Apostles -- Biography -- Juvenile literature; Paul, the Apostle, Saint -- Juvenile literature
While they were here in Troas without any clear plan of action, Paul
felt in his soul that the next course was to sail across the Ægean Sea
into Europe. He felt it so clearly and strongly that it seemed to him as
though he heard a man from the European side of the sea calling to him
and saying: “Come across into Macedonia and bring us help.” But it was
more than Macedonia that was calling. It was the whole of Greece. It was
more than Greece that was calling. It was the whole of Europe. It was
more than Europe that was calling. It was undiscovered America that was
stretching out its hands that night and saying: “Come over and help us.”
You see, if Paul had not gone into Europe, across the Ægean, perhaps we
who live in America and in England would never have been followers of
Christ, so that this call meant very much! Paul heard it and he was
“ready” at once. He answered: “Yes, I will come.” The next morning he
set sail from Troas on the eastern shore to Philippi on the western
shore of the Ægean. Silas and Timothy were with him and he also found
here a new companion. This new travelling-companion kept a Diary and
wrote the account of this journey and of other journeys, too. You can
find his Diary in the sections of the Book of Acts that say “we”—“the We
Narratives.” Philippi in Macedonia is the first spot in Europe on which
Paul set his foot and so far as we know the people in Philippi were the
first people of all Europe who heard of Christ. They were not as eager
to hear as you might expect. If they were calling to Paul to come over
and help them, they did not recognise him when he arrived, for they very
soon seized him and put him in prison and beat him with rods. Some of
the people in Philippi, however, did recognise him. They were very glad
to hear him and they were full of love for him and for his truth. They
joined him and worked with him and a new church was formed—perhaps the
first in all Europe. These Christians in Philippi were very dear to
Paul’s heart and they loved him as though he had been their own father,
and they remembered him later when he lay in prison in Rome and was
lonely. When he left Philippi, he went on through the great cities of
Macedonia, preaching and building up churches, wherever he could find
people ready to listen to his message. In the city of Thessalonica,
which is now called Salonika, Paul found many listeners and formed a
successful church to which a little later he wrote two epistles. He
found another splendid group in the city of Berœa and formed a church
there. But in all these cities of Macedonia he had serious trouble, just
as he had had in the province of Galatia. The Jews hated him and
everywhere he came they raised a riot and tried to drive him out of the
city or to get him into prison. They set the mob against him in some of
the cities and in others they had him arrested and badly treated. But in
spite of all their efforts to hinder him, he succeeded in doing a great
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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