The Tupelo journal., 1903-01-16
THE LESSON TEXT.
(Acts 11:1-12.l

iuieis Oh lne city, crying. IHeSe mat nave
turned the world upside down are come
hither, also;
Z. Whom Jason hath received; and these
all do contrary TO the DEGREES Of Caesar,
saying that there is another king, one
Jesus.
.. And they troubled the people and the
rulers Of the city, when they heard these
things.
8. And when they had taken security of
Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
lo And the brethren Immediately sent
away Paul and Silas by night, unto Berea:
who coming thither went into the syna-
gogue of the Jews.
II. 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.
IL. Therefore, many of them believed; also
OF honorable women which were Greeks,
and of men not a few.
GOLDEN TEXT.-Thy word is a lamp
unto my feet.-Ps. 119:l05.
ANALYSIS OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
Reasoning in the synagogue. Acts 17;1-4.
Dragged before the rulers. ....Acts. 1853.
Examining the Scriptures. Acts T:10-12.
Driven from the ity...........Act II :l8-11.
TlME.-Winter and spring A. d. So.
PLACE-Thessalonica and 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 Philippi to Thessalonica. Trace
the journey on the may. They passed
through Amphipolis and Apollonia,
perhaps because there were no svna-
gogues there. Paul had found hat 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. Observation-Disclosures
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 a 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 hat the
Amounted One (the Christi should suf-
fer" etc. This idea of a 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 a Messiah who should
be a glorious earthly king, and give
the 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 a
Messiah as Jesus, suffering and dying
for his people. "Devout Creeks"
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. ba x-o Draoobipr +ba b,+of,1
doctrine of a crucified Messiah; he was
declaring salvation to be as free to I'M
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 a mob
of the riffraff of the streets to do what
they dared not do alone.
When night had fallen, and it was
safe, the two missionaries, with the
help of their faithful friends, escaped
from the city, and, leaving the Roman
road, struck out in a southwesterly di-
rection for Beroea, SO miles away.
This city was probably chosen because
of it's seclusiol. Paul may have been
in Beroea several months. Note all
the facts given in verses 1912 about the
work of the people. But Paul's enemies
were relentless and desperate. When
they appeared at Beroea he left i'm
mediately. The disciples seem to have
feared foul play of some sort, and part
of their number went with him as a
bodyguard as far as Athens.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
1. 1t behooved Christ to suffer for
our sakes and that the Scriptures
might be fulfilled!
2. The Gospel does urn the "world
upside down." but that makes it come
right side up.
3. Those of noble mind will be ready
to change their opinions when con-
vinced by searching the Scriptures.
The Gospel would soon reach all
men if we were as anxious to tell the
virtues of Christ as we are to pub
lish the faults of others. - Rams
Horn.