The Yale expositor., 1909-01-29
The Trial of
Peter and John
Sunday School Lesson for Jan. 81, 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON TExT.-Acts 4:5-2O. Memory
verses II. IL.
GOLDEN TExT.-They were all filled
with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the
word OF God with holiness.
TIME.-The same afternoon the last
lesson. and the following morning. few
weeks or months, possibly a year or more
after Pentecost
PLACEs.-Solomon's porch In the tenn
pie court; a prison; the hall OF the san
hedrim near the temple; a private room
In the city.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The miracle of healing the well
known lame beggar; Peters sermon
proclaiming Jesus as the expected
Messiah. and charging the Jews, espe-
cially their rulers, with the crime OF
numbering him, but calling on them
to repent and be saved; and the fact
that thousands became the disciples of
Jesus and joined the new, enthusiastic
community, all this aroused the lead
ers to put a stop TO this religion which
was turning the world upside down."
Cd The Jewish authorities found
that the new religious movement was
the installation of a new station for
the distribution of currents of influ-
entail opinion" and they determined
to cut the wires, and stop the flow of
the current; but the only results were
a shock to themselves, and more pow
er and more lights. (2) Fools! they
thought If they could but wiring the
neck of the growing cock it would
never be day. a
While these 5000 were all Jews,
they were something more; a new
stamp was on them (Stiher), a new
perfume, new atmosphere was
around them, new light shone in
their characters. They became new
forces in the world. There was some
such change in them as transformed
Peter and John. the fishermen, into
apostles who changed the face of the
world
The Comfort Of the Imprisoned
Apostles.-"The speakers went to pris-
on; their words took wings. and flew
20 the uttermost parts of the earth.
Here is a beautiful marvel. What vi
tally is in a spoken word! No won
son toll like slaves to put a thought
into perfect language! Who would
not be content to go to prison, or to
death, II he could leave something like
the Twenty-third Psalm or the Beati-
tudes, or the thirteenth chapter of l
Corinthians. as his legacy to the
world? Behind those prison bars the
apostles comforted themselves by re-
Numbering that they had uttered
words which would not return to Jesus
Christ void, but would accomplish the
work whereunto he had sent them
Charles Frederic Goss.
The hall OF the sanhedrim, accord
Ing to both the latest great cyclope-
dias, was within the temple court. The
sanhedrim sat in semi-circle, with
the president in the center, while OPP
posite were three benches for the
scholars Of the sanhedrists, who thus
practically learned law.
V. 8. Then Peter, filled with the
Holy Ghost" In fulfillment of
Christ's promise Matt 1919, 20).
Thus Peter was given courage to
speak the truth, and guided to the
choice OF the right things to say, and
the best way of saying them. This
was his first experience in speaking
before this august assembly, and he,
an unlearned fisherman may well have
quailed before such a tribunal with
such power over his fortunes, even
while he rejolced at the opportunity
to preach the Gospel to them. Peter,
filled with the Holy Ghost, is a thou
sand Peters: Peter multiplied by the
very Deity. Peter-a straw blown
away by the hooking wind, by himself
But Peter filled with the Holy Ghost
was man of war, a mighty captain, a
soldier not to be put down; clothed
with heavenly panoply, eloquent with
heavens thunder, gracious with heav-
ems love" "Ye rulers and
elders" Peter is respectful, but these
very titles imply that they should be
leaders in every good work, and favor
all that would help the people.
v. IL. This is the stone which was
set at nought of you builders"
Peter applies to the sanhedrim the
Psalm (1S:22), which he had heard
the Master use to a deputation from
this same sanhedrim. This symbolic
imagery seems to have been drawn
from one of the stones, quarried, hewn.
and marked, away from the site of the
temple. which the builders, ignorant of
the head architects plans, or finding
on 1t no mark, had put on one side as
having no place in the building, but
which was found afterward to be that
on which the completeness of the
structure depended. "the head of the
corner"-on which, as the chief cor
ner stone, the two walls met and were
bonded together.
v. %. On their return ito their own
company" they all joined In hymn
of praise, quoting Psa. 1866 and Pisa.
81, 2, perhaps singing the whole of
these psalms. Past deliverances of
Gods people gave assurance of tri-
umph now.
Erfandlv n. o .o..~- -.