Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-10-13
9nteraatiunal gessol1s.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON ", FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. "a.

LESSON w, FOURIH QUAh En-, IN Err
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. p4.
Text of the Lesson, Acts XVI, 1s-32-Mem-
ory Verses, re, e3-Golden Text, Math. Z,
ae - Commentary by the Rev. D. M.
stearns.
Festus succeeded Felix, and both were
willing to please the Jews at Paul's ex-
pense (xIiv, 81; XIV, 81. Paul appealed
to Cesar; therefore tho case had to go to
Rome. King Agrippa coming to Cesarea,
Festus states the case to him as far as he
knows 1t, which Is that 1t concerns zone
Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul af-
firmed to he alive" (xxv, 10). Agrippa
desiring to lear for himself, Paul Is brought
forth in the presence of Agrippa, Bernice,
Festus and the chief captains and prinoi-
pal men of the city and allowed to speak
for himself. He states briefly his early
history as an enemy Of Jesus, and then
more fully his conversion on the way to
Damascus and his commission from the
Lord Himself.
10. Whereupon, o King Agrippa, /
was not disobedient unto the heavenly VI
sion." When he heard one speaking to
him from heaven, saying, II am Jesus,
whom thou persecutest," be could DO Ion
ger doubt but that he had been greatly mis-
taken and that Jesus Of Nazareth was &C.
tually alive and in heaven, and at once he
yielded to Him, saying, Lord, what wilt
thou have me to dor" We cannot expect
such a vision or voice from heaven, but
the word Of God should be to lis as much O
voice from heaven as that which he heard.
30. "Repent and turn to God and do
works meet for repentance. This he
preached everywhere, proczaiming that
God was in Christ, God manifest In the
flesh, and that the only way to turn to
God was to turn to Christ Il Cor. Ill, ~,
and then let your life prove that you had
really turned to Him, for while no works
Of ours can save US. yet If saved BY His
finished work we will surely show 1t by
our works
81. "For these causes the Jews caught
me In the temple and went about to kill
me-" Jesus was the cause OF all their
hatred. There are gods many and lords
many in Christendom as we'll as In heath.
endom, but there Is only one living and
true God, who go loved US as to give His
only begotten Son for US, and when we
receive Him He and His Spirit will be
manifest in us and will provoke more or
less opposition from the world and also
from religious people who do not truly
know Him, for the oarnal mind, whether
religious or otherwise, is enmity against
God (Rom. viii, y.
%, 23. "From Moses and the prophets
be continually proclaimed that 1t had been
foretold that the Messiah should suffer
and die and rise from the dead before He
could be Israel's Messiah or light to the
eentiles. So also our Lord Himself, for
Moses and tho prophets set forth that His
sufferings must precede His glory (Luke
xiv, 25-27). We receive Him, and by
His finished work are saved eternally, but
If we would reign with Him In glory VIC
must be content to suffer with Him this
little while, and by life and doctrine pro-
claim Him to all the world (Math. K, 81
80; Rom. viii, II; II Tim. ii, 12).
"a. paul, thou art beside thyself
Much learning doth make thee mad" He
had not been speaking the wisdom of men,
but had been telling earnestly the story OF
Jesus, and to this day those who are much
in love with Jesus and carried away with
Him are accounted beside themselves.
They said of Christ, HE hath devil and
Is mad" (John K, 20). The prophets testi'
fed that people said, "The Man Of the
Spirit is mad He that departeth from
evil is accounted mad" (Hos. *, 2, mar
gin, and lisa. lix, 15, margin).
25, 26. II am not mad, most noble
Festus, but speak forth the words Of truth
and soberDess" Yet these are the very
words that are not palatable to men Of
the world. The time will come, is even
now come, when many who bear the name
of Christ will not endure sound doctrine.
They have a form Of godliness, but deny
the power thereof (II Tim. iv, 8; Ill, 81.
Like Festus, they know all about 1t, but
they will not yield to 1t and be obedient to
1t. They know all about Him who is the
only Saviour, but will not submit to Him
or be ruled by Him.
81. "King Agrippa, believest thou the
prophetsS I know that thou believest. "
From verse 1t would appear that the
king was we'll acquainted with the Jewi
and their affairs and the promises concern
ing them and their Messiah, but 1t Is not
what we know that helps us, but only the
knowledge we make use Of. 1t is not the
food we look ut and can talk about and
even prepare for others that benefits our.
selves, but only that which we personally
appropriate. We must receive Him.
&c. "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, AL.
most thou persuadest me to be Chris
tian." Another translation Is, Lightly
art thou persuading thyself that thou
canst make me q Christian" The word
"Christian," so common with us, ia not q
word much used in the Bible, being only
found in two other places (Acts xi, 20;
Pet. iv, 16). The word saint" or "be.
lever" or "brethren" is much more com.
mon.
&c. IT would to God that not only thou,
but also all that hear me this day, were
both almost and altogether such as am,
except these bonds" He was addressing
the king and the governor and the chief
captains and mighty men, and yet felt that
with the exception Of his bonds he was bet.
ter off than they and that what he had they
might we'll desire to have. What could II
bef What but this, that their position and
honor wero but temporary and transient,
while he, though for time their prisoner,
was one with Him who was at Gods right
hand, joint heir with Christ, king and
priest unto God (Rom. viii, II; Rev. !,
8, 8; y, 8, 10Y, and that he would surely IN
due time enjoy His heavenly kingdom.
80, 81. "This man doeth nothing worthy
Of death or of bonds" This was the con.
olusion Of tho king and governor and the
others as they went aside after Paul had
finished. PLATE bore the same testimony
concerning our Lord Jesus, and yet the
Jews had Jesus crucifed and Stephen
stoned and james slain, and they would
have killed Paul. Oh, how they hated
Jesus of Nazareth