Middletown transcript., 1916-03-25
INTERNATIONAL,
SUNDAYSQlOOL
LESSON
(By E. o. SELLERS, Acting Director of
Sunday School Course of the Moody
Bible Institute, Chicago)
Copyright. 1915. Western Newspaper Union.D
LESSON FOR MARCH rs
REVIEW-THE GREAT MULTI
TUDE.
READING LESSON

and shall guide them unto fountains of
waters OF life; and God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes.-Rev. 7:16. II.
l. General information - Omitting
lessons 4, Z and IL, all of the past
quarters work has to do with the
early. the apostolic church, covering
a period of time from A. D. 80 to per
haps A. D. 81, six or seven years. The
chief events are the resurrection OF
Jesus, the coming of the Holy Spirit
the change in the apostles, particular
| ly Peter, the conversion and baptism
of 5000 believers, fellowship and won
ders worked among these believers, the
beginning of persecution, the selection
of seven deacons. Stephens testimony
and death. the dispersion of the Chris
tians the work of Philip, great growth
in the early church.
Historically these lessons have to
do with the things that Jesus began
and continued to do after his resur
rection through the power OF the Holy
Spirit. 1t is, therefore. story of the
power of the risen Christ. The prin-
cipal characters are of two classes "a
The leading workers. OF these are.
Peter and John, apostles; the 100 dis
ciples, Barnabas. the seven deacons
particularly Stephen and Philip; the
Ethiopian eunuch and Gamaliel, who
gave some friendly assistance. ~
The chief enemies: Those who falsely
accused the apostles, the rulers of the
Jews and the temple, Ananias and
Sapphira. Saul and Simon Magnus.
1t is not difficult to paint a word pic
turu of the events of the past quar-
ter. This may be done by assigning
to separate pupils such questions as:
Where, when and why did the event
of this lesson occur? To another pu-
Pill assign the task of telling what he
thinks the scene looked like, and to
still another to name the chief per
sons mentioned in each lesson. Let
these assignments omit lessons 4,
and IL, which do not chronologically
fit into the WORK of this quarter. The
remaining pupils should be primed to
supply any omitted facts and to cor
rect any mistakes.
l. The Coming of Power. Lesson /.
The ascension of Jesus is one that
shows US the risen Christ as the giver
Of the Holy Spirit and he is the All
Powerful One who has carried for.
ward the things Jesus began to do"
Lesson 2. This is very much the same
except that it suggests the man side |
of this transaction. AS the early dis |
ciples obeyed, they received. In like |
manner the Spirit is given today to
those that ASK him" Lesson shows !
what effect we may anticipate when
we proclaim the fact of the risen
Christ. Exalted at the Fathers right |
hand, he has received from the Father
the promise of the Holy Spirit, and
pouring him forth upon the church we
behold a powerful result
II. The Use of Power. Lesson 5
(omitting No. A. has to do with the
daily walk and work OF those who had
so recently received this newly be-
slowed power. Through his servants,
Jesus. by the power of the Spirit. heals
and makes strong the lame man at
the temple gate-a case of applied
Christianity" the power of practical
social service. AS a result of this
service Peter and John (Lesson g. had
TO give their testimony to
the rulers. the result of which con-
founded the enemies who thought they
had conquered Christ at Calvary-the
use of power in testimony. The fur
ther evidence of how this new power
was using men is that given in lesson
s, the Christian Brotherhoo3 at Jeru
salem. Into their midst Satan sought
to introduce deception through Ana.
Mas and his wife. but the Holy Spirit
was guarding and frustrated his de-
signs in order that the work of the
church might be more efficiently car.
ried on and that it's connection with
power through prayer and the minis
try Of the Word" might continue un.
lindered. We see in lesson how the
Spirit solves the question.
Ill. The Test of Power. Stephen
lesson 10) was one of those who had
been separated for the care of the
temporal affairs of the early church,
yet his testimony and martyrdon cas-
ly makes him more famous than most
If the apostles and forever exalts the
ayman in the Christian church.
One other (lesson l2) of those seven
leacOns. Philip, was also so signally
lsed and blessed that his name and
leeds are almost as familiar to us as
S the work of Stephen.
In the first case. this newly bestowed
,ower filled the witness with a calm.
less and courage that will always re-
main an inspiration. while in the sec.
nd illustration Fhiiip so gave himself l
o the direction and leadership of the t
ipirit as to go where he was sent:
nd when to human judgment his c
resence was essential to the carrying r
II of a great revival he obeyed the I
ew command and left the multitude r
D deal with single individual. Chris {
ianity is not mass movement" O
Jesus makes no reference to the
mass consciousness" and the Holy
pirit's power receives no greater or
lore far-reaching test than that which F
ad to do with its dealings with the
ldividual soul.
Each teacher should see to It that =.
ach scholar shall read these eight T
hapters several times, If possible. be- ?,
IRE the review occurs. in order that n
ley may see the quarters work as a #
hole. for it is indeed one story: the :,
.ory of the risen Christ winning rnen :,