The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-04-15
THE CONVERSION
OF SAUL
Sunday School Lesson for April Is, 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

Saul, why persecutest thou me?"-Acts
"a
TINES A. D, according to Hastings
Bible Dictionary. McGiffert places Sauls
conversion in 81 hardly possible: Ram
say. 80; Thatcher, "a Kendall, Levin,
most earlier authorities. 81.
PIACE.-Near Damascus. the capital
Of Syria, 40 miles north of Jerusalem. II
is situated on two beautiful rivers, the
ALBANIA and Pharpar e Kings SID.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
We have now completed the first
three divisions of our years studies.
the growth of the church % in Jeru-
salem, (2) in Samaria. go in all
Judea. The rest of the year we shall
be occupied with Paul, who was chief
ly instrumental in extending the
church over the world. Let us first
take a general view of this great man.
He was named Saul after the first
king of the Hebrews. Paul, a Roman
name meaning Little" came to him
from his Roman citizenship. and was
probably used from boyhood along
with Saul 1t first appears at
Cyprus. as he begins his missionary
Journeys into the Roman provinces of
Asia Minor where "Saulos" would
mean "Waddling," but "Paulus'
would be a familiar and patrician
name. A very natural change
Paul was born in Tarsus, at the
northeast corner of the Mediterranean.
1t was the chief city of Cilicia, on the
Cydnus, ten miles from the sea Paul
declared it mo mean city" acts
2l:39). It stood before the world at
the entrance to the greatest province
of the east as metropolis. a free city
with a free harbor mistress of a large
and fertile territory" - Hastings
Bible Dictionary. It's university rivaled
those of Athens and Alexandria. 1t
was governed largely by philosophers.
some of the greatest of whom Paul
probably heard. Tarsus is now "a
wretChed town of the Turkish style.
retaining not trace of its former
splendor. Ramsay
His parents (whose names are I'M
known were strict Pharisees. Jews Of
pure descent, but Roman citlZens,-a
fact implying distinction and wealth
Phil. 3:5: Acts $3.50. Pauls man
ners were those of a citizen of the
world, familiar with the habits of good
society. "-McGiffert When Paul be.
came a Christian. he was probably dis
owned and cast off (Phil. 3:SD; he was
poor. and supported himself by tent
making In Caesarea and Rome he
appeared to possess means and to be
regarded as a man of distinction, so
that it is thought that he had by that
time inherited from his fathers es,
tate.
He was educated as a strict Jew. 7
family abhOrred Grecian learning,
would not send Saul to the University
of Tarsus. though his writings show
that he absorbed much of Greek cuI,
ture When lad of twelve or thir-
teen he was sent 10 Jerusalem (Acts
22:3; $40, where his teacher was
Gamaliel. grandson of Hillel the last
of the famous Jerusalem rabbits. The
Jews called Gamaliel the Beauty of
the Law" and generally revered him.
He seems to have had a liberal spirit.
and there is a tradition of his CONVEX
sion TO Christianity.
Paul said that his enemies said OF
himself q Cor. 10:1O). that his bodily
presence" was weak and his speech
contemplate" He was probably short,
and had some personal defect. such as
limping or weak eyes. At Lystra.
however. he was compared to the elo-
quent and vigorous god Mercury. and
IL, ~, 4 -
manding mobs and of winning friends
even among the most hostile.
He was deeply religious, whole
souled, ardent, energetic, persevering.
broad-minded, affectIonate, lovable. He
was great in more ways. probably.
than any other man of human history.
He was a great traveller a great au-
thor, a great orator, great organizer.
a great missionary, great philos
opher All of this genius was yielded
in absolute conservation to Jesus
Christ He is the Moses of the New
Testament and the two stand supreme
among men. He led the Christian
church out from the bondage of mar
row Judaism into world-sympathies
and Notwithstanding and so be-
came the human fultillment of the
highest thought of Christ for men.
Some of the indications that Pauls
eyes never recovered their full vision
are his failure TO recognize the high
priest when brought before him (Acts
$3.50. The saying gal. 4:13-15), that
the Galatians would have plucked out
their own eyes and given them to
him" The use of an amanuenss when
he was poor The signing of his
cpistles in large letters (Gal. GID.
It is probable that this dimness OF
sight was the thorn in the flesh"
against which Paul prayed so fervent-
" q Cor. 12:7). 1t must have been
terrible handicap to a spirit so eager
| and active as his.
Conversion" means turning" 1t
implies turning from something, and
to something else. Paul, as We b
seen, turned % from pride Tin. 7
lectual and spirituaD to lowliness,
humble following of Jesus and cooper
alton with other Christians; (2) from
violent opposition to Christ, to the
boldest and most persistent testimony