Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1916-05-03

tip Memory Verses, xiii, 2, 8.
Golden Text, Matt. xviii, 19-com-
mentary Prepared by Rev. o. IA.
Stearns.
Before the Lord Jesus yisibly ascend
ed to heaven after He had appeared
many times to His disciples during
those forty days between His resur-
rection and ascension and spoke so
often of the things pertaining to the
kingdom OF God He commanded His
disciples to go and teach all nations
what He had taught them; to go into
nll the world and preach the gospel to
every creature; to proclaim repentance
and remission of sins in His name
among all nations. And He sent them,
as the Father had sent Him, in the
power of the Holy Spirit that people
might believe that Jesus is the Christ.
the Son of God, and. believing, have
life through His name facts J., 1-3;
Matt. xviii. 10. 20: Mark xvi, IL;
Luke xiv, Al; John Xxx, 81. 81.
The disciples were slow to obey this
command, and the Lord permitted
Stephen to be killed. a persecution of
the saints to follow, and the believers
thus scattered abroad went every
where preaching the word, but only
to the Jews. Some went as far as
Antioch. and everywhere they preach
ed the Lord Jesus, and the hand of the
Lord being with them great number
believed and turned unto the Lord
oversees 1920. In the chapters which
we have already studied In this book
of the Acts of a risen and assembled
Christ through His witnesses we have
seen how Peter and John and Stephen
and Philip and Paul, and now these
scattered abroad ones all have the
same topic-namely. Jesus Christ cru
Gifted. risen. assembled and returning to
set up His Kingdom. And as they thus
speak of Him the Spirit inclines many
to turn to Him, and they become join
ed to or added to the Lord. Thus His
body. the church, began to grow, as
the word of God grew and multiplied
xii, 24). The one only calling OF the
believer is to proclaim Jesus Christ
and win people to Him, that His Eve
may be builded and the marriage of
the Lamb come. for only after that
will His kingdom come.
II denominations and societies and
the so called boards could sink their
self seeking and see and seek Jesus
only and His kingdom so much more
might they see of His good hand upon
them.
When the brethren at Jerusalem
heard Of the good work at Antioch
they sent Barnabas. true son Of conso
lation, full Of the Holy Chest and of
faith. and when he came and saw
what the grace of God had done he
was glad. The grace OF our Lord Jesus
Christ is briefly but fully set forth in
II Cor. viii. 8. which with Rom. lii, "a:
Eph. II, 8. 8: Tit. Ii, IL; lii. AZ. and
other passages teach us that the bene-
fits Of the finished work of Jesus Christ
are for Jew and gentle alike, without
exception. and that without any works
Of ours or any merit whatever on our
part, any aud every sinner truly re-
ceiving Jesus Christ becomes a part
OF Him, has In him eternal redemption
and may become messenger to win
others to Him.
Barnabas and Saul, having been sent
twelve apostles nor one of the commit
tee of seven. but just Levite Of the
country Of Cyprus. who became true
believer and handed himself and his
possessions honestly over to the Lord
for His services (Acts iv. SO, 81. 1t Is
not necessary to be on the board or on
the committee nor an elder or deacon
or a trustee, but 1t is necessary to be
saved by grace and then to be In His
hand for His pleasure. seeing no one
but Jesus only. So Barnabas exhorted
the believers to cleave unto the Lord
with purpose of heart verses 22-24),
and much people was added unto the
Lord. May we see Jesus only and
sing, Ever. only, all for Thee" The
last we heard of Saul was that he had
returned to Tarsus chapter TX. 27-30,.
but Barnabas evidently has him much
on his heart, for he went to Tarsus and
found him and brought him to Antioch
and for whole year taught the believ-
ers there more fully Of Jesus Christ
verses %, 26). Either as a term of
honor or reproach believers were first
called Christians at Antioch. The af-
fix ian" may signify nothing more
than belonging to-" but like the sug-
gestion of some one that Christian is
one who can truly say. Christ is all"
and, as the letters of the affix suggest
Il am nothing
Barnabas and Saul. having been sent
to Jerusalem with an offering from the
saints at Antioch. in due time returned
and continued TO minister to the Lord
there chapters XII. 27-30; xii. %; xiii
49, AS they thus continued the Holy
Ghost called for the separation of Bar
nabas and Saul for a special work to
which He had called them. So with
fasting and prayer and laying on of