.....................Antioch... What Conditions are Needed for Man to Gain Salvation?...................
The evengelisation of the pegans proceeded very rapidly, and the Apostles achieved notable success in Asia Minor.
This mission, however was not without tensions and debates within the primitive Church.
The point of contention in this case was whether it was neccessary to receive circumcision, the sign of belonging to the people of Israel, in order to be saved in Jesus Christ, as maintained by those Christians.with rigid Pharisaic background, or was faith in Jesus Christ enough in order to be saved, as Paul and Barnabas were teaching.
The question was resolved once again by recourse to the Mother Church of Jerusalem.
According to its final decision, pagans were only required to observe the norms of ritual purity.
After three years, during which he travelled through the island of Cyprus and the regions of Pamphylia and Galatia, Paul returned to Antioch.
After one year in this city, he set off on his second missionary journey.
..........................The Second Mission......................
Philippi Lydia: Baptism and Hospitality
One of the first Christian communities in greece was that of Philippi.
Paul immediately found a warm welcome there: he was compelled to accept the hospitality of newly converted woman called Lydia.
The Church of Philippi was a great help to Paul during his imprisonment in Ephesus.
The letter addressed to the Church of Philippi bears witness to his bond of affection and solidarity between Paul and the Philippians: It only
Natural that i should feel like this towards you all, since you have shared the privileges which have been mine:both my chains and my work defending and establishing the Gospel.
You have a permanent place in my heart, and God knows how much I miss you all, Loving you as Christ Jesus Loves you.
"All the same , it was good of you to share with me in my hardships. In the early days of the Good News, as you people of Philippi well know, when i left Macedonia, no other Church helped me with gifts of money. You were the only ones"(Phil 4:14-15)
Paul journey north by land in order to visit the communities he had founded during his first journey.
He reached the port of Troas on the western coast of modern- day Turkey.
He then crossed over to Philippi, the capital city of the province of Macedinia.
..............The Second Mission.............
Thessalonica The Heart of Gentile Evangelization
In Paul's first letter to the Church of Thessalonica, he describes the dynamics of the convershion of the gentiles: " other people tell us how we started the work among you, how you broke with idolatry when you were converted to God and became servants of the real, Living God, and how you are now waiting for Jesus, his Son, whom he raised from the dead , to come from heaven to save us from the retribution which is coming" (1 Th 1:9-10).
There are various expressions that remind us of the Apostle's presence: "We were unassuming. Like a mother feeding and looking after her own children, we felt so devoted and protective towards you.
You can remember how we treated every one of you as a father treats his children, teaching you what was right , encouraging you and appealing to youto live a life worthy of God, who is calling you to sharethe glory of his kingdom" (1 Th 2:7b.11-12)
The next stops were Thessalonica, athens where he gave his famous speech at the arepagus, and finally corinth.
...........................Athens- The Speech at the Areopagus........................
Athens was a city of great cultural tradition and thriving pagan religiosity.
On the Areopagus Paul proclaimed the "Uknown God" to the men of Athens in a rhetorically elaborate speech, so that his words could be more easily acepted by the listeners, who were demanding and curious to know the "New doctrine."
His point of departure was willingly accepted, but his conclusion provoked a clear break: "We would like to hear you talk about this again."
How easy could it be to believe in God able to raise the dead?
"But there were some who attached themselves to him and became believers, among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman called Damaris, and others besides" (Acts 17:34).
