thinking that something more than a miracle was needed to convince the world of the truth of Paul’s doctrine.  A miracle, to the truth of which more than five hundred have already testified.  First he appeared to Mary and Martha, afterwards to Cleophas and Khuza.  On the way to Emmaus he stayed and supped with them and afterwards he appeared to the twelve.  Hast met all the twelve and consulted with them?  Jesus asked, and Paul, a little irritated by the interruption, answered that he had seen Peter and John and James and Philip but he knew not the others; and, of course, James, the brother of the Lord.  Tell me about him, Jesus answered.  He admits Jesus as a prophet among the others but no more, and observes the law more strictly than any other Jew, a narrow-minded bigot that has opposed my teaching as bitterly as the priests themselves.  It was he who, Paul began, but Jesus interrupted and asked about Peter.  Where was he?  And what doctrine is he preaching?  Paul answered that Peter was at Antioch, though why he should choose to live there has always seemed strange to me, for he does not speak Greek.  But what trade does he follow?  Jesus asked.  There are marshes and lakes about Antioch, Paul replied, and these are well stocked with fish, of a quality inferior, however, to those he used to catch in the lake of Gennesaret, but still fish for which there is some sale.  He and John own some boats and they ply up and down the marshes, and draw up a living in their nets, a poor and uncertain living I believe it to be, for they are often about telling stories to the faithful of our Lord Jesus Christ, who pay them for their recitals.  One is always with them, a woman called Rachel.  It is said that she poisoned a rival at a wedding, a girl called Ruth whom Jesus raised from the dead.  Ruth went to her husband, but Rachel followed Jesus of Nazareth....  Thou’rt a Galilean, Paul said, and know these stories better than I.

As they walked on together, Paul’s thoughts returned to the miracle of his apostleship, received, he said, by me from Jesus Christ our Lord himself on the road to Damascus.  Thy brethren have doubtless related the story to thee how in my journey from Jerusalem to Damascus, full of wrath to kill and to punish the saints, I was blinded by a great light from the skies, and out of a cloud Jesus Christ our Lord spoke to me:  Paul!  Paul! he cried, why persecutest thou me?  Ever since I have preached that there is but one Mediator between God and man—­Christ Jesus our Lord, and if I ran out whilst thou wast telling thy story, crying, he is mad, he is mad! it was because it seemed to me that thou wert speaking by order of the Jews who would ensnare and entrap me or for some other reason.  None may divine men’s desire of soul, unless an evil spirit has descended into thee I may not divine any reason for thy story.  There is some mistake that none would regret more than thou, for thou wouldst hear the truth from me this day, thereby gaining everlasting life.  Why dost thou