The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-03-12
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
international Lesson for March 4. lD31-s
saul. the Prosecutor. donverted-Acto
O;l-I:, ls-2o.

WALLS As-So'
ARRANGED from Peloubet's Notes
GOLDEN TEXT. This Is a faithful say
ng. and worthy Of all acceptation. thaA
Jesus Christ came into the world to save
s:nners.--I Tim. 1-l5
THE SECTION includes the conversions
OF Saul and his preparation for his great
work Tvs. l-30).
TIME.-A. u. 81. Most authorities place
the conversion OF Paul in this year. Tut
Prof. Ramsay makes IL about q; and Prof.
Thatcher In 60 or 50.
PLACE.-Near Damascus, 40 miles north-
east OF Jerusalem.
EXPLANATORY.
/. Paurs Bitter Opposition 10 Christi
VS.. 1. 2. 1. 'And:" Il. w., But, in cons
trast with Philip. yet" ever since tho
persecution begun on the day OF
Stephens death (s:D, and continuing
through the work of Philip recorded in
the previous chapter; probably a few
weeks. breathing out threatening"
etc: He lived, as il were, in an atmos-
phere of threats and slaughter.
2. Letters to Damascus: The work
Of persecution had been so successful
that a large part of the Christians wera
driven away from Jerusalem and VIZ
cinity; very probably not a few, in leav-
ing Palestine, had gone to Damascus.
These letters were Paul's authority.
III. Christ Appears to Saul on the Way
to Damascus IS. ,. "As lie jour
ncyed:" Perhaps on horseback. an
usually represented by painters. or ON
camel. according TO Canon Cook.
Suddenly (about noon. 22:G) there
shined round about Him n light from
Heaven:" The light was above
the brightness of the sun" (26:l3). 1t
was in the midst of this glory that
Christ was seen by Saul q Cor. $3.50,
so that he can enumerate himself among
those who had beheld the Lord after
His resurrection.
4. Fell to the earth" Blinded and
amazed. The whole company fell with
him. 'IIeard voice." Clear and dis
tinct to him. but a mysterious sound to
others ". -. why persecutest thou
Me?" lie thought he was prosecuting
the disciples of poor rabbi. an inn
postor, a crucifed malfactor; and in
stead. he now saw that he was pcrsc-
cutting this glorious being. this living
and glorified Jesus, worthy indeed tn
be the Messiah.
5. "Who art thou, Lord?" II
am jesus" Saviour, helper of whom
he had heard, and perhaps had seen at
some time e Cor. 5:15). but now so
changed.
lit is hard" ETC.: These words land
he first clause of 60 are rightly omitted
from the Revised Version. Butthey be-
long to the story, for Paul himself ut
ters them in 26:1i. ITO kick against
the pricks:" i. e., goads. as unruly oxen
sometimes did. The more they kicked
against them, the more they injured
themselves, without escaping from
Weir work.
G. Trembling and astonished: Many
. sinner feels in the same way when he
first sees himself as he is. sees the truo
picture of his moral character and past
life, in contrast with the vision of Jesus
and of God in their holy character.
What wilt thou have me to do?" This
Is the next step in the inquircr's prog
ress. He would see clearly what is re-
CURED of him. He would make his de-
cision. with all the facts before him.
z. THE men which journeyed with
him stood specchless:" In 26:l4, it
says they all fell to the earth They
may have risen again before the blinded
Saul arose on hearing the voice. ''Iiear-
ing voice (the sound). but seeing no
mani" We arc told by st. Paul himself
(chap. 22:o) that they ibid not hear the
voice" What is meant is clearly that
they did not hear the words as words
could attach no meaning to the sounds.
s. And when his eyes were opened
Probably after some interval. saw no
man." Saw nothing. He was totally
blind from the brightness of the light.
III. Three Days of Darkness and Con-
fict.-v.9. 'IIe was three days without
sight" The state of his mind may be
gathered from the fact that he took no
food or drink during that interval. And
versed as he was in the Bible, he could,
even in his blindness, search the Scrip
lures. and, under the guidance of the
Holy Spirit, was enabled clearly to dis
Germ the whole scheme OF Christian
doctrine in its fulness and truth, With
out doubt. these three days were a sea-
son of intense inward conflict, alone
and in darkness.
~. Conversion Tvs. 1912 IL, IS: 10.
"a certain disciple ." named Anna
Mas" It. is good to have some one to
redeem the name. We know nothing
further about him except that "he was
. good man. having good report of all
the Jews which dwelt' at Damascus
(22:12).
II. Brother Saul" Showing that he
accepted him as q fcllow-disciplc-
"Sight Holy Ghost:" The re-
ceiving Of sight expressed the opening
Of the eyes of his mind to the new light
from Heaven, and was to him a proof
chat he had received the power OF tho
Spirit. the extraordinary gifts and quail
fcations needful for his work.
V. The Young Convert at Work.-v.
10. 'Whcn he had received meat" i. e,
food. The three days fast ". o. and
shc intense inward conflict had obvious
ly brought about a state of extreme
1 u 1.O0