If you’ve read my books, you know that my heroes and heroines are characters that are only mentioned a few times in the Bible. Major personages, like Moses and Joshua, are there, but they are not the focus of the story.
For my next series, Paul will be a little more involved than Moses and Joshua were. Each story will take place in one of the cities Paul visited. The first one, Sold into Freedom, is set in Philippi. We met Quintus and Elantia two weeks ago.
Since Greek was the language most spoken, I’ve chosen to use Paul’s Greek name: Paulos.
Paul wrote 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament and traveled somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 miles on his journeys. His second, when he first visited Macedonia, was twice as long as his first–over 3,000 miles, most of it on foot.
And that is only including the journeys recorded in Acts. There is a visit to Corinth not recorded; he refers to shipwrecks of which we have no record. He mentioned a desire to go to Spain (Romans 15:24, 28), though we have no way of knowing whether he ever succeeded in that mission.
Paul traveled on dirt pathways, over rugged and mountainous terrain. A good deal of his journeys took him through unsafe and hostile area patrolled by bandits. Imagine the stamina required, especially for a man of his age (when he began his first journey he was nearly 50!).
Paul truly was a man for whom nothing was more important than sharing the good news of salvation. He endured more than one would think possible:
I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
~1 Corinthians 11.23-27
May we too share Paul’s ultimate goal:
The winner of my February giveaway has been drawn!
Guessing from the email, the winner is Louise C.
She wins a signed print copy of Prize of War.
Check your email, and come back for my next giveaway in March!