The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-24
International
Sunday School Lesson
For March 26 is "Review-the Great
Multitude.''-Rev. 1911.
By W. T. ELLIS.
Back to Beginnings.

For March 26 is "Review-the Great
Multitude. Rev. 7:9-17.
Back to Beginnings.
The long look is the cure for little
worries. The Apostle Peter described
as blind those who see only that which
is near. Small saints grow in circum-
scribed churches, and naturally fall to
strife and unSeemlineSs. Give horizon
and their pettiness is cured. This is
day to take & comprehensive view of
all things. The war has brought the
whole earth within the average mans
perspective. Now is the time to read
history rather than ephemeral fiction,
and today by appointment of the lesson
committee the millions of members of
Sunday schools must sweep the whole
text of the first generation of the life
of the Christian Church These quar-
terly reviews deliver all students from
the blight of studying the great truths
of the Bible by the verse fragments.
The state of mind of many Christians
who have not got beyond the Golden
Text stage, is that they cannot see
the woods for the trees" nor the truth
for the text
Here we have a vista of the first
The lessons studied cover a period that
extends to as far after the ReSurrec-
ton of Christ, as Calvary was after
Christmas. 1t is rather interesting to
measure these first thirty odd years of
the Church with the thirty-three years
of Christ. The material for com
parison- is abundant.
These three decades were the plastic
period of the Christian Church. Then
it was taking shape. Its nature and
form and manifestations were being
determined practically for all time.
The early Christians were finding
themselves, and discovering how their
new faith cut them off from the old
life and bound them to the new fell
lowship. They would find among
themselves the men with natural gifts
for leadership. Organization was de-
veloping both opportunity and talents.
The Importance of these three months
of study of early church history is ap-
parent from the simple statement that
all present discussions of religious or
ganization bark back to the formative
period of the Apostolic Church.
The Led Leaders.
l have in mind two religious organ
izations that have seen develop from
their beginning. Both are national
and Observation-Disclosures They began
at approximately the same time. One
has circled the earth and numbers
millions of members. The other has
never amounted to much even near
I the place of its birth. Yet this second
organization seemed to have certain
elements of strength greater than the
other. The whole matter apparently
has been one of leadership. The first
was promoted by man of vision who
quickly thought in large units, and
had the gift of enlisting other people
in the same service with himself
The Importance of leadership can
scarcely be over-estimated. We know
that the early Church had great men
for her leaders-men made great not
only by their task, which is a phe
| n a ST of
but also made great by a special su-
pernatural enduement- These lead
ers of the church were led men The
control of the Christian community by
the spirit of God, Christs other self,
has been the outstanding fact of the
Quarter's Lesson. From the day of
Pentecest until the present moment
! the Christian Church has had the di-
rection and control of the mysterious
Third Person of the Trinity. Without
the help of leadership beyond them
selves the ablest of Christian leaders
are Inadequate for their task. In
things spiritual service can be done
! only by those who are spiritually
guided.
An Unrecorded Company.
That group at Jerusalem, which
within three centuries came to be the
dominant force in the world, quickly
extended beyond the original circle
1
left behind Him. The old cask could
not hold the new wine. Judaism was
not great enough to contain the Chris
4 tan community nor yet the city of
Jerusalem itself. Upon the fellow
ship which was speedily numbered by
| thousands the Spirit came. Common
! ly we think of the early Church in
terms of the Apostles; and the most
! familiar designation of it as the Apos-
tollc Church. Really though, the bulk
of its members were plain everyday
! people, just as is the case today. 1t
would be serious mistake to meas
ure the churches of Christ in America
| only by their best known officials and
/ leaders The strength of the Church
| lies in the strength of the generality
! of disciples. The ways in which these
| early Christians who seemed to have
been happy and holy and full of good
works ministered in the name OF
| Christ, were not greater than the WAYS
in which most of US must minister to-
day. These early Christians might
have prayed the prayer which one of
our American clergymen, who a few
| days ago celebrated his eightieth
birthday, DR.. Washington GLADDEN.,
expresses in a familiar poem:
| % Master let me walk with Thee
! In lowly paths of service free;
| Tell me Thy secret: help me bear
The strain of toll, the fret of care.
Help me the slow of heart to move
/ BY some clear winning word of love;
Teach me the Maynard feet to stay
And guide them in the homeward Way
Teach me Thy patience; still with Thee
| In closer, dearer company,
| In work that keeps faith sweet and
In trust that triumphs over wrong.
| In hope that sends a shining ray
| Far down the future broadening way;
In peace that only Thou canst give.
| With Thee, Master. let me live
OF a few crowded years these first
| eight chapters of The Acts, which
have been the basis of the quarter
study, deal with only a few years
about thirty, yet they were crowded
with epoch-making events. Let us
tick off the outstanding facts-'The
resurrection of Jesus. The coming OF
the Holy Spirit. The change in Apos-
ties. especially Peter. 1000 Christian