The life and work of St. Paul

BEGINNING Ol1 THB SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY. 269
among the Gauls ; and in the absence of all personal salutations in his Epistle,
wo cannot tell whether any of the aboriginal Phrygians or Greek settlers,
or of the Koman governing class, embraced the faith. But though he is
avowedly writing to those who had been Gentiles and idolaters, 1 there must
have been a considerable number of converts from the large Jewish population
2 which had been attracted to Galatia by its fertility, its thriving com-
merce, and the privileges which secured them the free exercise of their
religion. These Jews, and their visitors from Jerusalem, as we shall see hereafter,
proved to be a dangerous element in the infant Church.
The success of this unintended mission may have detained St. Paul for a
little time even after his convalescence ; and as he retraced his journey from
Tavium to Pessiuus he would have had the opportunity which he always
desired of confirming his recent converts in the faith. From Pessinus the
missionaries went towards Mysia, and laid their plans to pass on to the
numerous and wealthy cities of western Bithynia, at that time a senatorial
province. But once more their plans, in some way unknown to us, were
divinely overruled. The "Spirit of Jesus" 3 did not suffer them to enter a
country which was destined indeed to be early converted, but not by them,
and which pkys a prominent part in the history of early Christianity.* Once
more divinely thwarted in the fulfilment of their designs, they made no
attempt to preach in Mysia, 6 which in its bleak and thinly populated uplands
offered but few opportunities for evangelisation, but pressed on directly to
Troas, where an event awaited them of immense importance, which was
sufficient to explain the purpose of Him who had shaped the ends which they
themselves had so differently rough-hewn.
\ From the slopes of Ida, 6 Paul and Silvanus with their young attendant
1 Gal. iv. 8; v. 2; vL 12, &c. On the other hand, iv. 9 has been quoted (Jowett,
"
I. 187) as "an almost explicit statement that they were Jews ; this is not, however,
necessarily the case. Doubtless, writing to a church in which there were both Jews and
Gentiles, St. Paul may use expressions which are sometimes more appropriate to one
class, sometimes to the other, but "the weak and beggarly elements" to which the
converts are returning may include Gentile aa well as Jewish ritualisms ; and some of
them may have passed through both phases.
2
St. Peter in addressing the Diaspora of Galatia and other districts (1 Pet. i. 1) must
have had Jews as well as Gentiles in view. The frequency of Old Testament quotations
and illustrations in the Epistle to the Galatians is perhaps a proof that not a few of the
converts had been originally proselytes. Otherwise it would be impossible to account
for the fact that " in none of St. Paul's Epistles has the cast of the reasoning a more
Jewish character " (Jowett, L 186). GaL iii. 27, 28 may allude to the existence of converts
from both classes.
3 Acts ivi. 7. This ro Ayrf/'ov, which is the undoubtedly correct reading (, A, B,
C2 , D, E, and many versions and Fathers), perhaps indicates that St. Luke is here using
some document which furnished him with brief notes of this part of Paul's journeys.
The remarkable fact that in the FUioque controversy neither side appealed to this expression
shows how early the text had been altered by the copyists.
* See Pliny's letter to Trajan (x. 97), when he was Proconsul of Bithynia, asking
advice how to deal with the Christians.
8 This must be the meaning of irap\flon- (=o0Vre, "neglecting"). It cannot be
translated "passing through," which would be SieMoms, though a glance at the map will
how that they must have passed through Mysia without stopping. The absence of
ynagogues and the remote, unknown character of the region account for this.
* Acts xvi. 8.