Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-12-05

| hCtS concerning the acJlVlJleS Oh raul
after he had been set free by the R0-
man authorities, who found no evidence
/ against him and, according to their
law, after two years he was entitled TO
his freedom. When we seek to follow
Paul in his missionary efforts after he
was released, we are facing uncertainty.
few hints contained in the passages
assigned for our consideration. and in
some of the ancient writings that have
been handed down to us, give us some
light.
Writing to the Romans, he made
known that he expected after reaching
the worlds capital that dominated the
Roman Empire to push on into Spain
with his missionary endeavors. A short
time preceding his release from his first
imprisonment, the apostle had assured
Philemon and the Philippian brethren
of his confidence that he would visit
them shortly. United with his refer
ence in his epistle to Titus of the work
ne did in Crete. they furnish us some
clues of what Paul may have done after
his discharge a. the close of his hearing
upon his appeal to Caesar.
In all probability. Paul fastened to
visit the churches in Macedonia and
then made Ephesus his headquarters
for a season. We can accept it, as al
most certain, that he went to Corlnth
to see EraStus, whose name has been
found in the excavations OF that city.
This reveals him as the prOcurator OF
40 aittr md q fYlh1ir hnnpfqPtnT
He and Gallo, the brother of Seneca.
who was the procOnsul of Achaia, and
the immediate superior of EraStus, were
the apostles friends. Through their
reports about Paul they may have
played a prominent part in securing
his freedom. Naturally the apostle
would want to see them and visit the
cities and churches, where they Wor-
SHIPPED the Christ. Paul's missionary
work in Crete, where he left Titus TO
organize the churches that had grown
out of the apostles efforts, must have
been done after his Imprisonment. In
all probability, Faul after visiting the
brethren in the East, would attempt to
a period of two years for this work
would account for the establishment of
the Christian Churches among Jewish
proSelyteS who are to be found in all
the great cities from Tarraco to Gades,
along the Spanish coast" Clement tells
us that Paul had gone to the extrem-
ity of the west, before his martyrdom."
ChrySoStom records that he went to
Spain after his residence in Rome. In
MuratoriS Canon we find a reference
to the fact that Luke had omitted from
the Acts the Journey of Paul to
Spain"
Facing the End.
Paul was facing the end of evidently
another trial and was suffering the
lnflrmitieS Of years, which were made
more intense and painful by his i'm
pr1sonment in lark, damp dungeon in
the Mamertine bison, when he sent
the second letter to Timothy. While it
dealt, like his letter to Titus, with
problems of church government, both
contain vital suggestions and princi-
pies that ought TO guide us in the Sc
lectng OF church leaders in our own
day. .,...
In his second letter to Timothy we
probably have paul's last epistle. We
expect TO find in the last words of any
outstanding leader the essence of their
philosophy and the fundamentals of
their faith. There is the spirit of a
conqueror in Pauls words. He sought
tG stimulate and stir I'D Timothy
along the lines where Paul knew he
was weak, by glimmoning him to exer-
else faith and confidence in the hours
OF darkness, difficulty and disappoint-
ment, when he faced detection, de-
generacy and desertion by professed
friends. In this way he tried to pass
on to Timothy "the blazing torch"
calling upon him to carry on his work,
by recalling his record
He knew that his life was being
poured out like a drink offering. be-
cause ne was certain that the time of
DIS execution was not far distant. Of
ms work the apostle could well say: "I
nave fought the good fight, I have fin
lShed the course, have kept the faith:
henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown Of righteousness" Like the Lord
Jesus and Stephen, whose martvrdom
had played an important part in his
conversion, Paul faced the end with a
commence In the future, expecting that
he would pass through the coming trials
a conqueror. His life had been a fight
ior the 1alth and he had been loyal to
II, his eI1ortS to establish a spiritual
conquest Tor the Lord Jesus had called
for struggle, sacrifice, self-denial and
service, but he was not ashamed of his
record as he faced the end. He was
sure OF his reward when he faced the
Lore Jesus, the righteous Judge. who
would pass upon his works and bestow
Upon MN the crown of righteousness.
we reap what we sow, SO Paul claims
all who are faithful will receive that
crown II they love Christ's appearing.
Heart Throbs.
We turn from the spiritual warrior
happy IN his faith, assured of victory
ana conquest when he entered the pres
ehce OF his Lord, to note some of the
human II, elements in the apostles life.
When the end draws near the greatest
as well as the least, feel the longing for
the presence Of their loved oneS about
them. 1t was natural for Paul to long
10 see those whose lives had shared With
MN the conflicts for their Lord. Most
Oh tnem were absent upon mission work
among the churches. Paul was anxious
10 learn about the churches and lonqed
!of them TO return to give him the
latest news of the spiritual life among
the people that he loved and whom he
held before the throne of grace daily in
his prayers. 40
He felt keenly the desertion of
Demas and the others who nos
sioly because of their personal fear
VI tAeF own lives, or, as in the
case OF Demas, attracted by the love
OF the world and its riches, had left
raul In the hour of his need. His heart
yearned Tor the presence of Timothy,
Wion ne urged to return to him as
quickly as possible. He wanted him to
brng, along the heavy travelling cloak
mat ne had left at the home of one of
the disciples in Troas. 1t would helm keen
him warm in the prison, which, because
1t was dark and damp, made his phys-
lea! suffering more severe and harder
to bear. He longed to have near him
for reference and reading some of the
papyrus documents that he had left at
EphesuS. Among the library he had
left there were possibly a few priced
vellum rolls, upon which were written
portions Of the Hebrew Scriptures and
probably some notes of the savings of