Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-11-11

'-InOughte worthy OF Calm Renec-
tion-Half an Hour's study Of the
ecriptures-Time Well Spent.
Lesson for November IA.
Golden Text am not ashamed OF
the gospel OF Christ; for 1t Is the power Of
God unto salvation to every one that be-
lieveth." Rom. /: 10.
The lesson this week treats OF PauPs
ministry in Rome. and may be found in
Acts 2S: 1871
Introductory.
We study this week the "two whole
years" which the apostle spent in Rome
during the first imprisonment.
In that great city, without any Of the
modern facilities OF communication, or OF
gathering and spreading the news, there
were secret channels of intercourse which
accomplished the same end. Each class
of the people had its well understood sys-
tenn of communicating important news,
and, when necessary, organizing for a
common end. There were secret leagues
among the slaves, among the craftsmen Of
various trades, among the Christians. A
slave meeting another, whom he thought
to be n Christian, would, with his staff
or his foot carelessly and apparently with
out thought draw the rude outline of fish
on the ground, or trace it in the air with
his finger. The fish was the sign by which
Christians recognized one another-the
Greek word for fish being made up Of the
initial letters of the words meaning "Je-
sus Christ, Son of God, Saviour" BY
such devices the Christians were able to
maintain their organization, their secret
meetings, and increase marvelously in
numbers. At the time when Pau, came
to Rome, Nero, though a dissolute and
abhorred ruler had not plunged into that
hideous career Of crime which led to the
burning of Rome and the great persecu-
ton. The Jews and the Christians were
to a certain extent tolerated, though Of
course they were never completely free
from danger, SO capricious were the moods
OF the ruling race and the whims of the
bowling pOpulace. In view of these facts
we can understand more readily how Paul
could accomplish so large a work, could
reach and influence so many people, with
out leaving his house and without the OPP
portunity Of a single moments private
conversation, since he was chained to a
Roman soldier. Since he could not go to
others, they came to him, bearing his
messages and executing his requests. I'm
doubtedly many of the soldiers appointed
to guard him were persuaded by his con-
duct and his words to join the ranks Of the
Christians. Such men would be the best
of missionaries, for they came in touch
with people all over the empire.
Explanatory.
After three days: Immediately uIon
n aI Do n oil
those whom he had met elsewhere, and
those whom he knew by report, of whom
there were several, as we learn
from The salutations sent to them
in his epistle written three years
before. After the first greetings were
over he set at once to work to pre-
sent his case to the Jews in a favorable
light before false reports should come to
them from his enemies in Palestine. 1t
was characteristic of Paul to undertake
this hazardous task so promptly. He was
taking good many chances. Everywhere
else the Jews had been hostile; why
should he expect anything else at Rome?
Notice how Paul, though putting the
blame of his unjust Imprisonment on the
Jews of Palestine, or portion of them,
still refrains from condemning indiscrim-
inately the whole nation and thus alien.
ating his hearers.
For the hope Of Israel l am bound:
appealing to their national feeling. 1t is
doubtful If the Roman Jews had full
understanding Of the Christian teaching,
but they knew what "the hope of Israeli
was-the Messiah and the Messianic hope.
1t is not surprising that the Palestinian
Jews had not sent ahead word about
Paul; for there had been no time since his
appeal to the emperor; and before that
there was no reason to think that he
would ever come to Rome.
Though they had heard no report of
Pauls trial, they knew well enough who
he was, and who the Christians were.
The sect was spoken against both by pa
gans and by Jews. There had been Chris
tians in Rome for perhaps twenty years,
and by this time everybody knew about
them. But these Jews were evidently
willing to discuss the matter and learn
more Of the new religion, perceiving that
Paul was great man among them.
What great issues hung on the result Of
that conference between the prisoner and
the Jewish leaders. If they, in this hour
of opportunity and open mindedness, had
accepted the gospel he preached, how diff
ferent might have been the history of
Christianity. The Jews of the East had
long ago distinctly rejected Christ and
Christ's messengers. Had the Jews Of
the West embraced this opportunity, and
thus laid the foundation for strong Jew
ish Christian church, the prevailing ton
dency in after years might have been
Jewish; and after the fall Of Jerusalem
the Eastern Jews, scourged and humbled
by disaster, might have joined their West
ern countrymen in the new faith AS it
is, we lose all traces of Jewish Christians,
as a class, very early in the second GEN.
fury; and as has been often remarked, a
gospel founded by a Semitic and preached
by Scmites soon passed over entirely to
the Aryan branch of the human race,
while the great Semitic races Of to-day
the Arabs in their many forms-are fol-
lowers Of n false prophet.
= Paul knew well enough what was to fol-
low such q result of his honest effort. He
knew that the willful disobedience of such
q people must before long bring its newt
able punishment. No threat, but only
sorrow, is in his words, quoted from the
prophecy of Isaiah. AS n matter of fact,
Jerusalem was destroyed nine years later,
with great slaughter; and from that time
the Jews were scattered over the face of
the earth.
Next Lesson-"Thc Christian Armor,"-
Eph. q: 1920. a
This oud That