The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-03-04
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE WAsNGaN u O. THURSDAY
IA. Taken into ssChurch at Damascus.
l5. Made three missionary tours.
l6. In prison, bt

/
l6. In prison. bt
| a. AtGIsrusalem. A. D. So
b. At Caesarea. A. d. SO.
| c. Att Rome. A. d. CO. Again
A. Da66.
IL. Wrote "a Epist6s.
Is. Said to havedIeen bcheaded at Rome, by
Nero, A. D. 81. tes
| 10. Anniversary. ioJan. Is.
1t is to be observed that the going to Damas.
Gus to Stay Christianaiwas not Saul's first per-
secution OF the followers of Christ. We recall
his participation aihtothe martyrdom of st.
Stephen. Z: So. Hemade havoc of the Church.
S:3. Then &c: Gill shows how much prelimi-
nary work he did preparatory to his cruel mis-
sion at Damascus 22:4 10, 90
| Words and Phrases
! /. Breathing out threatenings and slaughter.
| !. We have the figure of n wild animal raging
| in madness. 90 II says being exceedingly
mad" His breath was spent in threatening.
| 2. Letters. 2. lie secured an ecclesiastical
| commission.
a. Synagogs. g Spence estimates there were
30 synagogs in Damascus for about 40, 900 Jews.
They were places for Jewish worship. Sacr-
| fees however. could not be offered save at the
| Temple in Jerusalem
5. Shined round about him light from
heaven. 3. See 22:G; 26 3D. st. Paul is
moro minute in the description than st. Luke.
I
| heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shin
| ing round about me-" The fact is made more
! emphatic By the statement this great luminous
ness was at midday. 1t was not lightning, for
| there is mention of a voice (26 I'D, and the
voice was not a mere noise, but certain Hebrew
| words. There was q personal appearance.
| Questions were asked and answered.
6. Saul! Saul! A. See also % u; 20: ID; ST.
| Mt, %: 81; st. Luke. l0:4 Al. Such express
| sions show intense interest. Then we see God
! knows US as individuals-knowso names.
| 7. He fell to the earth. 4. 26 ii shows that
| his companions also were Frustrated. We do
not know the number Of his associates. They
saw the light. but did not hear the voice. %:
8. At first they stood -: y, later they fell (26
| 14)
| 6. Ne. a. But Saul did not persecute Christ
| direct. We are all accounted as against Christ
| If we injure his followers. So Christ identi-
| fed himself aud His Church. st. Matt, % 40
| 8. Why? 4. Christianity is matter of
| reason. Let us reason together" is an ex-
hortation of God. Faith is WE'LL but there is
| also region of logic.
! 10. Hard to kick against the pricks. S. The
| meaning is that it is folly to increase ones
| trouble by resistance. The driver has scourge
with sharp points. If tho animal be unrnly
and kick back, he hits tho scourge and acerates
| his body. There was prOverb intended to
| show that one often becomes moro injured by
| opposing the iEjurer-t is hard task to Kick
| back and hit against pricks This saying is
not found in the Itata, Erpcn's Arabic. Syriac,
| Cop,ic Sahidic. 1t is omitted by the SclavOn-
ian Comprehension Bcngel Griesbach. 1t is
| in the Ethiopian, Armenian, Arabic Vulgate
| II. Shall be told thee. 6. By Ananias o.
| 1916. But 2G: 1913 shows Christ instructed
| him while in the vision. Gal, 12. If Christ
gave details, and then Ananias repeated them,
! it would show commences of influence. Ana.
Mas (St. Paul would Eay) must have gotten his
message from Christ. We have not all that
| Ananas said to ST. Paul. The two must have
met several times. and at each interview Ana
MAS gave further instructions.
Vas the Conrersion a Jiracles
We do not refer to the physical manifesto
| tions attending the conversion. 1t is tho view
of some that the expression. 1t is hard to kick
| against the pricks,p means your resistance to
the reception of grace cannot help you; you
must be saved; nothing you can do will avail
| for your escape: yon ara obliged to surrender.
| You may err from time to time, but your ulti-
mate salvation is fixed. Why? Because you
| are truly rcgcncrated. Some fail finally, but
| their failure shows they were never the chill
| dren Of God. French and Olshausen hold this
] opinion. oa5t'
/ The miraculous features of even the physical
description are denied eby Hcinrichs, Rosen-
| muller. Kuiuoel, Eichhern, Bohme. Littieton
claims the event WAS q miracle.
| We recall the fact St. Paul always claimed
| that his conversion WIS q model, o pattern.
! The environments Of each person vary. but the
| turning point of conversion is reception or re-
| lection Now, we think st. Paul acted agree
| ably to his will. He was convinced that his
course had been wrong 1t was unreasonable,
| for when asked for a reason he could give none.
| He was logical. His premises had been wrong
| and warped his conclusion; but he was obliged
| to follow the sylogism. Ho thought he was
doing right. He was logically right. AS soon
] rs lie revised his premises ne was forced by the
argument to accept of Christ BIT the whole
! process was in the province of logic and free
| exercise of choice.
Suggestions.
1. We must admire the real. earnest, and
business-Iike way of Saul. He had excellent
| qualities for a leader. The very characters
tics shown by him in prosecuting made him
the successful Apostle to tho Gentiles.
| 2. We should study the account of st. PauPs
| conversion. 1t was this very paragraph of the
| Holy Scriptures that led Liitleton to become
Christian. AS a pattern conversion it calls for
critical examination.
| 8. We read of some who have been converted
| through the feelings inspired by literal light
| ming. Norbert is one. We do not read that
any com panon of Saul was convicted fsin by
| the scene.
a. Seek the conversion of the greatest sinners.
| ] IT, ]: -. Saul was terror to Christians.
| He made havoc Of neil and women who recog-
nized Christ. His very breath was hot with
prosecuting rage And yet lie became very
| successful Christian. The Church had no hope
| Of his CONVEX ion.
| 5. Instruct by question and answer. 40.
| Pedagogy makes much Of this method Cate
| chisms are illustrative.
| 6. If not Christian, why? Can we have
| satisfactory reason for not following Christ?
| 1t is unreasonable not to obey the principles
taught by our Savior.
Z. Hats for meditation-pause for self-ex-
| amination-are Of great advantage.
| 8. Fasting has been found useful in certain
states of mnd-physical rest for greater men,
| tai insight.
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