STUDY XXIII.-Personal Characteristics of St. Paul

SEVENTH DAY: PAUL'S DEVOTION TO CHRIST

"Paul's personal devotion to Christ was the supreme characteristic of the man, and from first to last the mainspring of his activities. From the moment of his first meeting with Christ he had but one passion; his love for his Saviour burned with more and more brightness to the end. He delighted to call himself the slave of Christ, and had no ambition except to be the propagator of His ideas and the continuer of His influence."-Stalker.

1. In the first verse of three of his Epistles, Paul calls himself a "servant of Jesus Christ" (Romans, Philippians, and Titus). The word rendered here as servant means, rather, slave; and, moreover, one who is a slave by birth. See also Acts 27:23. 2. His one aim was to spread the Gospel of Christ: 1 Cor. 2:2 and 9:16; Philippians 1:14-18.

3. He earnestly desired that Christ should be magnified in his body: Philippians 1:20.

4. He says that he was continuing the work of Christ and was filling up what was lacking in His sufferings: Col. 1:24. 5. He bore the marks of the Lord Jesus in his body: Gal. 6:17. 6. Christ was his life: Philippians 1:21-23.

"Paul had the sense that Christ had done everything for him; He had entered into him, casting out the old Paul and ending the old life, and had begotten a new man, with new designs, feelings, and activities. And it was his deepest longing that this process should go on and become complete-that his old self should vanish quite away, and that the new self, which Christ had created in His own image, and still sustained, should become so predominant that, when the thoughts of his mind were Christ's thoughts, the words on his lips Christ's words, the deeds he did Christ's deeds, and the character he wore Christ's character, he might be able to say, 'I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.'"-Stalker.

STUDY XXIV.-Paul's Services to the World

FIRST DAY: PAUL A WORLD-MISSIONARY

In summing up the services of St. Paul, it is first of all necessary to note that he preached the Gospel to practically the whole world of his day.

1. The world, in St. Paul's time, was very much smaller than it is to-day. It comprised chiefly those lands that were under Roman rule the lands bordering on the Mediterranean. 2. What was Paul's commission as a world-missionary? See Acts

9:15.

3. It was Paul's practice, in spreading the Gospel, to go to the capital, or most important city, of each province of the Roman Empire, and from that center to labor in the surrounding region. What important city was the headquarters of his work in Syria? In the Roman province of Asia? In Macedonia? In Achaia?

4. Paul's work was done thoroughly:

(a) What does Luke say of his work in the province of Asia? Acts 19:20 and 26.

(b) Before Paul was taken to Rome he had preached the Gospel in all the lands of the Eastern Mediterranean: Romans 15:19 and 23.

(c) While a prisoner at Rome, he made converts in the household of Cæsar and in the Prætorian guard: Philippians 4:22 and 1:12-14 (R.V.).

(d) Paul's plan for the evangelizing of the world took in Spain: See Romans 15:24. Certain early Christian writers affirm that he preached and labored there: See page 170, section 2.

5. Yet Paul did not preach in all parts of the Roman Empire. There is no evidence in the New Testament to show that he visited Britain, Gaul, or Egypt. The Roman conquest of Britain did not really begin until 43 A.D., hence in Paul's time the Britons were still uncivilized; on the other hand, Gaul was being rapidly Romanized, and Egypt was a seat of culture. What reason does Paul give for not preaching in certain regions? See Romans 15:20.

LESSON THOUGHT: Paul, in his life-work, fulfilled literally the promise and prophecy made by Christ on Ascension Day: Acts 1:8.

STUDY XXIV.-Paul's Services to the World

SECOND DAY: PAUL THE INTERPRETER OF CHRISTIANITY The world of St. Paul's time was the Roman Empire. It was dominated, however, by the Greek language and by Greek habits of thought. Though the Romans had conquered Greece, yet Greek art, literature, and philosophy mastered the Romans. The Greek mind was quick, alert, eager, and questioning. To the world of his day, permeated with Greek thought, Paul interpreted the life, death, and teachings of Christ.

1. Alexander the Great, before his death, in 323 B.C., had conquered the world. He wished to make the world a Greek world, consequently he planted colonies throughout his vast empire, and encouraged the spread of the Greek language and culture. So thoroughly was the work done that even after his empire had passed into the hands of the Romans it kept its character as a Greek Empire; the Greek language became well-nigh a universal language.

2. The Greek philosophers had groped after God.

But with all

their wisdom they had failed to find Him. They were dissatisfied with paganism, and longed for a purer and better religion that should uplift and ennoble them.

3. While the world was waiting for a deliverer, Jesus was born in the obscure province of Judea. His public ministry lasted three years, 27-30 A.D. He was a Jew, and His teachings were given in that form which was most expressive to Jews. Who was to interpret His life, death, and resurrection to the Gentile world? Who was to explain the philosophy of the plan of salvation to a world well trained in argument, discussion, and debate?

4. How was Paul especially fitted by birth and training to preach to the Greek world?

5. What does Paul himself say of the Greek mind? I Cor. 1:22. 6. Paul taught that the Gospel was a higher form of knowledge than the philosophic wisdom of the Greeks: I Cor. 1:17-24. THOUGHT FOR TO-DAY: In preaching and writing to the Greek world, Paul was preaching and writing to us, for our methods of thought and point of view are essentially those of the Greeks. "We are all Greeks. Our law, our literature, our religion, our art, have their roots in Greece.”—Shelley.

STUDY XXIV.-Paul's Services to the World

THIRD DAY: PAUL'S SUCCESSFUL COMBAT WITH JUDAISM

In his work of spreading the Gospel about the Roman Empire, and in adapting its teachings to Greek methods of thought, Paul met his greatest opposition among the Jews. Moreover, the most dangerous opposition was not that of the unbelieving Jews, but that of the Jewish party within the Church, which tried to impose the Mosaic Law on all Gentile converts. That Christianity did not become a sect of Judaism is due to the vigorous work of St. Paul.

J. God chose the Jewish nation for training in religion; He revealed Himself to the patriarchs; He gave laws to Moses; and He spoke through the prophets. The religious teachers of the Jews added to the Laws of Moses (the Written Law) a mass of minute and intricate rules (the Oral Law), and imposed the whole on the Jewish people—“a yoke,” said Peter, “which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear."

2. The Judaizing party within the Church tried to force the Law upon the Gentiles: For two references, selected from many, see Acts 15:1 and Galatians 3:1-3.

3. What charges did this party bring against Paul? Acts 21:20 and 21.

4. What did Paul consider to have been the true work of the Law? Galatians 3:23-28.

5. In nearly every one of his Epistles, Paul touched on the question of the relation of the Gentiles to the Law. He was preeminently the apostle of the Gentiles and the champion of Gentile freedom. His arguments against the Judaizing party are most fully stated in Galatians and Romans.

6. Paul was beheaded in 65 A.D. In 70 A.D., Titus captured and destroyed Jerusalem. Judaism no longer had a center for the national worship, nor could it answer the keen arguments of Paul. The apostle had won, and had established the truth of the equality of all men in the eyes of the Gospel: "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all" (Col. 3:11).

STUDY XXIV.-Paul's Services to the World FOURTH DAY: PAUL THE ORGANIZER OF THE CHURCH

Before his death, Paul foresaw that the Christian Church was in need of thorough organization to do its great work in the world, and to withstand the troubles that would assail from within and without. His last letters are filled with directions for Church organization, government, and worship.

1. What were some of the evils that Paul foresaw? See I Tim.

4:1-3.

2. Read also 2 Tim. 3:1-7.

3. Church organization and government:

(a) Qualifications of a bishop, or overseer:

1 Tim. 3:1-7.

(b) The position and dignity of elders: 1 Tim. 5:17-19. Read also Titus 1:5-9, and note that in those early days bishop and elder were synonymous terms.

(c) Qualifications of a deacon: 1 Tim. 3:8-13.

4. Church worship:

(a) The use of psalms and hymns: Colossians 3:16.

(b) Prayer: 1 Tim. 2:1-3, 8.

(c) The Lord's Supper: 1 Cor. 11:23-34.

(d) Paul would have Church worship "edifying"; that is, it should build up those taking part. He would have all things

done "decently and in order.” See 1 Cor. 14:26 and 40. LESSON THOUGHT: Paul knew that there was much work to be done within the Christian Church-work requiring varied talents and endowments. Read Ephesians 4:11-13, and ask yourself what part you are willing to take in the "edifying of the body of Christ”; that is, in building up His Church.