Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-01-12

fession that he needs cleansing from sin
(see Mat. 3. 81: OBJ that Jesus can cleanse
hint see Acts -. 16); tc) Purpose TO lead a
new life (see Rom. 6. A.; (d) Avowal OF all
this publicly tsec Luke II. 3; Rom. III.
3, TO- Tim. 8. 12). 2. 1t means. on Gods
side. the two things Peter promised. 1t
Is a token to him (a) that his sin IL
washed away. not by the water, but by
Christ's blood; (b) that the Spirit is given
to him-he is baptized, not only with
water, but with the Holy Ghost too (Acts
l. 81.
The Daily Life of the Church.-Take the
four things named in the summary OF
the infant Church's life in verse AZ. l.
The apostles doctrine" Literally, "in
the teaching of the apostles" Christs
command was, after baptizing converts.
10 teach them TO observe all things COM
manded' Matt. 2S. 20). The phrase here
used seems to imply systematic course
of instruction. and the teachableness or
the new converts is shown by their con-
tinuing steadfast IN it, 2. Fellowship.
They regarded themselves as one body.
as closely and inseparably connected TO.
gether as the various organs and limbs or
mans body. See / Cor u. 14-25. They
were the body of Christ: he the Head
(Eph l. %. %; 4. 10 l6; Col l. is: 2 l9;
they the members (Rom. IL. 4, S. Cor. L.
80. BY the solemn act on the day or rem
tecost they had been "all baptized into
one body" Il Cor u. 49,. But IL 50. how
should they live? They must be united
(Eph. T. 3-5). live in fellowship Phil. =
Ia, not split up into parties Il Cor. l.
1919. care for one another from. IL. ID.
love one another q John 4. lid. And so
they did, as our passage shows. Ihey
habitually met together" (verse 4D liter
ally. lin one place" (same Greek words
as in verse u. and the rich shared their
property with the poor B. Breaking OF
bread" Another command of Christ 3
obeyed. do this in remembrance OF me-
The words from house to house should
be at home" that is at their headquar-
tiers. L. PRAYERS" Not merely private
prayer, but the regular stated devotions
OF the whole body. They learned to call
God not merely my Father" but "oar
Father
Thus was the visible Church born, and
It's work begun of saving the world. How
beautiful its love, How glorious its pow
err 1t should have gone OIL increasing till
now. What mighty results would follow
IL all Church members and Sunday school
teachers were filed with the spirit OF the
"entecost!
The criticisms with which our last les
son ended were tremendously answered
by Peter whom Chrysostom aptly calls
The mouth of all the disciples" His
quick eye promptly divided his hearers
into two classes. and his address made
special appeals to each-to the home-bred
natives of the Holy Land and to those
foreign Hebrews who had come from
every nation under heaven" TO make
Jerusalem their home. That he spoke in
Greek we assume. At the outset he sets
aside the charge of drunkenness as alb
surd, for it was now "only the third hour
of the day" loosely speaking. about eight
or nine o'clock, the hour of morning
prayer. before which no Jew would eat or
drink: and. indeed. at their great festi-
walls, such as the Pentecost. the Jews alb
stained from food. and especially from
wine, until the twelfth hour'-noon.
Rather. argues Peter. this is the fulfill
ment of ancient prophecy, and he quotes
extensively from Joel twho was, with the
exception of Jonah. the earliest of the
prophets whose writings have been pre-
served for u.s.. TO show that this was one
of many signs that the climax of
Hebrew history had come. He directly
charges upon his hearers the murder OF
Jesus. whom he Identifies by the very
words used in the inscription on the cross
--"of Nazareth" He declares that Jesus
miracles and signs, and that his murder
had been raised from the dead: and this
resurrection was also fulfillment of spe-
cial prophecy Then, artfuliy avoiding
the offense likely to be taken from the APP
plication of the quoted psalm to another
than David, he declares that the inspired
king distinctly foreSaw the resurrection
of the Christ. Throughout the speech
Peter emphatically maintains that Jesus
was the promised Christ. The closing
passages. beginning with verse 81. are In
our lesson.