The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-07-21
Sunday School Column
Side Lights on Next Sundays Les
son for Teachers and Pupils.
By CHAs. K. MEYERS

>>>>sssAe><>r>>>%>-e->--
July %. Paul at Athens. Acts
H:ss.
We have today for consideration
one of the greatest speeches or ad
dresses ever delivered. The address
made by President Lincoln at Gettys-
burg, and u few others only, rank
with the one given by the Apostle
Paul at Athens about nineteen hun
dred years ago. Therefore it is q
rare pleasure to cons iler what he said
ut that time. Those posted on history
will delight to recall the scenes which
had taken place in Athens thousands
Ct years before Christ was born, as
that city and locality was the home OF
some of the greatest men who ever
Eves. such as Socrates, and other
heather philosophers. 1t is clear from
the state of things when Paul was
mt Athens that the wisdom of the
RtSat Greeks did not s I've the great
prptiems of:life and make the people
strosg. klndhearted and moral.
1t would appear that on his ar
rival at Athens Paul locked over the
city and a ned about tie people and
their religious beliefs. Then he be-
gan to talk about Jesus and his
death aud resurrection. Although a
stranger, his stalk made sufficient i'm
pression. SO that many became inter-
.eGted and asked that he be given q
chance to speak before an assembly
an TO his religion. The hill. on which
at the time was great place for
public assembly. is still there and
ahoxs to residents and visitors.
With a distinguished and critical
sauli ence of people, before him, Paul
proceeded to declare as to Jesus the
Christ. He was wise in opening his
address by saying tina. he would make
known to his listeners as to the "Un-
kuown God" to whom some one had
erected an altar in the city. AS his
Hearers were idolaters. Paul made q
anost convincing and unanswerable ar
gum mt showing that the true God
could not live in temples made with
hands. and that this God could not
si,s represented by images of gold or
stone lnads by men,. Paul further
declared the z brotherhood of all me NJ
saving that they had q common ia
ather or creator and so were Of one
blood.
fPaua did not fail to declare az to
the death and resurrection of Jesus,
And b tell his listeners that they
would be judged for what they dia in
their life time. 1t will thus be seen
that he used skill in the address max
ing use Of the shrine or altar they
were familiar with. andleading up by
degrees to announcing the death and
resurrection of Jesus, and a judg-
ssraent tn come. He further quoted
iron the sayings of some Of the Greek
poets to strengthen his argument.
AL in all. the address WAS most able
and has won for Paul many words OF
pretse.
Let it be remembered that Paul told
-of q ad0ment to come. This ia all,
a6s often forgotten by preachers and
steednera- God is love and wants ns
TO be goo1 end follow His commando.
There viii come a time however,
usheu those who have laughed and
nd cuie ed the bible and what it teaches
will be judged by it, and that will be
serious business, if the life has peen
uas sf Wickedness. We hope that
ao oue of our readers will 60 on
rerkseasdy through life, forgetting the
tine of accounting, and thus miss
the reward of eternal life of happi-
mess promised in the bible.