Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-09-16
RELIGION BRANCHING OUT.
The International Sunday School Les.
son for September 10 is Quar-
terIy Review. Acts is: Fl.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

Religion is commodity the pecul-
lar nature of which is that the more
we expect the more we have quaint
ly declared a Massachusetts minister
\ hen the organization of the American
board was objected to by a man who
thought that the churches should look
out first for the hcathen at home.
That saying was illustrated by the
history of the Apostle church, which
we now pass in review, and, in lesser
but somewhat analogous degree, by
the situation in this western world
Today.
An exported gospel means an eX-
banded life The very act of giving
enlarges. The widened horizon and
Increased power are not the only con-
comitants of missionary effort. The
very vitality of Christianity at home
Is being quickened by the new stress
that is being put upon it's broader,
faster proclamation at the ends Of the
earth. The Laymen's Missionary
movement was quickly followed by
the formation in the United States by
the Council of Home Missions; and
in both Canada and the States the
patriotism Of the men interested in
the Laymen's movement has been
manifestly intensified.
May we not again see something
akin to the experien e of the first cen
: fury, when the church's entire con
ception of her mission underwent Z
transformation because of her mission
work. She entered upon that as 9
sort of Christian Judaism; she speed
fly found that her true character was
to be that of universal body where.
In Jew and Gentle, Roman and bar
barian, bond and free, were all one in
Christ Jesus. 1t is incredible that the
present-day increase of native Chris
tians in mission lands, with such mar
Vicious seals of divine approval upon
them as the Korean and Indian and
Chinese revivals, and with their grow
ang tendency to organize into self
supporting, self-governing and self
propagating bodies, should not greatly
affect the character and thinking ri
the church universal
Fighting Pioneers.
A doughty little Jew, trained as q
scholar, and yet called to life of &C
.,
day school lessons studied for three
months past, the main theme of which
has been his second and third mis-
sionary journeys. A fascinating fig
ure is Paul, one of the most distinct
and potent personalities of all his
tory. Wrapped up in his shabby
cloak was a character which meant
more to Europe than did Alexander
or any of the Caesars. For the great
deed God prepares the great men. Ne
instrument less than Faul could hars
served for this tremendous burstinl
of Jewish bonds by the early church
and the accompanying invasion Of the
citadel Of paganism.
The supremacy of Paul was not rec
ognized then as now; it takes time K
reveal greatness. So his imperial de
crees did not work out without oppo
sition. He had to do even more fight
ing than falls to the lot of the aver
age pioneer 1t was not as bookisl
monk, but as q man in world Of mel
that this great apostle did his work
fighting for every step of progress NJ
made.
Consider some of the outstandn;
eonflicts which have come ND in thu
studies of recent weeks. There Wa
that dramatic fracas with the evi
spirits in the fortune telling made
and with her masters, who represenl
ed the inevitable conflict of veste
2 interests with free truth. Then Their
were the seven sons of Sceva, SCOTT
sayers, who were overcome in a wa
that set the community at gaze. tn
great battle with Demetrius and tn
Ephesian silversmiths, supported b
"a throauy mob. is a classic of liter:
ture The philosophic struggle wit
the wise men of Athens was in cor
trast with the victory over the Epht
sian magicians, an. the subsequen
bonfire, but it was all of a piece wit
the general war in which Paul wa
Ia leader The mad unreason of tn
Jewish-inspired mobs which were me
all along the way might almost b
characterized as a constant factor !
the apostles work. The lesson
that all Christian pioneering mean
opposition, and the modern missio,
airy crusade has no more right to e,
pect freedom from danger and diff
culties than had the itinerating prop;
ganda of Paul and his friends. Ther
will be martyrdoms and riots and lay
quits and international complication
before the church, mission work
done.
The Other Cheek.
An intimate study of public mo
will show that most of them hay
their net diversions and enmitie