Arizona republican., 1916-04-01
International Sunday School Lesson
 for April 2
CONVERSION OF SAUL,
Golden Text Faithful is the !

that Christ Jesus came into the world l to save sinners; of whom I am chief" T Tim. l. 15.
 Lesson Text.-Ac. 9: 1-3l (cf also Gal. l: 1177: 1 Tim. I: 12-17). Com init vs. 17, 1S
 CD And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest. CD And desired of him letters to Damascus to the syna- gogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or wom en, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. (3) And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus; and sudden ly there shined round about him light from heaven: .-) And he fell to the earth, and heard voice saying unto him, Saul Saul, why persecutest thou me? (5) And he said, Who art thou, Lord? and the Lord said l am Jesus whom thou persecutest; it is 1 hard for thee to kick against the bricks. t6) And he trembling and astonished said, Lor.s. what wilt thou 1.have me to do? And the Lord said unto him. Arise, and go into the city, | dlSu II SIldii De tOiQ lnCC "hot eAiou shalt do. CD And the men which journeyed with him stood speeches., hearing voice, but seeing no man. i(S) And Saul arose from the earth; ! and when his eyes were opened he saw no man; but they led him by l the hand, and brought him into Da- mascus. (9) And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. G0) And there was certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias' and to him said the Lord in vision, l Ananias. And he said. Behold, l am here, Lord. GID And the Lord, said 1 unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tassus: for, behold, he prayeth CID And Ananias went his fway, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Broth CT Saul the Lord. even Jesus, that ap- peared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. uS) And Immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he re- ceived his sight forthwith, and arose. land was baptized. UO And when he had received meat, he was strength tened Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Da lmascus.
 Time.-A. D. 37 @ Place.-Jeru- isalem.
 1 Exposi.ion-l. Saul the murderous enemy of Jesus, 1, 2. Saufs intense langer against Jesus and His disciples Twas not a matter of single hour. he breathed an atmosphere of threaten ing and murder The word translat- ed breathing out" in the A. V. is lit ierally breathing in;" every breath he idrew was breath of threatening and slaughter" The extent to which he carried out his hatred in action we lsee in ch. P: 19; 26: 10, II. In all This violence against the disciples ei Jesus. and so against Jesus Himself Saul had persuaded himself that hs was doing right tch. 26: 9. It is { striking illustration of how maf iwho intends to be conscientious car l in reality be thoroughly and awful, wrong His hatred knew no pity. h. spared no one, neither man nor wom
 an All that he needed to hate a per son and to desire their death was L lknow that they believed on Jesus.
 II. Saul the humbled penitent. 3-e The Lord allowed Saul to go lon:
 ways in his mad career, but at tn proper moment He put forth His han land saved the little flock in Damas
 cus.s He acted suddenly" He ofte
 does The light out of heaven tha
 shone around Saul was the light c
 Christ's resurrection glory tv. z:
 Col Is: 8. It was about "neon' lcl
 22: @ and the glare of the Easter
 noon is exceedingly bright, but tn glory of the light that surrounded ou
 risen Lord was above "the brightnes
 of the sun tch. 26: 13): our Jesus
 exceedingly glorious. The stout heart
 ed persecutor was thoroughly humble (v. 4). There are many today wh speak great swelling words agains
 our Lord, who, if they could get on
 look at Him as He is now, would fla
 upon the earth" before Him (Phil. ,
 10, ID. Evidently, for all his zeal i
 prosecuting the church. Saul ha
 many a goarding thought that h
 might be wrong and Jesus indeed tn
 Lord (ch 26: 14, R. V.).. It was
 startling question that the Lord pu
 to Saul (v. 4). He puts it to ever
 one today who is prosecuting Hi
 people Note how tenderly Jesu
 identifies Himself with His disciple
 tv ,, cf Mat. 25: 35-4O, 42-45; Epl
 .: 3O) What a moment of awful an
 Overwhelming shame it must hay
 been in Sauls life. when it full
 broke upon him that the glorious On
 who stood before Him was indee
 Jesus, whom he had so bitterly hate
 and so redentlessly persecuted. It wi
 be equally appalling for many no
 living when they see Jesus in tn
 they have spurned and persecute'
 That the light Saul saw was no mer
 subjective vision or effect of sur
 stroke is clear from the fact tla
 others saw it too and heard the vOic
 The apparent contradiction. between. l7 and oh. 22: g entirely disappear
 when we look at the Creek in V. the voice. is in the genitive cas
 which with the verb translated hear
 ing indicates the person Cor thing
 heard speaking the message. Her I've have another illustration of abso
 lute exactness down to q word an lpart of a word, of the Scriptures a
 originally given, and another proof (
 verbal inspiration" In Acts 22::
 III sz