St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1934-10-12
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Improved H SUNDAY
Uniform c~-~oT
International OOnOOL
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(By REV r. q. FITZwATER. u. D..
Member of Faculty Moody Bible
Institute of Chicago.)
O. Western Newspaper Union
Lesson for October ID
THE CHRISTIAN AND HIS BIBLE.

LESSON TEAT-ActS S:26-SS.
GOLDEN TEAr-o how love thy
law! It Is my meditation all the day.
Psalm 1887.
PRIMARY Notwithstanding From
Gods Book.
JUNIOR ToPIC-An Ethiopian
Finds Good News in the Bible.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR
TOPIC-Finding Time for Bible
Study.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT
TOPIC-How to Study the Bible.
In the conversion of the Ethio-
plan we not only see the Word Of
God in relation to the salvation of
sinner, but the Lords work
broadening in its scope.
!. Philip Meeting the Ethiopian
wv. 26-29).
1. Leaving the Lords work by
Divine direction ". 26). The Lord
called Philip away from great
work in Samaria, and specifically
directed him to this man. Abraham
like, he obeyed the divine command,
not knowing why he should leave
the work in Samaria and go into
a desert place. AS he journeyed
on by faith, he espied the state
chariot of the Ethiopian treasurer.
The Spirit of God directed him to
go near and join himself to the
chariot. The tactful question put
to the treasurer gained him seat
by the side Of this dignified officer.
The commission which at first
seemed so unpromising was now
clear. The way of faith begins in
obscurity, but it always ends In
the clear light.
2. An officer Of state reading the
Bible wv. q. 2S). The Ethiopian
had been to Jerusalem to worship.
Despite his high official position, he
was not ashamed to be worshiper
of God. Following after God should
not be considered beneath the dig
nifty of a statesman. Indeed, the
worlds greatest statesmen have
been God-fearing men.
8. A providential meeting In the
desert ". 29). The coming together
of these two men was clearly the
predetermined way of God. God
knew the road which the eunuch
would be travelling, and the time Of
his passing through GAIA. Philips
going to that place was timed ac-
cording to the divine knowledge.
u. Philip Preaching to the Ethio-
plan wv. 30-35).
1. The Ethiopian's employment
while journeying ". 3O). His occu-
patton at the time Of this meeting
was reading the Word Of God. At
the invitation of the Ethiopian,
Philip joined himself to the chariot
and found him reading from the
f1fty-third chapter of Isaiah. God
will eventually show the way Of life
to the one who searches his Word.
2. The absolute need Of an inter-
prefer ". 31). The Ethiopian was
reading one of the clearest testi-
monies to the Messiah In the Old
Testament, yet he was unable to
understand it. The Ethiopian, a
great statesman, needed an inter-
prefer of the Scriptures. The mind
Of the natural man is blind to spir-
itual things, making the work of an
evangelist indispensable. Preaching
the Word of God will always be nee
essary. Valuable as is the Bible In
the hands of men, the touch and In
fuence of the living man who has
eXperteLsced the work Of Gods say.
ihg grace in his own heart is
needed.
8. Philips message wv. 32-35).
He began at the Scripture which the
Ethiopian was reading, and preached
unto him Jesus. This shows us that
the person represented in the fifty
third chapter of Isaiah as suffering
In the stead Of others was Jesus
Christ instead of Israel. It shows
also that the central theme of the
preachers message should be
Jesus He did not preach Jesus as
a great teacher, but as a Saviour
who had suffered and died instead
Of the, sinner. He preached Jesus
as the one who had offered himself
as ransom for many. If there is
to be revival, there must be re-
turn to the preaching Of salvation
through the shed blood Of Jesus
Christ.
u. Philip RaptIzing the Ethiopian
wv. 36-38).