into Samaria, as had been prophetically hinted by the Lord in the conversation at Jacob’s well.^339
But there we meet also the first heretical perversion of Christianity by Simon Magus, whose
hypocrisy and attempt to degrade the gift of the Holy Spirit received from Peter a terrible rebuke.
(Hence the term simony, for sordid traffic in church offices and dignities.) This encounter of the
prince of the apostles with the arch-heretic was regarded in the ancient church, and fancifully
represented, as typifying the relation of ecclesiastical orthodoxy to deceptive heresy.- Somewhat later (between 37 and 40) occurred the conversion of the noble centurion,
Cornelius of Caesarea, a pious proselyte of the gate, whom Peter, in consequence of a special
revelation, received into the communion of the Christian church directly by baptism, without
circumcision. This bold step the apostle had to vindicate to the strict Jewish Christians in Jerusalem,
who thought circumcision a condition of salvation, and Judaism the only way to Christianity. Thus
Peter laid the foundation also of the Gentile-Christian church. The event marked a revolution in
Peter’s mind, and his emancipation from the narrow prejudices of Judaism.^340 - Still more important was the rise, at about the same time, of the church at Antioch the
capital of Syria. This congregation formed under the influence of the Hellenist Barnabas of Cyprus
and Paul of Tarsus, seems to have consisted from the first of converted heathens and Jews. It thus
became the mother of Gentile Christendom, as Jerusalem was the mother and centre of Jewish. In
Antioch, too, the name "Christian" first appeared, which was soon everywhere adopted, as well
denoting the nature and mission as the followers of Christ, the divine-human prophet, priest, and
king.^341
The other and older designations were disciples (of Christ the only Master), believers (in
Christ as their Saviour), brethren (as members of the same family of the redeemed, bound together
by a love which springs not from earth and will never cease), and saints (as those who are purified
and consecrated to the service of God and called to perfect holiness).
CHAPTER V.
ST. PAUL AND THE CONVERSION OF THE GENTILES.
χάριτι θεοῦ είμὶ ὅ εἰμι, καὶ ἡ χάρις αύτοῦ ἡ εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ κενὴ ἐγενήθ̑η, ἀλλὰ περισσότερον αὐτῶν
πάντων ἐκοπίασα, ὀυκ ἐγὼ δὲ, ἀλλὰ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ σὺν ἐμοί.—1 Cor. 15:10.
Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι, ὣν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ.—1 Tim. 1:15.
"Paul’s mind was naturally and perfectly adapted to take up into itself and to develop the free,
universal, and absolute principle of Christianity."—Dr. Baur (Paul, II. 281, English translation).
"Did St. Paul’s life end with his own life? May we not rather believe that in a sense higher than
Chrysostom ever dreamt of [when he gave him the glorious name of ’the Heart of the world’], the
pulses of that mighty heart are still the pulses of the world’s life, still beat in these later ages with
even greater force than ever?"—Dean Stanley (Sermons and Essays on the Apostolic Age. p. 166).
§ 29. Sources and Literature on St. Paul and his Work.(^339) Acts 8; comp. John 4.
(^340) Acts 10 and 11. The account which Peter gave to the brethren at Jerusalem was not a mere repetition of the facts related in
Acts 10, but an apologetic adaptation to the peculiar wants of the audience. This has been well shown by Dean Howson in his
Commentary on those two chapters (in Schaff’s Internat. Com. vol. II.). Comp. my Hist. of Ap. Ch. 217 sqq.
(^341) Acts, 11:26 comp. 26:28, and 1 Pet. 4:16
A.D. 1-100.