Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-04-24
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lesson Comments for
April 70.
Subject: Pau's Journey TO Jerusalem, Ac 5
XXI, 3-i3-G Golden TEXT, Acts XXI, Il
Memory Verses, II, lz-COmmentary
on the Days Lesson.

3. LANDED at Tyre" At Patara Paul
found in a vessel bound over the open sea yea
to Phoenicia, a favoring providence y
which his course to Syria was hasteheu.
The $40 miles to Tyre was run IN ABOUT
two days. Here the vessel tarried 1of
seven days for change of cargo. j.,
4. Finding disciples" Here Paul found
a small company of Christian disciples,
with whom he remained in happy, helpfui
fellowship, ministerng the WORD; Wnen
in strange cities it is always well to looH
for and associate with the people OF God.
Should not CO." That is, if he had any
regard to his own safety or personal wei.
fare, or to their affectionate sollcltude on
his account. They were informed by the
Spirit that bonds and Affections awaited
the apostle at Jerusalem, but it was not
revealed to them as the will of God that
he should change his purpose to proceed
thither.
sc. Brought u.s." "Here is a beautiful
and impressive picture of the harmony OF
Christian communion and the strength OF
Christian affection" "And prayed" AS
at Miletus, so here, they pray before They,
separate. The meeting and parting OF
Christians should be seasons. OF prayer and
praise. "Taken our leave" While fare
wells are sorrowful occasions, yet among
tious nope.
7. Finished our course" By the same
vessel that sailed southwark thirty miles
to Pto,emais, the modern Acre. Here the
sea voyage ended. At Ptolemais Paul re.
NAMED one day with the brethren, and
the next day travelled by land the remain
ing thirty-six miles to Caesarea.
S. Philip" After a.silence of twenty
years, following upon Philips ministry in
Samaria and to the Ethiopian treasurer
(Acts 8: $40, we meet him at Caesareaa,
which had ever since been his home. This
seaport, built by Herod the Great, and
named in honor of Augustus Caesar, was
fifty miles northwest from Jerusalem, and
of the province of Judea. Zone of the
SEVEN" One of the seven deacons appoint.
ed at the same time with Stephen (chap.
6: 81. He should be distinguished from
Philip the apostle.
0. -Four daughters-did prophesy." The
house of the evangelist Philip became, in
consequence of the fulfilment of the pro.
phecy in Joel 2: IS, the honored centra!
point of the Christian congregation OF
Caesafea. His four daughters, who had
received the gift of prophecy and Of inter-
probation, furnish new and clear evidence
that all believers alike enjoy the privileges
of Christianity, and even the earlier in.
stances of the prophecies Miriam, Deborah,
ETC., prove that there is no difference in
the kingdom of grace between male and fe.
male To prophesy is to speak ito ediica'
ton and exhortstion and comfort" Il Cor.
IA: 81. Where these young women
preached, whether to women only, or in
private houses, or to public assemblies"
we do not know. The statements of the
New Testament clearly show that God calls
women the same as men to preach His COS.
pei.
10. "Many days" The Greek word for
many means some or several. They re.
manned longer than they at first intended.
Paufs desire was to reach Jerusalem IN
time for the feast Of the Pentecost, but he
had arrived at Caesarea earlier than ne ex.
pected. and now had more than week to
spare, which time he spent at Caesarea.
fore III: 27-30) as the foreteller of famine
in the reign OF Claudius. He comes now,
from the interior hill country, to warn
Paul of assault and arrest at Jerusalem.
In imitation of the excessive symbolic act.
ing sometimes employed by the ancient
Jewish prophets lisa. 20: 2; Jer. 10: /;
Eek. 4: u, this Christian prophet took
PauPs girdle and with it bound bis own
hands and feet. Using the prophetic form
of the Old Testament, ''Thus saith the
Lord" yet changing it to suit the new dis.
pensation of the Spirit, he cites the Holy
Ghost as explicitly announcing PauPs cap
ture and Imprisonment in Jerusalem This
prediction was fulfilled not many days af
ter.
IL. "Girde." The loose, flowing robes
worn in Eastern countries are bound about
the waist with a sash or girdle. Girdles
were quite large and made OF linen or leath'
er. 80 shall the Jews" etc. This pro.
phecy was not fulfilled in the letter, but
while the Romans actually put the apostle
in chains they did it at the instigation OF
the Jews ''Shall deliver him." etc. This
prophecy was strictly fulfilled in every par.
ticular. At Jerusalem Paul was delivered
into the hands of the Roman soldiers and
was sent back to Caesarea a prisoner. He
remained in prison at Caesarea about two
years, and was then taken to Rome, where
he was kept two years longer. During these
long years of prison life we hear no repin'
ing word from Paul. He is always rejoicing
his effort to comfort others. Some oil
Paul's best and most helpful epistles were
written while he was under bonds ard
chained to Roman soldier, but the wopd
of God was not bound. Out of our afflic
tions God brings blessing not only to our
selves, but also to other. Examples: Bun
yam in prison, John on Patmos.
u. "Besought him." The correctness OF
the previous prophecy of Agabus, and the
vivid symbol whereby he now impressed
this prediction, produced in the minds Of
the Christian disciples a deep conviction
Of the certainty of future evil to Paul at
Jerusalem. Under this conviction they
unitedly besought him not to go to the
place of danger. They interpreted the mis-
sion and intimation Of Agabus az a warn
ing given to avoid, and so avert the peril
But Paul understood it better. Long years
before he had learned from his Lord what
: great things he must suffer for His sake"
Experience had verified this word, and
made its meaning familiar, so that these
new, more specific and intense premoni
tions of coming trial, clearly intimated by
the Holy Ghost, carried their full weight
of meaning to his spirit.
1916. Paups companions saw the dan
ger, he saw his duty. Had they seen TO;
themselves the same duty and the same
cause, doubtless they, too, like him, would
have moved on to danger and death, for il
is company of rare spirits who are here