The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-07-27
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JULY 81.
Lesson Text: Peter and John Be
tore the Council" Acts iv.. lis
Golden Text, Acts iv..
12-Commentary.

1. "And as they spake unto the people,
the priests and the captain of the temple,
and the Sadducees came upon them" Peter
was preaching to the people who came to-
gether because Of the healing of the lame
man, that Jesus whom they had crucifed
was indeed the Christ, and that God had
borne witness to the fact by raising Him
from the dead, and that therefore they
should receive Him, obtain forgiveness and
wait for His return to restore all things Of
which the prophets have spoken chapter ill.,,
10, 21l.
2. Being grieved that they taught the
people and preached through Jesus the resur
rection from the dead" The Sadducees did
not believe in resurrection (Math. xii, %;
Acts xiii, 81. but observe here the express
sion from the dead" and compare Phil. ill.,.
II, R. V. AS the resurrection Of Jesus and
those who rose with Him (Math. xvii, 81,
53l was resurrection Of saints, only leaving
others still asleep as to their bodies, so shall
it be at HIS coming Il Thess. iv., 1e-lS; Rev.
*, s..
8. "And they laid hands on them, and put
them in hold unto the next day. for it was
now eventide." Jesus hal told them that it
would be even so John xv., ~; xvi, q
therefore it is probable that they were not
surprised at this treatment. Compare Jer.
xxxviii., 6; Heb. 1i.. SO. 81.
4. "Howbeit many Of them which heard
the word believed, and the number OF the
men was about FIVE thousand" As it was,
so it will be in all this age; some believe and
some believe not (Acts xviii, az, but His
word will accomplish His pleasure and God
will be glorifed Qsa w., II; II Cor. H., Is,
16.) Put this 5000 with the 5000 of it,, fl,
and consider the work OF the Spirit as fore
%~tl tS~ vi N@4,. -
converts were Jews. Where is this power
to-day?
81. "And it came to pass on the morrow
that their rulers and elders and scrlbes,
when they had set them in the midst, they
asked, By what power or by what name
have ye done this? So also they asked Jesus
in Math. xxi, %, not that they wanted
such power for themselves, but they hated
all that proceeded not from themselves.
There are many such in the church to-day
who cannot tolerate anything that does not
originate with them; but it is we'll to rs-
member that all that does not originate
with God shall come to naught
8, g. "Then Peter, filed with the Holy
Ghost said unto them, Ye rulers OF the peo-
pie and elders Of Israel" Mark now the
fulfllment Of that great promise in Math.
<, 10, 90, and remember also such encour.
agements as Jer. J., II, 10; Elk. H., q, I.
See bow a man filed with the Spirit fears
not the face of rulers or elders, even though
the man be one who had not long before
basely denied his Master.
10. "Be it known unto you all, and to all
the people Of Israel, that by the name Of
Jesus Christ Of Nazareth, whom ye cruci-
fled, whom God raised from the dead, even
by Him doth this man stand before you
whole" Thsis the whole story briefly and
yet in full: Jesus died, Jesus lives, Jesus
has all power to forgive sins and also to heal
bodies, and He is ready to manifest that
power op behalf Of those who are willing to
be His faithful witnesses, for II Chron. xvi,
9,is as true to-day as ever, and do not know
apy hindrance to the manifestation of the
power of Christ so great as our lack Of faith
and conservation NAL. ill.,, 10; Eph. ill.,, ~.
II. This is the stone which was set at
nought Of you builders, which is become the
head of the corner" Read here Gen. Xix.
a; lisa. viii. Il; xviii. 16: Ps. cxviii., %;
Zech. iii, 9; iv., &; | Pet. H., 4-S, and see
what fruitful simile you have in tnis stone,
which so wondrously speaks of Christ. Fail
not 10 read also Dan. il, a, As. And see
that you are in the Rock and drinking from
it lex 1xxiii.. %; lsa. XVI, 4, margin; l
Cor. Z, ~.
1o Neither is there salvation in any
other, for there is none other name under
heaven given among men whereby we must
be saved" Other foundation can no man
Law than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ
II Cor. ill.,, III, and be who builds on aught
else is building on the sand. IsraePs mistake
was that, being ignorant OF Gods righteous
ness, they sought to establish their own,
which was only filthy rags in Gods slSnt
from. 4, 3, 4; lisa. Xiv, g; Math. w., 2f-
Oh
l3. .They took knowledge of then, that
thew had been with Jesus" Like their mas
ter they had not been taught in the schools;
thew had not the wisdom Of man, but they
had the power of God which made itself
manifest in them. God uses the weak
things and reveals Himself to babes.
IA. "And beholding the man which was
healed standing with them, they coulo say
nothing against it." The power of Christ
manifest in us is the strongest kind of preach
inc and when they saw it not only IN the
anostIes hut in this poor helpless beggar,
their mouths were shut AS God was gior1
fed in these and in Paul, so He desires 70 Ok
in us (Gal. j., "a; / Cor. vi, l9, 2V.
Is liz. What shall we do to these men,
The apostles beng sent aside that the coun
Gil might confer together, we can fancy no"
in their hearts. atleast, II not yet alouo De
cause of their keepers, they reJolced II
Christ who had so honored them; and i
would not be strange if they continued
nreacning Jesus to those VINO had them IN
charge. AS to the council they could not
DENY the miracle, but they thought possibly
they might put a stop to any more such
manifestations. How they did love the poor
and the suffering n these lovely righteous
people, who have still so many followers.
What will become OF then Matt. VII, 2l-
IL. "But that it spread no further among
the people, let us s,raitly threaten them.
that they speak henceforth to no man in this
name" AS we'll stand by river and tel! IL
to stop flowing. Why do the people I'M
agine vain thing and the rulers take coun-
eel against the Lord? He that slttetn IN
the Heavens shall laugh, tho Lord shall nave N
them in derision lPs. H., IA; lsa. Vht, y lol.
Whatever is OF God cannot be- stogpe"' ye'
there are many who fight against him.
nanded them not to speak at all nor teach
in the name of Jesus" And thess were tho
foremost religious people of the day with
the high priest OF Israel at their head verse
g.. the priest whose lips should keep Kno"l-
edge and who ought to have been the mes
senger of the Lord of Hosts tMa!. H.. q
Let any one now preach the whole truth
concerning Jesus and the resurrection as
these APOSTLES did and he will not fall TO nuo
prominent religious rulers who VIII Il possi,
Bic stop that kind of teaching. But leC an
faithful preachers and teachers eat 'Ezsk'
81. On and diminish not wort Jer.
XVI, 2).-Lasson Helper.
GENERAL MILES is becoming an en-