THE APOSTLE

by  SHOLEM ASCH

There’s a dear lady I know, who happens to be my sister-in-law, and who, when she sets her mind to something, always follows through.   In a conversation with her one day, I mentioned that I really had a difficult time feeling any empathy for a fellow named Saint Paul. In the main, it was because I felt he was a male chauvinist. I assured her that my antagonism toward Saint Paul was well-founded.   I based my argument on the fact that some few of the female followers of Jesus of Nazareth had reached positions of high rank in the group of those forced to flee to Africa for their safety along with the Disciple James and others; but, that as far as I was able to discover, such high rank was not tendered to any other women in Christianity from the time of the mission of Paul and Peter (that ended so disastrously for them in Rome) until the early twentieth century A.C.E.  Even though she neither agreed nor disagreed with me, she had apparently decided then and there that I should look more closely at St. Paul.  One day she handed me a book to read and its title was “The Apostle” by Sholem Asch.   Because I love her, I did not argue, but took the book and read it.  The power of it astounded me, haunted me. The entire 754 pages of that great book held me transfixed from beginning to end.  I could not put it down until I had finished reading.  Now, I know I’m a little late in writing a review of a book that was published more than fifty years ago.  Clifton Fadiman wrote in The New Yorker in 1943, after the publication of The Apostle: "Let the Nobel Committee convene as soon as may be and award this year's prize for literature to Sholem Asch."  However, the Nobel committee did not come forward.  Yet, it is my understanding that The Apostle today commands almost as great an audience as did the original publication.  The full power and glory, bravery and heroism, tenacity and courage of those early founders of Christianity is brought forth in this master work by a Jew whose magnificent writing actually sounds quite Christian to me -- Sholem Asch.

And for all the self-improvement gurus out there – Paul has the perfect instructions for unfolding health, wealth and happiness at Phillipians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Go to http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/paul.html for a documentation of the life of St. Paul.