Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-10-28
GOSPEL AT ANTIOCH.
rs. On V, FOURTH QUARTER, nj
1-3hn7lC%AL SERIES, OCT. so.

81 IN V, FOURTH QUAR- TER, III"
1-3ha7lo%4L SERIES, OCT. so.
Text of the Lesson, Acts XII 10-3O-Mem-
DRY Verses, 21-24-Golden Text, Acts
xi, e1-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
49, They which were scattered abroad
travelled preaching the Word to none but
unto the Jews only" Xhis takes us back to
chapter viii, IA, where we learn that all ex-
cept the apostles were scattered abroad by
persecution and went everywhere preach
ing the Word; but they had not learned
that every creature" Mark xvi 49, meant
Gentiles us we'll as Jews. They went under
the orders of Math. X, 3, g, rather than the
later orders, not understanding that the
kingdom being postponed the Gospel is
now for all, that out of Jews and the Gen
tiles the new man, the body or church.
may be formed
90 And some of them spake unto the
Grecians preaching the Lord Jesus"
This was at Antioch, in Syria. Grecians
are mentioned again in chapters vi, 1: tx,
90 and are said by Young to include all
Jews born out of Canaan. The preaching
in these days was wholly concerning the
Lord Jesus; there was no lecturing by the
preachers upon the topics of the day.
81. "And the hand of the Lord was with
them, and a great number believed and
turned to the Lord" Ezra learned even
in his day that THE hand of our God is
upon all them for good that seek Him, but
His power and His wrath is against all
them that forsake him. Ezra viii, 22). See
the latter clause illustrated in Acts xiii, H.
AS to the good hand, or the hand for good,
remember the words of Jesus, without
me We can do nothing" and be strength.
eDed by Tsa. XII, 49,
90. "They sent forth Barnabas, that he
should 90 as far as Antioch" Tidngs Of
the work of the Spirit at Antioch having
reached Jerusalem, this son of consola-
ton, who had given himself wholly to the
! Lord (Acts iv, SO, 80, is sent forth to
strengthen and comfort them. Barnabas
had left all for Jesus, had put himself and
! his property, too, in the Lords hands for
His service.
%. "Who when he came, and had seen
the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted
them all that with purpose of heart they
would cleave unto the Lord" No sinner
deserves to be saved if we had our just de
serts we would all be sent into the outer
q
grace or undeserved favor of God brought
Jesus to Calvary in our stead, and every
sinner saved is a manifestation of the
grace of God. Being saved by His grace
Our lifelong business is to cleave unto Him
as Ruth to Naomi or as lttai to David
| truth i, l6, II; II Sam. XIV, 2D. We are
not to follow people nor cleave unto them,
but laying aside every weight and beset-
ting sin, run with patience, looking unto
Jesus (Heb. xii, |, p.
"a. For he was a good man and full of
the Holy Ghost and of faith; and much
people was added unto the Lord" Such
another man was Stephen (Acts vi, 81, the
light of whose life was so bright that the
self righteous hated him unto death.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit
God will be seen in us Gal. i, "a and peo-
pie will be drawn to Him. Not all will be
drawn in this aye of election; whosoever
will may come, and all whom God has
given to Christ will come John ill., l6: vi
81.
25. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus
for to seek Saul" A glance at the map
will show Tarsus to be across the bay from
Antioch, perhaps fifty miles distant. When
Saul first came to Jerusalem after his con
version, and the disciples were all afraid of
him, it was Barnabas that took him and
testified on his behalf and gave the others
confidence in him, after which Saul re-
turned to Tarsus (Acts tx, 26-30). 1t was
but natural that now Barnabas, being so
near to him. should seek him out as fel
low laborer
26 And when he had found him he
brought him unto Antioch" The three
points in this verse are the return to An
toch, the years work there and the name
"Christian" first used. We are not told
of a special work of he Spirit at Tarsus,
and yet we cannot think of Saul being idle
there, THE wind bloweth where it listeth "
Believers are at first only babes in Christ,
and need to be instructed and built up;
this the brethren did during their year at
Antioch, and no doubt many more were
added to the Lord The name of Christ
became so prominent in these days (for it
was PauPs manner to prove from the
Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ tx,
22) that the believers were called Chris
tians. See the name elsewhere only in
Acts XVI, rs; Pet. iv, 16
a. And in these days came prophets
from Jerusalem unto Antioch" A prophet
is one who speaks for God, who represents
God before the people, carrying a message
for God. "The prophet that hath dream
let him tell dream, and he that hath
my word let him speak my word faith
fully" Then spake Haggai, the Lords
messenger, in the Lords message unto the
people, saying, am with you. saith the
Lord der. xiii, 2S; Hag. i, l3). You are
His prophet if you bear a message from
Him.
rs. And there stood up one of them
named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit
that there should be great dearth through
, out all the world, which came to pass il
the days of Claudius Caesar" Whatever
the Spirit says will surely come to pass, fol-
''The council of TIE Lord standeth forever
the thoughts of His heart to all genera
tons" 1.-THE Lord of Hosts hath sworn
saying, Surely as have thought, so shall
, it come to pass; and as have purposed 81
shall it stand" Cps. xxxiii, II; lisa, xiv, "a
Jesus had said that this whole age till II,
come again would be characterized by war
famine, pestilence, etc, but that his peopl,