The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-05-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson VII II.-SeCond Quarter, For
May 10, 1909.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson, Acts xiv, liza.
Memory Verses 21, 22-Goiden Text,
Pc. xevi, 5--commsntary Prepared
by Rev. .. NJ. stsarns.
Copyright, 1909, By American Press Association
The record Of their visit to the next
city, Iconium, is more encouraging.
for, while we may always rest quietly
in the Lord, whether we see results or
not. 1t cannot but be a great Joy to see
many receiving Christ. We therefore
read with great gratitude that at leo
mum, as they spake In the synagogue
OF the Jews, q great multitude both Of
jews and Greeks believed and that as
they abode there long time speaking
boldly In the Lord He greatly honored
the word Of His grace and granted
signs and wonders to be done by their
hands. Yet here also unbelieVing Jews
and gentiles stirred up persecution.
and, being threatened with assault
and stoning, they fed TO LystFa, and
there they preached the gospel. Ey-
erywhere the carnal mind Is seen 10 be
enmity against God, and as the gospel
is preached some believe and some be-
lieve not (xxviii, 24). At Lystra there
was a case Of healing similar to that
Of chapter Ill. A man who had never
walked, being born lame, was made
whole, and the heather priests were
about to worship Paul and Barnabas,
thinking them to be gods from heaven
The people here were evidently very
fdolatrous and full Of the heather my
thology concerning Jupiter and Mer-
curry and other deities.
With rent garments Paul and Barna-
bas ran in among them, assuring them
that they were only men like them
selves and not gods and urged them
to turn from these vanities unto the
living God, who made all things Cverse
15l. Yet it was with difficulty that the
people were restrained from Offering
sacrifice to them. Soon the prosecutors
from Antioch and Icontum Rrrtved.
and they seem to have had no diff
Guilty in persuading these fckie people
that Paul was worthy OF being stoned
to death, which they accordingly did
and drew him out Of the city, guppos-
ing him to be as dead as he seemed to
be. AS the disciples stood roundabout
his dead body he rose up and came1nto
the city, for his work IN a mortal body
was not yet done. Whether these dis
ctples were new converts, a result OF
the recent preaching, or not, we are
not told, but we do know that on
PauFs next visit to Lygtra there was a
disciple named Timothy, who from
that time became Paurs most faithful
companion and whom he spoke of In
bis epistles as ''my own son in the
faith" my dearly beloved son" Ii is
possible that, having been well in
structed by his mother and grand
mother, be was led to come out boldly
under Paul's preaching or by witness
ing Paul's seeming martyr6om. like
TO think Of Paul's third heaven or par
adise experience Oh Cor. xii, la as oc-
curing at the time he was stoned at
Lystra. think it was 80 and that he
understood more fully then what he
had heard Stephen say about heaven
opened as he was being stoned to
death. ...-.
1t is possible for us all to have such
visions of God by faith that we shan
not mind very much the perDecut1ons
which VIII be sure to come IL we live
wholly unto God. The next day after
the stoning the faithful two went on
&Rent~ ~vvav 80 rowgpn opN Nr,a Anwmn -.
record OF Paul suffering IN his body
because of the stoning. The same pow
er that could in a moment dispe1 fever
and leprosy and all manner OF disease
and give health to body four days
dead could easily prevent Paul from
feeling even bruised by his severe
treatment. At Derbe they preached
the gospel and made many dtscipaes..
Perhaps the miracles at LyEtra of the
healing Of the lame man ana of Pxurs
being raised to life gave weight to the
testimony, for we know that the EnkS-
ing of Dorcas and Of Lazarus led
many to believe In Jesus We might
think that Paul, being now 90 near his
home In Tarsus and after all he bad
passed through, would want 10 visit
home and rest up Bit but instead of
this we see these two retracing theArI
steps through the very cities wherol
they had been so III trenked Without
fear OF enemies or thought of their
own comfort, but thinking only o6 the
welfare OF their children In the faEth-
So with prayer and fasting they
ordained elders In every ehurchJ
strengthened the souls OF the Disciples,
exhorted them tocontinue fntte faith.
assuring them that the way 70 the
Kingdom was through much trihula-
lion, and thnSpcommen6ed themst0 the
Lord. on whom they had believed
Having again reached Persa. they
now preach the word there and are
soon back IN Antioch, by ths grace Of
God having ful6Iled their Eninfstxy for
the present. 1T must have been with
intense interest that the church nc Ari-
tioch heard all that God had dona
with them and throagh them and had
given them grace to endura, and no
doubt there was much prayer at An
tioch from that time for the believers
at all these places. As PaurAnd Bar
nabas now abode long time at An
tioch, they would be able to lay thee
places heavily upon the hearts Of the
Christians. and that company OF be-
lievefs who have not on their hearts
come church or churches in other lands
are not as healthy as they might be.
The grace 0f God, the redemption that