Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-05-19
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson VIIl.-Second Quarter,
For May %, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Aots XIV, 1-35.
Memory Verses 20, 2e-GoIden Text,
Acts XIV, 11-commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. Stearns.

by Rev. D. M. Stesrns.
(Copyrisht. 1902 by American Press Association
Then. as now, the whole world lay In
the wicked one, and to be a friend of
the world meant to be the enemy of
God, but from the world here and
there God, by His Spirit through His
servants, was gathering people for
His name the church Of God which
He hath purchased with His own
blood (verse ID; chapter *. 2S), a
people not of the world whose citizen
ship is In heaven, strangers and pill
grims here because part Of Him who
represents all believers before God.
He Is the only true center OF His
church, the heavenly center, but there
are many earthly centers, and at the
time Of our lesson there were two
great centers, Jerusalem and Antioch,
supposed to be In perfect accord. At
the former the apostles still lived, not
having been scattered abroad, while
the latter became the missionary CEN
ter from which Paul and the others
set forth on their missionary tours.
The apostles at Jerusalem were sup
posed to have the truth on all matters
concerning the church, as they had
personally known and been intimate
with that Lord.
Since the days Of Cain there have
always been false teachers, perverting
the truth, holding down the truth
and teaching everything but the truth
for various reasons-for self exaltation,
to please men, for money, etc.-but
sometimes blindly fancying that they
were indeed standing for the truth.
The following passages show them up
quite fully: lisa. XIX, IS; XXX. 9-12;
1er. xiii, Fl. 20; Eek. xxxiv, !. 2;
Acts Xxx, 20, 30; II Tim. ", 8, A; II Pet.
II, 1-3; Jude 4, II. The false teachers
Of our lesson insisted that no one could
be saved unless they were circumcised
according to the law Of Moses, thus
teaching that the finished work Of
Christ was really not finished or not
sufficient In itself for salvation, bat
needed some goodness or obedience on
the part Of the believer to supplement
1t. These teachers were believers Of
some sort Verse 81, but did not under
stand the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ (verse ~ nor the forgiveness
Of sin through His blood alone. They
did not seem to know that Abraham
was saved before he was circumcised
and that circumcision was q seal Of
the righteousness which he already
had by faith Rom. Nv, OLD.
There are many today who do not
believe that by virtue of the atonement
Of the Lord Jesus BE is made unite all
who receive Him wisdom, righteous
ness, sanctifcation and redemption
q Cor. 1, 30); that by the deeds Of the
law no one can be justified in the
sight Of God, but that Christ is the
end of the law for righteousness to
every one that believeth from. III, 20;
<, A.. Paul and Barnabas stood for
these foundation truths and disputed
with the teachers from Judaea about
them. but the church at Antioch de-
cided to send Paul and BarDabas and
some others to the apostles and elders
at Jerusalem about this question Verse
p. On their way they declared the
conversion of the gentiles as they
had seen on their first tour and thus
caused great Joy to all the brethren.
And when they reached Jerusalem
they told to the church there all things
that God had done with them verse A;
compare xiv, 20. 1t is indeed worth
while and soul uplifting theme to
show His wonderful works that He
hath done. to talk of all his wondrous
works, to declare His doings among
the people FPS. lxxvi,i, 4; CIV, 2; lisa.
XII, A.. All else Is forgotten as thus
we magnify Him and eIalt His holy
name
But we must attend the council meet
ing at Jerusalem, where the apostles
and elders and the church have gath
cred officially to consider the matters
about which the delegates have come
from Antioch. After much talk and
they settle down to business
more quietly, and Peter gives his testi-
mony concerning his visit to Caesarea,
to the home of Cornelius, and how as
they heard the word Of the gospel God
gave them the Holy Ghost even RS BE
had to the Jews at Pentecost. and he
urged upon the council that there Is
but one salvation for Jew or GENTLE
by the grace Of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Paul and Barnabas then de
clared the miracles and wonders God
had wrought among the gentiles by
them. James then summed up the
case, and the result is given in the
letter of verses 1920. This letter they
send to Antioch by Paul and Barna-
bas, commencing them for their zeal.
even to the laying down Of their lives
II necessary, and with them they send
Judas apd Silas to confirm the con-
tents of the letter by their personal
testimony (verses %, &c, 2D. They |
COllutlLH tuc ldloc bCaNuih6 anu oSt |
aside circumcision and the keeping of
the law as essential to salvation, and
they send the letter as not only from
them, but from the Holy Ghost (verse
2S).
Thus these messengers carried JOY
full tidings everywhere and great en-
enlargement to simple faith In the
Lord Jesus Christ. If the decisions Of
all church councils were as wise and
helpful It would be worth while hold
.2g them, but the greater number Of
them nowadays may be covered by the
first line Of verse and are too largely |
a waste Of precious time.