Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-01-28
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE
LESSON.
Reflections Of an Eievating Charsctcr
wholesome Food for Thought
Studying the scriptural Lesson In
telligently and Probably.
Lesson for Jan. 81.

Lesson for Jan. 81.
Golden Text.-"There is none other
name under heaven given among men
whereby we must be saved."-Acts A: II.
As Peter spoke to the multitude, refer
ring In his address not only to Jesus but
to the resurrection, he naturally attracted
the attention of those who considered
such teaching heretical and dangerous.
The study Of the lesson should include vs..
1851.
/. 1.-THE captain of the temple: an off,
Ger who had a number of Levites under
his command, and was charged with po-
lice duty In the temple.-'The Sad
dueees": who would be especially displeas-
ed by the teaching about the resurrection,
since they denied the possibility of a res
direction. They were the ruling class so
cially.
2. "Being grieved": refers chiefly or en-
tirely to the Sadducees. "Grieved' hard
ly represents the thought; IL was not sor-
row but Indignation that moved them.
3. "In hold": that Is, of course, in pris-
on; IL was too late in the day-now prob
ably about sunset-to bring them before
the Sanhedrim until the following morn
ing. a4+.
4. "About FIVE thousand: not the num-
Der of those converted on this day, but
rather the whole number of converts up to
this time. The verse Is parenthetic sum-
ming up of the results of the preaching
Of the gospel up to the time Of this, the
first important setback
8. "Rulers and elders and scribes": that
is, the Sanhedrim. The assembly consist
ed of seventy men, twenty-four being
priests, twenty-four elders and twenty
two scribes. 1t was the highest tribunal
of the Jewish nation; hence the heresy
of Peter and John would be properly tried
before it.
6. "Annas the high priest: Annas was
not high priest at this time, but his SON.
in-law Caipahas pronounced Cay-ya-
phas). According to the Jewish custom,
however, Annas retained the title. John
and Alexander: Nothing is known of
these men; they were presumably high in
authority.
Z. I'm the midst: 1t is said that the
Sanhedrim sat in a semi-circle, and that
persons who were heard before them stood
within the group.-"By what power:
this does not mean "by whose authority:
for that another word should have been
used. The meaning is, ''by what force,
by what means"
s. FILLED with the Holy Spirit: Hack
EFT says, al e., filled anew. Peter was
thus elevated above all human fear, and
assisted at the same time to make such
defense of the truth as the occasion re-
quired. The Saviour had authorized the
disciples to expect such aid under cir
cumstances like the present. See Mark
13: IL; Luke 81: IA, 49,"
| n ha nor
is a touch of sarcasm in the form of the
sentence. Peter pretends to express a
doubt whether he is right in supposing
that the cause of arrest can possibly be
the deed of mercy performed.
TO- Here the holiness of PSter, due
partly to his natural courage but chiefly
to the Holy Spirit, is clearly shown.
"Whom We crucified': it seems that Peter
never addresses the Jews without bring
ing this awful charge against them.
IL. For the quotation see Ps. lis: y,
Matt. 21: AZ, Luke 20: II. The sense Of
the proverb as applied to the present oc-
casion, according to Hackett, is this:
"The Jewish rulers, according to the
proper idea of their Office, were the build
ers of Gods spiritual house, and as such
should have been the first to acknowledge
the Messiah and exert themselves for the
establishment and extension of his king
dom. That which they had not done God
had now accomplished in spite of their
neglect and opposition. He had raised
up Jesus from the dead, and thus con-
firmed his claim to the Messiahship; he
had shown him to be the true author of
salvation to men, the corner stone, the
only sure foundation on which they can
| Al hi. .Nf oh t.nl
H. Salvation: Peter passes from ply
steal healing to spiritual healing. He is
actually preaching to his judges.
ID. "Unlearned and ignorant men: un-
learned in the wisdom of the rabbinic
schools. Certainly these two men were
not lacking in natural shrewdness; and
John, at least, became in later years a
profound thinker, as his gospel witnesses.
But the Jews were great snobs, and Al
man who did not know the particular
things that it was the fashion to know
was as much out of society as a man
without college degree still is in certain
circles (rapidly narrowing). "They took
knowledge of them that they had been
with Jesus" "Took knowledge" is rath-
er recognized" Many of those in the
Sanhedrm had been concerned in the
trial and death of Jesus a few months be-
fore this; and perceving the remarkable
zeal of these two men now before them
as prisoners, in connection with Peters
speech, they remembered that they had
seen them with Jesus during the last
days of his life. Annas and Caiaphas
especially would remember John, who
kept close by his Masters side; and 9th
ers may have seen Peter i'm the gray of
that early morning of the crucifxion day,
trying to conceal himself among the loung-
ers about the fire in the house where the
hearing was going on. IL is simple
statement of fact that we have here-the
priests and scribes remembered having
seen Peter and John with Jesus.
Teaching Hints.
Contrast the Peter of the passion week
with the Peter we have here. What made
him bold? The Holy Spirit, to be sure;
but not the Holy Spirit merely as an ar
tificial addition, from outside to his speak
81 ing powers. 1t Is true that Peter and
John received special accession of
strength on this occasion, as Jesus had
promised; but they did not, so to speak,
appear to be what they were not by rea-
son of temporary stimulant. They were
. already spirit-flled men.
Johns courage is classed by the writer
/ of the narrative along with Peters,
, though no words of his are recorded, eth
, err here orfn the healing of the lame man.
John simply stood his ground, ready to
corroborate Peters words IL need be- We
may often when in the presence of a fluent
| = ia f. - Al