Mexico Missouri message., 1909-04-15
THE CONVERSION
OF SAUL

GOLDEN TEXTs--"He foli 70 the eafth,
and heard a voice saying unto him. Saul.
ga
TIMr.-ss A. d., according to Aastings'
Bible Dictionary. McGiffert places SaufH
conversion In 81 (hardly possible); Ram
say. 50; Thatcher, ~; Kendall. LAWN, and
most earlier authorities 81.
PLACE.-Near Damascus. the capital
OF Syria. 40 miles north OF Jerusalem. IL
n situated on two beautiful rivers. the
ALBANIA and Pharpar q Kings SID.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
We have now completed the Tirss
three divisions Of our years studies,
the growth OF the church ~ in Jeru-
salem. ca in samaria. (s) In all
Judea. The rest OF the year We shall
be occupied with Paul. who was chief.
~ 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, Roman
name meaning Little" came to him
| from his Roman citizenship. and was
probably used from boyhood along
with Saul" Il irst appears at
Cyprus. as he begins his missionary
Journeys into the Roman provinces Of
asia Minor. wheze 'Sauios" would
mean 'Waddllng," but "Paulus"
would be q familiar and patricien
name. A very natural change.
Paul was born in Tarsus. at the
northeast corner Of the Mediterranean.
II was the chief city OF Cillcia, on the
Cydnus. ten miles from the sea. Paul
declared &c mo mean city" (Acts
21:39). II stood before the world at
the entrance to the greatest province
Of the east as metropolis. a free city
with n 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 Is now "a
wretched town Of the Turkish style,
retaining not trace of It's former
splendor ."--Ramsay.
His parents (whose names are I'M
known) we're strict Pharisees. Jews Of
l.pure descent, but Roman citiZens.--a
fact implying distinction and wealth
(Phil. 3:5; Acts $3.50. Paul's man.
ners were those OF 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 OF (Phil. $3.50; he was
poor. and supported himself by tent
making. In Caesarea and Rome he
appeared to possess means aad to be
regarded as q man OF distinction, so
that II is thought that he had by that
time inherited from HIS fathers es.
tate.
He was educated as q strict Jew. His
family abhorred Grecian learning. and
would not send Saul 10 the University
OF Tarsus, though his writings show
that he absorbed much of Greek cul.
ture. When a lad OF twelve or thir.
teen he was sent to Jerusalem (Acts
22:3; $3.50, where his teacher wa
Gamaliel. grandson Of Hillei, the las,
of the famous Jerusalem rabbis. The
: Jews called Gamaliel tho Beauty OF
the Law" and generally revered him.
He seems to have had liberal spirit,
and there is a tradition OF his CONVEX
: sion to Christianity.
Paul said that his enemies said Of
himself q Cor. To-: 100. that his bodily
presence" was weak, and his speech
, contemplate" He was probably short
and had some personal defect. such az
Ilmping, or weak eyes. At Lystra,
3 however, he was compared TO the elo
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.mlnded. affectionate. lovable. IN
was great In more ways. probably,
, than any, other man OF human history,
He was great traveller. great au'
thor, a great orator. great organiser
great missionary. a great philos
opher. All Of this genius was yielded
lin absolute conservation to Jesus
Christ. He IL the Moses Of the New
Testament. and the two stand supreme
among men. He led the Christian
: church out from the bondage Of a mar.
? row Judaism into world-sympathiea
: and world-relationshipa. and 30 DO
came the human fulfiliment Of the
+ highest thought OF Christ for men.
Some OF the Indications that Paul'H
. eyes never recovered their full vision
. are his failure to recognize. the high
priest when brought before him (Acts
1850. The saying (Gal. 4:13.15), that
the Galatians would have plncked out
2 their own eyes and given them 10
him" The use Of an ainanuonsis when
he WA poor The signing Of his
; epissiea IN large lettersg lGai. 6:11),
. Ilt Is probable that this dimneas Of
4 sight was the thorn in the iiesh'
3 against which Paul prayed 20 feEvent'
. II g Cor. i2;7). II must have been q
: terrible handicap to a spirit 30 eager
. aud active AZ his.