The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-09-01
The
sundays School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR SEPTEMBER ~.

N~~O~~S' us Va 80 IL ii
sionary Journey, Acts 21:1.17-
Golden Text: Acts 21:14-Com.
NIT Verses IS, documentary.
TIME.-A. D. So.
PLACES.-Tyre, C~aesarea.
EXPOSITION.-I. Seven Days at
Tyre, 6. When Paul reached a city
he at once looked up the disciples in
1t. He longed to impart to them
some spiritual gift from. LID, and
to be comforted in them from. 1:12.
R. W. Any one who was a disciple
of his Lord Jesus was, because of that
fact, an object of Paul's tender affec.
ton and interest. Do all Christians
to-day in their travels keep a SHARP
lookout for the disciples of Christ in
the cities they visit, and hunt them
up, with eager love and desire to help
them?. A'seven days stay seems tc
have been quite the customary thing
with Paul (ch. 20:6, 7; 2S:14). Paul
did set foot in Jerusalem. Was the
Spirit, then. mistaken? ". y. Not in
the least. These men spoke through
the Spirit" i. 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 Spirits
teaching. Doubtless what the Holy
Spirit testified to them was what He
testified in every city, viz, that bonds
and Affections awaited Paul (ch. 20:
%; CT. VS.. 10-12). They could not
endure the thought. and so they put
their own construction on the Spirits
teaching, and put it int~ their own
words and said che 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-
alton we have in the Bible-that the
Spirit gives "the concept" but apos-
ties and prophets put this Spirit-giv-
en- concept" into their own words.
We see from this passage how unre-
liable a revelation the Bible would be
If this were the mode of its inspira-
ton. 1t Is not Il Cor. 2:13, R. ",
Am. App. When the Spirit teaches
US, we need to be careful to give out
precisely what the Spirit gives us, and
not our differences from it. or we also
through the SDirit," will teach error.
Paul had won the heart Of every man.
woman and child in the church of
Tyre. We are apt to lose sight of the
exceeding lovahleness of this mar
Paul, He was so much else that was
great that we lose sight of his gentle
winsomeness (cf. Oh. 20:37, 38l. One
can almost see that company of men,
women and children GROUPED about
Paul, all kneeling and all praying.
It was no empty prayer. That united
prayer doubtless got what 1t sought.
It brought down from God blessing
for Paul and blessing for the church
of Tyre. 1t always means much when
a company of true disciples Eneel to-
gether in believing. simple and def
mite prayer. This was a model leave
taking (cf. Oh. .20:36). The sixth
verse gives us a suggestive sentence.
Our earthly guides and helpers are
separated from u.s., but there are two
heavenly guides who always abide
with us Matt. 1870; Jno. 1915,
~. Happy is the man whose trust
Is in them and not in man.
II. Many Days in Caesarea, Tia.
These verses give US a glimpse of sew
eral very gifted persons in the early
church: Philip, his four daughters,
all pr~ophetesses, and Agabus. The
church had made Philip a 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
(ch. 1925, 80, 40). He seems to
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 a blessing FPS. 1875; 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:l7),
Paul in the very epistle in which he,
under the inspiration of the Spirit,
forbids women speaking under Ger
tain circumstances in the assembly
(1 Cor. 14:34), also gives directions
how women shall prophesy Il Cor.
l1:5). 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 1t when 1t is
cot true, and their prophecies come
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. Pauls
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, as there
was suffering on the way. Many
think that the path where suffering
lies cannot be the right path, but not
so the Lord (Matt. 1924; 2 Tim. 2:
-; 3:12). Paul's last journey to
Jerusalem was much like his Mas
ter's. The same clear vision Of Attic
ton awaiting him, the same dissua-
rjon IN the mart of friends.