Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-01-11
gnternational gesspl'.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON III, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. 10.

h
Acts il. 47-Commentnry Prepared
by Rev. ID. NJ. Stenrns.
copyright. 1901, by American Press Association
81. Men and brethren. what shall We
do?" This was the cry of those VINO
having heard the gospel preached by re
ter, were by the Spirit convinced of theil
sin. the sin of rejecting Christ. Compare
the cry of Saul and of the Jailer IN chap
ters tx, 6: xvi. 80. when they, too. were
convinced of sin. This is the work OF the
Holy Spirit, as the Lord Jesus said
.When He Is come. He will convince tho
world of sin, because they believe not on
Me" John xvi, S. 81. Peter in the pow
or of the Spirit, or the Spirit through
Peter, had preached Christ from Joel IL
Ps. xvi and cx 1t might be said that he
gave q Bible reading from or an expcsi
ton of these passages from the Old Iesta
ment.
IS, There was only one thing for them
TO do, and that was to receive Him whom
they had rejected and confess it by being
baptized in His name. and they would
thus receive the forgiveness Of SINS ano
the gift Of the Holy Spirit. They had
thought that Jesus of Nazareth was an
impostor and deceiver. but they must
change sheir mind about Him chat is re-
pentance) and receive and honor Him as
Isracl's Messiah, the Christ Of God, the
only Saviour of sinners. See how Peter
by the Spirit, makes prominent the relnls'
sion of sins, us Jesus had commanded IN
Luke xiv. Al. The gospel that does not
proclaim the forgiveness Of sins is not the
gospel Of God concerning Jesus Christ
but another gospel concerning which Pau
says, Let the preacher be accursed
tGal. i, S. 0; ii Cor. ii, ~.
80. Our Lord had said, Him that com.
eth unto Me will in nowise cast out
John vi. 80. and He had prayed for the
soldiers who nailed Him to the cross
"Father, forgive them. for they know moi
what they do" and He had said to the
penitent thief, To-day shalt thou be with
Me in paradise" duke xiii. 81. 49,. So
Peter encouraged these whom he had ac
cused of killing Christ tverse 23) to turn
to Him, that they might obtain His for
giveness. The call is to every one. how
ever far off and dead in sin. to come, fol
Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners. and whosoever believeth in Hin
shall not be ashamed II Tim. i, 10: Rom
IL, SO: Y, III.
40. AS the Spirit gave him utterance he
set before them the grace of God in Christ
Jesus, urging them to come out from the
unbelieving and show themselves fol
Christ. He did not expect that all who
heard would believe. for he had been
taught by the Lord Jesus that. while
some seed would fall on good ground
some would also fall on the hard beaten
ground. some on rocky and some on
thorny soil.
Al. Three thousand. or about that mum
ber, received Christ by receiving the truth
concerning or by believing the testimony
that Peter gave Of Jesus Christ rs the
promised Messiah. who by the sacrifice OF
Himself made atonement for sin. who
having by Himself purged our sins. sat
down on the right hand of the Majesty on
high Heb. i, 81 and sent the Holy Spirit
who now brought these truths home to
their hearts. Faith cometh by hearing
the word of God. not by any enticing
words Of mans wisdom from. x. II;
Cor. /, II; ii, A.. and us the word Of God
is declared the spirit Of God works. Un-
less God works nothing is accomplished
for even Christ could do nothing of Him.
self John v, 80: viii, 2S).
AZ, 43. This great ingathering was, nc
doubt. one Of the greater works OF
which Christ had spoken John xiv. ID
and they proved their sincerity by con.
tinuing steadfastly in the doctrine. in fel'
lowship and in prayer John viii. 81
This was q genuine work Of the Holy
Spirit, q work Of God in the name Of the
Lord Jesus, and through one Of the weak
est Of earthen vessels: there was nothing
of man In it, The wonders and signs
were 1.-The Lord working with them and
confirming the word with signs following
(Mark xvi, 20). The great resurrection
chapter concludes with the exhortation
to be "steadfast. unmovable, always
abounding in the work Of the Lord" u
Cor. XIV, 5S), and it is our privilege to say
with John, "Truly our fellowship is with
the Father and with His Son Jesus
Christ" Il John i, -. Patient continu-
ance in we'll doing" (Rom. il, y is very
good summary Of the believers daily life
a. 45. "And all that believed were to-
gether and had all things common" In
this first gathering Of the redeemed from
among the Jews out Of all nations (verse
81 the Spirit seems to have so fully con-
trolled them that they manifested the
spirit Of their Lord and Master in so low
ing each other that they counted nothing
their own, but wrought and lived that
they might have to give to him that need
eth (Eph. iv, 2S). The leavcn. always
suggestive Of evil LEV. xiii. 1G. 10
soon began to work and to appear. and
all sought their own. not the things which
are Jesus Christ's. And many turned
away and loved this present world OF
sought pre-eminence in the church instead
of honoring Christ as pre-eminent in al
things Phil. ii. 81: II Tim. i. Is; iv, 10
III John 8; Col. |. 1S).
46. Continuing daily with one accord.
Whether In the temple or at home, there
was true fellowship and eiadnesS ant
singleness of heart. They were servants
OF Christ indeed. doing the will Of Goo
from the heart, acceptable to God anc
approved of men (Eph. vi, 6; Rom. xiv
1S). This was not their manner of life
one day in the week only, but every day
by the grace Of God. They were filled
with and constantly manifesting these
features Of the Observation-Disclosures
and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost
(Rom. xiv, ID, and God was glorifed in
them before the people.
Al. "The Lord added to the church
daily such as Should be saved" In the
revised version the word Church" Is
omitted. In chapters V. IA; xi, "a. it is
said that the believers were "added to the
Lord" The church is the body Of Christ
which began with these thousands Of
Jews and is still on it's way toward com
pletion, taking in all who will come from
all nations. The Lord Himself is adding
to Himself all who truly come to Him.