The Spectator., 1916-02-04
INTERNATIONAL. SUNDGYS0100L
 LESSON tBy E. O. SELLERS, Acting Director of Sunday School Course, Moody Bible Institute)
 Copyright 191s. Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 6
soLpNEsS OF PETER AND JOHN
LESSON TEXT-Acts 4:1-31.

| in the faith, quit ye like men, be strong.- Cor. l6:l3.
 The first seven chapters of the book of Acts have been designated as the Jerusalem period. Chapter 1 deals with the ascension of our Lord; chap ter 3, the baptism of the Holy Spirit; chapters 3-7, the early conflicts in Jerusalem In our lesson of last Sun day we had the story of Peter and John dealing with the lame man while on their way to the temple. Follow ing this experience they were lm- prisoned, the first Imprisonment men toned for any Of chose who accepted the Gospel. As the disciples were dealing with the multitude the rulers or the temple came upon them and were much put out (v. p that the dis ciples should preach the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The signifi- canoe ot this Is better understood when we remember that the Jewish Sanhedrn was the great court of Jew ish law composed of seventy-one lead ing men of the nation. Caiaphas, the noble high priest by Roman appoint ment, and Annas, the real high priest according to Jewish law, were both there. This body was largely made up of the Sadducees. the sect which did not believe in the resurrection from the dead.
 !. The Imprisonment, w. IA. Pe- ter and John being brought before this tribunal were fulfilling literally the prediction of Jesus (Matt. 10:1O. The attempt on the part of the rulers to prevent the preaching of the Gospel by this method really augmented it's being heard throughout the. nation. Peter had seen this body of men on the night when our Lord was con demned.
 II. The Trial, w. 5-22. CD Peters words w. 5-12. Jewish wonderwork- CTS were accustomed to perform mar. vels by the use of some name, so the council very naturally asked Peter and John In what name" they had healed this man. The real object of their question was their attempt to en- trap the disciples and find a basis of accusation and condemnation. But at that moment the Holy Spirit came again upon Peter and filled him (Matt. 10:19, 20; also Luke 12:11, 12; Acts 13:S, 9). The coming of the Holy Spirit is for every emergency of the Christian Peter had been filled with that Spirit at Pentecost and was again filled a little later on (chapter 2:3D. Thus we see that the coming of the Spirit IS not once for all, though Pen- tecost was once for all, but that the filling is repeated as each new emer- gency may arise. (a) Peter acknowl- edged the authority of those who were dealing with him (v. S), but (b) he gave Jesus credit (v. 10). It was Je- sus who had died, he was also risen, and the risen Christ had effected this miracle. (c.) Turning upon his ac. accusers Peter charged them with the death of Jesus. He (v. ID is the foundation of their miracle and their faith Peter claimed that in Jesus alone (v. 12) could salvation be found, and implied (see last clause ot this verse; that his accusers were lost men. Peters department in all of this is wonderfully skillful gentle and courteous, yet bold, fearless, frank and outspokcn. We need to remem- Der this when we recall how blunder- ingly Peter had conducted his conver- sation before his enduement by the Holy Spirit. There was no compro- yln inu over their guilt.
 m The Result Upon the Disciples, w. 1922. The book of Acts is plain | ly the record of the delft utterances of | spiritual men. Peter had closed his appeal (v. 12) with the statement that the only way we could be saved l must be through this means. The ! council were in a dilemma: they wanted to punish Peter and John, but ! could not, for the people were glori. ! flying God for what had been done. l Peter and John declared thus fear. lessly that the teachings of the schools was not in accordance with that, for had not Jesus risen, and had not this miracle been performed? The Holy Ghosts boldness Tn these untu- tored men has always been a perplex. ity to the scholastics of the world. Their boldness was due to sense of Gods nearness and carried with it a like sense of their responsibility to him (see w. 19, 20).
 The only solution on the part of the people and of the priests. was they took knowledge that these men have been with Jesus.' This is the solu. tion of many mysteries of today.
 Companionship with Jesus makes ordinary men extraordinary.
 Tho Sanhedrin asked, What snail we do with these meng
 A better question would have been, What shall we do to be saved?"
 W. The Early Church, w. 23-27. Six points about that church: CD It was a praying church (vv. 24-30; (2) Ii was a Spirit-filled church (v. SD; (3) It was united church (v. 32): (D IL was witnessing church (v. 33);