(AN: Well, maybe just a few, then. [lol])
(Thank you, Carol. Any ideas who they might be, or, at least, which stories they might be in? I'm curious as to who/what they are)
(As for Heart of the Wind 007, what is it that confuses you? Was it the second chapter? As far as this story goes, its a continuation of Joshua. The first part, I admit, might not be that clear, what with the cutaways to Miriam's story, but I felt that it needed to go somewhere, and anywhere else seemed out of place. Plus, it's been done to death as a stand-alone story [and to great ridicule, especially on here, where you can't "criticize" someone else's work, even if they're just mouthing off hate].)
(There have been many theories as to the authorship of the book of Hebrews. Personally, I leave that subject open to debate. For the purpose of this story, several people, actually, have an intellectual hand in the writing process, as you will soon see.)
Reunion
c. 52 AD
A knock resounded at the door. None of the people within were as young as they had been twenty-one years ago. John, now a middle-aged man whose hair was going gray, pushed himself up and opened the door.
"Do kristianos dwell here?" the short, bald man asked.
John shushed him. "We're still not safe to call upon the name of Jesus publicly."
With a laugh, John and Paul threw their arms around each other.
"It's been too long," John said. "There has been precious little news from any of the others for many years. Please, come inside!"
Paul nodded, then waved his companions in after him. He introduced to John and the two women here Silas, Timothy, Priscilla and Aquila. The two women here were Miriam of Magdala and Miriam the elder. They were both much older than when Paul had first seen them. However he had perceived Miriam before, she looked even more frail and fragile now than back in Jerusalem.
All that night, they listened intently as the two Miriams and John told them about how things in Ephesus transpired. Despite resistance, a healthy number of believers were growing here in the city, even among the Jews.
The biggest surprise, however, came from John. After Paul related to them the details of the mission trip, John informed them that he himself had written an account of the life of Jesus and His doings.
"It seems," Paul said. "Everyone is writing what they remember about the LORD. Last time I was in Jerusalem, Matthew had finished his own. My friend Lucas is doing his best also."
"This one," John said. "Is different. I have written down as much as I remember, but the Ruach...the Spirit, has guided my hand." He then turned to Priscilla and Aquila. "I apologize, I did not mean to exclude you."
"We're Jewish too," Aquila said. "But, please, do go on."
"The Spirit has guided my hand," John said. "For this account is not without a reason. For many years I have pondered what it meant that Jesus was the Son of God. I mean, the Gentiles who believe in Him have little trouble accepting it, but many of our own people do not believe. That is the purpose of this book, to remind the church that He was divine."
"I fear," Paul stated. "that only trouble will come by digging too deeply into the nature of the divinity or humanity of the Christ."
"Why?" Priscilla asked.
"Please, woman, can you not..."
"Wait, wait," Miriam of Magdala interceded. "Let her speak." The others more or less nodded in agreement, and Paul grudgingly gave Priscilla the floor.
"I remember," she said. "That our dear friend Paul said something about the Christ sitting at the right hand of God, making intercession on our behalf."
"Yes, I said that." Paul nodded.
"It occurred to me," she said. "While you were discussing this, that we must hold firmly to the faith in which we believe. Our LORD is our High Priest, making intercession for us, but He is not indifferent to our plight."
"What do you mean?" Timothy asked.
"Before we left Corinth," Aquila interjected. "I received a gift from our friend Sosthenes: it was a copy of Matthew's account of the life of Jesus, which Sosthenes had painstakingly translated for us into Greek."
"My husband and I," Priscilla continued. "Found it moving. But I found the Temptation particularly profound."
"Why?" Miriam of Magdala asked. "I have always been fascinated by the words and miracles that Jesus did!"
"As have we all," Priscilla stated. "However, what Jesus was tempted on were everything that a man or woman could ever want: sensual lusts, personal pride, even the desire of power and glory."
"What is your point?" Paul asked.
"My point is," Priscilla concluded. "That it brought back into my mind what you said of Jesus as making intercession for us. It made me love God and His Son all the more, for He understands our weaknesses: Jesus was tempted in all things even as we are, and yet without sin!"
"Incredible," Paul stated, then turned to Aquila. "You should write this down. People should know about this truth."
"Why not let her?" Aquila asked, indicating to his wife. "She's got the brain of any scribe in her head."
Paul became suddenly tight-lipped and returned to his meal.
"Will you be staying here for a while?" Miriam of Magdala asked.
"No," Paul shook his head.
"But you just got here!" John reasoned.
"The Spirit has spoken," Paul said. "My time is done, for a season."
"Will you return?" the old woman asked.
"If it is God's will." Paul concluded.
The days lagged on after the departure of Paul and his friends. Priscilla and Aquila remained in Ephesus for some time, since they had grown close to John and the two women. They were permitted to stay with them, but they had to conduct their tent-making business outside, for obvious reasons. At length, Paul concluded his business in Ephesus and departed with Silas in tow.
Days passed and one day there was a knock at the door of the house of John bar-Zebedee. Miriam of Magdala went to answer the door and saw standing there one who had been long missed by the brotherhood.
"Barnabas!" she greeted warmly.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" he asked her. "Damascus, right?"
She nodded. "Please, come inside." She stepped aside and gave Barnabas way to enter the house. Behind him stood a man who was no longer a youth.
"John Mark!" Miriam greeted. "Come inside!"
They entered and Priscilla and Miriam got busy with preparing dinner for them, with supervision from the arthritic elder Miriam. Meanwhile, Barnabas and John Mark joined Aquila and John at the table as they shared their experiences with each other. Apparently, after the falling out with Paul, Barnabas had not been inactive.
The topic then turned to Ephesian politics. The worshipers of Artemis had grown particularly fanatic, with some of them actually lashing out violently against the kristianos and Jews in the city. Fortunately, however, God was with them.
"Many of the people here in Ephesus," John stated. "Were followers of John the Baptizer. They still keep the Torah, but they are curious, regarding our beliefs, especially concerning the baptism."
"Which questions?" Barnabas queried.
"Mostly," Aquila said. "If those who followed John's baptism need to be baptized into the fellowship of the kristianos."
"And?" John Mark queried. "What has the response been?"
"We spoke with their leader," Aquila said. "My wife and I. A rabbi from Alexandria named Apollos. He was very open-minded and accepted the truth about the Christ readily."
"Where is he now?" Barnabas asked.
"On his way to Corinth," Aquila stated. "We told him of those of our friends back there who believed, such as Titius and Sosthenes. He will be warmly received." He smiled. "In the meantime, there is work enough for you, my friend."
"What do you mean?" Aquila dismissed himself, walked over to the kitchen and asked Miriam if she could spare Priscilla for a few moments.
"Tell him, love." he told her.
"Tell me what?" Barnabas queried.
"Sir," Priscilla began. "There are many of our friends back in Corinth, Jews from Rome, who would benefit from the truth about Jesus the Christ. After all, we are exposed to the prejudices and fashions of the people of Rome, and it is a great trial to remain faithful to God and to the Torah in a place such as Rome."
"Understandable," Barnabas nodded. "Though we in Cyprus are fully capable of remaining true to the Torah."
"It's not the same in Rome," Priscilla said. "No rabbi would come within a hundred miles of Rome, because of all the traiff and abominable things that happen in the streets of the Imperial City."
"It boils down to this, my friend," Aquila interjected. "How can a man, or woman, remain true and faithful to God in a place like Rome?"
"Prayer to God, of course," Barnabas stated after a moment of pensive silent. "And encouragement from his brothers in Jesus the Christ."
"That's my idea, good sir," Priscilla continued. "I would like to write a letter of encouragement to the Hebrew people living in Corinth. Perhaps they will take it to Rome and read it every Sabbath, encouraging the believers in our faith. But here is the issue: I...I know what to say, I feel the inspiration of the Spirit of Holiness, yet I cannot teach and I can barely write."
"Why can't you teach?" Barnabas asked.
"We had some disagreement with Paul regarding women teaching the Torah to men and women." Aquila stated.
"And many of the rabbi are in agreement with Paul," Priscilla said. "They feel it would be better if the Torah were burned than read by a woman."
"But you won't be reading the Torah," Barnabas interceded. "You'll be offering spiritual support to the brotherhood of believers!"
"Even so," she said. "I could use any help..."
"Of course, I'll help." Barnabas stated. "I am learned, just tell me where to begin."
(AN: Best of both worlds, then. Priscilla and Barnabas act as co-writers of Hebrews.)
(The next chapter is going to jump ahead a little, because it's a bit confusing, even as I was reading and trying to get around how the narrative flows, since it seems to jump about a lot. Hopefully this will be a little more clear and cohesive.)