The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-23
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON ", FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. "a.
Text Of the Lesson, Acts XVI, 19-3:-Mem-
ory Verses, 22, 23-GoldeD Text, Msth. 4,
so - Commentary by the Rev. ID. M.
Stearns.

Festus succeeded Felix, and both were
willing to please the Jews at Paul's ex-
pense (xxiv, 81; XIV, %. Paul appealed
TO Caesar; therefore the case had to go TO
Rome. King Agrippa coming to Cesarea,
Festus states the case to him as far as he
Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul af-
flrmed to be alive" (xxv, 19). Agrippa
desiring to hear for himself, Paul is brought
forth in the presence of Agrippa, Bernice,
Festus and the chief captains and princi
pal men of the city and allowed to speak |
for himself He states briefly his early |
history as an enemy of Jesus, and then |
more fully his conversion on the way to |
Damascus and his commission from the |
Lord Himself.
10. "Whereupon, o King Agrippa, l
was not disobedient unto the heavenly vi
sion." When he heard one speaking to
him from heaven, saying, II am Jesus,
whom thou persecutest," he could no lon
ger doubt but that he had been greatly mis-
taken and that Jesus of Nazareth was ac-
tually alive and in heaven, and at once he
yielded to Him, saying, Lord, what wilt
thou have me to do?" We cannot expect
such vision or voice from heaven, but
the word of God should be to us as much
voice from heaven as that which he heard.
20. Repent and turn to God and do
works meet for repentance" This he
preached everywhere, proclaiming that
God was in Christ, God manifest In the
flesh, and that the only way to turn to
God was to turn to Christ U Cor iii, I'D,
and then let your life prove that you had
really turned to Him, for while no works
| of ours can save us, yet If saved by His
| finished work we will surely show 1T by
| our works.
81. "For these causes the Jews caught
me in the temple and went about to Kill
me-" Jesus was the cause of all their
| hatred. There are gods many and lords
many in Christendom as we'll as in heath
endom, but there is only one living and
| true God, who so loved us as to give His
only begotten Son for us, and when we
receive Him He and His Spirit will be
manifest in us and will provoke more or
less opposition from the world and also
from religious people who do not truly
know Him, for the carnal mind. whether
religious or otherwise, is enmity against
God (Rom. viii, y.
22, 49, "From Moses and the prophets
he continually proclaimed that it had been
foretold that the Messiah should suffer
and die and rise from the dead before he
could be Israels Messiah or a light to the
gentiles. So also our Lord Himself, for
Moses and the prophets set forth that his
sufferings must precede His glory duke
xiv, 25-27). We receive Him, and by
His finished work are saved eternally, but
if we would reign with Him in glory we
must be content to suffer with Him this
little while and by life and doctrine pro
claim Him to all the world (Math. x, 81
80; Rom. viii, IL; III Tim. ii, 12).
"a. paul, thou art beside thyself.
Much learning doth make thee mad" H'
had not been speaking the wisdom of men
but had been telling earnestly the story OF
Jesus, and to this day those who are muci
, in love with Jesus and carried away will
Him are accounted beside themselves
They said of Christ, "He bath devil ant
, is mad" (John x, 20). The prophets testi
, fed that people said, "The Man of tn
) Spirit is mad HE that departeth from
{ evil is accounted mad' (Hos. tx, z, mar
gin, and Isa. lix, 10, margin).
, 25, &c. II am not mad, most nobl
r Festus, but speak forth the words of trut
and soberness." Yet these are the yer
words that are not palatable to men
the world. The time will come, Is eve
|
, of Christ will not endure sound doctrine
, They have form of godliness, but den
: the power thereof Oh Tim. iv, 3; iii, o
Like Festus, they know all about it, bu
they will not yield to it and be obedient
1t. They know all about Him who is tn
n | only Saviour. but will not submit to Hill
1 or be ruled by Him.
{ 81. "King Agrippa, believest thou tf
= prophets? l know that thou believest.
From verse it would appear that ii
king was we'll acquainted with the Jew
I and their affairs and the promises conceri
ing them and their Messiah, but it is M
: what we know that helps us, but only ii
& knowledge we make use of. 1t is not tf
II food we look at and can talk about an
r even prepare for others that benefits on
selves, but only that which we PERSONAL
appropriate. We,must receive Him.
20. "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, A
most thou persuadest mo to be Chri
u tian." Another translation is, Light
= art thou persuading myself that the
canst make me Christian" The VOL
!, "Christian," so common with us, is not
:, word much used in the Bible, being on
~ ~ found in two other places Acts xi, 20 /;
= Pet. iv, 49, The word saint" or "b
lever or "brethren" Is much more col
- mon.
30. at would to God that not only tho
y but also all that hear me this day, we
= both almost and altogether such as ar
y except these bonds" He was addressir
:, the king and the governor and the chi
y captains and mighty men, and yet felt tn
- with the exception of his bonds he was be
y ter off than they and that what he had tn
:" might well desire to have. What could
= bef What but this, that their position al
~ honor were but temporary and transfer
70 while he, though for time their prisont
~ ~ was one with Him who was at Gods rig
VI hand, a Joint heir with Christ, king al
;, a priest unto God (Rom. viii, II; Rev.
i s. 6; v, o, 1O), and that he would surely
due time enjoy His heavenly kingdom.
" 80, 81. "This man doeth nothing wort
~ of death or of bonds" This was the co
~ clusion of the king and governor and I
~ others as they went aside after Paul
% finished. PLATE bore the same testimo
nc concerning our Lord Jesus, and yet {
sc Jews had Jesus crucified and Steph
III stoned and James slain, and they won
80 have killed Paul Oh, how they hat
n Jesus of Nazareth