Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1916-05-17

lisa. xi, Z9--ConffrentaTy Prepared py
Rev. .. NJ. Stearns.
This chapter completes the story of
Pauls first evangelistic missionary tour
to Jews and gentiles, and is spoken Of
In verse &c as "the work which they
fulfilled" Being driven from Antioch,
they came 10 Iconium; prosecuted
there they fed to Lystra; their perseeu-
tors followed them, and at Lystra Paul
was stoned to death. but the Lord re-
vived him, and then they went on to
Derbe. everywhere preaching the gos-
pei. telling the glad tidings and suffer
ing for it. but winning souls and thus
adding to the Lord the members of His
body. From Derbe they returned
through all the places where they had
been, and from Alfalfa sailed to An
tioch, In Syria, from whence they had
set forth, and there rehearsed to the
brethren all that God had done with
them. opening the door of faith to the
gentiles.
After preaching the gospel in every
place, when they returned they con-
firmed the souls of the disciples, en-
couraging them to continue In the faith,
ordaining elders. praying with them
and commencing them to the Lord on
whom they believed. One thing they
insisted ON was that the believers must
not count suffering a strange thing, for
only by the way of tribulation can We
enter the kingdom verses 21-29. When
we receive the Lord Jesus we become
children of God and heirs of the king
dom, but then the conflict with the
world, the flesh, and the devil begins
and will continue while we stay on
earth. Even our Lord said, in the
world We shall have tribulation." But
He also said, LET not your heart be
troubled" See that We be not trou-
bled'' John xvi, 33; xiv. /. 81; Matt
xiv, g..
Our Lord told Ananias that He would
show Saul how great things he must
suffer for His names sake facts tx, 15,,
and on this first tour Saul certainly
had quite taste Of the sufferings he
enumerates more fully in ii Cor. XII
1928. .All that will live godly in
Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution"
UI Tim. lii. 10 and If we were more
godly In our daily life We would have
more fellowship with our Lord In this
matter, according to Phil. i. 20. At
Iconium they spake so boldly in the
Lord, and the Lord was so manifestly
with them. working signs and wonders
by their hands, that a great multitude,
both Of Jews and Greeks, believed, and
they sabode long time there preaching
the lord Jesus verses 16).
Persecution sent them ON to Lystra,
and there they preached the gospel In
Paurs estimation there was nothing
else worth doing, for this he counted
all else as dross and determined to
know-ncthing but Jesus Christ cruci-
fed, risen. ascended and returning.
The healing Of the lame man at Lys-
ira, who had been born lame, reminds
us Of the healing through Peter in
chapter iii Of another man who had
been born lame. We also think Of the
man In John TX, who was born blind,
and remember the Sayiour's reason
why. May we see In all difficulties an
opportunity for. God to work and be
willing to be the material When the
people saw, the miracle, wrought
through Paul and eBarna bas, they were
ready to worship them and gould
scarcely be restrained, even after, Paul
assured them that they were only men
OF like passions with themselves and
that the healing of this man was by
the power Of the living Ged, who W as,
thus seeking to draw them to Himself
and away from all the lying, vanities
Of their idoiatry. Note how the Tbes-
salonians turned to God from idols to
serve the living and true God and to
wait for His Son from heaven II Thess.
1, g. 10}. .gTE5Ya 3GfttD0
So tickle are people that those who
were ready to worship these two men
Of God, being persuaded by the perse
cutors from Antioch and Iconfurn. are
equally ready to kin them. and they
actually stoned Panl and drew him
out Of. the city, saipposing him to- be
dead but while the disciples stood
round about him he rose up and came
into the city md the next day was able
to start for Derbe with Barnabas
VERSES 10. 2e9. 1t is possible that as
Paul was being stoned he thought of
the day when he stood by and saw
Stephen stoned, but if we are right in
the superstition that RI Cor xii. IA de-
scrfbqS kfS pxrarianca while ha soe,,,