Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1916-07-12
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson IIl.-Third Quarter, For
July Is, 1916.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson. Acts xvii. 22-34.
Memory Verses, q, 23-GoIden Text,
Acts xvii, 2S--commentary Prepared
BY Rev. D. M. Stearns-


BY Rev. o. NJ. Stearns.
While Paul waited at Athens for the
coming of Silas and Timothy he was
SO stirred by the idolatry which he
saw that not only In the synagogue
did he talk TO the Jews. but daily In
the market place he preached Jesus
and the resurrection to all who would
listen to him And as they delighted
in any new thing. this was certainly
the newest they ever heard. and they
desired 10 hear more. So they brought
him to public place where he could
tell them more fully OF this. to them.
new doctrine verses i6-2D. The
thought of the dead coming to life
again was too much for them. aud
while there were some who believed
others Knocked. even as they do TO this
day oversees 32-34l. The newest thing
to this very day is the old. old story
of salvation by the sacrifice OF the
Lamb of God. as told so vigorously by
Rev. william Sunday and others. but
as strenuously opposed as In the long
ago by the enemies of Christ Seem
ingly intelligent men still scof at the
resurrection OF the body and the
thought of a body Of flesh and bones
without blood. Ministers everywhere
do not believe that the kingdom can
not come till Christ comes again, but
speak of 1t as now here, to be advanced
or extended. and the truths of last
weeks lesson In reference to His COM
ing for and with His saints are sim
ply ridiculed But there are some who
believe God
The people OF Athens were very su
perstitious. or, as In the r. ". margin.
religious. and seemed to worship all
the gods they had ever heard OF. and
lest they might have omitted one they
had an altar with the inscription. To
his topic. II Is one Of the saddest
truths Of the ages and even Of our own
time that the true God is largely un
known Israel doth not know" They
know not the thoughts Of the Lord
Hast thou not known me. PhilipT
20 righteous Father. the world hath
not known thee" lisa. 1. 3: Mic. Nv. 2:
John xiv. 8; xvii. 80. God can be
known only In Jesus Christ. and there
fore all who will not receive Jesus
Christ as God do not know the true
God. Speaking to gentiles. Paul began
at the beginning and told them Of Him
who created all things and who there
fore needed nothing from the creatures
whom He had made. as only In Him
do all live and move and have their
being. and He giveth to all life and
breath and all things oversees 22-2S). Ii
must have been humiliating to these
proud and wise Greeks to be told that
they were Of the same blood as other
nations and that God their Creator had
placed them on the earth Just where
they were verse 26).
1t is another great truth. and but lit
tie considered. that when the Most
High. the possessor Of heaven and
earth. divided to the nations their In
beritance He did 1t with reference to
( the children OF Israel. although they
were not then In existence iGen. Z. Is:
Deut xxi. 81: SO that. as one has said.
both historically and geographically.
Israel Is the great center. That. bow.
ever. was not a truth for the people Of
Athens just then. for Paul desired to
lead them to the true God and to re
peEtance. He told them Of Him whom
God raised from the dead. the Creator
who had come to the world which He
had made. but was unknown In II and
rejected by it and crucified. but now
alive forevermore and appointed to be
the judge Of all mankind; and not only
was the judge appointed. but also the
day. which we learn elsewhere would
cover thousand years. for one day is
with the Lord as a thousand years and
a thousand years as one day Oh Pet iii.
3. This whole age through which we
are passing since Christ was crucified
is spoken Of as an hour. and day, and
an acceptable year John v. %. III Cor
vi. ?; Luke iv. 49,. The next thousand
years is also called an hour. beginning
and ending with a resurrection John
v. 81,
There shall be a resurrection both Of
the just and unjust. but a thousand
years shall intervene between the two
(Acts xiv. Is: Rev. Xxx. 5. q. All who
have ever lived shall come into judg
ment before the same Judge, but not
all at the same time. All who truly
receive the Lord Jesus can say. Il
am crucified with Christ gal. II, 20).
and have passed from death to life
and shall not come into Judgment for
sin John V. 24). But all such must
appear before the Judgment seat Of
Christ. where only saved people shall
appear. TO have their works approved
or disapproved. to be rewarded or suf
fer loss and to be appointed to their
places in His kingdom Rom xiv. TO-;
II Cor. v. l0t Then we shall come
with Him to judge the living nations
according TO Matt XIV, 81. with Joel