The Washington herald., 1909-08-07
Old Ties and New Work,

LphesuS Acts NVln.Gi XXX
One OF the everyday tragedies Of life is
the breaking OF old ties by progressive
persons who have gone into a new life.
Young people who have left the humble
old home 10 so 90 college return and find
themselves living in a different world
which does not speak the language Of
that in which they are reared. All about
us we see prominent and successful men
and women concerning whose families we
never inquire. They have had 20 make
a fresh life for themselves. Some are all
too quick 20 break with the past, and 10
forget those TO whom they owe all: but
even many who would carry their fami-
lies and old associates with them md II
impossible so TO do. Paul, the great
apostle 70 the Gentles. was nevertheless
a Jew. and his heart ever yearned Tor
his own people Daily he prayed for
them. and with all his tact and tender
ness and wisdom he sought TO keep in
close relationship with them. Whenever
he approached a new community It was
10 the synagogue that he Immediately
repaired. His pride was that he was a
Hebrew OF the Hebrews. Yet alas. his
own people continually cast him out.
Despite innumerable mobbings, Paul
Kept his Hebrew affiliations In the pres
ent lesson We find him ending his second
missionary journey in order TO go up 70
Jerusalem 20 fulfill a vow. He made the
long Journey up to the city of David
with the inextinguishable love for that
spot which has characterized the devout
Jew throughout all ages-and in the tenn
pie courts he fulfilled all the rites of an
orthodox Jew.
THE THINGS MEN CELEBRATE
Nothing is said IN the record about the
reception given the great apostle by the
church at Jerusalem. Apparently he had
no triumphal entry II Is more than pos
tibe that the Judaized Christians were
cold 70 this apostle 10 the Gentiles. II is
more probable, however. that the his
torian. with a fine sense of proportion.
records only the work of the evangelical
tion and not the home jubilations. Luke.
like Paul. had a supreme interest In the
field
Paul was not one Of those missionaries
who make more noise at home than they
do abroad; whose work looms larger in
the printed reports and IN the telling 70
home churches than it dos, before the
eyes OF those who actually See Il on the
ground Nor was he of that company OF
evangellsts who employ press agents 10
report their successes in distant fields 70
the centers from which they draw, or
hope % draw. a stipend
For 10 Paul's mind the work was the
thing. His heart yearned for the battle
ground like old Or. Hunter Corbett who
would not wait 10 finish his term as
moderator Of the Presbyterian General
Assembly. but who fastened back 10 his
field In China. He would rather preach
IN the China villages than preside and be
lionlzed at elaborate functions in Amer
lea OF him 70 IS told that returning 10
rrrrr rne ~
preach 20 the natives as soon as he set
foot upon the jetty, even before he had
greeted his family.
AZ ECHO OF THE BAPTIST.
An interesting figure enters the story
! here, one Apollos an Alexandrian jew.
He was of the type Of the scholarly man
Of letters. ready I'm debate and equipped
by research for thorough controversy.
The Alexandrian spirit which applied the
Greek standards Of scholarship 20 the
Hebrew scriptures was personihed in
Apollos Now Apollos knew John the
Baptists teaching, and the promised
Messiah. but he was ignorant that Christ
had already come and lived and died
Yet he was true 10 the best that he
knew. and up % the limits OF his knowl-
edge he preached his gospel IN Ephesus
powerfully confounding the Jews
The churches which are not awake 90
the whole truth are typifed by Apollos
and his Ephesian converts. We recall
the great body of Armenian Christians,
and the Coptic church and the Greek
church. and the Orthodox Russian
church. which. through Intellectual tor
por and spiritual decline, have lost much
OF the treasure OF the universal Chris
tian churcn. What shall we say TO them?
Shall We follow in the train OF the
|Ckristia Is Of an older day and brand
them n & heretics2 Surely not. The tenn
per Of he time IS 20 lead all these on 20
fuller knowledge. Upon the best Of
what tlyef have the completer structure
Of Chr lSiian truth should be reared.
That. hNppily. is the mood OF the day.
That Ioo. was the mood Of Pauls day.
ApoIos HAS not cast out as hereto.
There IN two friends Of the gospel
Aoura anJ Priscilla. who seem ever %
have been katisfed to keep in the back
ground. II 10 be helpers of others.
What nar+ Nhey had as the strengthen
ers. sJlpnortlars and comforters of Paul
we can onIvt imagine. When they learned
Of ApolIos tDfcachlng. they did not rise
up In the .bynaEOEue and huTl CRITICISMS
at his headJ nor did they set 70 flowing
that subtBF current Of consciousness
which Is wlfter than all the waters thas
Etrdle the earth. Instead they took him
aside AM eXDOunded TO him fully the
the waF Of life Would that our
churches were full OF Aquillas and Pris-
elias, Then the preacher who is now
criticised for his crudities and rawness
and blunders and shortcomings would be
helped I'm quiet. brothery fashion. 70
fulfill a larger mission. Who knows but
that even this preacher, whose message
IS so far below the truth you yourself
know. may yet be a veritable Apollos?
RELIGIONS BEST FOR ALL
Ephesus was the great commercial
metropolis OF Asia Minor. 1t was n city
os diverse peoples and mulutudinous in
terests Later in Christian history It be-
came known as the home Of the Apostle
John, and the church at Ephesus grew
20 be q Christian stronghold When Pau
arrived there he found a company Of be-
Iievers who had been taught by Apollos
When he asked them II they had received
the Holy Spirit they displayed lamentable
ignorance concerning the truths OF the
Christian religion. Now Paul was eager
70 perfect those who were headed right
as well as 10 turn those who were head
ell wrong. So he set about along with
Aquila and Priscilla to illumine the
minds and direct the faith Of these stun
bling saints. The Ephesians were proto-
types Of that multitude who get only part
way into the Christian religion Mr.
Moody described them as having dust
enough religion 20 make them miserable" "
The fullness Of Joy and peace and power
which are Christs promised heritage C
HIS own. are unknown mysteries e
them.
Undoubtedly. too, there were richer
spiritual manifestations given 10 IN,
apostolic church than are given now