Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1946-10-18


way he preached Christ In the syna.
gogues. that he is the Son OF God
Acts 9:20.
The regenerating grace Of God
had made Paul into a new man, one
who now had no greater delight than
telling others of the redeeming
grace Of God.
In preparation for that fuller min.
istry which was to follow. Paul first
gave witness in the place where he
had been prosecuting the Christians,
In fact in the city to which he was
bound when the Lord met him. But
now instead of breathing out threats
and violence he met these former
associates and friends with the new
message OF the gospel.
He had to meet them sooner or
later, and il was well that he met
them now. A clean break with his
past makes man ready for future
service.
l. Paul Faces His Past tActs
o:l9b-22l.
What surprise it must have been
Tor those prosecutors Of the Chris
tians at Damascus to find that the
one to whom they had looked for
leadership was now a Christian.
What testimony that was-right to
the point
''Straightway'-what a good word
to apply to the servant of the Lord
Paul did not hesitate to declare his
faith in Christ. to proclaim that the
One who had redeemed him was
able to save others.
1t Is the normal and proper ex-
preston of Christian faith to give
testimony to others. That should
be true Of every believer. With Paul
there was the added element Of his
call to preach, for God had ordained
that he should be his chosen vessel
Tor that purpose (Acts 9:15).
Paurs message was Christ He
proved to the Jews that Jesus was
the Christ ". 20, the One of whom
their Old Testament Scriptures
spake and for whom they professed
TO be looking. He declared him to
be the Son Of God ". 2O).
They were unwilling to accept
the message. They were amazed"
xnfRaul and 'confeunded" by the
V,th he proclaimed, but they re-
5ected both it and him, and he had
to escape for his life
Although our lesson only Indirect
ly refers to it (see Gal. i:l7, l8),
II should also be noted that Paul
went up TO Jerusalem before he
went to Antioch, as indicated in our
next portion of Scripture.
There he faced suspicion on the
part of the believers, who knew
him as their enemy.
Having faced his past we now
see that
II. Paul Faces His Future (Acts
HES. 26).
He was Gods chosen instrument
to bear his name to the Gentiles
(see Acts 9:l5). and at the invita-
ton Of Barnabas he came up from
his home city of Tarsus to minister
ut Antioch. the place which now be-
came his real spiritual home, and
the center from which his great
missionary enterprise was carried
out.
1t 10 interesting to note how this
came about in the providence Of
God. Persecution spread the be.
Nevers abroad (Acts HID, and like
the scattered brands OF a beaten
fire tney carried the fame Of Chris.
Ganity far and wide. Thus the COS.
pei came to Antioch. the third great
est city In the world Of that day. A
revival broke out and Barnabas was
sent from Jerusalem to be OF help
Good and spiritual man that he
was (Acts 1928, 24. Barnabas did
nothing to hinder this work Of God.
but admonished the people to
''cleave unto the Lord; that is. to
follow him closely. Would that all
spiritual advisers had such a spirit
and such sound judgment.
He was also wise In sensing his
need Of help. So he went after
Paul, the very man to teach these
young Christians and to lead them
out into radiant and abundant
life for the Lord. Here i. was that
the beautiful name Of Christian"
was first used.
AL this was possible because
III. Paul Faces His Lord Gal.
l:i7-2D.
Many years after he had been
called 10 Antioch. Paul wrote this
letter to the Galatians TO warn them
against Judaizing teachers and to
urge them to hold fast to salvation
By faith. He declared this to be a
message which he received from
God and not from men.
Before Paul went ou, 10 preach and
teach he went up into Arabia to be
alone with the Lord. as he took wha,
~ might call his postgraduate
course In theology. He learned
alone with God.
His life had been transformed. His
attitudes had been completely
ahangsd His thinking about Christ
pas Numerically opposite 10 his
6emsr beliefs. He needed time
eloos With God TO prepare himself