Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-07-27
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON V, THIRD QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 80.


Text of the Lesson, Acts xix, 1-12-0Iem-
DRY Verses, 2-5-Golden Text, John xvi,
10 Commentary by tho Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
l. And it came to pass that while Apollos
was at Corinth Paul, having passed through
the upper coasts, came to Ephesus."
From Corinth, where we left Paul in the
last lesson, he returned to Antioch in Syria,
taking with him Priscilla and Aquila as
far as Ephesus, where he left them, promis
ing to return, the Lord willing QS-2D
After some time at Antioch he started on
his third tour, and passing through Galatia
and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples,
came in due time to Ephesus. This Apollos
of Alexandria, eloquent and mighty in
Scripture, had meantime passed through
Ephesus and had been greatly helped and
enlightened by Aquila and Priscilla. How
wonderfully the Lord provides teachers for
those who are seeking to know Himl Con
slider the cases of Cornelius and the man Of
Ethiopia.
9. And finding certain disciples he said
unto them, Have We received the Holy
Ghost since We believed? And they said
unto him, We have not so much as heard
whether there be any Holy Ghost" There
are many like these today who have heard
of the love of God and of Jesus as Saviour
from the wrath to come, and they have re-
ceived Him and are children of God John i,
l2), and therefore have the Holy Spirit in
them as believers Il Cor. vi, 10; xii, y, but
yet know little or nothing about the Holy
| Spirit and have never received Him as
| their power for life and service. Compare
| John xiv, II, with Luke xiv, 49,
g. And He said unto them, Unto what
| then, were ye baptized? And they said,
| Unto Johns baptism" This was as far as
| Apollos had taught them 1925 and would
include repentance, remission of sins and
| fruits meet for repentance and should have
included an expectation OF baptism Of the
| Holy Ghost luke iii, 3, 8, 16). 1t certainly
meant salvation, but not necessarily special
| power for service.
4. Then, said Paul, John verify baptized
with the baptism of repentance, saying un
to the people that they should believe on
| Him which should come after Him-that
is, on Christ Jesus" 1t was Johns delight
to cry, Behold the Lamb of God!' and to
point all to Him whose way he came to pre-
pare John /, 10, 81, 20, 30 ill., $3.50; Math.
iii, H. People are apt to follow the human
leader, as did the Corinthians Il Cor. iii, ~,
and too often the human leader loves to
| have it so. But such is not the spirit OF
Christ, for even He did not His own will
nor sought His own glory, but ever sought
the glory of the Father 81 ohm vi, 3S; viii, 90
50; xvii, ~.
;. when they heard this, they were bap
tized in the name of the Lord Jesus" They
had received the truth which they had
heard and were living up to the light
which they had received, and therefore
were ready for more light. Now, when ad
ditional truth is brought to them they read
lily receive it and turn heartily to Him OF
whom John WAS the forerunner.
q. And when Paul had laid his hands
upon them the Holy Ghost came on them
and they spake with tongues and prophe
sled" Being baptized in the name of the
Lord Jesus did not necessarily bring the
gift of the Holy Spirit Acts viii, ICY. Thai
seems to have been given in answer to spe
cial prayer and laying on of hands (Act:
viii, Is, ~, though in the case of Come
Illus and his company the gift of the Spiri
was bestowed while Peter was speaking
(Acts X, 44-i6), and it was after that the,
were baptized There seems to be no Sc
|
with the Spirit. The great thing is to re
ceive Him the best way you know how
then trust Him to fiji you with His Spir
as He pleases. Only "be filled" (Eph. V, IS
T. And all the men were about twelve
as many as those whom Jesus chose an
called unto himself Mark iii, 1919; a
many as the sons of Jacob, the tribes o
Israel; as many as the gates of the New Je
rusalem and the foundations of the sam
(Rev. xxi, II, l4). 1t is the heavenly ant
earthly perfect numbers and multiplied
The full significance we will see some day.
s. And He went into the synagogu
and spake boldly for the space of tire
months, disputing and persuading tn
things concerning the kingdom Of God.
He made no apologies for the truth, but bt
lieving all things written by Moses h
spake boldly in the power OF the Spiri
(Acts xiv, IA; iv, 2o). Disputing> mean
reasoning ont Of the Scriptures, as in chaT
ter xvii, ?, while persuading indicates ter
der and loving entreaty. Thus he patien
) ly and prayerfully opened to them tn
: word Of God concerning Jesus as the Chris
9. But when divers were hardened an
t believed not, but spake evil OF that way b.
fore the multitude, he departed from theI
and separated the disciples disputing dali
In the scnOOl OF one IyrannuS. w NC
e truth is rejected, the heart becomes hare
r ened and when once the heart is turne
away from the only light in this dar
/ world the only prospect is the outer darl
r ness where light never comes. Yet jest
has taught us that only portion of ii
c seed will fall on good ground, and thi
A tares will grow among the wheat until IL
e harvest.
h TO- And this continued by the space
t. two years, so that all they which dwelt
| Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, bot
= Jews and Greeks" The province Of Asi
: in which were the seven churches of Revel
$ ton, is distinguished from the other pro
II inces of Asia Minor in chapter xvi, 6. In tn
:, section Of the country he testifies that f
:. three years he ceased not to warn every OIL
l night and day with tears, teaching public
& and from house to house, keeping bat
nothing, and all the while with his ov
hands ministering to the necessities of hiI
self and those who were with him (chapt
XIX, 81, 20, 34). Thus earning his own liviI