The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-01-15
The SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson Comments For
January Is.
Subject: Paul at Thessaionlea and Berea, Acts
xvii, l.l2-Goiden Text, Psa.. llo, I0s
Memory Verses, z.4--commentary
on the Days Lesson.

I. Preaching in Thessa!onica Tvs. LAY.
/. "They." Luke changes from I'VE" to
"they" which shows that he must have
been left behind. "a synagogue The
Jews must have established themselves
in large numbers in this city; their syna
gogue appears to have been the only one
that existed in Northern Macedonia. No
synagogue had been built in Philippi, Am
phipolis, or Apollonia; the Jews who
dwelt in those cities possessed only a
place of prayer tActs TO- l3), and they
belonged, as it were, to this synagogue in
Thessalonica.
9. "As his manner was" To always
begin with the Jews. and not to turn to
the Gentiles until the Jews refused the
gospel, that their mouths might be stopped
from c,amoring against him because he
preached to the Gentiles. Three Sabbath
days" This does not imply that Paul
kept the Jewish Sabbath as sacred
day, but the Jews would assemble on that
day in greater number. This does not in
dictate the length Of Paul's stay in the city.
Reasoned" Here we see his method OF
work. In accordance with the Old Testa.
ment Scriptures Paul discussed with
them concerning the Messiah. First, that
according to the. prophecies it was neces:.
sary that the Messiah should suffer and
rise again secondly, that this One, name
ly. Jesus. is the Anointed One.
8. Opening and Alleging" Proving
by citations. His method seems to have
been this: /. He collected the Scriptures
that spoke of the Messiah. 2. He applied
these to Jesus Christ showing that in
Him all these Scriptures were fulf lied,
and that He was the Saviour of whom
they were in expectation.
4. "Some-believed- persuaded"
OF Jews, a small minority; OF the Gentiles
n multitude became Christians; so that
a; Thessallonica there was mainly Cen
tile church: "Consorted." Cast in their
lot with. They. cave to Paul and Silas,
and attended them wherever they went.
"Devout Greeks" That is. Gentiles who
were proselytes to the Jewish religion, so
far as to renounce idolatry and live a
moral life. "Chief women" First in
rank and social position; also proselytes
II. Paul and Sias accused Tvs. 5-9). s.
(Which believed not" These words are
not in the Greek and should be omitted
here. Envy" Jealousy" malice. ha-
tired, spite at seeing persons of rank be-
coming Christians, by which the Jewish
influence was weakened. 'HLewd fellows"
Vagabonds who hung around the markets,
serving for pay in mobs as in the present
instance. "Uproar" They began riot
with the mob they lad gathered. The
devil still carries out his designs by set.
ting souls as well as cities in an uproar.
Jason" With whom Paul and Silas
lodged. He may nave been one of Paups
not certain. The mob intended to seize
Paul and Slas and bring them. out, to
abandon them to the passions OF the ex
cited people.
6. Dragged Jason The Jews were
bent on carrying their case, and not find
ing Paul and Silas. they seized their host,
with some other Christians, and dragged
them before the magistrates of the city.
"World upside down. After having
made the sedition and disturbance the
Jews charged it all on the peaceable and
innocent apostles. They would have it
thought that the preachers of the gospel
were mischief makers, that they sowed
discord, obstructed commerce and invert-
7. "Hath received" The insinuation
is that by harboring these seditious men
Jason has made himself .partaker, in their
sedition. "Do contrary" etc. There was
as yet no law against Christianity, but the
accusation was meant to declare the Chris.
tans enemies to the established govern.
ment, and opposed to Caesars power, in
general, to make DEGREES. There is an
other king" His followers said, indeed,
Jesus is a king, but not an earthly king,
not rival OF Caesar; nor did His ordi::
Caesar, for He made it law of His king
dof to render unto Caesar the things that
are Caesars"
s. Troubled the people" They had
no i'll opinion of the apostles or their doc
trine and could not see that there was any
therefore, willing to overlook them, but
when they were represented as enemies
OF Caesar, the rulers were obliged to sup.
press them, lest they themselves should
be charged with treason.
0. Security" Whether by depositinS
a sum of money is not quite clear. What
they did was in accordance with the Ro.
man usages, and gave sufficient security
for the good conduct OF Paul and Silas.
They were doubtless required to pledge
themselves that they would not attempt
to carry out any plans of treason, and
that they could do, for the charge was
false, and they were not inclined to make
is true.
III. Founding the church in Berea Tvs.
go as condemned dsturbers, but because
it seemed clear that any further efforts
were useless at that time. Unto Berea."
Fifty or sixty miles southwest of Thessa.
lonica, a town even still of considerable
population and Importance.
H.. These were more noble" The
comparison is between the Jews of the
two places, for the triumph of the gospel
at Thessalonca was mostly among the
Gentiles. They were not so bgoted and
preJudlccu-not so peeVlsn ana lll-natured.
They had a freer thought, lay more open
to conviction. Searched the Scriptures
daily" Since Paul reasoned out OF the
Scriptures, and referred to the Old Testa.
ment, they had recourse to their Bibles,
turned to the places to which he referred,
read the context, considered the scope and
drift. compared other places, examined
whether Paups explanations were genu.
inc, and his arguments forcible, and then
determined accordingly.
y. Many of them believed" The nat.
ural result of honest study of the Scrip.
lures Honorable women" The gospel
was proclaimed to all, and each individ.
ual was left to decide for himself These
Greeks were heathens. or proselytes to
the Jewish religion. The gospel made no
distinction between nations, therefore, the
Christian church at Berea was made up
of Jews and Gentiles.
1915. As soon as the Jews at Thessa.
lonica learned that Paul was preaching
the gospel with some success at Berea,
"they came thither also, and stirred up the
people" The brethren then Immediately
sent Paul to Athens by boat, but Silas and
Timothy remained at Berea. As soon as
Paul reached Athens he sent back word to
Silas and Timothy ''to come to him with
all speed" but Paul did not remain long al
Athens. and before they reached him be
had oona IN m Cnrintt