February 1926
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
68
The reluctance that Paul showed toward the work in Athens is inferable first, from the peculiar statement made about how he got there, The 16th verse of the 17th chap ter says, “ And they that conducted Paul brought him to Athens.” There Is no such statement anywhere else in Paul’s Journeys. He seems to be passive with no Spirit- guidance; whereas, when he went to Corinth he went on his two feet with no over-lording conduct. Again he seemed, as the record says, to be merely waiting at Athens until stirred by the idolatry of the city. This does not look like the aggressiveness of the Apostle, which was elsewhere so apparent and even at Corinth set him to looking for a man. Who can wonder at this reluctance of Paul at the great seat of learning?. He knew that, to the Greeks, what he brought would be foolishness, even though it was the very power of God. No man, no matter what the degree of his conservatism, enjoys being rated as a fool or as a pedler of foolishness, nor can there be any doubt that Paul knew what kind of.a reception he would get at Athens,— so he waited there until the number of idols in the city so oppressed him that he was obliged to get to work with his testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. At Athens then, he found idols, but what at CoAinth? Why, he Just found a man, a kindred spirit,— an ¡enlightened Jew,— a tent maker, a point of contact with the sinful people of the city. All Things to All Men His first move when he arrived at each of the places, is worthy of comment. He waited at Athens. He was a gentleman and a scholar and he 'had come among scholars and he did as they did, day in and day out. But in Corinth he went to work with his hands. He knew what would attract the low-down mission crowd of that vice corrupted city. He would not be beholden to any one there so he went to tent making and supported himself and preaphed the Gospel as he had opportunity. Had he done a stroke of such work in Athens it would have wrecked the small chance of Influence which he had. Nay, but he must be a gentle man of leisure to win the respect of the Culture Club, while to put himself on a level with the lowliest and the poorest he made tents at Corinth. How wise the Spirit made him in each place! But what a heaven-wide difference between his audience in the two places. At thp Mission they actually wanted a Saviour, while the Culture Club only wanted a new idea. And is it so now? Our churches, are they not often in search of new ideas while the little mission In the slums is revelling in the presence of a Saviour which 1s Christ the Lord? Salvation isn’t popular among thè cultured, but it is the source of hilarious joy and daily triumph In the mis sion. It transformed many vile people of Corinth into pure and rejoicing saints. Revival and Riots Oh yes, there was opposition and blasphemy at Corinth. Satan couldn't permit any such glorious revival to progress without making protest and so he got the Jews to blasphem ing. But how about Athens? Why, there wasn’t enough life pulsation among the Culture Club to stir up anything which mildly looked like opposition, to say nothing about blasphemy. There was some ridicule, but the deadliest attitude that could be taken by any' man they assumed there in Athens,— “ We will hear thee again of this matter.” That was Paul’s despair. They never did hear him again, for like Jesus Himself, Paul would not add to their condemnation when once they had definitely and indifferently waved aside their only hope of enlightenment. It is clear that God can handle opposition and blasphemy better than He can indif- (Continued on page 107)
manner of men they were when Paul came among them. Said he, In the 6th chapter of hie first letter, ‘ ‘Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not Inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor adul terers nor effeminate,- nor abusers of themselves with man kind,__Nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revllers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, And suck were some of you.” There you have it, as vile a catalogue as is contained aAywhere in the Word of God,— a regular mission crowd, not a single member of the Culture Club among them, every man knowing full well that he needed to be saved from sin—while at Athens they had all come of their own efforts to a place where they were con scious of no kin, and indeed felt competent to analyze any thing that claimed to be a solvent for man’s ills. What a difference,— what a contrast,— and how universal is that contrast at this very moment, with the result that Corinth and its Rescue Mission finds peace while Athens and its restless culture goes on looking for some new thing. “ Loss for Christ" But perhaps we have been slow in coming to the point we had in view when we started. We want to know how Paul acted In these vastly different conditions. First, we must remember that Paul, himself, as Saul, was a rather prominent member of the Culture Club, not of Athens, but of Tarshs and of Jerusqjem,— a Roman citizen, a man learned in the lore of the Greeks and taught at the feet of Gamaliel in all the Intricacies of Jewish law and tradition. Oh yes, Paul was a cul- turlst, and one who took pride in all his lineage and attain ments, and it led him to idolatry,— and murder. Nor was he usable by God until he had resigned As a member of the Culture Club,— until drawn by the glorious vision of a crucified and risen Lord, he counted all that was gain to him as loss,— until he had put on the dunghill one fthing after another of those things he had acquired,-—true things too, and. good things no doubt, but all refuse when compared with that inestimable privilege of winning Christ. Now, it must not be understood for a minute that Paul’s natural and acquired equipment stayed on the dunghill. All God wants of a man is to recognize his relative uselessness as compared with Christ Himself. Why, Paul was Using some of these very abilities and enablements in his dealings with the Culture Club and the Rescue Mission. But the point is, that now they are Christ’s advantages, not Paul’s; now it is Christ who is using them, not the apostle, so let no man who has been an opinionated member of the Culture Club despair because he has so much true education or culture that God won’t use him. Rather, let the vision of the Crucified so enthrall him that he will always do what Paul did, and the miracle working Christ will transform the comparative refuseMnto splendid build ing material.- And yet, I say, dangerous is the position of the man, or group of men, who, without Christ delight in their membership in the Culture Club. Paul’s Reluctance to Preach to the Culture Club But Paul resigned,— he quit,— he lost friends in order to gain the Friend, and that is why Paul seemed to be a little reluctant to go down to the headquarters of the Culture Club. He knew what Jt was to glory in himself and in his attainments,—-he knew how stubborn a cultured man is apt to become,— he kicked against the pricks for a long time, and it took a tremendous vision to shake him loose from his well assured self. He knew too, what strength there was in numbers and how hard it would be to make head way against a city full of philosophers.
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