Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-05-12
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Acts xiv, 1-2s.
Memory Verses Fl, 22-oelden Text,
Pc. xevi, 5-commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. Stsarns.

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 Lystra, and
there they preached the gospel. Ev-
erywhere the carnal mind is seen to 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 Iii. 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
Molatrous 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 (verse
15). Yet 1t was with difficulty that the
people were restrained from offering
sacrifice to them. Soon the prosecutors
from Antioch and Iconium arrived,
and they seem to have had no diff
Guilty In persuading these tickle people
that Paul was worthy Of being stoned
to death, which they accordingly did
and drew him out Of the city, suppes-
ing him to be as dead as he seemed to
be. As the disciples stood roundabout
his dead body he rose up and came into
the city, for his work in mortal body
was not yet done. Whether these dis
ciples were new converts, result Of
the recent preaching, or not, we are
not told, but we do know that on
Paul's next visit to Lystra there was a
disciple named Timothy, who from
that time became Paups most faithful
companion and whom he spoke Of in
his epistles as "my own son in the
faith" my dearly beloved son." 1t is
possible that, having been well In
structed by his mother and grand
mother, he was led to come out boldly
under Paul's preaching or by witness
ing Paul's seeming martyrdom. like
to think Of Paul's third heaven or par
adise experience Oh Cor. xii, Ia as oc-
curing at the time he was stoned at
Lystra. think it was so 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 shall
not mind very much the prosecutions
which will be sure to come II we live
wholly unto God. The next day after
the stoning the faithful two went on
their way to Derbe, and we have no
record Of Paul suffering in his body
because Of the stoning. The same pow
er that could in moment dispel 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 disciples.
Perhaps the miracles at Lystra OF the
healing Of the lame man and OF PauPs
being raised to life gave weight to the
testimony, for we know that the rails
ing Of Dorcas and Of Lazarus led
many to believe in Jesus. We might
think that Paul. being now so near his
home In Tarsus and after all he had
passed through, would want to visit
home and rest up q bit, but instead OF
this we see these two retracing their
steps through the very cities where
they had been SO Ill treated without
fear of enemies or thought Of their
own comfort, but thinking only OF the
welfare Of their children In the faith.
So with prayer and fasting they
ordained elders in every church.
strengthened the souls Of the disciples,
exhorted them to continue in the faith.
assuring them that the way to the
kingdom was through much tribula-
ton, and thus commended them to the
Lord, on whom they had believed.
Having. again reached Perga, they
now preach the word there and are
soon back in Antioch, by the grace OF
God having fulfilled their ministry for
the present. 1t must have been with
intense interest that the church at An
tioch heard all that God had done
with them and through them and had
given them grace to endure, and no
doubt there was much prayer at An
tioch from that time for the believers
at all these places. AS Paul and Bar
nabas now abode long time at An
tioch, they would be able 10 lay these
places heavily upon the hearts Of the
Christians, and that company OF be-
levers who have not on their hearts
some church or churches In other lands
are not as healthy as they might be.
The grace Of God, the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus, fits us for the pres
snce Of God, but tribulati0n is neces-
sary to ft US for our place In the king
dom Of God as kings and priests.