The Spectator., 1916-01-04
LESSON FOR JANUARY 9
THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
LESSON TEXT-Acts 2:1-1s.

Good teaching demands the use of the concrete; objective teaching is fundamental and essential. The incar- nation is Gods objective teaching, God manifest" (a) to reveal him. self John 149; (b) to take away sin. I John 35; (c) to destroy the works of the devil, I John 3S So likewise Pentecost is a great objective lesson This chapter has been divided as fol. lows: CD The Coming of Power (vv 1-13). (2) The Empowered Witness (vv. 14-36, (3) A Powerful Result (vv 37-47).
 [. Power, IA. At the end of our last lesson the disciples were in prayer. The Lords promise Q:5) was conditioned upon obedience. At last the day" arrived Uev 2315-2D. Their hearts were fused and the fun damental requirement for service, the baptism of the spirit. came upon them. There has been no need since then to tarry any time at all to receive a like blessing. Lack of unity has much to do with our not receiving the spirit now and the consequent lack of power. Suddenly from out of heaven came Q mighty sound (v. 2) and it is such a wind that the church needs today. There were three manifestations at this time and one other subsequently, (see 2:44. 4:34, 35; 5:4. Q) Wind. Let us keep clear the difference be. tween symbol and spirit The mani festation was "as wind" Wind is mys- terious, universal and mighty, but like Elijah on the mountain God is not alone as mighty tempest The sound filled the whole house. Wind is figurative of judgment (Jer. 2222. Hos. 13;15) of the Spirit (John 3:S). also of heresy (Eph. 4:1S). This last suggests the vagaries and limitations suggested or abetted by Satan to keep us from the truth. (2) Fire. This symbolizes power. light, heat and puri- flying, but the fire was not the spirit nor do we recall another such mani festation since (3) Tongues. The fire took the form of tongues which parted or portioned themselves out to leach one of them" though Peter is alone subsequently, more prominent
 Every manifestation of the spirit is always that of some new power for Christ q Cor. 14:2-19).
 ii. Perplexity, w. 5-13. The ques- tion may arise, had the spirit been seen before? and the answer is "yes" (Matt. 3:16, Jno. 1;32). What then was new? The answer to this is the program of power. The first evidence of power was the gathering of the peo- pie (v. 0. The disciples at once testi- fled to each of the sixteen classes men toned (9-1D of the mighty works of Cod Not of the gift. but the giver, a different sort of testimony than that given by many who today profess to have the gift of tongues. The second result was an amazed people, per pleXed," for them as now the world cannot understand the spirit-flled man. These spirit-filled men forget self and were lost in their testimony (v. ID.
 It Is of interest to note that they did not even say much if anything about the spirit himself. Their testimony. for which many later gave their lives. was regarding Gods mighty work of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead (vv. 24. 32).
 The spirit-filled man is sure to em- phasize this mighty work and the evi- dence of the spirit in mans life is his loyalty to a crucitied, risen and ascended Lord
 A third result was that people mis- understood and charged drunkenness. a fact seized upon later by Paul to teach us the truth (Eph. 5:1S) The only sure cure for intemperance, or any other evil, is an milling of the holy spirit The final and complete fultillment of the prophecy (vv. 14-2l, Joel 2.2S, 29l of which Pentecost was a partial fultlllment will be in the day of the Lord" But then. as now. all who call upon him shall be saved (v, 13, Rom. 10:13) Some mocked. even as today ridicule or parody are the enemy's choicest weapons. Pente- cost is an event we'll attested, that marked the ush-ering in of new dis pensation, that was misunderstood, but one that can be verified by experience.
 Pentecost was a revelation a mani festation of new spiritual kingdom, distinctly Christian, that exposes sin and exalts the son.
 Pentecost is a prophecy of real Christian unity, of a spiritual adminis- tratipn. of Christ's intercession and an evidence of an abiding presence.
 When VIC are spirit-filled the Lord Jesus Christ will occupy the whole horizon of our experience, our testi- mony and will control our service. The sririt,filled servant can exclaim The Lord (Jesus) is my shepherd" he is Lord, he is my shepherd; he is, not has been or win be. but he is my shep- herd
 The gift of the spirit must not be confused with the spirits gifts" q Cor. 12) whereby we are enabled to do tha xuorl ba dirartc in nrdar ta vlor;fy