The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1903-01-17
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson In the international Series
" for january rs, 1003--Pan1 Mt
ThesknIonica and Beroea~

THE LESSON TEXT.
| (Acts H:11z)
| L Now, when they had passed through
| Amphlpolis and Apollonia, they came to
Thessalonica, where was synagogue OF
the Jews:
2. And Paul, as his manner was. went In
unto them. and three Sabbath days rea-
soned with them out Of the Scriptures.
3. Opening ana alleging, that Christ must
needs have suffered, and risen again from
the dead: and that this Jesus. whom !
preach unto you, Is Christ.
{ Ana some OF them believed. and con-
sorted with Paul and Silas; and Of the de-
vout Greeks great multitude, and Of the
chief women not 9 few.
8. But the Jews which believed not
moved with envy, took unto them certain
leWd Fellows Of the baser sort and gathered
company. ana set all the city on an up
roar, and assaulted the house OF Jason. and
sought to bring them out TO the people.
6 And when they found them not, they
drew Jason and certain brethren unto the
rulers Of the city. crying: These that have
turned the world upside down are come
hlther. also;
Z. Whom Jason hath received; and these
all do contrary to the DEGREES OF Caesar,
saying that there Is another king. one
Jesus.
g. And they troubled the people and the
rulers Of the city. when they heard these
things.
.. And when they had taken security Of
Jason. and Of the other, they Let them 60
10. And the brethren Immediately sent
away Paul and Silas by night. unto Berea:
who coming thither went into the syna-
gogue OF the Jews.
IL. These were more noble than those In
Thessalonica, in that they received the
word with all readiness Of mind. and
searched the Scriptures daily, whether
those things were SO.
12. Therefore, many of them believed; also
Of honorable women which were Greeks,
and OF men not few
GOLDEN TExT.-Thy word Is lamp
unto my feet--Pa. 110 s1O5.
ANALYSIS OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
Reasoning in the synagogue. Acts l7:1-4.
Dragged before the rulers. Acts. 1859.
Examining the Scriptures. Acts T:10-12.
Driven from the city...........Acts N:14-16
sTIME.-Winter and spring A. D. 81.
PLACE-Thessalonic ana Beroea.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Examining the Scriptures.-The
Jews at Beroea were exceptional in
their reception of Paul's message.
They were open-minded, ready to re-
ceive the truth, whether it conformed
to their previous opinions or not. But
though they accepted it with all readi-
ness Of mind, they did not do SO until
they had searched the Scriptures for
themselves. In searching the Scrip
lures they have set us an example.
1t was 100 miles over the Roman road
from rhilippi to Thessalonica. Trace
the journey. on the may. They passed
through Amphipolis and Apollonia,
perhaps because there were no syna-
gogues there. Paul had found that it
was best to begin work with the Jews
wherever it was possible, in spite of
the fact that some of them usually
made trouble. Thessalonica,- modern
Salonica, was then, as it is now, an
important city, and had attracted a
large number of Jewish traders.
"Three Sabbath days." This was just
the beginning of the work Paul prob
ably remained about six months, and
the majority of his converts were not
Jews or persons whom he could have
reached in the synagogue. but out-and-
out Gentiles. "Reasoned from
the Scriptures:" That is, from the
Old Testament. This would be effect
i've with synagogue audience, but
not with the Gentiles, who knew moth
ing of the Old Testament. Opening
and alleging" Ramsay translates,
"opening their meaning, and quoting
to prove that it was proper that the
Anointed One (the Christi should suf-
fer" etc. This idea of suffering Mes
siah was opposed to all Jewish ideas,
and contrary to the letter Of much of
their most precious prophecy, which
had told them of Messiah who should
be a glorious earthly king, and give
tie Jews the supreme place among the
nations. Paul showed them that they
had missed the meaning of some of the
prophecies, which spoke of just such
Messiah as Jesus, suffering and dying
for his people. "Devout Greeks:"
These were heather by birth, who had
accepted in part the Jewish faith.
The trouble arose probably after
months of successful work, the last
part of it mostly among the Greeks.
"Jews Jealousy" Paul was
winning men away from their ancient
faith; he was preaching the hateful
doctrine of crucified Messiah; he was
declaring salvation to be as free to un-
circumcised Gentiles as to them; in
spite of all they could do he was having
great success; therefore they were
Jealous. "The rabble:" Instead of
coming out and fighting in the open,
these cowardly Jews stirred up mob
of the riffraff of the streets to do what
they dared not do alone.
When night bad fallen, and 1t was
safe, the two missionaries, with the
help of their faithful friends, escaped
from the city, and, leaving the Roman
road, struck out in southwesterly d.
rection for Beroea, so miles away.
This city was probably chosen because
of its seclusion. Paul may have been
- Do~<oo cavarol rao,fbc Nafo all