St. Paul's friendships and his friends

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FEB 5 1916

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BS 2505 .D8 1911
Dudley, Carl Hermon.

St. Paul's friendships

his friends

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St. Paul's Friendships
and His Friends

BY

CARL HERMON DUDLEY

Author of ''And This Is War"

BOSTON

RICHARD G. BADGER

THE GORHAM PRESS

1911

COPYRIGHT 191 1 BY CARL HERMON DUDLEY

All Rights Reserved

THE GORHAM PRESS, BOSTON, U. S. A.

TO

MY SISTER

SARAH DUDLEY ROBBINS

Without whose help, inspiration

and encouragement in years that

have fled, this little book could

never have been written

In far off days thy hopes were high

But to thy dreams thou saidst goodbye

For an orphaned brood claimed toilsome days

Of a spirit framed for stateliest ways

But now they haste with glad acclaim

To crown each victory with thy name

FOREWORD

OMITTING the names of Peter and John, the
friends of Paul were men of far higher
ability and culture than the rest of the
Twelve. As far as the New Testament rec-
ords permit us to judge, their lives and labors were
more closely interwoven with the great world-
stream of early Christian achievement and triumphs.
By this is meant that movement of Christianity
in Apostolic times whereby, instead of continuing a
mere Jewish sect of Judea and Galilee, it swept
first northward to Antioch where it became Gentile
and Missionary; then westward through Asia Minor,
everywhere establishing churches and planting gar-
risons; then crossed the Hellespont and overran
Macedonia and Greece, and about the same time
reached Rome where it became the religion of all
civilized nations and races — cosmopolitan, imperial,
universal. In this victorious march of Christianity
from the gates of Antioch to the gates of the Impe-
rial City, St. Paul was the Commander-in-Chief, his
friends the Field Marshals and Corps Commanders.

While it would not be at all fair or defensible to
assume that the work of the lesser nine of the
Apostles of our Lord was of small moment, yet very
little is definitely known about their labors and
achievements.

Here, then, is a strange anomaly. We are per-
fectly familiar with the names of the Twelve, and
yet have only the vaguest information concerning
their services to Christianity. On the other hand

6 FOREWORD

the New Testament furnishes us many references to
the services of Paul's friends, but still the names of
the great majority of these fall strangely on our
ears. We deeply regret our scanty knowledge of
the after lives of the Twelve; but we ourselves are
wholly to blame if we know nothing about the names
and labors of the friends of St. Paul.

Shall we not, then, be introduced to them one by
one ? If so, we shall meet men well worth knowing ;
and also at the same time get a new insight into the
deeper things of Paul's own heart, which we can
gain in no other way. Likewise we shall acquire
new outlooks and vantage points whereby to con-
template and measure his transcendent genius.

It but remains for me gratefully to acknowledge
my deep indebtedness to my former instructor in
New Testament, Prof. James S. Riggs, D. D., of
Auburn Theological Seminary, and to my classmate
of the same institution. Rev. Harry Lathrop Reed,
D. D., Professor of New Testament Language and
Criticism, both of whom carefully read the manu-
script of this work and gave me invaluable sugges-
tions and criticisms by which I was guided in the
final revision.

CARL HERMON DUDLEY,

CONTENTS

Chapter Page

Foreword 5

I Paul's Genius for Friendship 9

II Barnabas — The Discoverer of St. Paul 23

III John Mark — The Man Who Forfeited

AND Afterwards Regained the Con-
fidence OF St. Paul 51

IV Silas — The Man St. Paul First Trained

in Missionary Work 71

V Timothy — Paul's Best Loved Friend... 87

VI Luke — The Biographer of Paul 112

VII Aquila and Priscilla — Paul's Fellow

Craftsmen and Fellow Evangelists. 138

VIII Apollos — The Man Whose Career
Proves There Was No Jealously in
Paul's Friendships 153

IX Titus — The Most Efficient of Paul's

Friends 174

X Aristarchus — Paul's Friend Who Was

But His Friend 187

XI Epaphras — Paul's Fellow Servant and

Fellow Prisoner 194

CONTENTS

Chapter Page

XII Epaphroditus — Paul's Friend Who
Counted Not His Life Dear Unto
Himself 202

XIII Onesimus — The Highest Example of

THE Transforming Power of Friend-
ship WITH St. Paul 211

XIV Philemon — A Slaveholder Whom Paul

Dared Appeal to in the Name of
Friendship 220

XV Tychicus — Minister of Christ and Mes-
senger OF St. Paul 2o6

XVI Onesiphorus — A Friend Who Was Not

Ashamed of Paul's Chain 246

XVII Postscript — A Last Glance at Chris-
tianity's Imperial Friend and Em-
pire Builder 255

Appendix 273

Saint Paul's Friendships
and His Friends

CHAPTER I

PauVs Genius for Friendship

FOR 1900 years the Christian world has
looked up to Paul as a unique and inspired
personality. Men have studied, admired,
marvelled, at his manysidedness. They
have analyzed his varied gifts, — mental, moral, and
spiritual. They have tried to estimate his influence
as a world force. They have endeavored to con-
ceive what Christianity would be like today had he
never lived or never been converted; and they have
staggered at the appalling conception. Uncounted
volumes have been put forth in every civilized lan-
guage dealing with special aspects of his career.
Men have studied him as persecutor and preacher,
as pastor and orator; they have studied him as
author and theologian, as missionary and martyr. It
would be difficult to discover anything new to say
on any of these phases of his career. It would be
well-nigh impossible to say anything on them better
than has already been done. But not yet, even with
all that has been said and written for 1900 years, has
the world, in my judgment, sufficiently recognized
Paul's geuius for friendship.

While nearly all writers have touched upon this-
phase of his character, yet none, as far as I know,.

9

10 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

has devoted an entire volume to its discussion; nor
in what they have said on the topic have they lifted
it to the summit to which its inherent worth and
significance entitle it. They have treated his genius
for friendship as only one among the manifold
phases of his character. It is such, and also is some-
thing more besides. A careful study of Paul's
friendships and a just estimate of their rightful sig-
nificance to him personally, and their place in his
career during his life and after his death, sets before
us the totality of the man, and his statesmanship as
an organizer of churches and as one of the founders
of Christianity, as perhaps nothing else can.

Probably the average Bible student thinks of Paul
in almost any other light than as the great type of
human friend. In short, the world is wont to depre-
ciate the humanity of the great Apostle. He is set
on a pedestal apart from the every day feelings and
emotions. If not regarded as originally devoid of
such, yet it seems to be felt that the overmastering
sway of his great mission in life dwarfed, or at least
suppressed, the activity of his feelings as a man
among his fellow men. He is often regarded as
entirely "other worldly." It is thought by many,
and not infrequently boldly stated, that he lightly
esteemed the domestic relations, if, in fact, he did
not put a stigma upon marriage itself. None would
challenge his supreme love for Christ. Perhaps
none would deny that he loved men for the sake of
their souls; but it is apparently believed by many
that he loved them for the sake of their souls only,

PAUL'S GENIUS FOR FRIENDSHIP 11

that he did not love them for their own sakes. The
general view would appear to be that his interest in
men as men went no farther than his desire to snatch
them as brands from the burning. Of course there
are many significant exceptions to this estimate of
the Apostle; but I hazard the opinion that this is
the average lay conception of his outlook upon men
and life.

Nothing could do Paul a greater injustice. No
man ever loved his fellows more passionately for
their own sakes. He loved men as men. No man
in all Scripture had so many personal friends as St.
Paul. None in all Scripture gave expression to such
intense affection for his friends. None had friends
among such varied nationalities, nor from such
extremes of social gradations. None called forth
such answering love, nor evoked such unselfish hero-
ism and sacrifice.

The contemplation of this aspect of his life human-
izes our view of his imperial character; puts him
on a plane of sympathy and feeling with our com-
mon humanity; and, at the same time, exalts our
conception of his genius. Such a study will mag-
nify our appreciation of Paul in four particulars.

I

7^ Will Reveal to Us the Intensity of His Domestic
Affections

That Paul was never married is the almost univer-
sal assumption. The reason is generally believed to
be his coldness toward the marriage state and domes-

12 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

tic relationships. In my opinion nothing could be
farther from the truth. I believe he was in many-
ways one of the most lonely-hearted men that ever
lived. Whether he ever distinctly analyzed the
feeling or not, I believe his yearning for home and
fireside was great beyond words. I believe few men
ever lived who were capable of lavishing a tenderer
affection upon wife and children and home. I
regard his abstinence from marriage as one of his
supreme sacrifices for the cross of Christ, one of the
things included in his general statement where he
uses this language concerning his devotion to Christ
— ''for whom I have suffered the loss of all things."
That Paul thoroughly considered the question of
his own marriage is evidenced to me by his ques-
tion— ''Have not we the right to lead about a wife
that is a believer, even as the rest of the Apostles,
and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or I
only and Barnabas, have we not a right to forbear
working?" From these questions several conclu-
sions may safely be drawn: that the other Apostles
were married, and their wives accompanied them on
their missionary journeys; and that at times they
rested from their labors, probably for domestic
reasons of some kind ; that Paul did not impeach the
right of others to marry and rest at times at home;
that he claimed the same privileges for himself;
that he seriously considered taking the step, but
finally voluntarily exercised the higher right of lay-
ing aside all thought of home and domestic affection
for the sake of completer devotion to his great com-

PAUL'S GENIUS FOR FRIENDSHIP 13

mission. He thus became one of that class to whom
Christ referred when he said, speaking about some
refraining from marrying — "Not all can receive this
saying, but they to whom it is given." Paul was
one "to whom it was given."

There would appear to be two specific reasons
why Paul made the great sacrifice of foregoing
domestic ties. One was the belief which he seems
to have held, at least in the earlier years of his
ministry, that Christ would speedily return to earth,
and that the whole world ought to be evangelized
before that great event ; and, therefore, nothing,
even though it be as sacred as family relations,
should be permitted to interfere in the least with a
man's giving every ounce of his strength, every
thought of his mind, and every throb of his heart
to the proclamation of the Gospel to those who had
never heard it. The other reason for his abstinence
from marriage, though I deem it less decisive than
the above, was the continual hardships and persecu-
tions to which missionaries were subjected and his
certainty that marriage would entail these same
upon wives and children ; and, therefore, it was bet-
ter for both men and women to remain single.

We may now consider how Paul's friendships
reveal to us the intensity of his domestic affections
and the gnawing emptiness which lack of home and
wife and children made in his great yearning
heart. We are made aware of all this by the terms
of domestic relationships and endearments which he
lavished upon his friends. The mother of Rufus he

14 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

called his mother; Phebe was his sister; Qiiartus,
Sosthenes, ApoUos, Tychicus, Epaphroditus, and
Philemon were his brothers; Timothy, Titus, and
Onesimus were his ''own" sons; the Galatian Chris-
tians were his ''little children" and he "travailed
for them in birth"; he was as "gentle" among the
Thessalonians " as a nurse cherishing her children ' ' ;
he "exhorted and comforted and charged" them "as
a father doth his children"; as his "beloved sons"
he warned the Corinthians, for though they might
"have ten thousand instructors in Christ" yet they
could not have "many fathers", and he had "begot-
ten" them through the Gospel and like a father was
"jealous" over them and wanted to "espouse them
as a chaste virgin — to one husband, even Christ."

And so the great Apostle with his empty home-
loving heart transformed his friends into mothers,
sisters, brothers, sons and daughters; and himself
into a father, a mother, and a nurse, — ^begetting
children, travailing in birth, caring for children in
their infancy, giving daughters in marriage, sending
sons out into the world with a father's warnings,
counsel, and blessing.

Let none, then, dare rise and charge Paul with
coldness toward marriage and home.

II

In the Second Place the Consideration of Paul as a
Friend Bears Witness to the Cosmopolitanism of
His Social Sympathies arid Charm

There are few men whose friends have been chosen

PAUL'S GENIUS FOR FRIENDSHIP 15

from such a wide range of races, nationalities, age,
sex, occupation, and social gradations as were Paul's.
Perhaps no man ever had an intenser love for his
own race and nation than did he. He gloried in the
fact that he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, of the
tribe of Benjamin, and of the seed of Abraham. He
tells us that his heart's desire and prayer to God
for Israel was that they might be saved. Once in
his zeal for her salvation he reached a climax of
self-abnegation attained by only one other man in all
Scripture, and that man was Moses when, in his
prayer for this rebellious people, he used this lan-
guage— "Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin, —
and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of the book
which thou hast written." Paul's self-crucifying
love for this same people found expression in a very
similar outburst of expression when he wrote — *'I
say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also
bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have
great heaviness and continual sorrow of heart. For
I could wish myself accursed from Christ for my
brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: who
are Israelites ; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and
the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the
law, and the service of God, and the promises. ' ' Note
the solemn thrice repeated asseveration in the first
three clauses. And yet despite all this patriotic
ardor of the Apostle, his friends were chosen indis-
criminately from the three dominant races of his
day, — ^Hebrew, Greek and Latin.

16 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

Nor were his friendships confined to any one city
or country. We find them among all cities and
nations from the Holy City of Jerusalem to Imperial
Rome herself. He had friends at Antioch, Tyre,
Damascus, Lystra, Ephesus, Derbe, Berea, Thessa-
lonica, Philippi, Athens, Colossae, Corinth, and
Cenchrea. His friends were also found scattered
throughout the countries of Judea, Galilee, Syria,
Galatia, Macedonia, Greece, and Italy; and in the
isles of Cyprus and Melita.

The friendships of some men are largely confined
to those of about their own age. Paul numbered
among his friends some old enough to be his parents,
and others young enough to be his children. Many
men confine their friendships to men only, Paul's
included men and women alike.

Some find their intimates exclusively among those
of their own handicraft or profession, Paul found
his among men of every calling. In the list of his
friends we find the names of missionaries like Silas
and Barnabas; ministers like Archippus and
Epaphras ; prophets like Agabus ; Apostles like Peter,
James, and John; evangelists like Philip; officials
such as Erastus the Chamberlain of Corinth, and
Publius the chief man of Melita; rulers of syna-
gogues like Crispus; soldiers like Julius the centu-
rion; tentmakers like Aquila and Priscilla; jailers
like the Philippian; authors like Mark and Luke;
slaveholders like Philemon; slaves like Onesimus;
lawyers like Zenas; physicians like Luke; and cap-
tains of ships like the one who commanded when he

PAUL'S GENIUS FOR FEIENDSHIP 17

was carried a prisooer to Rome. Few have made
friends of a wider divergence of callings and inter-
ests, or won to themselves such a strangely assorted
group of men.

All this goes to prove, if proof were necessary,
that Paul's zeal in behalf of his mission to the Gen-
tiles and his championship of their rights and privi-
leges in Christ and in the church, was no mere pro-
fessional function on his part. It proves that he
loved men as men wherever he found them, and
whatever their race or station in life.

Ill

The Third Phase of the Apostle^s Greatness Which Is
Best Exemplified by a Study of His Friendships
Is the Enduring Loyalty by Which He Bound
Others to Himself and to His Life Mission

We have just seen how he made friends with men
of every land, race, and calling. That would be con-
ceivably possible without his awakening an equal
affection on their part. But this was not the case;
his friends loved him with the same intensity and
ardor as he them. What power of heart must the
man have had, what charm and attractiveness, to
bind such diverse elements to himself with cords
of love that no sacrifice could sever or hardship
weaken. And what makes this the more remark-
able is the fact that he had nothing to give them
except himself, his hope in the Gospel, and a share
in his labors and dangers. Again what a testimony

18 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

is this to his genius for friendship and to the innate
or acquired nobility of his friends.

Linking their lives to Paul's could bring them
neither wealth, nor social position, nor political influ-
ence. On the contrary it meant precisely the oppo-
site of these things. They lived in an age abnor-
mally devoted to the quest of riches, power, military
fame, and sensual indulgence. Paul's friendship
was a trumpet blast summoning men away from aU
these. His friends heard that trumpet blast — and
they were not disobedient. Many of them were men
of marked ability which would have given them high
success as the world defines success. Yet despite all
temptations to ungodliness and unbelief, despite all
social ostracism and persecution, they heard the
voice of a mighty friendship calling them, and they
answered with their all.

The elements of personal affection and tenderness
which entered into all the various friendships of the
Apostle can only be hinted at here. How his heart
overflowed with joy when he greeted some friend
back safe and sound from a long absence! How
feverishly restless and anxious he was when sepa-
rated from a friend, even if only for a short time!
What pulsating words he wrote about his longing
to see their faces again that they might comfort
each other! How he and they wept and prayed at
parting! What sorrow when they looked forward
to meeting no more on earth ! What beseeching let-
ters he wrote to churches, imploring them to deal
kindly with his friends ! What terms of endearment

PAUL'S GENIUS FOR FRIENDSHIP 19

he lavished upon those whom his great love crowned
with friendship 's holy name !

IV

The Fourth Thing We Note in Considering PauVs
Friendships Is the Manner in Which These
Underscore Our Appreciation of His Intellectual
Supremacy

Nothing else, perhaps, does this quite so effectually.
"We are accustomed to think of and call him great.
And yet this has become so trite that it has lost
much of its significance. But when we consider his
friendships and his friends, only then do we fully
grasp how peerless he was.

He came into friendly relations with all the master
minds of the first generation of the Christian Era.
How he dwarfs them all intellectually! Not by
pushing himself forward, but by sheer inherent abil-
ity he everywhere and in all company speedily
became the leader of leaders. None among the orig-
inal Apostles can be compared to him for sweep of
thought, depth of reasoning, or breadth of learning ;
nor for daring adventure and constructive states-
manship of purpose and achievement.

He came into contact and closest friendship with
such authors as Mark and Luke, but his own literary
fame remains undimmed. In oratory he had such
friendly rivals as the gracious Barnabas and the
brilliant Apollos, but his own fame in this particular
field is more resplendent than that of either. Titus
was a great organizer, but PauPs achievements so

20 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

far surpass those of Titus, or of any other man of
the age, as to make comparison out of the question.
Timothy was a great pastor but his work in this
line, if compared with Paul's, pales like moonlight
before the rising sun. Silas was a great missionary,
but his work is all but forgotten as men gaze upon
the monolithic glory of Paul's achievements. Philip
was a great evangelist, but his deeds are almost
wholly obscured by the far-shining victories of Paul.

All these friends of the Apostle were men of great
gifts in a particular field, gifts which would have
secured their fame for all time had they never come
into contact and comparison with a greater than
they. Paul surpassed every one of them, even in
their own particular specialty, as much as Napoleon
did his Marshals.

The telling of the story of Paul's friendships and
a study of the careers of several of his friends, is
amply justified by what has already been said. But
all that has preceded bases the significance of this
feature of the Apostle's character and career, upon
reasons personal to Paul himself. The story also
deserves telling for the sake of his friends. Paul
we already know pretty thoroughly, his friends we
know very little : with some of them we have a bow-
ing acquaintance; others we know by sight; still
others we scarcely know even by name. These
things ought not so to be. Paul's friends were good
men and true; in many ways, great men. Some of
them were indispensable, all were important and
useful. They had a part to play, not only in the

PAUL'S GENIUS FOR FRIENDSHIP 21

career and affection of St. Paul, but also in the
founding and early success of Christianity itself.
The story of their lives and friendship with the
Apostle is not told merely for his sake, not merely
to set forth the beauty and world significance of
ideal friendship, but also to lift their names up out
of the obscurity into which they have been thrown
by the overshadowing fame of Peter, Paul, and
John; to show the eminent part they played as
preachers, pastors, missionaries, authors, organizers,
and evangelists; and joint-founders of Gentile
churches, joint-conquerors of Europe for Christ, and
joint-founders of Christianity itself.

The significance of their relation to St. Paul, apart
from personal love and friendship, falls into three
divisions, each of which will be duly amplified in
subsequent chapters. All that is required at this
time is simply to state each of the three in as few
words as possible.

1. Humanly speaking, it was one of Paul's
friends who, several years after his conversion, gave
him his first opportunity effectively to engage in his
life work.

2. During his entire ministry his friends were
continually as his right arm. Never as far as we
know did he labor with marked success any great
length of time without the companionship of one or
more of his intimate friends. None of his great
churches was founded without the assistance of his
friends. Never did he undertake a great missionary
journey alone, though he may have done some

22 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

evangelistic work at Tarsus and in Cilicia before his
call to Antioch.

3. So efficient did his friends become through his
example, influence, and training, and by their own
diligence, fidelity, and natural ability, that after his
death the work of Christianity went on without
break or pause in any church or field.

And so for the sake of a just appreciation of the
greatness of Paul's heart and mind, and for the
sake of a better acquaintance with men personally
well worth knowing, and a juster estimate of their
indispensable services, — it seems to me that the story
of Paul's friendships and his friends deserves a
little volume all by itself.

CHAPTER II

Barnabas — The Discoverer of St. Paul

The story of Barnabas 's career is contained in the
following passages :— Acts 4 :36-37, 9 :26-27, 11 :22-30,
12:25, 13:1-52, 14:1-28, 15:1-39, 1 Cor. 9:4-6, Gal.
2:1-13, Col. 4:10.

IT scarcely need be stated that, in order of time»
the first eminent friend of Paul whose
acquaintance we should make, is Barnabas.
Not alone for chronological reasons, however,
but for many others as well, it is fitting that his
name stand first in the long roll of honor.

Perhaps it should be here stated that in these little
biographical sketches I shall, in the title to the chap-
ters, characterize each friend of Paul's by some
descriptive word or clause which will bring into
prominence a leading phase of his relationship to
the Apostle. Only after I had decided upon the
above heading for our study of Barnabas did I find
that Stalker in his ''Life of St. Paul," had used the
same phrase, so I hasten to acknowledge his priority.

I

Barnabas, The Man

Of the early life of Barnabas and of when and
how he was converted, nothing is known. There is

23

24 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

a vague, unauthenticated tradition that he was one
of the "Seventy" whom our Lord sent forth on an
evangelistic tour during his own earthly ministry.
But the fact that he is not mentioned in any of the
four Gospels makes this more than doubtful; for a
man of his ability would not have been likely to
remain in the background had he been personally
associated with Christ. Besides this, his flaming
zeal when we first make his acquaintance in the Acts
w^ould lead us to believe that he was a new convert,
possibly one of the number who found Christ on the
day of Pentecost.

We first find Barnabas at Jerusalem already a
Christian, one of that number who, in those early
days, having possessions, sold them and laid the
money at the Apostles' feet. This gives us at the
start something of an insight into his character. His
conversion marked the consecration of his all.
Henceforth he himself and everything he possessed
was to be laid on the altar of sacrifice. In this con-
nection we are informed that he was a Levite, a
native of the island of Cyprus; and the inference
is that his wealth was considerable and his social
standing high. It later appears that he was a man
of charming physical presence, for at Lystra when
he and Paul were taken for gods it was he who was
called Jupiter, evidently a tribute to his royal and
commanding personality.

This, however, was but one of his minor claims to
distinction. In the graces of oratory he probably
had but one rival amoni? all the New Testament

BARNABAS 25

preachers, I refer to Apollos. So remarkable was
his eloquence that the Apostles themselves surnamed
him ''Barnabas," that is. ''Son of Exhortation" a
name which was immediately and universally sub-
stituted for that of Joses by which he was originally
known.

To magnificence of person and splendor of oratory
were joined such irreproachable character and flam-
ing zeal that their possessor became at once one of
the mightiest forces of the early church. It is
doubtful if Barnabas has, even yet, received due
recognition for his indispensable services to Chris-
tianity. The fame of Paul has so far overtopped his
own that few measure the greatness that was his, or
render him the appreciation they should. It shall
be part of our task to isolate his resplendent name,
count up his services, and contemplate the greatness
of his achievements. In doing this we shall but ren-
der him his due, and, at the same time, bring still
another tribute to the greatness of St. Paul himself,
whose genius tends to dwarf the fame of the eminent
men with whom he labored, and whom, as friends, he
took into his heart of hearts.

II

Barnahas's Dominant Characteristics in His Relation
to Other Men — The Trust He Reposed in Them
and They in Him.

This might be called the keynote to his character
and career. It appears at every stage of his life. It
was this which made him a marked man. It was

26 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

this which made possible his splendid services. He
acted upon this principle of confidence in his fellow
men when the grounds for so doing were the slight-
est ; at times, even, when it seemed unjustifiable, nay
more, dangerous to himself and hazardous to the
cause for which he stood. Yet trust men he would
and did, whatever the cost to himself, whatever the
potential menace to his career ; and in every case his
judgment and confidence were justified by the event.
Thus he gave other men their opportunity in life,
thus made Christianity forever debtor to the mag-
nanimity of his heart and splendor of his moral
courage.

The first exhibition of this confidence he had in
others and others in him, was manifested when Paul
visited Jerusalem for the first time after his con-
version. Already Paul had attempted to preach at
Damascus, but had speedily been driven forth from
the city. Coming down to Jerusalem he at once
endeavored to join himself to the little Christian
community in that city. But every person in it,
including the Apostles themselves, were afraid of
him and would have nothing to do with him. It
looked for a time as though, not the enemies of the
Cross, but its friends and defenders, were to render
impossible the entrance of the new convert into the
Christian fold and into the field of Christian ser-
vice. All men looked askance at Paul. They sus-
pected his motives. They feared his designs. The
last they had known of him he was their bitterest
foe. He had consented unto the death of Stephen

BARNABAS 27

«,nd had gone to Damascus breathing forth threat-
enings and slaughter. He had made havoc of the
<3hurch, persecuting its members even unto strange
<jities, compelling them to blaspheme, haling them
both men and women to the death.

Now they would not trust his pretenses to having
been converted. Never should the wolf which had
scattered the flock be admitted to the inmost fold
itself. Here then was a crisis for the new convert
Paul. His word was disbelieved. No argument he
eould use convinced the Apostles of his change of
heart and purpose. Apparently no man would trust
him. Just then when all was blackest, when every
door seemed closed in his face forever, Barnabas
hears of the matter. He seeks out Paul, listens to
his story, believes it and believes in Paul, takes the
outcast by the hand and. defying public opinion,
boldly declares in the face of all men his confidence
in the fugitive from Damascus. And then what a
change took place in public opinion! The Apostles
knew Barnabas and believed in him, and on his mere
word they received into their company and took to
their hearts him who but a short time before had
been their deadliest enemy. What a tribute to Bar-
nabas's confidence in others and to the confidence of
others in him. Thus he became ''the discoverer of
Paul" the Christian. Later we shall see him the
discoverer of Paul the Preacher.

Soon after this another occasion arose which illus-
trates the confidence the Apostles and entire Jerusa-
lem church had in Barnabas ; a confidence both in his

28 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

character and in his tact and ability. "Now they
•which were scattered abroad upon the persecution
that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Pheniee,
and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to
none but unto the Jews only. And some of them
were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which when they
were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians,
preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the
Lord was with them: and a great number believed,
and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these
things came unto the ears of the church which was
in Jerusalem."

Now that piece of news caused a sensation among
the conservative members of the Jewish Christian
church. They were always exceedingly watchful
and suspicious of any movement not directly under
their own eye and supervision. They could scarcely
trust the independent acts of their own most capable
leaders. Whenever they heard of a work of grace
anywhere, they always sent an investigating com-
mittee to examine and report ; or else summoned the
leader or leaders of such a movement to answer
before the bar of their judgment seat.

Philip, one of the deacons they themselves had
ordained, later preached with marked success down
in Samaria and conducted a great revival there.
And we read concerning that work: ''Now when
the Apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that
Samaria had received the word of God, they sent
unto them Peter and John." Soon after this Peter
himself received into the Christian fold by baptism

BARNABAS 29

the Gentile Cornelius and his household, and again
we read: "And the Apostles and brethren that were
in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received
the word of God. And when Peter was come up to
Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision con-
tended with him, saying, Thou wentest in to men
uncircumcised, and didst eat with them." What
wonder then that there was almost a panic when the
good people at Jerusalem not only heard that there
was a revival at Antioeh which was spreading
among the Gentiles, but also that it had commenced
and was going forward without the presence or
sanction of a single deacon or Apostle from the
mother church. Something must be done and done
quickly. What mattered it if they did know that
the evangelists were *' preaching the Lord Jesus,"
what mattered it if they did know that ' ' the hand of
the Lord was with them," and that ''a great num-
ber that believed turned unto the Lord." What
mattered all this when the revival had begun with-
out their sanction, and was continuing without their
supervision.

Things must not go on like that a moment longer.
Something irregular might be done, and what com-
pensation could there be in the contemplation of a
multitude of conversions if some technical rule of
order had been violated, or if the supremacy of the
Jerusalem church was not duly recognized? They
must forthwith send a man down to Antioeh to take
immediate charge of this irregular manifestation of
saving grace, to guide, and, if necessary, curb the

30 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

intemperate and overwhelmingly successful zeal of
these unknown and unauthorized evangelists from
Cyprus and Cyrene who ^' spake unto the Greeks-
also."

But who should be sent on such a momentous mis-
sion? Surely their most trusted member, the man
of greatest force of character, widest knowledge of
men and affairs. He must be a man of tact, wisdom,
and firmness ; one who thoroughly understood ortho-
dox Christianity, who was a master of men and
affairs. They mast make no mistake here. But
who should be their choice? what man of their num-
ber had the indispensable qualifications, the personal
character and ability, and the universal confidence-
of the church? There were the Apostles and Dea-
cons, should they send one or more of them? This
would have been the most obvious thing to do. But
evidently none of these had all of the necessary
qualifications. There was just one man and one man
only who filled the bill — and that man was Barnabas..
"What a tribute was this to this man's ability and
character. Had he been sent along as a subordinate-
companion with Peter or John or Philip, it would
have been an eminent distinction; but not only did
the choice fall on him, but he was sent alone to-
examine, advise, and report.

The church at Jerusalem made no mistake. They
never made a wiser move. They builded better than
they knew. They, by that one act, unconsciously
made all Christian centuries their debtors. Barna-
bas's mission to Antioch was big with futurity. A

BARNABAS 31

new chapter in the history of Christianity and of
the world was being begun.

As soon as Barnabas reached Antioch his broad
charity and keen spiritual insight became immedi-
ately apparent. He was able to perceive at once
that it was the ''grace of God" which was at work,
though manifesting itself in a new and unexpected
manner. He was convinced by what he saw, and
rejoiced in it all, though it was so different from
anything which had occurred in his previous experi-
ence. Without a word of criticism, without the
slightest effort to assume leadership, he immediately
made his matchless poAvers of eloquence tributary to
the success of the all-conquering sweep of the great
revival. Nor was this his greatest service at that
crisis hour; rather, great as it was — and great it
must have been — it was incomparably less than the
service to the city and to all mankind which he soon
afterward rendered.

Barnabas had not been in the work long before
two things were borne in upon him: one was that
there was no occasion for a speedy return and report
to the Jerusalem church; the other was that, com-
petent as were the present leaders of the revival, the
work had already as a matter of actual fact, become
so far-reaching, and its potentialities so great, that
there was not only room for other workers but
imperative demand for them. There were Peter and
John and other able and eminent men round about
Jerusalem and Judea. It would be natural to call
upon these. But much as Barnabas admired them-

32 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

and much as they trusted him, he knew their limita-
tions only too well. Whom then should he secure to
assist him? Who could measure up to the demands
of the work and opportunity ?

It was the judgment of Barnabas that there was
just one man in all the world who could best serve
his needs and the demands of the occasion ; a man who
had without any great dignity of procedure been sur-
reptitiously hurried out of Jerusalem some eight years
previously, taken down to Caesarea, and there coun-
selled to embark and retire into obscurity in his
native city. This man had taken the counsel given.
There was nothing else for him to do. The Apostles
had found his presence an embarrassment, and did
not perceive his wonderful abilities. For eight
years little or nothing had been heard of him ; and
though he was probably busy all this time in the
province of Cilicia, his name was well nigh forgotten
at Jerusalem and thereabouts. But Barnabas up in
Antioch was now in need of a man. He knew well
all the great leaders at Jerusalem, and he also
remembered the outcast from Damascus whom he
had once befriended, whose face he had once looked
into, whose hand he had once grasped — and he knew
him for a man. And so unknown though that name
was to the world, untried though his abilities were.
Barnabas trusted his own judgment in the teeth of
the world, having perhaps kept an eye on the man's
obscure labors about Tarsus, and so staked the suc-
cess of the great movement at Antioch on his faith
in the fugitive who had been induced to give up at

BARNABAS 33

Jerusalem and surrender all farther attempts at ser-
vice there — and hence we read ''Barnabas went
forth to Tarsus to seek for Saul."

In that hour God's clock struck high noon for
early Christianity. The finding of Saul is sufficient
fame for any one man. Had Barnabas never done
anything before that day, had he never rendered
any service after that hour, his name would deserve
immortality among the honor roll of the heroes of
the Cross. Already he had discovered Paul the
Christian, now he discovers Paul the Preacher. He
opens the door for the loftiest genius in the annals
of Christianity. He unlocks the prisonhouse for one
who has lain there bound in all but impotent silence
for eight long weary years.

It is needless to state that Paul joyfully responded
to Barnabas 's appeal, and returned with him to
Antioch. Here they both labored with masterly zeal
and success for a whole year.

Toward the end of this period the prophet Agabus
came from Jerusalem to Antioch and predicted a
famine which not long after occurred, causing
intense distress to the little Christian community at
Jerusalem. "Then the disciples, every man accord-
ing to his ability, determined to send relief unto the
brethren which dwelt in Judea ; which also they did.
and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas
and Saul." Here again we have a high tribute to
the confidence everybody instantly reposed in the
honor and ability of Barnabas. He had been in
Antioch but a year. Other eminent workers from

34 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

Cyprus and Cyrene had been there a longer period.
Antioch itself was not lacking in able and efficient
men; but when it came to choosing two men for an
important mission, Barnabas is at once named as one
of them, and Paul the other. Fulfilling this service
satisfactorily to all parties concerned, they returned
from Jerusalem to Antioch, bringing with them a
younger relative of Barnabas, John Mark.

By this time the church at Antioch had grown so
strong in numbers and spirituality, and was so richly
blessed in teachers and prophets that they could
easily spare some of their leaders for service else-
where. Five men seem to have had the preeminence
in gifts of consecration and usefulness, — Barnabas,
Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Paul. A momentous
event in the history of Christianity and of mankind
was about to take place though none of the earthly
actors in that drama had the least comprehension of
its world-wide, time-long import. The first great
mission of Christianity to the Gentile world was
about to be inaugurated. There must be no mistake
made in the human instruments who were to be so
signally honored as to be chosen for this service.
Heaven had been weighing, comparing, judging the
abilities, resourcefulness, and consecration of all the
men who professed allegiance to the Cross of Christ,
including of course the eleven Apostles and the
brethren of our Lord. On whom would the choice
fall? In what men did Heaven repose the most
implicit confidence? Listen to the simple words of
Luke as he answers our question, as he reports an

BARNABAS 35

event the greatness of which had scarcely been par-
alleled in the previous history of the world, save by
the events connected with the early life of our Lord.
Plere is the language Luke uses in narrating that
event — "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted,
the Holy Ghost said. Separate me Barnabas and
Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their
hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being
sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleu-
cia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus."

Every man who knew Barnabas trusted him. The
two great churches at Jerusalem and Antioch trusted
him. And now evidence is at hand that all Heaven
trusted him, we need no farther testimony as to his
character and ability.

And so the church at Antioch, though only a few
months old, had become, under the joint pastorate
of Barnabas and Paul and others, prosperous enough
to send financial aid to the famine-stricken sufferers
in Jerusalem, enthusiastic and consecrated enough
to begin the conquest of the world for Christ, and
efficient enough to spare indefinitely its two most
competent leaders.

It is no part of our purpose to follow in detail the
events of Christianity's first mission to the Gentiles.
That has frequently been done by other and abler
pens. Our study is of Barnabas the man and friend
of Paul, his lofty character, and his indispensable
services as one of the co-founders and organizers of
that vast missionary enterprise which swept north-

36 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

ward and westward in victorious march from the
gates of Antioch to the gates of the Imperial City.
It is time the name of Barnabas was made to stand
fortli in its original splendor, crowned with the
glory of his consecration, unconscious greatness, and
multitudinous achievements for the Cross of Christ.

Of that first missionary journey it is sufficient to
state that Barnabas shared all the labors, dangers,
and persecutions that Paul himself underwent. As
it is our purpose to record not only the separate
services to Christianity of the friends of Paul, but
also to show how the genius of Paul overtops the
tallest fame of the men of his time, it should here be
stated that great as Barnabas was in leadership and
eloquence, he and Paul had not been far on their
journey together before the latter, by the sheer force
of his ability, became the indisputable leader both
in action and speech; and hence the order in which
their names first appeared in Luke's narrative be-
came reversed — we no longer read of ''Barnabas
and Saul," but of "Paul and Barnabas."

It has already been stated that in the graces of
oratory Barnabas had but one rival among all the
Apostles and evangelists whose names are recorded
in the New Testament, and that that rival was the
eloquent Apollos of Alexandria. It has also been
noted that so powerful was Barnabas in public
address that his real name was dropped and for-
gotten and that of "Son of Exhortation" univer-
sally substituted. And yet on this first missionary
journey it was found that Paul could and did sur-

BARNABAS 37

pass him in his own strongest point. Certainly not
in personal grace of manner, or rhetorical finish of
speech; for the testimony is abundant and convinc-
ing, both from Paul's own confessions and in the
criticism of his enemies, that he was sadly deficient
in these things. But in Paul's utterance there was
such a torrent of language, such a vehemence of
argument, such an intensity of conviction, such a
passion of love, that he swept all before him; and
hence his fame as an orator surpasses that of Bar-
nabas and Apollos. And so it was that the men of
Lystra called Paul, Mercury, because he was the
chief speaker.

In all the relations of these two friends, despite
the dazzling swiftness with which Paul came to the
front, there is not the slightest trace of jealousy on
the part of Barnabas, though he must have been
fully and keenly aware that as Paul increased he
must decrease. It was a part of Barnabas 's great-
ness that he was content to have it so. The glory
of his Master was his one life-long joy and
aspiration. He had given his Lord all he had to
give; if another for whom he himself had opened
the door of opportunity, could bring to their
common Lord still greater gifts and consecrate a still
mightier genius, was not that same Lord and Master
the gainer thereby, and should not he joy and rejoice
in it all ? Ah, Barnabas, the world has little appre-
ciated either thy greatness or thy humility. In
worshipping the rising sun men have forgotten the
splendors of the setting sun. But thou didst not

38 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

care; the rising sun reflected thy Master's face, and
thou wert content.

Having preached successfully from one end of
Cyprus to the other, and, despite deadly perils and
opposition, having completed their first mission in
the southeastern part of Asia Minor, Paul and
Barnabas went down into Attalia.

"And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they
had been recommended to the grace of God for the
work which they had fulfilled. And when they
were come, and had gathered the church together,
they rehearsed all that God had done with them,
and how he had opened the door of faith unto the
Gentiles. And there they abode long time with the
disciples. And certain men which came down from
Judea taught the brethren, and said. Except ye be
circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot
be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had
no small dissension and disputation with them, they
determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain
other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the
Apostles and elders about this question. And being
brought on their way by the church, they passed
through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the con-
version of the Gentiles : and they caused great joy
unto all the brethren. And when they were come
to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and
of the Apostles and elders, and they declared all
things that God had done with them. But there
rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which
believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise

BARNABAS 39

them, and to command them to keep the law of
Moses. And the Apostles and elders came together
for to consider of this matter. ' '

At this Council, the greatest in the Apostolic age
and one of the most important, if not the most
important of all, in the entire history of Christian-
ity, Paul and Barnabas stood shoulder to shoulder
in defense of the rights, privileges, and immunities
of the Gentile converts; and it is not too much to
say that it was owing to the efforts of these powerful
friends that Christianity in that hour became a
world religion instead of continuing longer a mere
Jewish sect. Here then is another service of Barna-
bas to Christianity and to mankind. And if we may
judge by the order in which, in this now exceptional
instance, the names of the two men stand, we must
believe that on this one occasion Barnabas was more
persuasive and influential than Paul, for we read
that ''all the multitude kept silence and gave audi-
ence to Barnabas and Paul."

The questions at issue being settled in accordance
with the views of these tAvo men, James, the brother
of our Lord, and probably the President of the
Council, put in formal language the decision arrived
at. This was to be communicated both in writing
and orally to the Gentile converts in Antioch, Syria,
and Cilicia. Again the church at Jerusalem showed
its confidence in Barnabas by entrusting him
together with Paul and two of its own members,
with the mission of making known to all Gentile
churches the decision of the Council.

40 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

III.

Separation of Paul and Barnabas.

Returning to Antioch with the circular letter from
the Council at Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas and
their two companions from the mother church, im-
mediately made its contents known, to the great joy
of the Christian community where they had so long
and faithfully labored together. That done, again
these friends plunged enthusiastically into the work
of the local church, preaching and teaching, and
continued so doing for a time.

*'And some days after, Paul said unto Barnabas,
Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city
where we have preached the word of the Lord, and
see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take
with them John, whose surname was Mark. But
Paul thought not good to take him with them, who
departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not
with them to the work. And the contention was so
sharp between them, that they departed asunder
one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark,
and sailed unto Cyprus."

The discussion of this painful incident though
appropriate to this place, will be postponed for the
present but will be fully treated in the next chapter
which deals with the career of another of Paul's
friends — this same John Mark. Suffice it to say at
this time, that though the dispute separated Barna-
bas from Paul and thus shut the former out of the
joy and opportunity of revisiting old friends and

BARNABAS 41

clmrches in Cilicia and elsewhere, and also shut him
out of the association with Paul in the latter 's
second missionary journey, it did not interfere with
his continued loyal service to his Master.

It is not known that the two men ever met again,
and it is not believed that they did. This, however,
cannot be proved, and in any case must not be
construed as meaning that either of them cherished
unkindly feelings toward the other for any length
of time. Both were too great as men and too mag-
nanimous as Christians, to harbor ill feelings or
cherish resentment against a fellow soldier of the
Cross, especially against their hearts' best brother
with whom they had so many tender memories in
common, with whom they had hazarded their lives
in a cause sacredly enthroned in the souls of both.

Fortunately we are not left entirely to conjecture
in this matter. In later years in one of his letters
Paul makes a kind reference to Barnabas, in which
he classes himself with his old friend in direct con-
trast with the course pursued by the Apostles and
brethren of the Lord ; implying in what he says that
Barnabas was still actively engaged in missionary
work and, like himself, was self-supporting.

After his seperation from Paul Barnabas entirely
fades from view in the Acts, his name not again
being mentioned. lie is referred to but three times
in the subsequent books of the New Testament, all
three references being found in the letters of Paul;
but in each case the reference is purely casual. It
would be a great mistake, however, to assume either

42 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

that he was idle, or that his work was of little con-
sequence. In fact, we have already seen that Paul
implies directly the contrary in one of his allusions
to his old-time comrade in arms.

The silence of Acts as to what Barnabas 's subse-
quent labors were, no more discredits him than does
its silence about the life mission of the Eleven
Apostles discredit them, none of whose names are
more than mentioned save those of Peter, John, and
James, and these, too, fade utterly from view at
about the same time as does Barnabas. The only
inference we are permitted to draw is that the sub-
sequent labors of Barnabas, like those of the
Apostles, fell outside the plan of Luke in writing
Acts; that is, the story of the victorious march of
Christianity from bigoted Jerusalem to Imperial
Rome, where Luke leaves Paul triumphant in his
chains, receiving all who came unto him ''preaching
the kingdom of God, and teaching those things
which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all con-
fidence, no man forbidding him."

IV

The One Recorded Mistake of Barnabas* s Entire
Career

By this I do not refer to his championship of
John Mark and his subsequent separation from Paul.
In that matter I do not hold him blameworthy. But
there is one mistake of Barnabas which cannot be
explained away and which no apology or defense is
sufficient to cover. The record of this is found in

BARNABAS 43

Paul's letter to the Galatians where he writes as
follows: — ''But when Peter was come to Antioch, I
withstood him to the face, because he was to be
blamed. For before that certain came from James,
he did eat with the Gentiles; but when they were
come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing
them which were of the circumcision. And the other
Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that
Barnabas also was carried away with their
dissimulation."

This was a very grave error on the part of Barna-
bas. His fault could not have been due to moral
cowardice for he was not a moral coward. This was
sufficiently proved when he came to the defense of
Paul in the face of the suspicious brethren and
Apostles at Jerusalem. His fault was not due to
physical cowardice, for already he had shown him-
self a brave man by facing death unafraid in many
a hostile city. Nor was his fault due to an error of
judgment, for he had long been a missionary to the
Gentiles and one of the most fearless champions of
their Christian privileges that the early church had,
ranking with Paul himself in this particular. How
then was he induced to withdraw for a time from
tables where Gentiles were present? I can think of
hut two possible reasons, neither of which reflects
any credit on this great and good man. It may
possibl}^ have been due to the pressure of Peter and
other close friends from the old and dear, but nar-
row and bigoted, mother church at Jerusalem; or
it may have been due to the cropping out now and

44 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

then of the old inborn, ineradicable prejudice of
the Jew against eating with a Gentile, notwith-
standing the fact that he was their redoubtable
champion in all that concerned their Christian rights
and privileges. He may have been led to believe
that the question of eating with them was solely a
private matter which would concern no one in par-
ticular; if so, he was certainly mistaken as the
clearer-sighted Paul quickly demonstrated. But on
this whole subject we ought to judge Barnabas by
the standards, prejudices, and training of his own
day, not by the greater liberality of our own.
Measured in this way we shall see his conduct as a
whole in his relation to the Gentiles, in a broader
and fairer light; we shall see that he was in all
probability the broadest-minded Jewish convert of
his day save only St. Paul himself.

But even in Paul's censure of his conduct on this
one occasion, there is an indirect and very signifi-
cant compliment paid to his attitude toward the
Gentiles as uniformly manifested during all his
previous career. The very language of Paul's cen-
sure shows his surprise and amazement that a man
of Barnabas 's well known firmness and liberality
should have wavered even once. This also indirectly
reveals to us the force of the social pressure which
must have been brought to bear upon him to swerve
him from his previous course.

After all that can be said to magnify this one
failure of Barnabas, it was yet but a trivial and
temporary matter that scarcely rose to the dignity

BARNABAS 45

of a moral issue; and I have sometimes been sorry
that Paul referred to it at all, for it is the last time
but one that Barnabas 's name occurs in the New
Testament, and the very last which tells us anjrfching
about Barnabas himself, so we are in danger of being
left with a final rather unpleasant impression of a
man who otherwise would wholly challenge our
admiration.

I scarcely believe Paul would have mentioned the
matter had he foreseen that his hasty letter to the
<2hurches of Galatia, called forth by a dire temporary
crisis, would be preserved and read by all Christen-
dom to the end of time. Paul's purpose in the
reference is perfectly clear and perfectly justifiable.
His own Apostolic standing and authority were
being called in question, and were in extreme
jeopardy; and hence it was necessary for him to
defend himself and his position by every available
argument, not for any mere personal reasons, but for
the sake of his divine mission and for the sake of the
future liberty and well-being of Gentile believers to
all time. So we cannot censure him for referring as
he does to Peter and Barnabas. But like many
another letter-writer, Paul had no conception how
his words and utterances would go ringing down
the centuries for weal or woe, for the exalting or
belittling of his friends and contemporaries.

And yet perhaps it is as well that we should know
that even Barnabas, the great preacher and mission-
ary, was human like the rest of us, and not exempt
from some of the frailties that afflict his f ellowmen.

46 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

But however great we may deem this one mistake
it was not greater than that of John, ''the beloved
disciple, ' ' who wanted to call down fire from heaven
and destroy a Samaritan village, thus bringing upon
himself the stern rebuke of Christ. Nor was Barna-
bas's fault greater than that of Paul himself in his
uncharitable course toward John Mark; it was
trivial in comparison with Peter's denial of his
Lord ; and, at most, it weighs little when set over
against the catalog of his private virtues and public
services. Let us now briefly review and summarize
these.

V

The Character and Services of Barnabas —
A Recapitulation

We have already made quite a full survey of
Barnabas as a man, a Christian, and a preacher ; and
also endeavored to point out his special importance
and mission, not only to the early church, but also
to all after ages of Christian history; but it is well
before we part company with such a noble man, to
gather up in a few paragraphs a summary of all he
did and was, that the scattering information and
impressions we have received may stand forth in
our thoughts in their original and deserved strength
and lustre.

In the gifts which attract men's admiration Bar-
nabas was richly endowed by nature, having the
form and brow of a Jove, a voice and delivery that
charmed the ear and convinced the conscience and

BARNABAS 47

judgment; in character, he was "a good man;" in
spirituality, "full of the Holy Ghost and of faith;"
in consecration, he laid his money, his time, his
life, on the altar of sacrifice; in moral courage he
was sublime, championing the dreaded Saul when all
men were passing by on the other side. Of physical
courage he was a noble example, facing peril and
death in scores of hostile cities; he was charitable
toward others' weaknesses, loyal when they failed
and men distrusted them, stood by them whatever
the cost to self in opportunity or friendship. He
was a swift reader of character, an unerring dis-
cerner of unknown and unproven ability; he trusted
other men and believed in the final kingship of their
better qualities despite all previous exhibition and
triumph of their less worthy natures ; he was a
stranger to jealousy however far those whom he
had befriended and given their chance, might sur-
pass him in fame, popularity, and achievement. All
churches and all men believed in him and trusted
him to the full and to the end. The great Jewish
Christian church at Jerusalem trusted him on the
weightiest occasions: the great Gentile Christian
church at Antioch committed to him a most critical
mission in their behalf, even their own standing
within the pale of Christianity itself: the Apostles
and brethren of our Lord, Paul and Mark, all alike
trusted his integrity and ability. The Holy Spirit
trusted him and committed unto him jointly with
St. Paul the inauguration of the first foreign mis-
sionary movement for the conquest of the world for

48 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

Christ. He twice opened a door for St. Paul, and
reopened it for St. Mark — he was the discoverer of
Paul and the restorer of Mark. With Paul and
others in a j^ear's time he brought the church at
Antioch up to such a state of efficiency that it could
undertake world-wide evangelization. He twice
traversed the island of Cyprus on missionary
tours, and once the southern provinces of Asia
Minor. He was one of the chief men in settling for
all time the position of the Gentile converts within
the Christian fold ; and the last glimpse we catch of
him, he is still the self-supporting missionary as
eager for new laurels for his Master's brow as in
those far-off days when, towering head and shoul-
ders above the original Apostles in the splendors of
his enkindled oratory, he, a stranger from Cyprus
and alien born, won in a moment, in the very heart
of the Holy City, that immortal designation — "Son
of Exhortation."

Without disparagement to any of Barnabas 's
other services — and none of them can be disparaged
— it may safely be said that the greatest of all was
his discovery of Paul and his introduction of that
Apostle to the church and work at Antioch. God
might have used other men or instrumentalities for
achieving this; but the fact remains that he did
not do so. God might have used another man or
instrumentality to achieve the work done by Moses ;
but this does not detract from the greatness of
Moses nor from the unique significance of his career.
God might have used another man than John the

BARNABAS 49

Baptist as the forerunner of Christ; but this does
not detract from the glory of the mission and priv-
ilege which were John's. So likewise is it true of
the mission of Barnabas; but God did not use
another man to introduce Paul, he did use Barnabas,
and so in the providence of God it was this man
who opened the door for Paul and gave him his
opportunity in life.

This honor alone would be sufficient laurels for
the brow of any man had he rendered no other
service to mankind, as it is sufficient to know of
Andrew that he led Peter to Christ. How much
direct value the friendship of Paul was to Barnabas
we may not say; but certain it is that, humanly
speaking, the friendship of Barnabas was indispen-
sable to Paul.

If in these studies we are constantly to keep before
us not only the individual fame, services, and ability
of Paul's friends, but also use them to gain a
perspective for estimating the overtowering great-
ness of Paul himself, then we must hasten to confess
that great as was Barnabas in all the essential
qualities of permanent renown, yet the younger
Paul easily surpassed him in almost every particular
save in the qualities of heart and character. Barna-
bas was a man of wonderful talent, Paul was a man
of transcendent genius — and this forever marks the
distinction between the two.

Though we may be awed and overwhelmed by
the solitary and awful grandeur of the mountain
whose summit is lost above the clouds, it is no reason

60 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

why we should disparage or neglect those whose
lower but still massive and lofty brows concentrate
and reflect the splendor of the noonday sun — and
such a mountain peak was Joses surnamed Barna-
bas, "the Son of Exhortation/'

CHAPTER III

John Mark — The Man Who Forfeited and Afterwards
Regained the Confidence of St. Paul

The story of Mark's career is based upon the fol~
lomng passages: — Acts 12:12 and 25, Acts 13:5 and
13, 15 :36-39, Col. 4 :10, 2nd Tim. 4 :11, Philemon 1 :24,
1st Peter 5:13, and the Gospel by Mark.

HAVING completed onr study of Barnabas,
Paul's first great friend, we naturally
take up next the story of Barnabas 's
relative, John Mark. It is here assumed
that the Mark of Acts and of Paul 's epistles, and the
Marcus of Peter's letter, and the author of the sec-
ond Gospel are one and the same person.

Most Bible students are familiar with the details
of the life and character of the author of the
fourth Gospel; but few have a close acquaint-
ance with the life history of the other three. Of
Matthew it is impossible to learn much, but ignor-
ance of the lives of Luke and Mark is inexcusable.
In our studies of Paul's friends we shall make a
close acquaintance with both as far as the New
Testament lends us its aid. They are men worth
knowing for the services they rendered to Chris-

51

52 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

tianity, for the manner in which their lives are
interwoven with the life of their friend Paul, and
also because of their own inherent worth and attrac-
tiveness as men and Christians.

I.

Our First Meeting with John Mark

Mark is not once mentioned in any of the four
Gospels, and there is no conclusive evidence that
he ever saw Christ. We are first introduced to him
in the Acts where we learn that after the angel had
delivered Peter from prison "he came to the house
of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was
Mark; where many were gathered together pray-
ing."

From this it may be inferred that Mark was
reared in a devout Christian home; that his mother
was prominent in the early Christian circles; and
that, if a widow, she was a woman of some property,
as her house was spacious enough to accommodate a
large gathering.

Nothing is told us concerning Mark's conversion,
but as Peter seems to have been an intimate of the
home and in after years speaks of Mark as his
**son," the inference is possibly warranted that he
was led to Christ by Peter, for Paul often spoke of
his spiritual children as his "sons." In Colossians
we learn that Mark was a relative of Barnabas,
probably a younger cousin.

JOHN MAEK 53

II

Mark Causes a Rupture Between Barnal)as and Paul.

Mark's first recorded association with Barnabas
and Paul is his trip with them to Antioch on their
return from Jerusalem after they had distributed
to the poor of the mother church the alms which
had been collected in the church where they were at
the time jointly laboring.

Not long after the arrival of the three at Antioch,
the Holy Spirit summoned Barnabas and Paul to go
forth on their first missionary journey to the Gen-
tiles; and we read ''they had also John to their
minister." Just what was the nature of his duties
we are not informed; whether he simply looked after
their material comfort, or was also a helper in their
evangelistic eiforts, is uncertain, probably he did
both. Together the three men traversed the island
of Cyprus, Barnabas and Paul everywhere preaching ;
but when that work was finished and they crossed
over to the mainland a simply told, but, as the out-
come proved, a very significant event transpired.
The historian of Acts merely states — **Now when
Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they
came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing
from them returned to Jerusalem." No explanation
whatever of Mark's course is anywhere vouchsafed.
to us, but the consequences of this desertion were
far-reaching as they bore on the interrelations of
the three men.

54 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

Conjecture has always been rife in the efforts
made to explain Mark's defection. No satisfactory
conclusion has been generally adopted. The least
charitable view of all is that it was due to sheer
cowardice on his part as the company faced the
perils of missionary enterprise among hostile
peoples. Scarcely less unworthy are the suggestions
that perhaps he was jealous for Barnabas 's sake as
he saw Paul assuming the leadership of the expe-
dition, or that he was opposed to missions among
the Gentiles. The most charitable view is that the
original plans of the three merely included the
touring of Cyprus, but when it was determined to
extend the journey indefinitely it was impossible
for Mark longer to absent himself from his nati^ e
city, and so, perforce, he had to return to Jerusalem.
When he left there with Barnabas and Paul he ex-
pected to go no farther than to Antioch, no mission-
ary journey then having entered into the minds or
plans of either Paul or Barnabas ; so already he had
been absent much longer than he originally expected
to be, having continued with his friends during all
their evangelization of Cyprus. Now it would be
easy to accept this latter conjecture as the true one
were it not for the fact that afterwards Paul hald
Mark exceedingly blameworthy for his conduct, and,
therefore, unless we charge Paul with being entirely
unreasonable, we must assume that Mark was not
justified in deserting the expedition.

Hence it has never been possible for Mark's most
ardent admirers wholly to clear his name from the

JOHN MARK 55

stigma of lack of courage and consecration on this
particular occasion. Here was the one great mistake
of his career as Barnabas was to make his one great
mistake — a mistake we have already considered. In i
deserting Barnabas and Paul, Mark was deserting
the Cross of Christ in the presence of danger; and,
doing so, he forfeited the honor and privilege of
sharing unto the end the work of the first world
missionary enterprise. He missed an opportunity
that can never again recur in the history of mankind.

This act of his also caused the severance in the
relations of Barnabas and Paul. Sometime after the
triumphant return to Antioch of these two heralds
of the Cross, Paul proposed to Barnabas that
together they revisit all the churches they li^d
founded. Barnabas agreed, but insisted upon agnin
taking Mark with them. Paul peremptorily refused
because he thought ''not good to take him with
them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and
went not with them to the work." Barnabas re-
mained firm. Paul was no less so, and so thoy ,
parted — never to meet again.

Pitiful as this quarrel and separation was, it yet
had in it heroic elements. I believe each, man was
actuated by what he considered the highest motives,
and we therefore catch a glimpse of the heroic mold
in which each was cast. Deeply as they loved '^ach
other, profoundly as each must have reverenced the
ability of the other, yet each was ready to sacrifice
earth's holiest friendship to his sense of loyalty to
something more sacred still — allegiance to his sense

56 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

of duty, to conscience enthroned and supreme. The
entire careers of these men refute the charge that
they could be actuated by base motives or passions.
Barnabas alwaj^s thought of self last, or, rather, he
never thought of self at all. He never shunned the
face of danger or sought personal advancement; he
never hesitated to take a subordinate position or
clung to privilege or property, even when these were
rightfully his. All this was equally true of Paul.
The greatest glory of their Lord was the one con-
trolling motive of both their lives. Hence any
criticism of their conduct in this crisis hour must be
a criticism of their judgments, not an arraignment of
the purity of their motives, or the consecration of
their hearts.

As the occasion of their separation and its bear-
ings on the subsequent careers of each as well as its
significance to the later life and character of Mark
himself, are still moot points of discussion, it may
not be out of place here briefly to recapitulate the
arguments of various authors both for and against
the conduct of the two chief actors in the drama.
I believe the majority of writers are inclined to
endorse the position maintained by Paul. I am
unable to agree with them.

In defense of Paul's attitude three strong argu-
ments are urged: that his own uncompromising
courage made it difficult, if not impossible, for him
to believe in the sincerity of one less brave; that
Paul could not read Mark's future nor measure his
inherent worth, and, as far as he knew, Mark might

JOHN MARK 57

turn out another Iscariot ; that it was not a personal
matter with Paul at all, nor a question of treating
Mark as a brother in Christ, but a question of again
making a foreign missionary of one who had already
failed as such, and had given, as yet, no sufficient
proof of a radical change. All these arguments are
weighty and must be accorded their due importance.

Against Barnabas 's position there are two argu-
ments neither of which is it easy wholly to refute.
It is argued that Barnabas would have put in
jeopardy the success of the entire mission had Mark
been allowed to accompany them a second time.
This was a real and obvious danger. Paul's whole
attitude was based upon his fear that such would
be the case. It is also argued that Barnabas, con-
sciously or unconsciously, was influenced by his kin-
ship with Mark. This insinuation cannot be proven,
and even if it could, I am not sure but that it brings
closer to us the human nature of Barnabas. I am
not sure but we would think less even of so great an
Apostle as he, if his heart was indifferent to the ties
of kinship.

Now what may be said against Paul's attitude
toward Mark? It is said by some that he showed a
harsh and unforgiving spirit ; that every man stands
in need of the patience and forbearance of his
Maker, and should show the same to his fellow men;
that such an attitude as Paul's would discourage aU
who had once failed from over attempting to retrieve
their past ; that Christ trusted Peter after his denial ;
that Paul himself once stood in need of that same

58 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

sympathy and trust on the part of Barnabas which
the latter was now extending and Paul withholding
from Mark.

We have already seen what can be said against
Barnabas 's position, now what can be said in its
defense? First, the fact that Mark was ready to
accompany Barnabas and Paul into those very same
dangerous regions from the approach to which he had
once fled, makes the assumption warrantable that
he had expressed his deep regret for his former con-
duct and given every possible verbal assurance of
loyalty for the future. When Paul was converted
and did this same thing, Barnabas believed in him in
the teeth of universal doubt, suspicion, and fear.
Now he does the same thing in the case of Mark.
True to his own lofty nature, he had an abiding
faith in the nobler qualities of other men — a faith
never betrayed. He believed in forgiving and over-
looking Mark's error, and that charity, not severity,
would inspire and encourage the former delinquent.
Again it may fairly be argued that Barnabas was a
close student of human nature and that he read other
men more profoundly than did most of his contem-
poraries even including Paul himself, and that as he
had formerly seen in Paul what other men could not
see, so now he saw in Mark what Paul could not.

But whatever may be said for or against either
man's position, I think it can be successfully main-
tained that the attitude of each was dictated solely
by his nobler qualities, not by ignoble ones. — that
Paul was afraid of jeopardizing the Lord's work,

JOHN MAEK 59

that Barnabas was eager to save the man. Which
was right in this particular instance the sequel alone
will show.

Ill

The Results Which Flowed from the Separation of
Barnabas and Paul

As neither man would surrender his convictions,
and as compromise was impossible to such staunch
and stalwart natures, we are informed that "the
contention was so sharp between them, that they
departed asunder one from the other : and so Barna-
bas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; and Paul
chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by
the brethren unto the grace of God. ' ' Which friend
was in the right in this unhappy dissension the after
story of Mark's life will answer. Perhaps when all
has been said on the controversy, it was yet the
intention of Providence that the men should not con-
tinue together any longer. Each was now perfectly
capable of directing an independent mission, and of
training up other men to be independent leaders and
their own successors; so their separation meant two
missionary parties instead of one, and the enlisting
of new recruits on the part of Paul.

But let us for the present follow Barnabas and
Mark to Cyprus. At once however we are con-
fronted with the fact that we are told absolutely
nothing about their work there. Why is this? Sev-
eral answers might be given to this question: that
Xiuke knew nothing of its details ; that it was wholly

60 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

unimportant; or, perhaps, which is most probable,
that whatever Barnabas and Mark achieved in
Cyprus their work was outside the scope of Luke's
plan in writing Acts, which was to portray the lead-
ing events in the victorious westward rolling tide
of Christian conquests as the soldiers of the Cross
swept ever on toward the coasts of Europe, ever
hearing the West acalling as the setting sun sank
low over the waters of the Mediterranean, the
Aegaean, and the Adriatic.

Now it is assumed by some that Mark went to
Cj^rus with Barnabas to comfort the latter over his
separation from Paul which had been incurred on
his, Mark's, account. I believe exactly the opposite.
I believe that Barnabas took Mark for Mark's sake
to prove unto the uttermost his confidence in his
assurances of fidelity for the future.

As Barnabas at this point entirely disappears
from authentic history, it is quite common to speak
slightingly of this trip to Cyprus, to regard it as the
final fiasco of a once apparently sterling career. It
is regarded as marking the obscuration of Barnabas,
the climacteric failure and folh^ of his life, as he
thereby cut himself off from all future association
with the Apostle to the Gentiles. The latter fact
is of course true. The other charges need investi-
gating. As to farther association with Paul, that
was no longer necessary for he had already done
his work for the latter in opening the door of oppor-
tunity at Antioch and starting him on a missionary
career in his own native isle.

JOHN MARK Gl

Now though we are told nothing of what tran-
spired during Barnabas 's and Mark's stay in Cyprus,
we are not therefore cut off from all reasonable con-
jecture. In fact, we may go beyond conjecture and
rest on assured grounds of fact. If it were certain
that Barnabas never achieved anything afterwards,
if it were known that he died at the close of that
mission, instead of his life having been snuffed out
in obscuration I should regard it as having departed
in a blaze of glory. Note the uncontrovertible facts
in the case as far as they concern John Mark. The
last thing we learned about him before this second
Cyprus mission, was his flight from the work at
Pamphylia. Ever after this trip with Barnabas we
find him among the bravest of the brave, defying
every danger in his loyalty to the Cross, and ren-
dering incalculable service to the cause of Christ.
What transformed John Mark, the craven, into John
Mark, the Christian gladiator? There is but one
possible answer — it was the great-hearted Barnabas
there on the island of Cyprus; his belief in the
repentant 's confessions and promises, his soothing
and healing counsels, his companionship and friend-
ship during the unknown and unheralded days or
years in Cyprus. And yet we are told noth-
ing is known of that insignificant mission! Noth-
ing known? Insignificant mission? Knowing that
it was the saving of John Mark for Christ and
His work, nothing more need be known. Had
Barnabas never rendered a single previous ser- /
vice to his Lord and his church, this alone should

62 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

immortalize his name. It was the saving of Mark
for life-long missionary service ; it was the saving of
Mark for the authorship of the first written biography
of our Lord which has come down to us — a service to
all the generations yet to be; it was the saving of
Mark for after years of companionship and co-oper-
ation with Paul himself and with Peter. If Barna-
bas retired to Cyprus solely for Mark's sake, if he
achieved only Mark's restoration, yet even so he
builded better than he knew and again made all
Christianity his debtor.

We have already called Barnabas "the discoverer
of St. Paul." To this title of honor may now be
added another, he may also be called "the restorer
of St. Mark." If Barnabas had frowned upon him
and refused him Christian fellowship and associa-
tion as Paul seems to have done for a season, there
is little likelihood that he would have become the
victorious warrior and graphic writer that he after-
wards was. It was Barnabas who gave Paul his
chance and who trusted Mark and called to his
deeper and truer self after his notorious failure, and
who, therefore, humanly speaking, opened the doors
of usefulness to these two giants of the early church.

So we come again to our question asked so often
and so often summarily answered in Paul's favor —
who was right in the dispute which separated him
from Barnabas. By the foregoing discussion that
question, I believe, has already been answered satis-
factorily for every fair-minded reader. In this one

JOHN MARK 63

instance at least, Barnabas showed himself a man of
broader charity a ad deeper insight than Paul.

IV

Mark's Beconciliation with Paul

It is a matter of the greatest satisfaction to every
Christian to know that Paul's rupture with Mark
was only temporary. A few years later we find
them completely reconciled; and not only that, but
the most intimate and loyal friends and co-workers.
When and how the reconciliation took place, and
who made the first advances, it is impossible to say.
But the fact of the restoration of their former cor-
dial relations seems to prove several things: that
Mark cherished no vindictive resentment against
Paul for his rather harsh treatment; that he had
soon given such overwhelming proof of his courage
and loyalty to Christian service that Paul no longer
had any doubts in regard to his trustworthiness;
and, finally, it seems to prove conclusively that
Paul's rejection of him as a companion for his sec-
ond missionary enterprise was not personal in its
nature, but doubt of his fitness for hazardous ser-
vice.

In Paul's letters to the Colossians and Philemon,
written from his prison in Rome at about the same
time, he pays a touching tribute to his love for
Mark, and to the latter 's helpfulness to him in
Christian work. Mark was with Paul at the time
in Rome.

64 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

What a transformation in the man since -we first
knew him. Once he had fled from the face of merely
anticipated dangers at Pamphylia, now he is ^^-tand-
ing beside a despised prisoner of the Cross, defying
the terrors of Caesar and Imperial Rome herself.
Paul writes of him to the Colossians as one of his
three staunch Jewish friends who, despite all the
terrors of his situation, were fearlessly standing by
him as fellow workers, and were a comfort unto
him. It also appears that Mark was at the time con-
templating a missionary journey to Asia Minor in
the near future and might visit Colossae; and that
Paul had already by letter or messenger commended
him to their hospitalit3^

Two or three years later at the time of Paul's
second Roman imprisonment and just before his
death, which he already foresaw as imminent, he
wrote to Timothy, who was probably at Ephesus,
summoning him to come to Rome with all possible
speed and to pick up Mark on the way and bring
him along also for he "was profitable unto him for the
ministry." Only Luke was with Paul at the time.
In his dying hour the old warrior wanted Mark with
his other two warmest friends, Luke and Timothy,
to be with him and give him comfort. This request
of Timothy indicates that he and Mark were in
touch with each other's movements; that Mark
had carried out his intended missionary jour-
ney referred to by Paul in his letter to the Colos-
sians ; that both were working under the general di-
rection or supervision of Paul ; that Mark had given

JOHN MARK 65

such proof of his courage by his presence with Paul
during his first imprisonment that the Apostle knew
no terrors of death would now keep him from
hastening to his side in the extremity of his peril;
and, above all else, it shows the tenderness of the
bonds that now knit their hearts together.

Though we have no means of knowing, there can
be little doubt that Timothy and Mark hastened to
Rome and were with Paul in his last days, even
unto his dying hour.

V

Afark and St. Peter

We have already seen how Mark 's childhood home
at Jerusalem was a center for Christian influence
and gatherings ; and that Peter when released from
prison, at once turned his steps thitherward. Some
years later Mark's relation to this Apostle was re-
newed for the blessing of all mankind. Just when
this occurred is uncertain; but probably it took
place at the close of Mark's second journey to
Cyprus in the company of Barnabas, perhaps the call
came to him while still in the island. At all events
it was probably before his reconciliation with St.
Paul.

Peter was at the time laboring in Rome. He
sorely needed an assistant and amanuensis. None
could better fill the position than his spiritual son,
John Mark, child of the godly home of Mary, one
already trained in missionary service by such men
as Paul and Barnabas. Peter sent his sum.mons

66 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

across the seas. Mark heard the West acalling.
Barnabas had trusted him, Peter trusts him, he now
knew and trusted himself, and eagerly he responded,
hastening to Peter's side. Peril and persecution
and hardship had lost all terror for him forevermore.
He arrived at the Imperial City and there labored
with St. Peter. For how many years, is entirely un-
known.

Peter's first letter was undoubtedly written from
Rome. It is addressed to ''the strangers scattered
throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and
Bithynia, ' ' and contains the saluations of Mark who
was with Peter in Rome at the time of its writing.
These greetings from Mark would seem to imply,
though they do not conclusively prove, that he was
personally known to those addressed and, therefore,
must at some time have labored among them.

But the greatest fruit of Mark's association with
Peter and his supreme service to Christianity and to
the world, was his writing of the second Gospel,
second in the order of the books, first in order of
composition. This was unquestionably written at
Rome, probably almost immediately after the mar-
tyrdom of St. Peter, and preserves to all time
the portrait of the Master which remained most
vivid in Peter's mind, and records the incidents of
his life which Peter constantly preached and retold.
The book is certainly our oldest Gospel, presents the
simplest and least adorned picture of Christ, por-
traying him as the man of action and kindly deeds ;
and not so much as the preacher, or the divine Son

JOHN MARK 67

of God. So perfectly is the book believed to reflect
the mind and preaching of Peter that it is some-
times called ' ' The Memoirs of Peter. ' '

VI

Brief Summary of the Services Rendered to Chris-
tianity hy Paul's Friend John Mark

The manifold services of this great and accom-
plishing friend of St. Paul, can best be grouped un-
der four general divisions.

First, his missionary labors: These include his
first journey through Cyrus in company with Paul
and Barnabas; a second mission to Cyprus with
Barnabas alone; then an extensive journey in Asia
Minor, perhaps entirely alone, the evidence for
which is found in Peter's first epistle, and in PauPs
letter to the Colossians and his second to Timothy.
Besides these three known missionary journeys, tra-
dition affirms several others and gives considerable
weighty evidence to substantiate its assertions.

Second, the eminent men with whom Mark was
associated as intimate companion and fellow mis-
sionary in the city of Rome. Among whom were
Paul, Peter, Luke, Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus,
Justus, Epaphras, and Demas.

Third, his authorship of the second Gospel.

Fourth, the service he rendered to his own age
and all time by showing us a man who had the
courage to face his own past and live it down, and
win and enjoy the friendship and confidence of such
men as Peter, Paul, and Barnabas. He is a living

€8 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

example of the power of Christ to make a mighty
and fearless warrior of one who has once failed and
fled from the face of battle. He is the living proof
that Christ trusts such again, and commits to them
the holiest services and mightiest tasks.

VII

What Paul and the Man Who Once Forfeited and
Afterwards Regained His Friendship Mutually
Oived Each Other

It is undoubtedly true that Mark owed far more
to Barnabas and Peter than he did to Paul. But if
he owned nothing else to Paul, he most assuredly
owed this — the inspiration which comes from the
example of uncompromising loyalty to a work once
undertaken, and fearless obedience to one's life
mission whatever the perils and cost to self. This
lesson Mark once sorely needed, and doubtless it
had a steadying power on his after life which must
have influenced him though less appreciably yet as
surely as did Barnabas 's trusting friendship in the
crisis of his career.

On the other hand Paul certainly owed much to
his friend Mark, probably more than Mark to him.
Mark's complete retrieving of his one mistake must
have taught the Apostle to the Gentiles the need of
a broader and kindlier judgment of his fellowmen;
that he should condone their weaknesses and be-
lieve in the final triumph and victory of their better
nature; that one failure does not spoil a life, and
that there may be divine material in the most un-

JOHN MARK 69

promising of men. Certain it is that Paul never
again failed any of his friends, never again judged
them harshly. Ever afterwards he trusted to the
uttermost those he loved, appealed to all that was
noble within them, committed unto them the
weightiest responsibilities, inspired and encouraged
them to meet and conquer weakness and temp-
tations within, difficulties and terrors without.

And more definitely and explicitly, Paul owed to
Mark public co-operation in his missionary work at
Rome; also the most intimate personal sympathy,
comfort, and ministrations while he languished in a
prison cell; and, we may believe, his presence and
consolations in his dying hour. Beautiful and ten-
der beyond words were the last relations of these
two men. What personal magnetism and genius for
friendship had Paul to call forth such devotion on
the part of one whom he once so cruelly, though not
vindictively, had wounded. What forgiveness and
forgetfulness on the part of Mark. What a heart
of gold had he. What nobility to call forth such
love from the great Apostle, what nobility to accept
the other's generous restoration of himself to the
secret place and inner circle of his mighty, throb-
bing love for his friends.

I would not contrast such friends. I would not
compare them. To do so would be to do both an
injury and an injustice. The years purged each of
all dross and only love was left.

Nero is already sharpening the axe to smite down

70 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

''such a one as Paul the aged." Only Luke is with
him. The desolate old man would see once more
before he suffers, the faces of his best loved friends.
He hurls a message across the seas to his ''son'*
Timothy — "Do thy diligence to come shortly unto
me . . . . take Mark and bring him with thee"
— ^so wrote the broken warrior in his last message,
in his dying hour. Surely by those words Mark was
compensated for all he had ever suffered. The cur-
tain drops, the lights go out, and all is still.

CHAPTER IV

Silafi — The Man St. Paul First Trained in Missionary
Work

The story of Silas's career is based upon the fol-
lowing passages — Acts chapters 15, 16, 17, and 18;
2nd Cor. 1 :19, 1st Thes. 1 :1, 2nd Thes. 1 :1, and 1st
Peter 5:12.

WHEN Paul had his rupture with Bar-
nabas over the question of taking
Mark with them on a visitation of
the churches they had founded on
their first missionary journey, we read ''Paul chose
Silas, and departed, being recommended by the
brethren unto the grace of God. And he went
through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches. ' '
This trip, originally planned as a mere visitation
of churches already existent, was lengthened out by
the guidance of the Spirit until Paul traversed all
Asia Minor and entered upon the conquest of Mace-
donia and Achaia, and is known to history as Paul's
** Second Missionary Journey." It has proved to be
one of the most momentous journeys in the history
of the world, — greater than his third for that was
largely a going over of the same ground, greater

71

72 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

than the first for that covered a relatively small
territory. How great this second journey was to be
even Paul did not dream in advance. — in fact, he
never had any adequate conception of its signifi-
cance, one could not have had in the age in which it
took place. But some things Paul must have
known ; he must have known it would be momentous
and hazardous. And hence the fact that of all men
he deliberately chose Silas for his heart's closest
companion and constant coworker in such an enter-
prise and field of peril, is in itself a sufficient certifi-
cate of character for Silas and a sufficient eulogy of
his merits, even were this the only time his name
were mentioned in the New Testament.

By this choice on the part of Paul, Silas, in the
providence of God, was lifted to the front rank of
the world's missionaries and heralds of the Cross.
It is not surely known that Silas had had any pre-
vious experience or training in missionary labors.
Paul's experience with Barnabas was that of a sub-
ordinate at first, and Mark also was under Barna-
bas's leadership, not Paul's, so neither of those
friends can claim the unique place occupied by Silas.
But though the latter was the first to be trained by
Paul, he was not the last. A score of other young
men were to enjoy the same arduous privilege in the
next few years, and thus be made ready to take up
the old warrior's fallen mantle when he should cast
it aside, and so perpetuate his life work and mission.

SILAS 73

[

What Is Known Ahoid Silas Up to the Time Paul
Chose Him for His Travelling Companion

Of his early years and conversion we know abso-
lutely nothing. Tradition declares that he was one
of the Seventy sent out by our Lord during his
earthly ministry; but there is no authority in the
New Testament for this assertion, though it may be
true.

Silas's name first occurs in Acts 15:22 — ''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." The Jerusalem Council had just come
to a unanimous decision with reference to the rules
which were to be binding on the Gentile converts.
The decision was to be formulated in writing and
entrusted to Paul and Barnabas to deliver to the
various churches of Syria and Cilicia. Also verbal
messages and greetings were to be sent from the
mother church, and so it seemed best to send along
with Paul and Barnabas members of the Council
from Jerusalem to make assurance doubly sure. The
men who would have been likely to be chosen for
such an important commission, especially in view
of the fact that there were oral as well as written
instructions to be delivered, would naturally have
been those who commanded the full confidence of
the strictest Jewish Christians of Jerusalem. Like-

74 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

wise they had to be men of great ability and tact and
of winning personality, lest they give offense to the
sensitive Gentile converts. The choice of the Jeru-
salem leaders fell upon Judas Barsabas and Silas,
who, we are told, were ''chief men among the
brethren. ' '

The import of this latter declaration should not
be overlooked. There were still in the Jerusalem
church at this time such men as Peter and John, and
James the Lord's brother, as well as other eminent
leaders. Now when we are informed that Silas was
one of the chief men in such a company we are not in
danger of overestimating either his character or his
ability. We are also told in connection with the
fulfilment of his mission, that he was a successful
prophet and preacher, speaking to the great joy and
consolation of the churches.

Having arrived at Antioch Judas and Silas for a
time entered enthusiastically into the work there.
Finally having discharged their original commission,
*'they were let go in peace from the brethren unto
the Apostles. Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to
abide there still." Evidently Silas was deeply
impressed by the enthusiasm, breadth, and power of
the work at Antioch as Barnabas also had been
when he first came in contact with it, having been
likewise sent thither on a special mission by the
Jerusalem church. So also had Paul been impressed
when he first came to Antioch, brought thither by
Barnabas. Surely here were the surgings of mighty
powers. Silas could not tear himself away, he

SILAS 75

wanted to have a part and be a part of the vast
enterprises which here had their birthplace. So '4t
pleased Silas to abide there still."

Then followed the proposal of Paul to Barnabas
to revisit the Gentile churches, their quarrel over
Mark and their final separation, and Barnabas 's
departure with Mark to Cyprus leaving Paul still at
Antioch. But Paul couldn't abandon his proposed
visitation of his Gentile converts, so he chose Silas,
**and departed, being recommended by the brethren
unto the grace of God."

II
Why Paul Chose Silas

Now we may raise the question — why did Paul
choose Silas for a companion on his second mission-
ary journey? Some of the reasons have already
been indirectly given in connection with previous
topics, but it will be convenient to set them down in
an orderly manner by themselves. As Silas was one
of Paul's chief friends we want to know all about
him that we can.

We might note in the first place that Paul never
traveled alone if he could possibly avoid it. Not-
withstanding his unshakable confidence in his Lord,
and the strength and independence of his own char-
acter, his yearning heart ever clung to human
friends; he always wanted them near him; they were
his comfort, his solace, and his inspiration.

Then, too, he always wanted others with him as
helpers in the work. Christ sent out the Seventy,

76 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

and again the Twelve, two by two. Paul began his
first missionary journey with two companions, and
completed it with one. Experience taught him both
the comfort and the practical value of human com-
panionship. The work of missions was ever too
large, too lonely, and too dangerous for any man to
like to attempt it alone.

But all this does not throw any light on the ques-
tion why Silas was the particular man selected at
this crisis in Paul's career. This was no matter of
mere chance or convenience. There were ample rea-
sons both of policy and personality why the choice
fell on Silas. As to reasons of policy: Silas was
one of the chief men of the strictly Jewish Christian
church at Jerusalem, and commanded the confidence
of all the brethren there; Paul was more than will-
ing that such a one should accompany him, inspect
his work among the Gentiles, and report his obser-
vations to the home church, so as to remove any
prejudice which might be still lingering against him
and his general missionary policy among the Gen-
tiles. Paul also wanted with him a strict Jew from
Jerusalem for such could far better confirm all Gen-
tile Christians as to their privileges in Christ and in
the Christian church, and could also substantiate
Paul's affirmations that he now had the unanimous
backing and endorsement of the elders and Apostles
at Jerusalem; Silas was already accredited by the
authority of the Council to the many churches Paul
had proposed to Barnabas that they revisit; and,
lastly, Silas as well as Paul was a Roman citizen,

SILAS 77

and in traveling through dangerous regions this
might prove no mean advantage.

When we pass from questions of policy to ques-
tions of personality and ask why Paul chose Silas,
we find other reasons equally cogent : there was the
native ability of Silas amply proven to Paul by his
standing in his home community in the same class
with Peter, James, and John; witnessed to also by
Paul's own observations of him and his work at the
Jerusalem Council and in the church at Antioch;
there were, too, his zeal, consecration, and breadth
of mind proven by his immediate and eager entrance
into the work at Antioch, despite its somewhat Gen-
tile complexion, and his reluctance to return to
Jerusalem even after his original commission had
been discharged; there was his faultless tact in so
addressing Gentile converts that they ^'rejoiced for
the consolation;" therefore we cannot wonder that
of all men Paul selected Silas for the companion of
his heart and the sharer of his perils. We cannot
wonder that Paul's affections clave unto this man
and that his judgment endorsed the verdict of his
love; nor can we wonder that, when the great
Apostle's summons fell on the wondering ears of
Silas, this messenger of the single church at Jeru-
salem to the scattered churches of Syria and Cilicia,
was at once lifted up and transformed into the mis-
sionary of the Cross to all mankind. Paul had a
way of speaking to men like that — and they could
not say him nay.

78 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

Up and down through the streets of the cities of
two continents this man Paul who once was exceed-
ing mad against Christians persecuting them even
to death and compelling them to blaspheme, up and
down through cities and across deserts and over
mountain heights he traveled year after year and
year after year, preaching Christ and peering into
the faces of all he met, looking for men, men of abil-
ity, courage, and consecration, men whom he could
summon to forsake all and follow him; men whom
he could train to multiply his personality in life and
perpetuate his mission after his death; men upon
whose shoulders his mantle could some day fall, men
who would carry the Cross into the "regions
beyond" when his own tired hands should be folded
in infinite peace across his weary breast. At Jeru-
salem, and again at Antioch, he peered into the face
of this man Silas, he saw there the making of a hero,
herald, and martyr. The fulness of time came, God 's
clock struck the hour, Paul's unexpected challenge
rang in Silas 's soul, and he forsook all and followed
him. Paul had that kind of way about him with
young men, and be it said to the glory of young men
they had a way of answering as Silas answered, and
about their dauntless leader on many a distant bat-
tlefield, they fought as did the Tenth Legion under
the eye of Caesar, or the Old Guard under the eye
of Napoleon. And so with a single Lieutenant com-
posing his entire army, St. Paul, that greatest of
all Field-Marshals who ever led the soldiers of

SILAS 79

Christ to battle, set forth on one of the most momen-
tous campaigns in the annals of mankind.

Paul and Silas were Orientals and might have
turned their faces toward their racial kindred of
the rising sun. But they turned Westward — and
nineteen centuries of Christian history have fol-
lowed the path they blazed.

Ill

The Most Significant Invasion Europe Ever Saw

It is no part of our purpose to trace in detail the
events of Paul's second missionary journey, or to
write the biography of the great Apostle. We have
to do only with his friendships and his friends, and
the mutual influence they and he had on each others '
lives, and the assistance they were to him in his life
work.

At once on leaving Antioch Paul and Silas went
through Syria and Cilicia confirming the churches.
*' And as they went through the cities, they delivered
them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of
the Apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.
And so were the churches established in the faith,
and increased in number daily. Now when they
had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of
Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to
preach the word in Asia, after they were come to
Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the
Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by
Mysia came down to Troas.*'

80 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

In all this long journey they were constantly
strengthening existing churches and jointly found-
ing new ones, Silas sharing all the honors and all
the perils and responsibilities of this magnificent
pioneer missionary work. Constantly, too, they were
ever sweeping Westward unconscious of the world-
changing purposes of God which were to be wrought
out in this journey through their instrumentality.
So at last these pilgrims, now including both Tim-
othy and Luke in their company, have reached Troas
on the Hellespont. They have reached this spot not
alone by entering open doors, but also by being com-
pelled to pass by closed doors they fain would
have entered. Why they were thus thwarted
remained for them at the time among the inscrutable
mysteries of Providence. But God had his purposes
infinitely larger than the plans of even such men
as Paul and Silas, and gropingly they were stum-
bling along to the fulfilment of the Divine decrees.

So here these four men are at Troas. Doors are
closed on the right hand and on the left: retreat is
impossible ; the sea is before them — what are they to
do? Late into the night perhaps they discuss the
strange thwartings of the Holy Spirit who would not
suffer them to preach the word in Asia or Bithynia.
What can they do, where proclaim the Cross of
Christ?

It was a troubled, anxious group. They gaze
wistfully at the setting sun as its dying rays light up
with lurid flame the green isles of the Aegaean. It
seems to be beckoning them onward to follow it to

SILAS 81

its hiding place beyond the Westward world. They
talk of Greece and Rome and the regions beyond,
and covet these for their Lord. Would God they
might have the honor of planting the Cross on Euro-
pean soil. And as they talked, these four men, they
wist not that their faces shone.

But will the Holy Ghost permit such a far mis-
sion? Asia is not yet won for Christ, and shall they
four, feeble, unarmed men attempt the conquest of
all Europe? Long the four thus anxiously question
the leadings of the Spirit. The night waxes late,
their problem is too mighty for human solution, they
pray and then lie down to rest — God will solve their
difficulties, will answer their prayers and aspira-
tions in the way that is best for them and for the
Kingdom.

And so as they peacefully and trustingly slept *'a
vision appeared to Paul in the night ; There stood a
man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying Come
over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had
seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go
into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord
had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a
straight course to Samothracia, and the next day
to Neapolis."

And so four men — Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke
— compose the entire army that undertook the
mightiest conquest in the annals of mankind, — the
conquest of pagan Europe for the crown of Jesus
Christ.

82 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

Pour hundred years earlier, near this same spot,
Xerxes crossed the Hellespont with an army of a
million men for the conquest of tiny Greece alone —
and he failed. But now four men, armed only with
the sword of the Spirit and led by the Prince of
Peace, undertook the conquest of all Europe, and so
inaugurated a campaign which was to be fought on
till victory should crown the banners of the soldiers
of the Cross. And Silas is one of the four, is him-
self one-fourth of this initial army of conquest. To
such honor has his friendship with St. Paul brought
him. Into his soul the great Apostle had breathed
his own master passion and he was lifted to the
heights where stood his mightier friend. Paul did
this sort of thing for the lieutenants he gathered
about him and hurled against the ramparts of
paganism.

They went down to Philippi and there Silas shared
with Paul in the founding of that powerful church ;
there also with Paul he faced every danger and with
him was thrust into the inner prison with his feet
made fast in the stocks; and there at midnight he
and Paul prayed and sang praises until the old
Philippian jail rang again. Surely Paul chose
wisely when he chose Silas to be the companion of
his perils, here was one who could sing whatever
betide. He was a man after Paul's own heart.

Together they journeyed on to Thessalonica and
here again Silas became the joint-founder with Paul
of a great church, and with him shared the glory of
their foes' indictment that they had ''turned the

SILAS 83

world upside down." Leaving Thessaloniea they
came to Berea and preached there. Here Paul being
almost immediately driven out, Silas and Timothy
remained to consolidate the work, which fact would
seem to indicate that Silas was no less brave than
Paul and at the same time was a man of greater
tact in dealing with a critical and dangerous
situation.

From Berea Paul went to Athens and thence to
Corinth where he was rejoined by Silas and Timothy.
Apparently he reached Corinth in a state bordering
on collapse. But on the arrival of his two friends
Silas and Timothy from Macedonia, he became,
through their sympathy and encouragement, his old
self once more, ''and being pressed in the spirit
testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ." In
Paul's second letter to the Corinthians he refers to
Silas as one of the founders of this church also.

At this point the name of Silas abruptly and per-
manently disappears from the narrative in Acts.
Why this is so it is impossible to say, and conjecture
is practically valueless. There are, however, two
suggested reasons which we may glance at in pass-
ing. One is that Silas stayed behind in Corinth
when Paul finally departed, and that Acts concerns
itself only with the subsequent movements of Paul.
This view is not well sustained, though it may be
impossible wholly to disprove it. The other theory
is that when Silas left his home in Jerusalem he did
not contemplate an absence of more than a few
weeks at most, nor a journey farther than to Cilicia ;

84 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

yet already on his arrival at Corinth he had been
away from home several years, and journeyed clear
across Asia Minor and into Europe ; but now, at last,
it is conjectured, it was imperative that he return
home at once. Now while the first part of this argu-
ment is unquestionably true, there is not a particle
of evidence to sustain the conclusion arrived at ; yet
it must be said that this course of reasoning has all
the merits of plausibility and may very well have
been the facts of the matter. At any rate, there is
not a scintilla of evidence that any shadow fell
athwart the friendship of Paul and Silas, or that
Silas was ever found wanting in his sacrifices for the
Cross. A few years later we find him Peter's aman-
uensis at Rome and the bearer of his first epistle to
**the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Gala-
tia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia," in part of
which regions he had in earlier years jointly with
Paul been the founder of many churches.

And so the after life of Silas abundantly justified
St. Paul in choosing him of all men to be the com-
panion of his second missionary journey — the great-
est missionary journey in the annals of Christianity.

IV

What the Friendship of Paul and Silas Meant to
Each

To Silas the friendship of Paul meant the lifting
of himself to Paul's moral hight and outlook, the
sharing of Paul's master passion for souls, the privi-
lege of linking his name forever with Paul's second

SILAS 85

missionary journey, the opportunity and joy of
sharing Paul's labors and perils from Antioch across
Asia Minor to Troas, across the Hellespont to
Philippi, across Macedonia and Greece to the city of
Corinth.

And the friendship of Silas meant to Paul the fill-
ing of the void in his heart made by his separation
from Barnabas; it meant the closest sympathy and
companionship for weary years of labor in many a
hostile city, and in journey ings over hundreds of
leagues of unknown mountains and perilous valleys.
It meant the staunchest assistance in the founding of
churches all through Asia Minor, and of the great
European churches at Philippi, Thessalonica, and
Corinth. It meant the consolidating and perfecting
of his abruptly terminated work at Berea, and the
counsel freely given together with Timothy's, in the
composition of the two letters to the church at
Thessalonica, which were written under the joint
names and salutations of the three men.

And if, as seems probable, Silas's mission to the
many churches of Asia Minor under the direction of
St. Peter was after Paul 's death, then we have in his
friendship with Paul one of the hall-marks of the
world significance of a great friendship — the perpet-
uation of a man's life work through his friends after
his own death ; for it was among some of these very
churches to which Peter wrote, that Paul labored
many years, to the care of these that he gave such
nights of sleepless anxiety, and to some of them that

86 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

he himself wrote in a passion of blood and tears and
awful imprecations that Galatian Epistle.

And so it is a fitting close to the life of this friend
of Paul's, that our last glimpse of him should find
him setting out on a mission to that very field where
he and Paul had labored so long and faithfully to-
gether, and that his last known work should be a
sort of sealing to that departed Christian gladiator
of still more fruit in a region which had cost him
such labor, anguish, and prayer.

CHAPTER Y

Timothy — Paul's Best Loved Friend

The story of Timothy's career is contained in the
following books and passages : — Acts 16 :1, 20 :4, Rom.
36:21, 1 Cor. 4:17, 16:30-11, 2 Cor. 1:1 and 19, Phil.
1:1 and 2:19-23, Col. 1:1-15, 1 Thes. 1:1 and 3:2-6,
2 Thes. 1 :l-2, Phm. 1 :l-3, and the books of 1st and
2nd Timothy, and Heb. 13:23.

rxT

**^ J ^HOU therefore, my son, be strong in the
grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the
things that thou hast heard of me among
many witnesses, the same commit thou to
faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier
of Jesus Christ."

So wrote the aged Paul from his dungeon in
Rome to his youthful friend Timothy, pastor at
Ephesus, scores of leagues away across the seas.
The words are found in the last letter the old war-
rior ever wrote, and were probably penned and dis-
patched only a few days or weeks before he received
his crown. The above quotation contains and illus-
trates the two profoundest of the world-significant
phases of human friendship, those two great princi-

87

88 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

pies which we are striving ever to keep prominently
before us in our study of St. Paul and those friend-
ships of his which have changed the world: — first,
that in a true friendship the stronger friend is ever
lifting the weaker and lesser to his own hights of
courage and achievement, and so multiplies himself
in life; and, second, by thus pouring into the heart
and soul of another his one master passion, his own
life and mission are perpetuated in the life and
mission of his surviving friends and the generations
that follow.

The important place held by Timothy in the New
Testament and in the early church, is evidenced in
many ways, most of which we shall endeavor to
touch upon. But superficially Timothy's importance
is brought prominently to our notice by the fact that
his name occurs in twelve of the twenty-seven books
of the New Testament: — Acts, Romans, 1st and 2nd
Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd
Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, Philemon, and
Hebrews.

Not one of the Twelve Apostles is named in nearly
so many books. In fact the name of no other man
is found in so many save that of Paul only which
is found in fifteen books : — his own thirteen epistles,
and Acts and 2nd Peter. Timothy also holds the
unique distinction of being the only man to whom
two of the inspired books of Scripture were origin-
ally written as private letters of a friend. In making
this statement I do not forget that Luke addressed
both his Gospel and Acts to " Theophilus. " But

TIMOTHY 89

whether this name is that of an individual friend,
or a generic term for all the "loved of God,"
certainly the contents of these two books were never
intended to be understood as private personal
letters.

I

Vindication of the Title to This Chapter

In choosing the title for this sketch — ** Timothy,
the best loved friend of St. Paul" — I have taken one
which most appropriately characterizes the tender
personal relation which existed between the two
men. I much doubt if any one will be disposed
seriously to contest the use of the superlative in
this phrase.

In the whole range of the world's literature and
history there are few friendships which can be
compared to that of Paul and Timothy. In Scripture
I can find but two which seem to me worthy to stand
with theirs — the friendship of David and Jonathan,
and that of Christ and the Apostle John. Both of
these were equal to Paul's with Timothy in the
intensity of their love, in all other respects they
radically differed. But I would not emphasize the
divergences in these three great and unique friend-
ships. I would simply claim a place for that of
Paul and Timothy on a par with the other two in
its intensity, purity, and unselfishness. In these
high qualities these three friendships stand apart
in the Sacred Scriptures — there is no fourth.

90 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

As I study the relations of these two men, Paul
and Timothy, and ponder all the wealth of endearing
and solicitous language the former employs in his
letters to the latter and in his references to him in
his epistles to the various churches, it seems to me
that Paul's affection for his younger friend partook
of something of the nature of every possible tender
human tie. Timothy is at one and the same time
his friend and his brother. Paul loves him as a father
loves an only son, as a strong man loves a weak and
confiding woman, — yes, more, as a mother loves and
yearns over a helpless, crippled child. There is
something almost pathetic in the might of this
strong man's imperious tenderness for "his child
Timothy."

Were we to bring forward specific evidence of
the intensity of Paul's love for Timothy, we should
find it in the domestic terms he uses in speaking of
and writing to him : four times he calls Timothy his
"brother," five times he is his "son." We should
find it in his words of endearment: Timothy is his
"beloved," his "dearly beloved." We should find it
in his words of praise and commendation: he tells
the Romans Timothy is his ' ' workf ellow ; " he writes
the church at Corinth that Timothy is "faithful in
the Lord" and "worketh the work of the Lord, as
I also do;" from his Roman prison he informs the
Philippians that he has with him "no man like-
minded" with Timothy, "who will naturally care
for their state," and reminds them that "they know
the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he

TIMOTHY 91

hath served with me in the Gospel ; " to the Thessa-
lonian church he speaks of Timothy as "the minister
of God and our fellow laborer in the Gospel of
Christ."

Were we to seek farther confirmation of Paulas
affection, we should find it in the language and
tone of parental solicitude which ever surges to the
surface whenever in his letters he has occasion to
mention the name of his "son Timothy." He
beseeches the Corinthians that if he come unto them
they should see to it he did so without fear, and
that no man should despise him but conduct him
forth at his departure in peace. And almost every
word and phrase of his two letters to Timothy are
athrill and atremble with this paternal anxiety for
his personal wellbeing and public conduct and
success.

II

Timothy \s Early Life and His Enlistment by St. Paul

Timothy's native town was Lystra, a city in the
south-central part of Asia Minor. While his mother
was a Jewess, his father was a Greek; but his
training was strictly that of a Hebrew youth. His
conversion to Christianity evidently took place when
he was quite young, occurring at the time Paul and
Barnabas visited his home town on their first mis-
sionary journey. Although his name is not mentioned
by Luke in his narrative of that event, yet when
Paul and Silas visit Lystra on the former's second
missionary journey Timothy is not only well known

92 SAINT PAUL'S FEIENDSHIPS

as a Christian worker in his own city but also at the
neighboring town of Iconiiim.

That he was converted through Paul's efforts is
abundantly proved by Paul's phrase "my own son
in the faith." When, therefore, Paul and Silas
reached Lystra and heard the splendid reports of
Timothy's character and activity, the Apostle at
once determined to attach Timothy to himself and
enlist him in his life work. If on this journey Silas
filled the place made vacant in Paul's heart by his
abrupt separation from Barnabas, Timothy was
destined to more than fill the place of John Mark.
And so he became the second man whom Paul was
to train in missionary service, and into whose soul
he was to breathe the inspiration and zeal of his own
master passion.

Either at this time or some years later when
Timothy became pastor of the church at Ephesus,
he was solemnly set apart for Christian service by
the laying on of the hands Paul and the Presbytery,
and by words of prophecy. If the ordination took
place at this time, it is more than likely that the
prophecies were uttered by Silas, who, we are told,
was a prophet as well as preacher and missionary.

So now the old circle of three is again complete
and Paul and his two new companions with glowing
faces turned toward the great unknown West, and
with ever hurrying footsteps eagerly answered the
Spirit's summons to "the regions beyond.'*

TIMOTHY 93

III

Timothy's Fivefold Service to Christianity

Id the providence of God and inspired by the love,
leadership and guidance of St. Paul, Timothy was
destined to render a fivefold service to his own and
all subsequent generations of the Christian church.
Perhaps it is well to distinguish these and speak of
each separately, thus conveying to our minds a more
distinct impression of the length and breadth and
hight of his services, though by so doing we shall
not be able to give each its proper setting in con-
nection with other services he was simultaneously
rendering.

1

Timothy's Service as an Itinerant Missionary

As we have seen, Timothy was drafted by St.
Paul as soon as he and Silas reached Lystra on
Paul's second missionary journey. Together with
them he journeyed and labored till they had swept
in a northwesterly direction up across Asia Minor
to Troas, opposite the Macedonian shore. He was
one of that immortal four who invaded Europe, first
claiming that continent for Jesus Christ. With Silas
and St. Paul he helped found the churches at
Philippi and Thessalonica; but he was not as
aggressive as his two older companions. We infer
this from the fact that at neither place is there any
reference to his personal safety being endangered.
At Berea he tarried behind with Silas to complete

94 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

and consolidate the work inaugurated by Paul, but
from which the latter had been driven forth by-
persecution.

Arriving at Athens Paul sent back a hasty
message for Timothy and Silas to join him there;
but on the arrival of the former he immediately
dispatched him to Thessalonica. On his return from
that mission he found Paul had left Athens and
gone to Corinth. There he and Silas joined their
leader and aided him in founding the powerful
church in that city.

Nothing more is heard of him until we find him
again with Paul at Ephesus on the latter 's third
missionar}^ journey. Conjecture as to his movements
during the intervening period, is utterly idle — he
may have gone with Paul back to Antioch, he may
have remained behind at Corinth or in Macedonia,
or he may have gone to Ephesus and there awaited
Paul's return from Antioch, we cannot say which.

After serving Paul in an important mission, which
will be dealt with in its proper place, he rejoined
him at Ephesus, then together they again labored
among the Macedonian churches which they with
Silas and Luke had founded on a former journey.
He also at this time accompanied Paul on his journey
through Greece, and with him preached at Corinth.
When Paul finally set out from Macedonia on his
last journey to Jerusalem, he was one of the large
company of evangelists whom the former had gath-
ered about him. ''And there accompanied him into
Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians,

TIMOTHY 95

Aristarchus and Seciindus ; and Gains of Derbe, and
Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. ' *

Timothy's name is not again mentioned in con-
nection with this momentous journey of St. Paul.
Some conjecture that he accompanied Paul to
Jerusalem : others that he was left behind as pastor
of the church at Ephesus. There is no clear evidence
to settle the question.

His subsequent movements are impossible to trace
in any definite and connected manner. But from
scattered references in the epistles of Paul to the
churches of Macedonia, Greece, and Asia Minor, and
to Timothy himself, we know that he was ever
diligently doing the work of an evangelist. We
know also that he was for a time with St. Paul
during his first imprisonment, for he is associated
with him in the authorship of several letters written
at Rome, and also we have Paul's worct that he was
contemplating sending him from Rome on a mission
to Philippi. And later on, as we learn from Paul's
second letter to him, written during the former's
second imprisonment at Rome, he was again laboring
in the far East probably once more at Ephesus.

In all likelihood he answered Paul's last summons
to join him in Rome. At some time during this
period he was himself imprisoned for a time, but
subsequently set at liberty, as we learn from the
epistle to the Hebrews. Of his later years and
death nothing is definitely known; but traditions of
considerable weight declare that he rounded out his

96 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

career as settled pastor or bishop of Ephesus, and
there crowned his service to Christ with a glorious
martyrdom.

2

Timothy's Service as the Executor of Important
Commissions

We have the record of three such commissions
which we know Timothy executed, and there is a
fourth which Paul had in contemplation and may
have had him carry out, though we have no informa-
tion that makes this certain.

The first of these missions which was entrusted
to Timothy occurred on Paul's second missionary
journey when he sent him from Athens to Thessa-
lonica. The importance of this and Timothy's
eminent success in executing it can best be attested
by transcribing Paul's own words. '* Wherefore
when we could no longer forbear, we thought it
good to be left at Athens alone ; and sent Timotheus,
our brother, and minister of God, and our fellow
laborer in the Gospel of Christ, to establish you, and
to comfort you concerning your faith: that no man
should be moved by these afflictions : for yourselves
know that we are appointed thereunto. — For this
cause, when T could no longer forbear, I sent to
know your faith, lest by some means the tempter
have tempted you, and our labor be in vain. But
now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and
brought us good tidings of your faith and charity,

TIMOTHY 97

and that ye have good remembrance of us always,
desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:
therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in
all our affliction and distress by your faith."

On Paul's third missionary journey, while he
tarried and labored at Ephesus, he sent Timothy
with Erastus on a mission to the Macedonian
churches. Of the nature and success of this trip we
have no record. As an extension of this same
mission, or soon after it, Timothy was sent on
matters of great moment to the church at Corinth.
Paul had grave fears as to his reception there, and
also as to the success of his visit. These fears were
amply justified for Timothy appears to have utterly
failed in his efforts to settle the troubles of the
church, necessitating the dispatching of Titus to the
scene of difficulty.

A fourth mission on which Paul contemplated
sending Timothy was from Rome to the church at
Philippi. This intention Paul announced in his
letter to that church. Whether Timothy was sent
thither or not is unknown, but as we later find him
laboring again in the East it is quite probable that
he took in Philippi on the way. Whatever the
varying successes of these four missions, the fact
that Paul committed them unto Timothy shows his
confidence in the latter 's ability, and also proves
Timothy's willingness to undertake critical and
hazardous enterprises under the direction of his
leader and for the glory of his Lord. At Thessa-
lonica he was preeminently successful : his failure at

98 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

Corinth may not reflect upon his talents or tact —
conditions there were so desperate as to be the
despair of St. Paul himself.

3

Timothy's Service as a Settled Pastor

About all we can say with positive assurance
under this head, is that he was certainly once for
a longer or shorter time pastor of the church at
Ephesus. The proof of this is found in Paul 's words :
*'As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus,
when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest
charge some that they teach no other doctrine."
And, in fact, Paul's entire first letter to him was
for his guidance in that pastorate. But the date of
this and its place in the movements of Paul himself
is entirely uncertain. Some authorities are positive
that it took place during Paul's journey to Antioch
at the conclusion of his second missionary journey.
Others are equally sure that it is to be placed after
his release from his first imprisonment at Rome,
when he was again doing missionary work for a
short time in Crete and Greece.

Whatever the precise time, the evidence is clear
as to the pastorate itself. It is not impossible that
he served this church on several different occasions.
It may very well be that he remained here and
preached while Paul visited Antioch between his
second and third missionary journeys, and that he
was there again later on. It is known that he was
with Paul some of the time during his first or second

TIMOTHY 99

imprisonment at Rome, and that he had returned to
the East, in all probability to Ephesus, before Paul's
martyrdom, for it is from the East that he is so
pathetically summoned to hasten back to console
the dying hours of his life-long friend. And, as we
have already seen, it is altogether probable that
after Paul's death and his own imprisonment and
release, he returned to Ephesus once more and there
completed his earthly service.

Be these conjectures as they may, the fact of
Paul's appointment of him even once to such an
important pastorate proves his faith in his ability,
and was carrying out Paul's conscious purpose of so
training the friends about him that when at last
he must lay down his mantle there would be a
score ready to take it up, and his master passion
still burn in other bosoms to the end of time. **And
the things that thou hast heard of me among many
witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men,
who shall be able to teach others also.''

4.

Timothy ^s Service as an Associate Author

We are accustomed to speak of Paul as the author
of thirteen books of the New Testament. This is
not incorrect; and yet it does not tell the entire
story concerning the authorship of his epistles. We
need but glance at the introduction and salutations
of the several letters to discover that in some cases
Paul distinctly associates other men with himself as
joint authors; at least of the messages sent. Un-

100 SAINT PAUL'S FEIENDSHIPS

doubtedly the language is practically all Pauline.
In all probability the messages and counsel are
mainly his own, yet the fact remains that in six out
oi' the thirteen which bear his name, he specifically
mentions Timothy as one who with himself is send-
ing the greetings and communication to the
churches. Three of these six letters were written
during their missionary travels together, — 1st and
2nd Thessalonians, and 2nd Corinthians; the other
three were written from Rome while Timothy was
there with Paul, — Philippians, Colossians, and Phile-
mon.

Timothy 's Service as a Comfort and Inspiration to
St. Paul

I think this deserves a separate mention. I think
it has a rightful place in any catalog of Timothy's
services to Christianity. Paul was no ordinary man.
His services to Christianity were unique. Whatever
contributed to making them what they were, was
itself a service to Christianity. Timothy's love for
Paul was a comfort beyond words to the lonely man
who, bereft of all family ties, tried to fill the aching
emptiness in his heart by claiming his younger
friends as ''sons," — and preeminent among these
was his ''beloved" Timothy.

This was much, but it was not all. Timothy's
love and companionship were more than a comfort
to Paul the individual. They were an inspiration
to Paul the missionary. Discouraged and defeated

TIMOTHY 101

at Athens, Paul reached Corinth broken in body and
spirit. His life work was too great, the burden of
his mission too crushing to be borne, even his faith
and courage staggered in the presence of his diffi-
culties and discouragements. He was alone in that
great and wicked city. Alone — and he could not
rise to the demands of the hour. All at once he
became his old self and the Gospel message once
more rang out from his lips with all its former
power and intensity. What had happened? Only
this — two friends had joined him and were com-
forting his heart and staying up his hands. His old
zeal flamed forth anew and his voice again hurled
forth its challenging and victorious battle cry. In
human fellowship and friendship this mighty man,
shorn of his strength when left alone, renewed his
courage, his optimism, and his power. The twain
who thus through the voice of Paul smote iniquity
in the high places of pagan Corinth were Silas just
arrived from Berea, and Timothy with joyful tidings
from Thessalonica.

These then were the fivefold services rendered by
Timothy to the early church and all the Christian
centuries. Perhaps a sixth should be added, one
already several times mentioned, that of handing
on to others the unspeakable treasures he had
received from the lips and harvested from the com-
panionship of the great Apostle.

102 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

IV

Timothy y the Man — His Ability and Character

If we had simply the above references and catalog
of Timothy's services, we should be compelled to
regard him as one of the ablest men of the New
Testament — perhaps second only to Paul himself.
On the other hand if we had no reference to him
save in the two letters Paul wrote him, we should
be compelled to draw almost precisely the opposite
conclusion both as to his ability and character. If
these letters were our only source of information,
we should of course learn something of the match-
lessness of Paul's affection for his '' beloved son;'^
but our unavoidable conclusion would be that if
these letters reflected anything like a just estimate
of the man to whom they were written, he must
have been, however amiable his purposes and im-
pulses, young, weak, fickle, and subjected to all
kinds of temptations — mental, spiritual, and physi-
cal.

Have we any right to assume that these letters
in their warnings, entreaties, and counsels, give any-
thing like a true portrayal of the real Timothy?
Certainly no one was better acquainted with him
than their author. For years they had travelled and
labored together. Now it would be exceedingly
strange if in letters meant originally for the eye of
Timothy only, every word and thought in them that
flowed from the pen of St. Paul were a total misfit
for the recipient. If one now by honorable means

TIMOTHY 103

should chance to get possession of a private letter
written by an older man to a younger friend, and
if this letter was full of warnings and beseechings,
it would be deemed that its contents were a revela-
tion of the character of the younger man; or, at
any rate, a revelation of the older man's conception
of him. Does not this same rule hold with reference
to Paul's letters to Timothy?

I have said we should assume from these letters
that Timothy was a very young man at the time
they were written. But the facts are otherwise. It
is probable that when he first joined Paul he was at
least twenty years of age. At the time Paul wrote
the first letter to him many years had elapsed, some
estimate as high as fifteen. These years had been
filled with arduous labor and disciplining expe-
riences. It is difficult to reconcile the entire tone
of these letters with the known facts in the case.
Assuming their genuineness, as is here done, there
are six possible inferences that may be drawn from
a consideration of their contents, i. e., as to why
Paul wrote just as he did.

1st. That the letters in no way reflect the writer's
conception of either the character or the character-
istics of his friend.

2nd. That Paul totally misconceived the charac-
ter of Timothy from beginning to end.

3rd. That Paul's brooding parental solicitude
imagined dangers and temptations which had no
objective reality.

104 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

4th. That he had been separated from Timothy
for some time before the writing of the first letter
and that he wrote as he remembered him as a youth,
and the letter correctly reflects what he actually
was when first associated with St. Paul.

5th. That Paul had not necessarily been long
separated from him, but like many a parent it was
impossible ever to think of his *'son" Timothy as
having reached man's estate. Or,

6th. We may conclude that Timothy was still at
the time Paul wrote exactly what the contents of
the letters seem to imply.

Of these six possible inferences, I am inclined to
bar out the first two entirely, and then accept a
blending of the other four, — that Paul was over
solicitous, that he could hardly yet regard Timothy
as a grown man, that the letters reflect the counsel
Timothy did need in his youth, and that some of his
early traits and weaknesses still threatened to ham-
per his largest usefulness and success. The first
letter is from the hand of an old friend, nay, more,
a ''father," who is extremely solicitous that his
**own son after the faith" shall in the difficult pas-
torate at Ephesus, acquit himself splendidly for
Christ and before the world.

Some of Timothy's weaknesses and dangers as
reflected in Paul's letters may be briefly alluded to.

He seems to have been by nature somewhat lacking
in robust moral and physical courage, so Paul ex-
horted him to ''fight the good fight of faith ... Be
not thou ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor

TIMOTHY 105

of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the
afflictions of the gospel according to the power of
God. . . . Thou therefore endure hardness, as a
good soldier of Jesus Christ. . . . Let no man
despise thy youth. . . . Them that sin rebuke
before all, that others also may hear. I charge thee
before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
elect angels, that thou observe these things without
preferring one above another, doing nothing by par-
tiality."

Nor does Timothy appear to have been altogether
exempt from the common temptations that assail
youth. So Paul deemed it necessary to warn him
against covetousness. "For the love of money is
the root of all evil : which while some coveted after,
they have erred from the faith, and pierced them-
selves through with many sorrows. But thou, O
man of God, flee these things; and follow after
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meek-
ness. ' ' Paul also cautions him against impurity and
rashness. '^Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither
be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.
. . . Flee also youthful lusts, but follow . . .
with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

Temperamentally Timothy seems to have been im-
pulsive, so Paul counselled him on this score as fol-
lows: ''Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a
father . . . Against an elder receive not an
accusation, but before two or three witnesses." He
was also inclined to be speculative, argumentative^
and disputatious — perhaps due to his Greek heritage

106 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

through his father. At any rate this tendency-
needed curbing and. Paul urges against it again and
again. ''Neither give heed to fables and endless
genealogies, which minister questions, rather than
godly edifying which is in faith ... 0 Tim-
othy, keep that which is committed to thy trust,
avoiding profane and vain babblings, and opposi-
tion of science, falselj^ so called . . . Hold fast
the form of sound words . . . But foolish and
unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do
gender strifes." Timothy was also in danger of
lacking that personal and professional energy and
steadfastness which Paul deemed essential to a ser-
vant of Jesus Christ, so he wrote — ''Neglect not the
gift that is in thee, which was given thee by
prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the
presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thy-
self wholly to them ; that thy profiting may appear
to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doc-
trine ; continue in them : for in doing this thou shalt
both save thyself, and them that hear thee. . . .
Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou
stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the put-
ting on of my hands. . . . Study to show thy-
self approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth. . . . But continue thou in the things
which thou hast learned and hast been assured of,
knowing of whom thou hast learned them. . . .

TIMOTHY 107

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do
the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy
ministry. ' '

It would be easy to declare all this a true revela-
tion of the real Timothy, while the record of Paul's
testimony of him in his letters to various churches,
and the important commissions entrusted to him,
were the words and acts of an over fond father
praising and trusting a child far beyond his merits
and abilities. But such an assumption is unneces-
sary and would be unjust. It is better to regard
Paul's letters as correctly portraying the kind of
man Timothy was by nature and inheritance before
his conversion and enlistment by Paul in missionary
service; and that these old natural and hereditary
traits still occasionally showed themselves, demand-
ing constant watchfulness and struggle on the part
of Timothy to prevent their staining his life and
marring his usefulness.

On the other hand we should regard Paul's praise
and his confidence in Timothy as picturing the man
Paul wanted him to be, believed he would become,
helped him to be, and, in the end, the kind of man
he actually became. At one time Paul wrote exhort-
ing him to be courageous. He believed in that to
which he appealed. Timothy became that which his
friend believed of him. So at the last when Paul's
foes were increasing and his friends decreasing and
death was near and escape hopeless, it was to Tim-
othy, the one time timid-hearted, that he wrote to
hasten to his side to share the last terrors when the

108 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

weak and cowardly were deserting and in hiding;
and Paul wrote in full assurance that his summons-
would be obeyed, that Timothy was a man who then
feared the face of no foe.

What Paul and Timothy Each Owed to the Other

No pen can portray what these two friends were-
to each other. Their affection was so sacred and
their friendship so inspiring that it seems useless,
if not a profanation, to try to subject it to any
analj^sis whatsoever. And yet as our theme is the
greatness and significance of Paul's friendships both
to himself, his friends, and the world, we are com-
pelled to indicate some of the values of this par-
ticular friendship or we prove false to our under-
taking.

Without intending any disparagement of Timothy,,
it must be confessed that we have to search his
career very minutely to find a single strong mascu-
line note in his nature. While he was well reported
of when we first meet him, it is improbable that his-
name would now be preserved had not Paul's surg-
ing love laid hold upon him and breathed into his
heart some small part at least of the flaming fires
of his own inspiration, and nerved and supported
him with his own heart of oak.

Paul drafted him into the soldiership of Jesus-
Christ and hurled him into those campaigns that
were to change history. From the moment they
met Timothy was his, soul and body. He committed

TIMOTHY 109

his all unto the older man, rendered him absolute
obedience and unswerving loyalty. His life and
services were at Paul's command. He was ready to
do and dare anything to achieve that which Paul
Asked and hoped of him. There is something about
his loyalty and unquestioning subjection that
reminds one of the blind loyalty of a dumb brute to
its master. With Paul he could achieve great
things. But during his earlier years he was, when
left alone, as some Samson shorn of his locks.

Where a situation required merely tact and gen-
tleness Timothy was a splendid success even when
left by himself. But let difficulties mount up and
men's passions and antagonisms be thoroughly
aroused and inflamed, then he was no match for the
occasion. Perhaps in later years he was able to cope
with such situations, but certainly not at first.

As a Christian man doubtless he would always
have been faithful and exemplary without the
friendship of St. Paul; but he would always, in my
judgment, have moved in a small circle. What he
became as a missionary, messenger, and soldier of
the Cross, he owed to the transforming friendship,
faith, and tuition of the mightiest of the Apostles
and the mightiest of friends.

When we turn the question about and ask what
was the value of Timothy's friendship to Paul, we
have quite another answer to discover. Primarily,
he seems to me to have provided an exhaustless
receptacle for the inexhaustible outpourings of the

110 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

love and tenderness of one of the mightiest hearts
which has ever enriched a world. Timothy himself
alone afforded St. Paul an almost complete circle
of domestic ties and relationships. In this respect
he supplied what I may term a ''feminine element"
otherwise so sadly lacking in the friendships and
life of Paul. There can be little doubt that Paul's
brooding solicitude for Timothy furnished in itself
one of the deepest sources of his earthly happiness.
If it were conceivable that Timothy had ever sinned
basely or treacherously, it is easy to picture Paul
as weeping in uncontrollable anguish as did David
over the sins and death of Absalom.

The above is what T always think of first when I
ask myself what value Timothy's friendship was to
St. Paul. But I do not overlook nor underestimate
the years of steadfast co-operation which he ren-
dered in all of Paul's labors and enterprises; and
there can be little doubt that when Paul at last
yielded the post of Commander-in-Chief of all the
armies in Christendom, Timothy was one of the
ablest and most efficiently trained of all the Corps
Commanders upon whom the new responsibilities
were henceforth to rest.

We have already seen how anxious Paul was to
have Mark with him as he stood at the gates of
death; but to Timothy alone of all his score of
friends did he directly write, imploring his presence
in that hour when Nero was sharpening his axe and
the craven-hearted were fleeing in terror. This alone

TIMOTHY 111

is sufficient testimony to what each was to the other
and of the transformation wrought in the once timid
young Timothy by the power of friendship with
such a man as Paul.

CHAPTER VI
Luke — The Biographer of Paul

Our knowledge of Luke is derived from the fol-
lowing passages : — Luke 1 :l-4, Acts 1 :l-4, 16 :10-17,
20:5-15,21:1-18, 27:1, 28:16, Col. 4:14, 2 Tim.
4 :11, Phm. 1 :24. And as author and historian, —
the Gospel of Luke and The Acts.

WE characterize Luke as "The Biog-
rapher of Paul.'' This title is both
inadequate and inexact as descrip-
tive of Luke himself. He was
both something more and something less, than the
biographer of Paul. He was something more, for
he was the biographer of a greater than Paul, even
Paul's Master, Jesus Christ. And he was also the
first historian of the Christian church. He was
likewise something less than the biographer of St.
Paul, for he never undertook to write the life of
that great Apostle. Though he tells us much
about Paul in the Acts, he neither narrates the
story of his early life nor does he describe the
tragic end. And though the doings of Paul almost
exclusively occupy the last half of the book of Acts,
yet even then the story of Paul the man, and also

112

LUKE 113

the story of Paul the rrftssionary and organizer, is
strictly subordinate to that larger theme, the un-
folding of which Luke has proposed to himself.

The justification of our title for this chapter then,
is this, — to express the most striking phase of Luke's
relationship to his friend Paul. Our purpose is not
to give an analysis of Luke's writings, nor a com-
plete and critical study of his life. While the bio-
graphical data concerning Paul found in Acts is in-
cidental, and we might almost say accidental, to
Luke's history of the Apostolic Church and its mis-
sionary expansion into a world power, yet in these
data we find the only account in the New Testament
which resembles anj^thing like a connected story of
Paul's life after his conversion, including a brief
summary of the main features of his three mission-
ary journeys, his imprisonments and numerous legal
examinations at Jerusalem and Caesarea, and his
final voyage to Rome as a prisoner who had appealed
unto Caesar. Fragmentary as all this is, yet it is
the only story we have of the Apostle's life, and
hence our title expresses a relationship of Luke to
St. Paul not sustained by any other of the latter 's
numerous friends.

I

Who Luke Was

The first thing that impresses us when we raise
this question, is the scantiness of our exact knowl-
edge concerning a man who wrote one fourth of our
New Testament. He never once names himself in all

114 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

his writings. A few times he modestly employs the
pronoun "we." He never tells us anything about his
individual services, though it is easy to gather that
these must have been important. He hides his per-
sonality as completely as possible behind the great
events, themes, and lives, which he so graphically
portrays. Shakespere himself is scarcely more com-
pletely hidden from view in his works than Luke in
his.

In the entire New Testament Luke is referred to
by name only three times, all the references being
found in letters of his friend Paul. From these three
references, and from statements of Luke himself in
Acts, we gain some positive, though scanty, informa-
tion concerning the man and his movements. From
Col. 4 : 14 we learn that he was a physician, and that
he was probably known unto the Colossian church
as he sends them his greetings; and by comparing
this verse, 14, with verses 10 and 11 of the same
chapter, it is evident he was not a Jew, for Paul first
enumerates all those with him who were of the
** circumcision,'* and immediately afterwards states
Luke was also with him, which excludes the latter
from those who were Jews.

From his first appearance in Acts where he is
found suddenly and without explanation in the com-
pany of Paul, Silas, and Timothy at Troas, we learn
that he is already a Christian and a preacher, for he
writes: "After he (Paul) had seen the vision, im-
mediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, as-
suredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to

LUKE 115

preach the gospel unto them." Note the words
*' called us for to preach," which necessarily includes
the writer. Whether he had previously labored
with Paul, whether they had ever met before,
whether this meeting was prearranged or purely ac-
cidental,— all are questions which it is impossible to
answer.

Farther information concerning the life and labors
of Luke will be dealt with in other sections of this
sketch. We are now merely inquiring who the man
was, and what is known of his life previous to his
joining his fortunes with those of St. Paul. The pos-
itive facts have all been covered above; we may,
however, speak of some guesses and assumptions, a
part of which are quite likely true, others question-
able, and still others manifestly impossible.

By some it is thought that he was already well ac-
quainted with Paul at the time he joined him at
Troas; in fact, that he was a convert of Paul's, pos-
sibly the fruit of his labors at Antioeh. There is no
evidence on this point either way.

The conjecture that he was a Greek has much in
its favor and nothing to discredit it. He had a
Greek name; in his writings he used the finest Greek
of any New Testament author ; and, lastly, nearly all
eminent physicians of the day were Asiatic Greeks.
It is also believed that he was a native of Antioeh,
or, at any rate, a long time resident there. So an-
cient authorities affirm, and this seems to be borne
out by his detailed knowledge of men and events in
that city.

116 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

The tradition that he was one of the Seventy sent
out by our Lord during his earthly ministry, and
also that he was one of the two to whom Christ ap-
peared on the way to Emmaus, are both alike clearly
disproved by his own statement in the preface to his
Gospel where he declares that he had gathered the
material for his life of Christ from numerous frag-
mentary written accounts and from, the oral testi-
mony of eyewitnesses. Thus he plainly excludes
himself from the circle of those who personally
knew Christ when on earth.

II

Luke^s Association with St. Paul

With the possible exception of Timothy it is prac-
tically certain that no other friend of Paul's was so
continuously and for so many years directly asso-
ciated with him as was Luke.

We have already seen that Paul, Silas, and
Timothy were joined at Troas by Luke. Whence he
came, and why, and how he happened to fall in with
the three missionaries, is entirely unknown; but it
seems safe to say that it was no chance meeting.
Or, if it was on the part of men, it yet was certainly
the working out of one of Providence's vastest de-
signs. It was here that the three baffled missionaries
were tarrying when Paul in the night time saw his
vision of a Macedonian man and heard his distressed
cry voicing the moral hunger of all Europe. The
Greek wording of Luke's account of this vision im-
plies that the man of Macedonia was not an imper-

LUKE 117

sonal representative of that entire nation, but a
certain definite individual. From this fact it has
been plausibly conjectured that the **man of Mace-
donia" was none other than Luke himself.

If that were so, then the course of events was
probably somewhat as follows: Luke, who was al-
ready a Christian preacher, had recently been in
Macedonia, presumably at Philippi, where he may
have been living for some time practicing his pro-
fession as a physician. He is intimately acquainted
with the spiritual destitution of Macedonia and pro-
foundly stirred by it. He feels incompetent to un-
dertake the evangelization of so large a province by
himself. He starts on a journey through Asia Minor
to find Paul, or else to go back to Antioch, his
former home, and secure helpers from that powerful
church. Arrived at Troas he learns that Paul and
his friends have already reached the city, and
hastens to see them.

He inquires about their labors and successes, and
they have but a sorry tale to tell him of closed
doors on every hand, how the Spirit had forbidden
their preaching in Asia and Bithynia, and how they
had had to pass through Mysia without opportunity
to preach the Gospel. Now they are at Troas, the
western extremity of Asia, and no door is open ; the
Spirit has not yet pointed out where they are to
labor, they know not whither to turn. While Paul
is telling his story of baffled hopes and purposes,
Luke's heart is burning within him.

118 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

As soon as Paiil is silent, Luke speaks pleading
eloquently for Macedonia and Greece. Paul catches
at the suggestion. Perhaps this is the call of the
Spirit, perhaps this is the explanation why all other
doors have been closed. Long the four men discuss
the opportunities of Macedonia and Europe, and
the closed doors of Asia. Paul desires only the
Spirit's assurances. He is ready for new enterprises
and hazards. Late that night the four kneel in
prayer, Luke pleading for Macedonia, Paul for the
Spirit's guidance. In the still hours of the night
that followed Paul dreams his dream, sees his vision,
hears the Divine call through a human voice. The
form of the "man of Macedonia" which he sees is
the form of Luke "the beloved physician," and the
Spirit bids him go, nothing doubting.

Now all this is conjectural, but at the same time
it is exceedingly probable. If true, it lifts Luke to
an even higher plane than he has ever occupied
before in Christian history, exalted as his position
has always been. This would put him on the highest
summit of the Divine world-plans at one of the most
strategic moments of history. It would make his
part in the conquest of Europe for Christianity
scarcely less momentous than that of Paul himself.
The fact that Luke does not identify himself with
the man Paul saw in his vision, has absolutely no
weight against the assumption that he was. With
his habitual modesty he would never have spoken
of this had it been so. He always kept self in the
background as did John in his Gospel.

LUKE 119

Be the above conjectures as they may, the day
after Paul's vision all doubt as to the Spirit's call
is swept away and the four evangelists joyfully turn
their backs on the closed doors of Asia and their
glowing faces toward the open and beckoning doors
of Europe. Arriving thither they hasten at once
to Philippi, probably guided to this place by Luke
himself. Here the foundations of a powerful church
are laid by the four evangelists; but Paul and Silas
are so aggressive as to be almost immediately thrown
into prison, and on their liberation are driven from
the city, or deem it wisest to withdraw.

Here Luke himself suddenly disappears from the
narrative in Acts, i. e., the personal pronoun "we*'
is dropped and the narrative resumed in the third
person. He does not again use the word "we" in
connection with the labors and travels of Paul until
a period of about seven years had elapsed when the
latter, on his third missionary journey, was again
rejoined by himself here in Philippi where he had
been left at the time of Paul's first invasion of
Europe. Where Luke had been all these years, and
what he had been doing, is entirely unknown; for
again his modesty prevented his telling us anything
about his own movements, save where he could hide
them behind the personality and deeds of his hero-
friend St. Paul. It is quite generally believed that
he had spent these years laboring by himself in
Philippi. There is only one serious doubt to be
cast upon this, and that is that in Paul's letter to the
Philippians in after years he makes no reference

120 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

to such a period of service on the part of Luke.
This is not conclusive by any means; for even if
Luke had been there so long, there was no special
reason for Paul's referring to a work which would
have been so much better known and understood
by the Philippians than by himself. It may also be
remarked in passing that neither did Paul in his
letter make any allusion to Silas who we positively
know was joint founder of the church with himself,
Luke, and Timothy. The fact is, the nature of
the contents of the letter did not call for any
references to either Luke or Silas.

But whether at Philippi or elsewhere it matters
little, of this one thing w^e may be sure and that is
that to such a man as Luke these years were not
barren or unfruitful.

Rejoining Paul at Philippi then, on the latter 's
return trip through Greece and Macedonia on his
third missionary journey, Luke became his insepa-
rable companion for all the sad remaining years
of the Apostle's life. With Paul he made that long,
solemn, and, in many ways, mournful final journey
to Jerusalem, endeavoring at times with others to
dissuade the Apostle from hazarding his life among
his foes in that tragic city.

He was a witness of Paul's arrest in Jerusalem
and his companion, or in closest touch with him,
during all his weary years of imprisonment at
Caesarea. This is evidenced by his detailed knowl-
edge of every move in Paul's many legal examina-
tions, his deep penetration of the hidden motives

LUKE 121

coutrolling the actions of the various officials before
whom Paul was accused and tried. That he was
with Paul here is also proved by his verbal reports
of Paul's many speeches in his own defense, and
of the powerful effect these had on his judges and
their comments thereon.

When at last it was determined to send Paul a
prisoner to Rome in accordance with his appeal
unto Caesar, it was Luke with one other friend,
Aristarchus, who voluntarily shared Paul's long
journey and mortal peril. With Paul he suffered
shipwreck, with Paul the Imperial prisoner he
entered the Eternal City, awaiting the unknown.
Here, too, he voluntarily remained those long and
terrible years, that he might comfort his friend in
his chains and assist him in executing his dungeon-
born plans for the evangelization of that mighty city,
which was leaving him to languish in a felon's cell.
We learn this fact about Luke's religious activities
here at Rome from Paul^ letter to the Colossians
where he speaks of Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and
Luke, as his ''fellow laborers."

It is barely possible that for very brief lengths
of time Luke was out of the city, as he did not
always send greetings to the churches to which Paul
wrote from time to time. But whether this is true
or not, one thing we do know and that is that he
not only shared Paul's first and milder imprison-
ment but was by his side during his second and
more bitter confinement. In Paul's second letter to
Timothy — the last he ever wrote — ^he speaks of the

122 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

terrible rigor of his situation and the mortal peril
he was in. He tells of the whereabouts of his
faithful lieutenants on distant fields of conflict and
service, and of the cowardice and desertion of some
in Rome. In heart-broken tones of loneliness, and
yet with infinite gratitude, he writes "only Luke is
with me."

"What a simple eulogy of this quiet but fearless
friend. The self-advertising and loud-voiced are
hiding in craven terror, Luke "the beloved physi-
cian" is still at his post, ministering to a suffering
heart as once he ministered to suffering bodies. Let
peril come, let death come, let Nero sharpen his axe.
let all others flee, — here is another of that noble,
self-sacrificing profession who is ready to hazard his
life at the call of duty and honor. In that hour to
which heavenly hosts bore witness and back to which
all after ages have gazed in wonder and awe, the
names of two men shine forth out of the murky
darkness with a light and glory which neither time
nor circumstance can ever dim — Paul awaiting his
physical death and spiritual crown, and Luke, phy-
sician and soldier of the Cross, by his side holding
his hand and steadying his courage for his last
journey, the journey of his spirit to its heavenly
rest.

In that scene and hour Luke won new honors for
the medical profession, undying glory for Christian
courage, and unfading laurels for human friendship.

0 Paul, thou wert the master-friend as well as
master-Christian. Luke was with thee to the last,

LUKE 123

and the once timid Timothy and cowardly Mark
are hastening over the waves to share thy peril.
*' Faithful unto death" — such are they whose souls
thou hast set on fire with the flame of thine own
mighty spirit.

Ill

Luke's Service to Christianity

We have already noted three phases of the services
of Luke the missionary and preacher, — that he was
one of the founders of the Philippian church, that
he did evangelistic work at Rome, that for years he
was the faithful attendant of St. Paul, ministering
to his comfort and encouraging him in his labors.

Important as these particular forms of service
were, yet the monumental achievement of Luke was
his authorship of the Acts and the Gospel which
bears his name. If he was a Gentile, as he un-
doubtedly was, then it is entirely likely that he was
the only Gentile author of any book of our inspired
Scriptures. It is remotely possible that Job was
not written by a Jew, but it is more likely that
it was.

Great as has always been the acknowledgment of
the church's debt to Luke as an author, it is doubt-
ful if his share in the writing of the New Testament
has ever been fully appreciated. We are accustomed
to regard Paul as the author of far more of the
New Testament than any other man. In number
of books this is of course true, he having written
thirteen out of a total of twenty-seven, John stand-

124 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

ing next with only five to his credit. But when we
consider volume of matter, apart from the number
of books, we find to our surprise that to Luke is
due the preeminence.

In a New Testament of 273 pages such as now
lies open before me, I find that the Gospel of Luke
and the Acts together total 74'(/l> pages, or six pages
more than one-fourth of the entire New Testament;
while Paul's thirteen letters total just 70 pages, or,
in other words, 41/2 less than Luke's two books.
Together these inseparable friends wrote 1441/^,
leaving 128% to the credit of all other writers of
New Testament Scripture.

Now let us consider for a moment the value and
significance of Luke's writings, apart from all ques-
tions of bulk. In doing so we can of course but hint
at certain points, their true value and significance
can never be measured, much less attempted in a
brief sketch of the author like this.

There are two special values of the Gospel of
Luke over and above those of the other three,—
numerous facts not elsewhere reported, and the
spirit of the universality of Christ's message as
designed for all men and races. This is not to deny
that the other Gospels may record facts which Luke
omits, or that they do not have merits lacking to
his, indeed, such is the case; but here we are simply
dealing with the importance of his own contribution
to a complete understandmg of the life, mission,
and message of our Lord.

LUKE 125

It is said that Luke records over forty events and
parables not elsewhere referred to. *See below.
He alone tells us of the angels' song, and of the
shepherds* visit to the manger of the infant Jesus;
of the repentance of one of the thieves on the cross
beside our Lord's; and of the walk to Emmaus
after the resurrection. He alone records the parables
of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the
Rich Man and Lazarus. He alone traces Christ's
descent back to Adam, speaks of Christ's enrollment
in the Roman Empire, tells us of the aged Simeon,
and the prophetess Anna, of Christ's reference to
Elijah's mission to the heathen woman, of the ten
lepers cured and of only the one Samaritan return-
ing to render his thanks. He alone gives the account
of Christ's refusal to permit John and James to
call down fire upon the Samaritan villages. And
also, it is he alone who records the great songs
of the nativity of our Lord — the Benedictus of
Zach arias, the Magnificat of Mary, the Nunc Dimittis
of Simeon, the Ave Maria or Angel's greeting to
Mary, and the Gloria in Excelsis. Luke's Gospel
is also the gospel of the poor and outcast, the gospel
of womanhood and infancy, and the gospel of
prayer.

This Gospel also, as has been said, strikes a note

of universality not attained in any of the others,

and it was undoubtedly written more particularly

for the Gentile world. The proof of this is abundant.

*See Vincent's "Word Studies in the New Testament.'^
Vol. I.

126 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

In the first place, there is its dedication or ascription
to "his excellency" whom Luke designates by the
name of " Theophilus, " probably a pseudonym for
some particular Roman official and friend of his.
The entire contents of the book also bear traces of
this note of the universality of the Gospel message.
There are comparatively few quotations from the
Old Testament, as these would be unfamiliar to hi&
readers, or not regarded as authoritative even if
given. He explains the meaning of Hebrew words
and geographical references, and quotes the words of
the aged Simeon, of Zacharias, and of John the
Baptist, all of which declared the light of the Gospel
was to be the light of the Gentiles. Likewise Luke
specially emphasizes Christ's gentle dealings with
the Samaritans and his frequent commendations of
their true nobility of character.

Such, in brief, are some of the notable character-
istics of this the most literary and artistic of the
Four Gospels. Incidentally it might be mentioned
that the book is a revelation of the innermost nature
of its author by showing to us what specially inter-
ested him and the matchless skill, beauty, and
tenderness with which he reports and portrays the
facts he has gleaned concerning our Lord and his
life and ministry. This Gospel reveals its author
as a man of beautiful spirit and delicate taste, and
of sincere piety joined with broad intellectual grasp
and keen mental insight.

Passing now to the book of Acts, we have before
us the most indispensable, perhaps, of all the books

LUKE 127

of the New Testament. It is both the supplement
and the complement of the Gospels, without which
they would not be made perfect. It seems to me
that any one of the four could better be spared —
provided the other three were left — -than the book
of Acts. The Gospels quite largely duplicate each
other, but there is no book that duplicates the story
of Acts. If any one of the Gospels had never been
written, the world would probably never have been
conscious of its loss. Had Acts never been written,
the lack of such a book would have been felt in
every generation of Bible students, and the gaps in
our knowledge of the Apostolic Age irreparable.
To be sure some small part of this information is
found in an unsystematic and fragmentary form in
the various letters of St. Paul: but those letters
themselves would be largely incomprehensible with-
out the narrative of Acts, and their value much less.
In Acts we have recorded the fulfilment of
Christ's promise of the Spirit's coming, the be-
ginning of church organization, the first admission
of Gentiles into the Christian church, the final
settlement of their relation to the Mosaic law and
Jewish customs, biographical facts about the Apostle
to the Gentiles, a brief outline of his three mission-
ary journeys and the part his many friends played
in making them such triumphant successes, brief
extracts or summaries of his great sermons and of
his addresses in his own defense before Felix, Festus,
and Herod, together with the account of his final
voyage as a prisoner to Rome.

128 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

The book ends most abruptly and in an apparently-
unfinished manner with Paul, though a prisoner,
yet "in his own hired house, and receiving all that
came unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and
teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus
Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.''

Every generation of Christians has deplored
the fact that Luke does not relate all that befell
Paul in Rome, nor give the story of his final martyr-
dom. Such facts Avould add greatly to our historical
knowledge and satisfy our eager interest in all that
concerned the life of the Apostle. Now, however,
there is a feeling that the book is unfinished, and
various explanations have been attempted. Some
believe Acts was to have been followed by a third
book which was never written.

Be that as it may, it is altogether probable that
Acts was written after Paul's death, that Luke was
more familiar with the details of his last years and
martyrdom than any other man, and that he could
have told the whole story had he chosen. Why did
he not do so, was the story too painful, or had he
other reasons ? I believe the latter to have been the
cause, and that it is not impossible to discover what
these reasons were. I believe they lie in the nature
of the book itself and Luke's definite plan in its
composition. For formless and planless as the book
seems in its rapid passing from topic to topic and
from men to men, it yet, rightly understood, moves
unswervingly toward its foreseen goal and climax.

In the last half Paul's name is so constantly

LUKE 129

before us, and the account of his activities so ex-
clusive, that he seems the hero of Luke's narrative.
But this is only in appearance, it is not the fact for
a moment. Much as Luke loved and admired Paul,
and much as he had to report of his achievements,
he never for a moment loses sight of his supreme
purpose. He begins the narrative with the Apostles
at Jerusalem ; then he tells the story of the carrying
of the Gospel message by the deacons into Samaria ;
Christianity next reaches Antioch and becomes a
grand missionary enterprise ; from Antioch it sweeps
across mountains and deserts, and on over islands
and seas until it reaches Imperial Rome herself. The
Church has arrived at the heart of the world. It has
become from a mere Jewish sect in an obscure corner
of the Roman Empire the prospective religion of
mankind, — dominant, imperial, universal. Like Rome
herself it now sits serenely upon the Tiber's Seven
Hills and takes in all nations, kindreds, and tongues,
in its world-sweeping, prophetic glance.

"Why, then, should Luke concern himself with a
man and his fate: however great the man, he had
a vaster and mightier theme. He would not end
his narrative with a tragedy, but with a shout of
triumph — a triumph which was yet to topple over
the palace of the Caesars and undermine their
throne. Such a book must not concern itself with
the tragic fate of an individual, but with the glory
of a Gospel enthroned. Luke ends his story with
Paul preaching that Gospel, for this was the true
end and climax of the command of the risen Christ

130 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

in Acts 1:8 — ''Ye shall be witnesses unto me both
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and
unto the uttermost part of the earth." This com-
mand in itself gives in compact phrase and outline
the story of Acts, and the unfolding of the fulfilment
of which Luke makes his supreme motive and guide.

So then Paul's death need not be told. Its telling
would have been a literary blemish and a moral
and spiritual anticlimax in a book of such vast design.
Paul is not the hero of Acts, not for a moment, his
personality and doings are but the necessary mate-
rial in the architecturally magnificent plan of Luke.
The one only and unrivalled hero — if such a term
be allowable — is Jesus Christ and the world-con-
quering sweep of his splendidly aggressive and
triumphant message to mankind.

Having now briefly pointed out the permanent
elements and world-significance and value of the
two books written by Luke, perhaps we should also
note in passing that some see another motive and
purpose in their composition. It is held that both
works had an immediate and exigent purpose; that
they were in reality and primary intent masterly
defenses of the Christian religion; that they were
written at a time when the heavy hand of the Roman
emperors was everywhere being murderously laid
upon the followers of Jesus Christ, and that Luke's
purpose was to show that there was no essential or
historic reason why the church and state should
misunderstand or be hostile to each other.

LUKE 131

The evidence produced in support of this con-
tention has considerable weight. Both books are
dedicated to a Roman official of high position, — one
already instructed in the fundamentals of the new
religion ; and through him it was hoped and expected
that they would have wide circulation in the official
world. Both books connect important facts in
Christian history with synchronous dates in the
affairs of the Roman Empire. Both books portray
the spiritual nature of the kingdom of heaven,
together with the universality of its appeal and offer
of salvation. The Gospel shows how the persecu-
tions of the founder of Christianity were instigated
by the bigotry of the Jews, not waged by Rome;
rather did the Roman official Pilate pronounce Christ
guiltless of any offense against the laws of the
Empire; and Acts tells the story of how the chiefest
Apostle of all, though examined again and again
before Roman tribunals, was every time pronounced
innocent of the charges against him. The implica-
tion of all this, and the inference Luke intended the
official world to draw, was that if Rome should in
his day begin a policy of persecution it would be
a most radical and unwarranted departure from
her historic attitude of impartiality and generous
tolerance of the new and innocent religion.

How far such an apologetic motive may have
prompted the writings of Luke we cannot say. But
even granting weight to the above reasoning, we
do not thereby in any way negative what has been

132 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

said about the grander and more enduring purpose
and value of his two masterpieces of Christian
literature and inspired Scripture.

IV

The Congeniality of Luke and Paul

The congeniality of these two friends, Luke and
Paul, is something surpassingly fair to contemplate.
Their mutual affection ran so deep and clear as
scarcely ever to find expression in words — one im-
mortal phrase sounds the depths and compasses the
hights of Paul's regard for his friend, "Luke the
beloved physician." What a commentary is this on
the personality of Paul's "fellow laborer." What
a revelation of the winsomeness of the man, and
also of his gentleness and helpfulness in his profes-
sional capacity. All agree that Paul was far from
being a well or strong man physically. And I have
always believed that Luke must have been his
personal physician, as well as inseparable friend
and fellow traveller and missionary.

That Luke loved Paul with equal fervency is more
than proved by his account of Paul 's unapproachable
services to Christianity, by his years of devoted
attachment to Paul's person and work, and by his
dauntless heroism in remaining with the doomed
prisoner when none other stood by his side, and
when his loyalty alone would have been sufficient
cause to involve him in the same martyrdom that
Paul suffered.

LUKE 133

Nor was the congeniality of these two men solely
one of the heart. It was not limited to a common
loyalty to Christ. It was not measured by their
equal moral and physical courage in the face of
persecution and death. That congeniality was
something larger than any of these things, or than
all of them combined. It extended to the widest
realms of the whole intellectual and spiritual
natures of the two men.

In culture, in character, in knowledge of the
world, in statesmanlike grasp of the predestined
conquests, sway, and imperial might and majesty
of Christianity as a world force, not another man
of the entire New Testament, save Paul only, is
for a moment, to be compared with Luke. These
two men alone were cosmopolitan and, in the best
sense of the phrase, ^'men of the world." All other
New Testament authors and all other men therein
referred to, including every one of the Twelve
Apostles, were, compared to these two, mere pro-
vincials. Whatever the depths of others' spiritual
insight and grasp of the great fundamentals of
Christianity, yet they were what is termed ''other
worldly" every one of them, and significantly
lacked anything approaching a comprehension of
the true relation of Christianity to civil government
and national life and institutions, or of the destined
place of Christianity as a world-conquering and
world-transforming force. Possibly toward the end
of their careers both Mark and Titus may have
approached something of the cosmopolitan outlook

134 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

of Luke and Paul; but in breadth of culture and
depth of spiritual insight and grasp, they never
approximated the same class.

While Luke is not to be compared with Paul as a
preacher or man of action and practical achieve-
ment, yet he does rival him as a thinker and his-
torian, in the breadth and solidity of his learning^
and in his grasp of the essentials of Christianity
as a religion and of its future sway as an imperial
and conquering force in the world's affairs; while,
on the other hand, he surpasses Paul as a literary
artist, and somewhat also in the bulk of his literary
output.

His theological views were practically the same
as St. Paul's; and they held identical views as to
the universality of the Gospel appeal, message, and
power, as meant for and adapted to men of every
race, degree of culture, and moral status or
condition.

While Paul undoubtedly loved Timothy the best
of all his friends, yet that love was the brooding
paternal affection of an older and stronger man foi-
one whose very weaknesses called out his protecting
strength ; but his love for Luke was of an altogether
different nature, one that in no way came into
rivalry with his affection for Timothy, — the love of
one strong man for another of equal strength, years,
and ability. There is a fundamental lack of equality
and mutualness about the friendship of Paul and
Timothy; they never were and never could be on
the same plane. There is no such disparity in the

LUKE 135

mutual love of Paul and Luke. Titus was a man of
more independent and aggressive practical achieve-
ments than Luke, in all other respects he must be
put in another and somewhat lower class.

Take all of Paul's friends and consider all their
points and characteristics — mental, spiritual, intel-
lectual, and personal — and Luke will be found the
only man in the list, and the only man of the entire
New Testament, whom we can think of as anything
like Paul's peer, the only one whom we can con-
jecture to have been a complete companion for the
varied and inexhaustible riches of Paul's mind.

What royal banqueting of heart and soul must
have been theirs — whether in conversation or in
silence — as they journeyed together over the fabled
and classic land of Greece; as they voyaged from
Caesarea to Rome and as shipwrecked mariners
wintered in Malta; as together with imperial vision
they labored to evangelize Imperial Rome herself;
as they sat together in the lonely nightwatches in
Paul's felon's cell, awaiting the fall of Nero*s
bloody, releasing, crowning axe — and in the death
of the one "they were not divided." 0 Luke, thou
man of the "unsaid word" and unheralded deed,
the great Apostle knew thee as thou wert, and as
his mighty heart beat in rhythmic music to thine
own his unconscious but answering hand penned
thine immortal epitaph — "Luke the beloved physi-

136 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

V

What Paul and Luke Each Owed to the Other

All through our brief review of this holy marriage
of two of the mightiest souls whose love and friend-
ship has ever blessed this world of ours, we have
been constantly finding new material on the topic
we have now reached. We need not repeat or
enlarge upon what has gone before, merely add a
word or two farther.

In Paul's letters we find many medical terms and
allusions which are undoubtedly due to his years
of constant intercourse with St. Luke. On the other
hand in Luke's writings, which in all probability
were both composed after Paul's death, we find
about two hundred words or phrases common in St.
Paul's epistles. This proves the influence of the
latter upon Luke, or else that the phraseology was
common to both in their familiar intercourse and
evangelistic labors. On either supposition it shows
the profound affinity of the two men — mental,
literary, and theological.

Had there been no Paul, what would have been
the story of Luke's personal services to Christianity?
Had there been no Paul, of what would Luke have
written beyond the first third of Acts? Had there
been no Luke, what would we know of the Apostolic
Age, of Paul's life and missionary journeys, and
where would we find the key to the knotty questions
of his epistles?

LUKE 137

I have characterized Luke as 'Hhe biographer of
St. Paul." The phrase does not do him justice.
Let me amend it by calling him *Hhe most indis-
pensable friend of St. Paul." But he is far more
even than that. He need not shine by borrowed
light ; he is himself a luminary of the first magnitude.
With Peter, John and Paul, he must forever rank
as one of the four colossal figures of the New Testa-
ment. Though inferior to the other three in the
founding and spreading of Christianity, yet in re-
vealing its essential spirit and nature and in record-
ing its mighty advance and world significance and
destiny, he surpasses the first two and rivals the
third.

0 man of matchless heart and matchless pen, we
need not compare thy merits nor praise thy great-
ness. With thee we have heard a mother's
** Magnificat" and listened to the angels' song
above Judea's hills: with thee we have journeyed
with a Gospel despised and persecuted at Jerusalem,
till we have seen it enthroned on the Tiber's Seven
Hills.

CHAPTER VII

Aquila and Priscilla — Paul's Fellow Craftsmen and
Fellow Evangelists

Our information concerning their activities is
based upon the following passages: — Acts 18:1-3,
and 18-26, Rom. 16 :3-5, 1 Cor. 16 :19, and 2nd Tim.
4:19.

THE names of Aquila and Priscilla have a
fairly familiar sound to every student
of the New Testament; but if asked to
tell something definite about them I
doubt if one in ten of average Bible readers
could give any information beyond the fact that
they were tentmakers: some probably would not
even recall that fact. Perhaps this is not altogether
surprising as they are named but six times in the
entire New Testament, their names being found in
only four books, — three times in Acts 18, once in
Romans, once in 1st Corinthians, and once in 2nd
Timothy. Our entire information concerning them
is all contained in just eleven verses, — six in Acts,
three in Romans and a fragment of a verse in both
1st Corinthians and 2nd Timothy.

138

AQUILA AND PRISCILLA 139

Our conclusion from this might be that they were
persons of very minor importance, that there is
little we can know of them, and that that little is
scarcely worth the trouble to acquire ; that it would
add nothing essential to our Biblical knowledge, to
our acquaintance with great and inspiring charac-
ters, or to our understanding of the more notable of
Paul's friends, or of the breadth and intensity of
his friendships and their value to his heart and to
his labors. Any such hasty judgment as this would
be totally erroneous. Aquila and Priscilla are
persons we cannot afford not to know. We ought
to make their acquaintance for many reasons: —
for their own inherent worth, for the extension of
our knowledge of early missionaries and their labors,
and for our farther understanding of Paul's
capacity for friendship, and how he always made
this divine endowment tributary to his life mission.

I

Who Aquila and Priscilla Were

Who then were Aquila and Priscilla? In the first
place they were husband and wife. And they are
the only husband and wife in all Scripture of whom
it can be said that one is never named without the
other. There is no other couple in Scripture who
were both so continuously and unitedly engaged in
religious work. Twice Aquila, the husband, is
named first; four times the wife is named first,
showing that there was practically no difference in

140 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

their ability and zeal in the Lord's service. All
these facts give them a place of unique importance
and distinction.

Aquila was a Jew of "the dispersion" born in
Pontus, a Roman province in northeastern Asia
Minor bordering on the Black Sea. Of Priscilla's
birthplace and nationality we know nothing, some
conjecturing she was a member of an eminent
Roman family of similar name. When they are
first introduced to us in the narrative in Acts, they
are fresh arrivals at Corinth having come there
directly from Rome whence they had been driven
out by a decree of the Emperor Claudius expelling
all Jews. From secular history we learn that this
decree was promulgated because of constant turmoils
in the Jewish quarters, which arose on account of
the preaching of Christ by unknown disciples.
Whether Aquila and Priscilla were among those who
first told the Gospel story in Rome, and if so, where
they first learned it, are questions which can never
be answered. Some like to believe that they were
among the founders of the Roman church. But when
Luke first mentions Aquila he calls him a ''certain
Jew," and not a ''disciple" as would have been
more natural had he already been a Christian; nor
does he say anything of any previous service the
couple had rendered Christianity. These facts would
seem to argue that they were not Christians at the
time of their arrival in Corinth, or at any rate had

AQUILA AND PRISCILLA 141

never been aggressive workers. One other fact
concerning them is given us at this point, namely,
both husband and wife were tentmakers by trade.

II

What Aquila and Priscilla Owed to Paul and He to
Them

When Paul reached Corinth, worn out by his defeat
and discouragement at Athens, he found Aquila and
Priscilla already there. Now in after years in his
first letter to the Corinthians he declared that he
himself planted the church in their city. This
throws a side light on his influence upon Aquila and
Priscilla. The fact that they were there before him
and yet had taken no steps to establish a Christian
community, argues that either they were not
Christians at the time, or else they were not active
workers.

But the fact that immediately thereafter and
during the entire rest of their lives they were fear-
lessly and aggressively laboring for Christ, seems to
prove conclusively that whether they owed their
conversion to St. Paul or not, they certainly did owe
to him their enlistment for life in that work to
which Paul gave 'Hhe last full measure of his
devotion." So here again are fresh laurels of
friendship and friendship's holiest fruitage, with
which to adorn anew the brow of the great Apostle.
Aquila and Priscilla owed to Paul the knowledge of
the joy of service, and will to all eternity owe to
him the joy of the memory of their service and its

142 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

rich and blessed rewards. He entered their humble
home a weary, heart-worn traveler, unprepossessing
in appearance, feared, hated, and persecuted by
their fellow countrymen, and scoffed and jeered at
by the cultured and philosophical Greeks among^
whom they were temporarily residing. He spoke,
his face lightened, his voice thrilled, the flame of
his spirit set on fire their own — and they were his
and his Lord's for time and for eternity. But Paul
also owed them much. It was not all giving and no
receiving on his part.

In the first place they gave him a home when he
was in sorest need of a home's shelter and gentle
ministrations. He reached Corinth and continued
while there as he afterwards wrote, '4n weakness,
and in fear, and in much trembling." Aquila and
Priscilla were in worldly circumstances at the time
but poor tradesmen ; but they learned that a fellow-
craftsman in dire straits physically, socially, and
mentally, had arrived in their town. That was
enough for them, no matter who he was or that
others looked at him askance, their hearts and home
flew open to receive him. They gave to him their
hearts and their home, he gave them entrance
into the joy of his life mission. Years afterwards
from this same city he wrote to the church at Rome
where Aquila and Priscilla were again living, calling
them his "helpers in Christ Jesus," — a blessed and
grateful remembrance of what they had been to
him and his work in Corinth and later on in Ephesus.

AQUILA AND PRISCILLA 143

Nor were their generous hospitality, tender friend-
ship, and loyal co-operation the only services they
rendered Panl. At some period of their labors
together in the cause of Christ, they fearlessly im-
periled their own lives that they might save his.
Paul's words concerning this occurrence are — "who
have for my sake laid down their own necks."
Friendship could go no farther, loyalty to Christ's
service could go no farther. They deemed his life
more indispensable to Christianity than their own,
death had threatened him, they stepped into the
breach, Paul was saved.

Here is another obligation Paul was under to his
friends. Without friends his world-service could
never have been what it was; nay, his life itself
would have been forfeited long years before the
end finally came, for again and again during his
perilous travels and labors did they save his life.
Here then is another tribute to the glory of friend-
ship, another measurement of the inestimable value
of the friendships of St. Paul. This deed of Priscilla
and Aquila was well known to the early church.
And the obligations under which the church of that
day rested because of their act of heroism was freely
and gratefully acknowledged everjrwrhere, for Paul
wrote of them — "unto whom not only I give thanks,
but also all the churches of the Gentiles." Here is
an added reason why we as Christians and Bible
students should recognize the significance of the
lives of these friends of St. Paul. We of this day
and generation owe to them as did the early church

144 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

the saving of Paul's life, and we should as gener-
ously acknowledge the obligation.

It is to be noted that in the account of this brave
deed husband and wife were one as in all else.
Priscilla's name is in this instance given first, and
all the pronouns used in Paul's recital of the occur-
rence are in the plural number. ' ' Greater love hath
no man than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends." So these tentmakers reached the
loftiest hights of friendship, Christ's own words so
declaring.

Just where and when this defense of Paul's life
took place we cannot tell, as Luke makes no refer-
ence to it in Acts; but it may very well have been
at Corinth or at Ephesus in both of which cities they
labored with him for long periods of time. In
Corinth Luke informs us that at one time the Jews
raised a mob against Paul, and that during the
disturbance Sosthenes, another friend of Paul's, was
openly beaten by the Greeks, even before Gallio's
judgment seat, and without interference on his part.
If this was not the occasion when Aquila and Pris-
cilla saved Paul's life, then in all probability it was
at Ephesus while they were laboring together there.
It will be recalled what a mob Demetrius the silver-
smith raised in that city, saying among other things
to the infuriated multitude — ''Moreover ye see and
hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost through-
out all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned
away much people, saying that they be no gods,
which are made with hands." Then later follows

AQUILA AND PEISCILLA 145

this account of the course of the attack which was
precipitated: — "And the whole city was filled with
confusion: and having caught Gains and Aristar-
chus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in
travel, they rushed with one accord into the theater.
And when Paul would have entered in unto the
people, the disciples suffered him not. And certain
of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent
unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure
himself into the theater."

Among the ''disciples" who restrained and pro-
tected Paul at the hazard of their own lives, may
very well have been Aquila and Priscilla; and it
may have been in their own home where he was
forcibly restrained and outwardly guarded. But be
the place and time where and when they may, of
the facts of their protection and saving of his life
there can be no question; and he always carried
with him a tender and vivid recollection of the
loving bravery of his staunch-hearted helpers and
friends, Aquila and Priscilla, his fellow craftsmen
and fellow evangelists.

It is also probable that Paul's deep interest in
the Roman church, and his minute knowledge of its
condition and affairs, were derived from his inter-
course with these same friends ; and that his ardent
and ever increasing desire to visit those far away
brethren of the Imperial City was kindled in like
manner, or, perhaps by their direct appeals that
he should do so.

146 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

III

Aquila and FrisciUa's Manifold Services to
Christianity

In enumerating the manifold services to Chris-
tianity rendered by Aquila and Priscilla it is not
necessary to repeat here what has already been said
of their relation to Paul, — how they furnished him
a home at Corinth, aided him there in all his labors
for Christ, and, as we have seen, once saved his life.

Another far-reaching service which they rendered
to Christianity was also given through a single
individual to whom they gave invaluable instruction
in the things of Christ. This story may best be
given in Luke's own words. ''And a certain Jew
named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent
man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.
This man was instructed in the way of the Lord:
and being fervent in spirit, he spake and taught
diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the
baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in
the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla
had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded
unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when
he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren
wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who,
when he was come, helped them much which had
believed through grace: for he mightily convinced
the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the Scrip-
tures that Jesus was Christ."

AQUILA AND PRISCEjLA 147

What a tribute is this to the courage of this
humble, consecrated couple — tentmakers by trade —
who ventured to instruct the most eloquent and one
of the most learned men of the New Testament ; and
what tact they showed in doing this privately, prob-
ably in their own home, and in such a way as to
give no offense. As Apollos afterwards went over
Greece thrilling and convincing multitudes of men
with the story of the Gospel of Christ, his pow-ir
and success were in no small measure the fruitage
of the sowing of Aquila and Priscilla.

Paul is usually spoken of as the founder of the
church at Corinth. He himself declares that he
** planted" it. This is of course true in the sense
that he was the preeminent leader in that work,
but it must be remembered that all the while he
was laying those foundations — '*a year and six
months" — he had with him four consecrated and
efficient helpers, — Silas, Timothy, and Aquila and
Priscilla. So this husband and wife rendered that
church a threefold service, — they entertained Paul
while laboring there; they themselves were his
"helpers in Christ" during the entire year and a
half he spent in laying its foundations ; and later on,
they, by the voice of Apollos, though far distant
themselves, yet spake the word in that city.

When Paul finally left Corinth to hasten to Jeru-
salem to keep one of the feasts, so profound was his
faith in the ability and consecration of Aqaila and
Priscilla that he took them with him to Ephosus;
and after the briefest possible stay there hastened

148 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

on his journey, leaving them to carry on the work
independently. Here they remained diligently at
work during probably the entire inter\al elapsing
between his second and third missionary journeys to
that region — a period of some three years —in which
time he visited Caesarea, Antioch, and Jerusalem;
and then slowly retraced his steps going "over all
the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order,
strengthening all the disciples." At length havijg
arrived at Ephesus once more, he found Aqiiila and
Priscilla still there and still faithfully at work as
he had left them. Hence they, far more than Paul
himself, were the real founders of the Ephesian
church, a church which at various times enjoyed
the preaching and pastoral services of such men as
Apollos, Paul, Timothy, and, lastly, John, "the
beloved disciple."

When Paul reached Ephesus he joined Aquila and
Priscilla whose faithful work had been quietly
spreading for three years, and, as every^vhere eh.e,
he at once became, without any effort on his part
but bj^ right of his imperial genius, the dominant
personality and central figure in the evangelistic
campaign already well under way. Things now
began to move quickly and soon multitudes were
converted, books of magic were publicly burned, and
an uproar was on.

Here Paul labored two years, probably enjoying
the assistance of Aquila and Priscilla during the
entire time, for it is from this city he wrote to the
church at Corinth and sent the greetings of these

AQUILA AND PRISCILLA 149

friends, and also the greetings of ''the church that
was in their house." So their services to the church
at Ephesus were the founding of the church itself,
laboring for its welfare some five continuous years,
and, lastly, furnishing their home for the regular
gathering place of believers for worship. And it
may be said in passing that this is our reason for
believing it may have been at Ephesus where they
saved Paul 's life from the attacks of the mob which
was incited to murderous frenzy by the malignant
and crafty eloquence of Demetrius the silversmith.

We next hear of these devoted missionaries and
evangelists back at Rome, and again, as at Ephesus,
there was "a church in their house." To them and
to the church Paul sent remembrances and greet-
ings in his letter to the Romans which was written
at Corinth.

The last time their names occur in the New Testa-
ment is where Paul, in his second letter to Timothy,
again sends them his greetings. From this letter
and his greetings we learn that they were now a
second time in Ephesus and were upholding with all
their old time fervor and zeal the hands of their
young pastor Timothy in his critical and laborious
ministry in that city. This is the last information
we have concerning them. If this were the last
service they ever rendered Christ and his church,
what a climax to what useful lives. What fairer
evening could there have been to such a blessed
couple than spending the moments of its sunset

150 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

glory counseling, aiding, and steadying a young min-
ister in a great church of which they themselves in
a quiet way were the real founders.

Whether Aquila and Priscilla were great in intel-
lectual ability or not, we have no means of judging ;
but we do know they were giants in character and
mighty in usefulness.

Great preachers they entertained, instructed, and
protected. Their homes became churches in two con-
tinents. Great cities and varied races knew them
face to face, and heart to heart. Their life work is
inseparably associated with Rome, Corinth, and
Ephesus. Their names on earth are inseparably
associated with those of ApoUos, Timothy, and Paul.
Their reward in heaven is that of righteous men and
prophets for the Master himself hath said — ''He
that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet
shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that re-
ceiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous
man shall receive a righteous man's reward."

Their whole lives after meeting with Paul at Cor-
inth and after they came under the spell of his impe-
rial heart and master passion, were lives of hardship,
of personal danger, of ceaseless toil, of homelessness
or incessant changing of their homes, as peril or duty
compelled or dictated. What endless thousands of
miles they traveled over seas and mountains and
plains, ever hastening onward on the King's busi-
ness. How they toiled at their trade of tentmaking
as did Paul himself that they might be independent

AQUILA AND PRISCILLA 151

and self supporting, and devote all their powers to
the service of God.

They were willing to go through life with never a
permanent home in order that the homeless churches
of Christ might find homes in their temporary abid-
ing places. In the providence of God they were led
from city to city and from continent to continent,
here to found a church, there to furnish persecuted
believers a place of worship, again to instruct some
young preacher, furnish some prophet of the Lord
a home, or defend some life at the hazard of their
own. What a husband and wife were they, what
unity of heart and head and hand. Match them in
Scripture you cannot. Who in the annals of time
are their peers ?

TV

The Majesty and Divinity of Human Friendship

There is something about the friendship of these
two with St. Paul and its significance to the world
that is almost too sacred for eulogy or comment.
It need not be eulogized. The simple telling of the
tale is sufficient. In Paul's dying hour he sent them
his heart's last greetings. In life he had multiplied
his personality and presence and power through
them and their labors; after his death he was still
laboring through them in his old pastorate at
Ephesus. And how they, too, multiplied their per-
sonality and power through the gifted and eloquent
tongue of Apollos as he hurried from city to city of
ancient Greece, outshining with his resplendent

152 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

eloquence her own native orators, famed in song
and story, even as he had a sublimer and loftier
theme than they.

Surely v^^e can know Paul only as we know his
capacity for friendship. We can know the greatness
of his life and labors only as we measure the life
and labors of his friends, among whose names,
shining with a lustre all their own, we read those of
the two humble tentmakers Aquila and Priscilla,
husband and wife, one in consecration on earth, one
in glory in heaven.

CHAPTER VIII

Apollos — The Man Whose Career Proves There Was
No Jealousy in Paul's Friendships

The story of Apollos 's career is found in the fol-
lowing passages: — Acts 18:24, 19:1, 1st Cor. 1:12,
3:4-22, 4:6, 16:12, and Titus 3:13.

AT first glance the title chosen for our
sketch of Paul's friendship with
Apollos may sound derogatory to each
man. The denial itself may seem to
belittle our conception of the greatness of Paul by
the very fact that we should deem it essential to
be made.

But such is not really the case. It rather en-
hances his greatness by showing that he was free
from those petty vanities and weaknesses which
have commonly marred the characters of so many
of the greatest men of history. It presents St. Paul
to us as preeminent among the preeminent in the
lesser virtues of life as well as in the more rugged
and striking ones. How many of the great men in
church and state have been bitterly jealous not only
of their chief rivals, but even of the successes and
honors which were gained by their own subordinate
friends and devoted adherents. Paul gathered

153

154 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

about himself a circle of brilliant young men; but
in their talents, honors, and successes, not only was
there not a taint of jealousy or suspicion on his
part, but rather encouragement, pride, and re-
joicings.

I have also said that our title may sound deroga-
tory to a man of Apollos's gifts, for it might be said
that he and his career are used merely as a foil to
set off a minor virtue of St. Paul. But neither is
this true. Rather does our title do him honor also
by singling him out as a man of such mark that he
alone of Paul's score of friends, was the one whose
talents were best calculated to arouse jealousy in
the heart of any man capable of harboring that
passion. This absence of jealousy between these two
great men is to my mind the very crown and halo of
their friendship. Never do I recall this particular
friendship of Paul's without thinking of this as its
chief beauty and glory.

I

Who Apollos Was

Apollos has already been introduced to us in the
sketch of Aquila and Priscilla; but in order that
each study may be complete in itself, let us assume
that we are now to make his acquaintance for the
first time.

Like Aquila, who was born in Pontus, Apollos was
also a Jew of "the dispersion," born on the con-
tinent of Africa in the city of Alexandria. We first
meet him at Ephesus. He is described as "elo-

APOLLOS 155

<quent," the only man so spoken of in the entire
Bible. This fact alone will give us some idea of his
remarkable powers. We are also told that he was
*' mighty in the Scriptures, instructed in the Way of
the Lord, and fervent in spirit." Here we have the
portrayal of a splendidly equipped preacher: he
knows his Bible, has command of the facts of
Christ's life, and is wholly consecrated to his work.

Nor is this the entire story of his equipment and
endowments. lie was on a missionary or evangelis-
tic tour when he arrived in Ephesus, where Aquila
and Priscilla were already quietly at work founding
a church, left there for this purpose by their friend
St. Paul.

At once upon his arrival ApoUos entered into the
synagogue and spake "boldly," hence he was a
fearless man. He taught "diligently," and hence
was faithful as pastor and guide. Naturally Aquila
and Priscilla went to hear him. They discovered in
the man and his message but a single deficiency, a
deficiency of knowledge of fact only: in all other
respects — eloquence, learning, consecration, fidelity,
and fervency — he was the ideal, the master preacher.

The one deficiency they discovered was this — ^he
knew only the "baptism of John." He had never
heard of Pentecost or the "baptism of the Spirit.''
This presented a difficult problem to Aquila and
Priscilla, who were but tentmakers and lay members
of the church, while the speaker was the most elo-
quent and one of the most learned men of his genera-
tion. Yet duty was plain, and where duty called the

156 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

feet and tongues of Aquila and Priscilla were never
laggard nor afraid. With fine moral courage and
delicate tact they took Apollos ''unto them," prob-
ably to their own home, even as years before at
Corinth they had shared their humble lodgings with
the persecuted Paul. Here ''they expounded unto
him the way of God more perfectly."

With the simplicity and humility of the truly
great, Apollos was glad to sit at the feet of these
quiet, self-supporting, lay evangelists, while he
drank in from their glowing lips an access of power
which in the years to come was mightily to sway
ancient Greece with the torrent of his resistless
eloquence as he proclaimed the Gospel message.

In ability as a preacher Apollos probably out-
ranked Barnabas, "the son of exhortation," and
stood first among all the friends of Paul. In fact he
ranked with Paul himself in this particular talent
and clearly outshone him in popular gifts and
graces, even though he may have been inferior in
the sweep of his powers and the depth of his spirit-
ual insight. In general ability also he seems to
have been regarded, at least at Corinth, as fuUy
Paul's equal; though beyond question this was an
erroneous judgment, still it is a remarkable tribute
to his essential greatness. Paul also speaks of
Apollos in the same category with himself and St.
Peter, another unconscious tribute to his brilliant
qualities.

In one other respect besides his popular eloquence,
ApoUos would appear to have been the equal if not

APOLLOS 157

the superior of St. Paul, that is, in tact and in the
ability to proclaim an unpopular message without
arousing the personal hostility and antagonisms
which everywhere accompanied the preaching of the
latter. There is no hint of any mob spirit being ex-
cited in any place where Apollos preached. Nor was
this due to any cringing or keeping back of any part
of the message of the Cross. In Ephesus we are told
he spoke ''boldly,*' yet no man lifted a hand against
him. All through Greece ''he mightily convinced the
Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the Scriptures,
that Jesus was Christ;" yet no personal violence
was done him. Contrast all this with the murderous
assaults made upon Paul in these same cities of
Ephesus and Corinth, and in other places.

Of course the difference may be accounted for in
part on other grounds; but after all due allowances
are made, it yet seems to be true that Apollos could
preach with boldness equal to St. Paul's and in the
very same cities, without arousing the personal ani-
mosity excited by the latter.

The confidence in his ability and consecration
which Apollos inspired on the part of the brethren
at Ephesus, who had heard him preach and knew
him personally, is fully attested by their letters
which unanimously commended him to the churches
of Greece when he was disposed to go thither on an
evangelistic tour. His successes among that classic
but scoffing people were brilliant in the extreme.
He "helped them much which had believed through

158 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

grace, ' ' and fearlessly met and splendidly overthrew
the doubts and arguments of unbelievers.

II

Why Paul Might Have Been Jealous of Apollos

It is time now to address ourselves directly ta
the negation contained in our general characteriza-
tion of Apollos and his relation to St. Paul, and
raise the question why the latter might have been
jealous of him, or, — to phrase our inquiry so that it
will cast no shadow of reflection upon Paul — why
would almost any other man save Paul have been
jealous? There are three obvious reasons why such
might have been the case, — Apollos 's great gifts,,
his method of evangelism, and his personal popu-
larity. Let us examine separately and with some
degree of minuteness each one of these jealousy-
provoking facts.

First, Apollos 's great gifts. Apollos was an
orator, Paul was not in the ordinary sense of that
term. The former was strongest where the latter
was weakest. Apollos had remarkable gifts both of
person and voice, Paul had neither. And Paul was
not only conscious of Apollos 's gifts but also aware
of his own deficiencies; and not only was he aware
of them but also sensitive on the subject, more
sensitive, perhaps, than to any other one thing.
This is shown in his letter to the Corinthians by his
almost pathetic description of his limitations and
weaknesses when he first came among them, of
which he afterwards wrote: — ''And I, brethren.

APOLLOS 159

when I came to you, came not with excellency of
speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testi-
mony of God. . . . And I was with you in
weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And
my speech and my preaching was not with enticing
words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the
Spirit and of power." Note the last phrase "in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power," by
which the Apostle endeavors to point out what
equipment he did have which atoned for his lack
in other respects. All this was written after
Apollos's brilliant and successful mission to Corinth
had taken place.

In Paul's words it is easy to see there is a con-
scious or unconscious comparison of himself with
Apollos, which shows how stung and humiliated he
was by his own lack of the outwardly more attrac-
tive graces of public speech. This fact is again
brought out by his farther references to the same
thing in his second letter where he says — ''but
though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge.'^
But the strongest evidence of all as to how humil-
iated he was is his quotation of the biting jibes of
his critics and detractors. These are his words —
''For his letters, say they, are weighty and power-
ful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech
contemptible. ' ' When we consider how this scoffing^
criticism rankled in Paul's memory it would not
have been surprising if even such a man as he had
felt some slight twinges of jealousy of a man so>
gifted as Apollos.

160 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

We have also said that Apollos's ''method of
evangelism" was calculated to incite Paul's
jealousy, or, rather, would have incited the jealousy
of a weaker and lesser man. What was that method
of evangelism? Either by chance or by design
Apollos followed Paul's back track and preached
in the latter 's old parishes where he had undergone
untold toil and peril in establishing churches.
Apollos came to these with letters of commendation,
thus assuring him a cordial welcome wherever he
might go. This in itself would not necessarily have
aroused any suspicion or jealousy, had it not been
for the fact that many other men followed Paul with
malice aforethought on purpose to undermine his
influence and assail his claims to Apostolic standing.
In view of these facts had Paul been any ordinary
man, he would have been suspicious of Apollos [s
designs. Such suspicion would seem to have been
justified by the factional outbreak which followed
Apollos's visit to Corinth, which rent that church in
twain and cost Paul no end of labor and anxiety
and tears, letters, messages, and messengers, before
tranquility was even partially restored. Nothing
could have been more natural for one at a great
distance than to suppose that Apollos was purposely
undermining his influence and intriguing against
him.

There was one other reason suggested why Paul's
jealousy of Apollos might have been kindled, — the
latter 's personal popularity. Few great men can
view with equanimity the praise of another who is

APOLLOS 161

constantly compared with themselves, and contin-
uously praised to their own direct disparagement.
And the situation is aggravated if that rival is
gaining his popularity among a people whom he
himself has most faithfully served, for whom he has
endured every peril, and whom he loves most pas-
sionately. Such was the situation of affairs at
Corinth, the condition at one time of things between
Paul and Apollos.

Paul had founded the church and labored there
for nearly or quite two years with unabating ardor
and often in deadly peril; he loved the Corinthians
with a pureness and strength of devotion resembling
domestic affections of the highest type. He "wrote**
to them as to his "beloved sons," he "spoke** to
them "as unto his children." And farther he said —
"For though ye have ten thousand instructors in
Christ, yet ha^e ye not many fathers: for in Christ
Jesus 1 have begotten you through the gospel.
. . . For out of much affliction and anguish of
heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that
ye should, be grieved, but that ye might know the
love which T have more abundantly unto you. . . .
T will not be burdensome unto you: for I seek not
yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up
for the parents, but parents for the children. And
I will very gladly spend and be spent for you;
though the more abundantly I love you, the less
1 be loved."

The exigencies of his life work took Paul far from
this church of his "begetting** and the children of

162 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

his love. Some time afterwards along came the
brilliant and captivating orator Apollos, and stopped
at Corinth. He had powerful letters of recommen-
dation from the brethren at Ephesus. The church
doors swung wide to receive him, he spoke, people
were charmed, a great section of them praised him
to the skies. Before this they had regarded Paul
as the master-preacher. Now Paul was nowhere.

But some were still loyal to their former pastor
and outspoken in his defense. A storm quickly
brewed and burst in fury, the church at Corinth was
torn into warring fragments. Some shouted the
name of Paul, others of Apollos, still others of
Cephas, and yet others, turning from all these party
cries, shouted the name of Christ making that holy
name itself the war cry of a faction. Certain ones
of the Corinthians of the household of Chloe bore
tidings of these things to Paul who was at the time
laboring at Ephesus.

Here was another cause for arousing his jealousy
of this popular idol, this haloed orator Apollos. So
there were three sufficient reasons for jealousy be-
tween these men, any one of which by itself was
enough to ruin the peace of the most generous
friends.

And it should be borne in mind also that the work
at Ephesus was at that very moment demanding all
Paul's resources of mind and heart and strength.
It seemed impossible for him to bear the strain of
anxiety about distant Corinth. A less consecrated
man would have been undone by such news at such

APOLLOS 163

a time. Jealousy or utter discouragement would
have infuriated or prostrated a moral weakling.
It was from here at Ephesus that Paul wrote to the
distracted church at Corinth describing what at that
very time and place he was enduring. Here is the
story in his own words: — *'For I think that God
hath set forth us the Apostles last, as it were ap-
pointed to death : for we are made a spectacle unto
the world, and to angels, and to men. . . . Even
unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst,
and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain
dwelling-place; and labor, working with our own
hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted,
we suffer it: being defamed, we entreat: we are
made as the filth of the world, and are the off-
scouring of all things unto this day." And later
referring to this period he wrote in his second letter
to Corinth — ''For we would not, brethren, have you
ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia,
that we were pressed out of measure, above strength,
insomuch that we despaired even of life." All this
was calculated to inflame his enmity against ApoUos
who was the cause, or one of the causes, of the out-
break at Corinth, and who had superseded him in
the affections of a large section of that church.

But Paul was equal to the moral demands of the
situation. Let us examine the proof and sift the
evidence to the bottom. Our characterization of
Apollos in the title to this sketch may seem to have
prejudged the issue. A decision and judgment may
appear to have been pronounced and the question

164 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

closed. If so let ns reopen it, let us assume it is
not settled, let us hear the evidence on both sides
and weigh it with candor and open mind.

Ill

The Argument That Paul Was Jealous of Apollos

There are several passages scattered through
Paul's two letters to the Corinthian church which
are sometimes cited as evidence that Paul was
jealous of Apollos and of his popularity at Corinth.

Let us now summon these before us, a part of
which have already been quoted once. The first is
this : — ' ' And I, brethren, when I came to you, came
not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declar-
ing unto you the testimony of God. For I determined
not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ,
and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness,
and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech
and my preaching was not with enticing words of
man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit
and of power: that your faith should not stand in
the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. ' ' Here
the phrases ''excellency of speech" and "enticing
words of man's wisdom," are said by some to be a
slur upon the gifts of Apollos; and the claim for
himself that he preached "Christ and him crucified
. . in demonstration of the Spirit and of power'*
are said to be insinuations that his rival was de-
ficient in the more valuable elements of a preacher 's
equipment, possessing merely the showy gifts that

APOLLOS 165

dazzle without edifying. All this is declared to
reveal a spirit of jealousy.

The next citation in proof of the same assertion
is this : — ' ' Need we, as some others, epistles of com-
mendation to you, or letters of commendation from
you?" This again is quoted as a slur upon Apollos
who went to Corinth with letters of commendation
from the Ephesian brethren.

Still another statement which, it is urged, betrays
the same spirit, is where Paul proclaims that he
does not "boast in another man's line of things
made ready to our hand." It will be remembered
that Apollos went to Corinth after Paul had founded
the church with incredible labor and peril. Farther
passages of like tenor with the preceding might be
recalled, but these are the strongest of all. "What
shall be said of this line of argument, and the cita-
tions upon which it is based? Do they clearly refer
to Apollos? If so, can we reasonably deny the
charge that Paul was at times bitterly jealous? The
evidence adduced is strong, if accepted at its face
value, without sifting or critical examination. The
counter-evidence must be not only equally strong,
but overwhelming and conclusive. Let us hear the
other side.

lY
The Proof That Paul Was Not Jealous of Apollos

We shall adduce three lines of argument in sup-
port of our contention that Paul was never jealous
of his gifted friend Apollos.

166 SAINT PAUL'S FEIENDSHIPS

First, we will examine the three passages quoted
as evidence that he was. As to the first of the three,
we frankly admit, as has already been done, that
Paul was sensitive about his lack of oratorical
graces, and deeply pained by the mocking criticisms
of some members of the Corinthian church. But
sensitiveness over one's own deficiencies is not proof
of jealousy of another's gifts. Nor can the pointing
out of one's own powers be twisted into proof that
this implies a lack of the same in another man.
Much less can this be done in the case in hand^
for in the preceding chapter Paul has unqualifiedly
put Apollos in the same category with himself and
St. Peter. When we come to Paul 's reference to the
fact that some had letters of commendation,
although this was true in the case of Apollos, it
must be remembered that he wrote as though he
had several persons in mind, those who were in
great need of such commendation to give them any
hearing at all. Apollos never had any such difficulty.

As to the last passage about boasting of work
which another man had started, there never was a
man freer from such a spirit than Apollos, judging
by all we do know positively about the man and his
character. In addition to the above counter-argu-
ment as to who is meant in these passages, it is
known beyond question that Paul did have many
personal enemies whose characters and activities
exactly corresponded to the requirements of the
passages under examination. Large sections of his
letters to Corinth, especially of the second, refer

APOLLOS 167

beyond dispute to those adversaries, and in the
absence of strong proof to the contrary the only
legitimate way to interpret passages of like tenor
is in line with the clearly known facts. It is incon-
ceivable that such a man as Paul would openly laud
and covertly stab the same man in the same letter.

Our second proof that Paul was never jealous of
his friend Apollos may be gathered up in a single
negative declaration, — In all that he ever said or
did, there is not the slightest open criticism or de-
preciation of Apollos the man, or of his gifts, or of
his services to Christianity. Paul did not hesitate to
speak his mind freely in regard to Barnabas, Mark,
and Peter, when he held them blameworthy, nor
would he have done in the case of Apollos.

We now come to our third line of proof which is
positive and constructive: first, all that Paul said
in praise of Apollos and his gifts; second, an exam-
ination of one of his primary purposes in writing
1st Corinthians; and, lastly, a significant request
that he made of Apollos.

First, then, let us listen to the high praise Paul
bestowed upon his friend, and his gifts and services.
*'For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I
am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is
Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom
ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the
increase. So then neither is he that planteth any-
thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth
the increase. Now he that planteth and he that

168 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

watereth are one: and every man shall receive his
own reward according to his own labor. For we are
laborers together with God."

Some phrases here are of special significance:
Paul and Apollos are both equally "ministers . .
by whom the Corinthians had believed." Paul had
"planted," Apollos had "watered," — a service
equally necessary and equally honorable as the plant-
ing. He that "planted" and he that "watered"
were "one," — one in honor, one in usefulness, one
in mutual respect, love, and unity. They were
"laborers together," no differences, jealousy, or
schism between them. More generous words Paul
could not have spoken concerning his brilliant friend
and co-worker. Let none, then, stand up and accuse
him of the dastardly duplicity of covertly sneering
at a man whose name he couples with his own in
the holiest of associations.

The next positive evidence we wish to cite in
proof of our contention, is the fact that one of the
prime motives of Paul in writing 1st Corinthians was
to allay the factional strife at Corinth; and this he
strove to do by proving to the church that there
was no personal antagonism between himself and
Apollos, but that their work at Corinth was equal
in importance and honor; and that between them
were the closest ties of mutual respect and affection.

Our last evidence is a statement of Paul's in the
latter part of his first letter to the Corinthians, —
"As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired
him to come unto you with the brethren: but his

APOLLOS 169

will was not at all to come at this time; but he
will come when he shall have convenient time.'^
Notice the words "our brother ApoUos." Now at
first glance this whole passage is seemingly but a
commonplace statement of slight and merely tem-
porary significance : but in reality it is an illuminat-
ing revelation not only of the ties existing between
the two, but also of Paul's estimate of Apollos and
of the latter 's innermost character and lofty prin-
ciples.

The situation at Corinth was, in brief, this:
Grievous immorality among professed Christians and
factional strife in the church, which two things
threatened its very life. Paul was at Ephesus unable
to go to Corinth, or deemed it inadvisable that he
should do so. He had already dispatched one or
two letters, but these had failed to alleviate the
crisis. He had requested Timothy to visit the
church: but either he had not yet arrived, or Paul
expected small results from his efforts. Apollos had
now returned to Ephesus or was near and in close
touch with Paul. Unintentionally his mission at
Corinth was one of the prime, if not indeed the
original, cause of the factional outbreak there, and
of the subsequent heartless disparagement of Paul
and his gifts.

In view of all these considerations, had Paul been
jealous the last thing he would have desired would
have been the return of Apollos to Corinth, lest his
presence there without any effort on his part should
increase his own popularity and Paul's unpopular-

170 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

ity, and so the schism in the church be made worse
than it was already. A jealous man would have
feared this result however innocent ApoUos might
be of any attempt to bring it about. A suspicious
man would have expected Apollos to foment dis-
cord. But Paul's love for his friend and admira-
tion of his gifts prompted him to urge Apollos
to hurry back to Corinth believing he was the very
man to settle all difficulties. What a tribute is this
to Paul 's faith in the personal honor of Apollos, and
also to his confidence in his ability and tact to
achieve successfully such a delicate mission. And
what a scorching rebuke is here to every suspicion
of any unworthy sentiments on the part of Paul.
And such a request must have been cheering to
Apollos to know that his friend scorned to believe
any of the ugly rumors emanating from Corinth,
that he had been a willing party to the undermining
of Paul's popularity there.

But Apollos declined the mission. Apparently he
did not deem it an expedient time for him to appear
at Corinth just then when matters were at such a
critical turn. He foresaw the possible danger his
presence would cause to the peace of the church,
owing to a probable outbreak on the part of some of
his fanatical admirers; and so for the sake of the
peace of the church, and out of consideration and
courtesy toward his friend Paul, he would not be
even the innocent occasion of farther humiliation
to him. He cherished the well-being of the church
and the feelings of Paul as of more value than any

APOLLOS 171

personal triumph and glorification. This is an at-
tractive revelation of the character of that high-
minded gentleman, the eloquent orator ApoUos.
Surely vanity had no place in his makeup. In
reviewing this incident, so pregnant with latent
significance, I scarcely know which man to admire
most. In fact there is no choice between them, the
conduct of each was high beyond either criticism or
praise.

So, then, the world has been enriched by at least
one friend, yes, two, whose souls were never scarred
by the footprint of that hateful monster — jealousy.
Paul was ever utterly selfless in his admiration of
the powers of his friends; and was always pushing
them forward into new fields of opportunity, useful-
ness, and honor. His master passion was Jesus
Christ and his kingdom; if others could do more in
certain places or along certain lines, his heart re-
joiced that God had given such gifts unto men.
Like Moses of old he was ever ready to exclaim: —
**Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that
all the Lord's people were prophets and that the
Lord would put his spirit upon them."

V

What These Two Friends Owed Each Other

What Paul and Apollos owed each other in the
delights of friendship and the joy of intellectual
fellowship, we can never fathom. What they owed
each other in the service of Christ, while we can

172 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

never fully measure it, yet we can, at least, indicate
some of the lines of their mutual helpfulness.

In the first place, ApoUos indirectly owed to Paul
his knowledge of the baptism and power of the Holy
Spirit whereby he thrilled and convinced sceptical
Greece with the sweep and majesty of an eloquence
such as her classic lands had never heard. It was
first at Ephesus directly from Aquila and Priscilla
that he gained knowledge of and access to this new
power ; but it will be remembered that these humble
folk had been enlisted in the Lord's work by Paul
at Corinth ; and it was he who had brought them to
Ephesus and there left them to found a Christian
community, while he hastened on to Antioch and
Jerusalem. So Apollos owed the highest reaches of
his lofty eloquence to the work which Paul had
wrought in the lives of his hosts of Corinth.

Paul also owed much to Apollos. It was Apollos 's
splendid ''watering" of what he had "planted'^
that left the latter free to reside at Ephesus for so
many years, and found and build up churches in
all western Asia Minor. After Apollos 's mission to
Greece was completed, he appears to have returned
to Ephesus and there labored with Paul for some
time in that great city.

That these friends never lost track of each other
is proved by Paul's request in his letter to Titus
written years afterwards near the end of his life.
The reference is as follows: — "Bring Zenas the law-
yer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that
nothing be wanting unto them."

APOLLOS 173

It is the opinion of some scholars that Apollos had
just been in conference with Paul somewhere in
Greece, and that he and Zenas were the bearers of
the letter to Titus who was then in Crete. It is
farther believed that the two men, Zenas and
Apollos, were on some kind of a mission under the
direction of Paul. Possibly they were going to the
East to secure legal evidence in his behalf for his
second trial at Rome which was already foreseen.

It is also believed by some that upon Paul's re-
arrest Apollos at once joined him in Rome ; but this
is uncertain. Be that as it may, in our last glimpse
of Apollos we find him still in touch with Paul, the
two still laboring in harmony for the advancement
and glory of the kingdom of their common Lord and
Master ; and it is fair to assume that they had been
thus constantly in close intercourse ever since they
labored together at Ephesus.

Tradition affirms that Apollos spent his later years
as Bishop of Corinth. Whether this is so or not. of
one thing we may be certain, that his eloquent
tongue was never silent until his brow received the
crown, and that wherever he told the gospel story
there Paul though dead was yet speaking.

CHAPTER IX

Titus — The Most Efficient of PauVs Friends

The record of Titus's career is found in the fol-
lowing passage:— 2nd Cor. 2:12-13, 7:5-17, 8:1-24,
12:18, Gal. 2:1-4, 2nd Tim. 4:10, and all of Paul's
epistle to him.

OUR characterization of Titus will in all
likelihood arouse strenuous dissent. The
names and services of Luke, Timothy,
Barnabas and others, will at once come
to mind, and it will be said "surely Titus was
inferior to any and all of these." It may even be
slightingly asked — ''Who was Titus anyway?"

By casual reading of the New Testament it must
be confessed that his name, personality, and work,
might not attract and fix the attention. It would
be recalled that Paul addressed a letter to him, and
perhaps also the farther fact that he left him in
Crete on some sort of a mission. Beyond this little
would be remembered by any except the more diligent
students of Paul's life and the New Testament as a
whole. But to have it asserted that Titus was one
of the most efficient men of the early church will,
perhaps, surprise even those who are fairly conver-
sant with his career.

174

TITUS 175

By the word "efficient" as used in this sketch, we
mean as an achiever of immediate practical results
in difficult situations. Not for a moment is he to be
compared with Barnabas and ApoUos as a preacher;
nor was he a writer like Luke and Mark. But he
was a man who could do things at any time and any-
where; and whenever Paul had a task too difficult
for any of his other friends, he always turned to
Titus, and Titus never refused and never failed.

I

Who Then Was Titus f

Of the man himself we know very little. Of his
birthplace and early life, we know nothing. We do
not know when or where he first met St. Paul, nor
what their earlier associations were. The scantiness
of our knowledge is due largely to the fact that
Luke never once mentions his name in the entire
book of Acts, though during the period covered by
this narrative Titus was rendering indispensable
services in behalf of Paul and for the good of the
early church.

"Why Luke totally ignored the great part played
by Titus in those stirring days and scenes, we are
left entirely in the dark; but it is safe to say he had
some reason which appeared ample to himself. Is it
possible to conjecture what his reasons were? I
think it may be safely done. One conjecture is that
as Titus's most eminent service at that time was in
healing a frightful breach in one of the greatest of
the churches, Luke ignored the entire story as the

176 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

struggle was over some years before he wrote
Acts, and hence he did not wish to recall painful
memories by even so much as an allusion to them.
Therefore he did not refer to Titus at all as this
would hardly have been possible without telling
something about his work in settling a quarrel now
long a thing of the past. Another reason why he
may not have mentioned Titus is, possibly, because
the latter 's work did not seem to him to contribute
as directly as that of some of Paul's other friends
in hastening the onward sweep of Christianity from
Jerusalem to Rome, the story of which, as we have
seen, is the theme of the book of Acts.

A few definite details are, however, known in
regard to Titus the man. First of all we know that
he was a Greek, Paul so stating in his letter to the
Galatians. And farther we know that he was con-
verted through the direct influence of Paul himself,
for the latter addresses his letter to him as "his
own son after the common faith." Perhaps it is
fair to assume that Titus's conversion took place at
Antioch, and that he was a part of the fruit of
Paul's labors there. At any rate we first hear of
him in association with Paul in that city when the
latter, some fourteen years after his own conversion,
went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas to consult the
leading Apostles in regard to the question of cir-
cumcision of Gentile converts. On this journey Paul
took Titus with him. This visit to Jerusalem was
after Paul's first missionary journey, and may or
may not be identical with that one related in Acts

TITUS 177

15. It is conjectured by some that Titus was with
Paul and Barnabas on their missionary journey
together; and that it was from Titus that Luke
gained most of his information about the move-
ments of St. Paul during those periods when he
himself was not with him. All this is very possible,
but by no means capable of any proof.

After Titus's journey to Jerusalem with Paul,
Barnabas and others, we entirely lose sight of him
for several years; but it is likely that he was with
Paul all the time, or laboring somewhere under his
supervision. We next find him for a certainty with
Paul on the latter 's third missionary journey; and
from a comparison of Acts with Paul's letters to
Corinth, we know that he was with Paul at least
part of the time during his ministry at Ephesus
when all the province of Asia was evangelized by
him and his friends. The evidence of this is that it
was from Ephesus that Paul sent him on his most
difficult missions.

II

The Proof of Titus's Efficiency

The best proof of Titus's efficiency is a simple
recital of the services he performed.

While Paul was at Ephesus he received the dis-
astrous reports of affairs at Corinth. Things were
at a crisis and demanded immediate and tactful, yet
at the same time the most masterful, handling, or
all Paul's work there would be wrecked and the
church and cause of Christ go down in irretrievable

178 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

ruin. We need not here go into the details of the
situation at Corinth. Its evils may be roughly
summed up under a few general heads : the lax
morals of the members of the church ; fierce factional
broils ; confusion in public worship and drunkenness
at the communion table; and the lending of greedy
ears to the malicious enemies of Paul himself who
denounced him, his message, and his Apostolic
standing.

How could such a situation be met? Paul begged
Apollos to go to Corinth and try his hand in com-
posing the difficulties. Apollos declined for reasons
we have already examined. Paul was nearly des-
perate. He feared to go himself lest his presence
make matters worse. He then, for some reason,
dispatched Timothy; but fearful of his ability to
cope with the situation he wrote to the Corinthians
pleading with them to give Timothy a favorable re-
ception. Now either he failed in his mission, or else
Paul, growing more and more distrustful of his
ability to accomplish anything, recalled him before
he even reached the scene of disturbance. Matters
at Corinth were going from bad to worse every
hour. There was but one thing left to do — send
Titus. Neither Timothy, nor Apollos, nor even Paul
himself, was the man for such a crisis as the troubles
at Corinth had now reached.

It is likely that Titus had already been there
sometime previously, possibly he was the bearer of
1st Corinthians ; and it may have been his report on
the condition of things there that suggested to Paul

TITUS 179

that of all men he was the one to solve the problems
now confronting him and rending the church to
destruction. At any rate such was the course Paul
took and he never judged a man more accurately
nor confronted a situation more masterfully.

Titus, therefore, was sent from Ephesus to Cor-
inth. He went with verbal instructions and also
bore a letter of scathing rebuke. That particular
letter, now lost, is referred to in 2nd Cor. 7 : 8. With
Titus went a "brother," but he was a negligible
factor compared to Titus, not even his name being
given in this connection though Paul declares him
to have been w^ell known.

So great was Paul's anxiety over Titus's mission
that he became too restless to remain at Ephesus,
so hastened on to Troas hoping to intercept Titus
there on his return journey. But some way they
failed to meet. Paul's anxiety now became almost
too heavy to be borne, and it proved impossible
for him to restrain his impatience despite the splen-
did opportunity to preach which now opened to
him in Troas.

His own words give a graphic picture of the ter-
rible strain of those days. Here they are: — "Fur-
thermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's
Gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the
Lord, I found no rest in my spirit, because I found
not Titus my brother ; but taking my leave of them,
I went from thence into Macedonia." Somewhere
there, possibly at Philippi, Titus at last reached his
side with the story of the complete success of his

180 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

difficult mission. Paul was almost overwhelmed with
the joyful release from his crushing load. We can-
not do better than let him tell in his own words how
he was affected by the glad tidings Titus brought.
**I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in
all our tribulation. For, when we were come into
Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were
troubled on every side; without were fightings,
within were fears. Nevertheless God, that com-
forteth those that are cast down, comforted us by
the coming of Titus; and not by his coming only,
but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted
in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your
mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I
rejoiced the more . . . Therefore we were
comforted in your comfort : yea, and exceedingly the
more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his
spirit was refreshed by you all . . . And his
inward affection is more abundant toward you,
whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all,
how with fear and trembling ye received him. I
rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all
things. ' '

Immediately after this Paul sat down and wrote
2nd Corinthians and sent it back to the church by
Titus who had already eagerly volunteered to return
that he might farther the work of gathering an
offering from them for the poor of Jerusalem. This
work he had already begun on his previous visit,
and Paul was now most solicitous for its success.

The troubles at Corinth never reappeared in a

TITUS 181

dangerous form. Titus had settled them for all
time. A task which Timothy was unequal to, a task
which neither Paul nor Apollos deemed himself the
right man to grapple with, Titus quickly accom-
plished. Paul speaks of Titus's '' abundant inward
affection" for the Corinthians. This must have
been, in part, the secret of his success. But it was
not all. He was evidently one born to command, a
man of imposing personality, one whose presence
overawed opposition and silenced faction. The
Corinthians, as we learn from Paul's letters, ridi-
culed his own person, made light of his deficiencies
as a speaker, defied his authority, and scoffed at his
messages. But Titus was unafraid. He met these
insolent braggarts face to face, and they, not he,
were cowed. And Paul comments, possibly with
some degree of satisfaction, ''how with fear and
trembling they received Titus."

The next recorded service of this skilled diplomat
was rendered some years later, how many, it is im-
possible to determine; nor have we any reference
to his whereabouts during the intervening period;
but it is safe to say that Paul did not permit to
remain idle one who had such ability as he had
manifested at Corinth.

The second great service of Titus was performed
in the island of Crete. There is no data by which
it can be definitely settled when he labored there.
Some believe it to have followed immediately after
Paul's touching there with his shipmates when he
was being conveyed a prisoner to Rome as recorded

182 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

in Acts 27. In this case the letter to Titus may-
have been written from Rome. All this however
seems to me exceedingly improbable in view of the
fact that Paul told Titus he intended to winter at
Nicopolis and requested him to join him there.

The other view of the letter and the situation
implied, is that Paul was released from a first im-
prisonment in Rome and subsequently he and Titus
went on a mission to Crete; and that the letter to
Titus was written at Nicopolis, or as Paul was
drawing near that city. I accept this view ; but for
our purposes it does not matter in the least when
the mission took place, or whence the letter was
written. Our interest is confined to the added in-
formation given us concerning Titus and his effi-
ciency, and this is the same in any case.

There are four things in connection with the joint
work of Paul and Titus in Crete and the letter which
passed between them, which emphasize the latter 's
efficiency as a man of practical achievements. The
first is that, as far as we have any record, the
last missionary work done by Paul when he was at
liberty in his movements, was here in Crete; and
that of all his score and more of close friends and
able fellow workers, he chose Titus alone to share
his arduous campaign in that island.

In the second place, when the work was but fairly
begun Paul withdrew and left Titus to cope single-
handed with the desperate condition of the Cretan
churches; and he did so without any misgivings as
to the final issue under Titus 's masterful supervision.

TITUS 183

The situation of affairs in the island may be summed
up in a few words : almost total lack of organization
and church officers; rank insubordination of mem-
bers ; shockingly low morals, and heretical teachings.
With such a situation Paul directed Titus to grapple,
having full faith that he was capable of proving
himself master.

The third evidence of Titus's efficiency is to be
gathered from the general tone of Paul's letter to
him. When, on a former occasion, Paul left Timothy
to meet a somewhat analogous condition of affairs
in the single city of Ephesus, his entire letter to
him breathed a spirit of foreboding solicitude as
though he were fearful that he would prove inade-
quate to the demands of his position. On the other
hand, in the case of Titus, though Paul left him to
settle matters in an entire island, he manifested no
fear as to his competency — a clear proof of his
different estimates of the two men, however tender
his affection for Timothy may have been.

The fourth and last evidence we shall adduce
concerning Paul's high estimate of Titus *s efficiency,
is the fact that he directed the latter to join him at
Nicopolis as soon as he had so far settled matters
in Crete that some other man — Artemas or Tychicus
— would be able to carry them on successfully.

That Titus fully met Paul's expectations here as
at Corinth is proved by the fact that a little later
we find he had left Crete and was on a final mission,
again under Paul's direction, in far Dalmatia. This
we learn from Paul 's last letter to Timothy. It may

184 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

be that Titus was sent thither from Nicopolis where
he joined Paul in accordance with the latter 's direc-
tions after the work in Crete was so far completed
as to permit its being carried on by others. If
Nicopolis was not the place whence he was sent to
Dalmatia, then it is likely he visited Paul in Eome
and went from there. The province of Dalmatia
was situated in the southern part of Illyricum. A
reference to the latter is made in Paul's letter to
the Romans, written from Corinth, where he declared
''he had no more place in those parts, having fully
preached the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem, and
round about unto Illyricum." Hence it may well
be that Titus was with him in that mission — of which
we have no information save the above — and that
in after days some crisis arose there, as at Corinth
and in Crete, and so again Paul sent his strong
man to meet it.

Ill
Paul's Love for Titus and Ardent Praise of the Man

Of Paul's estimate of Titus's ability nothing
farther need be said, his actions speak louder than
any words could. Of his affection for him, his de-
light in his companionship, and his admiration for
the man, — a few words may be added.

Perhaps Titus, next to Timothy, was closest to the
great Apostle's heart. He calls him his "own son;"
he tells us that at Troas he had no rest for his
spirit, because he found not Titus ''his brother;"
in Macedonia he was "comforted by the coming of

TITUS 185

Titus;" and *' exceedingly more he joyed for the
joy of Titus" because the latter 's spirit had been
refreshed by the Corinthians; he thanked God that
Titus "had earnest care in his heart" for them, and
of ''his own accord went unto them;" if any in-
quired of Titus, he was his "partner and fellow
helper." Of course part of all this anxiety and
joy centered itself in the condition and welfare of
the Corinthian Christians; but there is also a per-
sonal tenderness in every reference to Titus's name
which shows how dearly Paul loved him.

IV

What Paid and Titus Owed Each Other In Christian
Service

To Paul Titus owed his conversion to Christ; and
to Paul's direction he committed all the powers of
his redeemed soul and consecrated talent. From
first to last we find him in Paul's company or
executing Paul's commissions.

But the debt between these friends was a recipro-
cal one. For long years through Titus Paul was
enabled to multiply his own presence, personality,
and power; and after his death he had in Titus a
man abundantly capable of prolonging his life mis-
sion to the world. This ability had already been
amply proved in far sundered fields and in most
critical juncture of affairs, where he had been com-
pelled to act independently of his leader's presence,
either alone or with subordinate assistants.

186 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

When Paul, the General-in-Chief of all Christen-
dom, at last had to lay down the insignia of supreme
authority, here was one of his Field Marshals who
was capable of commanding any army on any field.

CHAPTER X
Aristarchus — PauVs Friend Who Was But His Friend

The story of Aristarchus ^s career is contained in
the following passages :— Acts 19 :29, 20 :4-5, 27 :l-2,
€ol. 4:10, Philemon 1:24.

TO many readers of the New Testament
Aristarchus is but a name and nothing
more; to others he is not even a name.
If we begin by describing him nega-
tively, it will seem before we are through that there
is nothing more left to say; in short, that he is an
unimportant and insignificant figure. But such a
judgment would be wide of the facts. However, let
us hear the negatives first.

I

What Aristarchus Was Not and What He Did Not Do

In all the New Testament there is no reference
to any church founded by Aristarchus, nor to any
mission undertaken, nor of any journey on which he
was sent as messenger or agent. There is no record
of any sermon preached, nor of any convert won.
Once, and once only, is there so much as an allusion
to the fact that he ever rendered any direct service

187

188 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

to Christianity; and in that exceptional instance,
nothing is said as to what the service was. His life
story is the story of a friend who was but a friend.
About all we know of him is that from the beginning-
to the end of his career he was a friend of Paul's
of whom it might be said "he stuck closer than a
brother. ' '

In distinction from all Paul's other friends, Aris-
tarchus appears to have been so completely absorbed
in devotion to Paul's person and companionship as
to have no time or place for service to the church
at large. This is not said to his depreciation. Of
such as he had, gave he unto the world; and that
which was committed unto him, was a measureless
devotion to the great Apostle, especially during the
final terrible years and experiences through which
he had to pass.

Of the general ability of Aristarchus we have no
direct means of judging; but the fact that no con-
spicuous service was entrusted to him, leads to the
conclusion that his talents were in no wise remark-
able ; and yet his career exhibits some of the nobler
virtues of character in what I may call, without
exaggeration, their supreme degree.

II

Who Then Was Aristarchus and What Was His
Relation to St. Paul?

Aristarchus was a Macedonian by race, a native of
the city of Thessalonica. He was probably con-
verted by Paul during his first visit to that city.

ARISTARCHUS 189

At that time persecution against the Apostle was so
bitter that he was speedily driven from the city.
At Berea his party were received so much more
hospitably that they contrasted their treatment at
the two places greatly to the disparagement of the
former. Had Paul been inclined to be discouraged
over his expulsion from Thessalonica, or felt that
his work there had been a complete failure, yet even
if no splendid church had afterwards arisen as a
result of his labors, the winning of such a convert
as Aristarchus would alone have repaid him for all
he suffered.

Every mention of Aristarchus in the New Testa-
ment presents him to us as the friend and personal
attendant of St. Paul. When he forsook all and
followed him, we do not know ; but in all likelihood
it was directly after his conversion, which must
have taken place on Paul's second missionary jour-
ney. Our ground for believing he joined Paul at
once is the fact that when he is first mentioned he
is with him at the period of his three years' stay at
Ephesus. Now this took place on Paul's third mis-
sionary journej^ and before he had made his second
trip through Macedonia and Greece; and Aristar-
chus is in this connection already spoken of as
** Paul's companion in travel." Therefore as Paul
had been for some time settled down in his Ephesian
pastorate, Aristarchus 's traveling with him must
have preceded this. Hence we conclude he had
alread}^ been some j^ears with Paul and must have
joined him at once after his conversion, or very

190 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

shortly thereafter. Never is he mentioned apart
from Paul to whose companionship he dedicated his
life.

Here at Ephesus Aristarchns manifested the su-
preme devotion of a friend. Demetrius, the silver-
smith, by persuasive and alarming eloquence^
aroused a bloodthirsty mob which made a murderous
assault upon Paul and his adherents. Paul himself
escaped, but two of his friends were seized, — Gains
and Aristarchus. The inevitable conclusion is that
they risked their own lives in defense of Paul, and
were the most fearless and conspicuous of all his
friends. Paul was no less loyal to them and was
determined to risk all in order to go to their rescue,
but other friends forcibly restrained him.

Some time after this occurrence he revisited his
European churches in Macedonia and Greece, and on
his return to Asia Aristarchus is again mentioned
among his companions in travel; so it is fair to
assume he had been with him during the entire trip.

Already Paul was on his last long journey to
Jerusalem accompanied by the tearful forebodings
and prophecies of his friends wherever he paused on
the way. At last he reached Jerusalem where he
was speedily arrested, and later sent down to
Caesarea to languish in prison for two years or more.
At length, after repeated judicial examinations, it
was decided, in accordance with his own demand,
that he should stand trial at the judgment bar of
Caesar in Rome itself.

AEISTARCHUS 191

In that hour of peril there were those who mani-
fested the supreme love of friends and were ready
to lay down their lives for him and with him. Not
one man only but two were eager to share his dan-
ger whatever the form it might assume. The great
heart of the Apostle had taken their hearts captive —
let death come, in death they would not be divided.

Those two fearless friends were ''Luke the beloved
physician," and Aristarchus "a Macedonian of
Thessalonica. " "Where the latter had been during
the years of Paul's imprisonment at Jerusalem and
Caesarea we do not know; but from the fact that he
was with him on his journey to Jerusalem and at
hand ready to accompany him to Rome, there can
be little doubt but that he had always been at his
leader's side.

With Paul and Luke Aristarchus suffered ship-
wreck and the perils of the deep. With Paul he
entered the Eternal City, with Paul the prisoner he
became a prisoner — not even the walls of a dungeon
could shut him from the man whom he loved with a
love surpassing fair. In writing to the Colossian
church Paul says ''Aristarchus my fellow prisoner
saluteth you." Of all the young men who rallied
to Paul's side during his languishing years at Rome,
only two attained the eminence of being called his
"fellow prisoners," and one of the two, as we have
seen, was Aristarchus. That phrase can mean but
one of two things, either these two men were so
bold in their championship of Paul as to be them-
selves imprisoned, or else they voluntarily remained

192 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

at his side, and so were singled out by their loyalty-
even from such men as Mark, Luke, Timothy, and
many others who at various times were with him in
Rome. In Paul's letter to Philemon, also written
from Rome, Aristarchus is named along with Mark,
Demas, and Luke, as his "fellow laborers" — the
only reference ever made to any direct religious
work done by him; and even this may mean noth-
ing more than his personal attendance upon Paul.

In Paul 's last letter to Timothy he states that only
Luke was with him. What, then, had become of
Aristarchus, who, with Luke, had journeyed to
Rome with him and been faithfully by his side for
so long? Had he failed Paul at the last? Scrip-
ture is silent ; but we can not believe failure of such
a man as he had for years shown himself to be.
There is a tradition that he suffered martyrdom at
Rome. It is easy to believe this. In fact, we are
practically compelled to believe it; and also that it
occurred before Paul's own death from the state-
ment of the latter that at the end only Luke was
with him.

Ill
The Significance of Aristarchus^ s Life

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man
lay down his life for his friends". "Be thou faith-
ful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life."
And so, as we have already declared, Aristarchus
exhibited some of the nobler virtues of character in

ARISTARCHUS 193

their supreme degree — courage, fidelity, and love,
these three, and the greatest of these was love.

He hath done what he could — neither heaven nor
earth could ask more. He sought for no great
place, he desired no trumpeted name, he wished
only to lie at Paul's feet. With Paul he traveled
over mountains and across seas, with Paul he faced
bloodthirsty mobs and lay in a felon's cell.

Two men at Ephesus defied Demetrius and his
murderous allies — and Aristarchus was one of the
twain: two men voluntarily crossed the seas with
Paul — and Aristarchus was one of the twain: two
men became Paul's ''fellow prisoners" in Imperial
Rome — and Aristarchus was one of the twain.

And so with the names of Barnabas and ApoUos
the great orators, Mark and Luke the great authors,
Timothy and Titus the great organizers, shall stand
the name of one who was only Paul's ''traveling
companion," only his defender against mobs, only
his fellow voyager and "fellow prisoner," — Aristar-
chus the Macedonian of Thessalonica — "Paul's
friend who was but his friend. ' '

CHAPTER XI

Epaphras — Paul's Fellow Servant and Fellow
Prisoner

The story of Epaphras 's career is based on the
following passages: — Col. 1:7-8, 4:12-13, and Phile-
mon 1:24.

EPAPHRAS is named in only two books of
the New Testament, Colossians and
Philemon; and in these two his name
occurs but three times. All that is
directly recorded about him is contained in ten
verses, and yet these are enough to prove him a man
of stalwart worth and large achievements, a man
therefore whose acquaintance we could ill afford not
to make.

I

Epaphras As Founder of Churches^ Preacher and
Pastor

We learn from Paul's letter to the church at
Colossae that the people of that city had never seen
his face, and that the man from whom they had
received the Gospel message was Epaphras. From
PaufPs testimony, in this same epistle, to Epaphras 's

194

EPAPHRAS 195

zeal for ''them that are in Laodicea, and them in
Hierapolis^' the inference is natural that he was
also the founder of the churches in those two cities.
These three towns were only a few miles apart, all
being situated in Phrygia in the valley of the
Lycus, a river emptying into the Meander.

From Paul's letter we also learn the great and
simple themes of the Gospel which were the burden
of the message Epaphras delivered unto the Colos-
sians — ''faith in Jesus Christ, the truth of the gospel,
and the grace of God." From the same source like-
wise we are informed what a faithful pastor
Epaphras was, the condition of his church bearing
eloquent testimony to his labors. To Paul's ears had
come reports of their faith, their "love to all the
saints," and that they were bearing fruit from the
day they first heard of the Gospel. All these facts
are sufficient proof of Epaphras 's zeal and ability
as a founder of churches, as pastor, and as preacher.
Nor is this all that can be said in praise of his
staunch worth and watchfulness in all three capaci-
ties. When his parish began to be troubled and
confused by philosophical speculations and by the
zealots of the Jewish law, feeling himself unable to
cope with the situation, he left Colossae temporarily
and took the long and perilous journey to Rome to
seek out Paul in his prison and consult with him
as to how best his sorely perplexed but loyal-hearted
flock could be rescued from the teachings that were
threatening the simplicity of their faith in Christ.

196 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

No journey, hardship, or danger, counted for a
moment with this faithful pastor if only he could
be of true assistance to his beloved people. He
reported to Paul their love and Christian zeal, and
besought his counsel in the crisis confronting him
and them.

And what testimony did Paul bear concerning this
pastor who was now so far distant from his flock?
He was in Rome, but he did not do as the Romans
did, nor was he forgetful of those humble folk in
far-off Colossae. He was not dazed by the magnifi-
cence of the Imperial City, nor by its pomp or
power and splendor. Paul wrote back to Colossae
concerning their pastor that he was for them ^*a
faithful minister of Christ," that he was ''always
laboring fervently for them in his prayers, that
they might stand perfect and complete in all the
will of God for," he adds, ''I bear him record that
he hath a great zeal for you." What a cheering
message for the Colossian church during the absence
of their pastor. What joy it must have brought to
their hearts — Epaphras was not sightseeing in
Rome, nor on pleasure bent. He was counseling
about their welfare and praying for their prosperity
in Christ.

Of Epaphras 's early life and conversion we know
nothing with absolute certainty. But it would
appear that he was a native of Colossae, and may
very well have been converted during a visit to
Ephesus while Paul was laboring there. And it is
probable, if the above is a correct assumption, that

EPAPHRAS 197

Epaphras at once gave such evidence of ability and
consecration that Paul sent him back to labor in the
Lycus valley; and that the churches there planted
by him were founded under Paul's general super-
vision, though he did not himself visit them. We
are informed by Acts 19 : 10 that while Paul was
preaching in Ephesus all Asia (the province of that
name) '^ heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both
Jews and Greeks." Hence Ephesus was but the
headquarters of a great missionary campaign con-
ducted by Paul with the aid of his many lieutenants.

II

The Results of Pastor Epaphras' s Interview With
Paul in Behalf of His Distant Flock

Epaphras must have been more than satisfied with
the results of his visit to Paul, whatever the cost to
himself in time, money, and hardship. Paul's inter-
est in that far-off parish which he had never seen,
was both immediate and practical. At once he be-
gan to pray for them and continued doing so with-
out ceasing from the very moment he heard from
Epaphras 's lips the story of their fidelity and dan-
ger. But Paul's helpfulness did not end with his
prayers. He was in chains and so could not go to
them ; but he could write a letter, or dictate one, and
this he did. Out of the riches of his wisdom, love,
and spirituality, he gave to that little flock a mes-
sage which to this day the church universal treas-
ures among its inspired writings. And to show that
he did not feel nor desire the obligation to be all

198 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

on one side, he interceded with that humble folk
to pray for him and his fellow workers "that God
would open for him a door of utterance, to speak
the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds :
that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak. ' '

So intensely was Paul interested in the Colossian
church that he appears to have made some great
sacrifice in their behalf, for he writes that he ''re-
joices in his sufferings for them filling up that
which was behind of the afflictions of Christ in his
flesh for Christ's body's sake, which is the church.*'
And he adds, ''I would that ye might know what
great conflict I have for you, and for them at
Laodicae, and for as many as have not seen my
face in the flesh. ' '

One other service Paul performed for this church
as a direct result of their pastor's visit to him: he
sent unto them Tychicus, one of his close companions,
that he might farther know their ''estate and com-
fort their hearts." And so as a result of
Epaphras's fidelity to his parish the Apostle devoted
his best powers to their welfare and enriched all
Christianity with another of his inspired letters.
To Epaphras, then, as well as to Paul, do we owe
a part of our Word of God.

Ill

Some Farther Evidence of Paul's High Estimate of
Epaphras's Ability and Character

Of all his many friends just two men only does
Paul call his "fellow servants," and Epaphras is

EPAPHRAS 199

one of these. Thus he put him on a par with him-
self in associated and loyal service to their common
Lord.

Just two men only among his many friends did
Paul refer to as ''bond servants of Jesus Christ,"
and Epaphras was one of these. Just two men only
did Paul refer to as being his ''fellow prisoners" in
Rome, and one of these was Epaphras.

"Fellow servant" and "fellow prisoner" with
Paul, ' ' bond servant of Jesus Christ, ' * — what a triple
crown of glory for the brow of Epaphras, faithful
minister of Christ and of the church at Colossae.

IV

The Mutual Love of Paul and Epaphras

Perhaps this has already been sufficiently brought
out in what has preceded. Only a few words more
shall be added. Paul speaks of Epaphras as "dear,"
or beloved, to himself. Of Epaphras 's love for
Paul no farther evidence need be sought than the
fact that in the latter 's letter to Philemon, an in-
habitant of Colossae, he speaks of Epaphras as being
at the time his "fellow prisoner." As in the case
of Aristarchus this can mean but one of two things ;
either that he became so conspicuous while at Rome
in his love and zeal for Paul that he was imprisoned
by the authorities along with Paul, or that he
voluntarily shared that imprisonment to comfort
Paul's heart by his presence and love.

200 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

I am persuaded that he was actually imprisoned
by the Roman authorities, and I base my conclusions
on the following grounds: The doctrinal crisis at
Colossae was such as to demand not only the im-
mediate dispatching of a letter from Paul, but also
the sending of a messenger who should supplement
the letter with oral counsel and advice. The man
it would have been most natural to send would cer-
tainly have been Epaphras himself, who had just
come to Rome for the special purpose of counseling
with Paul. Assuredly no one knew the whole situa-
tion as well as he, and from all the testimony Paul
bears as to his character and ability, no man was
better fitted to return to Colossae with Paul's letter
and oral instructions. Why, then, did he send
Tychicus on this mission instead of Epaphras, the
pastor of the church? I can find but one adequate
answer to this question — Epaphras was at the time
suffering the penalty of his devotion to Paul, the
Roman authorities had honored him by making him
Paul's ' 'fellow prisoner" in fact as well as in name.

But in any case, Epaphras partakes with Aris-
tarchus in the immortality of having shared the
dungeon of the world's most illustrious prisoner.

0 Paul, how surpassing marvelous the riches of
thy friendships. In the chains of affection which
bound men's hearts to thine own, they forgot the
chains that bound their limbs in thy felon's cell.
Roman generals who returned in triumph with vic-
torious legions to be greeted by the thundering
acclamations of the Imperial City's proud populace,

EPAPHRAS 201

knew a lesser glory and joy than they who walked
with thee the Via Dolorosa. Bear witness Aris-
tarchus, ''Paul's friend who was but his friend;''
bear witness Epaphras, ''Paul's fellow servant and
^Uow prisoner."

CHAPTER XII

Epaphroditus — PauVs Friend Who Counted Not His
Own Life Dear Unto Himself

Our knowledge of the career of Epaphroditus is
confined to the following passages: — Phil. 2:25-30,
and 4:18.

ALL our information concerning Epaphro-
ditus is derived from Paul 's single letter
to the Philippians, but that is sufficient
to inscribe his name in the circle of the
Apostle's closest companions and among the im-
mortals of the early church. Apparently Epaphro-
ditus was a native of Philippi, and presumably con-
verted during Paul's visit to that city on his arrival
in Macedonia.

I
Epaphroditus as Messenger of the Philippian Church

The first Christian service performed by Epaphro-
ditus of which we have any record, was as the mes-
senger of his home church to St. Paul; but the whole
account of the man and his activity which we do
have, implies that he had long been eminent, at
least locally, in every good work. At the time he
was chosen messenger of the Philippian church the

202

EPAPHRODITUS 203

situation was this : Paul was in Rome a prisoner and
in dire ''affliction.'* Evidently that affliction was
not merely a matter of prison hardship, but also one
of sore distress for physical support and comforts.
In some way his beloved friends in Philippi heard
of his need and at once raised a fund for his relief.

Epaphroditus was the man chosen to bear their
offerings to Paul, and he gladly accepted the com-
mission. No better tribute could be paid to him
than this proof of confidence in his integrity on
the part of those who knew him best, and his will-
ingness to undertake a long and perilous journey to
seek out a man in a Roman prison. It may also be
assumed that the church believed no other man
would be more comforting or helpful to St. Paul.

That Epaphroditus faithfully performed the task
entrusted to him we know, for still after nineteen
hundred years we have Paul's receipt for the gifts
which he brought. ''But I have all, and abound:
I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the
things which were sent from you, an odour of a
sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to
God." But this was not Epaphroditus 's last ser-
vice to St. Paul. Let us pass to the next.

II

Epaphroditus — The First Man Who Ever Had a
Personal Representative in the Foreign Field

Today one of the masterly and successful methods
of pushing foreign missionary work, is for a church
or a single individual to assume the entire sup-

204 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

port of a missionary. Perhaps we are wont to
think of this as a brilliant modern idea. If so, we
are mistaken. The custom may have been in abey-
ance for eighteen centuries, but, be that as it may,,
this modern method, whether known or not to those
who recently projected it, is but the rediscovery of
another of the ''lost arts." The Philippian church
originated this idea and their representative on
the foreign field was no less a person than St. Paul
himself. Listen to Paul's own statement about this^
matter. "But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that
now at the last j^our care of me hath flourished
again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked
opportunity. . . . Now ye Philippians know
also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I
departed from Macedonia, no church communicated
with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye
only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and
again unto my necessity."

As the Philippians were the first church to in-
troduce this method, so a member of that church,
Epaphroditus, was the first individual who ever had
a personal representative in the foreign field; and
this representative was also that same prince of
missionaries St. Paul. Let us see how this came
about. When Paul arrived a prisoner in Rome he
must have had some private means, for we are in-
formed that he dwelt two whole years in his own
hired house. But evidently later on his funds were
exhausted owing, probably, to the prolongation of
his imprisonment and the expenses attendant upon

EPAPHRODITUS 205

his trials. His letter to the Philippians betrays the
fact that he had been reduced to great privations,
and the plain implication is that he had known
what it was ''to be hungry" and "to suffer need."
At this juncture Epaphroditus arrived with the gifts
of the Philippian church. But either these proved
insufficient, or, abundant as they may have been,
were soon exhausted.

Some one must now make up that which was
lacking. Evidently Paul was no longer able to sup-
port himself by his trade ; and though he had many
friends, all these were devoting their entire energies
i;o the spread of the Gospel, and were probably about
as penniless as he himself. Something had to be
done. Either Paul must starve or one of his friends
find some kind of remunerative employment and
thus be able to supply his needs. The man to do
this was already at hand, Epaphroditus, the mes-
senger of the Philippian church: a man who had
caught the spirit of his home church; nay, more,
who in all likelihood was one of the chief inspirers
of their generosity ; and who, perhaps, was not only
the bearer of their gifts but also the collector of
the same.

When the offerings he brought were at length
exhausted, he speedily found work in Rome where-
by he was enabled for a time to provide for the
wants both of himself and of St. Paul. There is
evidence to support this statement. It is found in
Paul's own words where in his letter to the

206 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

Philippians he refers to Epaphroditus as ''he that
ministered to my wants." And in another place
says of him: — ''Because for the work of Christ he
was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to sup-
ply yoiu" lack of service toward me." The plain
meaning of this last statement is either that
Epaphroditus was laboring zealously all the time
as an evangelist and putting in extra hours of
labor to support Paul until he was so worn out as
to lie for a time at death's door; or else that his
whole time and strength were given to earn that
support. In either case it is clear he was per-
sonally caring for Paul for a time; but whether he
was also doing evangelistic work or not, Paul ac-
counted whatever he did as "the work of Christ."
And so it may truthfully be said that Epaphroditus
was the first man as far as we have any record who
ever had a personal representative in the foreign
field, for while he assumed the support of Paul the
latter was preaching to all who came unto him,
writing letters to distant churches, and directing
his numerous Field Marshals and Lieutenants as
they pushed forward their great campaigns against
the strongholds of darkness.

As far as we know Epaphroditus is the only one
of Paul's friends who personally labored for his
support while a prisoner in Rome; nay, more than
that, he is the only individual of whom we have
any record of having supported Paul at any time
during his ministry.

EPAPHRODITUS 207

m

The Lovable Nature of Epaphroditus

We should not be doing full justice to the splendid
qualities of Epaphroditus did we not devote a dis-
tinct section of our sketch to a contemplation of
his lovable nature. This is seen in the affection he
both felt and inspired among all with whom he was
associated. His fellow^ church members at Philippi
sent him to Rome. There he fell sick "nigh unto
death." They heard of his illness and were so anx-
ious about him that as soon as he became convales-
cent Paul felt under the necessity of immediately
sending him back to his friends to allay their fears,
although he states that ''presently he hopes to send
Timothy" unto them, and also that ''he trusted in
the Lord he himself should come to them shortly."
But the solicitude of the Philippians over the wel-
fare of their distant member was such that Paul
did not feel justified in detaining him even though
in the near future either he or Timothy, or both of
them, might be able to accompany him home. That
Epaphroditus fully reciprocated this affection of
his home friends is borne out by Paul's statement
of his feelings: — "For he longed after you all, and
was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard
that he had been sick."

Of the affection existing between Paul and Epaph-
roditus, part of the evidence is already before
us, but not all. How he labored for Paul not count-
ing his own life dear unto himself, we have already

208 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

seen. But what of Paul's love for him? We have
equally strong testimony on this point. Mark the
note of suppressed pain where Paul writes — "yet I
supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus,
my brother." Parting from this man who had not
''regarded his own life" in ''supplying others' lack
of service," was tearing from his heart a brother
beloved. With what tenderness and pathos Paul
refers to Epaphroditus 's recovery from the gates of
death where he says : — "But God had mercy on him;
and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should
have sorrow upon sorrow." And how the inter-
twining and mingling of the three streams of mu-
tual affections — Paul's, Epaphroditus 's, and the
Philippians' — is brought out in these words of
Paul: — "I sent him therefore the more carefully,
that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and
that I may be the less sorrowful." Note the separate
phrases here — "sent him therefore the more care-
fully," what tenderness as of a father for a sick
son; "that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice;"
how well Paul knew the joy Epaphroditus 's return
in safety would bring to the Philippians ; ' ' and that
I may be the less sorrowful," despite his own sor-
row at parting from Epaphroditus he would be
made less sorrowful when he knew his beloved
Philippians were rejoicing in having their mes-
senger back among them safe and sound once more.
What an intertwining and intermingling of three
streams of mutual affections in that single state-
ment of Paul's, — nay, rather, in that flashlight

EPAPHRODITUS 209

revelation of his great loving heart. And then
what yearning solicitude as he adds this superfluous
plea as to how the Philippians should welcome their
longed-for messenger — ''Receive him therefore in
the Lord with all gladness/' Surely Paul never
touched a deeper chord nor sounded a tenderer note
than in all he had to say about this friend who
hazarded his life in his behalf.

lY

Epaphroditus*s Service to the Church Universal

His carrying of the gifts of the Philippian church
to Paul was a service to the church universal. His
own labors to support Paul was a service to the
church universal. But there is still another service
of incalculable value that Epaphroditus rendered to
Christianity to all time, that is, he was the trusty
bearer of that priceless document, that God-inspired
message, Paul's epistle to the Philippians. It is
quite probable also that he was Paul's amanuensis
at the time of its writing, and that his hand first
traced those words of flaming love and inspiration.
It is also beyond controversy that his mission to
Paul, his services, and his illness in Rome, prompted
the writing of this letter which Paul gave into his
keeping to deliver to their mutual friends at Philippi
on his safe arrival home.

Had it not been for thee, 0 Epaphroditus, the
church at Philippi would have been the poorer,
Paul's afflictions more intense, and Christianity

210 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

deprived of one of its noblest sons, and, probably,
of one of the brightest gems of the inspired Word.

V

Paul's Tribute to the Heroism of Epaphroditus

But Epaphroditus was not merely a man of lovable
nature, not merely a man utterly forgetful of self
in his service of others, and not merely a useful link
in the chain of events which enriched the world with
a choicest letter, — but he was also a soldier and a
hero.

Of all the brave men who foregathered with Paul
in Rome, upon Epaphroditus alone does he confer
the distinction of being called a ^ ^fellow soldier."
"My brother, and companion in labor, and fellow
soldier,'' — such is Paul's ringing crescendo of un-
conscious eulogy.

Whether Epaphroditus could found a church or
not, we do not know. Whether he could preach a
sermon or not, we do not know. Whether he ever
led a man to Christ or not, we do not know. It is
not necessary that we should know any of these
things. What we do know is sufficient — he was
Paul's brother and was sick nigh unto death in his
behalf. And so with Paul's his name was linked in
Rome and with Paul's is linked in Holy Scripture.

CHAPTER XIII

Onesimus — The Highest Example of the Transform-
ing Power of Friendship With St. Paul

The story of the career of Onesimus is based iipon
the following passages: — Col. 4:9, and Philemon
1:10-21.

WE have already met the pastor of the
Colossian church, Paul's friend
Epaphras. In writing his epistle to
that church Paul referred to him in
these words — ''who is one of you." In the same
letter he spoke of another friend of his at Rome in
exactly the same words — ''Onesimus who is one of
you" — and called him "a faithful and beloved
brother."

Let us assume this is the first time we ever heard
of this man and that all we know about him is con-
fined to this single phrase of Paul's — "a faithful and
beloved brother." Let us see what inferences we
might legitimately draw concerning the man and
his character.

211

212 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

Inferences Which May Be Drawn From PauVs
Testimony Concerning Onesimus

No man ever lived whom I had rather have call
me a ''faithful and beloved brother'* than St. Paul.
His commendation is a sufficient testimony for any
man. Paul was a keen judge of human character.
He had probed the depths of his own heart and mo-
tives, and had had unlimited opportunities both by
observation and experience for testing the charac-
ters of other men in every walk and rank in life.
Nor was he given to the use of flattering terms
concerning any man high or low. So when he
speaks of Onesimus as "faithful" he has paid him
a splendid tribute. That word means much when
used truthfully by any man, then how much richer
its content and suggestiveness w^hen used by Paul
who so abhored cowardice and so admired bravery,
and set such a high standard for himself and his
friends. And Onesimus met that standard.

But not only was Onesimus faithful as a Chris-
tian, but to Paul he was ''beloved" as a friend.
He had qualities of heart that called forth the per-
sonal affection of the Apostle. Now a man of very
lowly walk in life might be faithful, and might also
inspire the Apostle's affection. But Onesimus was
something more than simply an object of Paul's love.
Paul lifted him to the front rank in his friend-
ship and called him "brother." "Faithful, beloved,

ONESIMUS 213

brother ' ' — character, affection, equality — surely
Onesimus was a man whom any one might have been
proud to know and call friend.

It will be borne in mind that Paul was in Rome
when he wrote these things of Onesimus, and that
he did so in a letter to the Christian church at
Colossae. Onesimus was an inhabitant of that city,
but at the time of the writing of Paul's letter,
chanced to be with him in Rome. Now with Paul's
praise of him in mind let us go to Colossae ourselves
and make inquiries concerning him and see what
he is thought of in his home town.

II

Onesimus As Known In Colossae

We are in Colossae and ask the first man we meet
about Onesimus the friend and brother of the Apostle
Paul ; but the stranger we address can give us no in-
formation whatever. We continue to pursue our
inquiries for some time, but to our amazement no one
seems ever to have heard of him. Finally we begin
to doubt that the man about whom we are seeking
information was ever in Colossae at all; either he
has deceived Paul, or else the latter has himself made
a mistake about Onesimus 's native city. We are
on the point of giving up all farther search when
some one suggests that possibly Philemon, a rich
member of the church and an intimate friend of
Paul, might be able to give us the information we
desire.

214 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

Encouraged by this, we hasten at once to the home
of Philemon and repeat our inquiries about Paul's
beloved brother Onesimus, a resident of Colossae.
At first Philemon declares he has never heard the
name of such a man ; but we insist that Paul has so
spoken of him. Then at last a puzzled look comes
into Philemon's face and to our astonishment he
declares that the only Onesimus he knows anything
about is one of his slaves, and more than that, he is
a runaway and a defrauder into the bargain. We
indignantly deny that any such man is the friend
of whom Paul spoke; and Philemon also hastens to
say it is impossible. Farther conversation, however,
with a comparison of some details, proves beyond
doubt that Onesimus whom Paul regards as a ''faith-
ful and beloved brother" is one and the same man
as Philemon's defrauding fugitive slave. We are
chagrined and humiliated by these results of our
inquiries; and Philemon is equally angered at the
deception practiced upon Paul by his perfidious slave*
and declares he will write immediately exposing
Onesimus 's true condition together with his past evil
record.

Ill

Who Then Was Right In His Estimate of Onesimus —
Paul or Philemon?

How shall we reconcile these conflicting opinions
about Onesimus, or is it impossible to do so ? Surely
Philemon must know him better than Paul, and his
report must be strictly true, for he is a man of char-

ONESIMUS 215

acter and honor. Has Onesimus, then, completely
deceived Paul? At first that seems the only solu-
tion of the mystery and we are about to accept it
when who should appear but Onesimus himself with
a letter from Paul which he delivers into Philemon's
hands. The latter hastily devours its contents. No,
Onesimus has not deceived Paul in the least; for
here in this letter stands revealed in Paul's own
words all the worst facts that Philemon has just been
telling us about him ; and the only possible way Paul
could know them was by the confession of Onesimus
himself. So whatever the solution of our perplexity,
one thing is clear, Onesimus has not deceived Paul
about his past. But if Paul knows all about that,
as clearly he does, how then can he speak so highly
of this slave in his letter to the Colossian church?
There is but a single remaining hypothesis — some
great and fundamental change must have taken place
in Onesimus himself.

Here then lies the secret of the conflicting views
held at Rome and Colossae. We have discovered it
at last, — Onesimus has been converted through Paul's
influence, and is a changed man. ''I beseech thee for
my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my
bonds," writes the Apostle to his friend Philemon.

That Paul believed in the genuineness of Onesi-
mus 's conversion is abundantly proved. It is proved
by his testimony concerning him to the Colossian
church. It is proved by the fact that Paul was
earnestly desirous of retaining him at Rome *Hhat
he might minister unto himself in the bonds of the

216 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

Gospel." It is proved by the fact that Paul trusted
him to go back voluntarily to the master whom he
had defrauded, and committed unto his keeping
along with Tychicus two letters to deliver in
Colossae, one to the church and the other to
Philemon; and also entrusted to him with Tychicus
an oral message to the Christians in his home city.

Nor was Paul's faith in Onesimus betrayed in any
particular. He went back to his master, he delivered
the letters, he was a changed man. The defrauding
fugitive slave had become by right of character the
"faithful and beloved brother" of the greatest man
of his generation.

Onesimus is, therefore, the great, the supreme
example of the transforming power of Paul's friend-
ship. That power lifted a criminal of the slave class
to the level, to the bights, of the innermost circle
of Paul's love and fellowship.

IV

The Mutual Love of Paul and Onesimus

Onesimus 's love for Paul must have been a master
passion, one that not only gave him joy as he lay
at the Apostle's feet or ministered to his comfort,
but one great enough to give him the strength to
forego such happiness and at the bidding of his
new-found friend and brother, turn back from the
freedom of Rome and seek again his position as
slave at Colossae. Farther than this obedience to
the behests of love could not go. Onesimus loved

ONESIMUS 217

Paul enough to bid him adieu forever if that seemed
the better way unto Paul himself.*

And what answer did Paul make to a love so
tragic in the sacrifices it unhesitatingly made? Did
his heart go out to this slave with the intensity and
fulness with which the slave's heart went out to
him? Had Paul room for another friend, another
friendship, one like unto the others which have been
blessing the world these nineteen hundred years?
Yes, that fount of love had not run dry, there was
still an abundant stream whereat a slave might also
quench the thirst of his desolate heart. At last the
lonely bondman had a friend, one who did not gaze
down upon him in pity from some inaccessible pin-
nacle, but one who clasped him to his heart crying
''my brother, my beloved brother."

Listen to the Apostle's pleading words to Phile-
mon, Onesimus's master, words still palpitating and
athrill with a love which not only translated a slave
into a freeman of Christ, but has also enriched the
literature and life of all humanity: — "I beseech
thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten
in my bonds: Which in time past was to thee un-
profitable, but now profitable to thee and to me;
whom I have sent again : thou therefore receive him,
that is, my very heart : whom I would have retained

*0f the bearing of this incident on the general problem of
slavery we shall make no comment. It has again and again
been ably discussed from every viewpoint, and the nature of
our purpose calls for no restatement here.

218 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered
unto me in the bonds of the gospel." Tenderer,
more solicitous words were never written.

Three young men Paul clasped to his heart, calling
them his "sons" — Timothy, Titus and the slave
Onesimus. For the latter he had a tenderness such
as Jacob felt for Joseph and Benjamin, the children
of his old age. Listen, and you can hear even yet the
father heart-throb in the old warrior's tones as he
cries out to the slaveholder Philemon — "being such
a one as Paul the aged ... I beseech thee for
my son Onesimus whom I have begotten in my
bonds." And then he offered the best apology he
could for Onesimus 's running away: — "For perhaps
he therefore departed for a season, that thou
shouldest receive him forever." And he followed
this with still another plea for this child of his
whose reception by his former master was such a
burden on his heart. "Receive him" Paul entreats
"not now as a servant, but above a servant, a
brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more
unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord. ' '

No plea could go farther, love itself could go no
farther — "receive him as myself." And even after
that Paul could not let the matter rest, he must say
yet one word more, make a final intercession. Per-
haps Philemon will feel that he has been defrauded
of his slave's services during his absence; or pos-
sibly he had stolen from him when he fled, as is
quite generally suggested. So Paul added "If he
hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on

ONESIMUS 219

mine account ; I Paul have written it -with mine own
hand, I will repay it." Did own father ever plead
more earnestly for an only son?

O Paul, thou who didst wear the chains in thy
dungeon and carry the burden of all the churches
upon thy heart, yet hadst thou time to plead the
bondman 's cause. What a friendship was this ! How
rich, 0 Onesimus, thy lot. How paltry Nero's heri-
tage in comparison with thine own.

CHAPTER XIV

Philemon — A Slaveholder Whom Paul Dared Appeal
to in the Name of Friendship

Our entire knowledge of Philemon is confined to
Paul's single brief letter to him.

WE have just seen Paul's intense love
for a slave, we now turn to consider
his equally beautiful and tender
affection for a slaveholder. In Paul's
friendship as well as in his theology and gospel,
there was neither bond nor free, a man was a man
and a friend a friend regardless of social distinctions
or financial status.

Already we have made the acquaintance of two
of his Colossian friends, Onesimus and Epaphras;
let us now make the closer acquaintance of a third
— Philemon. I say ''closer acquaintance" for we
already have a bowing acquaintance with him having
been introduced when we studied the career of
Onesimus.

However let us ignore all that we have previously
learned, not only about Philemon but also about
Onesimus, in order that our study of Paul's friend-

220

PHILEMON 221

ship with the former may be complete in itself.
Onesimus, it will be recalled, is named and highly-
commended in Paul 's letter to the Colossian church ;
but our knowledge of Philemon is confined exclu-
sively to Paul's brief letter to him, and in this also
we derive the larger part of our information con-
cerning Onesimus. From this short letter alone we
could easily draw a portrait of each of the three
men whose interrelations are the subject of its con-
tents:— Paul's, Onesimus 's, and Philemon's.

I

We Make the Acquaintance of Philemon

Philemon was, as has already been stated, a citizen
of Colossae, a city situated in the province of
Phrygia, Asia Minor. Ilis worldly circumstances
were more than comfortable, in short, he was a
wealthy man, probably the only one in the entire
circle of Paul's close friends. The evidence of his
wealth is plentiful, but not obtrusive; rather it is
only indirectly and unintentionally revealed. He
appears in Paul's letter as the owner of slaves; as
one having a house of sufficient size as easily to
serve as a place for church gatherings and worship,
in fact, as the headquarters of the church itself.
These facts which incidentally come out in Paul's
letter all imply that he was a man of ample sub-
stance.

But Philemon's wealth was the thing of least
significance about him. He had an ideal Christian
home. Paul's letter is not only addressed to him

222 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

but also to Apphia and Archippus, who are supposed
to have been his wife and son, the latter being a
minister as we learn from the Colossian epistle, and
the only man save Epaphroditus whom Paul ever
referred to as a "fellow soldier." Such was this
united Christian household with a church in their
own home.

All these things however are but outward facts
concerning Philemon: what of his real character,
was he bearing the fruits of Christian discipleship ?
Paul's words leave us no misgivings on this point,
his testimony concerning this friend is unsurpassed.

He thanks God for what he heard of Philemon's
"love and faith toward the Lord Jesus." Two
sources of information were open to Paul to learn
these things and we may be sure he availed himself
of both. He was visited in Rome by Philemon's
slave and by his pastor, Onesimus and Epaphras.
Their testimony must have concurred, and no
stronger evidence could there be of the genuineness
and beauty of a man's character. Their testimony
was that Philemon was a man of faith and love
toward Christ. But that was not all they had to
say of him. They told of the attitude of this rich
man toward his less fortunate Christian brethren
His character could stand this crucial test. They
spoke of his love "toward all saints," and how this
love found practical expression in a door ever open
in its boundless hospitality. Surely here was a
Christian layman who might well serve as the
world's model for all time.

PHILEMON 223

And yet he was a slaveholder, and Paul was
writing him a letter of intense earnestness and
solicitude wherein his anxieties for Onesimus and
his confidence in his correspondent seemed to be
struggling for the mastery in every line, and throb
in every syllable. Was there then some lurking
defect in Philemon's character, some fatal blemish
in his Christian profession? No, not that, it was
Paul's yearning paternal love for his newly ''be-
gotten son" Onesimus, and his earnest desire that
Philemon should voluntarily rise to the loftiest
hights of Christian altruism which made Paul's
letter palpitate with such seemingly antagonistic
emotions of fear and certitude.

II

Paul's Direct Appeal to Philemon

What, then, was the occasion of Paul's writing
to Philemon, and what request had he to make about
which he was in such dead earnest?

Before answering these questions, let us have the
entire situation clearly before us. Paul, as we have
seen, was a prisoner in Rome at the time he wrote
this letter. Onesimus, Philemon's slave, had escaped
from Colossae, and either by chance or because of
previous acquaintance with Paul or knowledge of
his whereabouts, joined him in Rome and speedily
became his almost indispensable attendant, minister-
ing unto Paul's needs in his bonds. Onesimus was
soon converted and then, much as Paul needed his
ministrations, he yet felt it his bounden duty not

224 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

to retain him without his master's free consent,
however much that master was under obligations to
himself. So Paul persuaded Onesimus that it was
his duty as a Christian to return to his former
master. Probably this was done lest there follow
wherever the Gospel was preached and the liberation
of Onesimus become known, an insurrection of con-
verted and pseudo-converted slaves, which consti-
tuted about fifty per cent of the population of the
Roman Empire. So Onesimus consented to do as
Paul advised and returned to Colossae.

Now in running away Onesimus had defrauded
his master of his services during his absence, and,
farther, it would appear likely that he had either
stolen from him or wronged him in some other way
also. All this would make him liable to severe puxi-
ishment on his return. Whether he himself had any
fears on that score, we do not know. Neither can
we say how far Paul feared such a result; but, at
any rate, he had considerable anxiety as to just
what Onesimus 's reception would be, and so deter-
mined to do all in his power to influence Philemon
not only to forego all punishment, but even to re-
ceive back his offending servant as cordially and
kindly as he would himself.

This, then, was the purpose of Paul's letter, this
his direct appeal to Philemon. An inspired book of
our Holy Scriptures is, therefore, the very flowering
of the heart of the world's matchless friend — the
intercession of Christ's greatest Apostle and Chris-
tianity's greatest missionary, in behalf of a poor

PHILEMON 225

runaway slave; and all this, not that the slave's
life might be spared, but that he might be received
by his wealthy Christian master in all kindness as a
friend and brother in Jesus Christ.

And while Paul did not present his appeal in any
formal, logical argument, as would have been ap-
propriate in a court of law and entirely inappro-
priate in a letter of private friendship, yet was
there ever such a masterly and unobtrusive blending
of the most cogent arguments with the tenderest of
appeals, — a blending of arguments so subtle and so
inseparably interwoven with the very texture of the
appeal as almost to defy analysis and classification.
However, were we to attempt to separate and ana-
lyze the argument, we would find that, brief as this
letter is and packed as it is with other facts, impli-
cations, and emotions, Paul based his appeal for
Philemon's clemency toward Onesimus on six differ-
ent grounds, which, taken together, are overwhelm-
ing in their cogency, and surpassingly delicate and
tactful in their wording.

In the name of their own friendship and mutual
love Paul appealed to Philemon directly on the
grounds of sympathy; he who might be *^bold to
enjoin . . . rather beseeches for love's sake
being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also the
prisoner of Jesus Christ." He appealed to Phile-
mon on the grounds of a personal obligation the
latter owed him and which he might have claimed at
the hands of his servant, but which he had volun-
tarily foregone out of courtesy, for he would receive

226 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

no payment not willingly made. Paul appealed to
him on the grounds of the joy he could give him in
his dungeon — ''Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee
in the Lord. ... If thou count me therefore a
partner, receive him as myself." He appealed to
him in the name of his own love for Onesimus — "I
beseech thee for my son Onesimus." Paul appealed
to him on financial grounds, the slave was once
valueless to him but he, Paul, had made him valu-
able and honest, therefore Philemon ought to receive
him kindly and be glad that he ran away: "Which
in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now
profitable to thee and to me." And farther, on this
score, Paul would have made good out of his own
pocket any loss his correspondent might have suf-
fered through his slave's flight. And, lastly, Patd
dared to appeal to this Christian slaveholder in the
name of Christian brotherhood, and on the basis of
the equality of master and slave, both alike being
freemen in the Gospel of Christ. Listen to Paul's
own words: "For perhaps he therefore departed
for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for-
ever; not now as a servant, but above a servant, a
brother beloved, specially to me, but how much
more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord ? ' '
Surely no man of heart and conscience could
resist such an appeal as this — an appeal that was all
argument, argument that was all appeal. Had this
been the letter of a total stranger, Philemon could
not but have granted its request; how much more

PHILEMON 227

then, seeing that it came from the pen and the heart
of his friend, one to whom he was personally under
very high obligations.

Ill

Paul's Indirect Appeal to Philemon

While Paul's direct appeal to Philemon concerned
itself merely with the kind of reception he should
accord his runaway slave, yet no one can study his
letter without perceiving that it contains also an
indirect appeal. And though indirect yet powerful,
more powerful even than if directly preferred — a
plea for Onesimus's emancipation.

The grounds for believing there is such an indirect
appeal in this letter are threefold. First, this state-
ment— ''Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote
unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than
I say." What had Paul said? He had asked that
Onesimus be kindly received. Now if Philemon was
to do even more than that, what could Paul have
had in mind except Onesimus's complete freedom?
Second, this statement — *'If thou count me therefore
a partner, receive him as myself." Now how would
Philemon have received Paul? Not merely kindly,
but as a free man. Would the kindly reception of
Onesimus as a slave be the same reception as he
would give Paul, a free man? I think not. Paul
must have had something more than that in mind.
Third, this statement — '*For perhaps he therefore
departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive
him forever; not now as a servant, but above a ser-

228 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

vant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how
much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the
Lord?" Now if Philemon received Onesimus "not
as a servant, but above a servant, as a brother
beloved . . . both in the flesh, and in the
Lord," would it be possible to keep him any longer
in bondage?

Scripture is silent as to the response Philemon
made to Paul's indirect plea, but tradition affirms
that he freed Onesimus and that the one-time slave,
begotten in Christ Jesus in Paul's bonds, became
eminent in Christian service.

IV

Paul and Philemon — Their Mutual Love and Some
Aspects of Their Friendship

If we should first consider the religious ties bind-
ing these two friends together, we would not after-
wards be surprised at Paul's courage in addressing
the wealthy and powerful Philemon as he did. It
is practically certain that the latter was a convert of
Paul's. We gather this from Paul's words where
he writes — "albeit I do not say to thee how thou
owest unto me even thine own self besides." In
another place he refers to himself as being counted
a "partner" by Philemon; and in his salutations,
he calls his correspondent his "fellow laborer." It
is possible that he would have so spoken of him as
a zealous Christian, even had they never worked
together in the same place, but this is scarcely prob-

PHILEMON 229

able. It is more likely that at some time they had
actually labored together in evangelistic work.

Now Paul, as we have seen, did not found the
Colossian church, and we have no record of his ever
having visited it, and yet Philemon was one of his
converts. It is quite generally believed that during
Paul's long ministry at Ephesus, Philemon, residing
in a not distant town, heard of the great events
taking place in the neighboring city so made a
journey thither and while there was led to Christ by
the great Apostle, and thereafter remained for a
season as his ''fellow laborer." The same was ap-
parently the case with Epaphras ; and it is probable
that these two Colossians proved themselves so
efficient that Paul soon sent them back to found a
church in their own city, Philemon opening his
spacious home for this purpose while Epaphras be-
came pastor of the little flock which was speedily
gathered together. It was not long before Philemon
gave his own son Archippus to the ministry.

The religious ties binding together the Apostle
and his wealthy convert never slackened despite
the lapse of time and the great distance which
separated them. Paul was ever zealous for his
friend's religious growth and prosperity as is seen
in his both beginning and ending his letter with a
benediction in the name of their common Lord and
Master. Paul also expressed his great joy over the
splendid reports he has heard of his friend's conse-
cration to Christ and generosity to his poorer fellow
Christians, and wished for him prosperity in every

230 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

good thing "which was in him in Jesus Christ."
He also declared that he made mention of Philemon
in all his prayers, and had great faith in his friend's
prayers in his own behalf; and that through them
"he should be given to him."

The ties of mutual love which welded the hearts
of these two men as one, were no less beautiful and
tender than the religious ones which bound them
together in holiest associations and memories. Paul
called Philemon his "brother" and his "dearly be-
loved;" and while, as his former pastor and spiritual
father, he "might be bold in Christ to enjoin what
was convenient, yet for love's sake" he merely
makes request for what he desired. Again he de-
clared what great "joy and consolation" he had in
Philemon's love; and toward the close of the letter
did not hesitate to ask his friend to prepare a
"lodging" for him against his release, knowing this
would be esteemed as great a privilege and joy for
Philemon as it would for himself to accept the hos-
pitality. It would appear from this request that of
all Paul's friends, this was the one he was planning
to visit first in the event of his release at Rome.

Everyw^here in his letter, whether speaking of
himself or interceding for Onesimus, Paul reveals
the most delicate feeling on his own part, and the
most courteous deference for the position and feel-
ings of Philemon. He unhesitatingly laid aside his
own desire to retain Onesimus w^ith him in Rome
where his services had become so needful to his
personal comfort. "But," he wrote, "without thy

PHILEMON 231

mind would I do nothing, that thy benefit should
not be as it were of necessity, but willingly."

Now a private letter of the best kind not only
reveals to us the character and heart of the writer
as this does St. Paul's, but it also unconsciously
reveals the personality of the correspondent, or, at
any rate, the writer's conception of his friend's
character and love for himself. So it is in this letter.
Every word Paul wrote about his own love assumed
and presupposed an equally ardent affection on
Philemon's part. Every request he made, presup-
posed Philemon's happiness in granting it. Every
unspoken wish showed confidence that Philemon
would hasten to meet his utmost expectations.

What a friendship, then, was this, each friend
finding such happiness in the other's love, such joy
in self denial for the other's sake, such eagerness to
anticipate the other's wishes. What a versatile,
what a master friend was Paul — one in heart and
feelings with a poor fugitive slave, one in heart and
feelings with a wealthy slaveholder. And not only
that, but one who, in the name of this double friend-
ship and the faith of all three men in a common
Lord, dare raise the hammer of loving counsel and
entreaty to shatter the bondman's chains and with
the same stroke weld in the bonds of brotherhood
and affection the hearts of master and slave. And
thus a triple friendship arose which was yet one —
the friendship of Paul and Philemon, of Paul and
Onesimus, and of Onesimus and Philemon; and all

232 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

three friends one in Jesus Christ, freemen alike in
him, and yet all servants and fellow laborers in the
bonds of the all-emancipating Gospel.

V

Notable Features of Paul's Letter to Philemon

Perhaps most of the notable features of Paul's
letter to Philemon have already been touched upon,
but so remarkable are some of them that their re-
capitulation or summary deserves a brief section
by itself.

Of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament,
eight are addressed to individuals, — Luke, Acts, 1st
and 2nd Timothy, Titus, 2nd and 3rd John, and
this letter of Paul to Philemon. Of these eight, Luke
and Acts are manifestly public documents and so
intended to be; the two letters to Timothy and the
one to Titus, while in the form of private commu-
nications, are yet mainly occupied with official in-
structions; 2nd John is addressed to an ''elect lady
and her children," by which was probably meant
some church or group of Christians. This leaves in
all Scripture but Philemon and 3rd John as personal
letters in the strictest sense of the term; so Phile-
mon shares with Gains the unique distinction and
honor of having an entirely private letter written
them by a friend, become a part of the world's treas-
ured literature and inspired Scripture.

Look at this letter to Philemon how we may, it is
a remarkable piece of writing. It tells us all we
know about Philemon himself, and most that we

PHILEMON 233

kno-w about Onesiraus. Now suppose it fell into the
hands of some one who had never heard of St. Paul,
how easy it would then be for him not only to get a
graphic conception of the personality and condition
of both Onesimus and his master, but also to recon-
struct the essential points of Paul's own character.

Let us see what would be the picture of Paul and
his outward circumstances that, just from this let-
ter only, such a man would form. He would see him
as an old man somewhere lodged in prison and in
actual bonds because of his unswerving loyalty to
Jesus Christ. He would see by his side Epaphras, a
man equally devoted to Christ and undergoing like
bonds. He would see Paul still laboring for his
Lord despite his chains; and grouped about him as
fellow laborers and personal friends, Mark, Luke,
Aristarchus, and Demas. He would see a man who
passionately loved his friends and craved a like
affection on their part; a man who knew no social
distinctions either in his love or religion; a man of
fearless courage in writing to a slaveholder of his
duty to the lowly, but of utmost courtesy, in making
known his wishes; a man who could forget his own
galling bonds in his solicitude for the welfare of a
slave ; a man who could forget his own need of min-
istrations that he might not trespass on the rights
of another, even though that other was under deep
obligations to himself; a man of masterly power of
argument, yet of utmost delicacy and tact in veiling
it under the guise and in the language of beseeching
love; in fact, a man who shows he had every instinct

234 SAINT PAUL'S FEIENDSHIPS

of the truest gentleman and highest breeding ; a man
who never forgot to pray for his friends by name,
imploring for them the noblest graces of the Chris-
tian life; a man who believed in the efficacy of the
prayers of his friends and rejoiced in the hope of
again seeing them face to face; and, withal, a man
who knew that no true friend will ever avail him-
self of all of his rights, and, on the other hand, that
every true friend will rejoice to grant the other's
wishes, that friendship imposes obligations a true
friend will gladly meet without being pressed.

And how easy it is also to obtain a graphic con-
ception of Onesimus. Unconverted, longing for free-
dom, he deserts and defrauds his master and flees
from Colossae to Rome and there joins Paul. In dill
truthfulness, however, he reports the noble Christian
character of the man he has deserted. He attaches
himself to the aged prisoner, St. Paul, and makes
himself well nigh indispensable as a personal attend-
ant. He is converted and Paul clasps him to his
heart as a son begotten in his old age. He confesses
he is runaway slave who has wronged his master.
Paul's heart is broken at the thought of separation,
but urges it as a Christian duty for him to return
to his master. He is a free man in Christ Jesus, self-
sacrifice has become his new law, so he makes the
supreme oblation and goes back to his life of bond-
age.

The picture of the character, position, and person-
ality of Philemon is equally striking and complete;

PHILEMON 235

but perhaps that has been already sufficiently
sketched so that we need not redraw it.

When I contemplate all these things, and consider
also how much I have written about this friendship
of Paul and Philemon, and then turn to the letter
itself and see how brief it is — only twenty-five
verses, less than a single page in an ordinary-sized
Bible — I am simply astounded that even the Apostle
Paul could pack so much in so small space. And
though I have written so much about what he wrote
so little, yet not all its depths have been plumbed,
not all its hights scaled, nor its beauty limned, nor
its riches garnered. Nor can these things ever be
done for this letter is more than a letter, it is a
section of the very heart of him whose heart blended
two master passions, — love for Jesus Christ, and love
for his friends.

CHAPTER XV

Tychicus — Minister of Christ and Messenger of St.
Paul

Our knowledge of the career of Tychicus is based
upon the following passages: — Acts 20:4, Eph.
6:21-22, Col. 4:7-9, 2nd Tim. 4:12, and Titus 3 :12.

THIS friend of St. Paul's is named in five
books of the New Testament: Acts,
Ephesians, Colossians, 2nd Timothy, and
Titus. In every instance he is either
journeying with Paul or on a journey or about to
commence one as his messenger.

I

Who Tychicus Was

He was a native of Asia Minor and probably a
citizen of Ephesus. We infer the latter fact as he
is first mentioned along with Trophimus as an in-
habitant of Asia; and later we are told that Tro-
phimus was an Ephesian, hence it is fair to conclude
that Tychicus was also, and that the two men were
converted by the preaching of Paul during his

236

TYCHICUS 237

three years' pastorate in their home city. In PaTiFs
letters to the Ephesians and Colossians he speaks of
Tychieus as a "faithful minister in the Lord," so it
is evident that soon after his conversion he began to
devote all his time to evangelistic work. When we
are first introduced to him we find him as one of the
seven friends of Paul who are accompanying him
back to Asia after his second mission to Europe, as
he was turning his face once more, and for the last
time, toward Jerusalem.

This presupposes that Tychieus had left Ephesus
with Paul, or joined him a little later, and labored
with him in his second tour of Macedonia and
Greece. Quite a large party of friends accompanied
Paul all the way on that long, foreboding, final trip
to Jerusalem. Trophimus was of their number, but
whether Tychieus went all the way or not we are
unable to say.

n

Tychieus as a Trusted Messenger

Tychieus appears three times in the letters of Paul
as his trusted messenger ; and this is his one eminent
service to Christ and Christianity of which we have
any record. His personal relation to Paul was one
of love and unswerving devotion and loyalty; his
outward relation, that of traveling over seas and
continents ever carrying the Apostle *s dispatches
to distant parts of the kingdom of Christ over which
the Apostle was, so to speak, a kind of vice-gerent.

238 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

The First Mission of Tychicus

Tychicus did not accompany Paul to Rome — only
Luke and Aristarchus having done so far as we
know — but he did join him there sometime after his
arrival. The fidelity of those of Paul's friends who
underwent the fatigue and expense of the long
journey from the East to Rome, and the courage
which inspired them to do this and attach themselves
inseparably to the cause and person of an Imperial
prisoner, has never been sufficiently recognized.
And Tychicus was among the number of that small,
heroic, immortal band.

The circumstances leading to his first mission for
Paul were as follows: Epaphras, the pastor of the
Colossian church, came to Rome to consult the
Apostle about the disturbing doctrines which were
troubling his flock. A runaway slave from Colossae,
Onesimus, had also recently joined the Apostle and
had been converted by him. Paul determined at
once to write a letter to the Colossian church, and
also to return Onesimus to his master. Tychicus
appears to have been the Apostle's amanuensis in
this instance. As this letter had to be sent by some
trusted messenger, it seemed to Paul a good oppor-
tunity to dispatch by the same hand a kind of circu-
lar letter to the churches in the province of Asia,
and particularly to the city of Ephesus where he had
preached so long while effecting the conquest of
''all Asia" through the agency of his lieutenants,

TYCHICUS 239

such as Epaphras, Timothy, and others. So he also
dictated to Tychicus the letter now known as his
Epistle to the Ephesians. The letters written, the
next question was, who should carry them to their
destination.

This was a point of no little moment. The journey
was long and attended with some hazard. But
aside from that, there was needed a man who could
not only carry a written message safely, but also
one who could convey with tact and accuracy oral
greetings, instructions, and counsels; and one, com-
petent also to deal with the disturbances at Colossae,
and likewise to comfort the hearts of all believers.

Who then should Paul send on this mission of
such importance? This might first be answered by
a counter-question — Did Paul have much oppor-
tunity for choice in a messenger? who were with
him at the time? This question can be readily
answered, at least with sufficient fulness. As we
learn from his letter to the Colossians and the greet-
ings in his letter to Philemon, there were with him
at the time in Rome, Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus,
Demas, Luke, Timothy, Tychicus, and Onesimus.
The latter he was about to return to his master, so it
was necessary to send along some one else to visit
the churches and bring back to Rome a report of
their condition. Whom should he send? Surely
there was here a wide opportunity for selection.
His decision fell on Tychicus. While this was in no
sense a depreciation of the merits of the others, all
of whom were useful to him in Rome, yet it was the

240 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

highest kind of testimony to his confidence in the
trustworthiness of Tychicus. So he was dispatched
to Ephesus with Paul's letter for that church and
the other churches in the vicinity, which letter con-
tains these words about the bearer himself: ''But
that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do,
Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in
the Lord, shall make known to you all things : whom
I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye
might know our affairs, and that he might comfort
your hearts."

Accompanied by Onesimus, Tychicus went on to
Colossae and delivered to that church an epistle in
which Paul again spoke of him in almost exactly
the same terms as in the letter to the Ephesians:
''All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who
is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and
fellow servant in the Lord: whom I have sent unto
you for the same purpose, that he might know your
estate, and comfort your hearts; with Onesimus, a
faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you.
They shall make known unto you all things which
are done here."

2

The Second Mission of Tychicus

Of this we know next to nothing. In fact, we do
not even know for a certainty that he was actually
sent ; but we do know Paul was contemplating send-
ing him or Artemas to Crete as soon as Titus had
somewhat composed matters there, so that he could

TYCHICUS 241

be spared to join the Apostle as Nicopolis. This
was, as we have elsewhere assumed, during Paul's
brief period of release between his first and second
imprisonments at Rome.

Though we lose sight of Tychicus at Colossae
where some time previously he faithfully delivered
Paul's letter, it is evident that he had fulfilled that
mission to the Apostle's satisfaction; that he is
again, or rather still, under the Apostle's direction
as to his labors and movements, and now stands
ready to go to Crete, if that shall appear best to
his leader, as soon as Titus deems it safe and advis-
able to take his departure therefrom.

3

The Third Mission of Tychicus

Whether or not Tychicus ever undertook the con-
templated mission to Crete, there is no question
whatever about his last recorded service as the
trusted messenger of the Apostle.

Paul had again been arrested and thrown into
chains in a Roman dungeon. The tragic end was
now a certainty. But the faithful Tychicus was
again at his side, loyal, unafraid, ready to do his
bidding. Demas had forsaken him ; Crescens he had
sent to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Timothy
was in Ephesus, and Mark somewhere in the East,
probably in Asia Minor. The aged, doomed Apostle
yearns for the solace of the presence and love of
Mark and Timothy. It did not seem possible that
Timothy could be spared from his important and

242 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

critical work at Ephesus. Yet Paul's heart would
break unless he could clasp to his breast once more
his beloved son Timothy. By his side at this time
were only Luke the beloved physician, and Tychicus
the trusted messenger. Luke he could not spare, —
but Tychicus? He also was a *' beloved brother, '^
but he was not Timothy, he was not PauFs ''own
son,*' — and only a son's face could cheer a dying
father.

''Tychicus," it is the trembling voice of the aged
Paul that speaks, "wilt thou make one final sacri-
fice for me, wilt thou go to Ephesus and let my boy,
my son Timothy, come here to cheer my dying
hours?"

Tychicus is silent. He had hoped and belie\ed
that that supreme privilege and sacred joy was to be
his own. He averts his face. His frame is shaken
by his choking emotions, his struggle between love
and sacrifice.

"Art silent, Tychicus, the sacrifice — is it asking
too much even of thee?"

"Nay, nay, my beloved master, I will go for thee.
Thou shalt clasp thy boy to thy heart once more."
And Tychicus was gone, gone on his last mission for
his dying friend, gone out from his presence to see
his face no more on earth. He did what he could.

For a time both Luke and Paul are silent. They
gaze at Tychicus 's empty chair. ''Aye, here was a
man and a hero" is at length Luke's simple com-
ment. "Yea," answers an aged man with whitened
head, "and I shall see his face no more." Then he

TYCHICUS 243

seizes his pen and writes in rapturous anxiety to
Timothy his faraway child — ''Tychicus have I sent
to Ephesus . . . For I am now ready to be
offered, and the time of my departure is at hand
. . . Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me
. . . Take Mark, and bring him with thee . . .
Do thy diligence to come before winter."

m

Tychicus the Man, and the Value to Christianity of
His Friendship with St. Paul

Though Tychicus was a minister of Christ there
stands to his credit no record of a church founded,
or sermon preached, or convert won. But if we
have no great original message from his heart and
lips, yet we do have two immortal writings which his
pen traced at the dictation of another, which he bore
safely to their destination over hundreds of leagues
of sea and land, and through them, being dead, he
yet speaketh. Not a great man perhaps, but he also
did what he could ; he was faithful to every respon-
sibility entrusted to him, and he was a comfort to
the believers of his day.

Unobtrusive, unassuming, totally void of all self-
seeking and selfglorifying, willing to decrease if
only his friend Paul and the cause for which they
mutually stood might increase, he did his work as
it came to him and served his generation and all
Christianity with such powers as he had. He was
a man who had rather be a doorkeeper in the house
of his God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness,

244 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

who rather be a courier of St. Paul than Prime Min-
ister of Nero. His name will forever be written
among those who were faithful in little things, and
some day shall be ruler over many things. If he
could not fight in the forefront of the battle like
Mark and Titus, yet he could carry dispatches upon
which hung the fate of many battles.

He was one of those many young men like Arte-
mas, Secundas, Trophimus, and Aristarchus, who
would never have been heard of had not the giant
heart of the great Apostle magnetized them with the
lofty passions of his own soul, lifted them to the
hights of his own sublime faith and courage, and
then hurled them eager and unafraid against the
powers of evil with that torch of truth which shall
yet illumine all the dark places of the earth.

But though Tychicus always labored under the
direction of Paul and, like many another loyal
friend of the Apostle, is completely obscured and
overshadowed by the towering ability and fame of
his leader, yet we would greatly err were we to
adjudge him a man of inferior or merely ordinary
talent. St. Paul made no such mistake. He re-
joiced in having such a man by his side, not only
that he might carry dispatches, but also that he
might personally represent himself and speak in his
name and clothed with his authority in the great
churches at Ephesus and Colossae; and also, as
seems probable, in many other churches in the prov-
ince of Asia, and perhaps in Crete as well.

TYCHICUS 245

Thus by means of his friendship with Tychicus,
as by means of all his many other friendships, the
Apostle multiplied his presence and personality
while still in the flesh, and also continued his life
work after he had been summoned into the presence
of his Maker.

Of Paul's tender affection for Tychicus little need
be added. He ever spoke of him as his ''beloved
brother, ' ' and honored him with that patent of nobil-
ity which he conferred upon none other of his
friends save Epaphras only — that of being a ''fellow
servant " or " fellow slave ' ' with himself in the Mas-
ter's work. If Paul so judged of the importance of
Tychicus 's services to Christ, surely no man dare
venture to give him lower rank.

Neither Paul nor the early church could have
dispensed with him, and we could ill spare the
simple record of his loving services and self-forget-
ting faithfulness.

CHAPTER XVI

Onesiphorus — A Friend Who Was Not Ashamed of
Paul's Chain

Our knowledge of the career of Onesiphorus is
based upon the following passages: — 2nd Timothy
1:16-18, and 4:19.

OUR individual studies of Paul's friends are
drawing to a close: we shall gaze upon
the faintly etched portrait of but one
more, yet one that must not be passed by
too hurriedly, that of Onesiphorus — "a friend who
was not ashamed of Paul's chain." Our knowledge
of this man who took his religion with him when he
took a journey, is confined to a single short letter of
Paul's, his second to Timothy. Even in this only
four verses refer to Onesiphorus, and the portrait
itself is etched in three. The whole biography is
condensed into sixty-one words. But what a flam-
ing beacon are they. What a torch of undimming
lustre the heroic character there immortally drawn.
Its value to the world is more than that of many
volumes written about some men.

246

ONESIPHORUS 247

Whether or not Onesiphorus was one of the minor
friends of St. Paul, we cannot with certainty answer.
We catch but a dissolving view of his personality
through the grateful memory and passing allusions
of a doomed man; but this dissolving view makes
the entire New Testament richer, for it renews and
enriches our faith in our common humanity by giv-
ing us a fleeting glimpse of one of humanity's noblest
types — a man of heroic mold, and a friend of death-
less loyalty. It garlands the brow of friendship
with new and unfading laurels. It pays one more
tribute to Paul's genius for friendship, reveals
another link in that chain of gold that fettered the
hearts of men to his heart in the freedom of a joy-
ous bondage.

I
**Such a One as Paul the Aged "

The door of a Roman dungeon swings creakingly
open, we peer into its murky depths. At first the
gloom is impenetrable. We tarry at the threshold
till our eyes gradually become accustomed to the
darkness, and at length we faintly discern the
shadowy outlines of three human forms. Two of
these stand upright — they are Roman soldiers. We
look closer, the third man rivets our attention, his
form is bowed, his head whitened, his face marred
and seamed beyond the sons of men, — he is **such a
one as Paul the aged." We see him lift a hand to
that weary brow, a chain clanks, it is shackled to his
wrist. And there the most kingly man of his gen-

248 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

eration sits alone — his only companions those mailed
men who are keeping the ''death watch."

But why is this prisoner there, and why is he
alone? He is there because he has not counted his
life dear unto himself so that he might accomplish
his course and the ministry which he received of the
Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God.
But why is he alone in this supreme and crisis hour ?
Has he no friends to sit with him in the valley of the
shadow? Yes — some. Where are they then? Well,
the work which was dearer unto him than his own
life was not going well in all parts of the vast empire
he has conquered for his Lord; and so he has sent
Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia, and Tychicus
to Ephesus.

But that accounts for but three, surely this man
has other friends, where are they? Some of them
we know were about their necessary duties. Luke
is with him most or all of the time, but Timothy is
busy in his pastorate at Ephesus and Mark on a mis-
sion probably in Asia Minor. Phygellus and Her-
mogenes and a few others of Asia in whom he
trusted have turned away from him because he is a
condemned man, his life forfeited, and almost any
day may prove his last. But what of all the Chris-
tians in the great church here in Rome to whom
years ago he wrote that long letter pouring out his
heart's longing to see them face to face? Some of
these are still in touch with him such as Eubulus,
Pudens, Linus, and Claudia. But it is better now
for the peace of the church that most of the Roman

ONESIPHORUS 249

Christians should hold somewhat aloof from this
extremest in the cause of Christ.

But look! What new thought is now piercing
that heart and contracting that furrowed face?
Read those pitiless thoughts. Listen and you shall
overhear a soul's silent anguish, you shall hear its
wordless woe — ''At my first defense, no one took my
part, but all forsook me. Demas — Demas too hath
forsaken me." A shudder shakes that shrunken
form, a broken sob, then all is still once more save
the clanking of a chain. The cell door is closed, we
pass hence. The prisoner is left alone with the
death watch and — his thoughts.

Night comes on. The prisoner sinks into exhausted
and troubled slumber. He dreams of other days that
have been, of other days that shall be, and sighs for
his release — a release which any hour may bring.
Suddenly he is aroused by clattering feet in the
corridor outside, a key turns quickly in the door.
It must be soldiers to lead him forth to his execution,
he struggles to his feet, ''I am ready," he feebly
cries. ''Paul, Paul, do you not know me?" rings
out on the midnight air. Who, what ? — No, it cannot
be. — Yes, it is, it is. It is Onesiphorus of Ephesus.
Though the axe is already uplifted, though some
men have forsaken him, though death threatens all
who dare breathe his name, yet there is one man left
in the world besides Luke who "is not ashamed of
his chain," who has sought him out diligently and
found him. 0 Humanity, thou wert on trial in that
hour, thy sentence was about to be pronounced, —

250 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

but stay! one man has redeemed mankind from
eternal infamy. Humanity is absolved from that
unpardonable crime, Paul is no longer alone, Onesi-
phorus has gained his side before the axe falls. Let
the curtain drop. The hour and place are too sacred
for even the most loving eyes to linger, for even the
tenderest scrutiny or contemplation,

II

The Bravery and Loyalty of Onesiphorus

''The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesi-
phorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not
ashamed of my chain; but, when he was in Rome,
he sought me out very diligently, and found me. ' ' So
Paul wrote to Timothy some days later after Onesi-
phorus had already been compelled to leave his side,
or, as some plausibly maintain, had forfeited his life
because he counted it not dear unto himself if only
he could be of service or comfort to his heart's
better self — Paul, the prisoner of the Lord Jesus
Christ.

Bravery and loyalty would seem to be the keynote
to this man's character. When Paul was already
sentenced to death, when weaker friends were falling
away, when it was perilous even to know him, and
when access to his side was extremely difficult, then
appears Onesiphorus on the scene, learns in some
way of Paul's plight, and, scorning danger, despis-
ing the craven-hearted, defying Nero to do his worst,
he overcomes every obstacle that fear and malice
can suggest and at last penetrates the Imperial

ONESIPHORUS 251

dungeon and flies to the arms of his old friend.
And so in that felon cell love's pure flame was once
more kindled — and still after nineteen hundred
years we are warned and gladdened by its heavenly-
glow.

What originally called Onesiphorus to Rome we
<jannot say, but apparently it had nothing to do with
St. Paul or his imprisonment. After learning of
his condition it would have been an easy and pru-
dent thing for Onesiphorus, and a thing a man of
lesser loyalty would have done, to have spent his
time in executing his original mission, and then use
^ny spare moments in sightseeing in that vast and
bewilderingly attractive city. And Onesiphorus
<30uld have given himself and the world plausible
excuses for not attempting to visit his whilom pastor
At Ephesus, the aged Paul, the doomed prisoner of
the Imperial Court. He might have salved his con-
science by pleading the impossibility of gaining
access to the condemned man ; he might have argued
the futility of such a visit even were it possible. He
might have urged the folly of needlessly endanger-
ing his own life and so exposing his household to
the resultant suffering.

But love was stronger than death, loyalty mightier
than prudence — and the result, who knows? Paul
in writing of the joy of this visit to himself solemnly
prays for ''mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus '' —
would the father never return to gladden its portals
-again? And as the letter of this aged pastor draws
to a close he begs his beloved friend Timothy, now

252 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

his successor in the pastorate at Ephesus, to ' ' salute
the house of Onesiphorus ' ' — was his heart in that
dank dungeon, forgetful of its own misery, bleeding
w^ith the sorrow awaiting the home of his former
parishioners in far-off Ephesus?

Ill

Onesiphorus in His Home Church

Thus far we have considered Onesiphorus simply
as the friend of St. Paul. Did we know nothing else
about him his fame would be secure, his memory
fragrant. That aspect of his character alone lifts
him to the hight and rank of the world 's heroic men.
It gives him entry into the fellowship of the su-
premely brave.

But we have not exhausted this man's worth nor
our knowledge of the same, when the last word shall
have been spoken concerning his loyalty to friend-
ship's loftiest ideals. Paul remarks in his letter to
Timothy ''in how many things he ministered at
Ephesus thou knowest very well." Here we have
another and entirely new revelation of his worth as
a man and Christian. The Revised Version correctly
omits the words ''unto me" after the word "min-
istered. ' '

Onesiphorus 's service was to the church and cause
of Christianity as a whole. Evidently he was one
of Paul's most efficient laymen when he was serving
the Ephesian church. Three things in this brief
reference of Paul's emphasize our conception of the
large place Onesiphorus filled in his home church:

ONESIPHORUS 253

the phrase *4n how many things," proving various
talent, interest, and activity; the Greek verb trans-
lated '^ ministered " has the same root from which
is derived the noun ' ' deacon ; ' ' and, lastly, the phrase
*Hhou knowest very well" witnesses to the fact
that his services were of exceptional merit and
prominence.

IV
^'The Light That Never Was on Sea or Land "

Second Timothy is a sad letter, a letter of profound
contrasts. It is a letter where deepest gloom is
shot through with rays of celestial glory. It is the
last message penned by the hand, dripping from the
bleeding heart — of a man who is looking into his own
open grave. It has in it, perhaps, something of the
pagan's horror of the grave, yet infinitely more of
the saint's shout of victory. How some of its pas-
sages bring to mind Paul's own ringing words
written in other years to the church at Corinth:
^'0 death, where is thy sting? 0 grave, where is
thy victory? .... Thanks be to God, which
giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ."

This letter again has in it the bitter cry of be-
trayed confidence, and the unwordable joy of death-
less loyalty. In it a few men are bitterly denounced
for their cowardice and pusillanimity, one man only
is highly praised, and that man is Onesiphorus. Un-
conscious of any heroism, without any pose or
thought of self, this man by his brave act cheered

254 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

the dying hours of the greatest man whose form
ever bowed beneath the world's burdens, whose
heart ever broke for the world's sins and ingratitude.
His visit to Paul in his last hours, in his extremity
of anguish, was for Paul what Mary's anointing of
Christ was for him, a touch of human tenderness
and devotion that gave strength for sacrifice, —
Paul's giving his life for his mission, Christ's giving^
his life for the world. These gifts, these supreme
sacrifices of Paul and Christ, were not wholly vain,
at least one heart was loyal to the last, at least one
soul understood.

And Onesiphorus 's reward? Ah, he was not
thinking of that. One glance into Paul's seamed —
nay, transfigured face, that was enough for him, and
will be through the ages to come. But another has
said, one greater than Onesiphorus, yea, greater than
Onesiphorus 's beloved friend himself — "Verily I say
unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of
the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto
me. ' ' And so this man from far-off Ephesus who in
Imperial Rome itself would not let a dungeon's walls
nor Nero's murderous frown keep him from Paul's
death watch, shall in eternity be linked in compan-
ionship and reward with him who was the greatest
of the Apostles — so saith he whose throne is in the
heavens, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.

And so human friendship wears the seal and sanc-
tion of the Infinite, and eternity is made tributary
to its fruition and joy.

CHAPTER XVII

Postscript — A Last Glance at Christianity's Imperial
Friend and Empire Builder

WE have completed our individual
studies of PauPs friends, — sixteen
in all. There are some others who
deserve a place in this splendid
galaxy, but they must be passed by. Before closing
the record for good, however, let us take a last
rapid survey of the career of St. Paul, Christianity's
mightiest Empire Builder, and note once more the
imperial sweep of his achievements and the part
played therein by his friends and his genius for
friendship.

Paul received his great commission while praying
in the temple at Jerusalem not long after his con-
version. In that solemn hour the Lord said unto
him — ''Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto
the Gentiles." His ambition thenceforward was to
be the first to preach the Gospel in every part of the
known world where it had not already been heard.
Hence years afterwards, when at Corinth he was
planning a journey into Spain, he could write to the
church at Rome — ''Yea, so have I striven to preach
the Gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I
should build upon another man's foundation."

To achieve his stupendous purposes Paul always
made a dash for the great cities believing, like

255

256 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

Napoleon eighteen centuries later, that if he once
gained possession of the enemy's Capitol he could
easilj^ win and hold all the surrounding territory.
So he began his career preaching at Damascus and
Jerusalem, and later on seized for Christ such
strongholds as Antioch, Ephesus, Philippi, Corinth,
and Rome.

Of these many cities in which he preached, three
were, for some years in succession, his headquarters
in which, like a conquering General, he formulated
his vast plans, and from which he went forth on his
victorious campaigns. And ever he moved steadily
westward, as he completed the conquest of the terri-
tory in the vicinity of his headquarters.

The first Capitol of that ultimately enormous
empire which he was to claim and win for Christ,
was Antioch in Syria. From Antioch he marched
forth with Barnabas and Mark for the conquest of
Cyprus and Asia Minor, and to Antioch he returned
at the conclusion of the campaign. Again he went
forth from this Capitol with Silas expecting to com-
plete the subjugation of the territory already over-
run ; but strengthening his forces by the addition of
Timothy, he felt emboldened to push on for the con-
quest of central and western Asia Minor. While
pausing at Troas he formed a junction with Luke
and, having been diverted from his original designs,
crossed over into Europe and gained a foothold in
Macedonia and Greece.

Now again he turned back to Antioch, but on the
way thither stopped a few days at Ephesus. Seeing

POSTSCRIPT 257

at a glance the strategic importance of this location,
he promised as speedy a return as possible; and
after having reported at headquarters, he made his
way back to Ephesus as rapidly as he could con-
sistently with the necessity of strengthening his
long line of garrisons between the two cities. Ar-
rived at last at Ephesus he immediately made that
city the new Capitol of the large empire he had won
for Christ, which now extended hundreds of miles
west of his original headquarters ; that is, from An-
tioch in Syria to the heart of Macedonia and Greece.

Here Paul settled down for three years, making
Ephesus the hub in the wheel of his extensive opera-
tions, while his many friends as Generals and Field
Marshals in command of various armies and citadels
perfected the conquest of western Asia Minor,
Macedonia, and Greece. Here there labored with
him Aquila and Priscilla, Onesiphorus and ApoUos,
Gains and Aristarchus, Trophimus and Titus. From
here he sent forth Timothy and Erastus to maintain
his grip upon Macedonia, and again Titus and Tim-
othy to hold in check the insurrectionary Corin-
thians. From here it is believed he directed the
work of Epaphras and Philemon in the conquest of
Colossae, Hierapolis, and Laodicea. From here, too,
he himself set out on his last victorious march
through Macedonia and Greece.

But Paul's ambition was as boundless as that of
any Napoleon of Empire or of Industry. Like them
his restless spirit found no ease as long as there
were other realms to conquer. No past achieve-

258 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

ments could still his ever ringing cry — "Forward,
march!" And so at length this warrior-preacher
and Christian statesman stood on the eastern shore
of the Adriatic sea.

Watch him as he stands there. He boldly declares
in the very language of victory that he has fully
preached the Gospel of Christ from Jerusalem and
round about, up through Syria, across Asia Minor,
over the Hellespont, throughout Macedonia and
Greece unto Illyricum, the very foothills of the
northern Alps. His language has the martial thrill
of one of Napoleon's bulletins to his soldiers after
some Austerlitz. But watch the man, notice his posi-
tion, look into his eyes, study their fixed and en-
raptured gaze, lift up your own eyes and witn the
vision of the soul and imagination see what this
ever victorious soldier of the Cross sees. He is not
counting the battles already won nor is he athrill
with the memory of the echoing plaudits of his
triumphs. He is like Alexander at the Indus, his
face is forward. He is like Napoleon at Warsaw,
unconquered Russia is beyond — of what satisfaction
are past achievements, the lands and cities already
conquered.

But what does the Apostle see? Not conquered
Antioch and Ephesus and Corinth, but uncon-
quered Rome and Spain and "the regions beyond."
The sun sinks low over the Adriatic's gently heav-
ing waters. Its last rays transfigure with celestial
beauty the rugged, glowing features of the man
whose feet, pointing westward, are already dipped

POSTSCRIPT 259

into the sea. The West is acalling, and a soul
aflame again hears a voice ''not heard by others."
He will now make Imperial Rome, the Eternal City
itself, his new headquarters, whence he can set on
foot the conquest of Spain and other new campaigns
for the glory of his Lord and the extension of his
kingdom.

How thrillingly he anticipated the carrying out
of his vast designs. Pausing at Corinth after his
work at Ephesus was done he boldly hurled across
the Adriatic sea and over the Apennines into the Im-
perial City his fearless declaration of immediate in-
vasion and his intention of making that city his new
Capitol, whence he would march forth to conquer
the utmost West for the Cross of Christ. Here is
his ringing bulletin in his own words: ''Without
ceasing I make mention of you always in my pray-
ers ; making request, if by any means now at length
I might have a prosperous journey by the will of
God to come unto you. ... As much as in me
lies, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that
are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew
first, and also to the Greek. . . . Through
mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit
of God . . . from Jerusalem, and round about
unto lUyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of
Christ. Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel,
not where Christ was named, lest I should build
upon another man 's foundation : but as it is written,

260 SAINT PAUL'S FEIENDSHIPS

To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and
they that have not heard shall understand. For
which cause also I have been much hindered from
coming to you. But now having no more place in
these parts, and having a great desire these many
years to come unto you; whensoever I take my
journey into Spain, I will come to you; for I trust
to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my
way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat
filled with your company. For now I go unto
Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. For it hath
pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make
a certain contribution for the poor saints which are
at Jerusalem. . . . When, therefore, I have per-
formed this, and sealed to them this fruit, I will
come by you into Spain."

But how has it been possible for the achievements
of this man in so few years to cover so widely and
so thoroughly such an immense territory? In pre-
cisely the same way that Napoleons of Empire and
of Industry are able to achieve so much, by choosing
agents who are everywhere present, everywhere
loyal, everywhere accomplishing their leader's will.
Herein, then. Lies the secret, humanly speaking, of
Paul's masterly successes. He bound his friends to
himself and his work heart and soul. These mul-
tiplied his presence and personality. Through them
he was achieving results simultaneously in many
lands and cities, invading new territory and gar-
risoning that already won.

POSTSCRIPT 261

It will forever remain as one of the highest testi-
monies to the greatness of Paul that he had a genius
for discovering ability in other men, and in attach-
ing them to himself personally and to that cause to
which he was ever paying the last full measure of
his strength and devotion. By the sheer might of
his personality he lifted his friends to his own
hight of moral grandeur and heroism. He so
breathed into their souls the strength of his own
love and the fire of his own enthusiasm that they
were ready to do all for him and for his work that
he would do for them and for that same cause. He
made the master passion of his life the master pas-
sion of their lives. Such a leader of men was he
that he molded them all to fit into his life purposes,
and, directed by his genius, together they wrought
world-changing achievements.

One of America's most eminent ''captains of
industry *' has publicly stated that he owed his great
success in life to the fact that he had gotten
** smarter '^ men than himself to work for him. And
all know that the success of any President's admin-
istration depends very largely, if not mainly, upon
his ability to discern ability in other men ; to attach
these to himself personally and to the policies he
represents ; and to so guide all that they may work
together well in harness, both with one another and
with himself. Men great individually have often
miserably failed for the lack of such talent. The
world's history is strewed thick with the wreckage
of such careers. On the other hand, men of seem-

262 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

ingly very mediocre abilities have turned the course
of civilization into other and loftier channels by the
possession of the talent to select, combine, inspire,
and then hurl masterfully and unswervingly toward
a given object the combined gifts of many minds.

Such master-genius had St. Paul. So he became,
not a '^ captain of industry,'^ but a ''Captain of
Evangelism," the supreme statesman, nay, the very
Prime Minister of early Christianity.

As he marched to battle or swept in triumph over
conquered realms, some of his Field Marshals were
ever with him to advise in the council of war, to
command in the hour of battle. ''And there accom-
panied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the
Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and
Gains of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia,
Tychicus, and Trophimus."

At times he would send some of his friends in
advance to spy out the land, do scout duty and
reconnoiter. At other times he would leave them
behind to complete the conquest of a city or prov-
ince where he had already won a decisive victory
in pitched battle. Again he would send them to
distant cities to settle without his presence local
outbreaks and disturbances. Now he would send
them on far journeys to great cities with important
dispatches and verbal instructions; now to organize
whole provinces he had simply conquered and gar-
risoned; and again he would send them forth on
independent commands to subdue new regions. But
wheresoever they went, they went at his command,

POSTSCRIPT 263

did his bidding, carried out his policies, and later
returned to him or wrote to him for farther instruc-
tions at every crisis hour. Thus he held the post
of Commander-in-Chief with his eye on every sub-
ordinate officer in the whole army and along the
entire battlefront.

We have already listened to Paul's boldly an-
nounced plan for the invasion of Rome and conquest
of Spain. Sweeping were the combinations, mas-
terly the strategy of this indomitable old warrior.
But God willed otherwise. He came to Rome not
with the laurels and plaudits of a victorious General,
but as a captive chained to the chariot wheels of
some ruthless conqueror.

Apparently thwarted and defeated, yet the out-
come was for the best. Instead of adding new ter-
ritory to the realms already seized, there was need
of consolidating these, and such was to be the
remaining task of this warrior-statesman. A march
into Spain would have left unguarded and so im-
periled his earlier conquests, as Napoleon's Russian
campaign proved the undoing of his previous vic-
tories. Paul's plan for farther advance being
thwarted by his imprisonment, he at once set about
the thorough subjugation of Rome itself, and the
suppressing of all revolt in the distant provinces of
the East.

Nero regarded himself as the sole master of the
Imperial City and overlord of the known world.
But in one of his dungeons was a despised Jew who
was undermining the sway of the Caesars in Rome

264 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

itself; and, at the same time, founding a kingdom
on the eastern and northern shores of the Mediter-
ranean which would live on in perennial youth long
after the reign of Nero should be but a memory.
Over the Roman highways marched thundering
legions with the shout of battle on their lips. Over
these same highways passed the solitary figures of
young men whose hearts were pulsating with a
mighty passion. Their eyes were fixed on far-off
Rome and thither their feet were hastening, — not
to fawn on Imperial favor, not to seek positions in
the Roman legions nor to witness the sports of the
amphitheatre; but to counsel with and receive com-
mands from a certain Roman prisoner, one Paul of
Tarsus, Commander-in-Chief of all the armies of
Jesus Christ, an ''Empire Builder'' in comparison
with whose achievements the conquests of Alexander,
Caesar, and Napoleon sink to a lower level. Their
empires have passed away. That which he founded
has spread with the speeding centuries.

Of this commander's many Generals and Aides-
de-Camp, only Luke and Aristarchus entered the city
with him. But his other Lieutenants left behind in
the East joined him from time to time. And so at
various times there were with him, fighting by his
side for the conquest of the city by the Tiber,
such soldiers as Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and
Claudia; such Aides-de-Camp as Epaphroditus and
Onesimus; such Brigadiers as Jesus Justus, Demas,
and Onesiphorus; such Generals of Divisions as
Epaphras, Tychicus, and Crescens; such Field Mar-

POSTSCRIPT 265

shals as Timothy, Titus, and Mark. The success of
these men fighting by PauFs side in Rome, is re-
vealed in his own words where he says — ''But I
wish ye should understand, brethren, that the
things which happened unto me have fallen out
rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; so that
my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace,
and in all other places; and many of the brethren
in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much
more bold to speak the word without fear." And
again he writes at the close of his letter to the
Philippians — "All the saints salute you, chiefly they
that are of Caesar's household."

From PauFs prison, which was now both a throne
room and the headquarters of a commanding Gen-
eral, he sent forth Tychicus and Onesimus with dis-
patches to Ephesus and Colossae ; Epaphroditus with
dispatches to Philippi; Timothy he sent back to
Ephesus to hold that city for Christ, Titus to Dal-
matia, Crescens to Galatia, and Mark on a tour
through Greece or Asia Minor. And so in the Im-
perial City, which from her Seven Hills ruled the
world, was another Empire Builder making grander
conquests for a grander kingdom than that ruled
over or dreamed of by the Caesars.

And thus by degrees as the years came and went
this mighty statesman and soldier, with empires
seething in his brain and future generations tugging
at his heart, by personal example and counsel and
by repeatedly trusting his subordinates in independ-
ent commands, so trained them that when the day

266 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

came for him to lay aside the shoulderstraps forever
there was a score of his lieutenants able to assume
command — he had made himself no longer necessary,
the ultimate triumph of his life purpose was already
assured.

And all that Paul was then achieving he was
achieving by the matchless spell of his genius for
friendship. Through his friends he was holding an
empire loyal to his Lord. And so perfectly did he
train these friends of his that his death caused no
more disturbance to the realms he had conquered
than did the death of Washington to the welfare
and progress of the United States.

This I deem the crowning proof of a man's great-
ness, that at death he is no longer necessary to the
success of that to which he has devoted all his
powers.

There are two classes of great men who are not
supremely great. That man is not supremely great,
however much he may achieve in life, who leaves a
completed work at his death with nothing remaining
to call forth the loyalty and labors of other men.
Such a life work is at best either of small signifi-
cance, or of but temporary value to mankind. Nor
is that other man supremely great, however much
he may achieve and plan in life, if, at his death,
he does not leave behind trained successors to go
forward with his work as though he were still pres-
ent with them. The work of such men, however
stupendous and dazzling, and their plans, however
far-reaching and beneficent, topple over when they

POSTSCRIPT 267

are no longer present to direct and inspire. They
lack an essential, an indispensable, element of great-
ness; that element without which all others fail of
lasting significance, the ability to so recognize
-ability in others, and so enlist that ability in their
own life work that, when dead, their works shall
follow them on through the coming tides of time.

He is the supremely great man who brings his
own individual work to a well-rounded close, yet
who at the same time leaves a grandly, a divinely
■unfinished work for his friends and after generations
to carry on and perfect. He is the man who has
planned so broadly that it will take all time to
achieve his dreams; and yet who has planned so
exactly, and trained others so splendidly, that he
can complete his part of the whole and then pass
on to his reward without being missed. Such a
man was the Apostle Paul.

And so he gave proof of the loftiest statesman-
ship of genius and of service. And his ability to
achieve these things was through his genius for
friendship. He had neither position, wealth, nor
fame to offer men. But he gave them what was
better — his heart. He honored them with badges
of distinction high above all decorations monarchs
can bestow — a share in his labors and perils. And
the finest ability of the choicest young men of that
age gathered about his standard; and when his
slackened hand let go the flagstaff, the banner he
had so long held aloft still flung forth its ample folds
-mthout a tremor, shining afar on every breeze that

268 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

blew. And so it was that few realized the event
when the old warrior entered into his rest.

The fact that Paul thus planned a work Avhieh
only time could consummate, proves that he had
entered into something of the counsels and purposes
of Providence, which reach on from generation to
generation.

In this matter of his life work, as in so many
other ways, Paul was like his divine Lord and Mas-
ter. Christ could say in his prayer the night of his
betrayal — ''I have finished the work thou gavest
me to do." And on the Cross he could say ''It is
finished." Yet only a few men then believed on
his name, only a little seed had been sown, Chris-
tianity had but just been born; undiscovered con-
tinents, teeming millions, had never heard his name
and would not hear it for sixty generations yet to
come. What, then, mean those words "it is fin-
ished?" Two things they mean; — that Christ's
individual work in the world was done; and that
his plans for all subsequent ages had been given to
the world, and the work of achieving these entrusted
to those whom he now no longer called "servants
but friends, because all things that he had heard
of the Father he had made known unto them."
The physical presence of Christ was no longer
necessary to his friends, his work, or mankind. He
himself had said "it is expedient for you that I go
away." The work would go on without him. He
was now unnecessary to its success. He had built

POSTSCRIPT 269

with the master genius, the divine genius of the
Son of God.

How like him was St. Paul in his life and work
and friendships. In his dying hour Paul too could
«ay — "For I am now ready to be offered, and the
time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a
good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept
the faith. ' ' And Paul meant by this precisely what
€hrist meant by his words on the Cross. He had
finished his individual work, and his plans for evan-
gelizing the known world had been fully made and
were now confidently entrusted to his friends who
were prepared to go on with them without his
farther instructions or supervision. Paul had made
himself unnecessary to the world. And so Paul was
the consummate statesman, the supreme construc-
tive genius — he finished his own work; rounded out
his own career; and yet, at the same time, had but
laid the foundations of that splendid cathedral for
the Divine habitation among men, which it would
take all the after generations to complete. But he
had drawn the plans for the entire structure, given
others a glimpse of its ultimate radiancy of glory,
and trained them to be themselves master-builders.

He was no Napoleon whose work would topple
over even before his own death. He was a Wash-
ington, whose services to mankind only millenniums
could perfect, yet whose death caused not a quiver
to the structure he had begun to rear. To employ
and adapt the language used by Napoleon of a man

270 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

of his day — or by a contemporary of Napoleon him-
self, history reports both ways — ''There was a time
when the death of St. Paul would have been an
event; when it did occur, it was only a piece of
news/' His friends and lieutenants had been so
trained in many a hard fought campaign by the
personal example and under the eye of their im-
perial leader that when at last he fell at his post^
dying a soldier's death, there was not a break in
the line anywhere; his Field Marshals, Generals,
and Captains could now carry on the war and win
the victory without the ''little corporal" of Tarsus.

And so the friends and friendships of St. Paul
which so comforted his own heart, and so enriched
his own life and theirs, have also enriched
the world for the nineteen centuries which have
fled, and shall go on enriching the life of men till
time itself grows gray and there dawns at last the
unspeakable splendor of the millennial dawn. "When
in that day men see the Holy City, the new Jerusa-
lem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband, then, and then
only, will they be able to comprehend and compute
the world significance of St. Paul's genius for friend-
ship,— the unmined, unmeasured, unminted wealth
of his heart's riches.

Here is the supreme evidence of Paul's genius as
a constructive statesman, as well as matchless
friend and peerless General and strategist. The
final test of Moses's greatness did not come until

POSTSCRIPT 271

after his death; then it was vindicated by the fact
that his successor could go on with his plans with-
out break or pause. So was vindicated the real
greatness of John Wesley and in our day of Frances
E. Willard. The final test of Gen. Booth's claim
to imperial achievement will come only when it has
been seen whether he has trained others to fill his
place and carry on his life mission without a jar
when he shall have been summoned into the pres-
ence of his Maker.

Let us now ask ourselves one or two most signifi-
cant questions: How much would be left of the
record of Paul's achievements if we could cut out
from his career the names and deeds of all his
friends and all that he himself wrought through
them? And what would their records be had they
never been thrilled, inspired, and directed by his
genius and passion for the spread of the Gospel?
None can say, none can answer these baffling
queries.

When it came to pass that Israel's mighty prophet
Elijah was to be translated there was found by
diligent search just one man who was capable of
catching up his mantle and going forward with his
life mission. When Paul's change came not one
only, but a score of the loftiest characters of his
generation stood ready to receive his mantle and
prolong and hand on his mission; to command
armies or organize and administer the affairs of
cities and provinces, — and so his death was not an
** event," but merely a * Apiece of news."

272 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

Surely next to his Divine Lord and Master this
man is the world's supreme exemplar of every high
attribute which we associate with that sacred
word — ^Friendship.

APPENDIX

Alphabetical list of Paul's friends and those to
whom he sent individual greetings in his letters,
together with all Scripture references to each save to
Peter and John, and James, the Lord's brother.

1. Achaicus— I Cor. 16 :17.

2. Agabus— Acts 21:10-11.

3. Amplias — Rom. 16:8.

4. Andronicus — Rom. 16:7.

5. Apelles — Rom. 16:10.

6. ApoUos— Acts 18 :24, 19 :1 ; I Cor. 1 :12, 3 :4-22,

4:6, 16:12, and Titus 3:13.

7. Apphia— Phm. 1:2.

8. Archippus— Col. 4:17, and Phm. 1:2.

9. Aristarchus— Acts 19:29, 20:4-5, 27:1-2, Col.

4:10, and Phm. 1:24.

10. Aristobulus— Rom. 16:10.

11. Artemus— Tit. 3 :12.

12. Asyncritus — Rom. 16:14.

13. Barnabas— Acts 4:36-37, 9:26-27, 11:22-30,

12:25, 13:1-50, 14:1-28, 15:1-39, I Cor. 9:4-6,
Gal. 2:1-13, and Col. 4:10.

14. Carpus— 2nd Tim. 4:13.

15. Cephas— Acts 15:6-7, 22, 25.

16. Claudia— 2nd Tim. 4:21.

273

274 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

17. Clement— Phil. 4:3.

18. Crescens— 2nd Tim. 4:10.

19. Crispus— Acts 18 :8, I Cor. 1 :14.

20. Damaris— Acts 17:34.

21. Demas— Col. 4:14, Phm. 1:24, 2nd Tim. 4:10.

22. Dionysius— Acts 17:34.

23. Epaphras— Col. 1:7-8, 4:12-13, Phm. 1:23.

24. Epaphroditus— Phil. 2:25-30, 4:18.

25. Epenetus — Rom. 16:5.

26. Erastus 1st— Acts 19 :22, 2nd Tim. 4 :20.

27. Erastus 2nd— Rom. 16 :23.

28. Eubulus— 2nd Tim. 4:21.

29. Fortunatus— I Cor. 16:17.

30. Gains 1st— Acts 19 :29.

31. Gains 2nd— Acts 20 :4.

32. Gains 3rd— Rom. 16 :23, I Cor. 1 :14.

33. Hermas— Rom. 16:14.

34. Hermes— Rom. 16:14.

35. Hermogenes — 2nd Tim. 1:15.

36. Herodion— Rom. 16:11.

37. James— Acts 15 :6, 13, 14, 22, 25.

38. Jason 1st— Acts 17:5-9.

39. Jason 2nd— Rom. 16 :21.

40. Jesus Justus — Col. 4:11.

41. John— Acts 15 :6, 22, 25.

42. Julia— Rom. 16:15.

43. Julius— Acts 27 :1, 3, 43.

44. Junia— Rom. 16:7.

45. Justus— Acts 18:7.

46. Linus— 2nd Tim. 4:21.

APPENDIX 275

47. Lucius 1st — Acts 13 :1.

48. Lucius 2nd— Rom. 16:21.

49. Luke— Acts 16:10-17, 20:5-15, 21:1-18, 27:1,

28:16, Luke 1:1-4, Acts 1:1-4, Col. 4:14, 2nd
Tim. 4 :11, and Phm. 1 :24.

50. Lydia— Acts 16 :14-15 and 40.

51. Manaen — Acts 13:1.

52. Mark— Acts 12:12, 25, 13:5, 13, 15:36-39, Col.

4:10, 2nd Tim. 4:11, Phm. 1:24, 1st Pet. 5:13.

53. Mary— Rom. 16:6.

54. Mnason — Acts 21:16.

55. Narcissus — Rom. 16:11.

56. Nereus — Rom. 16:15.

57. Nymphas— Col. 4:15.

58. Olympas— Rom. 16:15.

59. Onesimus— Col. 4 :9, Phm. 1 :10-21.

60. Onesiphorus— 2nd Tim. 1 :16-18, 4 :19.

61. Patrobus — Rom. 16:14.

62. Persis— Rom. 16:12.

63. Phebe— Rom. 16:1-2.

64. Philemon— Phm. 1:1-25.

65. Philip— Acts 6 :5-6, 8 :5-40, 21 :8-10.

66. Philologus— Rom. 16:15.

67. Phlegon— Rom. 16:14.

68. Phygellus— 2nd Tim. 1 :15.

69-70. Aquila and PrisciUa— Acts 18:1-3, 18, 26,
Rom. 16:3-5, I Cor. 16:19, 2nd Tim. 4:19.

71. Publius— Acts 28:7-8.

72. Pudens— 2nd Tim. 4:21.

73. Quartus— Rom. 16:23.

276 SAINT PAULAS FRIENDSHIPS

74. Rufus— Rom. 16:13.

75. Secundus— Acts 20 A.

76. Silas (Silvanus)— Acts chs. 15, 16, 17 and 18,

2nd Cor. 1:19, I Thes. 1:1, 2nd Thes. 1:1,
I Pet. 5 :12.

77. Simeon — Acts 13 :1.

78. Sopater— Acts 20 :4.

79. Sosipater— Rom. 16 :21.

80. Sosthenes— I Cor. 1 :1.

81. Stachys— Rom. 16:9.

82. Stephanas—I Cor. 1:16, 16:15-17.

83. Tertius— Rom. 16:22.

84. Timothy— Acts 16 :1, 20 :24, Rom. 16 :21, I Cor.

4:17, 16:10-11, 2nd Cor. 1:1 and 19, Phil. 1:1
and 2:19-23, Col. 1:1-5, I Thes. 1:1, 3:2-6,
2nd Thes. 1 :l-2, Phm. 1 :l-3, books of 1st and
2nd Tim. Heb. 13 :23.

85. Titus— 2nd Cor. 2 :12, 13, 7 :5-17, 8 :! -24, 12 :18,

Gal. 2 :l-4, 2nd Tim. 4 :10, Epistle to Tit.

86. Trophimus— Acts 20 :4, 21 :29, 2nd Tim. 4 :20.

87. Tryphena— Rom. 16:12.

88. Tryphosa— Rom. 16:12.

89. Tychicus— Acts 20:4, Eph. 6:21-22, Col. 4:7-9,

2nd Tim. 4:12, Titus 3:12.

90. Tyrannus— Acts 19:9.

91. Urbane— Rom. 16:9.

92. Zenas— Titus 3:13.

Other Friends Whose Names Are Not Recorded

The Philippian jailer— Acts 16 :27-37.
Chief men of Asia — Acts 19 :30, 31.

APPENDIX 277

Disciples— Acts 21 :4-7.
The Melitans— Acts 28 :10.
Puteoli Brethren— Acts 28 :14, 15.
A Brother— 2nd Cor. 8 :18-22.
Philippian Women — Phil. 4 :3.
Mother of Rufus— Rom. 16 :13.
Sister of Nereus — Rom. 16:15.

n

Domestic Terms Used by Paul in Referring to
His Friends

1. His ''Mother"— The mother of Rufus— Rom.

16:13.

2. His ''Sister^- Phebe— Rom. 16:1.

3. His ''Brothers"— 1. Quartus— Rom. 16:23.

2. Sosthenes— I Cor. 1:1.

3. ApoUos— I Cor. 16:12.

4. Tychicus— Eph. 6:21.

5. Epaphroditns— Phil. 2:25.

6. Philemon— 1 :7.

4. His " Sons ' '—1. Onesimus— Phm. 1 :10.

2. Timothy— I Tim. 1:2.

3. Titus— Ti. 1:4.

His "Little Children "—All the Galatians—

Gal. 4:19.
His "Beloved Sons" — All the Corinthians —

I Cor. 4:14.

5. He himself was a "Nurse"— I Thes. 2:7.

278

SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

6. He * 'travailed in birth'' as a mother — Gal. 4:19.
He was as a ''Father" to the Thessalonians —

I Thes. 2 :11.
He had as a "Father begotten" the Corinthians —
I Cor. 4:15.

7. He had given in marriage — 2nd Cor. 11 :2.

Ill

Those to Whom Paul Applied the Word ^^ Fellow/'
in the Sense of Partner or Sharer

1. "Fellow Laborers" — 1. Clement and others —

2.

4.

Phil. 4:3.

2.

Timothy— I Thes. 3 :2.

3.

Philemon— Phm. 1:1.

4.

Mark— Phm. 1:24.

5.

Aristarchus — Phm.l :24

6.

Demas— Phm. 1:24.

7.

Luke— Phm. 1:24.

Fellow Prisoners ' '-

-1.

Andronieus — Rom. 16 :7

2.

Junia — Rom. 16:7.

3.

Aristarchus — Col. 4 :10.

4.

Epaphras— Phm. 1:23.

Fellow Servants "-

-1.

Epaphras— Col. 1:7.

2.

Tychicus— Col. 4:7.

Fellow Soldiers "-

-1.

Epaphroditus —

Phil. 2:25.

2.

Archippus — Phm. 1 :2.

Fellow Workers "-

-1.

Aristarchus —

Col. 4:10-11.

2.

Mark Col. 4:10-11.

3.

Justus— Col. 4:10-11.

APPENDIX 279

IV

Some of the Cities, Provinces, Continents, and Races
Represented Among Paul's Friends

1. Cities — 1. Damascus by Disciples — Acts 9 :22-25.

2. Antioch by Simeon — Acts 13:1.

3. Jerusalem by Silas — Acts 15 :22.

4. Thyatira by Lydia — Acts 16 :14.

5. Philippi by the Jailor— Acts 16 :27-34.

6. Athens by Dionysius — Acts 17 :34.

7. Thessalonica by Secundus — Acts 20 :4

8. Berea by Sox)ater — Acts 20 :4.

9. Derbe by Gains— Acts 20 :4.

10. Ephesus by the Elders— Acts 20 :17-34

11. Tyre by whole families — Acts 21.3-5.

12. Cenchrea by Phebe— Rom. 16 :1.

13. Corinth by Fortunatus— I Cor. 16 :17.

14. Colossae by Onesimus — Col. 4:9.

15. Rome by Linus — 2nd Tim. 4 :21.

2. Islands — 1. Cyprus by Barnabas — Acts 4:36.

2. Melita by Publius— Acts 28 :7.

3. Countries — 1. Judea by Apostles and Elders —

Acts 15 :23-26.

2. Macedonia by Aristarchus — Acts

19 :29.

3. Province of Asia by Tychicus —

Acts 20:4.

4. Italy by Brethren— Acts 28 :15.

5. Achaia by Stephanas — 1st Cor.

16:15.

280 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

4. Races — 1. Jew and Greek mixed by Timothy —

Acts 16:1-3.

2. Roman by Publius— Acts 28:7.

3. Jews by Andronicus — Rom. 16 :7.

4. Greek by Titus— Gal. 2 :3.

5. Continents~l. Asia by Mark — Acts 12 :12, 13 :5.

2. Africa by Apollos — Acts 18 :24.

3. Europe by Eubulus — 2nd Tim.

4:21.

V

Three Men Whom Paul Associated With Himself in
the Authorship of Some of His Letters

1. Sosthenes — I Cor. 1:1.

2. Timothy— 2nd Cor. 1:1, Phil. 1:1, Col. 1:1, I

Thes. 1 :1, 2nd Thes. 1 :1 .

3. Silas— I Thes. 1 :1, 2nd Thes. 1 :1.

VI

Three Men Who Deserted Paul

1. Phygellus— 2nd Tim. 2 :15.

2. Hermo genes — 2nd Tim. 2 :15.

3. Demas— 2nd Tim. 4 :10.

VII

Some Who Aided Paul in Founding His Great
Churches

1. Churches in Cyprus — Barnabas and Mark — Acts

13:1-13.

2. Churches in Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra,

and Derbe — Barnabas — Acts 13:14 — 14:28.

APPENDIX 281

3. Churches of Phrygia and Galatia — Silas and

Timothy— Acts 15 :40, 16 :8.

4. Church at Philippi — Silas, Timothy, and Luke —

Acts 16:8-40.

5. Churches at Thessalonica and Berea — Silas and

Timothy— Acts 17 :1-15.

6. Church at Corinth — Silas, Timothy, and Aquila

and Priscilla — Acts 18 :1-17.

7. Church at Ephesus — Aquila and Priscilla — Acts

18:18, 19:10.

Timothy— Acts 19:22.

Erastus— Acts 19:22.

Aristarchus — Acts 19 :29.

Gains— Acts 19 :29.

Titus— 2nd Cor. 12:18.
(Refers to time Paul at Eph.)

Apollos— I Cor. 16:12.
(Refers to time Paul at Eph.)

VIII

Some Friends Who Saved Paul's Life on Various
Occasions

1. At Damascus — Acts 9 :24, 25.

2. At Jerusalem— Acts 9 :28-30.

3. At Thessalonica — Acts 17:10.

4. At Ephesus— Acts 19 :29-31.

5. Again at Jerusalem — Acts 23:12-24.

6. At Melita— Acts 27 :42, 43.

7. By Aquila and Priscilla — Rom. 16:3-4.

282 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

IX

Some of Those Who Journeyed With Paul on His
Various Missionary Tours

1. Barnabas — Acts 13 :2.

2. Mark— Acts 13:5.

3. Silas— Acts 15 :40.

4. Timothy— Acts 16:1.

5. Luke— Acts 16:10.

6-7. Aquiaa and Priscilla— Acts 18 :18.

8. Erastus— Acts 19:22.

9. Gains- Acts 19 :29.

10. Aristarchus— Acts 19:29.

11. Sopater— Acts 20 :4.

12. Secundus— Acts 20:4.

13. Gains of Derbe— Acts 20 :4.

14. Tychicns— Acts 20 :4.

15. Trophimns— Acts 20:4.

16. Titns— Gal, 2 :1.

X

Some of Those Paul Sent on Special Missions

1. Erastns— Acts 19 :22.

2. Timothy— Acts 19:22.

3. Phebe— Rom. 16:1.

4. Titns— 2nd Cor. 8:16, 18.

5. Tychicns- Eph. 6:21, 22.

6. Epaphroditns— Phil. 2:25.

7. Epaphras— Col. 4:8.

8. Onesimns — Col. 4:9.

9. Crescens— 2nd Tim. 4:10.

APPENDIX 283

XI

Some of Those Who Labored With Paul Anywhere

1. Barnabas — Acts 13:1.

2. Simeon — Acts 13:1.

3. Lucius — Acts 13:1.

4. Manaen — Acts 13:1.

5. Mark— Acts 13 :5.

6. Silas— Acts 15:40.

7. Timothy— Acts 16:1.

8. Erastus— Acts 19:22.

9-10. Priscilla and Aquila— Acts 18:18, 19.

11. Urbane— Rom. 16:9.

12. ApoUos— I Cor. 16 :12.

13. Titus— 2nd Cor. 8 :23.

14. Epaphroditus— Phil. 2:25.

15. Clement— Phil. 4:3.

16. Tychicus— Col. 4:7.

17. Jesus Justus — Col. 4 :11.

18. Philemon— Phm. 1:1.

19. Onesimus— Phm. 1:13.

20. Aristarchus— Phm. 1:24.

21. Demas— Phm. 1 :24.

22. Luke— Phm. 1:24.

23. Onesiphorus— 2nd Tim. 1:16-18.

XII
Some Whose Merit Paul Specially Praised

1. Phebe— Rom. 16 :l-2.

2. Aquila and Priscilla — Rom. 16:3-4.

3. Apelles— Rom. 16:10.

4. Tryphena— Rom. 16:12.

284 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

5. Tryphosa— Rom. 16:12.

6. Persis— Rom. 16:12.

7. Titus— 2nd Cor. 8 :16, 17.

8. Tychicus— Eph. 6:21.

9. Timothy— Phi'l. 2:19-22.

10. Epaphroditus— Phil. 2:30.

11. Epaphras— Col. 1:7.

12. Onesimus— Col. 4:10.

13. Onesiphorus— 2nd Tim. 1 :16-18.

14. Mark— 2nd Tim. 4:11.

XIII

Different Social Classes and Professions Among
Whom Paul Made Friends

1. Missionary — Barnabas — Acts 13 :2.

2. Apostles — Peter, James and others — ^Acts 15:6.

3. Jailor—at Philippi— Acts 16 :33, 34.

4-5. Tentmakers — Aquila and Priscilla — Acts
18:1-3.

6. Ruler of Synagogue — Crispus — Acts 18:8.

7. Evangelist— Philip— Acts 21:8.

8. Prophet— Agabus— Acts 21 :10-11.

9. Roman Centurion — Julius — Acts 27 :1, 42, 43.

10. Chief Man of Melita— Publius— Acts 28:7.

11. Chamberlain of Corinth — Erastus — Rom. 16:23.

12. Physician- Luke— Col. 4:14.

13. Minister— Archippus— Col. 4:17, Phm. 1:1-3.

14. Lawyer — Zenas — Titus 3 :13.

15. Slaveholder— Philemon— Phm. 1:10.

16. Slave — Onesimus — Phm. 1:10.

17. Author— Mark — 2nd Tim. 4 :11, and his Gospel.

APPENDIX 285

XIV

Some of His Kinsmen Who Were His Friends

1. His Sister's Son— Acts 23:16.

2. Andronicus — Rom. 16:7.

3. Junia — Rom. 16:7.

4. Herodion — Rom. 16:11.

5. Lucius — Rom. 16:21.

6. Jason— Rom. 16:21.

7. Sosipater— Rom. 16 :21.

XV

Some Whom Paul Referred to in Terms of Strong
Affection

1. Epenetus — Rom. 16:5.

2. Amplias — Rom. 16:8.

3. Stachys— Rom. 16:9.

4. Persis— Rom. 16:12.

5. Epaphras — Col. 1:7.

6. Onesimus — Col. 4:9.

7. Luke— Col. 4:14.

8. Tychicus— Eph. 6 :21.

9. Timothy— 2nd Tim. 1:2.

10. Philemon— Phm. 1:1.

11. Apphia— Phm. 1:2.

XVI

Some of Those Who Received Paul Into Their Homes

1. Lydia— Acts 16 :15.

2. Philippian Jailor— Acts 16 :33, 34.

3. Jason— Acts 17:7.

286 SAINT PAUL'S FRIENDSHIPS

4-5. Aquila and Priscilla — Acts 18 :l-3.

6. Justus— Acts 18:7.

7. Disciples of Tyre— Acts 21:4.

8. Brethren at Ptolemais — Acts 21:7.

9. Philip— Acts 21 :8.

10. Mnason— Acts 21 :16.

11. Publius— Acts 28 :7.

12. Brethren of Puteoli— Acts 28 :13, 14.

13. Gains— Rom. 16:23.

XVII

Some, in Addition to All the Above, Who Showed
Paul Personal Kindnesses

1. Barnabas— Acts 9 : 26, 27.

2. Julius— Acts 27 :3.

3. The Melitans— Acts 28 :2.

4. Phebe— Rom. 16:1-2.

5. Mary— Rom. 16:6.

6. The Mother of Rufus— Rom. 16 :13.

7. Tertius— Rom. 16 :22.

8. Epaphroditus— Phil. 2:25.

9. Onesiphorus— 2nd Tim. 1 :16-18.
10. Carpus— 2nd Tim. 4:13.

XVIII

Those at Rome at Any Time With Paul the Prisoner

1. Tychicus— Eph. 6:21.

2. Timothy— Phil. 2:19.

3. Epaphroditus— Phil. 4:18.

4. Epaphras— Col. 1:7-8.

5. Jesus Justus — Col. 4:11.

APPENDIX 287

6. Onesimus— Phm. 1 :10-13.

7. Mark— Phm. 1 :24.

8. Aristarchus — Phm. 1 :24.

9. Demas— Phm. 1;24.

10. Luke— Phm. 1:24.

11. Onesiphorus— 2nd Tim. 1 :16-18.

12. Crescens— 2nd Tim. 4:10.

13. Titus— 2nd Tim. 4:10.

14. Eubulus— 2nd Tim. 4:21.

15. Pudens— 2nd Tim. 4:21.

16. Linus— 2nd Tim. 4:21.

17. Claudia— 2nd Tim. 4 :21.

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