The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-12

ter. Given q stout nearC, one can get
along without many OF the finer ae-
eonplisbmentg. For both life and
faith, youth needs boldness-'boidness
and ever holiness just now many
millions OF young persons are in proc
ess of having iron injected into their
| spirits blood by way of the Book OF
Boldness. In our Bibles it is called
THE Acts often, THE Acts of the
Apostles''-altho it might more truly
be called The acts Of the Holy Spirit"
Better yet, this record Of heroism de-
! serves the title The Book OF Bold
ness"
We may well be wary of that tyne
OF Bible teacher who is forever find
ing KEY words. and "Plans," and ~
sorts OF ingenious symbolisms and YER
bal significances in the books of the
sacred Canon. God never meant that
readers of His word should have TO
possess these clever, nan-made keys"
; for the interpretation of His plainly
written meaning. IT is quite another
matter, tho, to observe Is any careful
tfeader may do, the main characteristic
Of given portion of Scripture. That
is a primary purpose OF intelligent
Bible study. The present six months
course in the Acts will have failed of
iits full usefulness unless it gives
grasp of the general truth that the
idea Of boldness is dominant in the
DOOks Inc neIOlSInS OF Faui anu OdcN
lnabas in the present Lesson are an APP
lpropriate occasion for indicating this
striking truth.
Real Gree Speech"
! Anybody who will take the root
| word bold" with it's formations of
boldly" and ''boldness," and follow
it thru the Acts, will be struck by its
central place in the story. Ten times
the word itself occurs; constantly its
spirit is expressed and exemphfied. A
! Greek English dictionary will help;
! for it will make clear that the literal
significance OF this "boldness" of the
| Acts is free utterance." That is to
say, Bible boldness is courage in bear
| ing witness. There is no waller greater
than that of true testimony. The
Bible is book of free speech. 1t
| honors the disciples who ''say So" At
| once it is apparent how directly this
lapplies to the open confession of faith
by the followers of Jesus. To stand
up for Him may take more courage
than to face a machine gun or an
artillery barrage.
| In a paragraph, let me indicate the
recurrence OF Goodness" in the Book
of Acts 1t was when they saw the
boldness OF Peter ana John" (Acts
4:13), that men took knowledge of
them that they had been with Jesus.
The first recorded prayer of the Chris
tian church (Aets 4:29) was a prayer
for boldness in testimony; and its defi-
mite answer is indicated two verses
flater. OF Pauls first preaching at
Damascus and Jerusalem (Acts 9:27,
| 29) this word boldly is used. In
last weeks Lesson (Acts, 13:46) we
Nave a similar record; and today
| (Acts 1870 we find him preaching
boldly" at Iconium. The eighth use
of this sturdy English word in the
Acts describes Apollos at Ephesus
/ (Acts 1920, and in the same city for
three months Paul "spake boldly
| (Acts 1879. AS the first record of
Paurs preaching was OF his holiness
so the last (Acts 2S-31), shows him in
| Rome teaching OF Christ with all
| holiness"
Such a,study as this-and it may be
pursued Widely thru PauIs letters
does more to stiffen a Christians con-
| victions than reams Of homilies and
>exhoFtations. If these Lessons have
been characterized by candor in deal
ing with the life of today, it is be-
cause as a young man found for my
self the secret of free utterance" in
this Book of Boldness.
| Kicked Out-Smiling Still.
This spirit of boldness, born of
faith, is the father of the only sort of
optimism that is worth seeking. Those
| felix who have outgrown the Scrip
lures but are devoted to bairn1y book
let's on Optimism remind me of the
| tenement kiddie who, when taken to
| the country by fresh air fund. re-
fused rich milk; he didn't want that
| yellow stuff" for he knew that milk,
such as he got at~home, was blue!
Real fortitude is born of faith. It is
the spirit which writes such passages
1 into the record of the itinerating of
Paul and Barnabas, after they had
| tioeh in Pisidia don't get your Anti
ochs mixed) as this:-''the disciples
were filled with joy and the Holy
Spirit Divine paradox! Beaten,
bruised, spit upon, cursed, Inundated;
and yet filled with joy" what can
conquer such a spirit?
More of the same-to anticipate the
order of events a trifle:-The disciples
were driven out of Iconium and
Lystra, whittier they went from An
tloeh' Paul was stoned and left for
dead, and his friends gathered round
him, but The rose up"-and did
what? Scoot for the seashore? Make
tracks for cave in the mountains?
Seek the protection of the law? HE
entered into the city" returned
straight into the Jaws of the lions.
All, there was man for you!
| Nor is that all. After continuing
their itinerary TO Derbe, making con-
verts, Paul and Barnabas, according
to the bald, matter of fact record
penned by Doctor Luke. returned to
ASS1A0 aAtu ~ ACOAaAOIIl anu 10 AullOCn
mot to seek consolation or to be
pitied or coddled, ut,-"ccnfirming
the souls of the disciples, exherting
them to continue in the faith, and that
i thru many tribulations we must enter
into the kingdom of Cod" That is
the matchless might and magnanimity
of the Christian missionary.
"AIl Aboard for the Bagdad Raiiway:'
It seems as il this Lesson is as ap-
propriate for g class in current events
as for a Sunday school group. The
fourteenth chapter CT the Acts plumps
squareiy down in the heart of the
trouble zone OF the Near East. If we
could actually go 10 the scene, we
would still meet the effects of the
Pauline teaching, in the activities of
the American relief workers. What a
woman after Psurs own heart is Miss
CVshmap. of Ieonium, whose war ex-