The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-06-06

lesson In the international serses
for June =, Iwo:--The Council
Mt Jerusnlem.
THE LESSON TEXT.

certain which went out from US have trou-
oiec } on with words, subvertng your souls
saying. W must be circumclss q, and keep
the la" 70 whom We gave no such com
\ marumeIt.
~ II seemed good unto us, being assem-
t!ed with one accord, 10 scrd chosen mer
unto you with our beloved Barnabas ind
Paul
~ Men that have hazarded their lives
For the name Of our Lord Jesus Christ
:" We have sent therefore Judas and
sllhs' who shall also tell you the same
! things by mouth
- For II sesmsd good to the Holy Ghost.
eLu 10 Us, % lay upon you no greater bur
Gen than these necessary things
~ That yc abstain from meats offered
10 icOls- and from blood and from things
sfranglec ard from fornication: from
which II ye keep yourselves, ye shall dc
well. Fare We well
20 SO when they were dismissed. they
came 10 Antioch: ard when they had gath
cred the multitude together, they delivered
the epistle.
81. Which when they had read, they re-
JoiceG for the consolation
~. And JUDAS and Silas being prophets
also the mselves. exhorted the brethren with
many wore. and confirmed them
-. Ard after they had tarried there
space. they were let go IN peace from the
brethren unto the apostles
GOLDEN TEAT.-stand fast there
fore In the liberty wberewIth Christ
hath made us free.-GnI 5u
OUTLINE OF ScRlPTTRAL SECTION
All important question submitted: ......:..
The question debated Acts l5:G-2i
The question decided Is - g
TIME-A. H. 60
PLACE-Jerusalem
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The Great Questionable Jews well
coined proselytes from other nations
upon the condition that they should
become obedient to the laws of Moses.
When the Jews became disciples Of
Christ they did not consider those
laws Of less binding obligation upon
thems elves. Hence il was natural for
them to think that Gentiles should
take the same steps TO become Chris
fians as 10 become proselytes Of the
faith. But Paul saw more clearly. and
raised the issue that Gentiles might
not be forced into bondage to the cere-
monial law in order 10 be recognized as
Christians. The question was vital
one. and fortunately for mankind was
decided in favor Of Christian liberty.
Had the decision been the other way.
Christianity must have been a mere
sect Of the Jews.
The Question Submiited-T dis
cussion which made so much trouble
seems to us to have been about very
small matters. but the issue was really
important. for Christianity that
practiced all the Jewish ceremonies
could never have won the world.-The
argument Of the Jewish teachers at
Antioch probably depended on the fact
that the Jewish religion was COM
manded by God. and so must be OBJ
served by all who obeyed God.-The
Of the church in Antioch
were frankly on one side Of the ques-
tisn that was 10 be decided. but the
story they had to tell won them great
favor all along the way.
The Question Debated.-This was
one Of the few occasions important
enough to call all the leaders of the
church together.-The Questioning"
~ verse was the discussion among
those who took sides in the natter
Peters speech pronounced for the |
9 reatest freedom. pointing out that
the Holy Spirit had borne witness TO
the Gentiles. and that the strictest
Jews depended upon Gods grace
Paul and Barnabas added 10 the effect |
Of this speech by telling what they |
had seen; and then James gave the |
final word as presiding officer. The
things he insisted on seemed to him .
matter Of simple decency
The Question Decided The whole |
church took the final action with APP
parent unanimity. though neither the |
Jewish teachers nor Paul abode strict
" by the decision. II was com
promise to which they felt ". PSI that |
the Holy Spirit had guided them. We !
know nothing about Judas. but Silas
was with Paul on the next missionary |
journey-The letter first denies the
Of the men who had insist |
ed on circumcision. II next intro
duces the messengers. ccmplimenting |
the zeal and courage Of Paul and Bar |
nabas Finally II lays down the points
on which the Jews insisted. To eat !
things sacrificed TO idols was like taxi
ing part in the sacrifice: yet Paul with
IN few years upheld Christian liberty |
in this matter (Rom. 14:13-l5: Cor.
s:1-s). BLOOD" was sometimes used |
directly as food. and the Jews were
careful TO have all blood removed from
meat before 1t was eaten: while |
''things strangled" were forbidden.
because the blood was left in the body. |
as distinguished from
adultery. was considered no special
disgrace. This last point is the only /
one Of those mentioned on which
-hristian morality now insists.-The
question had been so troublesome that
its decision brought great joy TO the
church in Antioch. THE omission Of
verse "A makes IL appear that Silas
went 10 Jerusalem 10 report and then
returned to Antioch.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
v~.-. o., he cont apfeI md vnvr