Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-10-20

Acts is not to give a biographical
sketch of Paul, but to show how the
gospel was preached first in Jerusa-
lem, then in Judea, then in Samaria,
and then into the innermost parts of
the earth. He omits, therefore, a
great many details which we would
like to have, and which are partly
supplied by incidental reference in
Pauls letters written at that time,
viz, Romans, II Corinthians, ana
possibly Galatians.
A Bird's-eye View
We may with profit catch a birds
eye view of the third missionary
journey from the time Paul left
Ephesus until he reached Jerusalem.
The riot at Ephesus made it mex
pedient for him to try to continue
any work there at that time, so he
went on up to Troas. He had al
ready sent Timothy and Erastus
abe; ! of him into Macedonia (Ch.
1929 just before the riot, for his
purpose was to visit Macedonia and
Greece again, collecting the offer
ings he had begun to gather for the
poor saints of Jerusalem who had
suffered severely by the prosecutions
that they had been called upon to
endure. After that he purposed to
go to Rome, and then on to Spain,
for, as he wrote the Romans a bit
later, he had strived to preach the
gospel where Christ was not named
and not to build on another mans
foundation. tRomans 1929 HIS
objective just now, however, was
Jerusalem, and for the purpose of
carrying the large gift which the
Gentle churches were making to
the Jerusalem poor, for he hoped
in this way to show the Jews that
the Gentiles really loved them and
felt under obligations to them for
the gospel, and thus he hoped to
unite these two great divisions to
the church Of Christ. (Romans
15:25-27. Acts 24:17. II Cor. ga. Gal.
210)
When he reached Toas, he expect
ed to fnd Titus, whom he had sent
to Corinth with that first Letter, but
for some reason Titus had been de-
layed; and Paul was so concerned
about it that he could not stay in
Troas even though a great oppor-
tunity for service was opened to
him QI~Cor. 2:12), but went to Mace
donna. Here somewhere he met the
delayed messenger, and was re-
ioiced to see him and to hear from
him the news of the splendid effect
of his letter to the Corinthians had
produced QI Cor. 1919. Other news
which Titus brought prompted the
second letter to the Corinthians,
which was sent to them by Titus.
who, with two others unnamed, was
charged with the collection of the
offerings to be taken to the poor OF
Jerusalem. Oh Cor. $50
After travelling through Macedo'
mia, visiting the churches of Thes-
salonica, Berea and Philippi, he
pushed on as far as Illyricum Rom.
1919 and then went on down to
Corinth. Here he remained three
months, during which time he wrote
the letter to the Romans. Some
think the letter to the Galatians
was written at this time, too; others,
that it was written earlier, during
the second journey. From it's sim
ilarity to the Romans, the first is
strongly probable.
He now planned to take ship here
and go to Jerusalem to be there by
, Passover; but just as he was about
to go aboard a plot to kill him was
discovered, and his plans were SUD
denly changed. The Jews had hired
some sailors to kill him after the
| boat got to sea. It could have been
very easily done, and no one have
been punished for it. Instead OF
| going on then, Paul accompanied by
, Timothy and Sosipater, went to
Philippi, where he was Joined by
Luke, who became henceforth his
constant companion (Acts 20:5. 2
: Tim. AID.
! Luke and Paul remained at Phil
| ippi until after the passover, then
! went on to Troas to join the 9TH
ers who had gone ahead. There
were seven others in all; men who
had been chosen by the churches as
the treasurers of the funds and dep
utized to carry those gifts that had
, been generously made in spite OF
| their deep poverty. I'll Cor. 8:2). So
large a number was also necessary
as a body guard, since the plot
against Pauls life had been dis,
covered.
| In the company were Sopater, OF
Berea (the Sosipater of Rom. 16
Ply: Aristarchus and Secundus, of
| Thessalonica; Gains, of Derte; Tim
y
phimus, of Ephesus. Some Of these
went on to Rome with him, Aristar'
| chus, he speaks of afterWard, as
| his fellow prisoner. Timothy he
sent to Ephesus to oversee the
church there. Tychicus became the
| bearer of the letters to the Ephesians
and Colossians; and TrOphimuS-
| the unwilling cause of his imprison'
ment at Jerusalem-journe with
| him after his first imprisonment at
! Rome. but had to be left at Miletus
on account of illness I'll Tim. 4:20).
| The journey on to Jerusalem was
a checkered one. Paul hoped to get
! there by Pentecost. Leaving Phil
| ippi the day after the passover, he
| had fifty days for the trip of ap
proximately a thousand miles. Five
| days were consumed in sailing tC
Troas, probably because of contra
ry winds; seven days more were
spent at Troas waiting for another
vessel. Then a days journey tC
! Asses paul going a FOOT, one day
| to Mitylene, another to Chios, anOth
err to Samos, and another to Miletus
Here a delay of the ship for cargo
gave Paul an opportunity to senG
for the elders of the Ephesiar
church thirty miles away, and tc
give them his farewell message
This delay consumed at least two
days Two days more brought them
to Patara, where they changed yes
sells, taking one that was sailing
direct for Syria. Four days with
good winds brought them at the
rate of 100 miles a day to Tyre