YOUTH WORKERS’ INSTITUTE

Evening Star, Issue 18717, 20 August 1924, Page 3

YOUTH WORKERS’ INSTITUTE

The third meeting of the Youth Workers’ Institute was held in Stuart Hall on Monday night, when Dr Merrington spoke on the ‘ Characteristics of Luke's Gospel.’ The lecturer pointed out how each of our four Gospels had certain characteristics of its own, Luke, writing as a Greek, to tho Greeks, and setting forth Jesus not merely as tho Messiah of tho Jews, but as the universal Saviour and Healer of tho needy and outcast. As an historian he reached tho highest order, possessing the true historical genius of selecting crises, giving the significant touches, and keeping in mind tho aim he had in writing. His stylo as a writer was compressed to tlio highest degree, and, while there was nothing authenic to support the tradition that Luke was a painter as well as a physician, yet his writings showed clearly he was a literary artist and a keen observer, often linking up his parables with incidents, and finishing with psychological comments. Various Scripture passages were read in illustrating these points. Turning to Luke’s conversations, or ‘Table Talks,’ these were interesting, ami showed keen insight abounding in manv vivid and telling touches. As was natural to a physician, his work abounds in rneuical words and phrases, while he avoids tho use of Hebrew terms and phrases, as his Greek readers would not understand these. He delighted in contrasts, as is shown in the story of Dives and Lazarus, Pharisee and Publican, etc. The greatdebt the Christian world owes to Luke for his two writings brought this interesting and informative lecture to a close, the spiritual and moral characteristics forming the topic for the final address. In tho young women’s section, Miss Ramsay, M.A., dealt very ably and fully with a typical Bible class meeting, and how to successfully cany it out, many valuable and practical suggestions being given. Mr Victor French continued his helpful talks to men and boys, taking as iiis subject ‘Boys and Men and God.’ and giving many telling and arresting facts.