The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1916-02-25
INTERNATIONAL
SUNI(GYSQ1OOL
LESSON
(By r. o. SELLERS, Acting Director Of
Sunday School Course, Moody Bible
Institute.)
Copyright. 1916. Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY II
THE SEVEN HELPERS.

IL would De source OF great DleSS-
ing II every teacher and scholar would
read through the book OF Acts several
times during the year. Such reading
will give vision, inspiration and
more comprehensive idea of the con-
tinuation OF what Jesus began" and
which record is not yet fully written.
The time of this lesson is about A. d.
30, though Ramsey places it at 80, 80;
and the place, the city of Jerusalem.
I. The Occasion, w. 1-2. For time
the preaching OIL the Gospel Of Jesus
continued in Jerusalem, but soon the
pressure of circumstances thrust 1t
forth as prophesied Q:8. There
were two groups of men in the early
church: those who had been born in
Judea who spoke Hebrew tAramaic),
and those born in foreign cities and
who spoke the Greek language. Trou'
BILE arose over the distribution Of funds
among certain Of the dependent wild
ows-the text suggests secret dis
pleasure" There was imperfection,
selfishness, suspicion and jealousy in
that early church.
II. The Method, w. 3, 4. It does not
appear that God gave the church a
cut and dried program according to
which it must act. Certainly the
church had no precedent to follow,
and step by step Goa was developing
it. This lesson gives US a suggestion
OF those steps: "a AS the occasion
demanded, (2) The Apostles refused
to diminish their praying and preach
ing, literally it was not pleasing" to
God for the Apostles to serve tables"
Such work must be done, certainly,
but it was not to be done by these
God-appointed and selected leaders,
their duty was clearly stated. The
minister's business is praying and
ministering the word These things
should fully engage his attention, and
m them he is Ito continue steadfast-
ly. The minister cannot manifestly
know more about books than the
schoolteacher; more about politics
than the politician; more about med.
icine than the DOCTOR more about
psychology than the college profess
sor." No, that is out of the question,
| though he should be intelligent in
these lines. But he should be pre-.
eminent in prayer and in the minis
try of the word, and furthermore he
should preach that word pre-eminent-
ly. 90 The church, not the apos-
ties, must needs select these new of
ticials. (D The qualifications OF
these men, who were thus to care
for these temporal affairs, were (a)
men OF good report" not those bear
ing doubtful regulations, nor chosen
because they were rich or shrewd in
business. (b) full of the spirit" 1t
demands the Spirit-iilled man to look
after financial affairs as certainly as
1t does to teach or preach the word.
(c) full of wisdom" Men OF COM
mon sense, quality often sadly lack
ing among spiritually-minded men.
Men meeting such qualifications will
be men of the spirit of power, OF
love, and Of sound mind Literally
sound sense). I'll Tim I'D.
~. The Method Of Choosing, w, S, 6.
~ The people did the choosing. The
early church seems to have been re-
markably democratic. (2) The choice
was made after, and not before, pray.
er had been offered. This is a sug-
gestion and warning for present-day
practice Of choosing church officials.
tS) 1t was legal selection, not the
selection of minority, and it was
confirmed by the laying on OF the
hands of the apostles.
". The Result, w. z, 8. First Of all
upon the people. (D The word in.
creased. '(2) The number of disciples
multiplied greatly" and go Some Of
the priests OF the Jews were "obedi-
ent to the faith" Secondly, the re-
suit in the lives of the thus CHOSEN
and Spirit-anointed men gave evidence
of the good hand of God. They were
full of grace (Eph. 4:9, Acts 15:15);
they were full of power U:S). The
first two of them soon became great
and mighty preachers as well. In.
deed as far as we can read they even
outstripped the apostles themselves
in real achievement for God. Ste
phen, of course, stands out pre-emi
nently. His character is suggested In
verse eight. He was (a) full OF faith"
(b) full OF the Holy Spirit" tc) full
of Frace" Or. W, (d) full OF power
How sad 1t is that so frequently our
churches fail to make a wise and
spirited choice OF its leaders, and arr
content with few, or perhaps none, be.
ing added to its membership.
No man is fit to be an officer in the
church of Christ unless he IS filled
with the Holy Spirit, (Acts is, Luke
24:49).
Such man will always stir up op.
position of the powers OF evil, even
as did Stephen
Those who opposed Stephen were
moraI and religious men w. -. Ere.
quentiy the opposition a Spirit-tilled
man encounters is not from the i'm
moral, the worldly. or the utterly un
l..,A 49, Nnse