THE APOSTLE OF THE RECONCILIATION 49

The aspect of reconciliation which deals with man as connected with Adam (Rom. 5), will be dealt with when

treating of Romans as a whole.

We must now observe the effect that is indicated in the Acts by the introduction of the new feature. As we have

said before, not until Paul is converted and commissioned can Peter receive the vision at Joppa. Paul's conversion is

so peculiarly connected with the working out of the purpose of God, that it will be well to acquaint ourselves with its

essential features. The first item of dispensational note is, that Paul was converted and commissioned outside the

land. He came near Damascus, `and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven' (Acts 9:3). The

next item is, that he was commissioned by the risen and ascended Christ. Thirdly, Paul is definitely given a

commission to the Gentiles:

`... he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My Name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel'

(Acts 9:15).

To this the apostle referred when he made his speech at Jerusalem, and again when before king Agrippa:

`... he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles' (Acts 22:21).

`Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee' (Acts 26:17).

Paul was the only apostle commissioned to the Gentiles by the ascended Christ; he alone of all the apostles

received the ministry of the reconciliation. His conversation was typical:

`Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a

pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting (aionion)' (1 Tim. 1:16).

After Paul's conversion we find him witnessing for Christ at Damascus, and a plot being made to take his life; he

is let down the wall in a basket, and so makes his escape to Jerusalem. Here Barnabas secures his recognition, and

we find Paul disputing with the Grecians; but they go about to slay him. This leads to his return to Tarsus, where

the record for the time leaves him. The Grecians, however, are to be instrumental in bringing Paul back into active

`And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the

Grecians ... and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch ... Then departed Barnabas to

Tarsus, for to seek Saul: and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a

whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called

Christians first in Antioch' (Acts 11:20-26).

Much has been written regarding this new name. The name by which the Jews used to designate believers in the

Lord Jesus Christ was `the heresy of the Nazarenes' (Acts 24:5,14). The Greek word `Christ', being equivalent to the

Hebrew word `Messiah', would never have been used of the church by the Jews. The proverbial wit of the people of

Antioch has been mentioned by most writers, and whether this was the origin of the name matters little; the fact that

the inspired narrative draws our attention to it is of the chief importance. Till now, both from the Jewish and the

Gentile viewpoint, the disciples were one of the many sects of the Jewish faith (Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians,

Essenes, Nazarenes, etc.) at Antioch. Under the distinctive teaching of the apostle Paul, the disciples could be

considered such no longer. The risen Christ, not the lowly name of Jesus, is associated with their testimony; and

here in this Gentile city, the geographical link between kingdom (Jerusalem) and mystery (Rome), the disciples are

named Christians.

While the title `Christian' would be applicable to every one who believed that `Jesus was the Christ', it does not

occur in Scripture more than three times. Believers do not address one another as `fellow-Christians'; they speak to

one another as `believers', `brethren', `saints'. Agrippa uses the word `Christian' when he terminates the apostle's

earnest defence (Acts 26:28). And Peter uses it with reference to suffering `as a Christian' at the hand of the powers

that be. The way in which the term was used by the Romans indicated that they attached some political sense to it,

inasmuch as to declare oneself a Christian was tantamount to treason against the Empire. That Paul, some nine

years after, taught such disturbing doctrines can be gathered from Acts 17:7 :