Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-17
suBJEcr. opAUL's TEACHINGS"

| SUHJECTG PA AUL'5 IbhShAANN~
~ wlsb to call attention TO the relation
OF Paurs conversion, to his teaching and
conduct
THE conversion Of Saul is one Of the
most important events in the history OF
the world. Not battle has ever been
won which brought greater blessings
than the battle fought on the road to
Damascus between the invisible Jesus
and the prosecutor OF His people.
This battle was the first Waterloo OF
the Christian religion with the forces
which were for mans progress, purity
and in Transforming him into the like
ness OF God and making this earth IKE
heaven, triumphing goriously for the
cause OF Christ
Through the conversion Of Saul Chris
tianity received new impetus. Up to
this time perhaps 10 years after Pente-
cost many Of the disciples were living
as reformed Jews. They believed no
GENTLE could be a Christian except he
became a jew and believed in the law OF
circumcision. Just at this time. however,
a new sun arises. Jesus drew tho cur
tain of night over Judaism of the past
and unrolled before us a future which
teaches salvation. full, free, perfect and
eternal. by faith in Him. Saul Is now
going 20 teach the same thing. In a lit
tie different form sometimes but IN
reality tho same thing. Through his
teaching churches were TO be multiplied
I'm membership by thousands. Men and
women were born again by hundreds and
thousands during his own life; to ms
immortal reputation. to the perpetual
praise of the God who made him
Christian. No single life except Jesus
has been so fruitful for good,
Now TO state the relation between that
mans conversion. which changed him
from being prosecutor to the most eIo-
uucnt preacher the world ever knew
changed him from using his muscle 10
xiii to using It to help-changed him
from living to ruin souls and bodies OF
men and women TO that Of sacrificing his
own body and soul for the benefit Of the
souls Of others, Jews, Gontiles. bond, free.
male and female, to show the relation
of that change to his teaching and con-
duct must lie profitable to any thinking
soul.
OPENS SPIRITUAL EYES.
"They tell us that by studying the his
tory of Caesar we will become enthused
over his power: If we study the history
OF Napoleon we will become thrilled with
the genius Of that great warrior; IL we
oNuhS llt hlSlDl VI lshNll'l We VIII l''iN'
our eyes opened. But what is the study
of the conversion of Paul TO any one who
gives its dilgent and reverent attention
but opening the spiritual eyes and arm
ing us for the conflicts of life that we
may be able to fight more hopefully, va
liantly?
"Tl text brings out all that | want to
ma. al
heard n voice saying, Saul, Saul. why
thou Me-?
Paul started out to convert men by
muscle, not brains. He thought the way
TO make these renegade Jews (Which
he called those who believed in Jesus) go
back to the religion of their forefathers,
which he believed to be the only true
religion, was TO punish them by the Use
of muscular, physical, political and ec-
,lcsiastical force rather than by appeal
ng to the conscience of the individual
~ the intellect. Perhaps some cannot be
any other way than by force.
Paul was one of that class and the Lord
lverpowered him by physical force.
Jesus said to Paul, You are going on
he pusilistic fashion. are you? See how
easy can knock you out The Lord never
.red to convert any other person that
same way. lie said to Peter, Follow Me,
and | will make you fisher Of men, To
Matthew He said, Follow Me- and he
arose and followed Him. TO the woman
lt the we'll He said. GO call thy hus-
band TO Bartimaeus lie said Thy
'aith hath made thee whole TO the
woman taken in adultery lie said
Neither do l condemn thee, go and sin
40 more
When Jesus comes to a man who
links the only way to reach people is
~ prosecuting them, lie overpowcrs him. |
reaches Him in His own way. He says:
You persecute Me and / persecute you
Paul realizes that the Lord is greater |
han himself for he asks: who are
'ou?-he secs no one. but a spirit talks |
o him. The voice from the unseen speaks |
o hlm God used the force of nature to !
,verpower him, but he sees no man. |
esus answered, I am Jesus whom thou
rersecutest am one who used the !
lightning TO knock you down, | am the !
me who said, "Why persecutest thou |
ue?" After using physical force to get |
Paul to realize that his method to get |
people to do what he thought they should |
10 was wrong, Jesus appeals to his rea-
on and his conscience.
ASKS PAUL FOR REASON.
"ln the text He asks Paul to give a |
eason Christ wanted to know what lie,
esus, had done and what His people
Nti' Nv4IS' III ollltI MOIuSI HS Sdlu 10 |
'aul, You profess to be rational, why,
hen, do you act as you do toward them?'
le did not say, why do you persecute
ny disciples?' Paul, you know, had
een breathing out threatening against
he disciples. The question, therefore.
rises how Paul could be prosecuting
esus by prosecuting the disciples.
II walk down the street, boy provokes
ne and l turn around and slap him
ome irnte woman comes up and says
Why did you hit me?' You'd be sur
rised, wouldn't you? If she would say,
What did You hit my boy for? you'd
ot be so surprised, but If she would
ay, Why did you hit me?' you'd beg
er pardon, and say you never saw her,
suppose she would answer, Hit me. hit
ny bOy-you'd ask, why. how Is that
cannot see how by hitting your boy
lit yOu:' What answer do you think
he'd give? Paul had that same ques-
ion put to him on the road to Damascus.
t turned him -Srom being a prosecutor
nto blessing In this world.
Jesus, whom he had not seen so far
S we know, asks in the words of the
ext, saul Saul, why peTsecutest thou
ne" Jesus had gone into heaven be-
ore Paul began persecution Don't you
hlnk Paul might ask. Why does He
ay that? | never saw Him? / never
ried to put Him in prison? thought
10 was dead?'
"If you win give me the answer Paul