The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-07-14

tsofo e4au ahFo ouf pS18ht-AoU liza
Athensl VIVA. a name to couture
with. Athens has always ep!tomized
the acme Of inteilectualism, culture,
srt and esthsac accomplishment
Driven from Berea and alone. Paul led
10 the coast and taking ship crossed
over 70 the Thessslonisn peninsula
Entering the city-hs beholds It's stat.
iuary, meets its philosophers and ytsws
its moral degradation and It's myriad
manifestations Of heathen!sm. Out.
wardly cultured, molding the thought
Of the world. ye' It passed from It's
pinnacle OF power because II knew not
God. Paul saw the pan,he!sm Of tke
cultured stoics and the Epicureans,
who because OF their distant and but
little concerned gods. enjoyed the
pleasure Of wealth and ease.
]. Paul Brought to Trial wv. 1920.
Such sights stirred the spirit OF Paul.
The marvel is how Indifferent We may
become in the presence OF the great
spiritual poverty OF our time. His
spirit stirred within him, when he saw
the city crowded with idols. As Paul
followed his custom and began his
preaching in the synagogue he also
took advantage OF the opportunity &c
do open-atr work IN the market place.
Here small group and there another.
This he did deily until the teachers
Nv. 49, began to take knowledge OF
his presence in their city. Some In
contempt called him q "bsbbler," while
Others concluded that he represented
some new religion. though he set be
fore them the same message OF saliva.
ton in Jesus Christ which had caused
such remarkable results elsewhere
That they might hear him more fully
and without the interruption Of the
mart Of trade, Paul is taken to the
Areopagus, or Mars Hill, where from
time immemorial the greatest Grim.
inals had been sentenced and the most
solemn questions Of religion set.
tied.
u. Tho Unknown Made Known, wv,
22.2s). Such idle speculation ". 21)
was Of no value TO the Athenians. This
Paul knew. yet he began hi. address
in Q most conciliatory manner ". %
r w. he would win their favorable
attention before he called them TO re
pentance. Keenly observan,, Paul had
Seen among the many inscriptions one
ito the unknown Cod" and this one
whom IN ignorance they worshIped, he
would set forth. Many today are IN
blindness, seeking TO know God when
he has already been made manifest Ito
be seem. John 1918; John $50: John
1873: II Cor. 4:6.) It is mans own
fault II he does not know God from.
1:2o-2a, IS; II Cor. 4:4), and no knowl.
edge 10 more important John l7:3),
Panfs opening words In verse "a were
but TO seize weILlaown object OF
thar street deco t!on and discussions
and with It to lead on to the great
Il 18th he yearned to have them conpre.
bend. This caught the philosophers
as we'll as the idle curious. God Is not
q philosophic conception OF the mind.
he cannot be confined to temples
made with hands nor does he need the
services Of our hands. seeing he Gre
ated all things and g!reth to all things
Nfe. Paul's next point was that He
hath made OF one every nation Of
men" As yet how little men really
believe that truth-w!tness the Euro.
jpean conflict and the economic, racial
and social differences Of this land.
Negro segregation and Asiatie exclu.
sion are but illustrations OF our eepa.
ration from the teaching Of the broth.
ierhood Of man. But this brotherhood
70 not alone for altruistc service but
that they should seek God" This
was his great and glorious purpose In
creating the nations OF the earth, In
Getting the seasons In motion, to min.
lister to their needs, and In appointing
the bounds OF their habitations: yet
how far nan has departed from that
Ideal from. 1881. It 10 Of the high.
est Importance that men should seek
God and he is not difficult to and for
those who seek him tJer. 1919.
| I'LL. What the AthsnIans Lacked
NV. ao3D. Thus TAR Panl's auditors
must have followed him keenly, and
II was the goal toward which he
had been driving so releutlessly. Such
nuhlime conceptions keen logic and
Quotations from their writers won
their attention. He then delivered q
keen thrust At this, the psychological
moment BY calling upon them to re
pent" The Athenians lacked q realis.
ing sense Of the personality Of God
that man could hare personal and IN.
timate relations with Cod or that a
man could o. had risen from the
dead.
Any candid seeke. after truth who
WIN examine the evidence will be con.
WINGED OF the truth that Jesus Of
Nazareth, crucined upon Q Roman
Gross, rose from the dead.
These Athenians also lacked the
ability TO accept this fact and to yield
their lives IN obedience to It, and 90
some tried TO sheer away the truth,
but that did not alter Il.
Some were amused, and some eyi.
dsnced o curious interest, saying, we
VIII hear this again. but certain men,
D,ouyptrs and Dnmar,s .shalta..s >