The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-04
International
Sunday School Lesson
BY w. T. ELLIS.
For February is THE Boldness OF
Peter and John. Acts Abb.
The Men Who Dared To Be Bold

Peter and John. Acts 4:l-31-
The Men Who Dared To Be Bold.
This is a story for all spineless. eau
tious, calculating, prudent and safe"
folks. 1t portrays two fishermen,
called to account for a deed of mercy,
the healing of a lame beggar, sue
cessfully withstanding the powerful
and adroit and sophisticated leaders
of their time. When the issue was
joined, it was not the two unlettered
Galileans who We're put to rout, but
the timcrous custodians of self inter-
est. The incident was momentous in
Christian history, for it was the first
proof to the world, and TO the old
order of religion, that the leaders of
the now church were men with spines.
Tt half-marked the Christians with
the word 'boldness."
Power, of the physical. legal sort,
is usually with the old order: the in
novator, the reformer. the prophet.
is commonly looked upon at first as
a law-breaker. After the sensational
healing of the lame man by the beau
tiful gate, and the uproar and preach
ing that followed it. the temple po-
ice clapped Peter and John into Jail.
Then they were hailed before the SAN
hedrin, the high court of the Jews, in
the morning. These ecclesia sites, who
he'd hut lately done Jesus to death,
were minded to try the same methods
sion of five thousand men to the new
Way troubled them sorely. They
were ready for summary measures as
they set the two apostles in the midst
of the stately array of dignitaries and
challenged them, What dc you mean
by all this? ?"
Less than two months before, at
the same place, and during a sitting
of the same august tribunal, Simon
Peter had been so badly scared that
he had denied with curses that he
ever knew Jesus. Now. with UNI
abashed fearlessness, and with sauv
ity and dizziness and power that more
than matched the cunning of these
doctors of the law. he confronts them
with an address that is a defense of
himself The story is best told by DR..
Luke, the historian:
1 Then Peter, filled with Holy Spirit,
said unto them, Ye rulers of the peo-
pie, and elders, if we this day are eX-
amined concerning a good deed done
to an impotent man, by what means
I this man is made whole: be it known
unto you all, and to all the people of
Israel. that in the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, whom We cruel
fed, whom God raised from the dead,
even in Him doth this man stand
here before you whole. He is the
stone which was set at nought of you
the builders, which was made the
head of the corner. And in none
other is there salvation: for either is
/ there any other name under heaven,
! that is given among men, wherein
we must be saved.
Now when they beheld the bold
ness of Peter and John, and had per-
ceived that they We're unlearned and
ignorant men, they marVeled; and
they took kno Wedge of them, that
they had been with Jesus. And see
ing the man that was healed stand
ing with them, they could say moth
ing against it. But when they had
commanded them to go aside out of
the council they conferred among
themselves, saying, What shall we dc
to these men? for that indeed a not
able miracle hath been wrought
/ through them, is manifest to all who
dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot
deny it, But that it spread no fur
ther among the people, let us threat
en- them, that they speak henceforth
to no man in this name And they
called them, and charged them not tc
speak at all nor teach in the name OF
Jesus But Peter and John answered
and said unto Their Whether it is
right in the sight of God to hearker
unto you rather Lnan u44o God ind ge
We; for we cannot but speak the things
which we saw and heard. And they
when they had further threatened
them, let them go. finding nothing
now they might punish them, because
of the people; for all men gIorifie6
God for that which was done"
The Preacher and the PreIates.
/ RECKLESS, conservatism cries OF
Peter, and all who inherit his quality
Alas, the same charge of reckless ra d.
lcalism and feariessness does not lie
at the door of most of us. This daunt-
less daring is just the quality which
the church today lacks We are con
vertionalized into a futile common.
placeness. A new baptism of the
Holy Spirit of boldness, with a pas
sion for right lin scorn of conse.
quence, is what Christianity TO-DAY
4 needs. For We are more prone tC
take counsel of our prudent prelates
than of our prophets.
Like the elders Of The sanhedrin
tho leaders Of church affairs are