Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-10
Golden Text: I'm Him we live and
move and have our being" Acts II.

When Paul reached Athens, he felt
the need of his companions so badly
that he urged the Bereans VINO had
accompanied him there to send them
to him as soon as they got back. 1t
must have taken some little time for
them to have gone back to Berea, and
then to send to Thessalonica for Tim
othy and for Timothy and Silas to
make the journey from Berea to
Athens.
But while Paul was lonely, he was
not idle. AS he went ABOUT the city
he was astounded at the number OF
idols he saw; for at that time there
were more idols than men in that
center of Greek culture and civiliza-
ton. What we see today and admire
were objects of worship, for the
Greeks had developed the human
body to such perfection that various
representations of it were made as
the objects of this worship. The
sight of these stirred PauIs heart
to it's depths Like his Master of
old who was moved with compassion
when He saw the multitude as
sheep having no shepherd, he was
aroused to intensity of sympathy for
them, and this created within him
desire to do something for them. Too
often with us the knowledge of need
stirs us, but we stop there. What,
for example have you done to change
this condition? Eighty-three million
more gods than people in India! With
stition, immortality and degradation.
Does not it stir you? But how much?
Paui's compassion showed itself in
action. He went to the Jewish syna-
gogues and also into the Ogora, or
market place. At the one place ne
reached the Jews and proselytes, at
the other he touched the Gentiles. In
- Il w
the most vital and Fundamental topic:
Our English version says disputed
daily, but the Greek word does not
convey the idea of a dispute as we
understand the word today, but of a
discussion, a dialogue, a conversation
in a conversational tone, asking and
answering questions, stating view
points and coming to a mutual un-
derstanding of each others position.
Only they did not get this view point
exactly, for he preached Jesus and
"Anastasis" (the resurrection) and
they thought he was talking about
some new gods Of whom they had
never heard.
The Athenians and foreigners in
Athens spent their time in phlloso-
phical discussions. Their desire was
more to discover and state some
phase of truth than to apply what
they already knew to their everyday
lives. So Paul easily got hearing
In fact, he came in contact with the
Epicureans and the Stocks, and to
settle the matter of differences be
them, they had him appear on Mars
Areopagus Cor Mars HilD was the
| place where the supreme court OF
Athens sat, and it's members were
composed Of men who had shown un-
usual ability and wisdom. About
them were gathered large company
anxious to hear what this "seed-pick
err" Gas they had contemptuously call
ed him) would say.
The Epicureans and the Sto&cs
were dramatically opposed to each
other. The former regarded pleas
ure as the supreme aim of life; the
selves to disregard all the circum-
stances of life, to restrain all OF
their emotions and be Indifferent to
all circumstances. It seems to us
strange philosophy, and yet it had
it's reason. The Stoics' great motto
was "Follow nature" Nature TO
| them had a two-fold aspect-it was
first an Organization of material at
| oms which operate by its own laws;
| and second, it was regarded as ra-
| tional being subduing all it's parts
| to work out a rational purpose in
| herent in the whole-in other words,
what people sometimes speak of as
followers today. Their theory OF
creation was therefore that the
world was formed by nature, that IS,
by the coming together of all It's
atoms, operating by their own laws:
Everything could be worshiped
elements; for to them Ito use a
phrase of the Christian Scientists
| today), Cali is God, and God is ALL
AS Pantheists they Offered the
Greeks an excellent opportunity for
their multiplicity Of gods;
relative, not actual, for what seemed
to be evil was really good, as it was
working in harmony with the whole
| Therefore come what may. 1t was
but part of nature, but the work
! ing out Of these atoms according TO
their own laws. and therefore right,
| Therefore they bore with courage
| and indifference whatever came, and
their ideal man was the one who
could suppress his emotions entirely
| and be utterly Indifferent to all cir
| cumstances.
On the other hand, the Epicureans
were pleasure seeking. The break.
ing up of the Greek city-states and
the loss of independence had unset
tied mems minds. They had lost the
sense of security upon which they
had always depended, and so Ep1cu-
rus propounded for them this ph1los-
ophy as the haven of rest for their
souls-the aim of life was happiness
and HAPPINESS consists in pleasure
But it was not Just the pleasure OF
the moment, but the greatest amount
of pleasure throughout the whole
course of life. They were rather
| therefore, to suppress their wants
than to satisfy their desires. The
| highest happiness therefore could be
secured by living the simple life
with few desires Epicurus' own life
was simple and kind. He protested
against lust Pleasure to him was
absence of pain and peace Of mind
The great trouble with his philoso-
ply was that 1t offered too great
an opportunity for the qualification
of lust in the name of religion
Fpicurus found men "believing In
gods and in world made UP of at
oms;" he taught that the gods were
made up of a finer quality Of atoms
and lived in spaces beyond the world
where their peace Of mind could not
be disturbed and therefore were SUI
nremelv happy It is easy to see
| therefore. why these Fpicureans and
Stoics would want to have Paul APP
pear before the supreme court that
a decision might be rendered in
thesee matters of such great con-
| Germ.
Before the Court
Paul's speech was one of the most
wonderful addresses ever made. 1t Is
a model for public speakers today.
He began most tactfu1ly: "Athenians.
7 perceive that in all things you are
! very religious, for as I passed up