Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-05
THE FIRST BOOK OLA NEW FAITH
The international Sunday School Les
son for Aug. Is "Paule lnstruc-
tions to the Thessalonians."
Thess. 5:12-24.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

/
| CLAIMANT discussion of old creeds and
new religious fills the air just now and
it is opportune that the Sunday schools
are to study this week the first of the
group of documents which make up
the New Testament This particular
bit Of writing is not found at the be-
ginning of the collection of books, he
cause the canon is not put together
in chronological order. Instead of the
Book of Matthew being first, or any
of the four gospels, for that matter,
the earliest of the Christian writings
that have come down to US Is with
the possible exception Of the Letter
by James, the epistle which Paul
wrote from Corinth, while on the sec
ond missionary journey which we are
studying, to the converts at Thessa-
lonica 1t Is to be borne in mind that
the Thessalonians lived in what IS
now the city Of Salonica, where Iur-
keys deposed sultan, Abdul Hamid,
sits in Punishment.
A food of light upon the life OF the
early converts is thrown by this letter.
1t was written some time within e1sh-
teen months of the authors visit to
! Thessalonica (for that was the lengtn
|'of his sojourn in Corinth) SO that all
we find reflected Of organized Chris
tian life and work had been the de-
velopment of comparatively Few
months Those commingled Jews and
heather had been on the way-multl-
plying rapidly, it IS to be noted-only
for short time. Yet how true to type
they are in essentials.
There is no CLOSING Of human ma
ture in this letter. The conditions II
reveals were by no means perfect
But Christianity is singular in that 1t
faces facts as they are, and deals
snuarely with the present conditions
of mans heart. 1t stays right where
everybody can observe its teachings
at work 1t either gets results from
ordinary men and women or else II
fails to get them. Anybody can look
and see Contrast this with the multi
tude of speculative PHILOSOPHERS of the
advanced" religions, old and new
that bid for mems allegiance. Ever
some of the physical sciences arouse
our Impotence by their vagueness
Here is an eminent astronomer who
tells us in a current magazine just
how our. planet is going to smash,
thousand billion years hence, by
humping into star whose light has
gone out Perhaps it is all true-a
least the prophet is safe from contra
, diction-but nobody will get excited
over it, with thousand billion years
of leeway. What normal men ant
women are more concerned about jus
now is how to keep young people from
} going to smash in this year 1909. W.
want a religion that will save iron
disaster the precious human spirit
that are now living That was the sor
of gospel Paul had preached to tn
Thessalonians.
T. A Great Hearts SoIlcitude.
; AS he watched the leaven which h
had deposited in their midst grow, w
note Pauls solicitude for these chi
: dren of his preaching. With fatherl
tenderness and watchfulness he year,
!, ed over them. Their welfare had b.
= come inwrought into the very fbr
: Of his being. Consider the fragmer
I. of his letter which has been especial
indicated for the days study:
L But we beseech you, brethren,
know them that labor among you, an
are over you in the Lord, and admo
ish you; and to esteem them high
in love for their works sake. Be
" peace among yourselves. And we e
4 hort you, brethren, admonish the di
, orderly, encourage the faint-hearte
Y. support the weak, be long suffering t
ward all. See that none render UNI
. any one evil for evil; but always *
low after that which is good. one
r. ward another and toward all. Rejoi
always; pray without ceasing;; in e
erything give thanks; for this is Il
u will of God in Christ Jesus to yo
e., E. ward. Quench not the Spirit; despi
~, an not prophesyings; prove all thing
pc hold fast that which is good; absta
mt from every form of evil.
er "And the god Of peace himself sar
va tify you wholly; and may your spil
ms and soul and body be preserved e
,sa tire, without blame at the coming
h our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is
Of that calleth you, who also will do i
he The Preachers Place.
Probably nothing like the mode
ecclesiastical organizations had be
created at Thessalonica. Yet the
1t We're leaders and teachers" pres1
If. ters'' or bishops" direct the
~, Se1nDlleS ana ldDOES VI Ine uloClpl
sh- Paul was Jealous for the honor and 1
Is thority Of these. There were head
ng converts in Thessalonica who thous
I'd they knew more than the paste
lid Paul was too good a Jew to look
raj concerned upon any lack of resp
for Gods minister. What he would s
today if he could observe how so
church committees and officers tr'
the Lords undershepherds-as if til
re, were sections or errand boys or d
Der laborers-we cannot tell; but it pr
Nh. ably would be, in his most scorchi
1re style There are some of us who {
IAN old-fashioned enough to believe Il
the the land will never receive the spi
his ual baptism for which multitudes
EN- praying until good many churcl
EN- learn to treat their preachers dece
IKE ly.
IAN There is the other side, of cour
He which minority of the men in