St. Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen by W.M. Ramsay - Book Report/Review Example

?Inset Introduction Ramsey, William Mitchell (1851-1939) wrote St. Paul the Traveler and Roman Citizen with the intent to recount the story of St. Paul as is recounted in the Book of Acts of the Apostles. For more clarity, Ramsey begins by recounting the authorship, composition and date behind the Acts of the Apostles. In this quest, Ramsey maintains that the Book of Acts fulfills the term first rate historical construction or writing, as opposed to legend and romance which are second rate forms of history. Thus, Ramsey maintains that by studying Paul’ journey and exploits, he is dabbling in first rate history and must therefore be taken seriously. He maintains that the depiction of St. Paul in Acts is replete with intimate details, meaning that the author must have had close acquaintance with St. Paul or with original sources on St Paul, or both. The import of this standpoint is that the Book of Acts attains very high standards of historical accuracy, literary reliability and trustworthiness. Thus, St. Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen serves as an in-depth analysis of the Acts of the Apostles, Paul’s life, exploits and missionary journeys in the first century Greece, Asia and Rome. Summary of the plot The plot of this book is unraveled in seventeen chapters, and is full of scriptural references and a glossary of Greek and Latin words and phrases for clarity. These are seen in the whole of the essay. Theme and the Author’s Angle and Feelings The author maintains that Paul was the mostly travelled apostle of his time. He writes and defends this standpoint from a historical angle, choosing rather to covertly defend this standpoint by recounting and explaining events and labor in Paul’s life. In the first chapter, Ramsey maintains that his work should be treated as pertaining to history and literature. He defends this standpoint by pointing out that Christianity is not merely a religion, but a total way of life. He points out that St. Paul introduced it in such a manner that it introduced serous changes that changed the way of life in the Roman Empire. In this effect, it a historian must study these consequences, in light of Paul’s work. He maintains that it is possible to treat the author of the Book of Acts as second or third rate historian. He maintains that the latter is possible if one considers the theory that the author compiled different materials into one book. Ramsey [points out that the discrepancy between Galatians and Acts of the Apostles, chapter XV serve as the most dominant reference point to those who uphold the idea of the author being a third rate historian. The former on the other hand can be considered plausible, if the theory that St. Paul had a closer acquaintance with the author holds true. Ramsey asserts that Acts of the Apostles was composed by St. Paul’s personal friend and disciple, while the first part of the Acts of the Apostles had been written by Luke. He maintains that the answer to Luke’s incomplete work lay in martyrdom, at the hand of Domitian. In the second chapter, the author maintains that the nationality of St. Paul was wrought with a lot of complexity. While he is from purely Jewish descent, he is first a Roman citizen by law. The author maintains that this quality surpassed other considerations, and gave him an aristocratic aura in the rest of the Jewish towns and provinces. Given that citizenship was closely guarded, Ramsey observes that the civitas serves provides a proof of Paul coming from a family that was wealthy, or at least that which is of moderate wealth. Likewise, the author maintains that Paul was a Tarsian citizen, with Tarsus being a distinguished city. Thirdly, the author states the obvious that was a Hebrew begotten by Hebrew parents. This is mostly important because it is from Jewish heritage and learning that the character of Paul developed. Paul is not only brought up as a Pharisee, but from a family that is strongly Pharisaic. In the third chapter, Ramsey makes mention of Paul’s contact with the Church in Antioch. Ramsey points out that at the time Paul goes to Antioch, it had already grown. The author refers to Peter’s work (in the Centurion Cornelius’ house) in Antioch as the possible birth o the Church in Antioch. Ramsey maintains that Paul’s journey to Antioch was significant to the Christian faith, since Antioch was full of Greeks Christians living alongside Jewish conservatists, and thereby opening a door for the place of the law and circumcision in Christianity. Paul is taken to Antioch from Tarsus by Barnabas (who had been sent as an envoy of the Jerusalem Church) to Antioch, and they reside there for a year. Ramsey asserts that this may have taken place during the early part of AD 43. It is also in his stay here that the Church in Antioch makes contribution to the Church in Jerusalem because the famine that had ravaged the world during Emperor Claudius’ tenure had seriously eaten into the Church in Judea. Paul and Barnabas also served as teachers, preachers and administrators in this church. From this time, Paul would go up to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus after fourteen years, following divine revelation. It is while in Jerusalem that the Spirit asks for the separation of Saul and Barnabas to go into the gentile world. The fourth chapter talks ion the missionary journey of Saul and Barnabas. In this journey, Saul and Barnabas are sent by the Holy Spirit to Cyprus, Seleucia, then to Salamis (a large Jewish colony), and finally, to Pathos. They take John Mark with them, until when they get to Pamphylia, where Saul and Barnabas would somewhat disagree over his company. It is in Pathos where Saul meets Magian the false prophet, converts Serguis Paulus the Proconsul and has his name changed into Paul. The author pints out that the name-change is attributable to Paul’s ministry to the gentile, the need to bring out his character and authority. Chapter five and six deal with the foundation of the Churches in Galatia and Paul’s ministry in Galatia. This happens after Paul and Barnabas disagree over John Mark in Pamphylia. Paul and his team then come to Perga and then proceed to Antioch. Paul is said to be ill at this point with some saying that this could have been a malarial fever which Paul referred to as “a thorn in the flesh.” John Mark departs and goes back to Jerusalem while Paul travels from Perga to Pisidian, Antioch and teaches in the synagogue and addresses the Jew, preaching the resurrection. From this point they went to Iconium and taught in the synagogue, thereby converting many Jews and Grecians. From this point, Paul, Barnabas and team leave for Lyconia (preaching in the cities therein), fleeing a possible danger of stoning, then to Lystra and Derbe. It is in Derbe where some Jews stir up sectarianism that sees Paul stoned, dragged out of the city and left for dead. Paul, Barnabas and team go back to Lystra and Iconium to organize new churches that had been formed. From this point, they head to Pysidia and Pamphylia. From Pamphylia, he goes to Galatia. It is at this point that the controversy on the place of circumcision and the law in the Christian faith is stirred up, leading to the Jerusalem Council in chapter seven (Acts 15); with this problem having been aggravated by Peter’s erratic behavior. After the council, Paul and Barnabas split, over John Mark. The eighth chapter deals with the churches in Galatia which had been formed in Derbe and Lystra where Paul meets Timothy. From this point, Paul’s ministry begins t get heavily involved with Silas. After the departure from this church, Paul writes it the Letter to Galatians which Ramsey dates at AD 53. Chapter nine deals with Paul’s activities in Phrygia, Galatia, Mysia, Bythinia and Macedonia. Luke joins Paul at Macedonia. It is in Philippi, Macedonia that Paul also meets Lydia and gets jailed for exorcising a ventriloquist. Paul is miraculously released from jail and goes to Thessalonica then Berea. The eleventh chapter deals with Paul’s ministry in Corinth. Particularly, he makes a speech before the Council of Areopagus in Athens. He preaches in the synagogues in Corinth and takes a voyage back to Ephesus, where he meets Apollos, Demetrius, Priscilla and Aquila. In the thirteenth chapter, Paul takes a voyage to Jerusalem and passes Macedonia, Troas (where he resurrects Eutychus), Caesarea, then to Jerusalem. It is in Jerusalem where prophet Agabus prophesies Paul’s death but he still sets off for Rome anyway. It is in Rome that Paul appears before Festus, Felix and finally, Nero. Nero releases Paul for the first time, and Paul goes to Ephesus, as a prisoner. He then reappears before Nero who orders for his execution by beheading. Reflection on the book and its theme The book remains an interesting read and satisfactorily defends Ramsey’s postulations of St. Paul being the most travelled apostle of his time that is ever documented. Paul’s exploits are indeed ground-shaking and a milestone to the Christian fraternity. On personal grounds, Paul’s stand on the sufficiency of the Christian faith as a means to salvation in the face of ambivalent, fence-sitting and erratic church leaders serves as an apt example of a defender of the faith. Had Paul wavered and caved in to pressure of the circumcision, Christianity would have perpetually remained as a sect sprung from Judaism. Thus, the theological, scriptural and ministerial contributions that Paul made do not only confirm the theme of Paul being the most travelled, but also underscore the prolificacy of St. Paul’s work. In St. Paul, the heart of Christian leadership is epitomized as he travels to teach and establish already existing churches in Christian doctrine, besides evangelism. Churches that he could not immediately reach, he wrote epistles which would form two-thirds of the New Testament and provide the Church with fundamental and general doctrines. Work Cited Ramsey, M. William. St. Paul the Traveler and Roman Citizen. New York: Kregel Academic & Professional, 2001. Read More