Evening star., 1921-09-24
Sunday School Lesson

tioch in Pisidla. Iconium, Lystra and
Derbe. Marks returning home to
Jerusalem was keep disappointment
to Barnabas and was never forgotten
by Paul.
His campaign in the mountain c3m-
munities resulted in repeated rejec-
tions by the Jews. who refused to ac-
cept their contention concerning the
Messiahship of Jesus. The bitter op-
position that they faced at Antioch in
Pisidia, turned the key that opened
the gospel door to all people. Perse-
cution drove them not only from An
tioch but also from 1conium and Lys-
ira. 1t was at the latter place that
the apostles rejected being honored
as gods because they had healed a
cripple. When they declined to be
thus honored the stones quickly crush
ed Paul. whom they left for dead. A
few faithful found him alive and min
iStered unto the bruised but undaunt-
ed champion of Christ. Among the
number, without doubt, were Lois,
Eunice and young Timothy. At Derbe,
oSter a successful effort, Paul and
Barnabas turned their faces home
ward, visiting the churches that they
had won by their evangelization work,
to build them up so sthat they could
stand fast in the faith endure trlbu-
lation and carry on the work they had
commenced. They organized each
church. not only for self-government,
but for cooperation in the Lords
service. While waiting at Perga for
vessel to carry them back to Antioch
they preached the Word.
Upon their return to the mother
church that had fostered their mis-
sionary work Paul faced serious con-
ditions within the church that had
been fomented by persons from Jeru-
salem. who claimed that all Gentiles
who entered the church should do 50
through the doors of Judaism. 1t
was in connection with this problem
that Paul did work that has left a
permanent impression upon Christian
history. He showed his diplomacy by
suggesting that it be referred to the
Jerusalem Church. With a rare in
sight into the mission of Christianity
he emancipated the new faith from
that of his fathers. He saw that
Judaism was only a parentheSis in the
unfolding of the divine purpose, that
men did not appear before God as He
brews. but as partakers of common
humanity, and that before Moses, and
even in the days before Abraham, the
one condition of acceptance with God
was faith in Him.
The test that his gospel was a uni
versal one came in the second mis-
sionary journey, when, after his break
with Barnabas over John Mark, PAU
started out to revisit his old fields
OIL ldDOT, pul Slutu tAC s uAu
ance of the Holy Spirit in carrying
the gospel and the seeds of modern
civilization to Europe, establishing
churches in Phillip, Thessalonica.
Berea and Athens In this work he
had the help of Silas. Timothy and
Luke. The last two recruits Joined
him during his campaign in Asia
Minor before he heard the call to
Europe. Most scholars attribute
PauTs decision TO carry the gospel to
Greece to the influence of Luke, who
was a native of Macedonia.
During the quarters study we have
seen this army of the Lord Jesus
enter city after city. community after
community. win souls for Christ.
establish churches, by preaching the
gospel whose spiritual truths. when
accepted, change the character Of
men and the destiny of nations. They
lived a life of self-denial, sacrifice
and service in their zeal to advance
the kingdom of God, practicing in
their work the teachings that we
studied last week in the temperance
ing the souls OF men Paul was able
to demonstrate that the gospel of
Jesus was a universal nature. pro-
ducing similar spiritual experiences
in the lives of GentileS as well as
Jews He proved that it could save
all and transform by it's purifying
power every human relation and ac-
tivity. This encouraged Paul to plead
so. then, as we have opportunity. let
us work that which is good toward
all men, and especially toward them
that are of the household of the
faith"