-65.] It
will not be necessary to enter into the particulars which drew upon St.
Paul the unjust indignation of the Jews, and induced him to appeal from
their persecutions and the popularity-seeking of Festus to the justice of
the emperor: we need only remember that the conclusion of the Book of the
Acts shows him to us a prisoner "in his own hired house" at Rome, and
there preaching and teaching "with all confidence," first, as ever, to
the Jews, and afterwards to the Gentiles.
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Section 7. _Extent of the Labours of the Apostles._
We are told but little in Holy Scripture as to the particulars of the
Apostles' work in founding the Church of God, except in the case of St.
Paul, and we are not allowed to trace even his labours to their end.
[Sidenote: Preaching of the Apostles in all known countries.] From other
sources we learn that the twelve visited almost every known country of
the world, so as to give to each separate race of men then existing an
opportunity of refusing or accepting the offer of the salvation of which
they were the ministers and stewards. We are also told that all, except
St. John and perhaps St. Matthew, crowned their life of toil in the
service of their Lord by a martyr's death. St. Peter and St. Paul both
suffered at Rome in the First Persecution under Nero, and most likely on
the same day, A.D. 67.
The following Table[28] will show the probable field of the labours of
each Apostle, so far as the record of it has come down to us:--
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Supposed Fields of Apostolic Labour.
Name of Churches. By whom Founded.
Palestine and Syria All the Apostles.
Mesopotamia (Turkey in Asia) St. Peter and St. Jude.
Persia St. Bartholomew and St. Jude
India St. Bartholomew and St. Thomas.
Thrace (Turkey in Europe) St. Andrew. The flourishing
Church of Constantinople
afterwards sprang up on this
field of his labours.
Scythia (Russia) St. Andrew.
North Africa (Egypt and St. Simon Zelotes. St. Mark
Algeria) specially connected with
Alexandria.
Ethiopia (Central Africa). St. Matthew.
Arabia. St. Paul.
Asia Minor (Turkey in Asia) St. Paul and St. John.
Macedo
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