Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-02-11
(By William T. Ellis.)


lost of the places that figure in
daily dispatches from the war
es might almost as we'll be on
moon, so far as the average read
sense of their actual location
5. In a general way, everybody
)ws that the allies have estab-
'ed center at the port of Salon.
Greece; and others, hess numer-
:, have vague geographical
tse of the news that the Central
yers are expected to make drive
wn the great highway from
valla to Salonics.
When we recall however. that all
is located on the map of the
ostle Pauls journeys, and that Sa-
lea is his Thessalonica, to whose
ristians he wrote two letters: and
IT the apex of the present Balkan
litary situation is exactly where
ristianity first invaded Europe, in
, person of the great missionary
ostle, we see a new light. 1t was
IN the other side of the AEGEAN Sea,
/ at Paul caught a vision, in a
cam. of a man crying, Come over
to Macedonia and help us" That
ne Macedonia, of which Salonica
the chief city, is to-day center
the world war
on the main road between Salon
and Kavalla, a road now worn
TO ruts and hollows by the passage
the big guns, and about ten miles
land from the sea. there is a lit
} village and an ancient ruin.
nat ruin is Philippi, the once proud
ty that bore the name of Philip of
acedonia. Famous for, it's gold
ines. famous for its battles, famous
its prosperity in olden times
lilippi is most famous as the city
\ here the Apostle Paul first preach
the Gospel in Europe. There may
= great events in the vicinity of
hilippi during the present war, but
evertheless the place will always
ave its highest honor from the fact
at here Paul established his first
urch, and the one which he SEEM
TO love best of all. All the stately
.thedrals and churches and chapels
ID monasteries in Europe and
meIica trace their beginnings back
the landing Of Paul ut Philippi.
\ Prisoners Letter
Ncle OF the war literature that
! $ ONE out of this neighborhood
!. r cent months comparable in
first preserved in Philippi and
b" shared with the entire Chris
n fellowship, written by Paul
hi he was a prisoher in Rome.
hlt passage from this letter. which
II lows and throbs with the warm
RS nal friendship of the writer for
e recipients. has been selected by
q . international Lesson Committee
r udN this week by the Sunday
hools of the world. We can i'm
inc with what peculiar interest
lesson will be read by many
1 mothers and children whose
Ids or fathers and brothers or
re at present within ten miles
ancient homes of the people
ON the original letter was writ
II o-day's local color of the lesson
d. matte, what shall We say of
G : Ickground during the years 81
when the epistle itself was
mn /? And these circumstances
ed be borne in mind for a clear
de standing of the message writ
u - Paul. The author was in a
isor in Rome, chained to a soldier.
OUT and heartless Nero, the mad
an was on the throne. All the
4 mp and glory and self assertion of
! at luxurious and ostentatious age
brhind the letter.
Wi Il Paul in his Imprisonment
s Timothy, the beloved. The
ris ians at Philippi, newly out Of
ath ndom. but with tender memo
's OF their brave teacher. had sent
the apostle in prison one of their
mber, Epaphroditus, who had
rne a gift of money and many
,ssa ges of love, and these had
cf I'd the heart of the imprisoned
o. Epaphroditus himself had fall
it in Rome, apparently from the
AIDED Roman fever. His life had
n. despaired of. but tn prayers
lie Church had saved him. So he
5 sent back to his fellow church
mbers at Philippi with this low
letter of counsel from the apos-
who, in his prison in Rome, re-
leQ the time he had been a prison.
at Philippi. having been arrested
the trumped-up charges of for
)e-telling grafters. An earth
Ike had opened the doors of the
lirpi prison while Paul and Silas
re singing hymns in the night
tIat very night the jailor and
family were converted. Such
. he facts behind the letter.
~ en- Church Quarrels Impend
choice fragment of the letter
cen chosen for the present les
It reveals the writer's solici-
over dangers of discord that
ea+ened the Church at Philippi,
ave the Apostles remedy. He
lied the highest resources of the