The Red Cloud chief. [volume] (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, 1916-02-24
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY ~
THE SEVEN HELPERS.

GOLDEN TExT-Bear We one another's
burdens. and 80 fulfill the law OF Christi
Gal. So.
II would be source OF great bless.
ing IL every teacher and scholar would
read through the book OF Acts several
times during the year. Such reading
will give vision, inspiration and
more comprehensive idea of the con
tinuation OF what Jesus began" and
which record is not yet fully written.
The time Of this lesson Is about A. ID.
IS, though Ramsey places 1t at 80, 80;
and the place. the city OF Jerusalem. |
!. The Occasion, w. IL. For time |
the preaching OF the Gospel Of Jesus
continued in Jerusalem, but soon the |
pressure OF circumstances thrust 1t |
forth as prophesied u:S). There
were two groups of men in the early
church, those who had been born in
Judea who spoke Hebrew (Aramaic),
and those born in foreign cities and
who spoke the Greek language. Trou.
| BILE arose over the distribution of funds
among certain of the dependent wild
| ows-the text suggests secret dis.
pleasure" There was imperfection,
sefishness. suspicion and jealousy in
that early church.
u. The Method, w. 3, 4. 1t does not
appear that God gave the church a
cut and dried program according to
which it must act. Certainly the
church had no precedent to follow,
and step by step God was developing
1t. This lesson gives us suggestion
Of those steps: % AS the occasion
demanded. (2) The Apostles refused
to diminish their praying and preach
ing. literally 1t was mot pleasing" to
God for the Apostles to serve tables"
Such work must be done. certainly,
but II was not to be done by these
God-appointed and selected leaders,
their duty was clearly stated. The
minister's business is praying and
ministering the word. These things
should fully engage his attention. and
In them he is TO continue steadfast-
ly." The minister cannot manifestly
know more about books than the
schoolteacher; more about politics
than the politician; more about med.
icine than the doctor; more about
psychology than the college profes.
sor." No, that is out of the question.
though he should be intelligent in
these lines But he should be pre-.
eminent in prayer and in the minis.
try of the word. and furthermore he
should preach that word pre-eminent.
ly. co The church, not the apps.
ties, must needs select these new Of
fcials. (4) The qualifications OF
these men, who were thus to care
for these temporal affairs, were (a)
men of good report" not those bear.
Ing doubtful regulations, nor chosen
because they were rich or shrewd in
} business. CD full of the spirit" 1t
= demands the Spirit-tilled man to look
I after financial affairs as certainly as
It does to teach or preach the word.
(c) full of wisdom" Men Of COM
b mon sense, a quality often sadly lack.
r Ing among spiritually-minded men,
Men meeting such qualifications will
. be men of the spirit of power, OF
u love, and of q sound mind" Literally
, sound sense). III Tim. I'D.
III. The Method Of Choosing, w. s, 8
. ~ The people did the choosing. The
early church seems to have been re
I markably democratic. (2) The choice
! was made after, and not before. pray
r err had been offered. This Is a sug
% gestion and warning for presentda,
n practice of choosing church officials
10 CD 1t was a legal selection. not the
n selection Of a minority. and 1t was
O. confirmed by the laying on OF thu
N hands of the apostles.
ID w. The Result, w. 7, 8. First OF al
upon the people. % The word I'm
a. creased."(2) The number of disciple
10 multiplied greatly" and (3) Some O
e. the priests of the Jews were "obed
is ent to the faith" Secondly, the re
IN suit in the lives OF the thus chosel
70 and Spiritanointed men gave evidenc
q. OF the good hand of God. They wer
ss full Of grace" (Eph. 40, Acts 1919
Id they were full of power" Q:8). TIL
first two Of them soon became grea
d. and mighty preachers as we'll. Ii
It. deed as far as we can read they eve
q outstripped the apostles themselve
ad In real achievement for God. ST.
el phen, of course, stands out pre-em
IN nently. His character Is suggested
Is, verse eight. He was (a) full OF faith
nd (b) full OF the Holy Spirit" (c) FLU
ed Of grace" (R. w. (d) full OF power
ie- How sad 1t is that so frequently o,
he churches fail to make a wise an
ay spirited choice OF its leaders, and al
lis content with few, or perhaps none,
lat ing added to its membership.
ew No man is fit to be an officer in Il
church of Christ unless he IS file
with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8, Lul
24:49).
Such man will always stir up o
ng position of the powers Of evil, eve
ZEN as did Stephen.
ter Those who opposed Stephen we
his moral md roliaiomc man lx Oh III