Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-11-15

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Text of the Lesson, Acts xviii, 1871.
Memory Verses, 30, 31-Golden
Text, Rom. i, 16-Commentary
Prepared by Rev. ID. M. Stearns.

after carrying three MONTHS at Malta
another ship from Alexandria, which
had wintered In the isle, was sailing
for Italy, and on that they departed
and reached Italy In safety, remaining
three days at Syracuse and seven days
at Puteoli on the way. No doubt the
gospel was preached at both places,
but at the latter place there were be-
levers, and the fellowship must have
been very helpful to all. 1t would be
great event for the brethren at
Puteoli to hear from those who had so
recently come from Jerusalem. and to
hear Paul tell of his missionary tours
and rehearse all that God had done by
him and all that he had suffered on his
tours at Jerusalem must have thrilled
an assembly of believers and inspired
them with greater zeal for God and
his kingdom.
The brethren at Rome, having heard
of Pauls arrival In Italy, came out to
meet him as far as April forum and
the three tayerns, and, having well
coined him and encouraged him, they
returned to Rome together. | some
times use this incident as suggestively
ILLUSTRATIVE of our meeting the Lord In
the afr and returning with Him when
He shall come to set up His kingdom
Just the meeting and returning have
no other thought of any analogy In the
incident oversees 11-15). Another hand
full of purpose seems to have come
Paups way In his being allowed to
dwell by himself with a soldier that
kept him (verse 16). That soldier must
have learned much of Jesus Christ, for
as Paul talked to him privately IL was
like pouring water into bottle rather
than throwing 1t at lot of bottles.
Our Lord spoke more than once to
audiences of one. as In the case OF
Nicodemus and the woman of Samaria.
Having called the chief of the Jews
together, Paul explained to them why
he had come to Rome as a prisoner,
adding, For the hope of Israel l am
bound with this chain" oversees 1920.
There is only one person who is called
the hope of Israel or the hope Of the
church, only one In whom there Is any
hope for either DER. xiv. 8; xvii. ID;
Joel iii, 16; Tim. 1, y. His coming
for us is our blessed hope. and His
coming with us in glory will prove
Him to be the hope and Saviour of
Israel as a nation Git. II. ID; lisa.
XIV, 8, o; Zech. xii, 10; xiii, II. The
brethren at Rome said that they ha1
never heard anything against Paul,
but they would like to hear what he
thought of this sect that was every
where spoken against. A day having
been appointed, many came to his
lodging, to whom he testified and ex-
pounded the Scriptures of Moses and
the prophets concerning Jesus and the
kingdom of God, from morning till
evening verses 21-23).
AS they listened to him some believ-
ed not. They could not agree and had
much reasoning among themselves,
which led Paul to turn to the gentiles
with the good news, quoting to the
Jews what the Holy Spirit had said by
Isaiah concerning them hundreds of
years before in what we call chapter
vi. These sayings of the Spirit through
Isaiah concerning Israel's blindness
and hardness Of heart are quoted In
Matt. xiii, IA. 10: John xii. 80, 40; Rom.
xi, 8, as well as in our lesson. Jere-
miah and Ezekiel were both told that
they must expect opposition and that
their message would not be received
by many DER. 1, II. 10; Eek. ii and
| Iii, xxxiii, 80. The apostles also were
told that they were sent out as sheep
In the midst of wolves and might ex-
pect to be hated, put out Of the syn
agogue and killed Matt. x, 1923; John
XIV, 1921; xvi, 1-3). The most that we
can aim to do I'm this age is by all
means to save some q Cor. tx, 22), for
we are nowhere taught that the world
will ever be won to Christ until Israel
shall have received Him at His coming
I'm glory. and then when the glory Of
the Lord shall have risen upon Israel
and shall be seen upos her the nations
shall come to her light and kings to
the brightness of her rising.
Paul continued TO preach the king
dom of God and teach those things
which concern the Lord Jesus Christ
for two whole years to all who came
to him In his own hired house. There
were many believers, even I'm Caesars
household. and his bonds for Christ
were manifest at Caesars court as well
as elsewhere. and many of the breth-
rem In the Lord. waxing confident by
his bonds, were much more bold to
speak the word without fear Phil 4.
10. IA, margin: iv, 90. This book OF
the Acts begins with the Lord Jesus
speaking Of the things pertaining to
the kingdom of God during the forty
days between His resurrection and
ascension (Acts 1, - and ends with the
record OF Paul's two years testimony
at Rome concerning the same great
topic. In connection with our Lords
teaching after He rose from the dead,
we need TO notice what He talked
about on the way to Emmaus and also
that same evening In Jerusalem duke
xxfv DIAN md obeorva that both Ho