The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-11
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON v, FIRST QUARTER, INTER.
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. 81.

l2-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ
stearns.
l. "And az they spake unto the people
the priests and the captain Of the temple
and the Sadducees came upon them.
They spake of Jesus, His lifo, death, resur.
rection and return to restore all things OF
which the prophets had spoken; that He
and all things concerning Him had been
foretold by the prophets, and that now, be-
Ing raised from the dead, He was ready To
bless Israel first. In all the prophets the
Spirit had said that through Israel all ma
tions of the earth should be blessed, and
He spoke through them of great Deliver
er who would do this and make Israel the
chief of all nations
2. being grieved that they taught the
people and preached through Jesus the res
direction from the dead" They would be
grieved that men, in their eyes unlearned
and ignorant (verse 13), should dare tG
teach. The priests were to teach the people
(Mal. ii, Z; Lev X, iD. While resurrection
was plainly taught in the Old Testament
,Job xix, 25-27; Ps. xvi, TO- Eek xxxvii
i2, 10; Hos. vi, %, tho Sadducees believed
not in any (chapter xiii, s., 50 that any
thing on resurrection would grieve them
fed as malefactor, should be risen frori
the dead would prove that they were guilty
and that He was what He said He was.
3. And they laid hands upon them and
put them in hold unto the next day, for 1t
was now eventide." They had been taught
to expect this, and therefore may not have
been surprised at it, though the first time
that even predicted event happens Is often
surprise John XIV, 10; xvi, l, 2; Math.
K, 1920. The enmity against God and
His word, even on the part of those who,
like the priests, are professedly His people,
Is still very marked and shall continue to
be throughout this age.
T. "Howbeit many of them which heard
the word believed, and the number OF tho
men was about five thousand" If these
are wholly in addition to those of chapter
ii, Al, then here are already over eight
thousand followers of the Lord Jesus Christ
IN n few days, and apparently through two
sermons and u miracle. What Il contrast
20 the hundred and twenty of chapter l,
10, and what an illustration and proof OF
His words, Greater works than these
shall he do because so unto My Father
John xiv, 12).
B, g. "And il came to pass on the NOR
row that their rulers an6 elders and
Jerusalem" This was council Of the
highest religious body, or as we would
say Of tho church authorities, and. there
fore, ono to DO feared by ordinary men.
T. "And when they had set them in the
midst they asked, BY what power or by
what name have ye dono this?" The
, phrase ain the midst" makes us think of
: the invisible Christ who was truly N the
midst unseen by the religious dignitaries
5 Peter and John were there in His name,
l on His business, and He WAS surely with
4 them in tho midst (Math. xviii, 20),
, s. "Then Peter, filed with the Holy
Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of tho
people and elders of Israel" The Holy
Spirit is the key to tho whole business and
tho one great secret of every victory in the
Christian life He spake and wrought ev-
q cry word ana act through Christ, and lie
!. Is given to every believer to do the same in
@ each one--that is, to speak and act through
US
9. "If we this day be examined of the
good deed done to the impotent man, by
> what means he Is made whole. " The man
l. was certainly utterly helpless, n truly inn
= potent man, and il is on and In such that
!, the gracious Lord loves TO work. If we
: knew how helpless we are to save ourselves
we would stop trying and trust our mighty
Saviour to work in us both To will and tc
do of His good pleasure. All our doing
tends TO exalt ourselves, and this Is wrong
=, but His doing exalts Him, and that Il
right.
10. "By the name of Jesus Christ o.
IL Nazareth doth this man stand mere before
YOU whole" The crucifled and riser
" Christ, the despised Nazarene, still hve
o and has all power, and He manlfests i
" through His followers to His glory tina
II His name may be known. The devil ant
|, the world and worldly church hates Il
- have His name made known oversees IL
= ls). but q true believer will say with Pete
and John, "We cannot but speak the thing
which we have seen and heard" (verse 2O)
"a The apostles took no credit to themselves
TO but gave all glory to Christ, saying, III
J. did it."
II. "This is the stone which was set
naught of you builders, which Is becom
N the head of the corner" This would
~ should have carried their thoughts TO rs
~ cxviii. %: lisa. viii, IA; xviii, 16; Gen
VI Xix, "a, and other texts where Israel
y Messiah Is compared to u stone. Some Q
3, these very men may have remembered hi
III own words to this effect also. See Matf
to xxi, es, 42-44 Some day, when the natio
shall see Him coming in His glory, the
will think Of these things, and with tru
penitence they shall make the words OF lisa
IN lii their own. See Zech. xii, 10.
= 10. "Neither Is there salvation In an
;" other. for there Is none other name unoe
u heaven given among men whereby
~ must be saved" Whether 1t be for M
OF ton or for an individual Dob xxxiv, ~
there is no salvation apart from Jest
Christ In Him is life, and he that nat
re- the Son hath life, but he that hath not tf
s. Son of God hath not life (John !, 4; IJoh
I3. "They took knowledge OF them tn,
they had been with Jesus. An unlikel
We instrument, humanely speaking, when col
an trolled by God brings glory to God. III
". utterance and the fearlessness of these me
before this great council convinced thel
that some great mind or power was col
trolling them. They probably rememper'
ly the boidness of Jesus and saw In these me
ia. His Spirit. He had told them while y