Paul’s commenced preaching as soon as he was converted, for in Damascus “straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God” (Acts 9:19-20). There “Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ” (verse 22). After his sojourn in Arabia, he was found in Antioch with “certain prophets and teachers,” and “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” (Acts 13:1-2). Starting from Antioch in Syria, Barnabas and Saul went to Cyprus, preaching there, and from there they went over the provinces of Pamphylia, Pisidia and Lycaonia, before returning to Antioch from where they had set out. It had been a very successful mission, with much fruit for the Lord.
From Antioch, Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem about the question of circumcision, which some from Jerusalem (or Judea), had taught, troubling the saints at Antioch. After having this matter settled by the Apostles and brethren at Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch, and after a dispute between Paul and Barnabas Paul and Silas went on to the province of Lycaonia, and at Lystra were joined by Timothy. Passing through Phrygia, Galatia and Mysia, they came to Troas. While in Troas, in a vision, there appeared to Paul “a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us” (Acts 16:8-9). From the vision Paul gathered that the Lord had called them to go and preach there.
At Philippi
Coming to Philippi, the chief city of the part of Macedonia to which Paul and his company came, it was not a man that Paul met, but women who gathered by the river side for prayer, and to them they spoke. Lydia, a worshipper of God, “whose heart the Lord opened,” attended to the word spoken by Paul, and with her household she was baptized. The Lord had prepared a company to receive the word, just as He had prepared His servant to bring His word to them. As the work of the Lord started in Europe, Satan became active, seeking to insinuate himself into the service of the Lord to corrupt it, but we are not ignorant of the enemy’s thoughts, and Paul rebuked the spirit that was in the damsel used by the enemy.
Enraged, because “the hope of their gains was gone,” the agents of Satan drew Paul and Silas “into the market place” and falsely accused them to the rulers. Satan had first appeared as an angel of light, but having been thwarted in his designs, he comes out in his true character as a roaring lion, persecuting the servants of the Lord. Not all the beating or stocks could cast down the faithful servants of God, and God, at midnight, while the prisoners heard the prayers and praises of Paul and Silas, sent an earthquake so that the “man of Macedonia” whom Paul had seen in his vision might be brought to light. He turned out to be the most unlikely man, even the keeper of the prison who had been so cruel to God’s servants. The Lord had His eye on this man, and He used the rage of Satan to bring to Him the Gospel, and His great salvation to him and his house.
At Thessalonica
From Philippi, Paul and his companions “passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia” and came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews (Acts 17:1). From the Scriptures Paul reasoned, showing that they taught the necessity for the death and resurrection of Christ, and that Jesus, whom he preached was the Christ of whom the Scriptures spoke. Some of the Jews who heard believed, together with a great multitude of devout Greeks, and “of the chief women not a few.” Again we see that God had a company prepared for the reception of His word, and again we see the activity of the enemy. If Satan used the masters of the damsel, and the Gentile multitude, in Philippi, to afflict the servants of the Lord, at Thessalonica he used the Jews who did not believe.
When we read the Epistles to the Thessalonians we see how real was the work done those few weeks when God’s servants brought the light of Scripture before those assembled in the synagogue in Thessalonica. Paul was able to write in relation to the coming of the divine testimony among them, “ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:9-10). He could also give thanks to God for them, “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (verses 2, 3).
At Berea
Compelled to leave Thessalonica because of the envy of the Jews who falsely accused the Lord’s servants, Paul and Silas came by night to Berea. Entering into the synagogue of the Jews, the word of God was evidently set before them, for it is written, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). What a delightful comment this is from the Spirit of God for the Jews in Berea.
God had not only wrought in their hearts, but given them to be of ready mind. Natural prejudice gave way before the testimony of the Holy Spirit through His servants, and through the Holy Scriptures. They searched God’s word day by day, for they were anxious to find from the Scriptures the confirmation of the things spoken by Paul and Silas, and they would surely find it. It was true nobility of character to give the Holy Scriptures their true place as God’s word for them.
The reception of the preached word with all readiness of mind, and the searching of the Scriptures, resulted in many of the Jews believing, and they were joined by not a few honourable women and men who were Greeks. Where there is uprightness of heart, and a true valuing of the Scripture, divine blessing will come, for it is by the word of God received into the heart God’s work is done. God calls the Jews who searched the Scriptures “noble,” and the women who believed were “honourable.”
At Athens
God has put on record the persecution of the envious Jews of Thessalonica who, not content with causing God’s servants to leave their city, but as pursued by them, to leave Berea also. The same persecuting spirit that had once marked Saul of Tarsus before being converted is found in his fellow countrymen at Thessalonica, fulfilling the words of the Lord to Ananias, “For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my Name’s sake” (Acts 9:16). Paul is sent away from Berea by the brethren, for such the believers now were, and they conducted him to Athens.
What a sorrowful spectacle Athens was to Paul who knew the true God, when he saw the city “wholly given up to idolatry” (Acts 17:16). Steeped in philosophy, and seeking the knowledge of this world, their altar to “the unknown God” proclaimed their ignorance of God. Aroused in his spirit, Paul “disputed…in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him” (verse 17). There is no mention of any result from the disputation in the synagogue, and in the market, though it was in the market it would seem, that the philosophers encountered Paul.
On Mars’ hill, Paul preached a remarkable sermon to the Philosophers, taking as his text the inscription on their altar, “To the unknown God,” whom they ignorantly worshipped. After speaking of the true God, a living God, who waits patiently on the ignorance of men, Paul spoke of the day of judgment, and of Him who will sit upon the judgment throne, even that Man whom He has raised from the dead. This was something entirely new to the philosophers of this world, for they neither knew God nor the Son of God. They were ignorant of what was of eternal value, and versed in the wisdom of this world, which is foolishness with God.
The presentation of the truth of resurrection was mocked by some, their mockery proclaiming their ignorance, and the state of their hearts. Others said, “We will hear thee again of this matter,” procrastinating, whether in polite refusal of the truth, or as not being fully persuaded of it. Yet there was a work of God, for “certain men clave unto him, and believed: among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.” It was evidently a short visit, but it produced fruit for God, illustrating what Paul wrote, “not many wise men after the flesh…are called.”
At Corinth
Departing from Athens, Paul came to Corinth, and formed his friendship with Aquila and Priscilla that lasted till the close of his life (2 Tim. 4:19). Here too we learn that the Apostle worked with his hands (Acts 18:3) as a tent maker, to support himself while serving the Lord. As was his custom, Paul first went to the Jews, reasoning in the synagogue, but when they rejected God’s testimony, and “opposed themselves, and blasphemed,” he said to them “from henceforth I will go to the Gentiles” (verses 4–6). If the Jews would not have the grace of God, and bow before His Son, God would send His invitation to those outside the pale of Israel (Matt. 22:9-10).
Still, God had His remnant of Israel, for “Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized” (verse 8). When God willed it He restrained men from persecuting His servants, assuring Paul, “For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.” What encouragement for God’s faithful servant! If God allowed the wrath of man to be poured upon His servants, it was but to accomplish His will, and to praise Him. He even used the careless Gallio to rebuke those who would have harmed His servants (verses 12–17).
From the Epistles to the Corinthians we learn how great God’s work was at this time. There was not only the preaching to the unsaved, but teaching the word of God, and the formation of the assembly. The testimony of Christ was confirmed in them, they were enriched by the Lord “in all utterance, and in all knowledge,” so that they came “behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:5–7). A watchful foe sought to corrupt the saints of God, but the Lord allowed him to introduce the evil so that we might have the very precious instruction that has come down to us in these days in Paul’s two epistles to the Corinthians.
At Malta
It would seem from 2 Corinthians 2:13 that Paul was in Europe again after leaving Corinth and visiting Asia (1 Cor. 16:8-9), though it is not recorded by Luke in the Acts. After visiting Galatia and Phrygia (Acts 18:23), and labouring in Asia, Paul went up to Jerusalem where he was apprehended, and after the plot to take his life removed to Caesarea. After his defence before king Agrippa, the Apostle started on his journey to Rome, and was shipwrecked on the island of Malta. Here we have no record of any preaching, for Paul was a prisoner, but we learn of his praying for the father of Publius, and of his being healed, with others also. The answer to the Apostle’s prayer was a testimony to the God whom he served, and the answer to the fidelity of His servant.
At Rome
Paul had longed to see the saints at Rome, and had sought from God “a prosperous journey” to come to them (Rom. 1:10–13), but the Lord ordered his way to Rome in a quite unexpected way. On arriving at Puteoli “we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days” (Acts 28:14), and on the way to Rome from there “the brethren heard of us” and they came to meet Paul and his company as “far as Appii forum, and the three taverns.” How very cheering must this sweet fellowship have been to Paul and his friends. Christian fellowship is sweet at all times, but how very precious in times of adversity, so that we can readily understand why Paul “thanked God, and took courage.”
At Rome, Paul called the chief of the Jews, explained the reason for his being a prisoner, and persuaded “them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening” (verse 23). As ever, when the Lord Jesus is presented in the Gospel to men, “some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.” Paul had hoped to have fruit among the Gentiles at Rome, even as among others (Rom. 1:13), and here we see fruit for God among those of the circumcision. Nor was he without converts among the Gentiles in Rome, for he was able to write to Philemon, “I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds” (Philemon 10).
From Romans 15:19 it would seem that Paul had preached in many more places in Europe than are mentioned in Acts, for he writes of having reached as far as Illyricum on the Dalmatian coast, which is opposite Italy. He also hoped to reach Spain (Rom. 15:28), after Rome, but we have no record in Scripture of the Lord having allowed him to get there. Great as was the influence of Paul’s ministry in Europe while he was alive, it has been much greater since, both in relation to his ministry of the Gospel and his ministry of the church. How very thankful to God we should be for allowing His faithful servant to bring the glad tidings to Europe, from whence it has been taken to the uttermost parts of the earth.
R. 31.1.70