The Green Forest tribune., 1916-02-04

Jerusalem. In our lesson of last Sun day we had the story of Peter and John dealing with the lame man while on their way to the temple. Follow ing this experience they were lm- prisoned, the first imprisonment men toned for any ot those who accepted | the Gospel. AS the disciples were dealing with the multitude the rulers { Of the temple came upon them and | were much put out (v. 9 that the dis ciples should preach the resurrection | of Jesus from the dead. The signiti- canoe ot this i3 better understood | when we remember that the Jewish | Sanhedrin was the great court of Jew ish law composed of seventy-one lead. | ing men of the nation. Caiaphas, the | noble high priest by Roman appoint l ment, and Annas, the real high priest | according to Jewish law, were both | there. This body was largely made up of the Sadducees, the sect which | from the dead.
 |. The Imprisonment, w. IA. Pe- | ter and John being brought before this tribunal were fulfilling literally the i prediction of Jesus (Matt. 10:17). The attempt on the part of the rulers to prevent the preaching of the Gospel 1 by this method really augmented it's being heard throughout the nation. Peter had seen this body of men on the night when our Lord was con- demned.
 II. The Trial, w. 5-22. CD Peters words wy. 5-12. Jewish wonder-work- CTS were accustomed to perform mar vels by the use of some name, so the council very naturally asked Peter and John "In what name" they had healed this man. The real object of their question was their attempt to en- trap the disciples and find a basis of accusation and condemnation. But at that moment the Holy Spirit came again upon Peter and filled him (Matt. ] 10:19, 20: also Luke 12:11, F; Acts 1 13:8, 9. The coming of the Holy Spirit is for every emergency Of the Christian Peter had been filled with that Spirit at Pentecost and was again filled little later on (chapter 2:3f. ThuJ we see that the coming of the Spirit is not once for ell, though Pen tecost was once for all, but that the filling is repeated as each new emer- geney may arise. (a) Peter acknoWl edged the authority of those who were dealing with him (y. 8, but (b) he gave Jesus credit (v. 10). It was Je- sus who had died, he was also risen, and the risen Christ had effected this miracle. (c.) Turning upon his &C., accusers Peter charged them with the death of Jesus. He (v. ID is the foundation of their miracle and their faith Peter claimed that in Jesus alone (v. 12) could salvation be found, and implied (see last clause ot this verse; that his accusers were lost men. Peters department iii all of this is wonderfully skillful, gentle and courteous, yet bold, fearless, frank and outspoken. We need to remem. Der this when we recall how blunder- 1ngly Peter had conducted his conver- sation before his enduement by the Holy Spirit There was no compro- missing of the truth and no glossing over their guilt
 III. The Result Upon the Disciples, w. 1922. The book Of Acts is plain ly the record of the delft utterances of spiritual men. Peter had closed his appeal (v. 12) with the statement that the only way we could be saved must be through this means. The council were i'll dilemma; they wanted to punish Peter and John, but could not, for the people were glori- flying God for what had been done Peter and John declared thus fear Iessly that the teachings of the schools was not in accordance with that, for had dot Jesus risen, and had not this miracle been performed? The Holy Ghosts boldness Tn these untu- tored men has always been a perplex. ity to the scholastics Of the world. Their boldness was due to a sense of Gods nearness and carried with it a like sense of their responsibility to him (see w. 19, 20).
 The only solution. on the part of the people and of the priests, was they took knowledge that these men have been with Jesus" This is the solu tfon of many mysteries of today.
 Companionship with Jesus makes ordinary men extraordinary.
 The Sanhedrin asked, What snail we do with these men?"
 A better question would have been, What shall we do to be saved?"
 w. The Early Church, w. 23-27. Six points about that church: CD It was a praying church (vv 24-3O; (2) It was a Spirit-flled church (v. SD; (3) It was united church (v 32); (4) IL was a witnessing church (y. 33); (b) It was ministering church (vv. 34, 35); (6) It was a multiplying church. (vv. 36 and 37) for there were many converts added.