The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1903-03-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Less~ ON In the Internatio nal Series
Tor Ataxch ., 18o3--Paui az
EphesuS.



THB LESSON TEXT.
(Acts l9:ls-20)
IT, Then certain Of tn vagabond Jews
sxorcists, took upon them to cAM over
them which had evil spirits the name oE
the Lord Jesus saying. We a61ure yvu
| " Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
~ And there were ssven sons OF one
sceva, . Jew and chief OF the priests. wnach
aid So
Is. Ana the evil spirit answered and said.
Jesus know, and Paul know; but VINO
i. Ana the man in whom the evil spirit
was leaped on them, and overcame them,
and prevailed against them. 20 that they
ned out Of that house naked and wounded.
II. And this was known to all tho jews
and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; ano
fear fell on them AL, and the name Of tns
Lord Jesus was magntded.
1s. And many that believed came. ano
confessed. and showed their deeds.
10. Many OF them also which used curious
arts brought their books together. and
burned them before al men; and they
counted the price OF them, ana found u
$4,000 pieces Of elver.
%. 50 nightly grew the WORD Of God and
GOLDEN TExT.-The name Of che
Lord Jesus was magntned. '- Acfs
4 ~ y
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
Preaching In the name OF JesaS. Acts 1s:e-11
Adjuring In the name Of Jesus Acts 1s:ls-1
Magnify1ng the name OF Jesus Acts B;l1-W.
TIME-A d. 81.
PLACE.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Az usual, Paul began bis work In
Ephesus with the Jews and prose
lytes in the synagogue, Remember
that it was here that the Jews had
asked him to stay longer when he
stopped on his way to Jerusalem after
the second journey. He evidently
impressed them favorably, and that
may in part account for the fact that
he was able to work with them longer
than usual before the rupture oc-
CURED. He preached in the synagogue
three months. In Ephesus, as on 9TH
er mission fields, Paul supported him
self by working at his trade. When
Paul finally left the synagogue he
took number who had become Chris
tians with him. Ephesus, like Athens,
had its scholars and philosophers
who taught sometimes in public hall
devoted to that use, and sometimes
in their own private lecture rooms. Il
is not easy to decide which was the
case here, for some of the ancient
manuscripts read, the school OF Ty-
rannus, Is in the revised version, fa-
voring the view that the building was
: public one, and called the school
OF Tyrannus," while others read with
the common version, the school Of one
Tyrannus, meaning of certain man
named Tyrannus. One of the manu-
scripts says that Paul used the build
ing from II o'clock till four, that "a,
after the regular lecturer was through
for the day. The teaching day 1T that
time began very early and closed an
hour before noon. Ramsay rather
favors the second view, as probably
representing what Luke actually
wrote. Paula work here continued
for two years. and Influenced the
whole province Of Asia, for Ephesus
was . great commercial center, and
no better place could be found from
which to spread the Gospel. 1t is more
than likely that the seven "Churches
of ASIA" addressed in Revelation, were
: result Of this period of Paul's work.
The work outside Of the city was prob
ably pushed by his missionary COM
panions and by many native helpers.
"Strolling Jews, exorcists:" The
practice of ''n1agic." eocalled. was
very common among the Jews In spite
Of the prohibitions in the Old Testa-
ment. These exorcists went about
from place to place, claiming the
power to work miraculous cures, and
particularly to cast out the demons
which in those days were supposed to
dwell in those whom to-day we should
call insane. They used charms Of
various kinds and repeated magical
sentences, and evidently believed, from
what they had seen of Paurs work,
that the name Jesus was magic word
of unusual power. The experience Of
two of the sons of Sceva, for only two
of them seem to have been connected
with this incident, was rebuke to
such superstition not soon to be for
gotten.
"Many also of them that had be-
heved:" Showing how general such
superstition had been in Ephesus.
"Fifty thousand pieces of silver"
These magic books, or rolls, made by
hand, of course, have always been very
costly. The pieces of silver were prob
ably denarii. and the denarius was the
average price Of days work. By
burning their books the Christians
put temptation behind them, and pre-
vented the possibility of returning to
their demoralizing practices, showing
their sincerity and their wisdom.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
The more boldly one testifies for
Christ the greater number of converts
he win secure.
People still need to be reasoned with
and persuaded az to the things con-
cerning the Kingdom of God.
To invoke the name of Jesus inain-