Arizona republican., 1916-06-03
International Sunday School Lesson
 for June 4
THE CALL OF THE WEST

-i"NOuOilid, anu llelp us. Ac. 10. y. Lesson Text.-Ac. 15: 36-16: 15. Commit Vs. 9, 10. GO Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asa, CD After they were come to My sia, they assayed to go into Bithynia; but the Spirit suffered them not (S) And they passing through Mysia came doWn to Troas. (O And a vision ap- | peared to Paul in the night: There stood Q man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedo- nia, and help us. QO) And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, as- surc3ly gathering that the Lord had called ns for to preach the gospel unto them. CID Therefore loosing from Troas, We came with straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; CPD And from thence to Phllippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia and a colony: and we were in that city abiding cer- tain days. u3) And on the sabbath We went out of the city by a rlver side, where prayer was wont to be made; and We sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thith- CT. 14) And a certain woman named Lydia. seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God. heard us: whose heart the Lord op- ene9, that she attended unto the things which were. spoken of Paul. (l5) And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us. say ing. five have judged me to be faith ful to the Lord. come into my house, and abide there And she constrained us.
 Tinne.-A D. 52. Places-Troas, Phillipi.
 Exposition--I. Paul Forbidden to Preach in Asia 6-S. Asia" here does not mean our modern Asia, nor even Asia Minor, but g part of Asio Minor, the Roman Province of Asia. The time for Paul to speak the Word in Asia Lad not vet come So the Holy Spirit said to Paul. you must not speak the word in Asia. This prob ably seemed strange to Paul, but he wisely oheyed and asked no questions. If we would speak the right word, in the right place, at the right time. we must look to the Holy Spirit for His euidaHce. and he will give it. The time came later for Paul to speak the word of the Lord Jesus in Asia. and wonderful results followed (ch. 19: 8, 10. 26. 2D. If he had disobeyed the Spirit and followed his own in- clinatiOn and judgment, there would have been no such results. Blu though Paul obeyed the Spirit and die not speak the Word in Asia, he diC not give up preaching. As the Spiri would not suffer him to speak in on, place, he went to another The Wor( was fire in PauTs bones, and h, must speak somewhere If Paul ha, heen like many of us. he would hay, taken the Holy Spirits prohibition O his preaching in Asia as an eXcellen warrant for taking a vacation. Paul' labors in Phyrigia and Galatia at thi time Were greatly blessed. There i no description of them here, but w learn from later allusions to then that there were many conversions an a number of churches organized Gel IS: g; Gal. 1: 9. It is well to not that Paul cid not need the guidanc of the Spirit to set him to preachn: but to keep him from it (cf. V. 0.
 it had not been for the express prohi bition of the Spirit he would hay gone to preaching in the place near est at hand The Word of God tell us to preach, and so we need no spe cial revelation for that (Mat 2S: 1
 20; Mk. 16: 15). As Bithynia was th nearest country at hand, they irnme diatelv attempted an entrance to COT quer it for Christ. But here agai the Holy Spirit blocks the way. Ho
 strange it all must have appeared the time. But God had larger plar
 for His faithful servant and it all b.
 came clear soon. The name by Whic
 the Holy Spirit is called in this yer
 is very suggestive-"the Spirit
 Jesus" (R. VI.
 II. Paul Called to Preach in Mac
 donia, g. 1O vs SIP. Step by st,
 God leads His servent on. The mea,
 Coo dsed for his guidance are var
 ous the direct guidance of the Ho
 Spirit. a vision (cf. ch 9: 1O-12: 1
 10-17, 30; IS: g, 10; %: 17-21: 27:
 "A; Cor. 12: 1-4, :; Ac. ?: ID. |
 own Judgment (v. 10, R. VI. T promptness with which Paul respon cd to the guidance of God no matt how it came, is worthy not only sDeci2l note, but of careful imitati, This is one of the greatest secrets ' only of happy, but an efficient Ii I If we respond at once to Gods lea ing, it becomes clearer and clear | If We falter, the guiding light gro dinner and dinner until it goes ( | in thick darkness and we are left srope our way as best we can. "Co 1 over into Macedonia and help Ii | What. an outcast wandering Jew h proId and potent Macedonians, esp, ially people of the distinguished C ony at Phihppi? Yes for he was a bearer of that in which alone is h
 for man--the gospel. When P heard that cry he knew it was | preaching of the gospel that Y
 called for tV. 10). If he had been
 mary modern missionaries, he wo
 have thought it was a call to est;
 fish schools and colleges among tn
 If he had been like many mod | preachers he would have thought | was a call to preach sociology,
 higher criticism or perhaps to 2
 course of lectures on "the gI
 poets Soup kitchens, kindergart'