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P a u l  t h e  A p o s t l e
p a g e  3


 
He had reached the last stage of his anger filled journey and was within sight of Damascus.(map).

When the Infinite One wants to awaken Himself in you, so that you notice it, He will.(Acts 9:1-15).and depending on His purpose at the time for each of us and depending on how each one responds, God 'gets you now' or leaves you till later. Another example of this is Jonah. Also see Paul's crisis.

Many prompts come to our minds daily. God does not hold back here. It's up to us to notice them and respond or not at this time. 

There will then be a 'later' time which could involve trials tending to urge one's awakening.(*).or the 'later' could involve one not ever responding in this life for various reasons. And what then?

He wants all, but each in his own time and, overall, now is the time for all, for each of us are here for different purposes. At different times in the past it was all working up to this age today.

When the Creator visits you, you'll know for sure without any doubt it's Him; an example of ancient Samuel:.1Samuel 3:19,20.  Creator has each of us individually in mind and this was right from the start, as it was in Paul's case:.Galatians 1:15.

As Paul and his companions rode on, suddenly at midday a brilliant light shone round them and Saul.(his name before it was changed to Paul).was laid prostrate in terror on the ground, a voice sounding in his ears "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?":.Acts 9:1-6. The risen Savior was there, clothed in the vesture of his glorified humanity. In answer to the anxious inquiry of the stricken persecutor Paul.(Saul).who said "Who are you, the Lord?", the answer came."I am Emmanuel whom you are persecuting":.Acts 9:5; 22:8.

This was the moment of Paul's conversion, the most solemn moment in all his life. He became blind:.Acts 9:8,9. He became unblinded when his heart turned to Christ. This is the same today for those who are blinded spiritually:.2Corinthians 3:16

Blinded by the dazzling light.(the complete story is in Acts 9), Paul's companions led him into the city, where, absorbed in deep thought for three days, he neither ate nor drank:.Acts 9:11.

Ananias, a disciple living in Damascus, was informed by a vision of the change that had happened to Saul and was sent to him to open his eyes and admit him by baptism into what was to become known as the Christian church at that time:.Acts 9:12-16. The whole purpose of his life was now permanently changed. 

Immediately after his conversion Paul retired into the solitude of Arabia.(Galatians 1:17), perhaps of "Sinai in Arabia", for the purpose, probably, of devout study and meditation on the marvelous revelation that had been made to him. A veil of thick darkness hangs over his visit to Arabia. Perhaps the other Bible books now coming out will provide information on this.

Absolutely nothing is known of the scenes among which he moved, of the thoughts and occupations which engaged him while there or of all the circumstances of this crisis which shaped the whole tenor of his life after this.."Immediately".says Paul,."I went away into Arabia":.Galatians 1:17.

Coming back, after three years, to Damascus, he began to preach the gospel."boldly in the name of Emmanuel".(Acts 9:27), but was soon obliged to flee.(Acts 9:25; 2Corinthians 11:33).from the Jewish religious leaders and betake himself to Jerusalem. Here he tarried for three weeks, but was again forced to flee.(Acts 9:28,29).from persecution. He now returned to his native Tarsus.(Galatians 1:21-24), where, for probably about three years, we lose sight of him. The time had not yet come for his entering on his great life work of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles and his journeys to them. If you think God maybe is calling you, He is!

At length the city of Antioch, the capital of Syria, became the scene of great Christian activity. There the gospel gained a firm footing and the cause of Christ prospered. Barnabas who had been sent from Jerusalem to superintend the work at Antioch, found it too much for him and remembering Saul, he set out to Tarsus to seek for him. Paul readily responded to the call thus addressed to him and came down to Antioch, which for "a whole year" became the scene of his labours, which were crowned with great success. The disciples now, for the first time, were called 'Christians':.Acts 11:26

The church at Antioch now proposed to send out missionaries to the Gentiles and Saul and Barnabas, with John Mark as their attendant, were chosen for this work. This was a great epoch in the history of the church. Now the disciples began to give effect to the Master's command: "Go you into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

The three missionaries went forth on the first missionary tour.(map of first journey.{Acts chapters 13-14},.map of second journey.{Acts 15:39 to 18:22},.map of third journey.{Acts 18;23 to 21:16},.map of fourth journey.{Acts 27 chapter to 28:16}).

They sailed from Seleucia, the seaport of Antioch, across to Cyprus, some 80 miles to the southwest. Here at Paphos, Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul, was converted and now Saul took the lead and was ever afterwards called Paul. 

The missionaries now crossed to the mainland and then proceeded 6 or 7 miles up the river Cestrus to Perga.(Acts 13:13), where John Mark deserted the work and returned to Jerusalem. The two then proceeded about 100 miles inland, passing through Pamphylia, Pisidia and Lycaonia. The towns mentioned in this tour are Iconium, Lystra and Derbe and the Pisidian Antioch, where Paul delivered his first address:.Acts 13:16-51. They returned by the same route to see and encourage the converts they had made and ordain elders in every city to watch over the churches which had been gathered. From Perga they sailed direct for Antioch, from which they had set out. 

After remaining 'a long time', probably till 50 or 51 A.D., in Antioch, a great controversy broke out in the church there regarding the relation of the Gentiles to the Mosaic Law. For the purpose of obtaining a settlement of this question, Paul and Barnabas were sent as deputies to consult the church at Jerusalem. The council or synod which was there held.(Acts 15).decided against the Judaizing party and the deputies, accompanied by Judas and Silas, returned to Antioch, bringing with them the decree of the council. 

After a short rest at Antioch, Paul said to 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." Mark proposed again to accompany them; but Paul refused to allow him to go. Barnabas was resolved to take Mark and thus he and Paul had a sharp contention. They separated and never again met. Paul, however, afterwards speaks with honour of Barnabas and sends for Mark to come to him at Rome:.Colossians 4:10; 2Timothy 4:11

Paul took with him Silas, instead of Barnabas and began his.second missionary journey.about 51 A.D..(map of second journey). This time he went by land, revisiting the churches he had already founded in Asia. But he longed to enter into."regions beyond".and still went forward through Phrygia and Galatia:.Acts 16:6. Contrary to his intention, he was constrained to linger in Galatia on account of some bodily affliction:.Galatians 4:13,14. Bithynia, a populous province on the shore of the Black Sea, lay now before him and he wished to enter it, but the way was shut, the Spirit in some manner guiding him in another direction, till he came down to the shores of the Aegean and arrived at Troas, on the north western coast of Asia Minor:.Acts 16:8. Of this long journey from Antioch to Troas we have no account except some references to it in his Epistle.(letter).to the Galatians.
 


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