(AN: New chapter. Had intended it to be longer, but couldn't seem to get it going any more than just this. Oh well, that's just how it happens. Probably means I'll have to complete Paul's part in this story in seven pieces, rather than six, but it should still be okay.)
Jerusalem
Almost thirty years ago, a young rabbi had entered Jerusalem during the Passover to welcoming crowds and praises on everyone's lips. In a stunning turn of events, that self-same rabbi was, not but seven days later, betrayed and led out of the city, mocked by the crowds who had cheered Him, despised by those who loved Him. The events of this day were similar, which must cause one to reason.
Though the Cult of the Way was still relatively small in Jerusalem, it seemed that all of them had come out to welcome Raf Sha'ul back among them. With Lucas, Demas, Timothy and several others in tow, Paul entered into the city of David: yet their entrance was delayed. All around them gathered the fellow members, the brotherhood of the Way. With much rejoicing they received them and practically escorted him to the house.
Meanwhile, some distance away, another crowd watched the proceedings with suspicion and hatred. Chief among them was Ananias, who had succeeded Caiphas as High Priest. The Sanhedrin that now inhabited the seat of Moses was not that which had permitted the Way to go unchecked thirty years hence. Even Gamaliel's teachings of tolerance were lost on the ears of this new generation.
"Pitiful," Ananias said to his fellows of the Sanhedrin. "He was once the greatest champion HaShem ever had: now he has become our enemy."
"Who are those with him?" another asked.
"His lackeys," Ananias continued. "And look!" He pointed at one in Paul's group. "He consorts with Gentiles!"
"Despicable!" a third sneered, punctuating his statement with a projectile of spit in Paul's general direction.
"It gets worse," Ananias said. "The Gentiles are always jealous of us and the blessings that HaShem has given us. This cult of their preaches that we are the aggressors who killed their false messiah. With the Gentiles hand in hand with these heretics, it will only be a matter of time before Rome has enough with us."
"What do you propose we do?" a fourth asked.
"Don't worry," Ananias replied. "I have a plan."
Back in the Upper Room, the veritable head-quarters of the Way. Many faces were missing, and of those who remained, many were now old, almost beyond use. Into this place Paul and his friends gathered. Meeting them here were Peter and James, the brother of Joshua, now simply called Justus for his unflinching devotion to the Torah.
While food was being prepared, the old among them took their seats and discussed among themselves this and that, their adventures and so on. Peter was now literate, having learned from John Mark, and was now writing letters to the believers abroad. James himself had done like-wise, and it was partly for this reason that he had requested a meeting with Paul.
"Brother," James said to Paul. "We in Jerusalem have heard all the good that you have done throughout your journeys. But there have been some disturbing reports from our brethren abroad concerning your teachings."
"What do they say?" Paul asked.
"They say," James began. "That you preach to our brothers among the Gentiles not to uphold the Torah, so far as forgetting circumcision!"
"Observance to the Torah is immaterial for salvation," Paul said. "Because the sinful heart of man does not wish to obey. Only by being transformed through the power of God are we able to obey His holy Torah."
"But you cannot tell them to ignore the Torah," James continued. "For instance, if you don't kill, but yet you commit adultery, you have broken the Torah. Whoever keeps all the Torah, but stumbles in even one point, is guilty of breaking all of it."
Paul grumbled. "Alright, what do you want me to do about it?"
"Four of our men have taken a vow of purification," James said. "If you go with them to the Temple for their ceremony, our brothers will know that you live in obedience to the Torah."
Paul nodded, but said nothing. Meanwhile the food was brought in, and after praise had been given, Peter sat down at Paul's side.
"Do you remember the last time we were here in Jerusalem?" the old fisher of men asked.
"Yes," Paul nodded. "There was some discussion about what the Gentile believers should practice."
"You'll be happy to know," Peter stated. "That our decision has gone out and been well-received."
"That is good," Paul nodded.
"One more thing," Peter interjected. "I have heard from young Timothy that you are of a mind to go to Rome. Is this true?"
Silence fell upon the assembly as they heard those words. All eyes now turned to Peter and Paul, wondering what would happen next. Maybe they had heard wrong: it seemed so shocking, this giant revelation of something so outrageous, so preposterous.
"I..." Paul responded slowly. "I do intend to go to Rome."
"Why?" one of the younger believers here asked. "Rome is our enemy!"
"We are told to love our enemies, my son," Peter replied.
"Even so, they killed our LORD and Master!"
"As did the people of Israel," Peter returned. "But we show them the mercy of God and offer them a chance yet to repent."
"But that's different!" the young man returned. "We are the people of God, who've had His Word revealed to us since the beginning! All the Romans have done is make our lives miserable."
"But both have sinned," Paul interjected. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave or free, male or female, for all are one in our LORD the Messiah!"
"Even so," the young man said. "Mark my words, the people of Israel won't take kindly to this news. Rebellion is in the wind: the people of Israel are weary of the oppression of Rome and soon, very soon, something will have to be done about it."
The day following, Paul led the four believers to the temple for their purification ceremony. Relative peace and quiet followed for the next six days. Then, on the seventh day, Paul and the four gentlemen returned to the Temple for the conclusion of their ceremony. Suddenly, it seemed as though the ocean had broken free right there in the streets of Jerusalem. An angry mob was assembling outside the Temple, making their way swiftly towards the court of men.
"There he is!" one shouted.
"Blasphemer!" another added.
"Traitor! Defiler! Away with such a fellow from the earth!"
"He doesn't deserve to live!"
The mob descended upon Paul from all directions, taking up by his robes and dragging him from out of the court of the Temple. The Temple guard, who usually kept law and order within the Temple grounds, merely looked the other way. As the mob started issuing out, they closed the doors behind them.
In the streets of the city, pure human hatred broke through years upon years of the resolve of the people of Israel. Many among the crowd were from Asia Minor, and had come all this way just to see Paul die: those from Jerusalem, unable to vent their hatred against Rome, joined in with beating and kicking Paul. There seemed to be no escape for the short, bald old man.
Suddenly, the crimson-clad lines of the Romans could be seen marching through the streets towards the mob scene. News was reported to Claudius Lysias, commander of the garrison at the fortress Antonia, of a riot at the Temple, and he dispatched a platoon to restore order. Seeing that the object of their tumult was the short man in their midst, the soldiers locked their shields, their hands upon their short swords, and marched into the mob.
Moments later, Paul was being brought to the fortress in the midst of a hedge of shields and swords. Two soldiers stood in the midst, one holding him by the feet, the other by his shoulders. Though the mob had quieted when they saw commander Lysias' banner and the soldiers, they continued their outcry once the Romans started taking him away. Furthermore, Lysias could not get an indictment out of them since all they shouted was chaos. Of course, the repeated chants of "Kill him! Kill him!" were the most prevalent, yet they could not get a reason.
At the steps leading up to the fortress, Lysias dismounted and told the soldiers to take the prisoner inside to be bound. Moments later, Paul was brought out, hands clasped in iron bonds.
"May I speak a few words in my defense?" Paul cried out.
"Wait!" Lysias held up his hand, shouting to his soldiers in Latin. He then turned to the prisoner and addressed him thusly. "You speak Greek?" Paul nodded. "Who are you, that the people want you dead? Are you that Egyptian who led four thousand into the desert?"
"No," Paul returned, speaking Greek. "I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia: let me speak to the people." Lysias nodded, then waved to the crowds.
"Good people of Israel!" Paul said to them, speaking in their native tongue. "I am a Jew from Tarsus, but raised in this very city, a student of Gamaliel, and learned in the Torah. I daresay, my zeal for HaShem was as great as any of you this very day: I persecuted unto death the followers of the Way: just ask the High Priest, they can vouch for me.
"But one day, it all changed. The LORD, Joshua the Messiah, came to me on the Road to Damascus, and, blinding my eyes, He let me see. I was born to Damascus and there received my sight again and was commissioned to give the good news to the Gentiles!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowds erupted into a vehement sea of hatred, shouting that he be killed.
"Take him to the barracks," Lysias ordered his men. "Strip him of his clothes and have him beaten. Maybe that will get a confession out of him."
"Is it lawful to scourge a Roman citizen without proof of his guilt?"
Lysias ordered them to halt, then turned to Paul.
"Do you claim Roman citizenship?" he asked.
"Yes," Paul nodded.
"I had to pay for my citizenship!" Lysias retorted.
"But I was born a citizen," Paul replied.
Lysias sighed angrily. This was hardly something that could be gotten rid of easily. Here was one against whom all of the city were crying out for his blood, yet he did not wish to break Roman law.
"Centurion!" Lysias shouted to one of his men.
"Yes, sir." the man said, snapping to attention.
"Take this man to the dungeon," he said, indicating to Paul. He then turned to the prisoner. "Tomorrow morning, I'll have the Sanhedrin meet. They will discuss your case."
(AN: Part of me thinks that ten years is enough time to complete a book of the size of the epistle of James, and therefore, it's quite possible that John's brother wrote it. I think Joshua had earthly brothers by Joseph and Miriam [so it is written], I just never entertained the thought of James "the Just" writing the epistle of James. I don't know, maybe that's just me.)
(Once again, if I have to repeat myself about how I harbor absolutely no ill-feelings towards the Jewish people, I'm going to get quite irate. Also, in case you missed it, the nameless young Israelite boy's statements are about the destruction of Jerusalem, which won't be featured but is sure to happen. [furthermore, and I just realized this now, he is the son of Paul's sister])