The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-01
THE SUNDAY.SCH0OL.

International Lessons-By Henry M. Grout.
ID. D.-February I.-PauI at Jerusalem.
Acts 21:15-26.
GOLDEN TExI.-And when they heard il ttey
glorihed the Lord.-Acts y 20.
l. The mingled trust and caution with
which he entered the city 10, 16). After
those days Va took up our carriages" etc.
Carriages here is used in the old English
sense Of baggage or things carried; and must
have included the aims the Apostle was
bringing for the needy Jewish saints. Peril
is before him. and yet there is no show OF
excitement or disorder. He sets forth as If
al were to be we'll. Nothing is left behind.
And yet the Cesarean disciples may have
attened him as 8 sort of guard. Certainly
there is an appearance OF caution in the pre-
arrangement that he should lodge" with
Mnas0n, not 8 Jewish but Gentle Chrit.
tan; who was also an ''old." that is, early
and so well.tried disciple. Ia his house he
would have friendly surroundings All
this was Ike Paul; trustful and yet never
rash; keeping in The path of duty, and YET
taking care not to throw life away.
| The glad confidence with which he was
| welcomed by the brethren and leaders OF the
church (l1-19) The brethren received him
gladly. These perhaps we're friends Of his
| Cesarean COMPANIONS. in waiting at Mnseon's
house 70 receive the expected guests. But
| there Is also every indication that the more
formal meeting the next day with James
and the other elders of the church was a 20.
1 gether cordial. james, the brother of the
Lord, the Just, author OF the Epistie of
James and chief elder Or pastor at Jerusalem,
was one of those Jewish Christians who still
| observed the customs of the law, and yet was
/ IN sympathy with PauFs work among the
Gentiles. The salutations exchanged (l0l as
| the companies met-no doubt including the
kiss of peace tIsom. expressed the
natural feeling OF true brotherhood. How
| comforting must all this have been to the
! Apostles heart He had looked for bonds
and imprisonments, but, so tar he had found
! sympathy and love. the strongest Christi
desires the support OF human sympathy.
He needs it. His religion has not dead
| ened but ouickened his sensibilities 30 we
take pains enough to demonstrate our graft
| tude and affection Tor those who in toll an
disbursement serve the cause We lover
! 3. The impression made by the re port OF
the work done among the Gentiles (l9, 20)
They gosifed the Lord, " or God as in the
| Revised Version. Ii is remarkable that
nothing Is said of the aims brought, and no
doubt now presented by the Apostle. 1t is
only said that Paul declare. what "God had
| wrought by his ministry. and that those
| who neaId 'glorified God'' for what had
L
Two interesting things here come to view
| "a We see what was upperm0st in those
| Christian hearts; not private Interests not
| gifts received, but the great work being done
| for Christ (bl Then we see that both Paul
>aDd his hearers ascribed all the glorious re-
| suits to divine agency. God ever gives the
| increase. And yet all was done by human
ministry And so Paul must plant and
| Apollos water: and is the earnest, wise pa
| tient. suffering ministry which is most as
most surely, blest.
4. The bitterness and unfairness of re.
| ligious prejudice 60 2D-"Thou seest,
| brother" etc. The more interested james
| and the elders were in Paul and his work
| the more SOLICITORS they were for his safety.
| And they saw that he wsS in peril. There
| were already thousands of Jewish converts
| in the various places reached by the gospel
| many OF whom were now in Jerusalem 10
attend the feast. And they were all zsai ous
| OF the law" They could not yet see that
Christ was the end of the law" whole
Savior. Still they fapeied that salvation
was in part to be earned by legal observan-
ces. They were right In supposing that this
was not Pauls teaching. Paups teaching
was that salvation is all OF grace; and in no
part by the observance OF legal rites. Bot he
bad never sought to draw Jews, or Jewish
converts. away from their cherished Gus.
toms. They might continue in all these,
provided they did not rest in them for sal.
WALTON. But so Jealous for the law were
these Jewish Christians that they lent
willing ear to false reports, and were ready
to crush, by violence il necessary, any one
not in agreement with themselves. Are We
in no peril OF like spirit? Just because
religion is the dearest and most important
OF All interests, We are in special danger OF
want OF charity toward those who do not
think OF 1t as We do. Never is 1t fair to lis
ten to slanderers of others; never is it Chris
tain to be litter toward those from whom
me feel compelled to differ.
D. What is taught respecting the proprietv
and bounds Of Christian prudence I'D 26l -
Perceiving the Apostles danger, james and
the elders proceeded to give their advice.
The substance OF it was that Paul should
show his respect for the law by taking part
IN one OF its observances. He should join
himself with certain Jewish Christians iust
then engaged in fulfilling Nazarite vow,
and. as was often dons for poorer brethren,
defray the expense Of their offerings. Every
body would then see that he did not thinkit
wrong for Jewish convert TO keep the law.
l2o) that they did not themselves regard the
law q essential to salvation, and to be i'm
posed upon Gentiles.
Paul accepted the advice given him. Did
ne do rightp Some think he went too far,
and was not consistent with his own teach
ing. But most Bible students find in his |
conduct only proper spirit of cancellation,
such a. be had alwas been ready to show
What he did was in itself right. More
over those Jewish Christians were weak in
faith and children in knowledge. Needlessly |
70 snock their pre- udices might cause them |
20 make shipwreck Of the little faith they |
be misht hold them 10 Christ This was his |
ordinary ofTDfo tha Ta~u 4