Evening star., 1925-07-18
Sunday School Lesson
his interpreter and spokesman by his
address and healing Of the cripple.
Ministry of Restraint

his interpreter and spokesmen by his
address and healing of the cripple.
Ministry of Restraint.
Medical missionaries, like physicians
here at home. frequently receive wor
shipful attention and devotion from
those who have been cured by their
surgical knowledge and medical skill.
The missionary seeks to turn the at
tention of such appreciative patients
TO the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
who is still the great Healer of all our
diseases. When Paul and Barnabas
understood the meaning Of what was
going on among the people, who prob
ably We're speaking their own native
dialect, they sought to restrain them.
They pointed out that they were only
ordinary men and that 1t was their
mission to turn men from an empty
faith to the true religion. Paul found
in their native and mythical religion
point Of contact that he used In teach
ing them the truth concerning God.
The speech that Paul delivered upon
that occasion contains the germ of
his Mars Hill address, which he de-
livered about four years later TO the
leaders in Athens. when he worked 1t
out more fully. There is nothing that
is distinctiveIy Christian in his ad-
dress beyond his denial of their
deity and pointing out that 1t was
their mission to turn men from a
false faith in dead idols to a living
one in a supreme and good God. He
declared Him to be the creator OF all
things. He asserted His long suffer
Ing. He cited the Lords benefcence
in giving rains and supplying fruit
as evidence of His character and
existence. His efforts to turn their
minds from that of natural religion
by calling upon nature to testify
failed.
Tears and Triumph.
Popularity is tickle. 1t changed
quickly when they refused to accept
the divine honors. The people, who
desired to offer them sacrifices, be-
came tools in the hands of the
enemies who had followed them from
Antioch and Iconium in their hatred.
They took advantage of the apostles
refusal to receive the divine honors,
and stirred up the people against
them, so that they stoned Paul and
left his body outside of the city gates.
believing that he was dead. The
Lystra populace were not controlled
by principle. They had no serious
convictions, so that their actions have
been used to illustrate "the psy-
choIogy of a mob. 1t has no soul. It is
the dupe of chance passions that
stray through the air. 1t Is incapable
of choice or. self-determination. 1t
forsakes knowledge and judgment"
Paul never forgot that night. It
recalled to him the death of Stephen
and his part In that event. 1t stood
out in his memory because of its
influence upon Timothy, who was a
native of Lystra and was won for
Christ through Paul's efforts. When
the few loyal believers gathered
around the body that some hold that
the mob had actually killed and
| dragged out of the city as being unfit
for burial, they were filled with great
| .oy at his escape from what appeared
| to be certain death. They assisted
! him to return to the city. where low
| ing hands ministered unto his bruised
and bleeding body. The next day
| Paul started out with Barnabas for
| Derbe, which was the home of Gaius,
future friend and fellow traveller of
| Pauls, where their work met with
great success through their evangeliz-
ing the city and winning many for
| Christ Jesus.
Paul's pastoral heart called for him
| to revisit all the churches and en-
! courage his brethren. He was not
discouraged by the perils and priva-
tions that he had endured. He de-
sired to confirm the faith of the
churches and see that these brother
hoods of believers were thoroughly
| organized for the work of advancing
the Kingdom of God. Retracing his
steps, he found in the places where
he had preached the evidence of the
work of the Holy Spirit, who had
sustained and strengthened the
various congregations during the
apostles absence. He trained 4 the
leaders that the churches selected
and prayed for their success as
shepherds of the flock of God. Re
turning to Antioch, Paul reported
what God had accomplished during
their first missionary journey as proof
that He had opened the door of the
Gentiles and approved their work as
missionaries of the cross in foreign
lands.