Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-02-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR FEB. s.
SECURED ExCLUsIvELY By THE
BANNER FOR ITS MANY
READERS
ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text of the Lesson, Acts Nv, S-21.
Memory Verses, II, 1s-Golden
Text, Cor. XVI, 13-Commentary
Prepared by Rev. ID. M. Stearns

The high priest and his kindred, with
the rulers and elders and scribes, be-
Ing gathered together at Jerusalem.
Peter and John, being brought from
prison. were placed before them and
asked, by what power or by what
name have We done this?" verses SD
Here was provided great opportunity
to testify again 10 the risen Christ.
and the witnesses were all ready.
Whether they had much or little sleep
In the prison that night we may not
know, but we may be quite sure that
they had communion with Him for
whom they were still on earth. And
now Peter. being specially filed with
the Spirit. is again the messenger Of
the risen Christ
The. Lord Jesus had told them while
He was still with them that when they
should be brought before rulers for His
sake IL would be given them by the
Spirit what TO say (Aath. x, 1920
and this was one OF many fulfillments
of that assurance See with what
holiness Peter tells this gathering of
earth's great ones that Jesus Christ of
Nazareth. whom they crucihed, God
had raised from the dead and that He,
the risen living Christ had made the
lame man whole verse 10). This was
the same doctrine they had been put
in prison for the previous evening, but
for this they stood fearlessly and could
not say otherwise. The reference TO
the rejected stone takes us back TO Ps.
cxvili. %: lisa. xviii, 16. and to our
Lords reference to 1t In Matt xxi. AZ.
But the stone takes US farther back
to Gen. Xix, "a. and onward to the king
dom Dan. II. "a, 35, AZ. We cannot
but think OF Pet II, As, where he
makes such full reference to the stone
and the stones With what utter dis
regard of their earthly greatness he
said to them. You builders can new
er be saved except by that stone which
you despisew VERSES IL. 12) How
could they help marveling at their
boldness? But was 1t not a little
strange that they should attribute 1t
to Jesus, who had been crucifed?
(verse 49,. Beholding the healed man
and knowing that Peter and John had
no power to do this. they must have
been In a measure convinced that
there was some truth In their testi-
mony concerning the risen Christ.
But 1t must not be spread farther. and
the name of Jesus must not be men
toned verses 1919. Filled with the
Spirit. they had no fear Of what man
might do to them ops. xvii. II, their
only standard was what was right In
the sight Of God, and what they had
seen and heard they could not help
telling even II they died for 1t oversees
10, 20. The messenger of God must
never consider the faces OF people nor
whether his message Is acceptable TO
them or not. But his motto must be.
mot pleasing men, but God. who
trieth our hearts" remembering that
IL we live to please men we are not
servants OF Christ der. 1. 8. IL; Eek
II, G.; fiji, o; Thess. II. 4: Gal. 1. 10l.
With threatenings from these men
OF power and importance from hu-
man standpoint. they were set free
and went to the company ,of believers.
who had no doubt been praying 70:
them, and reported all that the chief
priests and elders had said With one
accord the believers turned to God and
told Him all. but did not ask to be de-
ivered from further persecution. rath-
er that they might speak the truth
boldly regardless of consequences, and
that healings and signs and wonders
might be wrought I'm the name Of Je
sus Christ There are men in promi-
nent pulpits today who seem not to
know what the Scriptures teach con-
corning this present age and the COM
ing and kingdom of our Lord There
are others who, If they know these
things, do not seem ready TO tell them
for fear they might give offense to
some important (D people, and there
are still others who once did seem to
know, but now for some reason are no
longer valiant for the truth. Note
how these believers relied upon he
living God, believed His word, quoted
from Ps. ii and xxxiii, and, like Jere-
miah, considered nothing too hard for
Him who created heaven and earth
Ger. xxi. 10.
The words OF Ps. ii, which have had
many a fulfillment md q notable one
In the days OF Herod and PLATE, will
have their last and complete fulfllment
In the days before us, when under the
ant-Christ the kings OF the earth and
their armies shall make war with the
Lamb, but the Lamb shall overcome,
and the two great leaders shall be sent
alive TO the lake OF fire Qev. xvii,
12-14; xix. 10. 20). Every true child |
OF God should rejoice to be on the |
winning side. and. though the present
conflict may be severe and the enemy !
be permitted for a time to have seem
ing victory. let US continue to shout, |
The Lamb shall overcomer' See I'm |
verse 81 how heaven heard and an
swered their cry; the place was
they were all filed with the
Holy Spirit and spake. the word OF
Cod with boldnoso II ua wara ne Il