The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-28
CONQUEST COOPERATION,
international Sunday School Lesson
for March 1-"Paul and ApolIos"-
Acts 1924, 1876.

Acts 1924. 1876.
When Christians stand together,
| nolnlng can stand against them.
United, the Christian church is irwin,
! clDle. And this practical unity is part
OF the command laid upon His follow
ers by the Founder OF the Church.
though we are far from being wholly
| opedlent in this respect. In the years
IoiloWlng the ascension of Jesus, fell
IoWsh1p among His disciples was more
simple and complete than now. The
present lesson shows one instance Of
| TINS. ApolloS, an Alexandrian Jew.
| learned and eloquent, although only
| l1nperfectly instructed in the gospel,
came to EpheSus, which city Paul had
! just left for q tour of his churches and
| visit to Jerusalem. Apollos was so
| fred with joy and enthusiasm over the
story OF Jesus that he openly and zeal
4 ouSly taught In the synagogue, eager
70 snare the good news with all men,
Yet ne did not know the story of Je-
sus IN It's fullness. and PauPs friends,
Aqulla and Priscilla, took him home
with them and further instructed him,
! Later, the Ephesian Christians speed
ca MIN on his way to Greece, surren-
oerlng their own profit in his presence
| for the sake of the cause.
Each With His Own Tools.
Many man with better equipment
| Tor Christian work than Apollos ex-
cuSes himself from its performance on
the plea OF unf1tness. The first and
greatest preparation for service is a.
| willing mind, and this Apollos had.
| what ne knew he was willing to tell,
ana by going ahead and doing things
| ne arrived at greater knowledge.
Through labor to light is the divine
plan. Moody became the greatest
evangelist of his time by pushing out
INTO the nearest work that he could do.
He had many critics more cultured
than himself who never amounted to
| anything. About the poorest accom-
plishment in all this world is mere
ao1l1ty to sit back and find fault with
the way somebody else is doine
things. A man who is doing his best,
with the ability he has, and from no.
Die motives, is in the surest road to
greater ability. After ALL man does
not have to pursue theological course
to be able to tell the Good News.
One often hears the gospel more clear
ly set forth from the lips of redeemed
drunkards in rescue missions than
from many pulpits. Every Christian
has ability to do some form Of Chris
tan work. God puts into every mans
hand his own special tool. To fail to
use 1t because it is not a better tool, o.
| the same tool that another has, is folly
and sin.
The Orator and the Working People.
The tent makers with whom Paul
mad lived at Corinth heard this eIo-
quent Apollos, and they perceived that
he lacked instruction. Did they at once
set about airing their superior knowl-
edge? Did Priscilla go gadding about
among the other women Of the syna,
gogue, pointing out the preachers
| mistakes? Here were the elements of
a hrst-class church row. All, but
Priscilla and Aquila were better Chris
uans than some who have lived since
their day. They rejoiced in the work
that Apollos was doing in the Name
They gave him their fellowship. and
in the seclusion of their own home
they told of the fuller truth that they
had learned from the lips of the Apos-
tie Paul Doubtless it was all done
with woman's tact, and not unlikely
1t was over the best meal that Pris-
ella knew how to prepare. They were
| more Jealous for the glory Of God than
for the display Of their own superior
1ty. 1t was a joy to them to have any
part, however obscure, in extending
| the evangel. To the extent of their
power they co-Operated with Apollos
and share Of the reward for his sue
cess cannot be denied them. All hon
or to the hosts of present day Chris
| tians, who, like Aquila and Priscilla,
are willing to be hidden helpers. Such
as these are the need of every church
today-men and women who will
stand by their pastor, encouraging and
assisting him and bearing him up by
their prayers. There cannot be a sue
cessful church where the pastor and
people do not thus cooperate.
The First Mark of Greatness.
To maintain an open mind toward
Nf 49,,
and an essential of growth The per-
son who Is not teachable is in a hope
less way. Apollos was a wise man
already and yet-or perhaps because
of his wisdom-he was willing to be
instructed by others. Everybody can
learn something from anybody. APP
olloS proved the genuineness of his
religion by his willingness to learn.
During the sharp discussion of the
higher criticism" several years ago
a certain prominent clergyman was
heard to say privately, eff these new
teacmngs are true / do not want to
know it That man was contemDf-
ible. Whoever shuts his mind to any
truth proves by that act his intellect
ual smallness and cowardice He who
is unwilling to learn is incompetent
to serve. Apollos was open-minded:
therefore he became so useful to the
churches, especially the one at Cor
NTH, that his name took rank with
Paurs.
An ltinerating Preacher.
In this lesson are two sharply de-
nned sections The first deals with
Apollos and the cooperation with him
of Aquila and Priscilla and the other
disciples of Ephesus and the co-opera-
ton of the Holy Spirit with them all.
The second section treats of the early
stage of Paul's third missionary Jour
ney, and his arrival at Ephesus, which
city Apollos had left to go to Corinth.
Here he found a community of twelve
immature Christians, men who like
Apollos knew only the baptism preach
ed by John. On the completion of
Christ's work and Of the fact that the
Holy Spirit had been given, they were
entirely ignorant Paul interrupted
his. journey by spending the long space
OF three years at Ephesus, undergoing
there varied and stirring experiences,
of which we shall soon study. In pass
ing, it Is to be borne in mind that the
tfreless apostle was on the third Of
the great evangelizing tours that he
made. His field was larger than that
of the most famed of the Methodist
circuit riders. The large sympathies
and broad views of this man are to
be marveled at when it is recalled how
many and widely varied were the in
terests that he ever bore in mind
"More to Follow"
Personal Christianity is not sys-
tenn of doctrine to be received in a
lump 1t is a life, an experience, and
therefore a growth. 1t has its begin
nings and It's engagements and its
limit Is never reached until we come
to know fully" in the presence Of
Him who is it's beginning and It's end
ing. Paul found at Ephesus a COM