The Republican., 1925-09-10
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Prepared Especially For The Repub-
lican's Readers by Rev. U. S.
Wright, ID.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER IS, 1925
PAUL IN THESSALONIKA
AND BEROEA.

THE WAY OF ADVANCE
With head up they marched out of
Philippi where their position as Rom
an citizens was assured. There was
cessation of difficulties and there
must have been quite a company of
Christians who included Lydia and
her household and many of her
clerks, the slave girl who had in
fiuenced others, the jailer and his
family and DR.. Luke who remained
in the city to complete the organiza-
ton Of the growing church. With its
position secure and the absence of
cause of controversy it was always
constant joy to its founder and fire.
quent contributor to his needs. With
victory won Paul could not tarry but
must seek further conquestS. Along
the great Roman road toward the
West they tramped with high joy in
their hearts and expectancy in their
minds. Two good sized towns were
passed and still they tramped. For
Paul could not forget his own and
was determined that there should be
no stop until there were Jews enough
to have a synagog in which he might
worship. He was shreWd enough to
know that the speediest success in
general was in the place where he
could take advantage of the knowled-
ge Of that Scriptures wanting among
the gentle populations And these
were brethren Of his Lord and he was
of His rule. There was another very
human element in his method, for a
Methodist visiting in Harrisburg, a
Presbyterian in Washington will wor-
ship in the church of his choice rather
than in any other and if Paul should
enter city today his first visit would
be to his own accustomed group wor-
ship, So they walked into Thessalo>
nika and stopped their journey. 1t
was as important then as it was dur
ing the World War when it was the
eNA4tOI VI Stl4lNU ClNlN GICG. ANdlEtu dlIHT
the sister of Alexander the Great and
meaning Victory over the Thessalians
at must have appealed as a good omen
for the setting up the banner of a
greater victory than the conqueror
Of his whole world except that of his
own soul. Paul might be Spirit led
and he was, but the message is SPELL
ed in letters of earth circumstances
and punctuated with personal quail
ties. The message is always given,
the failure of guidance is in our read
ing.
THE WAY OF THE WORKER
Settled in the city the first worship
day found Paul in church. CAS- his
custom was" is the exact description
given Of the habit of Jesus as it is of
every successful worker for Him
since. 1t was terrifcally faulty in
that old day, it is still far from per-
feet, but it is the source of more fine
living than any other institution and
it is its urge to action that has made
its followers leaders in good word
and good work in every community in
which it is. And he who fails its fell
lOwship of worship certainly is not
follower of the example of Jesus and
Paul and John and Peter and Luther
and Wesley and Washington and
father and mother and any other who
has done much in aiding the enrich
in his place and because of his Rab-
bis garb would be asked to speak.
He took the Scriptures and "opened"
them in the same way the Jesus did
on the Emmaus walk, making their
meaning clear thruout their pages
that the Messiah who was promised
must suffer and would rise again.
Paul knew his Bible and it is here
that the worker today gets his equip
ment. Failure comes from not know
ing it and every fantastic cult has its
following because men can not meet
their study of the Book to prove a
case instead of to reveal the truth.
There was as much wild interpreta-
ton in Paul's day as now but he was
not confused and his first work was
in clearing away the misconceptions.
Then he alleged" "set forth on
orderly way" Jesus as the fuliller
Of their messianic dream and pro-
claimed the coming of His Kingdom
and the return of the King. He
preached Jesus as Lord of the whole
life so that he pressed for a decision
of acceptance OF His Lordship. And
the Jesus of Judea and Galilee, seen
of many, known of Peter and the
rest was the completion Of the centu-
ries-old program of God in self-reve-
1ation and in self-giving for the re-
demption of all people. And this has
been the way of the worker thru all
the years.
THE WAY OF THE DISBELIEVER
Crowds accepted the teaching and
months of careful instruction were
given to these until the Jews grew