Qui sopra: resti delle terme romane in Perge.

Saint Paul: the Fighter for God.

Latin (L) :“Saul Saul, quid me persequeris?”. Qui dixit: “Quis es, Domine?”. Et ille : « Ego sum Iesus, quem tu persequeris ! Sed surge et ingredere civitatem, et dicetur tibi quid te oporteat facere ».
English (E)” Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me? “. And he asked :” Who are you, Lord? ” The voice replied : ” I am Jesus, whom you persecute. Now, get up and go into the city; there you will be told what you are to do
(/Actus/ Acts , 9 :4-5).

(L) «Cum autem placuit Deo, qui me segregavit de utero matris meae, et vocavit per gratiam suam, ute revelaret Filium suum in me, ut evangelizaret illum in gentibus, continuo non contuli cum carne et sanguine neque ascendi Hyerosolymam ad antecessores meos apostolos, sed abii in Arabiam et iterum reversus sum Damascum »
(E) ” But one day God called me out of his great love, he who had chosen me from my mother’s womb; and he was pleased to reveal in me his Son, that I might make him known among the pagan nations. Then I did not seek human advice nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me. I immediately went to Arabia, and from there I returned again to Damascus” .
( Gal., 1:15-17) .
Perge: resti del tempio romano.

(L) «Deinde post annos tre ascendi Hierosolymam videre (“istoresai”)  Cepham et mansi apud eum diebus quindecim ».
(E)” Later, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to meet Cephas, and I stayed with him for fifteen days”:
(Gal.,1:18).

(L) “Ioseph autem, qui cognominatus est Barnabas – quod est filius consolationis – Levites, Cyprius genere, cum haberet agrum, vendidit et attulit pecuniam et posuit ante pedes apostolorum »
(E) ” This is what a certain Joseph did. He was a Levite fron Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas, meaning – The encouragin one- He sold a field which he owned and handed the money to the apostles .
(Acta/Acts, 4 :36-37) .

(L) ” Et cum a Papho navigassent Paulus et qui cum eo venerunt Pergen Pamhiliae, Iohannes autem discendens ab eis, reversus est Hierosolymam “.
(E) “From Paphos, Paul and his companions set sail and came to Perga in Pamphilya. There John left them and returned to Jerusalem”.
(Actus/Acts, 13:13)

(L) ” Facta est autem in illo tempore turbatio non minima de via Demetrius enim quidam nomine argentarius, faciens aedes argenteas Dianae prestabat artificibus non modicum quaestum quos convocans et eos qui eiusmodi erant opifices dixit :” Viri,  scitis quia de hoc artificio acquisitio est nobis et videt et auditis quia non solum Ephesi, sed paene totius Asiae Paulus hic suadens avertit multam turbam dicens quoniam non sunt dii qui manibus fiunt, non solum autem haec periclitabur nobis pars in redargutionem venire, sed et magnae deae Dianae templum in nihilum reputabitur, sed et destrui incipiet maiestatem eius quam tota Asia et orbis colit”. Hic auditis, repleti sunt ira, et exclamaverunt dicentes magna Diana Ephesiorum et impleta est civitas. Confusione et impetum fecerunt uno animo in theatrum, rapto Gaio et Aristarco Macedonibus comitibus Pauli, Paulo autem nolente intrare in populum non permiserunt discipuli . Quidam autem et de Asiae principibus qui erant amici eius miserunt ad eum rogantes ne se daret in theatrum “.

(E) About that time the city was deeply troubled because of the “way”. It all began because a silversmith named Demetrius , who the silver models of the temple of the goddes Artemis and whose business brought a great deal of profit to the workers. He called them, toghetr with others who did similar work, and said: “Friends, you know that our prosperity depends on this work. But, as you can see and hear for youselves this Paul has led astray a great number of people, non only here in Ephesus but also throughout most of the province of Asia. And he has convinced them that gods made by humans hands are non gods at all. The danger grows that not only our rade will be discredited , but even that the temple of Artemis will count for nothing . She whom Asia and all the world worships may soon be stripped of her renown”. On hearing this, they became enraged and began shouting:” Great is Artemis of the Ephesinians!” The uproar spread throughout the  whole city . The mob rushed to the theater , dragging with them Caius and Aristarcus , two Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions . Paul wished to face this crowd, but the disciples would not let him . Some counselors of the Asian province also , who were friends of Paul , sent him a message, begging him not  to show himself in the theater.
Actus/Acts, 19: 23-31.