The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-05-01

Gated under Gamaliel as a rabbi; he
could properly assume an unforfeited
right to speak in any synagogue. But
when the ruler of the synagogue. after
consulting with the elders. sent word to
the missionaries. Brethren, If ye haze
ang ,oord of e.chortation for the people.
sag on. Paul's opportunity came. If he
had been in Judea he would have sat
while he spoke; but in conformity to
Greek usage, he now stood.
Paul preached his first missionary SER
mon.
1t is a remarkable, Farrar calls it a
great, sermon. We trace it's outline.
He first" says P. j. Gloag, wins the
attention of the Jews, by referring to
the glories of their nation and the prom
ises of the Messiah; he traces their his
tory to David, from whose posterity the
Messiah should spring; he asserts that
Jesus is that Messiah, rejected by the
Jews in Jerusalem. He is now preached
to them; in him the prophecies are full
filled; God has raised him from the
dead and has thus declared him to be
the Messiah in accordance with the
voices of the prophets; forgiv eness is
proclaimed to all who believe on him.
forgiveness which the law is unable to
procure; those who reject this salvation
must beware lest they should expose
themselves to the judgments Of God"
The historical summary in the first
part lie an integral section OF the ser
mon. This we quote in the free render
ing of Conybeare and Howson: men of
Israel, and ye, proselytes of the Gentiles,
who worship the God of Abraham, give
audience. The God of this people Israel
chose our fathers and raised them up
into nightly nation, when they dwelt
as strangers in the land of Egypt; and
with an high arm brought them out
therefrom. And about the time of forty
years. even as nurse beareth her child,
80 bore he them through the wilderness.
And he destroyed the seven nations in
the land of Canaan, and gave their
land as portion to his people. And
after that he gave them judges about
the space of four hundred and fifty
years. until Samuel the Prophet; then
desired they king, and he gave unto
them Saul, the son Of Kish. man of the
tribe Of Bapjamin, to rule them forty
years. And when he had removed Saul
he raised up unto them David to be
their king; to whom also he gave testi-
mony and said: 4 have found David,
the son Of Jesse, a man after mine own
heart, who shall fulfill all my will OF
this mans seed hath God. according to
his promises, raised up unto Israel
Saviour, Jesus. And John was the
messenger who went before his face to
prepare his way before him; and ne
preached the baptism of repentance to
all the people of Israel. And as John
fulfilled his course, his saying was. Whom
think ye that am? l am not He. But
behold there cometh one after me whose
shoes latchet l am not worthy to loose. +"
This historical resume was intended
to secure the favor Of his Jewish hearers
for the message he was about to deliver.
His message. the application of his his
torical resume. is our lesson.
1, The Story of Jesus, VS.. 1851.
Brethren. he said. children of the stock
of Abraham, thus addressing his own
people, and those among you that fear
God, addressing the devout Gentiles
who by their presence in the synagogue
expressed their desire to learn the truth
to as is the aoord of this salvation sent
forth. He proceeds to tell how the Jews
dwelling in Jerusalem had rejected
Jesus yet in doing so they fulfilled the
prophetic scriptures which were every
Sabbath read in their own synagogues.
These Jews also confessed the blameless
ness of Jesus; even PLATE. whom they
asked to be his excutioner, could find
no fault in him. Jesus was killed; he
was, as the Jewish Law declares the
vilest malefactor shall be. hanged upon
tree. He was publicly taken down and
put within tomb. But God raised him
from the dead. He was seen by many
who knew him in Galilee, and came with
him to Jerusalem. These are now his
witnesses. declaring to all people that
Jesus was raised from the dead.
2. Jesus was promised to the
Fathers,-vs. 32-37.
and zoe bring gou. continues Paul
good tidings of the promise made unto
the fathers. This promise Paul declares
is fulfilled to all generations in the res.
direction of Jesus. Jesus is to live as
the spiritual Saviour through the ages.
Paul then. according to our version,
quotes from the second psalm. But in
his day this second psalm was reckoned
a part of the first psalm, and was there
fore-if we may believe the experts-a
part of the lesson that had been read
that day by the minister of the syna-
gogue. Thou art mig son. this dag haze
Ibegotten thee. These words originally
referred to David or Solomon; they de-
clared for some one a Sonship to God.
Paul then refers to the saying in the
sixteenth psalm which declares. Thou
aoiIt not give thy Holy One to see cor
ruptiOn. This saying, Paul says, is full