Connecticut western news., 1876-06-16
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS.
By Rev. Mason Noble, Jr.
FOR JUNE 18TH. 1878,

FOR JUNE lSTH, lSIO.
 THE SEVEN CHOSFN-ACTS VI, 1-15.
 GOLDEN TEXT-TheV that have used the office of deacon well purchase to then selves a good degree and great boldness Ill the faith which is in Christ Jesus. Tim. iii, 13.
 Several things are necessary to the prop CT study of passage of Scripture, either $. $. lesson or any other passage which we wish to get the most good from that we can.
 1st. Pray over it. It is Gods word to us. We can get the sense or learn the story without prayer, but we cannot get wtat God means we should of it unless we ap- proach it Tn right spirit. Ask God to open and unfold It's spiritual meaning to you.
 2nd. Read it very carefully, taking in the sense as well as you can or better, memorize it. It is all well worth fasten- ing in the memory.
 3rd. Lock at the references. You will | find them in the margin of the page. do not know who made them, but they are very wisely chosen. They enable you to compare Scripture with Scripture. Follow them along, if nee .ssary, looking out the references on the references.
 4th. After you have done what you can by careful thinking, and study of the Word ltself. then and not till then get what ald you need from 'helps.' A good reference Bible is all that anybody abso- lutely needs besides this it is good to have (D concordance the Tract Society publishes good one for 75 cents (2l Bi- ble Dictionary, the larger the better, but a good one can be got cheap, the best are ex. pensive; (3) some commentary. which need not be large or expensive (41 use all the lesson papers, question books. explana- tIOns, etc., that you can obtain, for sug gest1ons and thoughts. If you have none have done the three things first recon mended, you are ready to ask questions o1 some one who can help you. Any one who can will be glad to answer question that shows you have been studying for your. self. Don't be afraid to ask, but don't ask for what you can find out for yourself.
 5th. When you have got at the sense of the passage. then with careful thought aud study try to apply the teaching to youl own heart and life. See what practical why God put that passage into your Bible what did he mean to teach you by itg Ii you are teacher, apply it ln the same way to each of your scholars, and study some illustrations to mako the teachings plain.
 9th. Let prayerful spirit run through all your work over the lesson. And don' be afraid of work. It is Gods word wltf which you are dealing. It is worth some trouble.
 Now to briefly apply these thoughts te the lesson before us.
 Pray over It.
 A careful reading of the chapter vii give us general understanding of thu story, but we will find several words ant expressions which we cannot understand
 The references tell us (verse 1 how th number of the disciples was multipled o other uses of tue word 'Greclans ; wha the daily minlstrations' were; l2l hoy
 Moses had met the same difficulty tha
 now confronted the apostles; l3l how he
 as they, suggesting remedy, left it to tn
 people to choose the men to carry 1t out
 the necessity of church officers being mel t'of good report etc., etc., verse by vers
 through the chapter. As every one ma. | have a reference Bible 1t IS not necesSar f here to cite more of these references There is no more profitable exercise tba this of finding how the Bible explains it 9 self.
 , Still there remain some things unex plained more lu this lesson than in an other we have had this year. AS all ma ! not have the helps needed, an attempt A made here to supply this lack. u Wh a were the 'Greclans P They were nc V Greeks, John xii, 2O,Acts XIV, 1, but Jew : born and brought up among the Greek l. some of whom had returned to JerusaleI = and had become Christians, They weI
 probably few in number compared to th 0 Hebrews or Jews that were born In Pa V estine. t2l To what office were the seye ; chosen The Golden Text tells. Tt l. word deacon does not occur in this chal e ter, but commentary will tell you that l ,r the first and third verses we would read ~ a literal translation because their widow g were neglected in the daily deaconinl a It is not reason that we should leave u
 word of God and deacon tables! l3l ! y which party did the seven belongf W Q, cannot say ertainly. One (Nlcholasl W; s not a Jew by birth. The names of all se' 'l en are Greek names But some Jews, le this time. bore Greek names. Ten of u f twelve apostles had Hebrew names. It 't certain that some. probably that all, we r. of the party that murmured. IA Pros n lyte' means convert. The idea IS th Nicholas was converted first from heathe IS ism to Judaism, and afterward became ,e Christian. J 'Libertlnes' means free
 mem but It IS probably the name of o- place, like the rest of the names of plac SC like the rest of the names in verse g.
 'SuOorn,' in verse Il. means to procure Ae improper means. Other peculiar words, VI i been explained in former lessons. " And now what practical applications c; t. we make of this lessons What good i r struction does the Lord mean we shou - get from it. Here are some thoug hts-ot le CTS may strike you.
 a. Be careful that none suffer throus
 your unintentlonal neglect.
 b. We may expect to see difficulties ari r. even between good men,
 fe c. Favors and charities must be Ye as carefully distributed.
 '' d. Even the inspired apostles needed Co live lives of prayer-hoW much more we.
 C. There are different sorts of work to
 done for Christ and Ills church. n- f. It is not offce (Stephen was ordain in only to serve tables.) but faith and pow tv with God that IS needful for usefulness. ln g. As our day so shall our strength n- God will give grace for service or for su
 fering, as His servants need It,