Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-06
Sunday School Lesson

ton with the regular meetings of the
church which he organized. 1t met in
the Schoolroom of TyrannuS, whom we
presume to have been member of the
church. There everybody had an OPP
portunity to hear Paul present his
persuasive appeals. From the meetings
held in this famous schoolroom the
gospel was carried until we know of at
least seven churches being formed as
direct result of Paul's ministry in
EpheSus. No doubt the truths the
apostle preached we're heard by men of
other nations and continents and by
them the seed of the gospel was scat
tered abroad The evidence of his sue
cess is seen in the sacrificial bonfire of
books and manuscripts owned by peo-
pie who gave up the practice of the
black arts when they accepted Christ.
No sooner had Paul finished his daily
toll than his apron was carried to the
sick room, where people were healed
through their faith in Jesus Christ,
whom Paul preached as the Savior of
men. The handkerchiefs with which
the apostle wiped his brow during his
work were also carried to the sick room
to drive out the evil spirits. These spe-
cial miracles we're wrought in the Mas
ter's name and for His glory. The use
of the apron and handkerchiefs simply
testified to the fact that Paul's Lord
had healed them. These mir" cles were
apparently used to demonstrate the SUI
periority of Christianity over the false
faiths and the use of black arts through
which some cures were wrought. The
miracles of Paul demonstrate that he
possessed more power than any other
Bible worthy, for when Elisha sought to
raise n dead child by sending his staff
to be laid upon it he failed. The eff
forts of Demetrius, the SilverSmith,
against Paul prove the success that his
ministry had attained in superStitiouS
Ephesus. When the sales of idols COM
menced to fall off and the cause OF IL
was found to be Pauls preaching, an
organized opposition of the silversmiths,
whose pocket nerve had been feeling
the effects of his attacks upon idol
worship, developed. The failure OF the
efforts of seven sons of Sceva to heal
one of the evil spirit had served to in
crease Paul's popularity and influence,
but he was not able to stem the tide OF
opposition of the silverSmithS' union,
who felt the loss Of their business ana
revenue. He could not stop the riot.
The town clerk did it. and through his
intervention the apostle was released.
His Teaching Ministry.
When he was forced to leave Ephesus,
Paul left behind him well established
but not a perfectly developed church.
1t takes a long time to develop unity
out of individual units. Paul followed
the career of the Ephesian church with
the heart passion of true shepherd of
souls. He loved all the churches that
he had established. In all his epistles
he set forth his desire for them to
have greater unity higher character.
more trained intelligence lin full
knowledge and all the perception to dis
tinguish the essential" They must con-
duct themselves accurately" and wor-
thily of their calling, in love as Christ
has loved us, and as children of light.
The more closely we study PauPs
epistles, the more clearly appears the
fact that he is seeking to develop a
new world all remade by the power OF
the gospel of the Lord Jesus. Toward
this end he sought to promote unity Ill
| the life of the church. He had three
pictures of the church-the family, the
| human body and the temple of God
every one of them implying a new unity
in design with great diversity of func-