The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-07-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson for July 10, 1903
Paul at Athens-Acts I5:22-3l.

Paul at Athens-Acts IS:22-3I.
Especially Arranged from Peloubets Notesl
GOLDEN TExT,-God is a spirit and they
that worship Him must worship Him in spirit
md in truth.-John 4:24
TIME.-A. d. 81 Levin thinks IT was in
November, from the fact that with the an
hents, navigation in those seas closed Novem-
Der IL
MOVEMENTS OF THE MIssIoNARIEs.-Luk
was left at Philippi, as we learn from the use
If the third person instead OF the first from
The time Paul left that city, and return to the
irst person, I'VE" "us," when Paul reaches
Philippi again on his return journey CO.'S, 81.
Silas and Timothy were left at Berea Q7;lD,
and Paul went alone to Athens
LESSON NOTES.
Founding of the Thessalonian
Church.-After Paul's release from
prison, he, with Silas and Timothy,
went along the great Roman road,
about one hundred miles in a south
west direction to Thessalonica, the
chief city of Macedonia. 1t is now
called Salonica, or Saloniki, of modern
Turkey, and is city of ninety thou
sand to one hundred thousand inhab-
itants, of whom fifty thousand are
Jews Here Paul pre- ached for several
weeks, when a disturbance arose
which compelled the missionaries to
leave. But there was goodly num-
Der OF converts, especially among the
Greeks.
The Epistles to the Thessalonians.-
The first epistle to the Thessalonians
was written by Paul to this church
from Corinth, only few months after
his first visit there CA. d. so, 53), on
the same missionary journey. 1t is the
oldest book of the New Testament the
earliest document of the Christian re-
ligion. The second epistle was writ
ten soon after "a. ID. 59).
The Founding of the Church in
Berea. - Driven from Thessalonica,
Paul went sixty miles further to the
southwest on the way to Greece, to a
city called Berea. Here many Jews
and Greeks, and especially many hon
orable women, as in Thessalonica, be.
came disciples.
Paul at Athens.-As usual, persecu-
ton arose against the new religion;
and Paul, leaving Silas and Timothy at
Berea (ver 14) to follow on more leis-
urely, FASTENED secretly on in south
erly direction till he came to the
| famous city of Athens, the capital of
the intellectual world, as Rome was of
the political, and Jerusalem of the re-
| ligious.
The city of Athens is situated about
five miles inland northeast of the
Saronic gulf, an arm of the Egean sea.
1t lies between two small rivers, the
Cephissus and the Illyssus. Four IA
nous mountains lie around it, and four
still more famous hills are within the
city-the Acropolis, the Areopagus, OF
Mars HILL the Pnyx, on which the as
semblies of the people were held and
Demosthenes spoke his grafton, and the
Museum.
The People of Athens.-The name OF
Athens was synonymous with the most
graceful conceptions of art and the
profoundest study of philosophy. There
human wisdom had sat enthroned AL
succeeding generations and civilized
nations have acknowledged her in
tellectual supremacy. Athens was the
mother of the fine arts, the patron o.
poetry, the founder of systems of phi
losophy. She gave birth to the prod
ucts of genius in almost every depart
ment of literature and art, which have
scarcely, if ever, been surpassed. Pau
waited eagerly the coming of his com
panions. While waiting, probably fo
some weeks, he walked around this
celebrated city, among its counties
statues and idols, and his heart wa
stirred within him. He began to dis
course to the Jews in the synagogue
and with the people gathered in tn
thronged market place. He excited S,
much interest that the attention evel
of the Epicureans and Stoics, the lead
ers in philosophy and religion, wa
drawn towards him. After discussin,
with them for a time, they requisite,
him to leave the curious and throngin,
crowds of the market, which was not
proper arena for discussions; and TO
the convenience of both parties, and il
order to give him fair hearing, the,
led him up the steps of the Areopagus
Mars hill, to the platform on its sum
= init, where were assembled "the no
blest blood of Athens, the first poll
ticians, the first orators, the first phi
J losophers; a court the most august, no
only of Athens, but of Greece, and in
deed of the whole world" 1t was a
this bar that Socrates was arraigne
and condemned on the ground of limo
waiting upon the state religion. Her
Paul was allowed to speak from tn
tribune of regular court, where bot
speaker and audience would be FIRE
from disturbance"
Paul stood in the open air upon tn
Mars hill just described, name trace
to the fable that here Mars was tris
before the assembled gods for tn
murder of son of Neptune. He stoo
in the presence of the famous court
who sat on the crown of the hill at tn
eastern end, and were ranged in cor
, centric circles, one above another
while the cave or hollow in the mid
die was occupied by the accuser an
the accused and their legal adviser
the accuser standing on an elevate
stonn on the one side, and the accuse
on an elevated stone on the other
Levin. On this latter stone in tn
hollow below the court Paul doubles
stood. eye men of Athens" TIL