The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-03-05
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
for March =. 19O3-PauI mt
Ephcxus.
THE LESSON TENT.
(Acts l9:l3-a0)

N'N'SNS' tooN upOH lHtTl 10 CAL over
them which had evl, spirits the name OF
the Lord Jesus. saying. We adjure yor
oy Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
II. And there We're seven sons of onS
sceva. Jew. and chief OF the priests which
Gid so.
10. And the evil spirit answered and said
Jesus | know. and Paul know: but whc
are ye?
10 And the man in whom the evil spirit
was leaped on them, and overcame them,
ana prevailed against them, so that they
nec out of that house make & an5 wounded
Il. And this was known to all the jews
and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and
fear fell on them all, and the name of tn,
LORD Jesus was magNiiied.
S And many that believed came, anc
confessed. and Showed their deeds
~ Many Of them also which used curious
arts brought their books together and
burned them before all men: anG they
countec the price OF them, and found II
5000 pieces OF silver
90 So nightly grew the WORD OF God ard
prevailed.
GOLDEN TEXT.-The name of che
Lord Jesus WAS maEn.Hed. - Act,
1O,17.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
Preaching in the name of Jesus Acts 1882
Adjuring in the name OF Jesus Acts 1896.
Magnlfying the name Of Jesus Acts l9:l7-.0.
TlME.-A. u. 81.
PLACE-Ephes,s.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
As usual, Paul began his work in
Ephesus with the Jews and prose-
lytes in the synagogue. Remember
that 1T was here tina, 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 Ephe sus, as on 9TH
er mission fields, Paul supported him.
self by working at his trade. When
Paul finally left the synagogue he
took a number who had become Chris
tians with him. Ephesus, like Athens.
had its scholars and philosophers
who taught sometimes in Il public hall
devoted to that use, and sometimes
IN their own private lecture rooms. 1t
is not easy to decide which was the
case here, for some of the ancient
manuscripts read, the school of w.
rannuS, as 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 n certain man
named Tyrannus. One of the manu-
scripts says that Paul used the build
ing from II o'clock till four, that is,
after the regular lecturer was through
for the day. The teaching day at that
time began very early and closed an
hour before noon. Ramsay rather
favors the second view, as probably
representing what Luke actually
wrote. Paurs work here continued
for two years, and Influenced the
whole province tf 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, wer',
a result of this period of Paul's work.
The work outside of the city was prob.
ably pushed by his missionary COM
paniops and by many native helpers.
"Strolling Jews, eXorcists:" The
practice of magic" socallcd, was
very common among the Jews in spite |
of the prohibitions in the Old Testa-
mcnt. 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 |
and evidently believed, from
what they had seen of Paul's work,
that the name Jesus was d magic word
OF unusual power. Tie experience of |
two OF the sons of Sceva, for only two
OF them seem to have been connected
with this incident, was a rcbuke to
such superstition not soon to be for
gotten.
Many also OF them that had be-
lieved:" Showing how general such
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 denzrius 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 will secure.
People still need 20 be reasoned with
and persuaded as to the things con-
.erning the Kingdom of God.
To invoke the name Of Jesus insin-
cerely is to arouse evil, no: to drive
( out.
The Gospel arouses the consciences