In a note at the end of this Epistle to the Romans, we are told that Paul was writing from Corinth. This letter was then carried to Rome by Phebe, a faithful worker in the church at Cenchrea, near Corinth. It is impossible to pin-point the date when it was written, but we can determine some generalities. For example, we shall see that Paul is preparing to carry a special love offering from the churches of Macedonia and Achaia to the suffering saints in Judea. This helps us to determine that this was written sometime during Paul’s Third Missionary Journey. It was probably penned during the early verses of Acts 18, but it could have even been later. As we saw in our study of Acts, Paul went from Corinth to Ephesus, back through Macedonia and then on to Jerusalem with the gifts of the saints. This epistle could have been written during a very brief revisit to Corinth in Acts 20, but I doubt it.
Following the Third Missionary Journey, as you will recall, Paul went to Jerusalem where he was arrested. He was jailed for disturbing the peace and was sent to Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast. After a considerable length of time, he appealed unto Caesar and was put on board a ship bound for Rome. His ship ran aground in St. Paul’s Bay, Malta, but eventually Paul was taken on up into Italy. Then for some months he was permitted to live under house arrest in an apartment of his own choosing. He spent that time teaching and preaching the gospel to everyone who came by his door, which included, as some allege, notable Romans such as the Philosopher Seneca. Unfortunately for us, this is where the inspired history closes.
At this point we are forced to refer to secular history – some of which is trustworthy, and some which isn’t. But it is almost unanimously agreed that Paul was eventually released and freed to travel as he had before. Sadly, from that point on reliable testimonies are few and far between, and every point and date are debated. Many, but not all, think that Paul was arrested a second time, brought to Rome, and was beheaded under orders from Nero.
What has all this got to do with Buzz Lightyear and his “to infinity and beyond”? As stated here in Romans, it was Paul’s intention to travel to Spain in order “preach the gospel, not where Christ was named.” Of course, Paul was not privy to the will of God for other evangelists and other ordinary Christians. He couldn’t have known whether or not the gospel had been preached on the western end of the Mediterranean, but there was nothing wrong with him assuming that it was still virgin missionary soil. And although it wouldn’t really be correct, we might say that Spain was at the edge of the world. It was on the border of infinity. Was there anything beyond? Yes there was.
Let me summarize what my favorite commentary on Romans (Robert Haldane) says: Some people argue that since Paul was inspired to declare his intention to go to Spain, then this is proof that he actually went. Others say that since there is no scriptural declaration that he was ever in Spain, then this is proof that his desire was not Holy Spirit inspired. Both these opinions are wrong. Paul had fully determined to visit Spain, and the Holy Spirit inspired him to declare his intention. Whether or not there is Biblical, historical or archeological evidence of Paul’s presence on the Iberian Peninsula that doesn’t mean that he was not there 2,000 years ago. There are other occasions which show that Paul was sometimes disappointed in his expectations and purposes; but this is not one of those cases. No scripture says that Paul did not go to Spain. The only reason why we should hesitate in believing it is that this is not necessarily required by the inspiration of the passage. Tradition affirms that Paul was in Spain, but this is not proof. So what does Haldane say about Spain? “We’re not really sure.”
Here’s another commentary from my library, written by Sandford Mills – “Whether Paul ever went to Spain is debatable. It makes no different to the 20th century Christianity, and it is needless to discuss it. Paul is telling the saints at Rome that he is planning to see them on his way to Spain. He is looking forward to seeing them, that they may even be able to accompany him for a certain distance, and perhaps furnish him with things necessary for the trip. His hopes and ambitions did not materialize. He came to Rome not as a preacher, but as a prisoner.” This man seems to say that Paul was definitely not released. But to this there seems to be lots of evidence that he was.
A great many writers, like John Gill, agree with Haldane, “The Bible doesn’t say, so we just can’t be sure.” Albert Barnes – “Whether he ever fulfilled his purpose of visiting Spain is a matter of doubt. Some of the fathers, Theodoret among others, say that after he was released from his captivity, he passed two years in Spain. But there is no certain evidence of this. Paul probably projected many journeys which were never accomplished.”
But then we have respected people like A.T. Robertson who wrote a book called “Epochs in the Life of Paul.” In it he says, “Clement of Rome (referred to in Philippians 4:3), writing to Corinth from Rome, expressly says that Paul “had gone to the limit of the West” before his martyrdom. That could only mean Spain from the Roman point of view. In the Canon of Muratori it is stated that Paul went to Spain. In the spring or early summer of A.D. 64 we may imagine Paul at last in Spain. He had reached the goal of his ambition after much tribulation. He had some fruit in the West also.”
Please don’t quote me as saying that I am convinced that Paul took the gospel to Spain. But feel free to say, Brother Oldfield is NOT CONVINCED that Paul did NOT GO TO SPAIN between his first Roman imprisonment and his second. And with that we come to my second question for this evening.
W.A. Jarrel wrote a book called “Baptist Church Perpetuity,” published in 1894. He introduces his chapter 23 with the words: “Rev. FRANCIS THACKERAY, A.M. formerly of Benbrooke College, Cambridge, from his “Researches Into the Ecclesiastical and Political Sate of Great Britain,” is quoted: ‘We have reason to believe that Christianity was preached in both countries, Gaul and Britain, before the close of the first century. The result of my investigations on my own mind has been the conviction that about 60, A.D., in the time of St. Paul a church existed in Britain.” Jarrel then goes on, “There are authorities of great weight who maintain that the gospel was introduced at an earlier period than the one mentioned by Mr. Thackeray. As Christianity was certainly introduced very early into Britain, so far as the perpetuity question is concerned, the exact date is immaterial. Inasmuch as Baptists understand that the first churches were Baptist churches, to stop to prove to them that the first churches in Britain were Baptist churches, is unnecessary. Immersion continued in England as Dr. Wall informs us, until the Reformation period…” And to this the Venerable Bede agrees and attests. John T. Christian quotes Dr. R.B.C. Howell – “The prevalence of Baptists in Britain, from the earliest times and in no small numbers, will be questioned by no one who is at all familiar with the religious history of the land of our fathers.”
Our question then become: If Christianity could be found in Britain in the first century, how did it get there? There are some who believe that it was the Apostle Paul himself who first took it there. That would certainly be in agreement with his desire to “preach the gospel, not where Christ was named.”
There is a book digitized from the Library of the Harvard Divinity School called “The Life and Travels of the Apostle Paul.” It was published in 1833 in Boston; I couldn’t determine the name of the author. It says that after Paul’s release from house arrest, he traveled through northern Italy preaching the gospel. And then ‘after leaving Italy, the Apostle crossed the Mediterranean sea, and arrived in Spain. Although he preached in various places in that country, it does not appear that he spent any length of time in it, or proceeded towards its southern parts. On the contrary, soon after his arrival, he turned northward, and, pursuing his journey, passed through France, preaching on his way as opportunity offered, till he crossed the channel, and, in the sixty-sixth year of his age, arrived in England — a long and perilous journey from the bright and sunny regions of the east. At the period of his arrival Britain was a Roman colony. London and Verulam were its principal cities — both of them wealthy, populous, and flourishing places. An immense number of Roman citizens resided in them, and the communication betwixt them and the capital of the world, now so sunk and degraded, was constant. Many Britons of high rank had been to Rome, and many Romans of distinction had visited the British shores. The progress of the Christian religion in foreign parts, therefore, was no secret to the inhabitants of England; and the Apostle’s appearance was hailed with joy by them. We need not tell that his preaching was successful, nor that the blessed light of the gospel almost immediately dispersed those dark and gloomy superstitions which had hung like a lowering cloud over Britain for many a long and dismal day. “After the lapse of nine months — passed in Spain, France, and Britain — Paul embarked on shipboard, and proceeded by sea to” return to the Mediterranean. I cannot tell you that this man didn’t just make all this up – that is possible. On the other hand, it could be that he knew what he was talking about.
One of the most curious non-Biblical accounts used to speak about Paul’s later life is the “Sonnini Manuscript.” It is sometimes called the “29th Chapter of Acts,” but that is only an euphemism, because the inspired Biblical account definitely ends with Acts 28:31. This manuscript is certainly of ancient origin, but whether true or not, it cannot be determined. It says: “And Paul, full of the blessings of Christ, and abounding in the spirit, departed out of Rome, determining to go into Spain, for he had a long time proposed to journey thitherward, and was minded also to go from thence to Britain. For he had heard in Phoenicia that certain of the children of Israel, about the time of the Assyrian captivity, had escaped by sea to “The Isles afar off” as spoken by the Prophet Ezra, and called by the Romans – Britain. And the Lord commanded the gospel to be preached far hence to the Gentiles, and to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And no man hindered Paul; for he testified boldly of Jesus before the tribunes and among the people; and he took with him certain of the brethren which abode with him at Rome, and they took shipping at Ostrium and having the winds fair, were brought safely into a haven of Spain. And much people were gathered together from the towns and villages, and the hill country; for they had heard of the conversion to the apostle, and the many miracles which he had wrought. And Paul preached mightily in Spain, and great multitudes believed and were converted, for they perceived he was an apostle sent from God. And they departed out of Spain, and Paul and his company finding a ship in Armorica sailing unto Britain, they were therein, and passing along the south coast, they reached a port called Raphinus. “Now when it was voiced abroad that the apostle had landed on their coast, great multitudes of the inhabitants met him, and they treated Paul courteously and he entered in at the east gate of their city, and lodged in the house of a Hebrew and one of his own nation. “And on the morrow he came and stood upon Mount Lud and the people thronged at the gate, and assembled in the Broadway, and he preached Christ unto them, and they believed the Word and the testimony of Jesus.”
Did Paul preach the gospel in Britain? I am not going to say that he did, in fact, I rather doubt that he did. But there are good brethren friends of mine who are convinced of the opposite.
And with this I’m going to close. Do you remember that I read a quote from A.T. Robertson who said that Clement declares that Paul preached in Spain? Let me re-read the last part of that quote and then finish his paragraph on this subject. “He had reached the goal of his ambition after much tribulation. He had some fruit in the West also.” That is where I cut off my earlier quote, but now let me go on… “One may pass by as without foundation the late tradition that Paul went on to Britain. He was probably in Spain when the awful catastrophe befell Rome, July 19. A.D. 64.” Robertson believes that Paul was in the Roman province of Spain when Nero caused the city of Rome to be destroyed by fire. Nero then ordered the arrest of Christians throughout the empire accusing them of being the perpetrators of his crime. It was at that time that both Peter and Paul were arrested. Paul was then returned to Rome, condemned to die, and while Peter was crucified, Paul, the Roman citizen was beheaded.
Did Paul preach in Spain? I think that he probably did. Did he preach the gospel in Britain? Probably not – but I could be wrong.