Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-25
SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON
Golden Text-"Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,
and thy house." Acts 1881.
For August 70. Acts 16:5-2O
BY DIR. MARION M'H. HULL

Golden Text-"Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,
and thy house." Acts 1851.
After having visited the churches
which he had established on his first
journey, Paul, accompanied now by
Silas and Timothy, pushed on into re-
gions yet untouched by the gospel
message. Later in writing to the Ro
was, and we can see it this early hay
ing taken shape-"Yet so have l Striv-
ed to preach the gospel, not where
Christ was named. lest [ build upon
another mans foundation" (Rom.
15:20)-he determined that so far as
he was concerned there would be no
overlapping, no lost motion. Having
reached Phrygia he went into Galatia
which was just northeast. Here was
a most fascinating and needy people.
learned how the Gauls had overrun
Rome, but there is omitted from the
histories in our schools the fact that
these same people also about 300
years before Christ made inroads
into Asia Minor and settled in the
years later the Romans had pushed
into this territory themselves, and
when Paul went through there, he
found three distinct provinces each
WjIR lis own CdplLOl dAu
and each with its own peculiar Wor-
ship. At Pessimus tine religion was
nature worship; at Ankyra, Greek
mythology was dominant; and at
Tavium the deification of the Ro-
Gauls were Celts, from whose orig
inal stock also the Irish and Welsh
people of today are descended.
Paups desire was to go into Asia
that is, the region west of Phry-
gia, with Ephesus as it's strategic
this course by the Holy Spirit, he
preached the gosLcl in the Galatian
region. In Gal. Alb, he gives us
the probable circumstances which
had determined him in that direc-
ton. A sudden ard severe illness
haG cvertaken him, ST. that he could
not go as he had intended. 1t was
the Spirits tine for the Galatians
to have the gospel given them. and
Paul was the messenger He intend
are ordered by the Lord" and this
Illness was allowed in order that
Gods plan for the Galatians might
lie realized. His plan then was to
go on to. the important cities in
B:thyp;a, but when they reached the
border OF Mysia, the Spirit of Jesus
would not permit ttis. Some men
would have been discouraged by such
'interference;" buI not Paul. He
knew that if God closed this door to
him, it was in order that he might
be led to an open one somewhere
else that was far better. So he
pushed on along the border of Mysia
and Asia and finally found himslf
at Troas. Here with forbidden ter
and the sea in front of him. he wait
ed to find out what Gods plan for
him was.
The Macedonian Call
Another attack of illness brought
him in contact with DR.. Luke-but it
meant far more to the physician than
it did to the patient, for while Luke
patched up Paul's body temporarily,
Paul brought healing to Luke's soul
eternally. Luke was a Greek physi-
can, and a man of culture. His Ian
guage has better style than any of
the other New Testament writer's. He
was we'll acquainted with naV1ga-
ton as will be noted by reading the
Acts; and he had a great love for
men, He was probably a brother of
Titus, and many think his home was
originally in Antioch. If it was, he
must have moved to Macedonia ear
ly for it was likely that his CONVEX
valescence so impressed him with
the need in Macedonia that in the
night Paul had the vision which de-
termined the course he was to pur-
ste. The man of Macedonia was per-
sonified in Luke.
Paul took his bearings-here he
was at Proas because he had not been
permitted by the Spirit of Jesus to
preach elsewhere. Here was Luke's
story of the need in Macedonia; and
here in the night the vision and the
voice. "Assuredly gathering
putting two and two together, he
concluded-that this was the Lords
1aPA IoIy oh lin nd
at Neapolis, and went straight on to
Philippi, the principal city of the
province. He was accompanied by
Silas, Timothy and Luke. You can
trace Luke's travels by noting the
use of the pronouns 1--WE" and "they."
The INTERSECTIONS show that Luke
remained at Philippi until they came
back there some four or five years
later. Philippi was probably his
home. therefore. Then he Joined
Paul and was his constant companion
from that time on, sharing his tolls
and privations but not being made a
prisoner at any time, so far as we
know. This companionship was mu-
tually helpful. 1t meant a great
deal to Paul to have. so sympathetic
and capable a physician constantly
in attendance, and one who. could
preach the gospel as we'll as practice
medicine Tvs. 10, 49,; for thus he
was quite a help to him; and it meant
more than Luke could ever tell to be
thrown in such an intimate daily con-
tact with the handy legged little Jew
who more than any other man had
caught the spirit of his blessed Mas
ter.
The Man Of Macedonia
Upon arriving at Philippi their
first effort was undoubtedly to get
place to stay and to ply his trade
as a tent maker so as to make their
own support. Then on the sabbath
they looked for. synagogue, but
there were not enough Jews there for
one to be found. They knew that
any who were there would have chos
en- a location by the water SO as to
go through the ceremonial cleansing
which their religious worship re-
quired; so they found the place where
prayer was wont to be made, and
Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke sat
down with the women and spoke to
them. The man of Macedonia proved
to be a woman!
The message they brought was just
the thing Lydia needed. She had a
good business and was making money
selling a costly dye, royal purple,
but money was not sufficient; there
was a lack in her life, a lack which
Jesus alone could fill. SO when she
heard of Him, she just opened her
heart and received Him.
The two other conversions in this