THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY—(Continued)

Paul's farewell visit to churches he had established

During the next nine or ten months—from the summer, A. D., 57, to the spring, A. D., 58—following Paul's affectionate farewell to the disciples at Ephesus, we know very little of his travels. From the epistles that he wrote during this period, we learn most of what is known about his labors and duties "over those parts" in Macedonia.

He first went to Troas, where he expected to meet Titus whom he had sent to Corinth. Here, he says, "I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus, my brother."^[1]

Worrying over the reports he had heard about the evil conditions in the Corinthian church, he left Troas for Philippi.

A Joyous Welcome.

Here he met some of his most beloved Saints; for the Philippian converts, though among the poorest, financially, were among the most faithful of all the churches. Paul had accepted their assistance when he had refused help from other sources. This is one church which Paul did not reprove. What a joyous welcome these faithful Saints must have given the Apostle! How their hearts would rejoice as they retold their experiences when Paul and Timothy and Silas first preached to the women by the river side. Lydia and the jailor and a host of other faithful members would all be there to recall the arrest, the whipping, the imprisonment, the stocks, the midnight hymns, the earthquake, the authorities' fears and all the other wonderful experiences of that first visit to Philippi!

Paul Depressed.

Yet amidst all this welcome Paul says his "flesh had no rest; without were fightings, within were fears; until God who comforts them that are cast down, comforted me by the coming of Titus."^[2]

Second Epistle to Corinthians.

Titus told him that the members of the Church in Corinth who had been doing wrong had been excommunicated, and that many of the saints were doing better. Hearing this, Paul wrote another letter to them, (the second Epistle to the Corinthians) and sent Titus back with it.

Offerings.

Titus seems to have been one of the chief men in collecting contributions for the relief of the poor in Judea. When he returned to Corinth, he continued to make collections for Paul to take to Jerusalem in the near future.^[3]

The next we hear of Paul, he is in Corinth. While there he hears that the Galatians were saying that he was not an apostle because Jesus had not chosen him as one of the Twelve. So he wrote a letter to the Galatians in which he says,

Galatians Reproved.

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you unto the grace of Christ unto another Gospel."

Then he warns them against accepting any other Gospel, for if anyone preach any other Gospel, "let him be accursed."

Here he also wrote his epistle to the Romans.

Retraces Steps.

Paul prepared to go to Palestine direct from Corinth, but he heard of a plot to take his life. To frustrate this, he retraced his steps through Macedonia. When the company again reached Philippi, Timothy and several others went ahead to Troas. Paul and Luke remained for a short time and then rejoined the company at Troas.

A LONG AND MEMORABLE MEETING

When Sunday came, all the disciples "came together to break bread," and Paul preached to them his farewell sermon. As he was to leave them in the morning, they persuaded him to continue his speech until midnight, which he did.

The meeting was held in an upper room, the windows of which were all thrown open so the congregation could enjoy the cool of the evening.

Eutychus Falls.

Sitting in one of the windows was a young man named Eutychus who listened to the sermon as long as he could, and then fell asleep. As Paul continued to preach, Eutychus continued to nod, until finally he became overbalanced and fell into the courtyard below. No doubt a woman's scream first interrupted the sermon. The people sprang to their feet, and rushed below, and picked the young man up for dead.

Restored.

Paul, too, went down, and embracing the boy, said,

"Trouble not yourselves for his life is in him."

ST. PAUL AT MILETUS WITH THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS.

ST. PAUL AT MILETUS WITH THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS.

"And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more."]

Thankful that the young man was restored, the people returned to the room, and Paul preached to them until morning.

Paul's companions went by ship to Assos, but he preferred to walk the twenty miles alone.

At Assos he went abroad the ship and sailed to Mitylene, thence to Chios, and the next day to Samos, about a mile from which they tarried at Trogyllium.

At Miletus.

On the next day, Paul sailed past Ephesus, thinking that he would not have time to visit the Saints there, for he wanted to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. But when he reached Miletus, a few miles from Ephesus, he sent word over to the Elders of the Church to come to him. This they did with all gladness, and listened with intense interest to his address to them.^[4]

"And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all."

That little company of Christians assembled in an obscure place on the seashore presents to our minds one of the most beautiful pictures of the world, and their farewell greeting one of the most impressive and pathetic.

A Sad Farewell.

When the beloved apostle was about to leave them, "they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him; sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake." It seemed that they just could not bear to have him leave them. They clung to him even when he went aboard the ship, and it was with difficulty that his companions drew Paul from them.

A similar scene was enacted at Tyre where the company remained seven days. While Paul was visiting and comforting the Saints here, they entreated him not to go up to Jerusalem, because his life would be in danger. But Paul could not be persuaded.

When the time came to say "goodby," the men, women and children all went with Paul and his company down to the shore. Here they all kneeled down and prayed, and bade farewell "one of another." Then Paul and his companions entered the ship, and the sorrowing Saints returned slowly to their homes.

AT CAESAREA

At Caesarea the missionaries were entertained by Philip, the evangelist, one of the seven chosen deacons.

A Prophecy.

While they were there, Agabus, a prophet came down from Jerusalem and after greeting them all, took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, saying,

"Thus sayeth the Holy Ghost, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles."

Hearing this prophecy, Luke and all Paul's company pleaded with him not to go to Jerusalem. But Paul answered,

Ready to Die.

"What mean ye to weep and to break my heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

"All right," said his friends, "The will of the Lord be done."

From Caesarea, they traveled by carriage to Jerusalem, where the brethren received them gladly.

Footnotes:

1. II Cor. 2:13.2. II Cor. 7:6.3. II Cor. 8.4. See Acts 20:17-35.