16
Tell It to the World! ... continued ~
members going out and seeking their audi-
ence. They can persuade others to come along
and listen. The personal factor is a great one.
Jesus and the disciples used it in their day.
They had many a private conversation, and
apparently they concentrated upon many
people as individuals. At work, or in conversa-
tion, people can be asked to go along and
listen to a good speaker and his message. Even
in this seemingly apathetic age there are still
people who can be influenced to think upon
divine things. A few minutes here and there
during the day might work wonders. If
brethren and sisters would
try the personal factor more
than is done, it would prob-
ably yield better results.
Let us remember the
illustration of “one-get-one”
campaign. It is this. If ten
people could persuade another ten in one
year, how much would this amount to, in the
same ratio year by year, at the end of 12
years? The answer is startling, for it is 20,480.
All that is necessary is that one person should
gain another one each year. It is obvious from
our small numbers that many have not gained
even one for a long time.
Surely, on review, it must be agreed that we
need to put into this great work much more
effort than we have in the past, if we hope to
interest people. We need to overhaul our
methods, make each member of the meeting
an ambassador and an advertising agent for
the Lord Jesus. All should be conscious of this
high office to which they have been called.
There is more need for addresses on the
coming of the Lord, more need for warning the
people around of the judgements that are
near, and the mighty changes that will shortly
take place on earth, and their effect upon
people generally. The Hope of Israel
commenced with a promise to Abraham and an
assurance of the ultimate peace of the world
through this promise. There-
fore it is a sure message for a
chaotic world and we need to
present it as if it were the
only thing in the world; we
need to stress it, tell it every-
where and on all occasions.
We need, too, friendly meetings, where the
stranger is made to feel welcome. We need
interesting speakers who have studied the
subject beforehand, and, lastly, we need effi-
cient publicity. These are stirring times. Never
was the Gospel of the Kingdom charged with
such mighty possibilities which are so near. If
these remarks have stirred any to think upon
the possibility of improving our presentation
of the Gospel, then this article will have
fulfilled its mission, to tell the world.
These are stirring times.
Never was the Gospel of
the Kingdom charged with
such mighty possibilities
which are so near.
The World of the Apostle Paul
L
iving as he did in a world which was, in
political outlook, Roman, but in social life
was imbued with Greek customs, the Apostle
Paul makes frequent allusion to contemporary
conditions with which we are totally unfa-
miliar. It will be profitable therefore briefly to
consider some aspects of the life of the
ancient world which so constantly appears as
the background of his Epistles.
Such allusions may be classified under the four
main topics to which they have reference –
athletics and the theatre; philosophy and reli-
gion; political organisation and military
matters. To the first of these Paul makes refer-
ence in 1 Corinthians, where, speaking of his
sufferings for the sake of the Gospel, he intro-
duces the subject of the theatre by way of
illustration:-
“For I think that God hath set forth us the
apostles last, as it were appointed to death,
for we are made a spectacle (marg., a
theatre) unto the world, and to angels and to
men” (1 Cor. 4:9).
Now, the theatre ‘shows’ included gladiatorial
combats which always came last in the