The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-02-21


Though thoroughly trained IN the ira
ditions OF the elders" the Apostle Paul
evidently had a Greek education. Time
and again we find IN his speeches and
writings manifest traces OF his Greek Cul-
ture.
Tarsus, the city OF his birth. was. as
he said, mo mean city" Under the early
Roman emperors IL was a renowned edu-
catiOnal centre. In this respect Straoo
compares 1t 10 Athens and Alexandria,
and says that the zeal for learning was
greater at Tarsus than at either Athens
or Alexandria.
Tarsus was the residence Ct some emil
nent stole philosophers and educators.
Here lived AthenodOrus, the perceptor OK
Augustus. and NestOr. the preceptOr OF
Tiberius. We may reasonably assume
that the young saul took literary
course In enc or more or the famous
schools of his native city before going up
TO Jerusalem TO study theology under
the renowned Or. Gamaliel.
Tho first occurrence OF the Woid ma
ture' in tho Bible Is IN letter written
by Paul-ROmans l., -. II - a hVto-
worthy fact that il il never used in Tho
Old Testament, nor In any one OF ths
historical books OF the New Testament.
Paul f. the first Biblical writer VINO uses
II. The adjective natural occurs only
once before We reach the writings OF faui:
In Deuteronomy NNNlV., q We earn va
Moses was a hundred and twenty years
old when he died, and yet his eye was
not dim. nor his natural force abdted.
The cCnspict Gus absence CT thc Noiu
nature fiCm the Ola Testament cAunosS
be explained on the ground tnat the Wotu
was introduced into our language a.
period later than that OF King James
version, for, as We have seen, the "oih
does occur In our translation OF Pauls
Epistle 10 the Romans. We know, 90,
that while King James men were doing
their work Shakespeare Was writing nis
plays, and IN these plays the word ma
turc' occurs three hundred ana eighty
five times. IL the Old Testament writer's
had used the Hebrew word our transla-
tors would have used its English e1uvt-
lent for they do this when PAU uses
the Greek wCrd. Paul was the first blDli-
cal writer who had any occasion 10 use
the word. because he is the nfst VINO
desired TO express the Thought wn.ch
was evidently comparatively mouei"
one &c the Hebrew mind. a.,
In several OF Pauls writings, ana III
his speech at Athens, We nnd Guotauo.o
from and illusions 10 certain GteeN toses
corrIpt good manners lwoiAis y
strangely enough occurs IN one or mo
most subllmely solemn passages tNe'
written with a pen-namely, L. Urn
thlans. l533 where the Apostle Is els
cussing the resurrection. The words are
quoted from a comedy OF Menander.
In the discourse at Athens we nave
For we are also His otspring, quota
fiOn from the d@lfoloDni'al l''ts -. 49,
lnTitus 1.l2, The Cretans are always
liars. evil beasts. slow bellies e., ldls
gluttons-is quoted from Eplmehluts,
Greek philosopher, who lived ii tret'
nearly seven centuries before 'htlst.
Paul calls him "One Of themselves even
a prophet OF their own Il e., OF mo
Cretans-and Epimenides Is our FORGOT
ten Prophet" AS Paul Thought MN
worth quoting, We may wei mink mn
worth knowing. and so. with the AID OF
commentary and classical dictionary let
US look him up.
Epimenides was born I'm Crete, but tho
scholars do not agree as TO the place OF
his birth. Phaetus and Gnossus are
both given. He seems TO have been
priest poet, philosopher, and seer among
his people. The date Of his birth u put
down at $50 y. c., and this would MAKE
him contemporary or the famous law
giver. Scion. About 500 b. G. he was
Invited TO Athens by the people OF that
city. in order to prepare the way Tor mo
legislation OF Scion by ccremonlal pItt-
ficatiOns and sacrifices 70 the bous. h.s
treatise on "Oracles and Responses,
mentioned by jerome. Is said 10 be INC
work from which Paul makes MS quota
tom in Titus. l:l2. The Cretans evil
IDENTIFY regarded him as superior being.
for they paid divine hOnors TO him atter
HIS death. Plato calls him n "dlNlnS
man." Legg l.. p. 6i2. and Cicero. De
Div, lis. couples him with the Eryth-
raean Sbyl and with Bacis. The charge
repeated by Callimachus In his Hymn. ad
Jov. s. Many ancient authorities sus-
tain it, and we find Paul himself endors-
ing II In Titus. lib.
Eplmenides was decidedly free spoken
IN dealing with the sins Of the people
among whom he pr0Dhesied. lie was not
OF the kd-gloved order OF preachers. ln-
deed. he seems 10 have been the sam
Jones OF his day. His wholesale denuncia-
lions, however. seem 10 nave pfglucel
small results for We find that the creiah
vice Of living was Just as notorious IN
Pauls' time as Il was IN tho time OF Epi-
menides-i. o., 10 continued 90 De a race
characteristic for nearly seven hundred
years. -...,
for themselves an immortality or MANY
bv their lying. their laziness. their bru-
tality and their gluttony, sthl faul dit
not despair Of them. lie had niinsel,
been In crete. where ne hau pe.n EeNftn
with the filthy conversation OF the WICK
ed. lie had stayed long enough 10 cary
mat the people were notorious harsi that
they were wicked, idle, Biuttohou5 ahp
brutal And yet, when the tiine COMES Is
FOR him 20 20 10 the regions beyond, he
leaves with them that vigorous, ldthtuI
preacher. Titus, "Own son AFTER the CONF
mon faith" 10 "set I'm order the Things
that are wanting" among those same dis-
reputable Cretans. See Titus j. g. ..
Paul evidently thought that the p,spe.
WIS meant Tor Nhl I'vI'r AN' 49,"
that IL was made for them, ana u VIII
do them more good than IL VIII 30 any
others. That bad boy In your sunday
school class not only has all the moro
need Of your help because Of his badness,
but he viii be more open 70 improFe ineht'
and for the same reason. IT, az nl, HOhl''
he hears little but quarelling hard words
and curses. how immensely MS enFifin-
ment" may be improved by a wise taik
from YOU on the Sermon on the Mount
II In his homo he gels little DIT KICKS
and cuffs what an opening YOU nave r.
soften him with the beautitul story or
the Good Samaritan
John Bunyan was a rough. uncultured'
hard-sweariny son OF tinker. but ns
tells MS that a single reproOf entirely and
forever cured him Of his profanity.
But we must not imagine that because
We are Christians We are personally ana
entirely "Out % range or the sharp
shafts OF the Cream prophet Are You
never tempted 20 eat more than Is good
for YOU? DO you find 10 always easy -
sneak the truth? Is 70 always easy %
rise on SUNDAY morning In time 10 De
promptly an your place when the secretary
calls the roll m Sunday SCHOOL, are you
rerfactly free from unreasonable ile pays
OF temper The Christian who ls al
ways on tho right side OF all these l.es-
lions IS "out OF the range or hp.menl's
but are such Christians numers u'f ana
Is il not altogether too easy Tor as 10
imagine that we. are out OF range, when
IN reality we are liable 20 centre 'nol
The man who IS perfectly sincere I'm All
his words and deeds: who Is never guilty
OF lmprudent eating or drinking WI,
never INDUCES IN any unreasoning ana
unreasonable naselouF. and Is never slOth-
mi or solf-fndulgent or idle ~ "a scarce
sort o. man I'm the world. and De II not
sunera buldant in the Church. and 20