The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-12-31
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JANUARY 4.

1vi., 22.sl-GoIden Text. Acts xv... 81
-Memory Verses, ,29-32-commentsry
on tho Days Lesson.
I. An evil spirit cast out Tvs. 1919.
The missionaries made their home at the
tinued to preach the gospel at Phiiippi.
They had good success, and in this city the
first Christian church in Europe was found
ed. But their great victories did not come
about without great opposition. There
was in the city o certain damsel who was
q fortune-teller, who brought her masters
great gain. This slave girl followed the
missionaries and cried after them. Paul
was grieyed because of this, aud command
ed the evil spirit to come out Of her.
And he came Gu; the same hour" ". l8}.
Why was Paul grieved! ]. Because her
presence was troublesome to him. 2. Be
lance with her. 3. Because what she did
was for gain and was a base imposition.
4. Because her state was one OF bondage
and delusion. 5. Because the system IN.
der which she was acting was then holding
q large part Of the pagan world in bondage.
ii. Paul and Si!as arrested Tvs. 1921.
After the evil spirit had left the girl she
no longer had power 10 make money for
her masters by fortune.telling. This made
her masters angry, and they seized Paul
and Silas and dragged them before the
magistrates into the market place, where
legal business was transacted. The Phil
ippian magistrates were excited against
the missionaries by the accusation that
they had attacked the religion OF Rome"
III. Paul and Silas beaten and i'm.
prisoned Tvs. 22-2I. 2. Multitude rose
up" An excited mob. This was done
-stk,,,t s,rx,, 81 l,,y IT,. u,.-
trates who were affecting such great zeal
for the law were among the first to disrc.
gard it. Rent of their Clothes" They
violently tore the clothes of OF Paul and
Silas BEAT them" The words mean to
"beat with rods" e Cor. II: 25). The Ro.
man custom was to inAict blows upon the
naked body.
%. Many stripes" The Roman pun.
ishment was not limited to forty stripes
save one" like that Of the Jews. -.
"a. Thrust them" All sore and bleed.
ing. "Inner prison." The dungeon, a
deep. damp, chilly cell, far under ground,
opening only at the top, without fresh air
". A great deliverance Tvs. Is. es).
S. Prayed and sang praises" Their
added to their pain; their position was one
of torture. Sleep was out of the question.
They passed the night in devotions. It is
a significant fact that the most joyous OF
PauPs epistlcs is that written to the
church at Phiiippi, born out of his expe-
rience OF suffering.
o6. An earthquake" Thus did God
answer prayer and prove His presence and
protection. No doubt all Philippi heard
the sound and felt the force cf the earth
quake. Doors were opened" etc. The
chains were made fast to the wall, and the
shock which burst asunder the bolts Of
the doors also released the fastenings
which held the chains in the masonry A
symbol Of the spiritual delivcrance they
were to effect for the heathen lisa. q: y.
v. The jailor converted Tvs. T-34). "a.
"Awaking." The praying and singing did
not awake him, but the earthquake did.
He evidently slept in full view Of the pri.
son doors. DREW out his sword" The
Roman laws transferred to the jailor the
punishment due to an escaped prisoner.
He decided at once to take his own life
and thus avoid worse fate. He supposed
that all in the prison had escaped.
%. Paul cried" Anticipating the Jail.
or's fear for his own safety, Paul raised
his voice to secure attention at once. His
purpose Of suicide was great sin. "All
here" Strange for a prisoner to be So
hcitous about his keeper. But Paul was
passionately trying to save men, and the
Who'll whole s gospel i , an appeal to men to do
%. "Called for q light" Which could
be carried in the hand. This care for his
welfare begat tenderness in the heart OF
the keeper. It was the arrow Of convic.
ton which had reached his soul. Game
trembling" Not for his life or his Office,
but for his soul. which he felt was in dan
ger of eternal loss. A moment before he
was ready to destroy his life to escape the
wrath OF man. but now he was eager to
find the way of life.
30. Brought them out" From the
inner prison. where they were confined in
the stocks, into the court OF the prison. or
into his own apartments, having. no fear
vinced that God was overriding all things
for them" "Sirs." The Greek word i'm.
plies an Acknowledgement Of great super
were now his lords" Saved" HE had
called for a light to look for his prisoners.
He now calls for the true light, to go forth
out Of his own prison."
81. Believe" etc. The sum OF the
whole gospel, the covenant of grace in q
few words. Faith in Christ saves us, %
because it is the acceptance Of Gods way
OF saNatlon Dy the atonement IN jesus, !,
t2) because it is the act of taking the
things offered to us by God; (3) because it
is the act of committing ourselves to an
infallible teacher and guide; az because
it unites us to Christ. the holy and perfect
being; (5) because it fills the heart with
love to God and to Jesus; (6) it makes
spiritual and eternal things real and ef.
as. "Spake unto him." Then they pro.
eeeded. more at leisure. to pour into his
attentive ears the history OF Jesus Christ,
to declare His doctrine, and to explain
what it WAS to believe in Him..
80. Washed their stripes" "Hc had
not concerned himself about their suffer
ing condition when he put them into the
inner prison. but now that his sins were
washed away his thought was to minister
to the needs of those who were instru-
mental in his salvation"
81. "Set meat" As they were the in.
struments of bringing health to his soul
he became the instrument OF health to
their bodies. "Rejoiced." The JOY that
filed the hearts Of Paul and Silas. making
the prison delightful place to them, now
filed the hearts Of the converted heathen,
and made their family circle the scene Of
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