Planting Faith with Paul

I’ve been working on my next historical novel, which should release next November. It’s the first in a series I’m calling “Planting Faith.” These books will follow Paul on his second missionary journey through Macedonia and Achaia, now modern Greece. As with Moses and Joshua, Paul will be a secondary character.

This first book I’m calling Sold Into Freedom. Set in Philippi, it tells the story of the servant girl and the prison master.

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

Elantia is from Roman Britain, at that time called Britannia.  Tia polished her skills by learning from her mother and grandmother, who also had “the gift.” She and her brother were kidnapped by slave traders, shipped to Ephesus and sold. Her only goal in life is to get back home.

Quintus Valerius is a retired Roman soldier. He is still young, maybe in his early 30s, and retired after six years in Britannia due to an injury. He is a member of the equestrian class, just below the patrician senators. For various reasons, he can’t stay in Rome, ends up in Philippi with no money, and is forced to take the job of prison keeper.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Tia and Quintus both run into Paul and his companions, and their lives are forever changed.

The second book planned for the series is called A Poverty of Riches. This one focuses on Paul in Thessalonica. Acts 17 tells us that when the Jewish leaders cause trouble for Paul and Silas, they run to Jason’s house. We never hear of Jason again until Paul send greetings from him in the letter to the Romans.

Athens is the setting for Book Three. The Folly of Wisdom tells the story of Damaris and Dionysios who come to know Jesus when Paul preaches at a meeting of the Areopagus.

I hope you’ll join me in the coming weeks as I tell you more about Sold Into Freedom.