Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-10

/ dAWdyob dIld ukdIh say /
rejoice. Philippians, iva.
Christianity's initial victories In Eu-
rope soon attracted the attention of the
world. Among others who recognized
the saving power of the Apostles mes
sage, was slave girl, who, through her
sensitive temperament, could tell for
tunes and exercise the gifts of ven
triloQuist. Her powers were the
source of considerable revenue to the
group of men who owned her and
charged the credulous people who
sought advice from her, because she
was a medium. She followed the
Apostle and his workers about and
called upon people to believe their mes
sage OF salvation. This she did with
out doubt in a friendly spirit, but Paul
was unwilling to accept such co-opera-
ton. Her testimony would mislead
the people, so that they would consider
the new faith a part Of their pagan re-
ligion. He treated her in the same
way that Jesus did the demoniacs, who
recognized His Messiahship by order
ing the spirit TO leave her. Pauls faith
won a victory for the poor slave, who
became free from demoniacal control
and ceased her Soothsaying. In all
probability she became a disciple.
When the men, who had been ex-
plotting her gifts, recognized that they
could no longer use her in the dtsrepu-
able business from which they had re-
ceived large revenue, they opened up
hoStilities against Paul and Silas. The
moment the preaching of the Gospel
interferes with any form of iniquity,
inmol ality or intemperance to the ex-
tent of curtsiling the revenues from il
legal business, it is certain to meet op-
position. Paul as result of the an
tagonisin of the slave girls owners,
faced for the first time heather mob.
They dragged them before the civil
courts in the market place and made
false charges against them. They
claimed that they were interfering with
the welfare Of the city, being Jews.
Philippi was Roman colony and at
that moment the Jews had just been
banished from Rome upon the charge
that they were responsible for some
form of public disturbance. Frequently
throughout history they have suffered
from false accusations. Citing the fact
hatred. They charged that these
Christian teachers were teaching doc
trines that were not lawful for them to
receive, being Romans.
The people were aroused and moved
by mob spirit. They demanded that
Paul and .Silas be punished. The mag
istrates, without giving them fair trial,
ordered that they be beaten with many
stripes. Upon their bare backs 1.-The
flexible rods were laid on mercilesSly
until the whole was a mass of broken
and lacerated flesh, bruised and broken
until every inch of the body was as
sensitive as an Enhanced boil" No
doubt Paul remembered that experience
all the days of his life, for he referred
to it as shameful treatment" He en-
dured it gladly for Christ's sake, al
though he knew that 1t was prompted
by mans love of gain, rather than the
welfare of the city or their slave. They
had raised the cry of patriotism that
put him in the jail because their profits
were gone.
Religion in Prison.
Although Paul and Silas were placed
in the inner prison, which in all prob
ability was damp, dark dungeon, filled
with foul air and dirt, the jailer had
exceeded his commands by placing them
in stocks. Bound with chains upon
their ankles, wrists and neckS, they
conducted a midnight prayer meeting.
They prayed and praised God, reciting
the psalms, that encouraged them in
their bitter trial. The other prisoners
were surprised to hear these men sing
and pray. They were listening to this
unusual service when a sudden earth
quake shook the prison to its founda-
lions, opening the prison doors and
freeing the prisoners from their stocks
and irons.
The taller, who had been asleep on
his couch, was aroused from his slum-
Der, which he had no right to take when
such important prisoners were COM
nnitted to his care. He saw the prison
doors open, and was about to take his
life, SO as to escape the disgrace of neg
lecting his duty, when Paul called for
him to do myself no harm" Paul, S1las
and the other prisoners had made no
effort to escape. When the astonished
taller made an investigation OF the
prison and heard from the other pris-
oners the story of the midnight religious
service: the earthquake, which they
considered had come in answer to the
prayers of the two preachers. who made
no effort to escape, the evidence con-
WINGED the taller of the sincerity and
reality of the religion Of his prisoners.
It impressed him with his need Of sal
walton. He asked what he could do to
be saved. Paul told him to Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ" He accepted
the gift of God's grace and Immediately
proved The TGallLY VI COAIfCloAOAA Ny
ministering unto the two servants OF
Gcd. He asked to be baptized, and that
night in the prison yard mumber were
baptized and added to the membership
of the Philippian Church, for not only
the taller but his whole household &C
cepted the Lord Jesus as their personal
Saviour.
Filled with the same joy that had
enabled Paul and Silas to sing and
pray when they were in the inner
prison, the jailer invited his two pris-
oners, now brothers in Christ, into his
home. where he celebrated the CONVEX
sion of his household and himself by an
elaborate meal. In the morning the
taller received a message from the
Judges, or praetors, as the city rulers
were called, saying, LET those men go!"
They had been awed By the demonstra-
ton of the earthquake and the results
that followed. Free to go, Paul stands
upon his rights as Roman citizen. BY
their hasty action the previous night,
in response to the mob, the magistrates
had become involved in a serious pre-
dicament. They faced serious charge
of ordering a Roman citizen to be
logged and imprisoned without hearing
even his defense. Paul, in making his
stand, not merely secured protection for