The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-22
PAUL THE GREATEST OF ALL
MAN OF TARSUS THE CHIEF OF
THE MISSIONARIES OF
JESUS
So Declares N. X. Grigas, of Lin
coin, Neb., I'm an Address Last
Evening at the First Christian
Church.

N. K. Griggs, of Lincoln. Neb, poet and
author. delivered an address last evening
at the First Christian church on 1.-The
Life of Paul.
occasions produce men," said Mr.
Gr1ggs. Whenever there Is some great
occasion some Tnan arises to the emer-
gency. Moses was called to save a ma
ton; Joshua to establish faith; Solo
mon to exalt a people; Cyrus to crush
idolatry; Alexander to universalive the
Greek; Titus TO destroy pharisaism: Luz
Their to restore the Bible; Wesley to de-
stroy Journalism: Lincoln to wipe out
slavery. None of the other apostles were
capable of carrying Christianity to the
gentiles or making It world religion.
Matthews imitation was his gospel Mark
was too tinid to be a missioner Luke
was mere historian and a writer Of st.
Paul's gospel. John was a dreamer and
a mystic, not warrior Peter was
changeable; brave enough to walk the
waves and yet sinking; heroic enough to
cut off the soldiers ear, and yet too COW
ardly to admit his knowledge. of Christ.
He was toe JeW-born to carry Christian
fty to gentiles. With him alone Chris
tianity would have been Judaized and 10
Called. Therefore some stronger man,
some stronger individuality, was needed.
Paul was the result of his ancestry
and environments. He lived at Tarsus,
where was one of the three great schools
of learning in the world. kie was at the
point where the caravan or one hand and
the boats or the other came together for
commercial reasons He was at the very
seat of commerce He was brought into
contact with all kinds of peoples Ills
subsequent career was to be with men
and for men. Hence his early training
had brought him into contact and made
him acquainted with them. He loved and
sought cities. Christ loved and sought
the fields. His religion made him a de-
spiser of the false barbarian rites of the
other religions Of his environments He
lived amid the most corrupt people of
his time, which tended to make him all
the more Pharisafc His teachings in the
schools were by discussion which made
him ready at repartee. AS a rabbi he
had to know all OF Biblical history AMI
prophecy. There being no books he had
to have it of memory. This made him
able to show by prophecy that Christ was
the Messiah and it's fulfilment. His train
Ing then made him able to cope alike with
Ills Jewish brethren. the pagan gentle
and the cultured Greek.
10 supplement the POWER Of the other
apostles Christ required another man of
varied accomplishments. He should be
most learned Paul was the greatest
scholar of his day. He should be patient:
Paul talked to the erring Christians as
little children. He should be humble; Paul
had himself been prosecutor He should
be tireiess; for twenty years Paul stayed
not Tor storm nor enemy He should be
tactful; Paul was able to still the mob
In the temple and to preach new relIg-
ion at Mars hill. He should be brave:
though beaten and scourged times with
out number Paulss death cry was one
Of victory. He should be broad-fr1inded:-
Paul was the only one who could go to
the gentiles. He should be profound:
no man has yet arisen who has claimed
to be able to sound the depths of Paul's
writings, and skepticism has scarcely
ever dared to attack his propositions.
Ratils was so mitch Of an orator that his
address at Philippi- captured his royaI
nearer, while his sermon at Mars hill
not only, commanded the admiration of
the literary world. but led even the
Greek poets to class hirr as one of the
greatest scholars of his day"