation of Peter.—Rebuked by Paul.—The Missionary Excursion of Paul and Barnabas.—They traverse the Island of Cyprus.—Land on the Coast of Asia Minor.—Mark returns to Syria.—Results of this Tour.—Paul and Silas set out on a Second Tour through Asia Minor.—Cross the Hellespont.—Introduction of Christianity to Europe.—Heroism of Paul at Philippi.—Tour through Macedonia and Greece.—Character of Paul’s Preaching.—Peter’s Description of the Final Conflagration.—False Charges.—Paul in Athens; in Corinth.—Return to Jerusalem.
HE Jews had supposed that the Messiah was to come to the Jews alone, and that no one could become a member of his kingdom unless he first became a Jew. But Paul and Barnabas were preaching to the Gentiles, and establishing churches among them. Thus quite a serious dissension sprang up among the Christians, who had previously been Jews, upon this question. While some of the brethren ardently advocated the doctrine, “Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved,” Paul opposed this sentiment with all his energies. Several of these “Judaizing Christians,” as they were termed, came down to Antioch from Judæa, and so troubled the Christians there with disputations which seemed to threaten the very foundations of Christianity, that it was determined to summon a council of the most eminent Christians at Jerusalem, the seat of the mother church, to settle the agitating question.
Paul and Barnabas, with several other members of the Church at Antioch, were commissioned as delegates to attend this council. On their journey, as they passed through the cities of Samaria, preaching by the way, they announced the glad tidings that God was receiving the Gentiles, and conferring upon them the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the same as upon the Jews. It is estimated that fifteen years had now passed since Paul traversed that same road, from Jerusalem to Damascus, to persecute the Christians. Since that time, Paul had twice visited the Holy City, and Christianity had made extraordinary progress throughout Syria and Asia Minor. Upon arriving at Jerusalem, the council was convened, over which James, pastor of the church there, presided. As soon as the council was opened, several of the Judaizing Christians arose, and argued that all Gentile converts should be circumcised, and that they should punctiliously observe all the rites of the ceremonial law. Peter was the first one to reply on the other side. We have an abstract of his speech:—
“Men and brethren,” said he, “ye know how that a good while ago[120] God made choice among us, that the Gentiles, by my mouth, should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”[121]
Then Barnabas and Paul gave an account of their missionary tour through Asia Minor, and of the wonderful success with which God had blessed the preaching of the gospel among the Gentiles. James then rose, whose opinion as presiding officer, and pastor of the metropolitan church, would have great weight with the council, and very earnestly and convincingly sustained the views advocated by Peter, Paul, and Barnabas. The result recorded by Luke was as follows:—
“Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: and they wrote letters by them after this manner:—
“The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: Forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law (to whom we gave no such commandment), it seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,—men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent, therefore, Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth: for it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things,—that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication;from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.”[122]