The Tupelo journal., 1909-04-23
THEGOSPEL
in ANTIOCH
anaay School Lesson for April rs, 1909
Specially arranged for This Paper

LESSON TExT.-Acts ~11:19-30; 1925.
Memory verses %, 70.
GOLDEN TExT.-"The disciples were
called Christians first in Antioch. Acts
11:26.
TIME.-The Antioch church was formed
soon after the martyrdom of Stephen, A.
d. Sc. Paul and Barnabas were at An
tioch in some part Of A. ID. 43-46. The
famines ccurred during A. ID. 43-4S; that
in Palestine CRamsay) in A. ID. A. The
visit of Paul and Barnabas Ramsay) TO
Jerusalem was probably the same year,
A.. d. 46.
PLACE.-Antioch, the rich and impor-
tant capital of Syria, 800 miles north OF
Jerusalem. st. Luke was a native OF An
tioch; so was Chrysostom-
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
Having proceeded to such a
length, the rage Of the people turned
upon the whole Christian body."-Cam-
bridge Bible. The disciples were scat
tered abroad The Greek verb Is,
based upon the thought of ~seed-sowing,
and indeed every disciple was a seed
Of truth. May all Christians be such
when they go abroad, travelling either
for business or pleasure. The Jews
were like foolish children trying to
stamp out a forest fire, and merely
spreading more widely the sparks m
blazing Goals. The disciples were
driven "as far as Phenice" ~(Phoenicia,
the Mediterranean coast north of Cali
lee), land Cyprus" (the large Mediter-
ranean island northwest of Jerusalem,
60 miles from the Phoenician COAST,
"and Antioch" (the most northern city
on the coast. Thus the fleeing Chris
tians, following the track of coasting
vessels, went northward."-Rackham
1t is easy even for the modern
church to conceive Jewish prejudices.
and feel that there is no possibility
of much good outside "our" denOmina-
ton, or Our" country, or our race.
True Christianity, however, makes it's
followers realize that all men are
brothers for whom Christ died, and
that the most degraded nations and
races have in them the making of
saints and apostles.
v. 81. "a great number believed, and
turned unto the Lord" The reasons
for this were many:
1. The Christians who established
the Antioch church had been strength
ened by prosecutions, which they had
met with ~unfiinching bravery and
fidelity.
2. The very vices Of Antioch showed
the need of a purifying gospel, and
doubtless many were disguised with
them and eager to turn from them.
The strongest Christians often grow
up amid corruption.
3. The people of Antioch were ener-
getic, vigorous, in the habit of doing
things. The aggressive character of
Christianity appealed to them, and
when they accepted the new religion,
they carried into it the same activity
that had brought success in the world
ly enterprises of Antioch.
A. But the chief reason for the
growth of the Antioch church is given
in the text. The hand of the Lord
was with them" "The hand" Is the
symbol Of power and of work. Willing
Christians are Gods hands. Through
them God can easily accomplish what
would be impossible to their unaided
efforts. Here were a little group OF
refugees, poor, despised, pursued.
Here was one of the worlds proudest,
mightiest, richest, w~ickedest cities.
And the handful Of refugees so moved
upon the city that three centuries later
it's greatest son, ~Chrysostom the gold
en-mouthed preacher, said that half its
population were Christian.
v. 20. "They sent forth Barnabas,"
that he might (1) learn the exact state
of affairs, since rumors, untrustwor-
thy even in these days of the tele-
graph, were doubly doubtful then; (2)
encourage the new disciples; CD warn
them against error, and ca prevent
discord between the Jewish and Gen
tile converts, of which the sequel
showed the real danger (Acts 15:1-25).
They might have sent a letter, but
face-to-face methods are always best.
v. %. "a great dearth throughout all
the world in the days OF
Claudius," the Roman emperor who
reigned A. D. 41-54. This does not
mean ''all the world" in our enlarged
sense, but all the civilized world, the
Roman empire; nor does it mean that
the famine fell upon all parts stimuli
taneously. That widespread failure Of
harvests and scarcity of food did occur
is ~"singularly we'll attested, consider
ing the scantiness of evidence for this
period. Suetonius alludes to assiduae
sterilitates causing famine prices IN
der Claudius, while Dion Cassius and
Tacitus speak of two famines in
Rome; and famine in Rome implied
dearth in the great corn-growing coun-
tries of the Mediterranean; Eusebius
mentions famine in Greece, and an in
scription perhaps refers to famine in
Asia Minor. Ramsey. The famine
probably occurred in Judea A. D. 44-46.
Josephus tells us that the Syrian
queen Helena of Adiabene, a Jewish
proselyte who was then in Jerusalem,
imported corr and figs from Egypt and
Cyprus, which she distributed among
the people to save them from starva-
ton.
This account Of the Antioch church
is a mirror in which we may view our
selves. Are we true to Christ amid
trials and temptations? Is our Chris
tan fellowship broad? Are we prac-
tically helpful to others? Are we bold
to confess Christ, and able, in the
strength of the Holy Spirit, to bring
men to Christ? All this is involved in