St. Paul had now begun to take the lead as the chief Apostle of the
Gentiles; it was he who, at Antioch in Pisidia, preached that sermon to
the Jews which they would not heed, but which found acceptance with the
heathen whom they despised. [Sidenote: Missionary journey through Asia
Minor.] The Jews persecuted and blasphemed, but the Gentiles believed;
and, in the account given {32} us of the labours of the Apostles here and
at Iconium, we are reminded of the multitude of conversions and of the
gladness of heart of the converted in the first days after the great Day
of Pentecost[3].

[Sidenote: A.D. 46.]

At Lystra the Apostles found themselves for the first time in the midst
of a thoroughly heathen population, without any admixture of Jews; but
here also they did not hesitate to preach the first Christian "Apology
against Heathenism," and to display the miraculous powers with which the
Holy Ghost had gifted them. [Sidenote: The Apostles confirm and ordain.]
Their Jewish persecutors followed them and drove them to Derbe, the
farthest limit of their journey; and from thence they retraced their
steps, visiting each place where they had preached the Gospel,
"confirming" their numerous converts, and "ordaining" Elders or
Presbyters to have the care of those who were thus admitted to the full
communion of the Church.

Section 2. _The Ministry of the Apostolic Church._

[Sidenote: A.D. 46. Ordination of priests.]

This[4] is the first mention we have of the ordination of Elders, or
Presbyters (or Priests[5], as we are most in the habit of calling them),
though the fact of the existence of such officers has already been hinted
at[6] as well-known and recognized. Thus we see that, as when at first
"the number of the disciples was multiplied," the Apostles delegated part
of their work to the Order of Deacons, so {33} afterwards, when the
Church continued to grow and increase, they provided for her needs by
instituting the Order of the Priesthood, conferring on others, in God's
Name and by His Authority, a larger portion of the ministerial grace they
had themselves received from Him. [Sidenote: Functions of the
Priesthood.] The distinguishing Grace given to those who were called to
the Office of Elder or Presbyter by the "laying on of hands," was, as it
still is, the power of consecrating and offering the Holy Eucharist, that
so, according to St. Paul's words to the Elders of Ephesus, they may
"feed the Church of God