The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-07-11
The international Sunday School
Lesson for July IS 10 paul at
Athens. f7:16-34.
~ WILLIAM r. ELLIS


oratory quoted In all standard books
Is the address OF the Apostle Paul on
Mars Hill. Here is the address IL.
self:
Now while Paul waited for them
at Athens. his spirit was stirred In
him. when he saw the city wholly
given TO idolatry. Therefore dis
puted he in the synagogue with the
Jews. and with the devout persons,
and In the market daily with them
that met with him. Then certain
philosophers OF the Epicureans. and
OF the Stoics, encountered him. And
some sad. What will this babbler
say? other some, He seemeth TO be
setter forth OF strange gods: be-
cause he preached unto them Jesus.
and the resurrection. And they
took him, and brought him unto
Areopsgus, saying. May We know
what this new doctrine, whereof
thou speaketh. is? For thou bring
est certain strange things 10 our
ears; we would know therefore
what these things mean. (For all
the Athenians and strangers which
were there spent their time in moth
ing else. but either TO tell. or to
hear some new thing)
Then Paul stood in the midst OF
Mars Hill. and said. We men OF Ath-
ems. I perceive that in all things we
are very religious. For as I passed
by. and beheld your devotions, |
found an altar with this inscription.
To the unknown God. Whom there
fore ye ignorantly worship, Him de-
clare unto you. God that made
the world and all things therein. see
ing that He is Lord OF heaven and
earth. dwelleth not in temples
made with hands: neither is wor'
shipped with mems hands, as though
He needed anything. seeing He CIV
eth TO all life. and breath. and all
things; and hath made OF one blood
all nations OF men for 10 dwell on
all the face OF the earth. and hath
determined the times before APP
pointed. and the bounds OF their
habitation: that they should seek
the Lord, II haply they might feel
after Him. and Hnd Him, though
He be not far from every one OF us:
For In Him we live. and move. and
have our being; as certain also OF
your own poets have said. For we
| are also His offspring. Forasmuch
then as we are the offspring OF God.
we ought not 10 think that the God
head is like unto gold or silver. or
stone. craven by art and mans de-
vice. And the times OF this igno-
rance God winked at: but now com
manded all men everywhere to re-
pent: Because He hath appointed
day. in which He will judge the
world in righteousness by that man
whom He hath ordained: whereof
He hath given assurance unto all
men, in that He hath raised Him
from the dead.
And when they heard OF the res.
direction OF the dead. some Knocked:
and others said. We will hear thee
again OF this matter. So Paul de-
parted from them. Howbeit certain
men clave unto him. and believed;
among the which was Dionysius the
Areopagite. and woman named
Damaris. and others with them"
II like to see Christianity travel
hrst-class," remarked city man
apropos OF great banquet OF lay.
men. We are outgrowing the fash.
ion OF establishing religion in dingy
buildings up side streets. There was
day when religion and mediocrity
were synonymous In the minds OF
many. Now we are getting back to
the wholesomeness of the Middle
Ages, when the best buildings, the
finest books and the loveliest paint
ings were devoted to religion.
That is Paul's idea. He assumed
that Christianity was able 10 hold
It's own with the greatest philoso-
piers OF the most philosophical age
OF the worlds history. (By the way.
the preachers who are troubled by
the prevalence OF new" cults would
do well TO look them up In the old
books. for they are but curious re-
vampings of outworn Grecian and
oriental philosophies.)
This man Paul. himself a scholar
OF the FIRST class, dared carry the
Gospel Of the Crucified to the proud
est centers of the arrogant world OF
his day. He challenged all the re.
ligious conceptions and convictions
OF Rome and Greece under the
shadow OF the Acropolis OF Athens.
which to this day is one OF the
worlds fairest sights. He stood up
In the Areopagus and expounded his
message a. the fulfllment of all that
philosophy had brought to Greece
Nobody can find any warrant for a
merely defensive and apologize
Christianity In this valiant old sol
dier-scholar. Paul OF Tarsus. He
stands the embodiment OF concrete
scholarship. an inspiration TO the
best.trained minds OF the world.
Winning . Crown
A brilliant example OF good sales
manship was given by Paul on Mars
hill. He found, FIRST Of all. congenial
points OF contact, and established O
friandiv uorkin0 I'M ala NJ conference