Damaris and the Cartoons

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when I say the word “cartoon”?

Depending on your age you might say…..Betty Boop, Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo, or Sponge Bob, right?

However, my subject matter doesn’t refer to those types of cartoons today.

Look at this Raphael painting below:

Raphael's depiction of Paul teaching at the Areopagus

THIS painting is referred to as a cartoon.  

Seriously…..a cartoon.

The dictionary advises a cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art.  While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or the artistic style of such works.   The term actually originated in the Middle Ages and was used to refer to a preparatory drawing for a piece of art, such as a painting, fresco tapestry, or stained glass window.

The above painting is part of a series referred to as The Raphael Cartoons he prepared for the Sistine Chapel, and shows Paul giving his sermon at the Areopagus or “Rock of Ares” which served as the High Court of Appeals for criminal and civil cases in the city of Athens.

Paul’s sermon is related in Acts 17: 16-34.  He drew inspiration for his sermon from the alter to the unknown god…..”The God who made the World and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.”

    

Upon entering Athens Paul had been upset by seeing the city full of idols.   He was taken to the Areopagus or High Court to explain himself.   What we have in Acts is one of the most full and most dramatic speeches Paul ever uttered.  He must have been very convincing because many in the crowd were converted.

Now look back at Raphel’s painting again. Notice the couple in the lower right corner.   Yes, a couple….as in husband and WIFE.    Art historians are certain this couple was added later by Raphael’s pupil, Giulio Romano because the man and woman don’t seem to fit in with relation to position or scale.

The couple is mentioned in Acts 17:34……Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed.  Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Demaris, and a number of others.


The woman's name is important.   She's listed with men in a place where men congregated in Athens.   


Why  was she mentioned?


It's very evident that she was a woman of high status or she wouldn't have been at the Areopagus.  In fact, John Chrysostom, the Archbishop of Constantinople, made the connection that Demaris was actually the wife of Dionysius thought Luke doesn't tell us.


Historians today aren't so sure.  Authors such as Robert Paul Seesengood, a biographer of Paul, agree there are no hard details to link the two......though in the whole scheme of things it doesn't really matter. 


What matters is Paul spoke...and people listened and were saved.


The cartoon detail is kind of interesting, too!!!

Paul's Secretary

My mom was a marathon letter and journal writer.  I can still see her seated at our kitchen table each morning writing, writing, writing.  Even after Dear Sister gave her a computer, Mother continued to scribble away in her spiral notebooks she always seemed to have on hand.  I have to agree with her.  There is something about moving a pen across a clean page of paper and making it all your own.

Mother created the most interesting letters regarding what was going on in our lives, pondering current events of the day, or relating some little anecdote from her past. 

When I meet up with one of her dear friends they all tell me the same thing - I miss her letters so much.  I know how they feel.  I LONG for one myself. 

Mother didn't just love to write letters.  She loved to read them as well.  Paul was her favorite letter writer with his letter to the Romans as a particular favorite.

While Mother did all of her letter writing at a kitchen table Paul would have followed the custom of the day and would have sat with his writing perched in his lap or on his knees.   Yes, I know there are very famous paintings of Paul sitting at a desk with an oil light, but it just isn't an accurate picture regarding most of the letters.

The School of Tyrannus

Acts 19: 9 tells us…So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

The lecture of of Tyrannus. Hmmmm…..

Where was that?

What was that?

Who was Tyrannus?

Unfortunately, we aren’t very sure. There are no remains of the lecture hall, and we only have little hints from Scripture regarding Paul’s discussions there. The picture I’ve posted here shows some of the ruins that remain at Ephesus, but not the lecture hall.

Paul was in Ephesus around 52 AD during his third missionary journey. It made sense for Paul to journey there…..Ephesus was the capital of an Asian province and was a major population and trade center. He could reach many people there with his Good News. Acts 20:31 reminds us that Paul spent three years in Ephesus…..Remember for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears, and for two of the three years he lectured and debated in the school of Tyrannus per Acts 19:10….This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

Prior to having his discussions in the leture hall of Tyrannus, Paul had begun his ministry in a synagogue, but was soon forced out due to obstinate people, but why a school? The word used for school in the original Greek….schole….meant “leisure”. Not exactly my definition of school being an educator, but in Paul’s day discussions and debates were done during leisure time, and the word finally came to refer to a group of persons meeting for the purpose of having discussions or the place where the meeting was held. Schools during Paul’s time can be thought of as modern day literary or philosophy clubs.

The Greek manuscript of Acts, the Codex Beza, advises discussions were held between 11am and 4 pm…..the part of the day when men were expected to be conducting leisure activities….not work. During those hours men pursued their hobbies, they rested, or they took part in great discussions in a lecture hall or school, as it were.

During these discussions we know that Paul “reasoned” with others. Acts 17:17-18 states….So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this blabber trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

So….during his hours of leisure Paul was preaching or discussing the Good News. Perhaps Tyrannus allowed Paul the use of his building during the afternoon hours which was very advantageous in that the hours of 11 am to 4 pm would give him the largest audience possible, and it would afford Paul the morning hours to actually work at his trade which was tent-making.

We also know that due to his lectures at the school of Tyrannus Paul gained many contacts with officials in Ephesus that proved to be helpful to him. Acts 19:31 states….Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.

Acts also clues us in to the fact that Paul didn’t only share the good news in the lecture hall of Tyrannus, but he also went “from house to house” and “with tears” per Acts 20:20, 31….You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house…So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I have never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

But of Tyrannus….who WAS he?

Some scholars believe he was a teacher or at least the owner of the school/lecture hall. Others have suggested he could have been the donor or the patron of the school…much like our tradition of naming buildings after the people who donate the money to pay for them.

The name “Tyrannus” brings a question to mind as well. The word means “tyrant”.

What mother in her right mind would name her little baby “Tyrant”?

It was certainly not a popular name during the first century, and this very fact has led scholars to believe Tyrannus was NOT his real name. Perhaps a group of students had nicknamed this particular teacher Tyrannus.

Hmmm….I’ve been called lots of things by students. I wonder if any of them ever thought I was a tyrant?

A Disruptive Spirit

Acts 16: 16-40 tells of a slave girl following behind Paul and Silas. She had a spirit in her, but it wasn’t the Holy Spirit. It was a spirit or pneuma meaning a “spirit of devination” or “ventriloquist”.

As the text tells us the girl was able to make a great sum of money for her master with her predictions, or as some scholars state she told the “truth” about life. Acts 16:17 tells us she followed after Paul and Silas exclaiming for all who would hear that they were men who were the slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.

At some point Paul commands the spirit in the woman to leave her, and it does.

Why would Paul do this if the sprit was speaking the truth? Notice the text states she proclaimed who Paul and Silas were for “many days” meaning Paul decided to let her talk, but later something changed. Perhaps he thought she would eventually go away. Perhaps she began to annoy him. Perhaps it began to anger him that the girl’s owner allowed her to be possessed and actually made money from the fact. Perhaps he decided he didn’t need the “other side” hanging about. At any rate Paul had enough and ordered the spirit to stop.

It did.

At this point you might be tempted to say…….so what? What’s the big deal?

It doesn’t matter why Paul commanded the spirit to leave. What this story reminds us is that evil spirits are at work in the world today, and we need to be reminded that Paul through the Spirit of God could overcome the presence of evil.

So can we.

We are confronted by the “other side” everywhere we go….even within the church. This is why we need to remain aware and be busy for the Lord The slave girl’s statements regarding Paul and Silas were true, but they were disruptive.

A look at the messages of Paul shows that his discourses were always well reasoned and logical. He wanted people to concentrate on the message. It was not just empty catch phrases or emotional outbursts, but an intellectual pursuit of truth. He wanted people to think about what they heard, but the girl's ranting made this difficult.

The picture with this post shows a 6th century Christian basilica in Philippi, so it would not have been around during Paul’s day, but it clearly shows that Christians remained in the city long after Paul’s time.

Wordless: Verse 51

Thyatira…..today a modern Turkish city referred to as Akhisar….is mostly forgotten, however, readers of the Bible will find Thyatira mentioned in Acts 16:14…One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message

Revelation 1:11 mentions Thyatira as one of the seven churches….which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

Revelation 2:18-19 where it states…To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love an faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first…

….and at verse 24…Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you)…

I found some great pictures (and used one here) of the ruins of Thyatira here taken by David Phillips with informational captions. He states Thyatira was a city big enough to boast of triple arches, multiple businesses, pottery factories, purple dye, wines, dried foods, many kinds of bronze and metal works, sculptures and textiles…..

Thyatira is a great example of a New Testament city where early Christians had to coexist alongside more non-believers than believers. Little is known about the growth of Christianity at Thyatira, however, the letter to the church mentioned in Revelation places the church there in the latter half of the first century A.D.

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13 Things About Paul's Brief Stay in Samothrace

1.As I stated yesterday Samothrace is an island in the northern Aegean Sea. During Paul’s foray into Asia Minor discussed in Acts 16:1-10 he stopped on the island while on the way to Phllippi as detailed in Acts 16:11….From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of the district of Macedonia. And we stayed here several days.

2.While we don’t have an exact amount of time Paul spent in Samothrace, he did spend the night. There is no mention of any converts at Samothrace even though they are frequently documented at other towns along Paul’s travels.

3.That very fact begs for further study concerning this place. Why is just a bump in the road to Paul? Why no mention of converts or interaction with the people of Samothrace?

4.Paul’s letters generally indicate to us that one of the first things he did upon arriving in any location was to visit the local synagogue, however, there is no archeological evidence of a synagogue on the island of Samothrace.

5.Remains of several small church have been found but they are dated to a period many years after the time period Paul would have visited the island. The remains of one church can be found at the base of Mount Phengari at the end of a city wall that runs down the slope.

6.In 1863, Monsieur Champoiseau, a French Consul, stationed in Greece made some chance discoveries that sparked archeological interest in Samothrace. In 1873 and 1875 two Austrian teams made extensive excavations of the area and were able to publish their research. In 1938, New York University began excavations on the island led by Karl Lehmann. The process continued until the 1970s except for an eight year period during World War II.

7. The Americans found ruins that help to explain the ancient religion of Samothrace including a colonaded façade of a santuary structure, and they excavated several cemetaries.

8. The ancient religion is known today as the Kabeiria Mysteries of Dionysus. It attracted people from all over the Greek world including the parents of Alexander the Great. There are literary references from the Chrisitan Era supporting this fact from Aristophanes to Plato.

9. Was Paul aware of the mystery religion/cult that existed on Samothrace?

10. We aren’t told, but the idea isn’t that far fetched as the Romans were very interested in the cult religion after they conquered the Greek Empire from the 2nd Century B.C. Many Romans made annual pilgrimages to the island and many initiates of the cult include high ranking Roman officials.

11. It is true, however, that Pauls brief overnight stay on the island would not have been long enough to fully examine the culture and lifestyle of the people there. Many Bible scholars feel that if Paul had been able to fully experience Samothrace he would have condemned the actions of the people much like he did the people of Athens in Acts 17...Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you, "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

12.Over time the interest in the mystery religion ebbed and flowed, but eventually fortunes on the island began to decline and by the fourth century A.D. the cult seems to have disappeared. The island began to suffer from pirate attacks and later they would hide out on Samothrace. By the 8th Century the harbor was filled with sand due to severe erosion from deforestation. There are absolutely no historical records to follow regarding the island from 1500 to 1800 A.D.

13. Seems like a lot of wasted time. What if Paul’s stay in Samothrace had been longer? Would it have made a difference?

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Wordless: Verse 50

This is an image of the port city of Samothrace which is an island in the northern Aegean Sea. Today it’s main industries are fishing and tourism. Apparently back in Paul’s day those industries were just as important…..of course, Paul wasn’t just a tourist, was he? However, he did have a "layover" on the island of Samothrace.

The island’s name comes from the fact that Greeks from Samos colonized it hence Samos of Thrace eventually was shortened to Samothrace.

Within hours after Paul’s vision of the man pleading with him to come over to Macedonia and help, he and his mission team boarded a ship in Troas and sailed across to Samothrace (Acts 16:11) It was very common in those days for ships to stop at Samothrace as it was along the sea lanes from western Asia Minor to the Black Sea, and to Macedonia in northern Greece.

In my post When Doors Slam in our Face I discuss the events prior to Paul landing at Samothrace detailed in Acts 16: 1-10.

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Wordless: Verse 48

This is a painting of Peter ordaining Stephen, one of the 7 "helpers" mentioned in Acts 6. I'll post a bit more on this later.

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When Doors Slam in Our Face

While I’m one of those that believe every moment of history is important---even some of the most mundane everyday moments---there are those events that can be placed in the monumental category. Moments like the landing of the first Europeans in America during the late 1400s and early 1500s, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, or the events of September 11th. Other monumental events include Moses being given the Ten Commandments, David’s little altercation with Goliath, and the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The other morning at church our focus text was Acts 16: 6-10 which states: [Paul and his companions] went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the province of Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, bypassing Mysia, they came down to Troas. During the night a vision appeared to Paul: a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them.

At first glance it would appear this passage is merely transition from one location to another….a simple list of places Paul and his companions went on their way to Macedonia during his second missionary journey.

It is much more than that. These simple verses signify the first time the gospel will enter Europe, and I’m sure you would agree it is a very monumental event. These verses also provide insight into Paul’s character, his relationship to the Lord, and a lesson for us to apply to our own lives.

First of all the geography begs for explanation. Take a look at the map I’ve placed with this post. Note that the Bible states Paul was prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the province of Asia. Think of Asia today and thoughts of India, Vietnam, Korea, and China come to mind, however, during the time of the Roman Empire the province of Asia was not the Asian continent we know of today. The Roman province of Asia is present day Turkey. The map I present here is Turkey as it would have appeared during Paul’s life.

Notice the Bible text states the group traveled across Galatia and Phrygia and then north to Bithynia along the Black Sea. Having tried several directions Paul and his companions finally go another way. They traveled west to the seaport town of Troas. During Paul’s time Troas was a major seaport along the Aegean Sea and was the crossing point for those who wanted to travel across to Macedonia and then follow the land route into Rome.

Paul tried several different locations to spread the Gospel, and according to the text he was not allowed to share his message in the province of Asia. He was stopped by the Holy Spirit, the part of the Godhead that reveals the mind of God to mankind (I Peter 1: 10-12). The Holy Spirit lives within followers of Christ. It is God’s of way of revealing his heart to us. The text at I Corinthians 2: 7-13 explains God’s revelations are given without error and inspire us.

The Bible text does not explain why the doors were closed to Paul in Asia, but they were. I find it interesting that Paul kept trying. He traveled to several places in the province of Asia before reaching Troas. Knowing what I already do about Paul it would make sense that he prayed to and worshipped the Lord along the way. He might have been agitated, exasperated, and at times he might have even felt like he should just go home, but he didn’t.

Isn’t that the way we feel sometimes when we are attempting something new? Route after route to our goal is blocked, doors are closed, equipment breaks down, co-workers don’t do their share…..the list is endless. Today we live in a society where we are constantly told nothing is impossible. We are making huge strides in technology that will have tremendous impact on society in the coming years.As an educator I am to constantly tell students they are the best, they can succeed, and there is nothing that can keep them from their goals.

The thing is no matter how many self-help podcasts you view, blogs you read, or books you buy doors will be closed in your face. Like Paul, the Holy Spirit will prevent you from taking a particular route. What must be remembered is in the overall scheme of things it isn’t about me or you…..it’s about God and his plan. Sometimes our purpose and intent is not in alignment with the will of God, and we will be told no just like Paul.

The trick is to keep going….keep knocking on those doors as Jesus teaches in Luke 11:9---“So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. Paul traveled in several different directions and finally the only choice that was left for him was west. Paul didn’t stop….he kept moving. Once at Troas he received his vision---a supernatural image or picture given by a revelation of God that can come when you are awake or sleeping. Because of this close relationship with the Lord Paul trusted his vision and it made all the difference in the world because entering Europe was the will of God.

Closed doors are not moments to succumb to moments of self- loathing and “can’t help its”. They are prompts for you keep the Lord close to you as a partner in whatever goal you are trying to reach. Through prayer and worship He will provide the key to unlock that all elusive door.

Wordless: Verse 27

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Wordless 22

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Wordless: Verse 19

This painting is The Conversion of Saul by Michelangelo Buonarroti and was completed sometime between 1542-45. The original can be found at Cappella Paolina, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican.

From the Web Gallery of Art:

On the road to Damascus, where he was going to obtain authorization from the synagogue to arrest Christians, Paul was struck to the ground, blinded by a sudden light from heaven. The voice of God, heard also by Paul's attendants, as artists make clear, said, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' They led him to the city where, the voice had said, he would told what he had to do. According to a tradition, connected with the medieval Custom of representing pride as a falling horseman, Paul made the journey on horseback. He lies on the ground as if just thrown from his horse, prostrate with awe, or unconcious. He may be wearing Roman armour. Christ appeares in the heavens, perhaps with three angels. Paul's attendants run to help him or try to control the rearing horses.

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Wordless: Verse 16

Acts 13: 4-5.......Sent out by the Holy Spirit, Saul and Barnabas went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. There, in the town of Salamis, they went ot the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God.

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