Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-18
PAUL CARRIES THE GOSPEL
INTO EUROPE.
Acts lS.36-16.lS.
Golden Text Come over into
Macedonia and help us.--Acts
1919.
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.

During the week the press has pub
tiShed cable dispatches of how Ia Ameri-
can members Of a college mems cruise
conquered the Hellespont, Our lesson
brings before us for consideration ths
conquest of those waters by Paul. who's
crossing marked the comm encement OF
the triumphant conquest of Europe b.
Christianity Four hundred years b.
fore XerXeS, q mighCy monarch set
forth with 100000 men To conquer
Europe He tailed. The missionary
apostle set forth from Troas with thres
assistants and won. not by might, nor
by power. but under tho leadership OF
the Holy Spirit. who had directed Pauls
movements during the second missionary
journey.
Soon after their return from JeruSa =
lem with the favorable findings of the
council. that was the SubjecI OF last
weeks lesson, Paul was impressed with
the necessity OF visiting the missionary
fields where Barnabas and he had es-
abliShed churches on their firSt Journey.
Barnabas agreed to the proposition. but
Paul and he differed about their per-
hitting john Mark to go along. He
had been a gutter during their previous
tour and although Barnabas urged that
they give him another chance. Paul alb
solutely refused God overruled this
difference between these two close
friends for the advancement Of the
Kingdom. They separated in a spirit
of love for one another and loyalty
o their convictions Time demonstrated
that BarnabaS was correct in his tudg-
ment OF Mark. for he was recognized
later as an eff1cient helper by Paul.
The Antioch Church evidently Sympa-
thizsd with Paul for 1t approved the
selection OF Silas as his co-worker in the
missionary field. Silas was recognized
by the churches in Antioch and Jeru-
salem as q prophet and a man of signal
ability. He was a Roman citizen and
had contacts with the Gentle world
that made hin, a valuable helper for
Paul during his second missionary
journey
RevisitinT Old Fields.
Bsrnabss and Paul did not make the
lamentabie mistake of carving on their
quarrel about Mark by trying to carry
on their work in the same field Bsrns-
has took John Mark and went to
Cyprus Paul and Silas went 10 the
north. passing through the cities and
towns of Cilicia and Lycaonia, stopping
at Derbe and Lystra. At the latter
place Timothy. who probably had been
converted during the former visit. WAS
ordained by Paul. Although the apostle
had taken a stand against the require
ment Of circumcision of the Gentiles
ss condition Of thsir salvation he
recognized that Timothy ought to be
circumcised Glover has pointed out
that his Greek father was perhaps
not quite as much Greek as the
technical term suggests TO us, and
that both his Jewish mother and grand
mother had Greek names In response
to the call to unite with the missionary
forces. Timothy joined Paul in his
crusade for Christ and His Church.
The three passed through Cappadocia
and Phrygia before they reached Gala
tia, where Paul suffered such pain that
he found these generous. warm
hearted, impulSive, enthusiastic, tickle
race ready to pluck out their own eyes
and give them TO the apostle. When
he started TO enter Bithynia and the
section of Asia Minor known SIS Asia,
the apostle was prohibited from enter
ing those apparently excellent fields for
missionary work Most men would have
been discouraged by the inability to
carry out their programs, but Paul was
not discouraged by the Holy Spirit pro-
hibiting his entering these fields. He
moved on to Troas, where God made
known His will to the apostle by a
visit
Called Ia Macedonia.
Luke, the beloved physician. joins
Paul at Troas. which was seaport on
the Aegean See. Perhaps the apostle
was so i'll at Troag that 1T was deemed
adviseh BILE To call in physician. AL
though seriously sick, Paul did not
leave the opportunity of winning his
doctor for Christ, the great physician.
to go by without doing some personal
WORK with him for his Lord. 1t may
have been that in this proYidential way
Luke was won for Christ, joined the
missionary party. became the historian
of The journey. writer of the gospel.
and possibly was used of God 10 i'm
press upon Paul that he should seek TO
win Europe for the Master.
Paul "visualized" his proIoundest ex-
per1ences. He saw when he felt most
cieeply-saw or heard Tor b0th) when
an idea took possession OF his mind and
will. He had, from time 10 time, Wis
ions, dreams, hints and strong sueges-
tons as 10 Gods will. Not ali the
dreams and visions that come To men
elations from God Troas tested Pauls
power to detect Gods will when the
vision came to the apostle at night
calling him across the Hellespont and
open UP work in the lands beyond the
sea. Crannell has well said that this
divine call was no mere apostolic
psychology" the imperial strategy OF
the empire minded" Paul, who hao long
desired and determined 10 carry the Cos
pei to Rome, the world center OF that
day. lust rs Washington has become
of our day. II was not the result OF the
strangers that he saw on the streets
of Troas. or Luke's presentation OF MS
country'S needs, as Ramsay suggests,
They NAV have helped prepare Paul
for the vision that called him to Mace.
donna. but the dream was Gods way oil
directing Paul. who Immediately upon
learning the Lords wishes started the
nreuarations to sail for Greece. When
they embarked ii WAS To carry not only
the gospel but civilization to Europe
Opening Up European Missions.
There was no committee 10 welcome
paul and his crusaders, when they
reached Philippi. the Macedonian city