Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-05-17
International gessoll.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LEssoNvlII, SECOND QUARTER,INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY 25.

Memory Verses, 40, 47-Golden Text,
Acts Kill, 3s-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. d. NJ. Stearns.
copyright. 1909, by American Press Asso-
ciation.1
2. Paul and Barnabas, speaking TO
them. persuaded them to continue In tho
grace Of God.
Crossing from Cyprus to the main
land, they arrive at Perga, where John
Mark left them and returned to Jeru-
salem. Thence they journey to Anti
och, in Pisidia, and are found IN the
synagogue on the Sabbath day, ana,
being invited to speak, Paul begins ut
the exodus of Israel from Egypt and
breaches unto them Jesus and the res
direction and through Him the Tor
giyeness of sins. After the service
many asked to hear those words again
the next Sabbath. and as they followed
Paul and Barnabas they urged them to
continue in the grace Of God.
A. And the next Sabbath day came al
most the whole city together to near the
word Of God.
The apostles had no doubt spoken to
many through the week, and those
who had heard the preceding Sabbath
had not been quiet about the wondrous
resurrection story and the consequent
great redemption so fully and freely
proclaimed. 1t became the talk OF the
town, and an immense congregation as
sembled not to hear the wisdom or the
oratory Of the apostles. but to hear the
word of God.
&. But when the Jews saw the multi
tudes they were filled with envy and spake
against those things.
Such manifest working Of the Holy
Spirit could not but provoke the adver-
sary to envy and blasphemy. Compare
Acts v, 33; vii, 81. If none of the re-
ligious people Of community Is STIR
red to talk against the preaching. 1t
is an evidence either that he is Won
derfully in sympathy with Christ or
that the preaching lacks salt I'll Tim.
iii, 12; Col. ", g.. There are not many
who are willing to endure sound doc
trine QI Tim. iv, 81.
Is. It was necessary that the word or
God should first have been spoken TO you;
but seeing ye put IT from you and Judge
yourselves unworthy Of everlasting life, 10,
we turn to the gentiles.
To the Jew first, then to the gentfles,
was the principle acted upon in all
apostolic preaching (Acts iii. &c; Rom.
1, 16). Man has the power Of receiving
or putting from him this great gift Of
everlasting life which God has provid-
ed at such infinite cost.
Al. 1 have set thee to be a light Of the
gentiles that thou shouldest be for saliva
ton unto the ends Of the earth.
Paul's commission was to bear the
name Of the Lord not only before the
children Of Israel, but before the gen.
tiles (Acts TX, 15), and he quotes from
lisa. xix, 6. concerning Israel's Mes
siah, called the Servant Of the Lord.
While the mystery Of the church Is
not clearly revealed in the Old Testa-
ment (Eph. iii, 5. g.. the calling Of the
gentle nations after Israel shall have
been converted is an oft repeated fact
and yet Paul gathers from this passage
something concerning his mission to
the gentiles.
49, And when the gentiles heard this
they were glad and glorifled the word of
the Lord. and as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed.
The gentiles gave heed to the mes
sage. and by receiving the word of the
Lord they glorified it and were made
glad in Him whom they thus received.
In this age not all are given to Christ,
but all who are given shall come, and
whosoever will may come, with the as
surance that none who come will be
cast out John vi, 81; Rev. xii, 10.
This is the time Of salvation for the
elect church, after which shall come
the salvation of all Israel and then of
all nations.
4s. And the word Of the Lord was pub
lished throughout all the region.
This Is the work and the privilege of
every redeemed one, for 1t is written,
"Let him that heareth say come" And
If we have received the gospel for our
selves it is not for ourselves only, but
we have been intrusted with the mes
sage that others through us may hear
1t also. and to oil who have not yet
heard we are debtors and should say,
"As much as in me Is l am ready to
give them the gospel Rev. xxi. II;
I Thess. ii. 4; Rom. /, IA, 15).
Co. But the Jews stirred up the devout
and honorable women and the chief men
Of the city and raised persecution against
Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out
Of their coasts.
Was it for this the Spirit sent them
forth? Did He know that they would
be thus rejected and Ill treated? Yes,
perfectly did He know it all, and even
our Lord Himself told them before He
died that they would be put out Of the
synagogueg and killed for His sake,
and they must not be offended nor
afraid John xvi. l, 2; Matt. K, 2S).
81. But they shook off the dust Of their
feet against them and came unto Iconium.
Compare chapter xviii, G. and see
their instructions in Mark II, IL; Luke
*, 5. 1t Is our glorious privilege TO
proclaim the glad tidings. to make
known the love of God, to offer to all
in His name eternal redemption
through the blood Of Christ. knowing
that as we do so in reliance upon the
Holy Spirit His word will never re-
turn to Him void.
g. And the disciples were filled with Joy
and with the Holy Ghost.
All that we are called upon to bear
for the sake of Christ and His truth
should be borne cheerfully, for He has