Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-01-25
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson in the international Series ssk
January 2es 1so2-The Lame
Man Healed.
THE LESSON TEXT.

(Acts s:1-10.1
1 Now Peter and John went up together
into the temple at the hour Of prayer be-
ing the ninth hour.
q And a certain man lame from his moth
er,s womb was carried, whom they laid
daily at the gate Of the temple which Is
called Beautiful, to ask aims of them that
entered into the temple;
3. Who seeing Peter and John about TO go
into the temple asked an aims.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him
with John. said, Look on US.
8. And he gave heed unto them, expecting
to receive something of them.
6. Then Peter said. 'Siiver and gold have
none; but such as have give thee: In
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise
up and walk:
Z. And he took him by the right hand. and
lifted him up: and Immediately his feet and
ANGLE bones received strength.
8. And he leaping up stood, and walked.
and entered with them into the temple,
walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9. And all the people saw him walking
and pra1sing God:
10. And they knew that it was he which
sat fog aims at the Beautiful gate Of the
temple: and they were filled with wonder
and amazement at that which had hap-
pened unto him.
GOLDEN TEXT.-The Lord Is my
strength and song, and He Is become
my saIvatiOn.-E1x. 1872.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Healing of Lame Mantle GUS
tom of daily prayer in the temple
was common among able-bodied Jews
who lived in Jerusalem. Many at
tended at the hour of morning sac
rifice, but the greatest number went
to the temple in the middle of the
afternoon, when the evening sacri-
fee was offered. The visit of Peter
and John to the temple was no doubt
tom. The intimacy between these
two leading apostles was not an
especially new thing, but it is inter-
esting to notice that it survived the
| strain of Peters denial and the other
events connected with the crucifx-
ion and the resurrection. John ap-
pears in these early events as Peters
right-hand man, who no doubt did
more, just then, in helping the lead
er by his sympathy than he could
have done by starting off in work by
/ himself. The lame man found the
gate of the temple a favorable place
for begging. 1t always has been
true that the worship of God inclines
men to pity and generosity. His
asking Peter and John for gift was
just what he did to every one that
passed. Probably he did it in half
mechanical fashion, hardly noticing
the appearance of the apostles. That
attitude made necessary Peters COM
mand to look at them. Such COM
mands were often given by those
who wished to make show of their
generosity (Matt. 6:2), and the man
looked up in expectation of large
gift. The miracle that was wrought
was complete. The man not only re-
ceived strength enough to walk, but
had also the skill to do it and even
to leap. He had never learned to
walk, having been born cripple.
His going on with Peter and John in
to the temple was natural on ac-
count of his gratitude to them as
well as that which he felt to God.
AS the man had been for a long time
familiar figure to all who entered
the temple Chat is, to nearly every
body in Jerusalem), there is nothing
to wonder at in the attitude of the
people, which gave Peter a fine OPP
portunity to win hearing. 1
Address of Peter.-The disciples
had not up to this time taught in the
synagogues. The address in the
streets of the city on the day of
Pentecost was all the public teach
| ing which had been done. The
growth of the church up to this time.
since Pentecost, had been due to the
slow conviction of some who had
heard Peter speak and to the person.
al efforts of the new disciples among
| their friends. The people to whom
Peter now spoke were for the most
| part permanent jewellers in Jerusa-
lem or its suburbs. It was a new au-
dience as well as a new auditorium.
Peters address opens with the lam
guage of surprise at the way in
which the people regarded the mir
acle. He wished st understood that
he and John claimed no power in
themselves to do such things. No
tice the skill with which he con-
trasts, first, the weakness and insig-
nifcance of himself and John with
the greatness and power of God Tvs.
IL, 49,, and then the wicked unbelief
of the Jews with the faith of the
cripple Tvs. 14-16). The call to re-
| pentance ". 19) is preceded by the
Jews, the impression given being
| that were it not for this excuse the
sin would be too great to be forgiV-
en-. The latter part of the address
! Tvs. 1920 is taken up with an e1o-
quent statement of the Messianic
faith of the disciples. In effect, their
belief was that the kingdom of the
Christ had come, but the complete
manifestation of it was delayed IN
til the Jewish people should accept
Jesus as the Messiah; when they had
so accepted Him, He would return
and set up such a kingdom as al
Jews associated with the thought OF
the Messiah. Meanwhile, Peter point
ed out, salvation from sin is granted
to those who accept the Lord.