The people's recorder. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1893-1925, 1909-09-11
The
Sunday School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM,
MENTS FOR SEPTEMBER IL.
Subject: Close Of Pnul's Third Mis-
sfonnry Journey, Acts 21:1.17-
Golden Text: Acts 21:14-Cmu-
nit Verses IL, 14-Com1nentarv

hS ooufHcy, ACTS S1:1-1T-
Golden Text: Acts 21:14-Corn-
nit Verses IL, 14-Commentary,
I1ME.-A. D. SIS.
ILACES.-Tyre, Caesarea.
EAPOSIT1ON.-I. Seven Days Mt
Tyre, @. When Paul reached city
ne at once looked up the disciDles in
II. He longed to impart to them
some spiritual gift (Rom. I'D, and
70 ne comforted In them from. 1:12
X. W.. ANY one who was a fliscin1e
or MS Lord Jesus WAS, because of that
iact' an object OF Paul's tender affec-
tlon and interest. Do all Christians
To-Day In their travels keep Il sharp
lookout for the disciples Of Christ in
the cities they visit, and hunt them
up with eager love and desire to helm
them! A seven days stay seems to
have been quite the customary thing
with Paul tch. 20:6, Z: 2S:14). Paul
did set foot in Jerusalem. Was the
Spirit, then. mistaken? (v.4). Not in
the least, These men spoke Through
the Spirit" /. e., it was what the
Spirit said to them that led them to
speak to Paul. But they were not
wise interpreters Of the Holy Spirit's
teaching. Doubtless what the Holy
Spirit testified to them was what He
testified in every city. viz, that bonds
and aff1ictfons awaited Paul (ch. 20:
%: cf. vs.. 10-12). They could not
endure the thought. and so they put
their own construction on the Spirits
teaching, and nut it into their own
words and said "he should not set
foot In Jerusalem" (R. W. There
are those to-day who would have us
believe that this Is the kind of inspir-
In
SDlrit gives the concent," but AMOS
ties and pronhets put this Spirit-giv-
an concept" into their own words.
we see from this passage how unre-
liable revelation the Bible would be
II this were the mode of its inspfra-
elon. 1t Is not Il Cor. 2:13, r. ".
Am. ApD.). When the Shirt teaches
US. we need to be careful to give out
precisely what the Spirit gives us, aud
not our differences from 1T. or we also
through the Snirit." will teac:, error.
Paul had won the heart of every man.
woman and child in the church Of
Tyre. We are mt to lose sight Of the
exceeding lovableness Of this man
Paul. He was so much else that was
great that we lose sight nf his gentle
winsomeness fcf. ch. 20:37. 3S). One
can almost see that company Of men,
Paul, all kneeling and all PRAYING.
1t was no emDty prayer. That united
prayer doubtless got what 1t sought.
1t brought down from God blessing
for Paul and blessing for the church
of Tyre. It always means much when
company Of true disciples kneel to-
gether In believing. simple and def
mite prayer. This waa model leave-
taking (cf. ch. 20:36). The sixth
verse gives us a suggestive sentence.
Our earthly guides and helpers are
separated from us, but there are two
heavenly guides who always abide
with us (Matt. 2S:20; Jno. 1916,
~. Happy is the man whose trust
Is In them ard not In man.
II. Many Days in Cuesarea, TIA.
These verses give us glimpse of sew
eral very gifted persons in the early
church: Philip, his four daughters.
all prophetesses, and Agabus. The
church had made Philip deacon
(Acts 6:1-6). God had made Philip
an evangelist. God only can make a
true evangelist (Eph. AID. Philip
had come to Caesarea in his tours
from city to city, some years before
have made it, from that time, a base
of operations. He was greatly blessed
in his domestic life. He not only had
four daughters-which~ would of it.
self be blessing Cps. 1885,; 1928:
3)-but these daughters were all
spiritually gifted. Some might think
that these children, being women,
ought to keep silence in the church,
but God evidently thought otherwise.
He made them prophets (cf. 2:17).
Paul in the very epistle in which he,
under the inspiration Of the Spirit,
forbids women speaking under cer-
tain circumstances in the assem- bly,
Il Cor. 14:34), also gives directions
how women shall prophesy Il Cor.
11:5). Agabus not only spake
Through the Spirit" but he took
pains to give the very words OF the
Spirit, and SO he got things exactly
right. When a man can truly say,
THUS saith the Holy Ghost" we may
depend upon the literal accuracy OF
his words. But many In our day pre-
sumptuously dare to say it when 1t Is
to naught. We do we'll to be slow
in accepting any mans claim to be
the mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit.
The history Of the church tells Of
hosts Of pretenders Of that sort. One
single failure in their prophecies Is
enough to discredit their claims, for
the Holy Spirit never errs. Agabus
did not tell Paul not to go to Jerusa-
lem, but simply forewarned him Of
what awaited him there. Paul's
friends, however. sought with ear
nest opportunities to dissuade him
from going where God was leading
him 1t was the Spirit who was lead
ing Paul to Jerusalem. Paul had
plainly declared that fact (ch. 20:
22). Yet these foolish friends would
dissuade Paul from going, us there
was suffering on the way. Many
think that the path where suffering