The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1916-09-15
SUNDAY SCHOOL.

f@1 .Es-l1L
Lesson Fourth Quarter, For.
Oct. I, 1916.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson. Acts xiii, 1925.
Memory Verses, 20, 21-GoIdsn Text,
Jsr. i, 1s-cemmsntary Prepared BY
Rev. q. m. 8tsarns.
The chief captain, who with his SOL
diers. had rescued Paul from the hands
Of the mob, gave up all thought of
scourging him when he found that he
had q Roman citizen to deal with, and
one that was such by birth. for 1t had
cost the captain a great sum to obtain
his citizenship. Then he determined
to bring him before the Jewish chief
priests and council that he might IL
possible learn the aus Of all this up.
roar against this man Xxi. 27-3O).
Just q word about u heavenly citi-
zenship and joint-heirship with Jesus
Christ, which no amount of money or
good works can purchase. but can only
be obtained by birth, the new birth,
born from above Git. iii. ~; Ps.
Xix, 8, z: Zeph. i, 10; John iii, 5, s. y.
When obtained, then whoever touches
us touches Him whose we are, and all
the power Of heaven is ready to de-
liver us. If necessary.
Paul began his testimony before the
Jewish council by an assertion that he
had always lived in all good conscience
before God. This led to a command
from the high priest to smite him on
the mouth, which brought from Paul
some true scathing words. "God shall
smite thee, thou whited wall" Tor
which he apologized when he knew
that he was the high priest. He was
certainly not Gods high priest, except
in name, like the nominal believers at
Sardis, who had a name to live. but
were dead Rev. I'll. 1: lesson verses
1-5).
When Paul perceived that he had be-
fore him in the council both Phari-
sees and Sadducees he began a testi-
mony which o o set them one against
the other to such a degree that again
the captain had to rescue Paul from
their hands by force, lest he should
have been pulled in pieces by them
Evopcao q i'm Tho oonkofn nnuOk hovo
been sorely perplexed by this strangest
Roman citizen he probably yer had on
his hands. for this was the third riot
from which he had rescued him.
1t may be well to note here a simple
distinction in doctrine between Sad
ducees and Pharisees. the former be-
lieving In no resurrection nor angel
o spirit. while the latter are said to
have believed both lverse 81, but when
we recall what the Lord Jesus said
of the Pharisees in Matt. kill. calling
them hypocrites, serpents. generation
of vipers, on the way to hell, there was
no choice between their beliefs in the
light of eternity. They were all in the
same boat. In the same broad way to
destruction. oh, how they hated the
truth Of God even as they had hated
Him who is the Truth. and conspired
together to kill Him, which they final
" accomplished ACTS II. q. %: Ill, 49,
Is; ", 10; v. 1892.
They SO hated Paul and his testimony
to Jesus and His resurrection and a
full and free salvation without circum-
cission or any works Of the law that
over forty of them took an oath that
they would neither eat nor drink till
theyha killed Paul oversees 1914. q, 3O).
We are ure that they did not succeed
in killing him. and how long they fast
ed we do not know, but we remember
some words which are still true. HE
that stitch in the heavens shallAaugh,
the Lord shall have them in derision."
'sThe Lord bringeth the counsel Of the
heather to nought. He maketh the de-
vices Of the people Of zone effect"
'Take counsel. together and it, shall
come to nought" (Ps. Il. 4: xxxiii. 10:
lisa. viii. 10).
Now we come to a young man
story reminding us Of Samuel and the
boy whose loaves and fishes fed more
than 5000 and other young men stories
IN Scripture. We are also told just q
little Of Paul's family affairs and that
he had a married sister seemingly liv-
ing in Jerusalem, and this young man
was her son. We might infer from
Zech. Il, 4; Jer. 1. g. z; that both Of these
men were called to be the Lords mes
sengers as young men. Paul's sisters
son was certainly the Lords messenger
on this occasion to saw Paul from
these murderers. The result was that
Paul was started of to Caesarea by
night with an escort Of 200 soldiers,
200 spear1nen and 20 horsemen and q
letter to Felix, the governor. stating the
facts as far IS the chief captain was
able. The letter also contained a word
in Paul's favor to the effect that the
chief captain knew nothing against
him worthy Of death or of bonds (verses
22,3S). As in the previous chapter, the
best word to me was verse II. 50 It -
also in this chapter where we have the