Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-08-20
THE Sunday
School LESSON
By Ben Newsome

Lesson August 20, Acts 2O:16-3S.
This is the touching farewell ad-
dress of Paul to the elders of the
church at Ephesus. Not having time
on his hurried journey to Jerusalem
TO visit the great city where he
labored 50 long and faithfully, he
called the elders to meet him at the
seaport Of Miletus, so that he might
converse with them without delaying
his passage. His first message is to
remind them Of his personal humility
and trials he had had to endure be-
fore the religion Of Christ was estab-
hshed in their midst He had been
utterly frank with him, giving them
the whole truth of the gospel without
reservation Of evasion, and had impair
TALLY preached to both Jews and
Greeks. The central theme of his
preaching was, first repentance to-
ward God and second, faith toward
Jesus Christ. This, in fact. is the
proper sequence of conversion. We
have violated and grieved the law of
GCd and are not ready for salvation
until we realize the awfulness of our
offense. When repentance seiZes upon
ais. then 1t is we are to have faith
that Jesus is able and willing to save.
This so far was in the nature Of a re-
Ncw--then comes the future.
Paul was headed for Jerusalem.
urged by the spirit, but with the con
sciousness that ne was going head
LONG into bonds and Affections. What
these were to be he did not know, but
counted them as nothing, even to
the loss of life itself, provided he ac-
CompIished the work that the Lord
wished him to do. All though Paurs
work is distinct acknowledging ent
that he became a missionary upon the
specific Of the Master, not as any
iaoa Of his own, and he was always
possessed with an anxiety to carry out
that mission faithfully and to close
II with the consciousness that the
uaHter gave his approval This is the
kind of a spirit which enables men
to pursue a purpose with a fire dis
regard Of consequences to themselves,
because they have commission from
on high and know that the Lord will
take care of his own. And we see
later how well his faith was re
Wardcd, for the very tribulations
which followed his return to Jeru-
salem where the cause of his going
under bonds to Rome, whore he WAS
en2hlCd to establish another powerful
church and to realize that the Lord
had blessed his work, that ms fight
was well fought. his course was run
and he-had kept the faith. Some Of
our greatest troubles turn out to be
the sweetest blessings when we get
10 the point Of vision where we can
sec the loving purpose Of God con-
trolling the events of our lives.
Lastly, as close to his farewell
speech, for he told them they would
never see his face again, he gives them
warning of the trials that lie in the
path of their church. After the
teacher should be gone there would be
"grev0us wolves enter in among you,
not sparing the flock" Even some
OF those to whom he was speaking
we're TO be the leaders in movements
to divcct the members from the
truth. Thus did the great preacher
see beforehand the entering in Of that
dissension and strife that proved the
banc Of not only the church at
Ephesus but of the church in general,
until at one age Of the world it be-
came in the main political machine
that enforced its DEGREES with the
sword and the torch of persecution.
Yet at all times has the Lord re-
serN ed to himself a small remnant
of the faithful who should preserve
the truth in its purity until the time