The Washington times., 1903-06-20
e International SUNDAY School lesson
FOR JUNE II.

his dying words ring like the bugle
notes OF a Dean OF victory.
Loyalty to the Scriptures.
Paul devoted his last moments to ex-
horting his successor in the Christian
ministry to steadfastness in the truth
and activity in work OF his calling.
That was a very critical period in the
history OF Christianity. when the
apostles Of Christ who had seen him in
the flesh and who were especially called
and led of him in their ministry were
passing away. There was danger that
Christianity might die with them. No
no wonder. then. that Paul's last in
spired words were addressed 10 his
young successor, his son in the gospel
who had been converted by his preach
ing and who had been for so many years
the companion of his labOrs All the
sharer of his experiences and who had
imbibed his religious and spiritual
ideas. This young man and disciple Of
the great apostle was Timothy, who
had been among the first fruits Of his
ministry. Moses had his Joshua; Elijah
had his Elisha; Paul had his Timothy.
This last letter from St. Paul drops
from his triumphal chariot like Elijah s
mantle. AS Timothy received it, he
might well have cried with admiring re-
greet In the very words OF Elisha. My
father! Ny father. Thou chariot OF
Israeli Thou horseman thereof No
doubt Timothy priced as highly. and. in
his way. made as effective use OF the
sheepskin epistle as Elisha did Of the
sheepskin mantle. He accepted Il as
an earnest OF his own succession"
Timothy WAS born I'm Asia Minor, prob
ably IN Lystra. Paul was stoned until
he was supposed to be dead at Lystra
Timothy might have seen this deed and
have felt as he looked upon the pale
and bleeding face OF the victim, HIS
heart forever knit TO the hero who nac
courage 10 suffer to the death for his
faith. This was about A d. 30. Timothy
must have been at least thirty years
younger than Paul
Timothy accompanied Paul on his sec.
ond missionary tour. He went with hin
to Europe, and was the apostles al.
most constant comrade and helper fol
the rest OF bis life. He finally be-
came the pastor OF the church at Ephe-
sus, and was martyred there about A
ID. IS or possibly in A. d. 100.
He was OF Jewish-G Greek extraction
his mother. Eunice. being a Jewess. ant
also his grandmother. Lois. who taught
him diligently in the Jewish scrip
lures as a child. Paul in his las
charge to him in the passage undel
consideration reminds him of his faith
| full training In the Scriptures. and telli
! him as a minister to abide in thii
scriptural knowledge. to be loyal to 4
and to live In II as in an atmosphere
to nurture his own soul on it. and q
draw from it his instruction for others
The apostle thus puts his authorita
tive seal upon the sacred writings a.
/ the foundation Of the faith of the Chris
tian. The God-breathed, the divinely In
| spired. Bible is the directly God givcl
rule OF faith and conduct in the world
Take this away from mankind and onl,
/ the fancies, the conjectures, and opin
/ IONS OF fallible men are left TO fur
nish US a guide 10 the higher life, which
are. In fact, no guides at all.
Paul reminds Timothy that he shoul'
stand by the sacred scriptures; First
/ Because they had been the foundation o
/ the faith OF his forefathers. That whlcl
has formed and made the past great an
victorious must be respected for tina
/ very fact. Second. Because they wer
the foundation OF Pauls gospel. whic
Timothy had embraced. That which ha
been useful to the greatest of men I