The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-07-17
Seek for n Religion
Without the Christ
Lesson July "a, Acts o:1e-so.

Lesson July "a, ACts 1880,
Paul began his commission after
the conversion with one bold stroke
after another. Here In Damascus,
whore the Chrlstians looked for hts
coming with the expectation of new
and more horrible prosecutions, he
amazed them by not only declaring
himself one Of them but by proclaim
ing the divinity of Christ more con-
VinClngly than any had before him
The suspicious were changed to Joy.
And the Jews. from whom he had
held a commission to uproot chris-
tlanity from their midst, were both
surprised aud angcred when h. arose
In their synagogues and prcaCl "a 20
them that Christ was the real Mcs-
siah and the hope OF the human
race. From being tho pet Of the
Jews he at once became the object of
intense hatred. and they planned,
not once, but many times, To- XII
him. Such n radical change was nard
to understand, and We Of today must
acknowledge that we would bc shy
of accepting the evidence OF such u
conversion.
Not Ready for Martyriom.
The Same thing was true under dIf-
fering circumstances when he re-
turned to Jerusalem. IIc had left
the dire things he would do to those
that called on the name of Jesus. got
here he returned n champion to the
cause OF that Jesus Tho Christians
had reason to be wary Of hiA profess
siuns and had to have lim vcuchcd
for by one who had confidence In
the new apostle. The Jews were very
bitter against him ana h"r" again
his life was threatened. II can he
a ~. Ia.... IL. a
from danger. yet when thc hrcthr, n,
who had been informed that he was
chosen vessel of the Lord to carry
the gospel to tho hcnthan. took his
safety In their own hands, he wisely
submitted to their care. convinced
that II was all "A part Of God's pro-
gram for him ana that his services
were not meant to be cut or pre-
maturcly. He had a work to per-
form and God did not mean FOR "A
crown Of mar'yrlom To adorh his
brow until he had had the Charto
to carry out the life WORT tor which
he was chosen.
True 10 the Vision.
Tho circumstances of his convcr-
sion were not alone wonder to the
Christians whom he Joined, and to
those who read of II now IN the
Bible, but 1t made an indclihlo Inn
preston on the mind OF Paul that
was never absent from IL up To the
day Of his death. He had been
snatchcd not simply from sin. hut
from being a Jealous leader In evil
and commissioned to he the bearer
To the world of the message Of sal
walton. THAT Christ whom he had
prosecuted had spoken 60 him ana
given him the commission, ana at
no time I'm after years was he dis
Ohcdicnt TO the heavenly vision
He was learned man. and could
oNpouud Interestingly on most every
question of theology or philosophy
known TO that time; yet hero he
suhordiuatcd every other object aud
motive 70 the ono theme, Jesus
Christ and him crucifiod
Prove All Things.
Tho only person essential 10
Christianity is Christ. II follows
that Christianity without Christ Is
a fraud II also follows that Christ
is the whole thing the beginning
and the end, and that any system OF
theology or any creed which Is
built on anything else, or In which
he Is left out or given "A secondary
place Is OF the devil and calculated
10 deceive those who would follow
him. Try this test on every creed
before you accept it-unloss Christ
is the main thing, the whole thing
ana the fundamental thing, better
r.ocr clear Of IL, Many uunulngly
Worded propaganda will threaten
the faith uf the sincerely pluus,
win almost persuade them that
there IS a better scheme than saliva
zion by the blood ot Christ. that
there is a convenient and loss hu-
initiating way to heaven than
through the gate Of repentance; but
th,y all t1ll before this test. only
what passes tho iuquisiuon ls
worthy OF putting your depend
rucc In.
Nothing hut Jesus
II IS sisniflclut that Paul wasted
little tim" ON splitting hair though
ho waa amply ahlc TO do SO with
the best OF the learned men Of his
day, hut confined his course of logic
to The one thins Jesus Christ and
him cruciNcd. Whatever the line
Of argument brought up, IL always
led 60 thia one thcme, and all else
was dismissed as uoposscut'al. lie
was a master equally Of logic ~
history and Of theology, lie knew
how TO preach 10 the Jews from
the standpoint o' their own his
tory and tradition, as one jew TO
t''lIl'I' Nv N'i'" NOW 10 F't' u
the Creek and tho Roman and ap-
peal to thcir minds to favor his ar
gumcnt But always. over and
above an olac, was---lcsus and him
/ cruCiuod. shah we not say that
| in so doing he sounded the true key
/ note Of effective preaching, ana,
after conversion, Of Christian llv-
, ing"
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