Paul's Unwavering Ministry

By these things, casting out law by law through the law. Just as he says about himself in writing to the Romans: 'For I died by law through law'; that is, having been led by the Mosaic writings, he came to know the piety of the gospel. E caused a marvel in Damascus, and all were exclaiming to themselves: 'Come, behold the Tarsian Jew, a zealous student of the ancestral law, a fierce advocate for Jesus, calling Him up and proving from our writings that this is the Savior according to the promise.' Lest the fear not persuade the whole city, might not the whole people be led and turn away from the law? practitioner of the Scripture, and sharp of mind, and the word is rapid, and the method resourceful, and he has possessed much reliability; from which, knowing our writings accurately, he does not seem to wander in ignorance, but has found the truth through testing and judgment. Into this perplexity he cast a great city, a populous people, the first preaching of the brave convert; and then Damascus was more troubled than Jerusalem previously was when Christians were being stoned, when Stephen Paul was stoning. 8.25.5 Just as the wonderful ones of the best men, wherever they are transferred, carry the victory there, so that lawgiver man always made those people great by the momentum he provided.

having proclaimed the gospel in Phoenicia and having cast the first seeds of the apostolate there, where he himself was also enlightened by knowledge, he came to Jerusalem, a stranger to those there and a fine spectacle. For those who had sent him forward and given the bonds to carry against Christians, not knowing what was happening in the midst, first saw him pleasantly and were eager for the hunt, a multitude of Christian prisoners, hoping to see and seeking the work of the many promises. E word was going forth, I found Paul joining Saul, agreeing in his conviction and being a more fervent disciple of Christ and of the other apostles; at first they considered the things said to be childishness and mockery, but having tested him, they found him confessing the conviction with his voice, and they deliberated only on one thing: that the young man should be released, as it was not fitting for the Hebrew religion.

And to serve the living Paul and his speaking. And later time clearly showed this.

For even among the many, although they were already Christians, they were not sufficient to live purely according to the gospel, but were wavering and sometimes even coloring their faith with circumcision, in order that they might appease the wrath of the Hebrews by partially performing what was granted to them; but this man alone, without yielding anything by an unshakeable mindset, taught, but with a pure voice he proclaimed the word without derivation and progressed so far into the freedom of mindset, that once, regarding the Galatians' domestic dullness and the scarcity of those teaching, he wrote a letter to them against the wonderful life of retreating into the law (cf. Galatians 6:12), by which he taught them to worship and practice religion in the novelty of the citizenship according to Christ, no longer paying attention to the writings from the stone tablets.

He remained bound to what was said of him as the foremost of the apostles and was being purified everywhere, and he fought against Peter, as if Peter were attacking the new citizenship by the use of the old and ceased dogmas; and he neither loved the proximity of the elder nor the prestige of the apostleship when he saw the truth in danger. But he stood up fiercely for the Galatians, and he struck the other many times, as he was, having won the opportunity through boldness.

And everywhere he continued speaking and persuading; and if perhaps he encountered evil men and suffered something terrible, or lived in prison, or received lashes, or was thrown with stones, he did not abandon his readiness because of the occurring failure; but after a short interval, he approached the enemies again, and conversing with the same people, and discovering many ways of undertaking, and being very well-adapted to the falling needs, he went on persuading either all or the many.

And often, indeed, having been found after incurable wounds and having been cast out in the outskirts of that city which he was initiating into piety, and being thought dead because of the greatness of the terrors, having seized the next day's market and having stretched out his right hand, he again taught those who were approaching death; thus, nothing cared for his body, but looking toward the goal of the higher calling (cf. Philippians 3:14), he was patient.