of the Lord Jesus Christ had not as yet been written down, and
all that the Thessalonians knew about Him was from Paul's preaching and
teaching. They could not turn to their Bibles as you can when you long
to know just what the Saviour would have you do.

So Paul wrote to them again, explaining that they must wait in
patience, quietly doing their daily work, and earning their own bread,
as he and his companions had done whilst living in Thessalonica. (2
Thessalonians iii. 12.)

Most of St. Paul's Epistles--that is, his letters--were written in this
way because of some special need or danger.

The converts in Corinth, Galatia, or Ephesus, were in difficulty, or in
danger of losing their faith in Christ, and Paul, ever watchful, but
unable to go to them at the moment, wrote the message of comfort and
warning which God had put into His heart.

At last there came a time when Paul could visit his converts no more.

The Roman rulers were as yet not angry with the followers of Christ.
They simply despised them, and thought the Jews very foolish to trouble
about a pack of low, ignorant people. 'They are mostly slaves or such
like whose opinions are worth nothing. Why do they not let them alone
as we do?' said the proud Romans.

But at last so bitter had the Jews become against Paul, and so violent
were their attacks on him, that the Roman Government was obliged to
interfere. Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and imprisoned in Caesarea.
Here he remained for many months, until, at last, finding he would get
no justice from the Roman governor, he demanded to be taken to Rome
itself to the Judgment Seat of the Emperor.

Two or three years before this he had written a most wonderful letter
to the Roman Christians.

'_To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints,_' his
letter was addressed. He told them how he prayed for them, and how he
longed to see them '_Making request, if by any means now at length I
might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you._'
(Romans i. 10.)

His prayer was answered, but he came as a prisoner in the year of our
Lord 61.

Yet Paul was not put in prison when he arrived in Rome. He was allowed
to see his friends, and even to hire a lodging of his own, though day
and night he had to be chained to a Roman soldier. The soldiers were
changed when their watch expired, but never for one instant could the
Apostle go free.

Many of these Roman soldiers were har