Jason of Tarsus
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Now Jason was free to make his long desired trip to see his beloved Martha. He told himself that this time he would not listen to her mother’s objections, but would insist on setting a date for the wedding.
He had never seen Martha so alive and animated. She ran to him with her arms open wide and engulfed him with a warm embrace.
“My, I have never seen you so loving and so animated,” Jason cried.
“Oh, darling, I have such good news for you. We have had a guest in our house who has taught us new joy and faith in God. He showed us that Jesus really was God himself in human flesh and that he died for our sins and for the sins of the whole world.”9
“No, no, no, my dear. You have been deluded. Who is this man you speak of?”
“His name is Paulus.”
“Paulus! That is the man I have been searching for. He has gone all over Asia Minor and has wrecked synagogues everywhere he has gone. He has led many astray and is establishing ‘churches’ everywhere made up of Jews and Greeks together. When I find him, I will silence him forever.”
“Oh, no, Jason, he truly is a man of God. You must believe him.”
Late that night Jason left the home of Lydia and Martha in despair. He had not been able to convince them of his fears about Paulus, and now realized that Martha was lost to him forever, for he could not accept Paulus’ teachings. What had been anger and frustration was now fierce hatred for Paulus. He was determined in his desire to destroy him and his teachings.
Realizing that he had come to a dead end in his search for his uncle Saul, and that he was now engaged in a search for Paulus, Jason reluctantly turned his steps back to Tarsus. On the way, considering the fact it had been a long time since he had celebrated the Passover in Jerusalem, he decided to make a stop there to fulfill this obligation. Possibly he might find some more traces of his uncle or Paulus while there.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
In a surprising turn of events, the life of Jason of Tarsus intersects with that of his elusive uncle, the Apostle Paul. As the life and travels of this fictitious nephew unfold, so also does an imaginative but highly probable story of the unknown years of the famous apostle’s life. While rounding out the picture of the beloved Apostle Paul, this well-researched novel also brims over with glimpses of first-century personalities and cultures, in settings that range from perilous mountain passes near Tarsus, to bustling cities, to the balmy southern coast of Spain.
About the Author
F. Burleigh Willard, retired Free Methodist missionary, spent his entire ministry among Latin Americans. He was director and teacher in Bible schools in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Latin districts in the United States, and has also written several text books in Spanish for these Bible schools. Burleigh has four children. Now widowed for the second time, and nearing his 90th birthday, he resides in Lincoln, Illinois, with his daughter, Celia Willard Milslagle, who graciously cares for him and has collaborated in the writing and publishing of five books in English.