Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-04-14
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INTERNATIONAL LEssoN COM.
MENTs FOR APRIL1s.
=, 80. -. - s9:

n.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTs FOR APRILs1s.
Subject: The Conversion of Saul, Acts
9:1-so-Golden Text: Acts, 9:4
Commit Verses is, 1G-Com-
mentary on the Lesson.
TnME.--A. D. 81 CD PLACE
Jerusalem, Damascus.
EXPOSITION.-I. Saul the Muir
derous Enemy of Jesus L, 2. Saul's
intense anger against Jesus and His
disciples was not matter Of a single
hour or day. The extent; to which
he carried his hatred in action we
see in ch. 22:19; 26:10, IL. In this
Saul had persuaded himself that he
was doing right (ch. $3.50. 1t is a
striking illustration OF how a mar
who intends to be conscientious can
be thoroughly and awfllly wrong.
: II. Saul the Humble dsPenitent. b
o. The Lord allowed Saul to go
long way in his mad career But at
the proper moment He put forth His
hand and saved the little focks In
Damascus. Probably Ananias had
prayed. though he could hardly be-
iieve when he heard. The Lord often
acts Suddenly The flight out of
heaven" that shone around Saul was
the light of Christ'si resurrection
glory (v. II; 1 Cor. 1873 It was
"about noon'' (ch. 222s61, J, and the
glare of the eastern noon is exceed
ingly bright, but the glory of this
was "above the brightness Of the
sun" Och. 26:13). Our Jesus Is ex.
ceeding glorious. The stout-hearted
prosecutor is thoroughly humbled ".
~. 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,
III. Evidently, for all his; zeal in
prosecuting the church, Saul lad
many a. goading thought that he
might be wrong, and Jesus indeed
the Lord (26: r. VI A start
ling question ". ~. He puts it to
every one to-day who is prosecuting
His people. Note how tsnderly Jesus
Identifies Himself with His disciples
". 5; comp. Matt 25:S5s40, 42-45;
Eph. 5:30). What an awful mo-
ment it must have been In Saul's 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 lrelentlessly
prosecuted. What an awful moment
it will be for many now living when
they see Jesus in the glory, and real
ize that 1t is He whom they have
spurned and prosecuted. The light
Saul saw was no mere subjective yis-
ion or effect of sunstroke; the others
saw it, too (ch. 22-9 J., and heard the
voice. When we look atythe original
the apparent contradiction between
v. z and ch. %: 9 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 4the voice" Ia
in the accusative case, which ind1-
Gates the message which is heard.
There was no hnrrying Of Saul into
the light. 1t is not bad thing for a
udu u nave llluC " Ihlhh elao W ~
view the enormity of his sin.
III. Ananias, the 0bedient 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
an apostles hands was necessary to
receiving the Holy Spirit. Ananias
was q ready instrument to the Lords
call. But when the definite dlrec-
tions came Ananias was staggered.
He quite overlooked what Jesus had
Just told him about the change that
had been wrought in Saul. Saal, the
terrible, fills his whole vision and he
protests. Jesus enters into no dis.
cussion with Ananias. go thy way, !"
He says, and then He tells what Saul
of Tarsus really was-'sa chosen yes.
sci unto Me-" How wonderful are
Gods ways, to transform the bitter
enemy into "the chosen vessel. But
this former persecutor must himself
suffer for the sake of5thftt' name he
once hated. This, toe, 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.
Nv. Saul, the Bold Witness For
Jesus, 1910. Ananias protests Eo
longer. Readily and promptly and
heartily he obeys. The moment he
sees Saul he tenderly lays his hands
upon him and exc.aims, Brother
Saul" There were no men on earth
that Saul had hated as he did dlsci-
pies of the Lord. There was no man
on earth that Ananias had dreaded as
he did Saul. But; this was all
changed. Faith in one Lord had
made them brothers. And be filled
with the Holy Ghost" The Lord
had said nothing about that to Ana
Mas ". 12). But the Lord had said
"he is chosen vessel to carry MY
name before the Gentiles," etc., and
Ananias knew he could not do that
properly unless he was endued with
power from on high (Luke 24:49;
Acts IA, s; ch. 10:38). Saul did
Just what everylman ought to do as
soon as he is saved and Spirit-flled
". 2O). There is no indication that
Saul at this time received miraculous
gifts through being filed with the
Holy Spirit. He took Gods wora for
it that he was so filled, and went
ahead, and the filling with the Spirit
manifested itself in the PoWer With
which he preached ". 22).
fR4ls
The Good Grows.
How indestructibly the good grows
and nronagates itself, even among