Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-26

| the door Oh 1dlJu unto Clle gen. L
tiles-Acts, xiv.27.
In the two parallels, assigned for our
devotional reading the Lord Jesus re-
vealed the rise, progress and method
of the Kingdoms development He
prophesied that, commencing with an
insignificant number, it would ulti-
mately girdle the globe and become
supreme in molding- the nations of
the earth. Starting with a smallness
like the mustard seed, which is the
least of all Seeds" it was to develop
secretly by a gradual process that
would succeed in Transforming the
character of men and nations through
the spiritual life of its adherents being
nodded in their thought, speech and
work, until the power OF Christ
would become dominant and supreme
throughout the world.
Our lessons for the quarter have
shown us how in the spread of Chris
tianity throughout the western part
of Asia and Cyprus these two parallels
commenced to be fulfilled. In our first
study we learned how the invisible
energy of the Holy Spirit came upon
the disciples, who had waited in the
upper room and prayed to be endowed
with power from on high. Immediately
and the conquest of the world was
started. In the opening days of the
history of Christianity it was looked
upon as a strictly Jewish sect, but one
of the results that followed the great
ingathering at Pentecost, when 5000
were added to the number of disciples,
was the admission of many Jews who
had been born, reared and educated
away from Palestine. These Hellenists
49, Jorr rSrfN he Dali
tinian Hebrews, due to their education
and experience. They apparently were
the first to fully grasp Christ's pro-
gram to establish universal kingdom
that would include all nations.
Social Service.
Filled with the Spirit, Peter and
John noticed a beggar seeking aims
at the entrance to the Temple They
recalled how their Lord had sought to
cure all forms of diseases. They did
not consider that their work was mere
ly a spiritual work, for they healed
the lame beggar. This resulted in the
people seeking an explanation, so
Peter preached a stirring sermon. The
crowds listened with intense and grow
ing numbers, so that they were ar
rested, imprisoned and brought before
the Sanhedrin, who ordered them not
to preach the gospel any more. They
with a courage born of their convic-
tions, bravely informed the court that
they would obey God rather than man.
The admission of these HellenistS
into the membership brought a severe
strain upon the membership; who felt
their responsibility to help, aid and
assist those who were in need. Many
of those won at Pentecost probably
stayed in Jerusalem to learn more
about Christ and become thoroughly
familiar with the gospel of the Lord
Jesus. The apostles met the COM
plant of these foreign-speaking Jews
that their widows were being over
looked in the distribution of the dole
given from the church's relief fund by
suggesting the election of deacons to
take charge and distribute the fellow
ship funds. Stephen heads the list OF
the seven selected, all of whom were
apparently by their names Hellenists.
His preaching in one of the foreign
speaking synagogles of Christ as a
Savior for all men, resulted in his
becoming the first martyr of the
church.
Persecution Increases Membership.
Three of our lessons revealed the re-
suits of the prosecutions of the early
church, which broke out after the mar
tyrdom of Stephen. One of those who
took an active part in the death OF
Stephen, was Saul, an earnest, enthu-
siaStic and energetic champion of the
faith Of his fathers, who opposed strenu-
cusly the new faith, which he saw con-
tanned seeds destructive 10 the ancient,
historic faith of his countrymen. He
was the moving force in prosecuting the
church, with the result that the men,
the region of Judea and Samaria," and
wherever they went they preached the
gospel. Christianity was commencing TO
demonstrate the indestrucCiveness of its
life, for the prosecuted members car
ried the message of salvation "as far
as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch.
Philip. who stood by Stephen and evi-
IDENTIFY succeeded him as the chairman
of the board Of deacons, carried the
light of the gospel into Samaria, where
he had great success among these peo-
pie, who had welcomed Christ's word,
when He reached the whole city through
the missionary work of one woman,
whom He won at the well of Sychar.
Moved by the Spirit, Philip left the city
wide revival and went down into a
sparsely settled section of Palestine,
where, under the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, Philip succeeded in "g!uing"
HuIlSSlA W the CIldIIOb VI plOHlihCiO
government official, whom he won for
Christ and baptized so that in the
conversion of the devout treasurer the
gospel was introduced into Africa.
Saul's conversion when he was On the
way to Damascus to destroy the young
church there stands out as one of the
great events in the early history OF
Christianity. 1t demonstrated the power
Of the living Christ to protect His
Church. Jesus assigned him task OF
winning the gentiles for His cause and
kingdom.
Missionary Work Commenced.
The establishment of the gospel as
spiritual force among the gentiles re-
suited from Peters vision while in Joppa
that prepared him to respond favorably
TO the request that he visit Cesarea.
Here. as the guest of Cornelius. he saw
in the home of the Roman centurion a
demonstration of the power of the Holy
Spirit, so that he opened the door OF
the church of the Living God to the
gentiles.
The work Of some lay evangelists