The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-26
THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL LESSON.
April %, 1902. Acts XII, 4-15-Gentiles
Received Into the Church.

The world. all unaware of it. on the verge
of an extraordinary social revolution; bloodless.
indeed, but fraught with greater consequences
than the most sanguinary of conflicts; issues
reaching to nations then unborn, continents
then undiscovered. The whole human race was
concerned, while higher intelligences Were doubt
less interested spectators, and one at least a
subordinate participant
The strong and narrow prejudice OF the Jews
was not to be wondered at They could not cas-
ily tear themselves loose from the deep-rooted
growth of fifteen centuries. The law Of Moses
was of divine and, apparently. Of ceaseless OBJ
legation Its chiefest rite, circumcision, was
to be perpetuated in successive generations,
and a dread accommodation awaited those who
broke the covenant by its omission. The Jew
ish Christians could not rise in day to Pauls
altitude and exclaim, with him, Circumcision
is nothing.' There no explicit revelation
resembling the Mosaic law and ritual. and, in
the absence of this they believed it still in
force They looked upon the church as a sort
of annex to the temple, and believed that the
only way into the former was through the lat
ter.
If this error had been persisted in. ii would
have been an insurmountable obstacle to the
discipling of all the gentiles according to the
Lords command. The gentes would never, in
large numbers submit to the humiliating rite
of induction Jesus yoke could never be called
easy, if, to His simple and reasonable terms
of discipleship must be added the law and rlt-
ual of Moses and tradition of the elders an
insupportable burden which born Israelites could
scarce endure Christianity, weighted in such
fashion could never have become a worldwide
religion.
The hour was ripe for the apostolic church TO
be rid of this impeding error-to be taught that
with aeffu
off the Jew; that there a better circum-
cision than that OF the flesh: that believers of
every race were the spiritual descendants of
Abraham; that the church was not an annex.
but an evolution; that the vertable substance of
that which Judaism prefgured was al found In
the Church of the New Covenant, that the Mo
sale ritual circumcision and all. would, the
church expanded to universally. fall off like a
dry outgrown shell, from its back.
1t only remained that the most influential
mind of the church should be instructed by an
indescribably significant sign, and, in obedience
to the heavenly vision. find a purely gentle
candidate. and admit him at once TO full COM
munion in the church without circumcision.
Then. at length, the middle wall OF partition
would lie as fat as Jerichos towering battle
ments.
While these stirring events were Transporting
at Joppa and Caeserea, the church at Jerusalem
was in such a perilous state to make il very
sensitive to any added innovations. All that
staid continued persecution after the death OF
stephen was probable truce between Christian
and lew. the tacit understanding of which
a practical disavowing of the advanced teaching
of the first of deacons News Of what Peter had
done down by the seashore was enough TO alarm
the disciples at the capital What Stephen had
died for preaching Peter was actually prsctc-
ing Prejudice was also mixed with fear. max
ing the deadIiest of compounds. Sectarianism was
already alive in the infant church. A coterie
OF weu-meaning but mistaken folks pinned their
faith to an efTete ceremony, and were already
known as they of the circumcision" These
contended with Peter. The word has the
Of fervid ana dogmatic positiveness. There is
an unbecoming conteIaptuOusness in the phrase,
Thou wentest in unto uncircumcised'
Peters growth in character is apparent in his
calm. natural. dignifed bearing in this con-
fessedIy trying ordeal. 1t makes one ready To
call him already saint Peter. His reply
exactly ht-an unvarnisheo narration of facts.
supported by witnesses. The current prejudice
was in large measure. based upon Ignorance
Of the circumstances. Peter. in the in
genuous spirit. took away the pedestal on which
prejudice had erected itself. Its base gone. il
had nothing 20 do but to fan to earth. The
-y,sr,eIous manner in which the successive incl
a.nts ~ this epoch making affair inter
v,oven produced conviction that the hand OF God
WAS in II. The controversy at end when
peter cried out. WHIST l. that l should
Withstand Godg
The account is true 10 human nature when
A. describes the effect OF Peters defense The
auditory fell into two n7rfe. one remained 81