Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-08-24
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSOB TX. AUG. 2o-ACTS Is
2I-34.
Golden Text-Take Heed and Beware OF
Covetousness-Luke xIi;15-Where st.
Paurs World Wide Fame Began His
Miracles.

Time-A. d. 81. Place.-Ephesus. TfS
situation of this city, in the middle .,
the Asatic coast of the Aegean sea, anu
at the converging point of the great roaus
from the East, made 1t of singular I'M
portance. 1t was the birthplace OIL 'he
great painters Apelles and ParrhasiuS'
and of the Philosopher Herachtus. here
Paul remained longer than in any otner
city. wrought some of the most surPi ,'is
miracles of the New Testament, anu el
fected the formal separation OF me Chlis-
tan congregation from the JEWISH ~ ma
gogue The church thus formed ana hur
tured became one of the most proihiheht
or the apostolic age ana 10 IL III ai'ei
years Paul wrote an epistie Which soutioa
the profoundest depths of Christian doc
trine and scales the Hottest heights or
Christian experience over this church
Timothy afterward presided. In Ephesus
st. John resided in his old age, ana TO IL
was addressed one of the epistles 10 the
seven churches of Asia" The Temple OF
Diana was founded In $50. nnlsned IN 400,
and burned by Erostratus in So6 f. I.
The second temple alluded 10 in our les
son, was built in the reign Oh Alexander
the Great at the expense of all the heien-
boring cities. 1t was for its beauty reck-
oned among the seven wonders Oh the
world" Its walls, of the finest Parian
marble were f1anked by one hundred ex-
quisite Ionic columns, six feet IN diam
eter and sixty feet high. Inc who're
structure measured three hundred ana
forty-two feet in length and one hundred
and ifty-three in width. The sacred III
age OF Diana, however, which the temple
enshrined, and which il was DeiieVed nau
fallen from Jupiter, was neither peauuiui
nor large but a rude wooden Inquire near
~ the shape of a mummy, and more Ike
| a grotesque Hindu image than grace
f.I
Paurs time the Cloths sacked Ephesus
and set fire to the temple. The Chris
| tians rushed with axes and hammers and
helped to complete the ruin OF Dullu-
ing dedicated TO a worship they hated.
Its ruins were discovered in 1871. Col
umns of jasper taken from it now adorn
st. Sophia's in Constantinople. The The
alter stood on the western slope OF Mount
Coressus, 1t was about five hundred feet
in diameter and had twenty-five thou
sand thirty thousand seats. From the
upper part of the auditorium there Is now
an open view of the sea. Ancient the
alters We're all built without roofs. nav
ing level space of oval shape at the
bottom for the performances, ana seats
in tiers for the spectators. The Tumult
at Ephesus closely resembles that at
Philippi. Both arose not from the Jews
but from the Gentiles: all other persecu-
tons recorded in the Acts were insti-
gated by Jews. Both originated from sof-
did motives: in Phiiippi, the masters or
the Pythonc slave, i'll Ephesus, Deme-
trius and his craftsmen, feared that they
would lose their unhallowed gains
Gloag.
Lesson Revew-Paul's visit to Corinth
finished his second missionary journey,
excepting that on his way back to Pal
estine he called at Ephesus. where he left
Priscilla and Aquila, promising TO return
He then went on to Jerusalem by way or
Caesarea and Antioch. Starting ON his
third journey, he visited old friends in
Gaiatia and Phrygia, and eventually
| reached Ephesus again. In his labors
there he was aided by Timothy. Titus.
Apolos. Aquila. Erastus, Epaphras,
Gaeus, and Aristarchus So successful
was his ministry in Ephesus that the lu-
crative trade OF those who made silver
shrines of the popular goddess Diana was
injured. Some OF the consequences our
lesson tells.
We find in this lesson a striking and
suggestive name used to designate the
Church of Christ-"rhe Way" Verse 23
Several times II is employed in the book
Of Acts g. >; %. -. 1t seems to have been
current designation for the body of
Christians, just as We would say, the
movement" THE cause" 1t suggests the
march of Christianity. What traits OF
The Way" do We find in this lesson and
| this chapter? ]. Notice the scope and aim
of this way. Verses q, ~. This was a
byway, or lane. or narrow street. 1t en-
| braced a vast field. Ephesus, Macedonia
| Antioch, Jerusalem. Rome-this was Pauls
procramme There were Roman roads
uniting all the cities OF the empire and
| binding them TO Rome, but this way"
stretched farther, and embraced plans
beyond them. 1t took the whole world
into its scope. Alexander sought the con-
quest of the East, Napoleon the mastery
OF the West: the Gospel aims to conquer
the globe. IL. 1t is a way that makes a
stir in the world. Verse %. IL an army
should march across the continent
threatening TO destroy our cities il would
awaken a mighty interest. The Gospels
way has aroused men everywhere; in Je-
rusalem, in Antioch, in Thessalonica. in
Ephesus. How prominent a part in the:
worlds history has Christianity held.
| Take the church out of America, take the
Bible out of literature, and what a blank
would be created. Notice in this chapter
the stir that this Way" made in Ephesus:
in the synagogue oversees s. -; among the
sick and suffering Oversees H. -; among
the demnologists and eXcorists Oversees H.
2O); among The idol-makers Oversees 23-27
III. 1t Is a conquering way. Verse 70. Eze-
kie saw stream pouring out OF the al
tar flowing across the temple, and grow
ing into a river (EZek a.. LIP. Such has
been the progress of the Gospel. 1t con-
quered the temple of Diana i'm Ephesus.
II overran the entire Roman empire: IL
now sweeps around the world. w 1t is
an enightening way. Verses 26, ~ Ii is
the path TO true knowledge and wisdom.
Those who walk in II see that IAN idol
is nothing" and that the one God Is in
visible mis- way means the destruction
of idolatry and superstition and isnor-
ance and error. Demetrus WAS a true
prophet. W here is the temple OF the great
goddess Diana now: Ii Is hated op-
posed way. Verses 2S-H There were en-
emes in that day-those who had inter-
ests opposed 10 the Gospel, those who
were bigoted and ignorant, and those who
are reauy any Time tumult So n
Is now. All the forces of evli are against
the Gospel.