Evening star., 1925-06-13

Christianity discovered itself in An
tioch. The establishment of the
church in this COSMOPOLITAN Gate of
the East" is one of the most crucial
events in the history of the Apostolic
Age. In this third city of the Roman
Empire the wealth of the Orient and
the energy of the Occident flowed in
constant current and counter-current.
The city, which had been established
as the capital of the Greek kingdom
Of Syria, on the River Orontes, by the
first King, Seluceus Nicator, in honor
of his father Antiochus. who was one
of Alexander the Greats generals,
had superseded Damascus, the ancient
capital. 1t was located upon the
Orontes River about 20 miles from the
Mediterranean. 1t. was about 180
miles north of the Northern frontier
of PhOenicia
Although Antioch lost something of
its ancient Grecian glory when it fell
under Roman control and became a
free city, and the residence of the
governor of the province, it retained
it's great beauty and salubrity and its
position as commercial and politi-
cal center. Lew Wallace has de-
scribed it's attractions in Ben Hur.
1t was a city of palaces, temples and
gardens that attracted people of every
race as a pleasure resort. The East
met the West in Antioch upon
Daphne, as the city was significantly
called. The pleasure garden of
Daphne, 5 miles from the city, 10
miles in circumference, with it's sane
tuary of Appollo, its groves of laurel
and cypress, its sparkling fountains,
its colonnades and halls and baths,
has come down through history with
an evil name" 1t was in this en-
vironment that had debased Rome,
according to Juvenal, by flooding the
Imperial City with the superstition
and immortality of the East as the
Orontes had flowed into the Tiber. -
that the first Gentle Church was in
stituted.
First Gentle Church.
Luke traces the establishment of
the mother church of the heathen
world to the scattering of the Jeru.
salem Church on the death of
stephen. While there exists no chro.
biological connection with last week s
lesson, the historian finds a logical
point of contact by uniting that event
and today's study with two former
advance movements that resulted
from Gods overruling the evil of
men. We have considered three dis,
tinct incidents which sprang out OF
the persecution that followed the
death of the first martyr Besides the
welcoming of Cornelius. we have
studied the mission of Philip to Sa-
maria and the Ethiopian treasurer
and taken up Sauls inquisitorial ex-
pedition into Damascus. This lesson
testifies to the way the persecution
proved to be blessing to the Church
Of Christ
Fully 10 years have passed since
the resurrection of the Lord, when a
group of traders from Cyprus intro
duced the innovation of speaking
about their Savior to the Greek pop
ulation of Antioch, as well as to the
Jews. Their effort met with Divine
approval for the gospel gripped the
city. a large number of heather per
sons in that gay, dissolute and i'm
moral city turned from Apollo, and
the unnamable pollutions of his foul
Daphne Grovels, to be cleansed in the
blood of Christ.
Evidently this historic and epoch.
making step was Objectionable tC
some of the Jewish believers, who
considered that the work of these
merchants was without ecclesiastical
AUTHORITY, as the preachers were not
prophets, preachers or deaconS ap
pointed to do missionary work by the
Jerusalem authorities. II was prob
ably through them that the cautious
and conservative mother church
heard of the unauthorized novelty OF
procedure which exposed the estab
lishment of a Gentle church to sus.
picion. They decided to send a com.
missioner to Antioch TO investigate
The work being done in the Syrian
capital. The choice of BarnabaS by
The church shows that they took the
step in no narrow or unfriendly spirit
The commissioner selected was a Hell
leniSt and a native Cypriote who
probably would consider fovorably
the work of lay preachers from
Cyprus.
Investigated, Recognized, Named.
Barnabas recognized almost imme-
diately the work of the Holy Spirit
and rejoiced in the evidence of
divine approval that rested upon the
work of his fellow countrymen. He
appears to have realized at once what
the recently organized community of
Gentle Christians needed. The rap
idly increasing number of new mem
bers needed 10 be taught and built
up in the faith. Barnabas threw him
self with all of his earnestneSS and
enthusiasm into the work of the
church for period of about a year
He tried to consolidate the work and