The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-10-21
WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
PAUL IN ASIA MIhl,2
By HIGHT e. MOORE
Acts 13:l.5- 1915: II: 1873

Acts 3:1-5, 1915: ID: 1923
Golden Text-And he said unto
them, Go ye into all the world
and preach the gospel to every
creature. MARK 16:l5.)
As from Jerusalem the original
light of Christianity shone into
"the region round about" so from
the new center of radiation at An
tioch in Syria the same light was
transmitted into "the regions be,
vond." 1t was thence at the cali
of the Holy Spirit and with the
benediction of the church that
Barnabas and Saul attended by
John Mark, about At A. D., set
out on their first missionary Jour-
ney. .. ,n
SYRIA (Acts 49, =,
A missionary church was that
at Antioch which was a center OF
evangelism as evident from con-
slant ingathering. a school OF 81
BILE study as shown in the whole
year of instruction following
Paul's arrival. and seat of phil,
anthropy as seen in the relief fund
sent to the famine-sufferers III
Jerusalem and vicinity. 1t was not
therefore, singular that in this
GREAT church there should have
arisen number of prophets,
speaking authoritatively and per-
haps foretelling events, and also
teachers who carefully instructed
the people in the ways Of truth
and righteousness.
The names Of several of these
prophets and teachers are pre-
served to US. Barnabas heads the
list. and naturally, for he had won
the place of leadership in the
church by his faithful labors and
great success. Of Symeon. whose
surname was Black. we only know
what is involved in his registra-
ton here. Lucius from the north
African province of Cyrene was
possibly a kinsman of Paul and
one of the founders of the church
at Antioch. Manaen had the dis
tinction of having been brought
up at court as the playmate and
foster-brother of Herod Antipas,
who disgraced his reign by muir
dering John the Baptist. The list
closes with the name of Paul, who,
though probably the last to join
the company, soon rose to first
place in the missionary work OF
the church.
While these leaders and doubt
less their co-workers were minis
tering unto the Lord in prayer, in
the observance Of the Lords Sup
per-. and in the spiritual exercise
of physical fasting they received
distinct revelation from the
Holy Spirit. And the revelation
was o singing out for special
work of the two most brilliant
and beloved men in the entire
church: Separate me Barnabas
and Saul for the work whereunto
have called them" He called
them to be missionaries as truly
and as distinctly as he had called
them to their special ministry in
Antioch. And the will of the Spir-
| it must prevail. So the church,
acting affirmatively on the Spir-
it's suggestion, designated Barna-
bas and Paul Cor the foreign field
and held an impressive ordination
service which included fasting and
prayer, the laying on of hands,
and the benedictory farewell.
Never has there been such sig
nificant setting apart of chosen
workers for chosen fields.
2-TOUR OF THE ISLAND OF
CYPRUS (Acts 13)
A missionary field was desig-
mated by the Holy Spirit. SO from
Antioch they went down the
Orontes valley sixteen miles to the
seaport city of Seleucia whence
they sailed to the island of Cyprus
sixty or more miles westward
Reaching the eastern shores of
Cyprus, the native country Of
Barnabas, the residence of per-
haps number Of Paul's acquaint-
ances from nearby Cilicia. the
home Of many Jews and Of some
Christians who had been convert
ed at Pentecost, the two mission
aries began work in the city of
Salamis. As was wise at the mo-
ment and customary afterward,
the point Of contact was through
the Jews who were so numerous
in the city as to have a number
of synagogues. In these syna-
gogues the Word of God was
preached by Barnabas and Paul,
and possibly also by John Mark,
who was their attendant on the
tour. How long they stayed and
what success they had are not re-
corded but on leaving, they be-
gan a thorough canvass of the
country, not proceeding directly
through the island its length of
$50 miles. but zigzagging across
it. visiting many important points,
until they reached Paphos, the
seat of government on the west
ern shore.
3-ARRIVAL AT ANTIOCH IN