Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-06-30
NAMES
FIGURE IN NEWS
Dispatches From War Front
Tell of Scene Familiar to Stu
dents of Scriptures
The International Sunday School Les
son for July is Paul at Thessa-
1onica and Berea," Acts 17:1-5
BY William n Ellis


lontca and Berca," Acts 17:1-5
BY William T. Ellis
Actual foreign travel has been largely
prevented by the war. Literary travel
has been immeasurably promoted
Mars has taught a universal class in
geography for the past two years.
When this Sunday school lesson was
last up for study, seN eral years ago,
Ihessalonica was a mere name, a semi
legendary place over there" Few
persons would have attempted to bring
IL back out of the mists of antiquity
ana snow 1t as an actual city. with as
Veritable an existence as Chicago or
London
NOW, even the children who study
this lesson know that the story is laid
IN Saioniki where the allied troops
have concentrated for their Mace
DOMAIN campaign. The city, which Is
now an armed camp, and one of the
centers OF world interest, has retained
the substance of it sancient name; for
Salonlki is not greatly different from
Thessalonica.
II space permitted, It would be of
uncommon interest to go into the ro-
nnahuc history of this old seaport
about which all sorts of battles have
ragged for uncounted Centuries Any
alert student who has facilities for |
investigating the story of the Saloniki |
jews and their conversion to Islam |
VIII find himself on the trail of a story
as as romantic as any in the Arabian |
Nights. The Young Turk party. which |
at present rules Turkey, had its roots |
and It's center largely in Saloniki. This |
would De an appropriate place to un-
uertake a study of the future of the |
lands about Saloniki and of Turkey
especially. Can the influence of the |
apostle Paul be traced in the present |
situatlon? What is there to be said |
about the type OF Christianity which
day?
A Revival or a Riot
Tens of millions of members of the
sunday school have been following the
ups and downs of Paul's travel expert
ences. The present lesson finds him at
Saloniki, Wherever he went there
was sure to be revival or a riot
usually, as in this case, a riot, What
dynamic thing Christianity was. as
Paul preached itl
Following his sensible rule of going
as far with every man as possible and
of identifying himself with the best
cause or organization in sight, Paul
beCame an attendant upon the syna-
gogue. Thus he usually began 'at
jerusalem. He was grateful for a
platform from which he could pro-
claim his radical Good News. A good
exemplar is Paul Of the art of work
ing with people to the best possible
point of agreement. Sabbath after
SABBATH Paul the Jew reasoned in the
tsynagogues
But he had something to say. His
message was distinctive. There are
l nG h0f trrl,A
in any heathen temple in perfect an
proprlateness. Paul, however had
one distinct announcement The old
scriptures had been fulfilled by the
coming of jesus as the Christ. That
thesis he supported by all the intel
iectual and -eratorioal arts at his COM
Inand.' Jesus as the Christ, the cru
cihed and risen Christ, as his one
great sermon. BY 1t he convinced the
hearts and changed the lives of a null
tltude. Once more we tarry for a mo-
ment to remind ourselves that the
Inent 10 remind ourselves that the Sun
day school teacher, and the preacher.
VINO has not q clear and experienced
message on the power of Christ to
redeem lives. is In the wrong bust
ness. These are two callings in which
the Saviour must be exalted above all
ethical teaching. Power is not present
when Christ is absent.
That story made as great a disturb
ance in old Thessa1onica as the arrival
or the armies has created in modern
SalonikI Paul had a way of setting a
city In an uproar. He would have
been surprised and grieved had moth
ing happened after his preaching.
Imagine the minister's sorrow who
goes on, week after week, year after
year and sees no results of his preach
ing: he is but a commonplace wheel
In a conventionalized social order.
Paul got results; tremendous results.
Between the fracas stirred up by
the apostle in the old city of Thessa-
lonlca and the modern church quarrel
there is as much difference as between
Christianity and heathendom. His
strife was not between Christians over
petty and unworthy issues, but be- |
tween the truth and error, between the |
Gospel and the world. Paul was never |
mobbed on account of personal can |
tankerousness, but for the truths sake
When the Friend Suffered
Almost like an accolade was the
charge brought against the two mis-
sionaries. They were mobbed and
their lives sought, and the charge was
These that have turned the world IN
side down have come hither also "
They were revolutionists. The world
was wrong side up: they were righting
1t. There you have sensational preach.
ing. The gospel that makes things
over was on the lips of Paul. Deener
than we dream lies the tremendous
truth that this old earth's many ills
fNf tHrt1f f~11 I1ffY, aVoft