Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1884-02-20
Sunday School Lesson Noes
BY REV. j. o. SHERBURN.


when he left Berea. and directed lheil
way with him to Athens. 1t is not certain
whether they went by land or sea; though
Paul WAS sent away from Bere,, "to go
as it were, to the sea-" but this language
does not qlite settle the question whether
h, did 90 10 the sea, or whe her he Started
under that pretense, and turned some o'hel
way to foil his enemies. The distance by
land would be some 250 miles. At Athen!
these attendant brethren left Paul, who
sent back messag, to Silas and Timothy
10 ion him there as soon as possible
This plan would leave Paul at Athe MS two
weeks or more. 1t was impossible for
him to be idle; 80 in those days OF wait
ino he reasons with the Jews and prose-
)y,es in their synagogue; and in the
market place with any whose ear he
could oct. By some means he attracted
fine attention of some of tho wise.acrt
citizens. who spent all their time in hear.
inc and telling news, and in discussing
every matter deep or shallow which came
to their notice The Epic and Stole
philosophers who encountered Paul, had
him brought before the Areopagus, a
court having Jurisdiction in criminal and
religious matters. This court appears 10
have had power TO prohibit the inlroduc-
ton of any new dcities among the Atheni.
ans. The q Iestion TO be Investigated IN
PAul's case was, whether he could be
considered as setter forth of strange
Gjdso 1t might we'll be a matter of
concern to the Athenians 10 have any
lag number of deites; for we are
informed that Paul's spirit was stirred,
wlen he stw the city who ly given to
idolatry. The original phrase is "ful Of
IDOLS and the idea is 'dense with idols"
iu,t as Il forest is crowded with trees
Pausanius gives Il minute account Of
srae. after street lined with images on
either hand Ath ems needed no more
Gods. Paul was very adroit in his an
swer before this learned court. He man
ages so as to make it appear that, while
bringing in a new religion. he introduced
no n8w deity. We have marked weak
mes, in the translation of his opening
sentencl before the court. In the revis
ion, cur American members Of the com
N tee urged the rendering "very relig
of arptt tir,,c
The word he used is a compound one, and
means literary God.fearers. Paul mean
70 say a see that ye are in all things very
much inclined to reverence the gods
lie tells them how he had come to such
aconclusion; he had found among then
slnes one inscribed "to the unknown
god." In addition TO all their deities who
had recivtd names, one wfs found mark
ed unknown. Paul really compliments
them upon their reverence for the gods,
and seizes upon the fact of an altar to a
unknown, as an introduction to his
teachings concerning the God of heaven
and earth. No better example of the
craft which catches men can be found in
all literature. Paul perfectly parried the
charge Of introducing new deity, and
slys, whom therefore ye ignorantly
worship, him declare l unto you,' From
that starting point he proceeds 10 speak tt
them of the true God, in language too
simple and direct to be misunderstood. He
declares that this God is the Maker of all
things, not dwelling in hand made tenn
pes, not needing any offerings from men,
seeing he is the giver of all that they
have. Paul proceeds from view of God
as the creator and preserver of each
individual Of the race, TO view of him as
the God of nations, setting them in their
Places from age TO age, as branches oil
Gle great family, of which he is the
author and head. He further declares
the divine purpose in thus caring for, and
disposing the various branches of the hu
man family. This purpose is that they
might be led to know and recognize the true
God. Thelanguage gives truthful, though
vlvdy painful picture of mans i'm !, otency
tild ny out God unaided by direct revela
ton. He is bindiy feeling after God
Yet Paul declares He is not far from any
one ofus, we are constantly upheld ofhim.
Paul lere cites them TO one of their own
poets who had spoken of men as all the
offspring of God. Here Paul again shows
his sanctied craft, or shrewdness. If he
ecu d refer his hearers to a poet whose
works they admired, and for whom they
let national pride it would be kind of
second hold upon his hearers, who were
doubtless becoming little restive under
his clear teachings concerning the one
Supreme God. Now he comes to point
where he attacks their idolatry directly.
Since we Omen of vast learning, and deep
In philosophy) are the offspring of
TOD we ought not to think that the
GoGhcad is like any image, craven in
stone Or metal. Such thought degrades
US, as well as God. Here Paul states that
men who held such views of God In
ignorance will not e utterly condemned,
but as the clearer light had come, it was
lnen every mans duty to repent. To
THIS he was urged because God had set a
Gay IN which he will judge the world in
righteousness by that man whom he hath
ordained Notice here Paul makes no
stand for the divinity of Christ, doctrine
clearly held by him. 1t was deemed
enough at first, to bring these Athenians
10 believe in the true God, without adding
anything that might divert their curious
'undS from that one point. He mentions
rs proof, that God hath made that man
lOdse of all, the fact that he raised him
rom the dead. At mention of tho resur
Iecilon from the dead, the court seems to
nave broken up, or adjourned, possibly,
'ee last part Ct verse so. 1t broke up
ike many congregations since; somo