Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-07-28
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
v, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 30.

Text of the Lesson, Acts xix, 1-12-Mein-
ory Verses, 2-5-GoIden Text, John xvi,
10 Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
l. And it came to pass that while Apollos
tyas 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 tor. and passing through Galatia
and Phrygia. strengthening the disciples,
came in due lime to Ephesus. This Apollos
of Alexandria. eloquent and mighty in
Scripture, hGd 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 HIM Con-
slider the cases of Cornelius and the man of
Ethiopia.
2. And finding certain disciples he said
unto them, Have We received the Holy
Ghost since ye 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 n Saviour
from the wrath to come, and they have re-
ceived Him al d are children of God (Johni,
12), 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, 40.
3. And He said unto them, Unto what,
then, were We baptizedS And they said,
Unto Johns baptism" This was as far as
Apollos had taught them 1929 and would
include repentance, remission of sins and
fruits meet for repentance and should have
included an expectation of baptism of the
Holy Ghost duke iii, 3, 8, l6). 1t certainly
meant salvation, but not necessarily special
power for service
4. Then, said Paul, John verify baptized
with the baptism of repentance, saying I'M
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 Godl" and to
point all to Him whose way he came to pre-
pare John i, l5 81, 90, 80; ill., 2s-30; Math.
iii, 11). People are apt to follow the human
il
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, IS; viii. 20.
so; xvii, ~.
8. when they heard this, they were hap
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 adj
ditional truth is brought to them they read
lily receive it and turn heartily to Him of
whom John was the forerunner.
g. "4snd 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, l6). That
seems to have been given in answer to spe-
cial prayer and laying on of hands acts
viii, 10, IL, though in the case of Corne-
Illus and his company the gift of the Spirit
was bestowed while Peter was speaking
(Acts X, 44-46), and it was after that they
were baptized. There seems to be no set
way of receiving Christ or of being filled
with the Spirit The great thing is to re-
ceive Him the best way you know how,
then trust Him to fill you with His Spirit
as He pleases. Only "be filled" (Eph. V, IS.
7. And all the men were about twelve
as many as those whom Jesus chose and
called unto Himself Mark iii, l3-l5) as
many as the sons of Jacob, the tribes of
Israel; as many as the gates of the New Je
) rusalem and the foundations of the same
i (Rev. xxi, u, ~. 1t is the heavenly and
I earthly perfect numbers and multiplied.
The full significance we will see some day
! s. And He went into the synagogue
and spake boldly for the space of three
months, disputing and persuading the
things concerning the kingdom of God. u
He made no apologies for the truth, but be-
E lieving all things written by Moses he
q spake boldly in the power of the Spirit
/ (Acts xiv, Ia iv, 29). Disputing means
e reasoning out of the Scriptures, as in chap
: ter xvii, 2, while persuading indicates ten
E der and loving entreaty. Thus he patient
ly and prayerfully opened to them the
word of God concerning j esus as the Christ
8. But when divers were hardened and
believed not, but spake evil of that way be
fore the multitude he departed from them
and separated the disciples, disputing daily
in the school Of one Tyrannus." Wher
truth is rejected, the heart becomes hard
ened, and when once the heart is turned
away from the only light in this DARK
world the only prospect is the outer dark
ness where light never comes. Yet Jesu,
has taught us that only portion of tn,
seed will fall on good ground, and thai
tares will grow among the wheat until the
harvest.
10. And this continued by the space o
two years, SO that all they which dwelt I,
Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, bot
Jews and Greeks" The province of Asia
in which were the seven churches of Revela
ton, is distinguished from the other prov
inces of Asia Minor in chapter xvi, 6. In thi
section Of the country he testiies that TO
three years he ceased not to warn every on,
night and day with tears, teaching publicly
and from house to house, keeping bacl
nothing, and all the while with his owl
hands ministering to the necessities of him
self and those who were with him (chapte
Xxx, 81, 90, 34). Thus earning his own livinl
he would have no occasion to fear losing |
portion of his salary if the truth he preached
should happen to hit some of his hearer
a rather severely.
IL. And God wrought special miracles