Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/630

 PAUL

572

PAUL

shouts of the multitude (Acts, xxii, 1-22). In the serond, deUvercd the next day before the Sanhedrin assembletl at the command of Lysias, the Apo.stle skillfully embroiled the Pharisees with the Sadducees and no accusation could be brought. In the third, Paul, answering his accuser Tertullus in the [jrc-sence of the Governor Feli.x, makes known the facts which had been distorted and proves his iimocence (Acts, xxiv, 10-21). The fourth discourse is merely an ex- planatory summarj' of the Christian Faith delivered before Felix and his wife Drusilla (Acts, xxiv, 24-25). The fifth, pronounced before the Governor Festus, King .Vgrippa, and his wife Berenice, again relates the history of Paul's conversion, and is left unfinished owing to the sarcastic interruptions of the governor and the embarrassed attitude of the king (Acts, xxvi).

The journey of the captive Paul from Ca;sarea to Rome is described by St. Luke with an exactness and vividness of colours which leave nothing to be desired. For commentaries see Smith, "Voyage and Ship- wreck of St. Paul" (1866); Ramsay, "St. Paul the Traveller and Roman Citizen" (London, 1908). The centurion Julius had shipped Paul and his fellow-pris- oners on a merchant vessel on board which Luke and Aristarchus were able to take passage. As the season was advanced the voyage was slow and difficult. They skirted the coasts of Syria, Cilicia, and Pamphylia. At Myra in Lycia the prisoners were transferred to an Alexandrian v-essel bound for Italy, but the winds be- ing persistently contrary a place in Crete called Good- havens was reached with great difficulty and Paul ad- vised that they should spend the winter there, but his advice was not followed, and the vessel driven by the tempest drifted aimlessly for fourteen whole days, being finally wrecked on the coast of Malta. The three months during which navigation was considered most dangerous were spent there, but with the first days of spring all haste was made to resume the voy- age. Paul must have reached Rome some time in March. "He remained two whole years in his own hired lodging . . . preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, without prohibition" (Acts, xxviii, 30-31). With these words the Acts of the Apostles conclude.

There is no doubt that Paul's trial terminated in a sentence of acquittal, for (1 ) the report of the Governor Festus was certainly favourable as well as that of the centurion. (2) The Jews seem to have abandoned their charge since their co-religionists in Rome were not informed of it (Acts, xxviii, 21). (3) The course of the proceedings led Paul to hope for a release, of which he sometimes speaks as of a certainty (Phil., i, 2.5; ii, 24; Philem., 22). (4) The pastorals if they are authentic assume a period of activity for Paul subsequent to his captivity. The same conclusion is drawn from the hypothesis that they are not authentic, for all agree that the author was well acquainted with the life of the Apostle. It is the almost unanimous opinion that the so-called Epistles of the captivity were sent from Rome. Some authors have attempted to prove that St. Paul wrote them during his detention at Cajsarea, but they have found few to agree with them. The Epistles to the Colossians, the Ephesians, and Phile- mon were despatched together and by the same messen- ger, Tychicus. It is a matter of controversy whether the Epistle to the Philippians was prior or subsequent to these, and the question has not been answered by decisive arguments (see Philippians, Epistle to the;

EPHESIAN.S, EpLSTLB TO THE; CoLOSSIANS, EpiSTLE

TO the; Philemon, Epistle to).

E. Last Years. — This period is wrapped in deep ob- scurity for, lacking the account of the Acts, we have no guide save an often uncertain tradition and the brief references of the Pastoral epistles. Paul had long cherished the desire to go to Spain (Rom., xv, 24, 28) and there is no evidence that he was led to change

his plan. When towards the end of his cai)tivity he announces his coming to Philemon (22) and to the Philippians (ii, 23-24), he docs not seem to regard this visit as immediate since he promises tli(> Philippians to send them a messenger as .souii as he learns the issue of his trial; he therefore plans anolher journey before hia return to the East. Finally, not. to mention the later testimony of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Kpiphanius, St. Jerome, St. Chrysostom, and Theodoret, the well- known text of St. Clement of Rome, the witness of the "Muratorian Canon", and of the "ActaPauli" render probable Paul's journey to Spain. In any case he can not have remained there long, for he was in haste to revisit his Churches in the East. He may have re- turned from Spain through southern Gaul if it was thither, as some Fathers have thought, and not to Galatia, that Crescens was sent later (II Tim., iv, 10). We may readily believe that he afterwards kept the promise made to his friend Philemon and that on this occasion he visited the churches of the valley of Ly- cus, Laodicea, Colossus, and Hicrapolis.

The itinerary now becomes very uncertain, but the following facts seem indicatetl by the Pastorals : Paul remained in Crete exactly long enough to found there new churches, the care and organization of which he confided to his fellow-worker Titus (Tit., i, 5). He then went to Ephesus, and besought Timothy, who was already there, to remain until his return while he proceeded to Macedonia (I Tim., i, 3). On this occa- sion he paid his promised visit to the Philippians (Phil., ii, 24), and naturally also saw the Thessalo- nians. The letter to Titus and the First Epistle to Timothy must date from this period; they seem to have been written about the same time and shortly after the departure from Ephesus. The cjuestion is whether they were sent from Macedonia or, which seems more probable, from Corinth. The Apostle in- structs Titus to join him at Nicopolis of Epirus where he intends to spend the winter (Titus, iii, 12). In the following spring he must have carried out his plan to return to Asia (I Tim., iii, 14-15). Here occurred the obscure episode of his arrest, which probably took place at Troas; this would explain his having left with Carpus a cloak and books which he needed (II Tim., iv, 13). He was taken from there to Ephesus, capital of the Province of Asia, where he was deserted by all those on whom he thought he could rely (II Tim., i, 15). Being sent to Rome for trial he left Trophimua sick at Miletus, and Erastus, another of his compan- ions, remained at Corinth, for what reason is not known (II Tim., iv, 20). When Paul wrote his Second Epistle to Timothy from Rome he felt that all human hope was lost (iv, 6) ; he begs his disciple to rejoin him as quickly as possible, for he is alone w ith Luke. We do not know if Timothy was able to reach Rome before the death of the Apostle.

Ancient tradition makes it possible to establish the following points: (1) Paul suffered martyrdom near Rome at a place called Aqua- Sal\ia> (now Tre Fon- tane), somewhat east of the Ostian Way, about two miles from the splendid Basilica of San Paolo fuori le mura which marks his burial place. (2) The martyrdom took place towards the end of the reign of Nero, in the twelfth year (St. Epiphanius), the thirteenth (Eutha- lius), or the fourteenth (St. Jerome). (3) According to the mo.st common opinion, Paul suffered in the same year and on the same day as Peter; several Latin Fa- thers contend that it was on the same day but not in the same year; the oldest witness, St. Dionysius the Co- rinthian, says only <o''a tJ;- aiirbv Kaip6v, wiiich may be translated "at the same time" or "about the same time". (4) From time immemorial the solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul has been celebrated on 29 June, which is the anniversary either of their death or of the translation of their relics. Formerly the pope, after having pontificated in the Basilica of St. Peter, went with his attendants to that of St. Paul, but the