The Dolores star., 1909-04-16
THE CONVERSION
OF SAUL
S.iay sekssi Lsssss fsr Ar1 10. 10
Specially Arrsns.d for rhI. P.p.,

LESSON TExT.-Acts s:i-is. Msmory
verses. IS. 10.
GOLDEN TExr.-"Ie fell 10 the earth.
ind heard voice saying unto him. Raul.
saul. why persecutest thou me?"-Acts
"a
TINES A. D., according to Hastings'
Bible Dictionary. McGiffert places Saul'y
cnversion In 81 hardly possible); Ram
say. q: Thatcher. "a: Kendall. levin. ant
most earlier authorities. a.
PLACE-Near Damascus. the capital
Il Syria. 1%o miles north Of Jerusalem. i.
10 situated on two beautiful rivers. the
ALBANIA and Pharpar e Kinss h:iD.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
We have now completed the nrst
three divisions of our years studies
the growth Of the church ~ in Jeru
,alem, t2) in Samaria. t3) in IL
iIudea. The rest Of the year we shal
be occupied with Paul. who was chief
y instrumental In extending thu
:hurch over the world. Let US nrst
AXE 4 general view Of this great man
He was named Saul after the flrsi
king Of the Hebrews, Paul. . Roman
lame meaning Little" came to him
rom his Roman citizenship. and was
probably used from hoyhood along
with Saul" It first appearss .,
Cyprus. AZ he begins his missionary
journeys into the Roman provinces Of
Asia Minor. where "Saulos" would
mean "Waddling." but "PauIus''
would be a familiar and pAtrician
name. A very natural change.
Paul was born in Tarsus. at the
northeast corner of the Mediterranean
It was the chief city Of Cilicia, on the
Cydnus. ten miles from the sea. Paul
declared II mo mean city" (Acts
21:39). It stood before the world q
the entrance to the greatest province
Of the east ~ 4 metropolis. free city
with free harbor, mistress Of large
and fertile territory" - Hastings
Bible Dictionary. Its university rivaled
those Of Athens and Alexandria. II
was governed largely by philosophers
some Of the greatest OF whom Paul
probably heard. Tarsus IL now "a
wretched town of the Turkish style
retaining not . trace Of its former
splendor r."-Ramsay.
His parents (whose names are un
known) were strict Pharisees. Jews of
pure descent, but Roman Citizens
fact implying distinction and wealth
(Phil. 3:5; Acts 1850. Paul's imam
ners were those OF citizen Of the
world, familiar with the habits Of good
ociety."-McGiffert When Paul be
came Christian, he was probably dis
owned and cast on (Phil. 3:8): he was
rrnr anH c,nv,o~koA- hlvusoN hv tont
making. In Caesarea and Rome he
appeared to possess means and to be
regarded a. a man Of distinction. 80
that It Is thought that he had by that
time inherited from his fathers es,
tate.
He was educated as a strict Jew. His
family abhorred Grecian learning. and
would not send Saul to the University
Of TArsas. though his writings show
that he. absorbed much Of Greek cul
tufes When lad Of twelve or thir-
teen he was sent to Jerusalem (Acts
z4:3; s!s4).. where his teacher was
GSmaliel. grandson of Hillei, the last
Of the famo,is Jerusalem rabbis. The
Jews called 0amaliel :.ths Beauty o,
the Law" and generally reyered him,
He seems to have had = liberal spirit
and there II . tradition of his CONVEX
sion to Christianity.
Paul said that his enemies said Of
himself q Cor. 10:10), that his bodily
presence" was weak. and bis speech
contemplate" He was probably short
and had some personal defect. such ~
uvrnlpv ~ -oak avaa A. T.vatra'
however. he was compared to the eio-
quent and vigorous god Mercury. and
he certainly had the power Of com.
manding mobs and Of winning friends
even among the most hostile.
He was deeply religious. whole
souled, ardent, energetic. persevering.
broad-minded, afIectionate. lovable. He
was great In more ways, probably,
than any sthsr man ot human htstosy.
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