Evening star., 1921-07-23
Sunday School Lesson

stirred them. as Stephens had
aroused saul. He dropped the per
sonal experience and, reasoning from
the Old Testament =, teaenings' ,endigs fsWs sau.
Of Damascus that Jesus was the
promised Messiah. He used his rao-
binical training and scholarship 10
prove that the Master was the Son
Of God. the Savior OF men, the long
expected messianic King and risen
Lord. His exegesis of the prophecy
stirred up bitter adversaries against
the Church. but especially against
Saul. The intolerant Jewish leaders:
furious at his complete change OF
let loose upon him the popular pas
slons and planned to destroy his life:
Information Of their plot reached
Saul, SO that, with the providential
assistance of his brothers in Christ.
he escaped from their hands They
basket, so that he was outside. Of the
gates, where his enemies waited to
Kill him, for they believed that he
was a renegade and apostate.
Twenty years later. in a letter to
the Corinthians, the apostle refers to
the providential escape Of that night.
He had passed through many hair
breadth experiences and agonies, yet
he recalled this event, which, to him,
was full of ignominy and humflia-
tion. We do not know how he made
his way to Jerusalem. We may de-
pend upon it that as he approached
the place where He first met Jesus
face to face and heard His voice
that Saul did not pass that sacred
spot without seeking to see His race
once more in a vision that would di-
rect his steps. Probably he preached
his gospel concerning Christ the Son
Of God in the synagogues OF the
various communities through which
he passed.
It was not easy for Saul to return
to Jerusalem and meet his former
friends and foes. He knew from his
Damascus experience that he faced
rejection by his old associates. His
as he thought of how 1t required a
heavenly vision from above to change
his character and service. he recog-
nized the difficulty that he faced. He
possibly was prepared to be rejected
by his old friends and family. but he
Christ. as the Son Of God. their Mes
sianic King and loving Savior. 1t is
doubtful If he was prepared for his
reception by the disciples, who. re-
membering his past, feared his COM
extending fellowship to him.
But when they learned through Bar
nabas, the spiritual, influential "Son
Of Consolation" Of Saul's preaching
Christ In the synagogue. where he
had first met Stephen. and Of his pub
licly expressed regrets for the part
that he had taken in prosecuting the
followers Of Jesus. they extended the
hand Of Christian fellowship. He
needed it, for before he had been two
weeks in Jerusalem his old colleagues
were as determined to put him away
as he and they had been in their ef-
forts to crush the young church. It
was while he was praying in the tenn
pie that Jesus again appeared to- Saul
and assured him that among the
heather he would win converts for
his Lord. Prejudice prevented many
from seeing the truth in Damascus
and Jerusalem, but his, faith was con-
firmed by the assurance that God had
a place for him to preach, where by
his witnessing and message he would
win souls for Christ Jesus. Peter ex-
tended to him the courtesy of his
home, and he met James. the brother
Of the Lord, 30 that when he left Je-
rusalem In obedience to Christ's COM