Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-07-07
international gessoll5.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON 10, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 18.

LESSON ~, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 10.
Text of the Lesson. Acts xvii, 1-12-Mem-
ory Verses, 1o-12-Golden Text, Acts
xviii, 11-Commentary by the Rev. d. NJ.
Stearns.
/. "Now, whom they had passed through
Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to
Thessalonica, where was synagogue of
the Jews" See this company Of men in
this world for God. They have no aim but
to honor Him. Their one thought Is to
magnify the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. l.,
2O). and to this end they are under the
control of the Holy Spirit, passing through
this town or that and stopping only where
He directs. Whether in prison or in Lydia g
house, on the road or in the synagogue,
their one business Is to glorify God and
make Him known. Thessalonica was about
100 miles southwest of Philippi, 80 that 1t
must have been several days journey; but,
as is usual in Scripture, the incidents of
the journey are omitted. They "passed
through" and "came to-"
2. "And Paul, as his manner was, went
in unto them, and three Sabbath days rea-
soned with them out Of the Scriptures. Z"
"To the Jew first" was ever Paul's princi-
pie In going after the people with the gos-
pei from. i, 16), and who can tell what we
are losing by not continuing to act on this
principle, both with the gospel and with
IL hol h,,fn fox r
book, the Scriptures, which he fully be-
lieved was sufficient to furnish any one
thoroughly for every good work QI Tim.
Iii, 16, ID. He was not full Of the opin-
ions of men; but, being the Lords messen-
ger, he carried the Lords message (Hag
l, 1S).
8. "Opening and alleging that Christ
must needs have suffered and risen again
from tho dead, and that this Jesus whom
preach unto you Is Christ" The Jews
were looking for Messiah to sit on Da-
yids throne and subdue their enemies and
make Israel, as in the days Of Solomon,
the first nation on earth, and in this ex-
pectation they were perfectly right, for
this was promised by the prophets and
will yet surely be fulfilled Elsa. *, 6, z;
Jer iii, II, 1s; Zech. xiv, 16, ~. But it was
Just as plainly foretold and foreshadowed
that the Messiah would also suffer and
die and rise from the dead before He would
thus reign as David's son on David 3
throne (Gen. iii, Is; Isa. lii; Ps. xvi and
xii, etc.,.
4. "And some Of them believed and con-
sorted with Paul and Silas," a multitude
of men and women, the verse goes on to
say. Just as in Gen. the Spirit moved,
God spake, and the work was done, so
here and so always His word will accom-
plish His pleasure and prosper in the thing
whereto He sends it lisa. ", III. 1t is
ours to be faithful messengers; it Is His to
accomplish the work. There is perfect rest
In His work when we are willing that He
should do it all and as He pleases, we be-
Ing in His hand for His pleasure
5. "But tho Jews which believed not,
moved with onvy, took unto them certain
lewd fellows" Then followed mob and q
riot and an assault, 1or the devil was losing
some of his property, and he was stirred
nightly, as at Philippi, to do somewhat
to resist the truth and the power of God,
and so for time the saints must suffer
with Christ. Fellowship with Him in suf-
fering is great privilege not appreciated
by tho saints rs it should be (Phil. /, 90;
iii, 10; Col. i, 24).
6. "Thesc that have turned the world
upside down are come hither also." Not
finding the apostles, they took Jason and
other brethren to the city rulers with these
and other accusations. 1t was surely
quite compliment to say that these men
had power to turn the world upside down.
There ought to have been enough Of the
supernatural in that to make them stop
and consider, but when men are blinded
by anger they consider neither their words
nor their deeds. Tho facts In the case are
that the world is in sense upside down
because of sin, and Jesus, whom these men
preached, Is the only one who can set 1t
right side up (Ez. xxi, 27).
z. "These all do contrary to the DEGREES
Of Caesar, saying that there Is another
king, one Jesus" Caesar Is the earthly,
under the God Of this world-that Is, the
devil Jesus is the heavenly, representing
the only living and true God, God mani
fest in the flesh, and we must choose one
or the other. His own to whom He came
chose Caesar instead of Him John xix,
12), and Caesar they have had from that
day to this. The world and the church,
the worldly person and the Christian, are
as opposite as darkness and light and can
no moro assimilate than water and oil,
but they sometimes try desperately hard
to mix up. See Jas. iv, 4; John IL,
1917.
8, 9. "And they troubled the people and
the rulers of the city when they heard
these things" So, when Christ was born
King Of the Jews, Herod and all Jerusalem
were troubled (Math. ii, 81, and when He
shall come in His glory the world lying In
the wicked one shall be greatly troubled
(Rev. l, 2; xi, 1s), and their troubles may
never end, for all who die in their sins
shall have torment for ever and ever (Rev,
xiv, IL; Mark TX, 43, AZ.
10. "And the brethren Immediately sent
away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea. !"
So they move on in His name, witnessing
unto Him, and again we find them in q
synagogue of the Jews. The Masters ILL
structions were to pass on when not want
ed duke <, 10; Math. K, 2S), but some
find it hard even yet to obey these orders,
and the more they are not wanted the more
they seem to stay, to their own and others
discomfort and doubtless to the grief Of
the Holy Spirit.
II. "These were more noble than those
in Thessalonica in that they received the
word with all readiness Of mind and
searched the Scriptures daily whether
those things were so." How foolish to
have remained amid the opposition OF
Thessalonica when this open door awaited
them where the people were ready to hear
and receive the word! What blessing those
are missing who are not willing to follow
where He leadeth and let Him manage as
He pleasethl No will but His, and no way
but His Is the only true way.
IL. Therefore many Of them believed;
alc Of hnr ln 11rhinh and