The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-10-12
WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
PAUL IN ANTIOCH
-. By HIGHT E. MOORE
Acts 11:19-3O: 1926.

Acts 11:19-3O; 1926.
Golden Text For / am not
ashamed of the gospel: for it is
the power of God unto salvation
to everyone that believeth; to the
Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16.
After his conversion and early
ministry in Damascus, Saul spent
a season in Arabia. Then he re-
turned to Damascus only to be
prosecuted himself, went on to
Jerusalem to encounter hostility
there also, and thence proceeded
to his native city of Cilicia.
The most missionary OF the
early churches was located at
Antioch in Syria. 1t had a mixed
membership of Jews and Gentlles.
Here BarnabaS, sent from Jeru-
salem. and Saul, brought from
Tarsus, labored together with
great success for more than a
year. They raised and conveyed
to Jerusalem a generous relief
fund for the poor brethren in
Judea, returning with John Mark
as their assistant.
FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH
(Aets ID
Organization of the church at
Antioch grew out of the persecu-
ton at Jerusalem that culminat-
ed in the stoning of Stephen,
scattering the disciples through
Palestine and many parts of
Syria. Some travelled as far as
Phenicia, the rich province skirt
ing the coast on the north, to
Cyprus. the great island in the
eastern parts of the Mediterran-
can Sea, and to Antioch, the
popular Syrian metropolis with
a half million population, the
third city in the world standing
next to Rome and Alexandria.
The first preachers arriving at
Antioch from Jerusalem intend
ed to confine their ministry to
the Jews in the city. But others
in the company who hailed or
iginally from the island of Cyprus
and from the City of Cyrene on
the north coast of Africa, adj
dressed themselves to work
among the Grecians. Others had
here and elsewhere wrought
among the Greek-speaking Jews,
but now for the first time the
Greeks were given the gospel
message. 1t was a turning-point
in Christian missions and was
manifestly attended with the d.
vine blessing.
MINISTRY OF BARNABAS
AND SAUL (Acts I'D
Instruction of the infant church
at Antioch was necessary. The
mother church at Jerusalem. re-
joieing over the good news and
yet fearful complications arising
from the admission of Gentiles
into the church. sent a fraternal
messenger to offer needed coun-
sci and help. BarnabaS was the
fittest man for the task: A loyal
Leyite, a native of nearby Cy-
prus, familiar with the Greek lam
guage, a generous contributor 20
benevolence, deeply spiritual, and
an excellent eXhorter. When he
reached Antioch he was delighted
with what he saw. An evange-
lStic campaign followed. Soon
the work grew to such proper
tons that he found himself I'M
equal to the demands upon him.
He needed a co-worker who was
a teacher, an organizer and a
missionary. He believed the man
for the place was Saul of Tarsus {:
Born in the Cihcian capital, son
of Greekspeaking Jews, a Roman
citizen by inheritance. gloriously
converted, prosecuted for his new
faith, and now a preacher in the
prime of life in his native region.
To secure Saul as his assistant,
Barnabas made a trip to Tarsus
and succeeded in his mission.
Under their combined leadership
the church at Antioch assembled
regularly for worship and sys-
tematic Bible study. The doc
trinal work of Saul and the hor-
tatory work of Barnabas were
complementary to each other. For
a whole year they wrought with
such manifest power and success
that the disciples in their loyalty
to Christ now first received the
designation of ChrittianS.
FAMINE FUND FOR JUDEA
(Acts I'D