The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-15
THE SUNDAY.SCHOOL.

International Lessons-By Henry n. Or 1ut.
ID. D.-February Il acts ee:iei
EXPLANATORY AND PRACTICAL NOTES.
Verse 1. Men, brethren aud fathers. This
was the usual form in opening an address
among the Jews; aud 1t shows the com plete
self.pessession of the apostle in that trying
moment. Hear ye my defense The best
evidence of the Christian religion is that OF
Christian experience.
2. When they heard. The accents of the
holy tongue fell like music on their ears.
and they were the more disposed to listen
when they found. al lost to their surprise,
that the man they hated was Jew like them
selves.
8. / am verify. The revised version has
81 am Jew" which is more exact. This
statement would also tend to sllsy the pref
udices of his hearers. Brought up. The
word means nourished, or nursed bat here
refers to mental education or schooling. Ia
this city. In this holy city, which was &C.
counted special privilege At the feet.
The pupils in Jewish school sat on the
floor around the fact OF their instructor.
Gsmaliel. The Rabban G smaliel, Who died
only few years before, was considered the
greatest Of ell the expoundsrs of the law
His instructions were guarantee of ortho-
doxy.
4. prosecuted. See the account in Acts
STA. This way. While as yet Christianity
had no definite name twas currently spoken
of as 1.-The Way" Binding and delivering.
The chains now around the apostle, for the
first time in his history, forcibly reminded
him OF the letters which his own hand had
fastened in other days upon innocent disci-
PIES.
5. The high-priest. The high.priast CT
that 6ay was Ansnias, bnt Paul probably re-
fers to Theophilus, who was In Office a, the
time of the early persecution, was still liv
ing and may have been prass.-t Estate of
The elders. The Sanhsdrin or jewish conn
Gil, many of whom were still In office,
though twenty years had passed.
6. Made my journey Requiring about a
week, as it was over 1870 miles. Nigh unto
Damascus The traditional place of this
event is shown, in sight of the city.
:. FELL Overcome By the sudden mani.
iestaton of the divin glory, and the terrible
consciousness of his own guilt Heard a
voice. That this was real voice is shown
by the fact that it spoke in the hewbrew
tongue, and that Saul companions heard
the sound, but not the words, for the mes
sage was to him alone. Acts 8. Z; 26 IA
Saul, Saul. Gods call is always individual,
to each man, and not to men in general
=. Who art tnoQ. Lord. At that hour ii
was the voice of a stranger, but from that
hour the voice of a friend. | an jesus of
Nazareth. Our Lord in heaven does D OF call
himselt the Son of God but is known by his
earthly name and remembers his earthly
home. Does this give us a hint OF our knowl-
edge and recollection of the earthly state
hereafter.
8 They that were with me In the &C.
count OF this event in Acts 9 T.. there is an
apparent discrepancy with this statement,
which, however, is easily explained. They
heard sound and saw a sudden fash but
could distinguish neither the word nor the
form.
10. What shall do. Saul was by nature
prompt to resolve and set. and never was a
better resolution taken tba1 this.
IL. | could not see. Saul alone YVES
blinded, because he alone had felt the sud
den shock of divine power upon the weak
hun an frame. Our earthly bodies are but
i'll sdspted to endure heavenly glories.
IL. One Ansnias 1t was by lowly bat
cody man that the blinded seeker was led
to hight
Having a good report. We see here, and
from the account in Acts 8, what the char
scter OF worker tor Christ should be. IL
Upright; (2.) OF good reputation; g Living
in fellowship with the Spirit; "A Quick TO
obey The call to dcty.
Is Brother Saul sHe saw 1.-The brother
even in the man who had been bitter en-
NY. Receive thy sight.
il The Lord God of our fathers. Another
appeal to Jewish thoueht, which would tend
to hold the sYmpathies OF his hearers. Hath
chosen thee. Hath appointed" 1t means
that God bad previously appointed Paul for
His great work; an appointment, however,
which required the free acceptance OF Psurs
will to render ii compete. See that ] ust
One. From this. and from other expressions.
We msy infer that Saul actually saw as well
Is heard Jesus.
Is. His witness. The twelve had been
called to become witnesses of Jesus Acts
l. s. and now this recent persecution is &C.
credited to "A place among them. Unto Il /
men. Jews and Gentiles alike, though Paul
,killfuly avoids naming The latter for the
present. We can understand his reason,
when we see the tumuit excited by the men
ton of "Gentiles' soon after Verse 81, %
Seen and heard. In those two words lie the
power of Christian experience a I'D Christian
testimony. (l2) Let every believer in Christ
bf ar witness TO all men of what he has seen
and heard. and the world will be speedily
converted.
10. Why tarriest thou? Now that his
sins were forgiven, and his call was revealed,
there was no reason for delsy. Every con-
verted person should unite with the Church
az soon as possible. Be baptized As the
outward token of union with the body of
believers. Wash away thy sins. Not that
sins are washed away by baptism, but by
the acceptance of Gods grace, of which b. p
tism is the outward token.
II. 1t came to pass la bis rapid recital
of personal experience. Paul here passes over
az interval OF three years Come again to
Jerusalem This is the visit referred to In
Acts 3. 20 80 though this event is not there
related.
Is Saw him. Another manifestation of
Christ No need now for Sa ii to ask, who
art thou, Lerd2' Get thee quickly out he
bad not willingly left the city or the tenn
pie but only in obedience to a,perem ptory
command to enter upon other work.
~, % Lord. they know. Paul thought
that his former opposition to the Gospel
would make him ali the more powerful in
it's behalf. or he may have wished to undo
the evil he had wrought among the Jews.
81 Depart The command is reitera led.
For hence. He was yet 10 wait in quiet
years before The way should be opened for
this distant mission. To the Gentiles. Step
by step he has led his hearers up to this
word, but when it breaks upon them they
T. A.