The Green Forest tribune., 1916-07-14


 art, and esthetic accomplishment. Driven from Berea and alone, Paul fled to the coast and taking ship crossed over to the Thessalonian peninsula. Entering the city-he beholds it's stat uary, meets it's philosophers and views it's moral degradation and it's myriad manifestations of heathenism. Out wardly cultured, molding the thought of the world, yet it passed from its pinnacle of power because it knew not God. Paul saw the pantheism ot the cultured Stoics and the Epicureans, who because of their distant and but little concerned gods, enjoyed the pleasure of wealth and ease.
 l. Paul Brought to Trial (vv. 16-2l). 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 ms preaching in the synagogue he also took advantage of the opportunity to do open-air work in the market place. Here a small group and there another. This he did daily until the teachers (v. 1S) began to take knowledge of his presence in their city. Some in contempt called him "babbler,' while others concluded that he represented some new religion, though he set be- fore them the same message of salVa- tion 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 crlm- inals had been sentenced and the most solemn questions of religion set tied.
 IT, The Unknown Made Known, (yy. 22-29). Such idle speculation (v. 2l) was of no value to the Athenians. This Paul knew, yet he began his address in a most conciliatory manner (v. P R. VI. He would win their favorable attention before he called them to re- pentance. Keenly observant, Paul hal seen among the many inscriptions ne to the unknown God" and this one whom in ignorance they worshipd, he would set forth. Man! today ire in seeking to know Go{ when he has aady been mide manl2est (to } U ,,olI v.3mployes V GN the, 4t--..e.- De Seent tJOnn 1:fo; Jonn U. zU, JoHH 14:9; Il Cor. 4:6) It is mans own fault if he does not know God (Rom. 1:20-22, 28; II Cor. 4:4), and no knoWl- edge is more important (John 17;3), PauI's opening words in verse 24 were but to seize a well-known object or their street decoration and discussions and with 1t to lead on to the great truth he yearned to have them compre- bend. This caught the philosophers as well as the idle curious. God is not philosophie conception of the mind. He cannot be confined to temples made with hands nor does he need the services of our hands, seeing he ere ated all things and giveth to all things life. Paul's next point was that He hath made of one every nation of men" As yet how little men really believe that truth-witness the Euro pean conflict and the economic, racial and social differences of this land Negro segregation and Asiatic exclu' sion are but illustrations of our sepa ration from the teaching of the broth erhood of man. But this brotherhood is not alone for altruistic service but
 that they should seek God This
 was his great and glorious purpose ir
 creating the nations of the earth, 1T
 setting the seasons in motion, to min
 ister to their needs, and in appointing
 the bounds of their habitations; y9
 how far man has departed from tha ideal (Rom l;28). It is of the high
 est importance that men should seel
 God and he is not difficult to find fo
 those who sek him (Jer. 29:13). Tn
 souls Of men are not satisfied withou
 him. Witness the mad rush afte
 pleasure and the restless desire to pos
 sess the things of time and sense an
 which perish with the using. Pat
 displays his university training b
 quoting and approving the GreSk poe
 Aratus (v. 28) However, while a
 men are the offspring of (created by
 God, yet they are not all truly his chi
 dren John 8:44, 47; John 3:10; Mat
 13:38; Gal 4.4-G; Heb. 12:8; Epl
 2:3). Only such are children as hay
 received Jesus Christ John 1:12
 VI. All those who are led by h
 Spirit are the sons of God" (RoT
 8:l4; Gal. 3:26 R. VI.
 III, What the Athenians Lacke
 (vv. 30-34). Thus far Paul's audito,
 must have followed him keenly. ar it was the goal toward which had been driving so relentlessly. SuC sublime conceptions, keen logic al quotations from their writers wc their attention. He then delivered keen thrust at this, the psychologist moment" by calling upon them to T pent The Athenians lacked real l ing sense of the personality of God that man could have personal and timate relations with God or that } man could or had risen from t I dead
 ! All men everywhere" are called 9 repentance and the time is nov ! The reason for this call is becaU I he hath appointed day in whi { he will judge the inhabited earth. I The assurance that he will so jud 5 men of their sins by the man whom I has elected is in that He hath rais 1 him from the dead" (v. 3D.
 | Any candid seeker after truth W | will examine the evidence will be c | vinced of the truth that Jesus