St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen

446 Pages·1925·19.239 MB·English

by  William Mitchell Ramsay

ST. PAUL THE TRAVELLER
AND THE CITIZEN
RO~IAN
BY
WILLIAM MITCHELL RAMSAY,
D.C.L., LITT.D., LL.D., D.D.
FIFTEENTH EDITION ENLAKGEIJ
HODDER AND STOUGHTON
LIMITED LONDON
THE MORGA~ L~CTURES FOR 1894
IN THR
AUBURN THEOLOGICAL SEMINAHY
AND
~IANSFIELD COLLE'3E LECTURES, 1895
PREFACE TO THE FOURTEENTH
EDITION.
TwENTY-FIVE years have elapsed since this book was
written, and the time has come when its relation to
the progress of study in the subject should be esti
mated. There is much to improve, but little to retract.
It was founded on the firm conviction that
Luke was, not merely trustworthy, but a historian of
the highest order ; it followed his guidance un
shrinkingly through regions and topics which were
extremely obscure; and in this respect I have nothing
to withdraw, but would only emphasise anew what
was said already "with stammering lips and insufficient
tongue". It remains however unchanged except by
the addition of a chapter, for its sole value is that it
was written by one who was trying to reach a distant
guiding light, viz., the personality of Luke.
Certain topics claim a note here. (I) The southern
regions of the province Galatia, their condition in the
first hundred years of the history of the province, and
V
VI Preface.
their relation to one another and to the province as a
whole, were so obscure that nothing had ever been
written on the subject. Marquardt, who had summed
up all the little that was known about the province,
has not a word to say on this point. Following
unhesitatingly the footsteps of St. Paul as described
by the historian of the Early Church, I sketched an out
line of South Galatia in its geographical history about
A. D. 45· The progress of discovery, and especially the
incomplete excavation of Pisidian Antioch, reveal
many confirmations and no contradiction of this sketch.
( 2) Right chronology is the basis of sound history.
New evidence has been discovered since 1895 and
almost everything confirms the view taken then as to
the succession of events. Some slight modifications
and many corroborations are stated in Pauline ana
Other Studies, and a new chapter is added to the
prP..scnt book summing up this subject.
(3) I hold still that the" Macedonian" who appeared
in the dream to the Apostle Paul at Troas was Luke,
an Antiochian of Syria, of the tribe "Makedones ";
but his praenomen Lucius (in the Greek familiar form
Loukas)shows that he possessed the Roman citizenship.
Preface. vu
(4) I missed the full import of Acts XVI, 2-7. The
importance of the calling of Timothy was far greater
than I conceived; and the first of three revelations
(XVI, 6-9) prescribing the new work was given in
Lystra at his consecration, a ceremony to which Paul
often refers. Luke says little about it, and this is
connected with his reticence about a group of his
intimate friends (just as he refrains from mentioning
himself). He says little about Timothy ; the chief
sources of our knowledge of Timothy are Thcssa
lonians, Corinthians, and the two letters to him. He
preserves absolute silence about Titus, evidently a
great figure in the early history, probably a brother or
cousin of Luke, as is hinted on P· 390. Timothy was
connected with Luke only by association in work and
not by birth, and therefore is not excluded so com
pletely. Some other lesser figures of the group are
not mentioned by the historian.
(5) The reason for the outburst of indignation which
carried Paul to the front in the great scene before the
proconsul at Paphos lies in the nature of the insults
which Barjesus heaped upon the right ways of the
Lord and the coming of the Saviour into the world.
Preface.
VIII
Luke would not soil his pages by mentioning them,
and Paul blazed into uncontrollable anger as he heard
them. They played a great part in subsequent con
troversy for centuries, but it is characteristic both of
Luke and of Paul that they take no notice of them
in their writings.
These are all matters of psychological insight, and
not of formal argument. The man who does not see
the truth in these matters fails to appreciate the
character of Luke and of Paul. It is the case every
where throughout the New Testament that insight is
more important than argument. To appreciate the
value of this history one must begin by possessing
or acqUirmg the power to distinguish a man from a
2lothes-pole, and to recognise a historian when one
reads him. Applying these two qualifications to the
understanding of Luke's work, one appreciates the man
and the history, and sees the truth in numberless pas
sages where intuition is required ; but so long as a
reader is troubled to determine whether and how far
Luke's history is credible, he is debarred from under
standing it.
'vV. M. RAMSA Y.
EDINBURGH, February, 1920.
CONTENTS.
PA.GI!!
CHAPTER I. THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 1-28
1. Trustworthiness, r. 2. Development of Modern Ct iticism
on Acts, 10. 3· Working Hypothesis of the Investiga
tion, 14. 4· The Author of Acts and his Hero, 20.
S· The Tnt of Acts, 23. Note . ..-~v 1rpohov .>.&-yo,., 27.
CHAl''£'RR Il. THE ORIGIN OF ST. PAUL • 29·39
I. Paul's Nat.ionality, 29. 2. Hi~ Family, 34· 3· His Per·
sonality, 37·
CHAPTER Ill. THE CHURCH IN ANTIOCH • f0·6g
1. The Gentiles in the Church, 40,.... 2. The Coming o.
Barnabas and the Summoning of Saul, 44· 3· The
Antiochian Collection for the Poor of Jerusalem, 4H.
4· The Return from Jerusalem to Antioch, 6o. 5· The
Mission of Barnabas and Saul, 64. Note. Date of the
Famine, 68.
CHAPTER IV. THE MrsswNARY JouRNEY OF BARNABAS
AND SAUL 70-88
1 Cyprus and Salamis, 70. 2. Paphos, 73· 3· The
Ma~ian and the Apostle, 77• 4· Saul, otherwise Paul.
81.
Cottlents.
X
PAOU
CHAPTER V. FouNDATION oF THE CHURCHES OP
GALATIA
1. Pamphylia, 8g. 2. "The Thorn in the Flesh," 94-
3· The Synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, g8. 4· The
Church at Pisidian Antioch, 102. S· Iconium, 10'].
6. The Cities of Lycaonia, no. 7· Lystra, u4. 8. The
Apostles as Gods, u6. g. Derbe, ug. 10. Organisa
tion of the New Churches, 120, II. Pisidia and
Pamphylia, 123. 12. The Churches 124. Not1 1.
Date, 128, Note 2. Declension of Lystra, 128.
CHAPTER VI. ST. PAUL IN GALATIA - 130·I51
1. The Imperial and the Christian Policy;"130. 2. The Jews/
in Asia and South Galatia, 141. 3· Tone of Paul's
Address to the Galatian Audiences, 144.
CHAPTER VII. THE APOSTOLIC COUNCIL • - 152-177
1. Origin of the Council, 152. 2. The Dispute in Antioch,
155· 3· The Council, 166. 4· The Decree, I 7 I. S·
The Return to Antioch, 174. 6, The Separation of
Paul and Barnabas, 175·
CHAPTER VIII. HISTORY OF THE CHURCHES OP
GALATIA
1. The Visit of Paul and Sit as, 178. 2. The Desertion of the
Galatians, 182. 3· Letter to the Churches of Galatia,
184. 4· The Date of the Galatian Epistle, 189. S· The
Later History of the Churches of Galatia, 192.
Contents. XI
PA.OBt.
CHAPTBR IX. THE COMING OF LUKE AND THE CALL
INTO MACEDONIA •
1. Across Asia, 19-f· :a. The Call into Macedonia, 198. 3·
The Coming of Luke, 200. 4· The Entrance into
Macedonia, 205, Note I. T~l' <fopvy(Clv ICCll r<L\ClTI~V
xC:.P""• 2ro. Note 2. o•il.\.9o, T~, <~>. "..l r. xC:.P""
l<wAv81VTES, 2II.
CHAPTER X. THE CHURCHES OF l\fAcEDONIA
I, Philippi, 2 I3, 2. The Ventriloquist, 215, 3· Accusa·
tion and Condemnation in Philippi, 217. 4· The Prison
and the Earthquake, 219. 5· Release and Departure
from Philippi, 222. 6, Thessalonica, 226. 7· The
Riot at Thessalonica, 228, 8. Berrea, 231. Note 1.
The Place of Prayer at Philippi, 235· Note :a, The
Synagogue at Tbessalonica, 235.
CHAPTER XI. ATHENS AND CoRINTH - 23]-261
'l. Athens, 237· 2. In the University at Athens, 241.
3· The Speech before the Council of Aleopagus, 249•
4· Corinth, 253. 5· The Synagogue and the Gentiles-
in Corinth, 255· 6. The Imperial Policy in its Relation
t-o Paul and to Christian Preaching, 257· Note J, .i
• ApEIO$ n&yus, 2UO. Note :a. Gallio, 26I.
CHAPTER XII. THE CHURCH IN AsiA
1. The Syrian Voyage and the Return to Ephesus, 262.. 2.
Apollos, Priscilla and Aquila, 267. 3· Ephesus, 269,
4· The Church in the Province of Asia. 273. S.
Demetriu.s the Silversmith, 277.
Contents.
XII
PAOBS
CHAPTER XIII. THE VoYAGE TO JERUSALEM
I. The Second European Journey, 283. 2. The Contribu
tion of the Four Provinces, 286. 3· The Voyage to
Troas, 289. 4· Eutychus, 290. 5· The Voyage to
Cresareia, 291. 6. Ca:sareia and Jerusalem, 30I. 7·
The Crisis in the Fate of Paul and of the Church, 303.
8. Finances of the Trial, 310. Note. Procuratorship
of Felix, 3I3·
CHAPTER XIV. THE VoYAGE To RoME • 3 I.t--]43
1. Ca:sareia to Myra, 314. 2. M)'la to Fair Havens, 320.
3· The Council, 32I. 4· The Storm, 326. 5· Drilling,
330. 6. Land, 333· 7· Paul's Action on the Ship, 336.
8. On Shore, 339· 9· Malta, 342.
CHAPTER XV. ST. PAUL IN ROME
I. The Coming to Rome, 344· 2. The Residence in Rome,
349· 3• Seneca and Paul, 353· 4· The Trial, 356.
5· Last Trial and Death of Paul, 360. Note. Text of
XXVIII I6, 362.
CHAPTER XVI. CHRONOLOGY OF EARLY
HISTORY-JO-+O A.D.
I The State of the Church in A.D. 30, 363. 2. Trustworthi
ness of the Narrative, Acts 1-V, 367. 3· Appoint
ment of Stephen and the Seven, 372. 4· Philip the
Evangelist and Peter, 377· 5· Paul in Jud:ca and
Arabia, 379·
CHAPTER XVII. Co!lfPOS!TION AND DATE OF Acrs -383-390
I, Hypothesis of the "Trave~-Document," 383. 2. Date of
the Composition of /.cts, 386. 3· Theophilus, 388.
4· Tbe Family of Luke, 389.
MAP. THE PAULINE \VoRLD, in pocket at end.