The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-11-09
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
NOVEMBER 13.
Lesson Text: "Thc First Christian
Missionaries" Acts xiii, 1-1S-
Golden Text: Acts wilt, s
commentary.

l. NOW .Cnere were In the churCh tina
was at Antioch certain prophets and teach
whole year at Antioch teaching much peo
pie, were afterward sent to Jerusalem with
the offering for the needy brethren ofiJudea
fehaptef xi., 1880. In due time they re
turned, having fulfilled their mission, and
brought with John Mark, son Of Mary, Bar
nabaSs sister, at whose house the PRAYER
meeting had been held on behalf OF Peter
Chapter xii., IL, 25; Col. w., 10.
2. "As they ministerei tn the Lord and
tasted the Holy Ghost said. Separate me.
Barnabas and Saul, for the work whore un.
to I have called them" To stand before
God and serve Him and minister unto Him,
Ill Chron. XIX, III should be the attitude
and daily life Of every Christian, the most
ordinary work Of the daily routine being
done to His glory q Cor. <, 3p. TASTED
implies at least more thought given to the
welfare OF the soul than to that Of the body.
Barnabas and Saul had been diligently
serving the Lord and living this consecrated
life, but the Holy Spirit has a special work
for them to which BE now calls them (Eph.
H.. 10).
8. And when they had tasted and
prayed and laid their hands on them they
sent them away The indulgence of the
body In eating and drinking is not consist
emit with holy Life. That which is sufficient
for health God will bless, but tho health of
the soul, communion with God, delighting
in the will OF God and ready to do it. desire
above all things to be filed with His Spirit
for His service-this will bring power from
on high and make us channels whereby God
may reveal Himself to men.
4. 80 they, being sent forth by the Holy
Ghost, departed unto Selencia. and from
thence they sailed to Cyprus" They are
right In going forth on this tour, for they
are sent BY the Spirit OF God, and He cannot
do wrong, but how they knew that they
were to 60 to Selencia, the seaport Of An
tioch. and thence to Cyprus is not clear to
US. To begin at home, or with those dear
est to US, seems to be Scriptural principle
luke viii, SO; xiv, A..
5. sAnd when they were at Salauis they
preached the.word Of God In the synagogue
Of the Jews and they bad also John TO be
their minister" Saiamis was the eastern or
nearest part Of Cyprus to Selencia, while
Paphos Of the next verse was at the extreme
west of the island. ITO the Jew first'' was
the regular custom Of the apostles wherever
they went from. j., IS: Acts ILL.,, 90; xiii,
49,. The preaching was never q sermon or
essay to show their own skill, but always an
exposition OF the Word of God.
g. -'And when they had gone through tho
isle unto Paphos they found g certain
sorcerer, false prophet, Jew, whose name
was Bar.jesus." We do not read of any
success, any results Of their preaching at
Salamis, but we know they must have given
faithful testimony, and as brother In the
ministry once said to me, "Faithfulness Is
success five are faithful God will see to
the results. Consider Luke xiii, AZ: xix, II;
RAv. H., TO-. We do not read of any fol-
lowers OF Jesus on the whole island, but we
do find false prophet.
{. Which was with the deputy Ct the
country, SergiuS Paulus, prudent man;
who called for Barnabas aud Saul, and de-
sired to hear the word Of God" The false
prophet had made friends in high places,
and satan was no doubt well pleased with
many false prophets who have had much
success, and there will be many more.
8. 'tBut Elymas, the sorcerer, withstood
them, seeking to turn away the deputy
from the faith" There is direct opposition
and antagonism between Christ and anti
christ, the true and the false, and when
preachers Of truth find no one resisting
them II is clear that the devil does not care
q fig for their preaching and fears no harm
to his kingdom from their milk and water,
namby pamby, goody goody kind OF talk.
II the preaching is Gods own truth the
devil will>hate it and soon show il.
o. Their Saul (who is also called Paul..
filled with the Holy Ghost, set bis eyes on
him." This is the first time that saul Is
called Paul, ard it is interesting to notes
that the deputy's name is Paulus. Hero is q
face to face encounter between servant OF
Christ and q servant Of satan In the presence
of the deputy, reminding US OF tho mag1-
clans who withstood Moses aud Aaron, and
taking us back even to the time Of Cain and
10. "And said, . fnn of all subtility and
all mischief, thou child Of the devil, thou
enemy OF all Righteousness, wilt thou not
cease to pervert the right why's OF tie Lord?'
30 Peter was enabled BY the Spirit to read
the hearts Of Aaanias and Sapphira (chApter
", so. Thus plainly Jesus spoks TO the
self righteous Jews, telling them that they
were Of their fatkcr, tho devil (John VII,
~. How much righteousness there Is to,aay
which Is only perversion OF the truth OF
Goo, and therefore Of the devil, God only
knows, but it win all be overthrow in due
time under tho name Of Babylon thev.
xviii, 21-2A). Contrast the true and tne
false In Jer. xiii. %. 10.
IL. 'tAnd now behold the hand OF sne
Lord Is upon thee. and thou shalt be olno'
not seeing the sun for season. And lmme'
diately there fell ON him q mist and o dark
ness; anu he went about seeking some u
lead him by the hand" The hand Of our God
Is upon all them for good that seek Him,
but His power and His wrath Is against al
them that forsaks Him. With His right
hand He dashes in pieces the enemy Ezra
viii, 22; Ex. ~, o.. The hand OF God by
His servant when aid upon Saul gave him
sight and filled him with the Spirit (Acts
tx, II, 1S), but now the same hand OF 5od
gives blindness and trouble. Everything
depends upon our relation to God; obedience
brings blessing and disobedience brings
10. aThen the deputy, when he saw what
was done, believed, being astonished at tho
doctrine Of the Lord" The sorcefer had
probably surprised him by some wonderful
things, but he had never seen anything hKe
this. If We would commend Christ to Others
it must be by such manifestation OF his
power In as as will make itclear that De Is
greater thhu Satan, that His joys are great
er than those the world can give and that .
life with Him is truly excellent.
18. ''Now when Paul and his company
loosed from Paphos they came to Perga, IN
Pamphyiia, and John, departing from them.
returned to Jerusalem" This return nome
Of John was aftarward the cause OF she sep
aration OF Paul and Barnabas, but at q iater
period we find Mark very dear and faithful
to Paul.--Lesson HELPER.
.o,~& xr,oo1, An thu Souto Fo