Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-01-25
international gsssua.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON v, FIRST QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. 2.


Acts I~, documentary Prepared
by Rev. d. NJ. Stearns.
lCopyright, 1901, by American Press Association.l
/, q They preached through Jesus the
resurrection from the dead" 1t was this
that they taught the people as they
preached unto them repentance and re-
mission Of sins through Jesus Christ. Ii
Is not Mt death that the believer enters
into the fullness of the benefits of re-
demption, but ut the resurrection, for, al
though absent from the body and present
with the Lord is gain, and very fur bet
ter, yet until the company Of called out
ones is completed, whether they are IN
heaven or on earth, all are waiting until
Jesus shall come again: for that event
will bring the resurrection of the just. not
q resurrection Of all the dead. but resur-
rection of the righteous from among the
rest of the dead, like the resurrection or
Christ und Of those saints who rose atter
Him Matt. xvii. 80, 90: Rev. xx, D. %.
3, 4. For their faithfulncss to Christ
and His doctrine Peter and John hnd
themselves in prison; but, while they were
for time bound. they could rejoice that
the word of God WAS not bound. and we
rejoice to read that many who heard be-
lieved. and the number of the Men was
about 5000. What grand gathering
from Israel to the glory Of lsraeFs Mes
siah, for the gospel was not yet preached
to the gentiles tchapter xi. 19). This great
result was the work not of the apostles.
but Of Him who when on earth said on
one occasion. Give ye them to eat" and
then used the apostles to feed the 5.Ooo
with bread which He had provided.
81. by what power or by what name
have We done this?" They asked Christ
q similar question at one time Matt. xxi
23), but not for any good reason. Like
some people today. they could not toler.
ate anything that did not proceed from
themselves. But we must remember that
all that is not Of God shall come to naught
lisa. viii, 8, 1O.
$40. 1t thrills one to hear Peter declare
to these rulers Of the people that this
work was wrought by Jesus of Nazareth.
whom they had crucitied. but whom God
had raised from the dead. He knew that
these men could kill him | they had
killed Jesus, but he had no fear. for be
was filled with the Spirit. 1t was IL good
deed which had been done to an impotent
man, and il had been wrought by Him
whom they delighted to own as Lord and
Master, and they were His to w. His
witnesses. and to die for Him If need be.
In the latter part Of this story tverses
29-31) they do not ask to- be delivered
from further persecution. but only that
they may have boldness to speak His
word and power to honor His name.
II, II. "This is the stone which was
set at naught Of you builders" Read
here Gen. xix. "a: lisa. viii. IL; xviii.
16: Ps. cxviii. %: Zech. iii. 8; iv. I; !
Pet. ii, 4-S, and see what fruitful sim
lie you have in this stone which so won
drously speaks Of Christ. Read also
Dan. ii, "A. 45. and he sure that you are
in the Rock and drinking from it Tex.
xxxiii, %: lisa. XVI. !. margin: Cor. Y.
A.. There is no other foundation and no
other salvation II Cor. iii. II: lisa. xiv.
22). They were familiar with tn" words
God is my salvation" lisa. X.i. >: Ex.
xv, 2; Ps. cxviii. ~, but they these rul-
ers) would not accept Jesus as God.
They were ignorant of Gods righteous
ness and going about to establish their
own. which in Gods sight was only filthy
rags (Rom. K. 4: lisa. xiv. %.
13, II. "They took knowledge Of them
that they had been with Jesus" Like
their Master. they had not been taught in
the schools. They had not the wisdom Of
man, but they had wisdom and power
which man could not give them. The
power Of Christ manifest in us is the
strongest kind of preaching. and when
they saw it not only in the apostles. but
in this poor, helpless beggar. they could
say nothing against. though in their
hearts they hated it. for they were but
carnal. and the carnal mind Is enmity
against God. Paul so coveted the power
of Christ that He would glory in in.
firmities if only the power Of Christ
might rest upon him I'll Cor. xii. 81.
1917. "What shall we do to these
men" Having sent the apostles aside,
they confer among themselves as coun.
Gil on this to them important matter,
and they determine that any more Of
such work as the healing of this impotent
man in the name of Jesus must not be
tolerated. Why do they imagine vain
thing and take counsel against the Lord?
He that stitch in the heavens shall
laugh. The Lord shall have them in de-
rision (Ps. Ii. 14). Their counsel is vain.
their purposes against the Lord shall
surely be frustrated. for ''every purpose
Of the Lord shall be performed" tJer. Ii.
20; see also lisa. xiv. 24). Think of NOR
tai man determining that the work Of the
Lord God Almighty shall spread no far
ther! How plainly visible is the one be-.
hind the scene, the devil. who would. il
he could, dethrone God. and who will be.
fore his final overthrow gather the ma.
tions against God Qtey. xix. l9,.
1920. 1--WE cannot but speak the
things which we have seen and heard"
This is their reply to the command not to
speak at all nor teach in the name Of Je-
sus, and this command was from the
foremost religious people Of the day,
with the high priest at their head. whose
lips should keep knowledge and who
ought to have been the messenger Of the
Lord Of Hosts tMal. ii. u. Let any one
now preach the whole truth concerning
the second coming of Christ. the resurrec.
tion Of the righteous. the restoration Of
Israel, no kingdom till Jesus comes. ETC.,
and he will not fail to find prominent re-
ligious rulers who will if possible stop
that kind Of teaching.
81, %. With some further threatening
they were let go without punishment be-
cause the people were all glorifying God
for that which was dore. So they went
to their own company Of believers and
told all that the chief priests and elders
had said unto thSm. and with one accord
they lifted up their voices to God. the
creator of all things. and told Him all
and left it with Him, asking only for
boldness to speak His word and that