Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-04-26
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Ia the international serseu
for April 20, 19o2-GentiIes Rec
ceived IHtO the Church.
THE LESSON TExr.


the beginning, and expounded it by order
unto them, saying,
5. was In the city OF Joppa praying; ana
IN a trance saw vision, A certain vessel
down from heaven by four corners; and 1t
came even to me:
g. Upon the which when had fastened
mine eyes, considered, and saw four.
footed beasts of the earth, and Wild beasts,
and creeping things. and fowls OF the air.
Z. And heard a voice saying unto me-
Arise, Peter; slay and eat
g. But said, Not so, Lord; for nothing
common or unclean hath at any time en-.
tered into my mouth.
8. But the voice answered me again from
Heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call
not thou common.
10 And this was done three times; and all
were drawn up again into Heaven.
II. And, behold. Immediately there were
three men already come unto the house
where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me,
L and the spirit bade me go with them,
nothing doubling. Moreover these six
brethren accompanied me, and We entered
into the mans house:
To- And he showed US how he had seen
an angel in his house. which stood and said
unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for
Simon, whose surname is Peter;
II. Who shall tell thee words whereby
thou and all thy house shall be saved.
10. And as 1 began to speak, the Holy
Ghost fell on them, as on US at the begin
ming.
eth in Him shall receive remission
of sins.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURAL SECTION.
Peter arraigned. ................Acts IL: l. 3.
Peter explains. .........,,.,,,...ActsI i: ALI
Peter approved ..................Acts 11:1S.
Time.-A. D. 81.
Professionalism.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The GentiIes Acknowledged
h., i
to resist the evidence that God made
no distinction between Gentiles and
Jews, and hence baptized Cornelius and
his companions. But he had to face the
church, possessed of the same Jewish
bigotry, for associating and eating
with those who were uncircumcised.
The question had to come up as to
whether Gentiles could become Chris
tians without first becoming Jewish
proselytes. The incident at Caesarea
brought it up, and though the decision
was just, yet, as we shall find, the mat
ter was not finally disposed of.
Peter Arraigned.-The visit to Cor
nelius was probably the last incident
of Peters journey, and he went back
soon to Jerusalem. The news of his
action went before him and caused a
sensation. Some, no doubt, rejoiced
at the step forward which had been
taken, but others were disturbed at
Peters action. OF course, in the strict
sense of the words, all the members
of the church in Jerusalem were ''of
the circumcision" but the phrase is
used as result of the later discussions
with which Luke was familiar when he
wrote. 1t refers to those who regarded
the law of Moses as part of the Cos
pei rather than as an introduction to
it. They believed that no uncircum-
cised man was questioned, and the way
in which he had to defend himself
proved that he had no personal or Of
fetal authority to act as he pleased.
Peter Explains.-The history of the
way in which Peter was led to go to
Caesarea carried his justification on
the face of it. The fact that he was
praying when he saw his vision wasan
indication that he was actually di-
rected by God through it. The vessel
which he saw was very large, its cor
ners being held in the sky, while its
center reached the earth. The animals
which it contained were apparently all
of the class of creatures forbidden for
food by the Jewish law. Peter was
hungry at the time, and the in
vitation to eat must have been pleas
ant, but he was unwilling to eat I'M
clean beasts Gods answer to his re-
Spouse was an intimation that there
is a law higher than that of the out
ward form. God cannot, without max
ing the world over, cause two and two
to be five; but God can change at His
pleasure laws about food. As a mat
ter of fact, the Jewish unwillingness
to associate with Gentilea arose large
Iy from the fear lest, in such associa-
ton, they might, unwitting1y, eat IN
clean or defi1ed food. The meaning of
the symbol was made apparent when
Cornelius messengers came and the
Spirit especially instructed him to go
with them, overlooking his Jewish
prejudices. The six disciples from
Joppa who went with him to Caesarea
and to Jerusalem stood as witnesses
to the propriety of Peters action and
to the genuineness of the outpouring
of the Spirit upon the Gentiles. But
the greatest witness was the Holy Spir-
it. Peters concluding question ". ~
was unanswerable, as his strongest op-
ponents perceived.
Peter Approved.-The people who
''held their peace" were those who at
first blamed Peter for going to Gen
tiles house. Nor could any genuine
Christian. however loyal to the jew
ish law and however strong in his jew
ish prejudice, fail to glorify and praise
God for His mercy to the Gentiles. The
decision thus reached was not acted
upon heartily by most of the disciples
for good many years. But it formed
a precedent to which appeal was after
wards made; andit it possible for
those who were disposed to preach to
the Gentiles to do so from that time in
Antioch and elsewhere.
4 1xru.c ATro ACrr0Ec