I have often seen in the writings of many of my Christian friends that they raise an important issue about dying for the faith by saying, “Thanks to faithful men like Peter and Paul, as well as the other disciples, Christianity flourished.” Here is the story of Paul from the Bible. Keep reading keeping in mind the question in the title, because I feel that faith and death don’t get along.
When Saul of Taurus, later called Paul, appeared in Jerusalem to inform James and the elders about his recent missionary journey to Cyprus and Syria, he was met with a widespread rumor that he was teaching Jews living in Gentile countries to abandon the laws of Moses. Despite all he could do to show his loyalty to this law, Paul was assaulted by a mob and would have been killed if Claudius Lysias, captain-in-chief of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem, had not rescued him.
Once in the hands of the Romans, who had to determine whether he was guilty of any offense against Roman law, Paul relied heavily on the fact that he was a Roman citizen by birth. Finally, realizing that the Roman authorities in Jerusalem and Caesarea, where he was brought before the governor, were currying favor with the Jews and would not give him a fair trial, Paul appealed to Caesar. This took the matter out of the hands of the lesser authorities and made it necessary for the king to send Paul to Rome, where he could present his case to Caesar himself.
Setting sail from Caesarea in a ship from Adramyttium, Paul, with several other prisoners, was placed in charge of a centurion named Julius, a member of Augustus’s cohort. The first part of the trip passed without incident. Julius was kind to Paul and allowed him to land at Sidon and visit his friends and refresh himself. From Sidon, the ship sailed across the Mediterranean Sea “under the lee” of Cyprus, to Myra, a city in Lycia. Here they changed ships and took one from Alexandria bound for Italy. Sailing, with some difficulty from contrary winds, they arrived after many days at Fair Havens, a port near Lesea on the island of Crete.
Here it became clear to Paul that continuing to sail would be dangerous because winter was near and the winds would be very unfavourable. When he told the centurion of his fears, he was ignored as the captain and owner of the ship wanted to get their cargo to Italy as quickly as possible. So they moved out of Fair Havens and headed for Phoenix. For a few days the winds from the south were favorable and it seemed that the crossing would be completed without any of the dangers predicted by Pablo. But, after “not long”, a tempest blew over them and the ship was thrown helplessly into the stormy waters. Fearful of being destroyed, the sailors began to throw overboard first the cargo and then the ship’s gear. This made the boat lighter and easier to handle, but the storm was so strong that it seemed to everyone that it was only a matter of time before they drowned in their boat.
Paul encouraged the sailors and gave them hope knowing that an angel of God had appeared to him the night before saying. “Do not fear, Pablo, you must appear before Caesar.” This was evidence enough for him that he would not perish at sea but would complete his journey to Rome.
For fourteen days they sailed, no one knew where. The storm battered their ship mercilessly and all the sailors could do seemed to be in vain. They were then about to leave their ship for their small boats when Paul argued that only by staying on the ship could they be saved. The men listened to his advice, mindful of the fact that if they had listened at Fair Havens, they and their ship would have been safe through the winter.
The next morning they found themselves near a bay that had a wide beach. This they found to be the island of Melita, a place inhabited by “barbarians” who treated them with kindness. As Paul was helping gather wood for the fire the “barbarians” had lit for them, a viper came out of the nearby bushes and “seized his hand.” When the “barbarians” saw this, they were sure that Pablo was a murderer or some other criminal, and they commented to each other: “Without a doubt, this man is a murderer who, although he had escaped from the sea, justice has not killed. suffered”. to live.”
Paul surprised everyone by throwing the creature into the fire and doing his job unscathed. Those close to him expected him to fall down suddenly. When nothing happened, they were astonished and changed their minds towards him, saying that he was not a criminal, but a God.
After three months on the island of Melitta, Paul was taken on a ship from Alexandria that had wintered there and took him north to Syracuse, thence to Reggio and Puteoli, and to Rome. At every stop along the way, Paul encountered Christians, who greeted him with joy and whom he encouraged with words of advice and praise.
In Rome, he was allowed to live in a house he had rented, but was forced to stay day and night chained by a wrist to a Praetorian soldier. Here, for more than two years, Paul awaited trial. During this period he worked with the Roman Christians and wrote letters to the churches he had founded and to the many friends he had made during his long and eventful life.
As time went on, it became clear to Paul that his case would inevitably end without a conviction. In his second letter to Timothy he expresses this fear. This is a cry of despair for his life, but an expression of faith for the cause for which he had given his life. His work is done and he is about to be “offered”. So he writes to Timothy, his companion and friend, whom he now longs to see. Others have abandoned him and he is alone except for Luke. So he urges Timothy to come in a hurry, picking up a few other friends along the way.
Tradition says that Timothy arrived in Rome in time to share Paul’s last days, but not in time to do anything to save his friend from damnation under Roman law. Paul was tried, but had no independent evidence to dismiss the charges against him and had to bow to the executioner’s sword. The traditional date is June 29, 62, and the place of execution is said to be the Via Ostia about three miles from Rome, probably in modern Tre Fontane.
Shouldn’t even a fair trial be forthcoming in the Faith? I wonder why?
(Well, however, Paul said his work was done and he was about to be “offered up.” He did not expect to be saved this time. His work was done, and as a man of faith, he accepted it as part of his spirituality. trip).
It will be a pleasure to see the comments left in “ratings” for this piece. will help Thank you.