Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-04-15
TAE suNpAY scHooL
International Lesson for Aprfl Is.
1S97-Gentiles Converted at anti
Och-Acts IIsz0-20.


f Of Stei hen, q. u. 81, but It's emphasis Is on
I the foI ndiug and first years of the church
I a. .. % 70 H. The famine began the lat
~ part Of a. d. e. and continued two
+ years Paul preached in antioch during
4 -, +, and he with Barnabas reached Jer-
4 u@alem ~. 80 about the lime OF the Pass
I over april + A. D. a.
FLAC E.-Antioch. 800 miles north Of
+ Jerusalem. Il was the capital of Syria
ana one u the greatest sals1 most luxurious
cities in the world a that time
EXPLANATORY
! founding Of tie FIRST Gentle
( Church, al Antioch--Ns. 1921. -.
+ Scattered abroad upon the persecu-
/ ton about Stephen" We now
return to chapter S:I-4. three years pre-
/ vious to our lesson. ia order to take uo
new thread Of influence. The au-
/ tnorifies tried t. blow out the Gospel
fire hndled By the Holy Spirit, but il
/ only made it burn the brighter "As
+ Ear as Phenice:" Phenicia, che sfr:, Of
1 coast between the Mediterranean and
the mountains Of Lebanon, extending
l25 miles from point a little below
Tyre. northward TO Beirut. from which.
in the autumn of 1895, a railroad was
! opened 70 Damascus. Cyprus. a large
island in the Mediterranean, CO miles
from the Palestine coast. And An
tioeh,' the most northern large city on
the coast. Preaching the word to
Jews only" According to the
practice and feelings Of the Jewish
Christians when they left Jerusalem.
20. Some Of them" the scattered
disciples, men Of Cyprus" That is.
Jews who were natives of Cyprus and
D in, 4 f.s1 4
in Jerusalem, and became disciples
there. These were Greek-speakinp
Jews, who, having lived abroad were
not so intensely Jewish as those who
had always lived in Jerusalem. "Spake
unto the Grecians:" The best manu-
scripts have Greeks las il r. w, and
this IS clearly the correct reading. The
New Testament uses Hellenistae-Gr
clans, TO mean those Jews VINO had been
abroad and spoke the Greek language.
or else for proselytes. but Hellenes-
Greeks, when the heather population is
spoken of.
-. THE hand" the symbol Of power
and Of work, of the Lord. . the head Of
the church. Thus "a great number he
Heved:" The Lord proved by his power
in touching their hearts and renewing
their lives that Ie wanted these people
in His church. They were received ap-
farenfly without contention or opnosi-
ton, as the logical result of their be-
lieving and the Divine favor Of the plan.
IL Md and Encouragement from the
Mother Church.-Ys. 22-24 70. Then
tidings;" The report concerning these
things" Unto the ears of the church
which was III Jerusalem:' The church
was in a measure prepared for this new
development by the work in Samaria.
reported by Peter and john and by the
conversion of Cornelius. and the gift
o. the Holy Spirit to the Gentiies in
Cesaria, and tie report Of it by Peter,
one of the chiefest of the apostles.
They sent forth Barnabas:" G) To
learn the circumstances and see that
all was right. e. To preventany abuses
or djscord arising between the Jewish
and Gentle converts. Of which the Sc
quel shows the real danger (4:19; IS:
], 25.) CD Barn8bas was sent to aid and
encourage and instruct the new dis
ciples and preserve the unity Of the dis
ciples throughout the world.
q. For he was a good mani" Not
merely honest and upright, but gen
erous, kindly, loving, conciliating This
was shown in his JOY that Gentiles were
converted as well as Jews, and through
others as well as himself He had the
beauty of holiness, the graces of re-
ligion. Full of the Holy Ghost:" He
lived in the Spirit and was endowed with
power by the spirit And of faith"
Perfect trust in the Lord, perfect conf
dence that Jesus was the Messiah; per-
feet devotion to His cause. He preached
what he most heartily believed. "And
much people was added unto the Lord"
As natural consequence of the three
qualities described above, his goodness,
his faith. the power Of the Holy Ghost.
Ill a Twofold Training by Barnabas
ard Paul.-Ns. - e. p. Then depart
cd Barnabas:' t1) The numbers were
too great for one alone. O. There was
an immense field ripe for the harvest.
CD There was need of coun sci and great
wisdom r. guide the new church Alright,
especially as there were two elements
III the church- CAD There was need OF
another element Of instruction and
training in doctrine than BarDalas'
special talents would provide. Aud Bar
nabas Was Wise enough ta see This and
good enough to provide fori It. II o Tar
sus, forto els SAUL" The word seek"
implies djigent and anxious search.
Saul VAS preaching somewhere i'd Ci-
licia, busy about his Masters work
(g:39.}
rs. whols scar they 6I3arnabas and
ls 81 81 --H