The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1909-07-29
Close of Paul's
Second Journey
Sunday School Lesson for August I, 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper
LESSON TExT.-Acts lsl-a Memory

TIME.-From late A. D. 81 to early in
53 Paul was at Corinth a year and
six months.
PLACE.-Corinth. the political capital
Of Greece, the metropolis Of commerce.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
1. Corinth, the Vanity Fair of the
Roman empire. Corinth, the center of
government, commerce and business,
as Athens was of learning, literature
and art, was situated on the isthums
which Joins the great divisions OF
Greece. 1t attracted people from all
over the world on account of its de-
lightful climate. 1t contained a popu.
lation of 100000, of the most hetero.
geneous nature possible a population
of Greek adventurers and Roman
bourgeois, with a tainting OF NPhoeni-
cians--a mass of Jews, ex-soldiers,
philosophers, merchants, sailors freed
men, slaves, tradespeople, hucksters,
and agents OF every form of vice--a
colony without aristocracy, without
tradition, without well-established citi.
zens. Hence II suffered from demo
cratic license and turbulence.
g. Pauls Labors Among the Corin.
THAN Jews.-Vs. 2-6. 1. His Oppor-
tunity. This great city with its world
illness, and absorption in pleasure, its
vigorous and varied life, its infinite
needs. gave Paul a great opportunity.
And yet the difficulties we're so i'm.
mense, the obstacles so insurmount.
able that It is no wonder that Paul
came to them feeling his weakness,
and in fear and trembling Il Co. 2:3)
and needed the vision Of cheer ". 81.
2. His Four Friends.-Paul had
strong, social nature and felt the
value OF friends. He found a certain
Jew" Paul always began with the
Jews, as the best possible opening for
his work. He was a tentmaker named
Aquila, a man of some wealth, born
in Pontus" but doing business in
Rome His wife was named Priscilla,
and is supposed to have been a Gen.
tile.
5. In addition to these friends, Silas
and Timotheus came from Macedonia.
They had been left at Berea, when
Paul was compelled to leave (Acts II:
13-15). Timothy had been sent to
Thessalonica q Thes. g. 81, and from
Philippians AIS we Judge that he
had visited Philippi also Paul's friend
ly heart was cheered by their pres
| ence
The Circumstance in Which Paul
Worked. He earned his own living
| by working at his trade. He was thus
a living sermon, as II was Jewish law
that every boy be taught trade OF
some kind for his support.
2. He attended ". ~ "the syna-
gogue every Sabbath and reasoned
with the Jews" and Greek proselytes,
| determined TO know nothing among
them save Jesus Christ and him cru
Gifted Il Cor. 2;2).
4. He met bitter opposition from his
! countrymen. ". g. They opposed
themselves" The intensity and sue
| cess of Paul's labors kindled an in
| tensity of opposition. The result was
that the Jews ". 66) opposed them
selves, and blasphemed." That was a
sign that the Gospel was becoming a
power in the community.
III. Idul > NOlh AulOhB Tic WI
THAN Gentiles.-Vs. 1922. Paul's
Preaching Place was in the house Of
man named ". y "Justus, one that
worshiped God" a Gentle believer
in the one true God, but not Jew,
whose house Joined hard to the syna-
gogue." Here would be a perpetual
invitation to the Jews, while at the
! nI al
come to go there.
During this period Paul wrote his
two letters to the Thessalonians.
Renewed Opposition. This was
both natural and providential, 1t
was time for Paul to go on with his
wider mission which no one could car
ry on as we'll as he. But his work
seemed so necessary where he was,
and his vision had bidden him to stay
how long he did not know, that II was
necessary that some unmistakable
guidance should make his duty clear
and plain.
1S. After continuing for some time
longer at his work, Paul went to
Cenchrea, the port of Corinth, where
he made a vow and then sailed for
Cesarea, stopping at Ephesus on his
way. Thence he went up to Jerusalem
where only the vow could be consum
mated. Moreover he wished to be al
the great feast of the Jews, probably
the Passover. ". 21)
The Vow. The shaving Of the head
indicates a vow of separation like that
of the Nazirite prescribed In Numbers
6, in later modified form. The mar
under the Nazirite VOW was to drink
no wine or strong drink, and to let nc
razor pass over his head or face. The
hair was shorn at the beginning anC
end of the period, so as to present
that grown in the interval. At the
end OF the time during which the vow
lasted, his hair was shaven.
AS Kendall suggests. Paul may
have wished to show that although
he had broken with the synagogue a
Corinth, yet he was true Jew and {