The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-07-09
The Philippian
Jailer
Sunday School Lesion for July II, 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

~ ~ w. Os ~ oRthe |
period as our last lesson.
PLACE.-At Philippi in Macedonia.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
l. The Story of the Frenzied Girl.
Her Mental and Physical Trouble.
Paul's Faith. Her Deliverence.-ys.
1918. The missionaries frequently
went from Lydia's house within the
city to the place OF prayer beyond the
walls by the river side. On several
occasions they met in the streets
"a . damsel possessed with a
spirit Of %divination." This girl gave
forth strange utterances and hysteri.
cal cries in her frenzied condition,
which her masters interpreted as they
wished.
"Cried, saying, These men are the
servants of the most high Cod" etc.
She seems to have been impelled to
tell the truth, as some demoniacs were
In Christ's time.
But Paul, being grieved said to the
spirit" as distinct from It's victim. T
come out of her." and go way from
her, not to return. And he came out
the same hour"
II. The Missionaries Thrust Into
Prison; Their Faith; Their Deliver
ance.-Vs. 1926. The masters, hav.
ing lost their source OF gain, like the
makers Of silver shrines in Ephesus,
stirred up a mob in the city and
dragged Paul and Silas before the
magistrates. The charge presented
was that of throwing the city into o
fusion and anarchy by trying to o n
vert the Romans to a new religion.
The clothes of Paul and Silas were
torn off and the men were "tied up to
the trtangles, and beaten with the fog.
ging sticks" upon the naked body
(see Q Cor. IL: 20; / Thes, 2: p, till
their backs were torn by the merciless
blows. Why did they not escape by
means of their Roman citizenship, as
they did the next morning? Probably
the clamor of the mob gave them no
opportunity to be heard, and IL they
protested, their protests would be dis
regarded by the excited people. Then,
all mangled and bleeding as they were,
they we're thrust into the inner prison
and their feet placed in the stocks.
Songs in the Night.-25. Paul and
Silas prayed and san praises"
And the prisoners heard them"
This was the beginning Of the further.
ance Of the gospel through the suffer
ing of the missionaries.
&c. And suddenly there was a great
earthquake" This was the Lords
answer to prayer, whether it came by
miracle, or was timed by special provi.
dence. "Alb the doors were opened,
and every ones bands were loosed."
Either by the action of the earth.
quake, or by the same supernatural
power which produced the earth.
quake.
III. The Conversion of the Jailer. De
liverance from Sin and Death. Through
the Faith of the Jailer.-Vs. 27-34.
"The keeper would have
killed himself because by Roman law
he was responsible for the safety Of
the prisoners, and he would avoid oy
suicide the disgrace of an execution.
%. paul cried f. we are all
here" Thus saving the ~jailer's life.
for there was no longer a reason for
his committing suicide.
20. Called for a light" The Greek
is plural. lights. torches or lamps.
Fell down before Paul and Silas."
80. Brought them out" Of the In
ner prison. into the open court, or into
his own house. What was the j~ailer's
motive In asking, What must l do to
be saved?" The motive was a con-
30 -t~ ~ on~ar ~ nnnd
and of the goodness produced in Paul
and Silas by their religion.
81. Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved"
Saved from sin. from its punishment,
and to holmes and heaven. And thy
house." BY leading his family to the
same faith.
Nv. The Missionaries Released and
Sent on Their Ways. 35-40. The
next morning the magistrate, learning
what had taken place, sent officers to
quietly release Paul and Silas, as the
easiest way to save trouble. But Paul
knew a better way, and stood upon his
rights, quite as much for the good of
the young church as for himself.
They have beaten US openly, uncon.
demned," without trial. and legal de-
cision that they we're guilty according
to Roman law. 'Being Romans" and
exempt from stripes and torture. Let
them come themselves and fetch US
out"
SS. They feared. when they heard"
etc. The crime was regarded as trea-
son, and those who committed 1t were
liable t. degradation from office. con-
iscation of property, and perhaps
death. AS the result, the magistrates
a~pologized, and requested them to
leave the city. which they did with
dignity. and for the peace and good
of the infant Philippian church.
Had they remained, there might arise
useless opposition; while by leaving