Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-05-19
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'll'iea,y- School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON
5 MENTs FOR MAY 2S.
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON >..i.
MENTs FOR MAY as.
Subject: The Council at Jerusalem,
Acts 1915 Golden Text:
Acts 15:11-Commit Verses aS,
28-Commentary.
TNIE.-5O-52 A. D. PLACE
Antioch, Jerusalem.
i, EXPOSITION.-I. Except ye be
.rircumcised after the manner oil
Moses, We cannot be saved, 1-5. The
church in Antioch was getting o. ia.
mously, and the devil brought In
false teachers to upset the faith OF
the young converts. The main point
OF doctrine with these false teachera
was that it was not enough to believe
! on Jesus, one must also keep the law
OF Moses. The great controversy In
the early church was whether q man
was saved upon faith alone apart
from works of the law or whether a
man is saved upon faith and works OF
thefla The old controversy comes
up In our day in new form. 1t Is
Sabbath-keeping latter the manner
of Moses" that Is now insisted upon.
Three arguments were brought for
ward at the council Of Jerusalem to
refutes the legalizers: ID Peters ar.
gument. God has borne them wit
ness by giving the Holy Ghost to the
uncircumciseu as well as unto us and
has put mo difference between US
and them, purifying their hearts by
faith" Tvs. 8, 81. God In a similar
way to-day is bearing witness to those
who do not keep the Jewish seventh
day Sabbath. (2) Paul's argument.
God has wrought signs and wonders
among the Gentiles by US and thus
set His seal upon our preaching OF
salvation by faith apart from works
of the law (v. 12). (3) James ar
gument. It is according to Old Tes-
lament Scripture that God will take q
people for His name from among the
uncircumcised Gentiles as well as tho
law-keeping Jews Tvs. 1910. The
teaching of the Judaizers caused end
less trouble in the Antioch church ".
2I. 1t was wisely decided to submit
the question to the apostles and eld-
ers in Jerusalem. Paul and Barna-
has made good use Of their time on
their journey to Jerusalem. ALI
along the way they declared what
God had done among the Gentiles.
The story they told caused great JOY
unto all the brethren. Nothing causes
greater Joy among true brethren than
the story Of how men are converted
from sin to righteousness.
III. The Decision Of the Holy Ghost
and tho Apostles as to the Authority
of the Mosaic Law Over Gentle
Christians. 22.29. The apostles and
elders and the whole church took
abundant precautions to guard
against any Misrepresentation OF
their decision being taken back to
Antioch by the legalizers. They
knew the men they had to deal with.
Thus Paul gained his chosen compan-
ion of coming days ". 40). Good
had come out of the schemes of Paul's
enemies. The mode Of address used
in the letter is full of significance,
'fThe brethren which are of the Cen
tiles" Faith in Christ makes all men
kin. They were bound together by a
very tender tie, that of faith in a
common Saviour. Many American
Christians have not even yet reached
the point where they regard every
converted Chinaman or African as a
brother. The description Of the Ju-
.daizers is very striking and suggest
i've ". c4) There Is no way in
which the devil can more trouble be-
levers (anG especially young con-
yerts), or more thoroughly unsettle
(or subvert) their souls, than by
false words. These false words must
be met by words of truth (Col. 4:6) /,
and above all. by the word of God q
Tim. 3:13-15). The apostles en-
phatically denied all responsibility
or this pernicious and subverting
teaching. that men must keep the law
Of Moses in order to be saved (v. ID.
They had come to absolute unanimity
about the matter in question. 1t Is a
great thing when brethren who differ
can meet together and, study the
Scriptures together under the Holy
SPIRITS guidance. as did these early
Christians, and thus "come to one ac-
cord" The apostles and the whole
church bestowed very lofty praise on
Paul and Barnabas. 1t was well de-
served e Cor. 11:23-27). OF how
many disciples to-day could 1t be
justly said that they had hazarded
their lives for the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ? 1t was not their own
decision on this great question that
they were sending; it was the Holy
Spirits decision. They were per-
fectly sure of this ". 2Sl. 1t was
because they sought and obtained the
mind Of the Spirit that they were
able to. "come to one accord" 1t is
because we seek the wisdom of men,
rather than the mind Of the Spirit,
that we are so often at variance with
one another. The one who insists
upon the binding authority of the
Mosaic law upon Christians is oppos-
ing the Holy Ghost. Four points Of
the Mosaic law and no others were
adjudged necessary for the Gentiles.
There was great joy in Antioch when
the troublesome question was settled
(v. 31). There were two reasons for
this Joy. Painful division had given
way to pleasant harmony, and, more
over, the irksome bondage of the law
had given way to the joyous liberty
of the Gospel. There is always Joy
when one comes out Of the bondage
OF legalism into the glorious liberty
of son. Judas and Silas were much
used Of God in other ways than mere
ly settling this question. They were
Spirit-filled men and gave much prof
liable, exhortation and instruction,
confirming the believers in Antioch
in faith and life ". 32).