The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-15
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR SEPTEMBER 49,

Lesson Text: "Paurs Address to tho
Ephesian Elders" Acts x1., 2e-35-
Golden Text: Acts Xxx, 35-CoInmen-
tary on the Lesson by Rev d. NJ. Stearns
%. "And now, behold, 60 bound in the
| spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the
things that shall befall me there" After
the uproar at Ephesus Paul went to Mace
donia and Greece, then returned through
Macedonia to Asia, and, aiming, If possible,
to be Mt Jerusalem by Pentecost, he tarried
little at Miletus and sent to Ephesus for
the elders Of the church to come and see
! him. Our lesson Is part OF his address to
| these elders. He reminded them that, serv-
ing the Lord with all humility and in many
trials, he had both publicly and privately
taught both Jews and Greeks repentance
toward God and faith toward our Lord
| Jesus Christ.
%. "Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth
in every city, saying that bonds and afflic-
| tions abide me-" The Lord had said to An
anias, "I will show him how great things
he must suffer for My names sake" (Acts
ix., 16), and He said to the apostles. "In the
world ye shall have tribulation" (John xvi,
3S).
"a. sBut none of these things move me-"
He thought of nothing but Of magnifYing
Christ phil. l., 20), ready to be bound and
imprisoned and to die for the name Of the
Lord Jesus, if thus God would be more
gloriled (Acts XXI, 13). He was intrusted
with the gospel Of the grace of God, and he
fearlessly lived 1t and spoke it day by day
under all circumstances, not as pleasing
men, but God who trieth our hearts q
Thess. H., ~.
25. "And now, behold, I know that ye all,
among whom I have gone preaching the
kingdom Of God, shall see my face no
more" The last we hear of Paul In this
book he Is In Rome q prisoner, but he is
preaching the kingdom Of God, and teach
ing those things which concern the Lord
Jesus Christ (Acts xviii, 3I. Thus he was
one with Him who had chosen him, for in
Acts l., 3, we find that our Lord Jesus dur
ing the forty days between His resurrection
and ascension spoke of the things pertain
ing to the kingdom Of God.
26. "Wherefore I take you to record this
day that am pure from the blood OF all
men," He said In II Cor. vii., 2, 1--WE have
wronged no man, we have corrupted no
man, we have defrauded no man." He had
sought to live as an ambassador for Christ,
In Christ's stead, beseeching men to be
reconciled to God OI Cor. v, 20), and he
full witness that the blood Of none to whom
he ever testified could be required ut his
! hand (Ezek. xxxiii., 7-9).
27. "For have not Stunned to declare
unto you all the counsel Of God" All that
Paul has on hand to pass on to others Is Of
God. He breaches the gospel OF the grace
Of God, and the kingdom Of God, and the
counsel Of God, to gather out and to build
up the church Of God, aud In 1t oil he aims
only to please God. He spoke the word
faithfully and diminished not a word Ger.
XVI, p.
28. "Feed the church of God which He
hath purchased with His own blood" There
is no redemption but by the blood Of Christ,
by which alone we receive the forgiveness
Of sins (Eph. l., 6, Z; Rev. l., s; ", 8; Heb.
tx, 22), and each one who truly receives
the Lord Jesus, trusting onlyin His finished
work, becomes part of the church of God,
whether he ever becomes part of any church
on earth or not. Now being saved, 1t Is
the privilege Of every saved one to unite
with some company Of Gods people called
church, but they ought to be sure that 1t
Is church where their souls will be fed
with the word of God for nothing else will
truly nourish the soul q Pet. H., 2; ", 2;
Job xxiii., IL; Jer. xv., 16).
20, 30 "For know this, that after my
departing shall grieyous wolves enter in
among you, not sparing the flock" Since
the serpent slandered God in Eden there
have always been those who follow him,
seeking the destruction of souls; some
times they seem bent simply upon the ruin
OF people, and sometimes it is to get follow
ers for person or doctrine or a Sect
81. Therefore watch and remember,
that by the space OF three years ceased
not to warn every one night and day with
tears" Paul had no fear for the loss OF
any soul that had truly received the Lord
Jesus his words concerning them are al
most as strong as Our Lords own words
(Phil. l., 6; I Cor. 7, 8; John x, 27-29), but
he did fear lest they might have knowl-
edge of Him without truly receiving Him
(Heb. vi, 4-6; X, 26), and also lest, having
truly received Him, they might lose their
works and wages q Cor. ill.,, IA, Is; tx, 27;
hence his earnest admonition to take
heed" and watch"
so. "And now, brethren. commend you
to God and the word Of His grace, which is
able to build you up" When our Lord was
about to leave His disciples, he prayed the
Father Gas He said to Mary, "My Father
and your Father, My God and your God"
John Xxx, 17), that He would keep from
evil those whom He had given Him, and
that He would sanctify them through the
And when He said, II have given them Thy
word, the words which Thou gavest Me
(John xviii, 8, 14), ne must have believed
that these words were the very best thing
that He could give them. In another
place He said, "The words that I speak
unto you they are spirit, and they arc life"
(John vi, 6S).
SO. 81 have coveted no mans silver or
gold or apparel" The people testified Of
Samuel, "Thou hast not defrauded US nor
oppressed US; neither hast thou taken
aught Of any mans hand" USam. xiii, 81.
To the Thessalonians Paul wrote, remind
ing them Of his labor night and day that
he might not be O burden to any one q
Thess. H., 6, 81.
"a. "Yea, We yourselves know that these
hands have ministered unto my necessities
and to them that were with me-" He was
very grateful for all gifts from the Lords
people and speaks Of such as "an odor Of
sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, we'll
pleasing to God"
IS. Remember the words OF the Lord
Jesus, how He said, 1t is more blessed to
give than to receive" perhaps referring to
such teaching of our Lord as Is found in
Luke vi, 80; xiv, l3, IA, or possibly refer
ring to some unrecorded sayings of our
Lord. God so loved that He gave His
only begotten Son; the Son Of God SO loved
that He gave Himself. The grace Of our
Lord Jesus Christ was manifest in His be-
coming poor for us that we through His
poverty might be rich. The love that He
manifest ed in laying down His life for US
should make US ready to lay down our
lives for others QI Cor. viii, 81 John ILL.,,
16), But most Of us are moro ready to re-
seive than to give, and so John ILL.,, 16, Is
much more familiar thanI John ILL.,, 16,
and Tim. l., Is, than Titus ILL.,, e.-Lesson
Helper
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