Evening star., 1920-01-03
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.

will call for the consideration of two
periods of apostolic church history.
1t was the peculiar mission of the
apostolic age to preserve to the world
the living memory of the Christ In
the lessons of last quarter we studied
what Christ began to do and teach
| in the training of the two apostles.
In the coming quarter we shall study
what He continued to do through them
in the development of Christianity.
The risen Lord continues to be the
head and heart of the whole move
ment in every Christian church and
each Christian soul. He is still the
originator of life. determiner of ac-
tion and guide of progress. lord of
influence and controller of events
through the presence of the Holy
Spirit for whose coming He ordered
the apostles to wait when He was
taken up from them as they stood
upon the Mount of olives
During ten days the assembled dis
ciples waited in the upper room for
the promise of the Father" 1t was
not enough for them to attend the
public temple services. They were
fused into a united band by their
common faith So that without waver-
ing they waited in prayer and earnest
supplication for the promised power.
The ten weary days that they spent
in prayer were days of preparation
that each individual disciple needed
to fit them to become witness for
the truth and worker for the ad-
vancement of the kingdom of God.
1t was now fifty days, or Pentecost
since the Passover and the time of
the concluding assembly had ar
rived Between the Passover. when
the earliest crop of barley was ripe
so that it's first cut sheaf could be
waved before Jehovah upon the fol-
lowing Sabbath. and Pentecost the
staple cereal, wheat, was expected to
become mature so that the charac-
teriStic ceremonial of "the concluding
assembly" was the offering of coup e
of Ieaven loaves of the new seasons 8
harvest 1t was an agricultural
Thanksgiving.
Many modern Jews find in Pentecost
another significance AS Passover was
the anniversary of the exodus, so Fen
tccoSt was the anniversary OF the leg1S-
lation upon Sinai: for that great moral
birthday of the Hebrew polity, which
contained the germs of American civil
government, followed fifty days after
the Red sea was crossed. Upon an an
niversary of the day when Gods finger
caused the mount to burn with fire at
the time He gave the law, the Lord
sent down upon His praying and wait
ing people what appeared to be
tongues of fire" distributing itself over
the whole assembly and touching each
persons head. 1t was the spirit of law.
1t was the spirit of that love which
fulfilS law and makes obedience for the
first time possible.
The waiting praying band did not
realize the full significance of the event.
Behind the material portents of wind
and fire. which startled and pierced the
stupid hearts of men assembled in the
upper room, one needs to look for the
Lord Himself. The Holy Spirit, as invis-
ible as the breath from which He bor-
rowed His human name and as pene-
trating as the flame to which He likened
His workings, entered into the human
spirit of each one of the waiting believ-
ers that were crowded into the upper
room. He quickened the slumbering
spiritual fire of their lives He gave
them insight and holy passion He filled
their hearts with certainty, courage and
convictions concerning the Christ so
tha tthey commenced to praise the
Lord
Next to the birth of Christ Jesus no
greater event ever occurred in human
history than the advent of the Holy
Spirit. When He entered humanity as
sembled in the upper room His presence
and power soon attracted the attention
of the citizens Of Jerusalem. The people
that fiocked to the upper room were
representatives of the dispersion They
were men there from all lands and it
seemed strange for them to distinguish
among the prayers, petitions and praise
that these band of wprshipers were
Offering UP to Jehovah the speech Of
their mother tongue. Those chosen
witnesses OF Gods grace were prepared
to preach the gospel not only to the
twelve tribes scattered abroad but to
every nation. The polyglot praise
service was prophetic of the winning
Of the world for the Master The only
explanation of the event that the curl
osity seekers could think of was that
they were full of new WINE.
Peter, under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit, took up the defense of
the young church and preached the
first Christian sermon. In this model
message, which Stigler has pointed
out that "in its adroitness, in the
analysis, in it's steering clear Of Jew
ish prejudices, in it's appeal and eff
feet, 1t is without a peer among the
products of uninspired men," In
few words he proved that there was
no foundation of the charge of in
toxication. He claimed that there
was another explanation of the emo
tional experience that they had wit
messed which was in accordance with
the foreshadowing of the prophets
and pSalmiStS.
Peters spiritual vision gave him a
conception of the Old Testament
teachings that was new to his hear
ers. He saw in the simultaneous
praising of God in many tongues a
fulfllment of the prophet Joel, who
Spirit in the last days. His interpre-
tation of the marvellous experience
was used as an introduction to pre-
sent the theme of the sermon, the
legitimacy of Christ's claim to the
Messiaship. There were four points
in his argument The fact that Jesus
had been approved of God by the
mighty words and wonders and
signs; their part in the crucifixion
was a crime from mans point of view,
of Jehovah it was in harmony with
Gods program for the Lord to suf-
fer for the salvation of humanity;
that He had died and risen from the
dead in accordance with the predic-
tion Of David. and that He had as
cended to the right hand of God" to
assume supreme command of all
heavenly and earthly power. which
was proved by the coming of the
Holy Spirit in accordance with the
promise of the Risen Lord.
He summoned all men to accept
the salvation offered. The immeli-
ate result was that three thousand
were baptised that day as evidence
of their repentance and faith in Jesus.
as Lord and Christ. They became one
with the marvellous brotherhood of
disciples. They added strength and
unity because they continued in the
apostles teachings. fellowship. break
ing of bread and prayers The con-
tinuance of the spirit of prayer as
sured the presence Of the Holy Spirit,
whose coming had given to the wait
ing praying band power, and
whose abiding has been in
the source Of the church's pow
er throughout all the centuries
of Christian history. The developing MT
Of the kingdom Of God is still due
to His presence with the churcH.
Christian Science Lecture.
John w. Doorly, c. S. B., member of
the board of lectureship Of the First