The Apostle

For a delightful journey back into the days of the 1st century church this book by one of the worlds most famous Yiddish authors is a breath of fresh air. This is not the bible, but a historical novel. I have ordered most of Sholem Asch's books after first reading The Nazarene which I had stumbled into by chance from a used bookstore.

It is August 19, 2001 and I checked the original hard cover book out of my church library in June. Two months is a long time for me to read a book, but this one was well worth my time. I have come to understand the differences between St. Peter and St. Paul. I have come to understand how Paul's letters developed from the early ones to the ones written just before his death. This book is the agony and ecstasy of Paul's life. It is a love story of one man for his Lord, and of his mission here on earth. It is beautifully written, a classic that will never grow old.

My husband is 97 years young and this is one of the books that is in his bookcase. All of the books are very old and very useful for study books. I found this one and have been reading it for awhile. I then check it out with the Bible. I have found it to be an excellent book. Sometimes we are not understanding of earlier times because we cannot imagine that life existed like this. Yet according to the Bible it did. If you can get a copy read it and it will enlighten you. The one I read was the Cardinal Paper Back and it cost .50 when he bought it in 1957.

This book profoundly changed my outlook on the Apostle Paul and especially the world in which he was living. Asch is obviously very well read in the NT and history and it shows in all the little facts he weaves into that tale to really bring the times to life. The book is a bit slow at the beginning but hang in there because it really picks up later on. I hope this book will inspire you as much as it did for me.

I have an original hard copy of this book! I didn't realize how popular Sholem Asch is, now I know after reading "The Apostle". This book takes you on a trip during Biblical times with Saint Paul and the other Saints/characters of the Bible. Sholem transports you on a journey to the landscapes, people, lifestyles, morals, values, and THE WORD. The power of the Holy Spirit just breathes over this work and inspires all of us to be the "Apostles" that God wants us to be - under any circumstances. If you get a chance to read this inspirational work of his I'm sure that you will recognize that the Holy Spirit must have guided his hand. If you ever wondered what it might have been like during the beginning of the Christian Movement you will get a wonderfully detailed picture from this book. This book has helped me with a new mission as a Christian. I am also on a mission trying to collect as many of his works as possible (even though most are out of print). His books are outstanding!