The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-26
REV. DIR. JORDAN ON PAUL.
He Holds That the Great Evangelist
Was a Good Baptist.


Rev. John D. Jordan delivered the sec
ond of his series of sermons upon the
Apostle Paul at the First Baptist Church
last night On the previous Sunday
night the youth. education and personal
characteristics of the apostle We're consid-
cred. Last nights sermon was devoted to
the apostles conversion, baptism and ear
ly preparation.
In his discussion of the conversion ana
baptism of the apostle, DR.. Jordan TOOK
what would be considered as strong Bap-
fist ground. He held that the apostle 5
own statements of the manner in which
these notable events in his career oc-
CURED coincide entirely with the views
held by the Baptists upon the same SUP
jects.
DR. Jordan began his sermon with a
graphic description of the event whlcn
marked the beginning of the life work OF
the apostle. He was on his way TO Damas-
Gus TO persecute the Christians. A bright
light shone around him. surprising the
brightness of the sun. He fell to the earth
and cried out. Some in their Ignorance
and blasphemy, call it a sunstroke. 1t was
the brightness of the transfguration-tne
brightness of His glory and the image OF
His person. His conversion was sudden.
There were no long days of penance, pray
er, catechisms, or waiting for the preacn-
er. His conversion was complete lie
made a full surrender. 1t was the turning
point in his history, the great experience
of which he often told.
Dr.. Jordan said that the people should
learn to distinguish between regeneration
and conversion. Eve may be converted
many times" he said, but we can only
be regenerated once. Every marked I'M
provement or change in our life is con-
version, by regeneration we become new
creatures In Christ Jesus"
Speaking of Pauls baptism, DR.. JORDAN
said: He received sight. and arose and
was baptized There is nothing strange
about that / have baptized many people
and they each arose and was baptized.
once heard a preacher use the fact thai
Saul arose to be baptized as an argu-
ment for sprinkling. Unfortunately Tor
those who sprinkle, they commit another
error by sprinkling before their subjects
receive their sight or are able to arise
A more correct reading would be, He re-
ceived sight, and arose and was MINERS
ed To question this is not to know
Greek.
Two things are quite evident about
SauPs baptism. First. he was baptized
after his conversion. Second, he was i'm
mersed. In Romans, GA, he says: we
were DufleQ therefore Win A1iiii thi SNoAA
the BAPTISM His baptism represented the
burial and resurrection Of the Lord. AS
1t was with him, he taught that 1t should
be with others
Speaking of Pauls early preparation for
his work Dr. Jordan said that he was a
Jew, devout and plous, familiar with the
law and the prophets. devoted to the syna-
gogue and the worship of the true and
living God. What light he had was good.
He was familiar with the learning OF the
Jews, knew how to meet them in debale
and could appeal to them as one OF their
own race. Being familiar with Greek, the
current language of the day, and Ro-
man citizen, he could travel in all the
Roman provinces and speak to the people
in the tongue with which they were famil-
lar. His conversion TO Christianity and
the call to preach were essential to his
preparation. After his conversion he went
into retirement in Arabia, probably to
study The scriptures in his new light
The third and probably the last of the
series of sermons will not be delivered
by DR. Jordan next Sunday night In
stead he viii deliver sermon especially
for young men, entitled "A Plea for the
Young Men OF Our City"