The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1909-04-22
THEGOSPEL
In ANTIOCH
Sunday School Lesson for April Is, 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

I
soon after the martyrdom OF Stephen, A.
d. &c. Paul and Barnabas were at An
tioch In some part Of A. ID. 43-46. The
famines occurred during A. ID. 43-48; that
i'm Palestine (Ramsay) in A. D. 46. The
visit OF Paul and Barnabas (Ramsay) to
Jerusalem was probably the same year.
A. u. 46.
PLACE.-Antioch. the rich and impor-
tant capital of Syria, 300 miles north Of
Jerusalem St. Luke was native Of An
tioch; so was Chrysostom.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
Having proceeded to such
upon the whole Christian body."-Cam-
bridge Bible. The disciples were scat
tered abroad" The Greek verb is
based upon the thought Of seedsowing, |
and indeed every disciple was a seed
of truth. May all Christians be such
when they go abroad. travelling either
for business or pleasure. The Jews
were like foolish children trying to
stamp out forest fire, and merely
spreading more widely the sparks and
blazing Goals. The disciples we're
driven "as far as Phenice" (Phoenicia,
the Mediterranean coast north Of Cali
lee), "and Cyprus" (the large Mediter-
ranean island northwest Of Jerusalem,
go miles from the Phoenician COAST,
"and Antioch" (the most northern city
on the coast. Thus the fleeing Chris
tians, following the track of coasting
vessels, went northward. d."-Rackham
II is easy even for the modern
church to conceive Jewish preiudices,
and feel that there is no possibility
of much good outside "our" denomina.
tion, or "our" country, or Our" race.
True Christianity, however makes its
followers realize that all men are
brothers for whom Christ died, and
that the most degraded nations and
races have in them me making of
saints and apostles.
V. 81. "a great number believed, and
turned unto the Lord" The reasons
for this were many:
/. The Christians who established
the Antioch church had been strength.
ened by prosecutions, which they had
met with unfinching bravery and
fidelity.
2. The very vices OF Antioch showed
the need Of a purifying gospel. and
doubtless many were disgusted with
them and eager to turn from them
The strongest Christians often grow
up amid corruption.
3. The people of Antioch were ener.
getic, vigorous, in the habit Of doing
things. The aggressive character OF
Christianity appealed to them, and
when they accepted the new religion,
they carried into It the same activity
that had brought success in the world.
ly enterprises of Antioch
T. But the chief reason for the
growth OF the Antioch church is given
in the text. THE hand OF the Lord
was with them" "The hand" is the
symbol OF power and of work Willing
Christians are Gods hands. Through
them God can easily accomplish what
would be impossible to their unaided
efforts. Here were a little group OF
refugees, poor, despised, pursued
Here was one OF the worlds proudest
mightlest, richest, wickedest cities
And the handful OF refugees so moved
upon the city that three centuries later
its greatest son, Chrysostom the gold
en.mouthed preacher, said that half Its
population were Christian.
V. 22. "They sent forth Barnabas,
that he might (1) learn the exact state
. OF affairs, since rumors, untrustwor
thy even in these days OF the tele
graph, were doubly doubtful then; (2)
2 encourage the new disciples; (3) war;
!. them against error, and (4) prevent
discord between the Jewish and Gen
!. tile converts, OF which the seque
q showed the real danger (Acts 15:1-25)
!, They might have sent a letter, bu
G face-to-face methods are always best
: V.2S. "A great dearth throughout al
o the world In the days o
o Claudius," the Roman emperor wht
g reigned A. d. 41-54. This does no
k mean "all the world" in our enlarged
a sense, but all the civilized world, tn,
a Roman empire; nor does II mean tina
|. the famine fell upon all parts stimuli
h taneously. That widespread failure o
harvests and scarcity OF food did occu
is "singularly well attested, consider
ing the scantiness OF evidence for thi
period. Suetonius alludes to assidua
sterilitates causing famine prices ur
der Claudius, while Dion Cassius an
Tacitus speak of two famines 4
Rome; and famine in Rome implie
dearth in the great corn-growing cour
l tries OF the Mediterranean; Eusebiu
N mentions famine in Greece, and an II
scriptlon perhaps refers to famine 1
Asia Minor or"-Ramsey. The famin
probably occurred in Judea A. d. 44-4'
~ Jossphus tells us that the Syria
y queen Helena OF Adiabene, a JEWS
e proselyte who was then in Jerusalem
% imported corn and fgs from Egypt an
T. Cyprus, which she distributed anon
y the people TO save them from starv'
III tion.
"a This account OF the Antioch churc
~ ~ Is a mirror in which we may view on
~ selves. Are we true to Christ ami
- trials and temptationsY Is our Chri
III tian fellowshin broad? Are we nra