Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-07-28
BY DIR. MARION NIGH. HULL

suits. lie was determined, therefore,
contributed towards vigorous condi-
tion of either body or mind. When he
reached Corinth he was somewhat of a
wreck Physically worn out and men
tally depressed by the poor success he
had had in Athens, he began his work
in that busy, cultured, yet commercial
city, Corinth. 1t was in weakness, and
in fear, and in much trembling that he
went into their synagogue to speak He
had learned one thing, however, from his
experience on Areapagus-culture would
not cleanse. His learned and adroit adj
dress at Athens had not produced re-
suits. He was determined therefore.
that here he would confine his message
to the one great essential, Jesus Christ
and Him crucified He knew this mes
sage would bring salvation whether 1t
reached the proud Jew, the sport-loving
Greek, the cultured Corinthian, or the
most mental slave. He had made up his
mind he would be ignorant Of anything
else as far as his message was con-
cerned.
Nor did he attempt TO give the mes
sage in rhetorical language. He stu
diously avoided any oratorical device
that would draw attention from the
message and center it on himself. He
spoke the message with simplicity, yes
even with severe plainness, but with
great earnestness, so that the results
could not be due to anything human, but
only to the influence of the divine spirit.
What a lesson for public speakers to-
day, for pulpit speakers particularly!
How often are there such such we'll
rounded sentences that there is no point
to them at all How frequently is there
such a studied effort to please the Itch
ing ears of the people with picturesque
expression that the attention is conferred
more upon the pulpiteer's phraseology
than upon the truth that has been hidden
by il. If we reflect moment we Will
realize that the great sermons we have
heard, those that moved hearts and
changed lives, have been peculiarly plain
but intensely earnest.
One of the greatest public speakers
of today, one who never fails to life his
audience to a higher level, gives one
simple rule-talk as you would to one
man in a conversation, but loud enough
for all in the room to hear. He is plain
and earnest, and he depends upon the
Holy Spirit, rather than upon any device
of language or delivery, for the ultimate
results. He gets results.
THE CRUCIFIED CHRIST.
So this was the way Paul started his
work in Corinth amongst a cosmopolitan
people; people intoxicated with financial
success and with pleasure, having prac-
tically no middle class, but composed Of
wealthy and cultured and far larger
number of slaves and sailors. The mes
sage which he brought was a universal
one-of the love of God as manifested
in the death of His son, Jesus the Christ
We westerners do not, we cannot, APP
preciate the mental attitude of the peo-
pie of that day towards crucifixion. 1t
was the most disgraceful death penalty
that could be inflicted. Hanging today
is eminently respectable compared with
crucifiXion then.
1t is not hard therefore TO appreciate that the
proclamation of this ugly little Jew was not
to think of Messiah, long expected, as dying so
ignominiOus a death; nay, it upset all of their
pleconeeiyed idea OF what the Messiah sn1u III
shown by the crucifixion of Jesus was there
fore a stumbling block TO them. Ii was in
their way; they tripped over 1t.
To the Greeks such message was sheer folly.
Hod could the DEATH, and this. shameful death,
too, of a be sufficient or efficient In en-
abling them to attain life and peace? 1t was
mere fOolishness to think of such thing! In
fact, il prepOsterous! And from the merely
human standpoint from which they reasoned
To those who accepted this message ii proved
effective, for il presented Christ who was at
once the wisdom of God and the power of God.
dity ito the Greeks, ii demonstrated its ability
to change the lives of those who accepted it,,
the Man of men, who is all wise and all pow
erful, and thus 1t was wisdom and power;
MARVELLOUS.
Just note what this simple message did.
Paul reunited them of what they were. mot
many wise Judged by human standards), not
many leading men Judged by the same stand
ards), not many of good BIRTH were called.
An eminent English lady of the nobility thanked
wise II would have read mot any, ETC." and
she would have been excluded. Yes. there were
few Of the upper crust" but not many. The
Corinthian church composed almost entirely
Of converted slaves; but the gospel message.
the message of the death of Jesus, transformed
their lives that Paul could address them as
saints" They had been called by God into
fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ, by means
of which He and they would share with each
other everything that the other had. They had
been drunkards. and extortiOners, and grossly
immoral men and women; but the story of the
cross had changed all Of this, until Paul could
speak Of them now as being sanctified in Christ
Jesus. Truly God had taken the foolish from
the worldly standpoint and brought to pass
changes in them that the worldly wise could
not explain. He had taken the weak, the in
significant, the uninfluential as the world
counted influence. and with them accomplished
things that put the influential to shame He
had taken those of lOwly birth, who had none
OF the supposed or real advantages of heredity,
and had made Of them leaders He had accom-
plished the seemingly impossible
You have seen such changes in your own
home city. How can you explain the marvellous
work accomplished by uneducated, uninflu-
entail, SnOe clerk OF chicago, ID. L. MOODY
What about the miracle Of the river thief, Jerry
McCauley? Do You know what God is doing
with the illiterate engineer Tom Harrison? Can
yau explain them? And then look at the other
part OF the picture-the. nothingness Of the
lives OF highly educated, well born, college pro-
fessors. wealthy citizens whose names are so
we'll known in every community, but whose
lives arc barren and unfruitful in the things
that last. They forgotten because
thew have left no lasting fruit.
Here is thu exclamation of the Corina thtans,
and Of others. God has done this with them
50 that no man ShoUld boast hut realize that
in man alone there is absolutely nothing worth
while: what he does worth while is the result Of
Gods gift while in Christ. For God had given
"a those Corinthians wealth of all blessing.
full mower to speak and full insight into the
meaning Of faith They were enriched in
during those days Of waiting for the Lord
Jesus Christ To be revealed. och. 1910.
Everything they needed was theirs now. and
they had tho further assurance that they
would be indicated the day Of Christ. for
God who had called them Is faithful and will
perform il. And all this had been made pos
sihle only because by the death Of His Son
on the cruel and icnominous cross they had
hecn brought into such relationship to Him
that He could hestow those gifts uron them.
IN THE CROSS WHAT?
What Is II in tho cross that produces these
results? What is Il in this stumbling block to
the Jews and sheer folly to the Greeks that
can accomplish 50 much for those who believe {?
Well, IL is Just Jesus. II is a Man.
II was tho Man the Jews stumbled over
They expected something else. and rejected
Jesus when He came and didn't do what thew
had enormously conceived He would do. II
was the Man that sheer folly To :hc world
" wise Greeks. rhev couldn't how
Just Jesus. Just the goldman. the God
no coulG die He n Man. and tlth