The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-12-30
Sunday Sermon
FINAL LESSON
OF PAUL GIVEN
BY DR.. CILR0Y
Story of Life Is One of High
Examples to Pres
ent World.
Text-Phil. 3:1-14
Text-Phil. 3:1-14
BY VIM. E. GILROY, d. ID.
Editor of The Congregationalist


This final lesson in the life of
Paul is in place Of the usual review
of the quarters lessons. In this
case, that review would be simply
a review of Paul's life, because all
the lessons of the quarter, except
one for Worlds Temperance Sun
day and one on world peace, have
had to do with the conversion of
the apostle and his ministry in the
early church.
We have no means of knowing
the exact age of Paul, or the num-
bers of years occupied in his Chris
tan ministry. In the story of the
martyrdom Of Stephen, We have the
first introduction of Paul, in the
statement that those who stoned
Stephen to death laid down their
garments at the feet of a young
man whose name was Saul"
Just how young Paul was at that
time we do not know The indica-
tons are that, after his conversion
and the early activities recorded,
there was period of silence in
which Paul was preparing himself
for his task of service under his
new religious convictions.
Pauls Own Story
For the story of Paul's life We
are indebted chiefly to Paul him.
self, as Luke has recorded the
speeches in self-defense on various
occasions when Paul found it nee
essary to tell the story
We are indebted, also, to the en-
tire wonderful record Of Luke in
the Book of the Acts-a record
which bears upon its face the evil
dences of intimate knowledge and
deep appreciation.
AS Paul neared the close of his
career and surveyed his own life,
he wrote to Timothy, his "son IN
the faith in the words of our
golden text, II have fought the
good fight, I have finished the
course, I have kept the faith"
Not a Boaster
It was a simple statement of
what was true concerning his ele-
mental purpose and his faithfulness
to it.
Paul was not a boaster or a brag-
CART There was in him the essen
tial humility of the man who was
measuring himself constantly against
the supreme standards of faith and
action.
Jesus Christ was ever so before
him that he was reminded con-
stantly of his Master. Yet Paul was
a man of plain sense, in whom
there was no mawkish sentiment
tally or self-depreciation He knew
that, grievous as were his short
comings and his errors, he had tried
to live in good conscience even in the
days before he had seen the light on
the way to Damascus.
Imprisoned in Rome
The words of our lesson are a
very fitting conclusion to our study
of the life of Paul. They are from
the Epistle to the Philippians, which
he wrote during the days of his i'm
priSonment at Rome.
He was not sure just what was
ahead of him. He was living in
Rome at that time, a prisoner, but
with a fair measure of freedom, still
able to see his friends and to dis
cuss the realities and mysteries of
the Christian faith with all who
were willing to hear.
Our lesson reveals, in a very clear
way, the supreme height of Paul's
ideal. The great goal of his life
was "the excellency of the know
ledge of Christ Jesus my Lord" a
knowledge that for him was not an
external thing, but that upon which
ne wished to have his whole life
based.
A Noble Example
For this he was willing to suf-
fer the loss of all things, and for
this he was willing to forget every
thing that lay behind in his life.
He describes himself as a man
pressing toward the goal of the
prize Of the high calling of God
in Christ jesus
What higher goal could a man
have? And what nobler example
could we all have in the pursuit
OF 1t than that of the Apostle Paul?