The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-06-29
TaG SUNDAY SCHCC-
Tho Ascension of Christ--Ac,s i;i-t3
July 3, ISDy.


GoLpgS TEXT When He had spoken taCse
things. while they bcheld, He was taken up, and
a cloud received Him out OF their sight Acts
10
TiNE.-The Ascension was Thursday, Nay IS.
A. d 30
PLAcE.-Mount Olivct (Acts i;i2l. within the
limits of Bethany Luke 24:50l
PARALLEL ACCoUNTs.-MGtt 2S;lG-a1 siark
i0:92J. Luke ai;3G-5S: John 2I;l-.a
THE BOOK or AcTs.-i. The author was
Luke, who wrote the third Gospel The
date OF writing Not far from A. ID e. for tie
narrative breaks OF abruptly at the end OF
Pauls two years residence at Rome This first
imprisonmontl Why is thisf Evidently he
cause there is no more TO tell at the time The
writer continues his history up 10 the date OF
his writing and stops there. II he had bccn
writing after the death of Paul he would ecr
tainly have told us OF the circumstances Of his
death. There is no rational explanation Ct this
abrupt ending except that the book was writ
ten about the time when the story closes This
was certainly about A. D. 63-Wushirgton
GLADDEN., ID. d. 8 The place OF writing was
Rome, as is generally agreed among critics 4
The title should be Acts of Apostles The
book is not the Acts of the Apostles, but merely
some Acts of certain Apostles "-Cambrldge
Bible
LESSON HELPS.
/. THE former treatise:" The Gospel
of Luke. 30 Theophilus:" The same
person to whom the Gospel of Lplc is
addressed. "Of (concerningl all that
Jesus began both to do and teach" The
former treatise related what Jesus be-
gan to do and to teach; and this relates
what He, the same Jesus, continued to
| do and to teach.
2. Until the day in which He we
taken up" With which the Gospel [ .
Luke ends. Had given commandments
unto the apostles" At various times
| during these forty days Jesus appeared
to His disciples, and instructed them in
their work of founding the church (ver.
81, as recorded in the Gospels, and in
this chapter. ITO whom also He showed
Himself" Not merely appeared" but
showed Himself, made Himself appear.
"Alive:" The same Jesus who was cruel.
fed, but now alive on the earth, as He
was before His crucifxion. after His
passion" His sufferings and death on
the cross. by many (emphaticl in
fallible proofs" Being seen of them
forty days" Not continuously, but al
intervals, on ten or eleven different oc-
casions, at various times and places
Speaking of the things pertaining tc
the kingdom of God"
4. And being assembled together
with them" Either the conference ap
pointed by Christ to be held in Galilee
or an assembly in Jerusalem on the day
of Ascension, whence Jesus led then
out as far as Bethany. But wait TO
the promise of the Father" The Holy
Spirit promised by Joel (2:2s, 20), b,
Isaiah (44:3) and through Jesus Him
self. (Which We have heard o
me-" The allusion is to the promise
made by our Lord in His last discourse
before He suffered.
5. "For john" The Baptist, the fore
runner of Christ. ''Truly baptized wit
water" The symbol and the type. "Y
shall be baptized with Tor in) the Hol
Ghost" AS the element in which tn
baptism is performed. mot many day
hence" Only about ten days.
9. when they therefore W ere com
together" On subsequent occasion
"They asked of him, saying, Lord, viii
Thou (Rev. Yer. dost thou) at this tim
restore again the kingdom to Israel?
AS promised again and again in tn
Scriptures. They probably imagine
that the world would be converted t
Judaism, and that Jerusalem, the bol
city, would be the resort of all nation.
the center of light and power and al
thority for the world.
Z. "And He said unto them" TIL
Lords reply in the seventh and eight
verses tacitly sanctions their eXpectatio
of great restoration. at is not fc
you to know the times or the seasons
Not "thc times or seasons of this or
case merely, but "times or seasons
generally. (Which the Father hat
put in His own power" Set within Ii
! own authority.
s. But We shall receive power
Jesus does not satisfy useless curiosity
but gives us what is far better "Afte
tbdI Vic loiy olioSt 10 NohiN' l.
power of the church is in the Hol
Ghost. Eye shall be witnesses unit
Me-" The words, which are apparent
identical with those of Luke 24:4'
strike the scy note of the whole bool
, 1.-THE uttermost part of the earth" b
uttermost both time and space are il
,, cluded: to the remotest corners of tn
earth, to the remotest period of time.
o. "While they beheld:" That the
might have as clear proof of His ascei
sion to assure them that there was n
deception. "a cloud received Him OF
of their sight," The cloud was, be
: lieve, the Shechinah of the Old Test
ment, the symbol of the Divine prcsenc
and glory.
TO- "And while they looked stead
. fastly:" Gazing with great eagernes'
and longing to understand what
meant. "Behold:" Implying sudder
ness, 1.-TWO men," Angels in the forl
I of men. ''In white apparel" n
t loubt like the angel in Matt. 2S:3.
II. "Why stand we gazing up?" NJ
without some hope, perhaps, that Il
might reappear. This same Jesus
Jesus in Heaven is the same as He W;
on earth, the same in His Divine natur
I all-powerful to save. "Shall so come
! like manner as We have seen Him go
1 Not merely, as surely as He has depar
9 ed. SO surely will He return. but, in Il
: manner in which He has departed I
] will return.
| 10. "Then returned they unto Jer
1 SALEM" To wait and pray for the fu
fillment of the promise of the Fathe
"a Sabbath days journey" Accordir