The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-05-17
The international Sunday School
Lesson for May n is The Grip
pie Of Lystra."-Aets Oh. ~.
eosERT issELL

The international Sunday School
Lesson for May n 10 The Grip
pie Of Lystra."-Aets Oh. ~.
BY WILLIAM r. ELLIS
II you can meet with triumph and
disaster
And treat those two imposters just
the same,
II neither foes nor loving friends
can hurt you.
II all men count with you, but none
too much. -Kipling.
When one adventures greatly in
life he learns TO be superior TO cir
cumstances. Buffetings and bouquets
both come 10 be part OF the day $
work OF masterful men. The cup
which life presses TO the lips OF the
great holds alternate drafts OF bitter
and of sweet. They who attain the
highest plane OF spirit are as little
perturbed by cries OF Cruelty Him
Cruelty Him" as by the rabies
shouts OF "Hosanna Hosanna.
Palm branches and scourges, gar
lands and stones. are equally unable
TO swerve from its purpose a tri-
umphant life.
In the great story which is today 5
Sunday school lesson. We find Paul
ard Barnabas acclaimed as gods
come down from heaven, and then
| they are by the same crowd moboed
| and stoned and left for dead. The
| adventures OF these first mission
aries make our commonplace and
conventional and comfortable Chris
tianity seem hundrum.
A Railway and Some Refugees
II took a riot TO move Paul and
Barnabas from Pisidian Antioch "a
their next preaching place, whicr
Twas the ancient city of Iconium-a
city that disputes with Damascus
the claim TO being the oldest in the
world. The few Americans and
Europeans who have Travelled IN
Asia Minor know Iconium. or konia,
as II is called today. as central
railway point. and as the place
where is 10 be found the largest and
best hotel in Turkey, outside OF Con-
siantinople. When | registered at
this hotel. few lines above my sig
nature was that OF Sir William Ram
sew. the famous archaeologist and
authority upon the life and travels
OF ST. Paul. who makes konia ms
Headquarters when in Asia Minor.
Here. too. Is Or. Dodd's noble Amer
lean hospital which is just now
yainlv trying 10 save the lives OF
more than a score OF thousands OF
Armenian refugees. who are encamr.
ed outside the city. To-day as IN
the time OF Paul. Konia is place
where men suffer for their faith IN
Christ.
All OF the marks OF a successful
mission attach TO the apostles "orl,
in Iconium. First Of all they MADE
converts. and then they made en-
emies. Paul would have thought
that the devil was having everything
his own way II his preaching had
been viewed with indifference or
complacency. II Paul and BaFnshas
had not made more OF a commotion
In a goddess community than some
modern churches. they would have
srent the night in confession ana
contrition and prayer. When oppo
sition arose they were not discour
aged. but spoke freely and worked
| tirelessly, being given many signs
and marvels 10 attest their ministry
| Christianity became the issue
bove all other issues In the grea,
heather city OF Iconium. The sue
cess OF these missionaries from An
tioch was 80 great that both Gen
tiles and Jews and the Roman poll
ticians combined for an attack upor
the Christian leaders. Hatred, like
politics. makes strange hedfellows
| The Gentiles and the Jews ceased
from opposition 10 each other u
make common cause against Pau
and Barnabas The arguments the!
used were those OF force, stoning thu
men out Of the city. These bought!
+ missionaries accepted their expul
n sion from the city OF Iconium az
call" to Lystra. where they con
,inued 10 tell the Good News
Scared by Success
{" The sort OF preaching that doe
n things always attracts attention
: Among Pauls hearers one day was
man who had been a cripple fror
P birth, a well.known town characte
y beggar on one of The principi
e highways. Him Paul healed with
s. word. The restored cripple. leadin
J. and shouting, told his tale 20 III
e city.
r The crowd. always eager for som
J. novelty. were caught by this wonde
and they began to shout. The god
have assumed human form and tho
= have como down 10 US" Here Vas