God called a runaway slave to save the Irish. St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity’s most widely known figures. At the age of 16, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family’s estate. He was sold into slavery and his slaveowner sent him out to tend the flocks. After six years of captivity, he escaped back to Britain, became ordained as a bishop, and returned to Ireland as a missionary in c. 432/433. St. Patrick was so successful in reaching the Irish for Christ that he is generally credited with bringing Christianity to the people of Ireland.
Patrick’s captivity and enslavement by the Irish
Patrick was the son of Christian parents, who was born in Roman Britain (presently Great Britain) around 390. Little is know of his early life except for what is mentioned in his Confession. His father was a deacon and his grandfather was a priest.
While as a young man at his father’s farm, Patrick was captured by Irish raiders. The Irish were Celtic people, who lived beyond the borders of the empire. And when the Roman legions withdrew for the defense of the Continent, the Irish–then called Scots–began swooping down on the English coast, sailing up the rivers, raiding the settlements, and carrying off plunder and slaves.1Bruce L. Shelley. Church History in Plain Language-2nd Edition. Thomas Nelson Publishers. 1995 He writes about the time he was taken into captivity.
I was at that time about sixteen years of age. I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people, according to our deserts, for quite drawn away from God, we did not keep his precepts, nor were we obedient to our priests who used to remind us of our salvation. And the Lord brought down on us the fury of his being and scattered us among many nations, even to the ends of the earth, where I, in my smallness, am now to be found among foreigners.
Excerpt from Patrick’s Confession
Patrick’s conversion to Christ
In Ireland, Patrick was sold to a sheep farmer, and became a shepherd. While in captivity, Patrick began to pray ardently. He writes that God brought about an awareness of his sin and God’s watchful care over him, as a loving father would do.
And there the Lord opened my mind to an awareness of my unbelief, in order that, even so late, I might remember my transgressions and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my insignificance and pitied my youth and ignorance. And he watched over me before I knew him, and before I learned sense or even distinguished between good and evil, and he protected me, and consoled me as a father would his son.
Excerpt from Patrick’s Confession
Patrick’s escape from Ireland and vision to return
After six years of enslavement in Ireland, Patrick heard a voice telling him that he would go home, and then that his ship was ready. Fleeing his master, he traveled to a port, two hundred miles away, where he found a ship and with difficult persuaded the captain to take him.
After three days’ sailing, they landed, presumably in Britain, and apparently all left the ship, walking for 28 days in a “wilderness” and becoming faint from hunger. Then, after Patrick prayed for sustenance, they encountered a herd of wild boar, since this was shortly after Patrick had urged them to put their faith in God, his prestige in the group was greatly increased. After various adventures, he returned home to his family, now in his early twenties. After returning home to Britain, Patrick continued to study Christianity.2Patrick’s account of his escape from slavery and return home to Britain is recounted in his Declaration.3https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick#life
Sometime later, Patrick had a visionary experience, much like the apostle Paul’s vision of the Macedonian recorded for us in Acts 16:9-10. In the vision, a man named “Victoricus from Ireland gave him a letter headed, “The Voice of the Irish.” As he began to read it, he felt that he was being called by the people of Ireland, who cried out to him, “We appeal to you, holy servant boy, come and walk among us!”4Sinclair B. Ferguson. In the Year of Our Lord: Reflections on Twenty Centuries of Church History. Ligonier Ministries, Sanford, FL. 2018
Patrick’s decision to return to the land of his captivity
In his Confession, he wrote about his response to all the work God had done in his life:
Therefore, indeed, I cannot keep silent, nor would it be proper, so many favors and graces has the Lord designed to bestow on me in the land of my captivity. For after chastisement from God, and recognizing him, our way to repay him is to exalt him and confess his wonders before every nation under heaven.
Excerpt from Patrick’s Confession
Patrick decided to return, but first he had to learn more about Christianity. So, he left his family, over their protests, and traveled to Gaul where, after years of study, he was ordained a bishop at Auxerre. He could have remained in Gaul or returned to his family, but Patrick believed he had a mission to the people he left behind; and so he returned to Ireland.5https://www.worldhistory.org/Saint_Patrick/
How Patrick converted a nation
Patrick arrived in England around the year 432. His years of slavery among the Irish seem to have prepared him for his mission. He was a man of courage who understood the Irish people and how to preach to them. He established about 300 churches and baptized about 120,000 people. Even though Patrick had to contend with hostile chieftains and the Druids, the common people heard him gladly. And after thirty years of ministry, Patrick died around 460.
The church in Ireland had developed outside the hierarchical system of Rome since Patrick didn’t rely on the established church. The church in Ireland was organized around monasteries, which reflected the nation’s tribal system. Ireland didn’t become Catholic until the 1100s, when the pope gave the English king, Henry II, sovereignty over Ireland.6Curtis, Lang, and Petersen, The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History. Fleming H. Revell, (Baker Book House Co.). Grand Rapids, Mi. 2000
“Patrick stands as a testimony to the way in which God plucks men and women not only out of total obscurity but often out of conditions of physical difficulty (in his case, slavery) and forms them into sharp weapons in His hands. He subdues them to Himself, wastes no experiences, molds them for His purposes, and then channels them in some special way to become servants of Christ.”
Sinclair Ferguson, In the Year of our Lord: Reflections on Twenty Centuries of Church History
Reflections on the life of Patrick
God may use the dire circumstances of life to create a strong need for His sustenance.
When life becomes difficult and beyond one’s control, they will likely seek help from the God of their own understanding.
Patrick found himself trying to survive as an enslaved shepherd in a foreign land. So, he ardently prayed to the God he knew about from his upbringing. God was then pleased to bring an awareness of sin and need for forgiveness to Patrick’s mind.
God’s fatherly character is revealed by the way he cares for those who do not yet know him.
God’s benevolent nature is apparent to those who are actively seeking help and a relationship from such a God.
As Patrick considered his whole life, he could tell that the God he was praying to must be the one who had watched over him, protected him, and consoled him since he was small.
Our duty to God is to repay Him for all that He has done for us.
Out of an obligation of love for God, we owe it to Him to exalt Him and tell others of the wonders He has done.
Once Patrick was saved, he knew he had a purpose from God to fulfill, and his vision confirmed it. He knew that it was through the trying times in Ireland that God rescued him and brought him home. Patrick knew the people in Ireland were living in spiritual darkness and needed someone to bring the light of the gospel to them. He also knew their ways and would therefore be well-suited to speak to them on behalf of His Lord. So, he made commitment to go back to the land of his captivity once he felt knowledgeable enough about Christianity to do so.
To be effective in reaching others for Christ, we need to be armed with the Word of God.
While it may be tempting to ignore the hard work of preparation for the sake of winning souls for Christ, it’s important for being effective in our ministry.
Patrick may have wanted to go to Ireland right after he had his visionary encounter, which confirmed to him what his purpose was to be. However, he knew that he wasn’t adequately prepared to undertake such a mission until he knew more about Christianity. Though it took time to pursue this education and become a bishop, he never lost his missionary zeal for the Irish people.
God can accomplish incredible results from the devotion and obedience of a single man.
God is pleased to display His power through the inherent weakness of humble servants who act boldly in obedience to Christ.
There are many individuals throughout Christian history who have accomplished amazing results for the Kingdom of God. Who could have ever imagined that one man’s vision could turn a whole country from paganism to Christianity? With God, however, all things are possible.
How our purpose can come from our unique circumstances
Before our salvation, our number one concern was for ourselves. We didn’t even want to think seriously about God, because we thought He might interfere with our own plans and purposes. But there can come a time when everything gets turned upside down, and we find ourselves as victims of our circumstances. We no longer feel that we’re in control, and that can be an unbearable feeling.
it’s at this point that the Holy Spirit may be ready to change our thinking. This is the time we reexamine our most basic convictions about ourselves, our lives, and our relationships with our Creator. At the same time, we recognize both a distance and a closeness to God. Our distance comes from the conviction that our sin has kept us separate and alienated from God. But our closeness comes from remembering the times God seems to have watched over and protected us from life’s hazards.
This is the time we need answers from God Himself. For Patrick, those answers most likely came from remembering what he knew about God from his religious upbringing. For others, those answers might come from someone who shares the gospel message with them. No matter how the answers come, however, if they are perceived to answer the most important need of life, they have the power to save the soul.
If you find yourself at a point where you’re searching for answers, this blog site is for you. Visit my blog post, How to Begin Life Over Again, to learn about God and reasons to believe in His Son Jesus Christ. You may also view some crystal clear YouTube presentations of the Gospel by clicking here. May God bless you as you seen and find answers to your most pressing questions of life.
References
- 1Bruce L. Shelley. Church History in Plain Language-2nd Edition. Thomas Nelson Publishers. 1995
- 2Patrick’s account of his escape from slavery and return home to Britain is recounted in his Declaration.
- 3https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick#life
- 4Sinclair B. Ferguson. In the Year of Our Lord: Reflections on Twenty Centuries of Church History. Ligonier Ministries, Sanford, FL. 2018
- 5https://www.worldhistory.org/Saint_Patrick/
- 6Curtis, Lang, and Petersen, The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History. Fleming H. Revell, (Baker Book House Co.). Grand Rapids, Mi. 2000
