Pueblo chieftain., 1921-08-13
THE BOOK OF BoLDNESs
By WILLIAM T. ELLIS

Lesson Tor August 4 is. Paul at
1conium and Lystra.'' - Acts
14:1-28.
Without courage there is no char
acter. Given a stout heart, one can
get along without many of the finer
accomplishments. For both life aud
faith, youth needs boldness-" bold
ness and' ever boldness. Just now
many millions of young persons are
IN process of having iron injected
into their spirits blood by way of
the Book of Boldness. In our Bibles
it is called ''The Acts" often, 1.-The
Acts of the Apostles although it
might more truly be called 1.-The Acts
of the Holy Spirit Better yet, this
record of heroism deserves the title
1.-The Book of Boldness.n
We may well be wary of that type
of Bible teacher who is forever find
ing key words and "Plans,' and
all sorts of ingenious symbolisms and
verbal significances in the books of
the sacred Canon. God never meant
that readers of His word should have
to possess these clever, man-made
keys for the Interpretation of His
plainly written meaning. 1t is quite
another matter, though. to observe as
any careful reader may do, the main
characteristic of a given portion of
Scripture. That is primary purpose
of intelligent Bible-study The pres
ent SIX months course in the Acts
will have failed of its full usefulness
unless 1t gives grasp of the general
truth that the idea of boldness is
dominant in the book. The heroisms
it thru the Acts, will be struck by its
Anybody who will take the root
word "bold,n with its foundations of
boldly and boldness, and follow
of Paul and Barnabas IN the present
Lesson are an appropriate occasion
for indicating this striking truth.
Real Free Speech
central place in the story. Ten times
the word itself occurs; constantly its
spirit is expressed and e1emplified.
A Greek-English dictionary will help; !;
for il will make clear that the literal
significance of this .'holdness" of
the Acts is "free utterance. That
Is to say, Bible boldness is courage in
bearing witness. There is no valor
greater than that of true testimony.
The Bible is book of free speech.
II honors the disciples who say so"
At once it is apparent how directly
this applies to the open confession of
faith by the followers of Jesus. To
stand up for Him may take more
courage than to face machine gun
or an artillery barrage.
In a paragraph. let me indicate the
recurrence of "boldness' in the
Book of the Acts. 1t was when they
"saw the boldness of Peter and
John" Acts 4:l3l. that men took
knowledge of them that they had been
with Jesus. The first recorded
PRAYER of the Christian Church (Acts
:2Al was a prayer for boldness in
testimony; and its definite answer is
indicated in two verses later. Of
Paul 5 first preaching at Damascus
and Jerusalem lActs 9:27, 20) this
word "boldly" is used. In last
weeks Lesson (Acts 13:46) we have
similar record; and today (Acts
14:3) We find him preaching "bold-
lyn at 1conium. The eighth use of
this sturdy English word in the Acts
describes Apollos at Ephesus (Acts
Is :26l, and in the same city for three
months Paul "spake boldly" (Acts
lg:S). As the first record of Paul 's
preaching was of his boldness, so the
last Acts os-3ll. shows him in Rome
teaching of Christ with all bold
ness
Such study as this-and it may
be pursued widely through Paul's
letters-,iocs more TO stiffen
Christian 5 convictions than reams
Of homilies and exhortations. If
these Lessons have been character
lied by candor in dealing with the
Young man | found for myself. the
secret Of "free utterance in this
Book of Roldness.
Kicked out-Smiling Still
This spirit Of boldness, born Of
faith. is the father of the only sort
of optimism that is worth seeking
Those folks who have outcrown the
Scriptures but are devoted TO-