Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-07-12
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LESSON FOR JULY IS
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Text of the Lesson, Acts xvii, 22-34.
Memory Verses, 22, 23-Golden
Text Acts xvii, 28-Commentary
Prepared by Rev. ID. M. Stearns.

Text, Acts xvii, 28-Commentary
Prepared by Rev. ID. M. Stearns.
While Paul waited at Athens for the
coming Of Silas and Timothy he was
SO stirred by the idolatry which he
saw that ne 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 TO hear more. So they brought
him to q public place where he could
tell them more fully Of this, to them.
new doctrine verses 16-2D. The
thought of the dead coming to life
| again was too much for them, and
while there We're some who believed
others Knocked, even as they do to this
day oversees 32-34. 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 scott 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 it 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 I'm 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. ITO
the unknown god" and this gave Paul
his topic. 1t is one Of the saddest
truths of the ages and even OF our own
time that the true God is largely un-
known. ''lsrael doth not know" They
know not the thoughts OF the Lord"
Hast thou not known me, Philip"
20 righteous Father, the world hath
not known thee" Qsa. 1. 3; Mic Nv, 2;
John xiv. o; xvii. 25). God can be
known only I'm 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 i'm
heritance He did 1t with reference to
the children of Israel, although they
were not then in existence Gen X, %;
Deut xxi. 81; so that rs one has said.
both historically and geographically.
Israel is the great center. That. how
ever, was not truth for the people Of
Athens just then, for Paul desired to
lead them 10 the true God and to re
pentance. 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 I'm Ii and
rejected by II 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 a thousand years. for one day is
with the Lord as thousand years and
a thousand years as one day Oh Pet Iii.
8. 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, 2; Luke iv, 19). The next thousand
years Is also called an hour, beginning
and ending with resurrection fJohn
v, 2S).
There shall be resurrection both OF
the just and unjust. but thousand
years shall intervene between the two
(Acts xiv, 10; Rev. Xxx, 8, O.. 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 crucifed with Christ" gal ii, 20),
and have passed from death to life
and shall not come into Judgment for
sin (John v, 2D. But all such must
appear before the judgment seat of
Christ where only saved people shall
appear, to have their works approved
or disapproyed, to be rewarded or suf-
fer loss and to be appointed to their
places in His kingdom Rom. xiv, 10;
III Cor. v, 100. Then we shall come
with Him to judge the living nations,
according to Matt. XIV, 81, with Joel