Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-12-25
5nternatiunat gesson.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON I, FIRST QUARTER, iNTERNA-
TlONAL SERIES, JAN. s.

LESSON |, FIRST QUARTER, INTERNa-
TloNAL SERIES, JAN. S.
Text of the Lesson, Acts 1, 1-14-Mem-
ory Verses, 6-S-Golden Text. Acts
1, S-Commentary Prepared by the
Rev. D. n. Stearns.
copyright, 1901. by American Press Association.1
l, 2. "All that Jesus began both to do
and teach" Thus Luke speaks Of the
things which he, by the Spirit, had writ
ten in his gospel. This book gives IN ac-
count Of the things which Jesus contin-
ued to do and teach by His Spirit through
His disciples, and He is still doing and
teaching by the same Spirit through His
willing ones. We could scarcely have
more appropriate or helpful lesson with
which to begin the year than the lesson
for today, for in it we have the secret of
power in His service, even the sar,e pow
er which wrought in Him in all HiS words
and works and concerning which Paul
wrote, HE that wrought effectually in
Peter, the same was mighty in me" (Gal.
Ii, 81.
3. Being seen of them 40 days and
speaking Of the things pertaining to the
kingdom Of God" At least 10 or II
times between His resurrection from the
dead and His visible ascension He ap-
pearcd to individuals or companies Of His
disciples, anG it would seem that He was
always speaking about the things of the
kingdom of God. Since this was the
great topic of His preaching and CONVEX
sation, can there be- anything more i'm
portant for us than to be sure Of an en-
trance into the kingdom. to walk worthy
Of it while here and to live to hasten 1t!
John iii. 3, s.: Thess. ii, II; Math. Vi.
49,
4, 5. "Ye shall be baptized with the
Holy Ghost not many days hence" Al
though they had been with Him almost
constantly for two or three years, the
greatest and best teacher that ever lived,
for "who teacheth like Him?" Job xxxvi,
22) they were not qualified to 60 forth
as His witnesses till specially endued. as
it is written in Luke xiv. 40. Behold,
send the promise Of My Father upon you,
but tarry We in the city Of Jerusalem un-
til ye be endued with power from on
high" Since our Lord Jesus Himself did
not begin His public ministry till the
Holy Spirit came specially upon Him
(NIath. iii, 16, II; Acts <, 3S) and these
privileged men could not 60 forth without
a special enduement, are we not wrong II
we think we can serve Him without be-
ing filled with the Spirit? (Eph. V, 49,
6-8. Lord, wilt Thou at this time re-
store again the kingdom to IsraelT The
kingdom which the God Of heaven will
set up dan ii, Az, God being the author
of it and heaven the character Of it and
therefore called in the gospels both the
kingdom Of God and the kingdom OF
heaven, will be a kingdom under the
whole heaven or on the whole earth
dan. vii, 20, with Israel as righteous
nation in their own land as the center
and the whole earth filled with the glory
of the Lord lisa. IL, 21; xi, 8; xvii. q;
Rom. ri, 15). The Saviour did not call
their expectation carnal or earthly, as
many do today. and tell them that their
thoughts of the kingdom were all wrong
and that it was to be spiritual king
dom in the hearts of men. but He simply
told them that it was not for them to
know the time and their present business
was to be filled with the Spirit and in
His power to be His witnesses unto the
ends Of the earth. His message to us is
In this respect the same as to Israel:
"Fear not, for l have redeemed thee. l
have called thee by thy name. Thou art
Mine. Therefore ye are My witnesses,
saith the Lord, that / am God. This peo-
pie have formed for Myself. They
shall show forth My praise" Elsa. xiii, l,
10, II, 21).
9. And when He had spoken these
things, while they behcld, He was taken
up, and a cloud received Him out Of their
sight" In Luke xiv, SO, 81, it is writ
ten. "And He led them out as far as to
Bethany. and He lifted up His hands and
blessed them, and it came to pass while
He blessed them He was parted from
them and carried up into heaven" Among
His parting words were the assurance
that all power was given unto Him in
heaven and in earth, that He would be
with them all the days until the end Of
the age and that they were to 60 into all
the world and preach the gospel to every
creature, proclaiming repentance and re-
mission Of sins in His name (Math. xviii,
1920; Mark xvi, Is; Luke xiv, AZ. He
was the first risen from the dead to be re-
ceived up into heaven, and by virtue OF
His death and resurrection all His re-
deemed shall take part in the first resur-
rection Qtev. *, 81. 1t Is probable that
those who rose from the dead after His
resurrection (Math. xvii, So, 53) are with
Him in glory, first fruits Of the first
resurrection.
10, II. "This same Jesus shall SO come
in like manner" 1t is just possible that
the two men in white apparel were the
same two who appeared with Him on the
Mount Of TRANSPORTATION and thereSpake
of His decease which he was about to ac-
complish. The steadfast, beavenward
look Of the disciples makes US think Of
Stephen and to desire that, like him, we
might be able to "look up steadfastly
into heaven and see the glory Of God
and Jesus" (Acts vii, 55). The great
truth in this passage is the one we have
quoted, and we must not for moment
consider the coming Of the Spirit at PEN
tecost nor the destruction Of Jerusalem
nor any other event nor death as the COM
ing Of Christ. When He comes, He will
be "the same Jesus" and He will come
"in like manner" and Zech. xiv, 4. says
He will come to the same Mount Of
Olives on the east of Jerusalem. On His
way His saints will meet Him in the air
in glorifed bodies II Cor. XIV, 81, 81; l
Thess. iv, 1G-1S and then in due time re-
turn with Him in glory II Thess. iii, 13;
Col. iii, 4; Rev. xix, 11-14).
12-14. They returned to Jerusalem from
Olivet with great Joy and were con-
tinually praising and blessing God duke
xiv, so, 53). They also continued with
one accord in prayer and supplication.
What q contrast tn their feelings after