40
Sketches from the Life of Paul
He fell to the ground apparently dead, and the infuriated mob dragged
his insensible body through the gates of the city, and threw it beneath
the walls. The apostle mentions this occurrence in the subsequent
enumeration of his sufferings for the truth’s sake: “Thrice was I beaten
with rods; once was I stoned; thrice I suffered shipwreck; a night and
a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often; in perils of waters;
in perils of robbers; in perils by mine own countrymen; in perils by
the heathen; in perils in the city; in perils in the wilderness; in perils
in the sea; in perils among false brethren.”
The disciples stood around the body of Paul, lamenting over him
whom they supposed to be dead, when he suddenly lifted his head,
and arose to his feet with the praise of God upon his lips. To the
disciples this seemed like a resurrection from the dead, a miracle
of God to preserve the life of his faithful servant. They rejoiced
with inexpressible gladness over his restoration, and praised God with
renewed faith in the doctrine preached by the apostles.
These disciples had been newly converted to the faith, through
the teachings of Paul, and had stood steadfast notwithstanding the
misrepresentation and malignant persecution of the Jews. In fact, the
unreasoning opposition of those wicked men had only confirmed these
devoted brethren in the faith of Christ; and the restoration of Paul to
life seemed to set the signet of God upon their belief.
[62]
Timothy had been converted through the ministration of Paul, and
was an eye-witness of the sufferings of the apostle upon this occasion.
He stood by his apparently dead body, and saw him arise, bruised and
covered with blood, not with groans or murmurings upon his lips, but
with praises to Jesus Christ, that he was permitted to suffer for his
name. In one of the epistles of Paul to Timothy he refers to his personal
knowledge of this occurrence. Timothy became the most important
help to Paul and to the church. He was the faithful companion of the
apostle in his trials and in his joys. The father of Timothy was a Greek;
but his mother was a Jewess, and he had been thoroughly educated in
the Jewish religion.
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