Orange County observer., 1909-04-15
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LESSON 4lCOAI-.
NIENTS FOR APRIL ISL

MENTs FOR APRIL 49,
Subject: The Conversion of Saul Acts
0:1-30-Golden Text: Act, ga
Commit Verses Is, 16-tCom-
mentary on the Lesson.
TINIE.-A. D. 81 CD PLACE
Jerusalem, Damascus.
EXPOSITION.-I. Saul the MUIR
derous Enemy of Jesus, 1, 2. Saul's
intense anger against Jesus aid His
disciples was not matter Of a single
hour or day. The extent to which
he carried his hatred in actbn we
see in ch. 22:19; 1910, IL. In this
Saul had persuaded himself that he
was doing right (ch. $500. # is q
striking illustration Of how / man
who intends to be conscientious can
be thoroughly and awfully WRONG.
II. Saml TIE Hul1h;cd Pen;tbnt, g
0. The Lord allowed Saul I'd go
long way in his mad career. But at
the proper moment He put forth His
hand and saved the little folks in
Damascus. Probably Ananiab had
prayed. though he could hardy be-
lieve when he heard. The Lord often
acts suddenly" fhe light but of
heaven that shone around Sal was
the light of Christ's resurrection
'about noon" (ch. $3.50, AID the
ingly bright, but the glory pf this
was ''above the brightness of the
sun" (ch. 26:13). Our Jesus is ex-
oil or f-k ~
prosecutor is thoroughly humbled ".
d. There are many to-day who
speak great, swelling words against
our Lord, who, If they should get one
look at Him as He is, would fall to
the earth" before Him (Phil.' 2:10.
1D. Evidently, for all his zeal in
prosecuting the church. Saul had
many a goading thought that he
might be wrong, and Jesus indeed
the Lord (26:14, r. W.. A start
ling question ". ~. He puts it to
every one to-day who is prosecuting
His people. Note how tenderly Jesus
Identifies Himself with His disciples
(v. s.: comp. Matt. 25:3540, 42-45;
Eph. $500. What an awful mo-
ment 1t must have been in Saurs life
when it fully broke upon him that
the glorious One who stood before
him was indeed Jesus, whom he had
so bitterly hated and so relentlessly
prosecuted. What an awful moment
it will be for many now living when
they see Jesus in the glory. and real
ize that It is He whom they have
spurned and prosecuted. The light
Saul saw was no mere subjective WIS.,
ion or effect of sunstroke; the others
saw it, too (ch. 22:9), and heard the
voice. When we look at the original
the apparent contradiction between
v. and ch. 1919 entirely disappears.
In this passage ''the voice" is in the
genitive case, which with the verb
translated hearing indicates the
person Cor thing) heard speaking the
message. In Acts 22:9 "the voice" is
in the accusative case, which indi-
Gates the message which is heard.
There was no hurrying of Saul into
the light. 1t is not bad thing for q
man to have time to think and to re-
view the enormity OF his sin.
III. Ananias, the Obedient Disci.
pie, 1915. Ananias was simply "a
certain disciple" This destroys the
doctrine of the Mormon church (and
of many others) that the laying on Of
dA dpO0l1S uduuS was ASCGSSdIy "
receiving the Holy Spirit. Ananias
was a ready instrument to the Lord s
call. But when the definite direc-
tions came Ananias was staggered.
He quite overlooked what Jesus had
just told him about the change that
had been wrought in Saul. Saul, the
terrible, fills his whole vision and he
protests. Jesus enters into no dis
o1IC Wy hv
He says, and then He tells what Saul
Of Tarsus really was-"a chosen YES
sci unto Me-" How wonderful are
Gods ways, to transform the bitter
enemy into "the chosen vessel" Put
this former prosecutor must himself
suffer for the sake OF that name he
once hated. ThB, too, a gracious act
| on Jesus part to permit Saul to suf-
fer for Him, and to-day the suffer
ings that Saul once inflicted upon
| Christ are quite forgotten in the suf-
gerings he endured for Christ.
". Saul, the Bold Witness For
Jesus, 1910. Ananias protests 10
longer. Readily snd promptly and
heartily he obeys. The moment he
| sees Saul he tenderly lays his hands
upon him and exclaims, Brother
Saul" There were no men ON earth
that Saul had hated as he did disci
| pies Of the Lord. There was no mar
on earth that Ananias had dreaded az
he did Saul. But this was al
changed. Faith in one Lord ha6
made them brothers. 'And be filled
with the Holy Ghost" The Lore
had said nothing about that to Ana
MAS (v. 12). But the Lord had sale
''he is chosen vessel to carry M.
| name before the Gentiles," ETC., ant
Ananias knew he could not do tha
properly unless he was endued will
power from on high (Luke 24:49
Acts IA, 5; ch. 10:38). Saul dit
/. just what every man ought to do a.
soon as he is saved and Spirit-f1lle&
| (v. 20). There is no indication tha
Saul at this time received miraculou
gifts through being filled with tn
Holy Spirit. He took Gods word TO
1t that he was so filled, and wen
ahead, and the filling with the Spiri
manifested itself in the power wit
which he preached ". 22).