The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-04-09
Lesson Text: Acts 2:22-36

! Obedient to the command of
Jesus that they 'tarry in Jerusa-
lem" until the Holy Spirit should
! descend upon them, the disciples
stayed in the city, using the up.
1aper room, as a meeting place
where they would gather for con-
ISOLATION with each other and to
plan for the future 1t was here,
fifty days after the death and
/ resurrection of Jesus, that the dis
ciples and apostles were together,
when they were "all filled with
the Holy Spirit and began to
speak with other tongues, as the
Spirit gave them utterance".
Hearing of this, a great multi
tude assembled before the House
in which the disciples were and
Peter, filled with the Spirit
boldly began to proclaim to them
that Jesus is the Christ, the Re-
deemcr of the world He opened
his sermon by quoting from the
prophet Joel and from David,
characters we'll known to his
Jewish hearers, and launched in
to description of Jesus, "a man
approved of God aomng you by
miracles and signs.ls as We your
self know, who had been cruel
fled by them but who had been
raised up from the dead He con-
demned his hearers, most of
whom were Jews, for their sin in
crucifying Jesus, and when his
listeners, in conviction, desired
advice as to what they should do,
Peter summarized the necessary
procedure in his words, recorded
in Acts 2:38, Repent, and be bap-
tized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the re-
mission of sins, and we shall re-
ceive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The aspect of Peters sermon
with which we are most concern
ed in our discussion is the argu-
ments he made in proof of
Christ's victory over death, for
the Christian faith in the divini-
ty of Jesus and the confident be-
lief in individual Immortality
rests largely upon the reality of
his victory over the powers of the
grave. If Jesus did not live again
after his death at the hands OF
the authorities, the whole truth
and dependence of the gospel
stories becomes worthless.
Therefore, it is very comforting
to realize that the resurrection of
Jesus is probably better attested
than any other historical fact
which is nearly two thousand
years old Aside from the many
occasions upon which he appear
ed to his disciples-all recorded
in the ancient manuscripts-the
sudden transformation which
took place among his apostles,
/ changing them from frightened
and discouraged men into flam-
/ ing evangcls of new doctrine. is
evidence of some miraculous
event which transformed them.
The average man or woman
takes life and death as the ex-
pected, scarcely bothering him
self or herself with mental
searchings and groupings which
lead to firm conviction in life
beyond the grave. Scientific proof
of Immortality is lacking if we
require laboratory demonstra-
tons under physical limitations,
for no man can convince the
dOubter as definitely as he can
show that water, heated, diSsi-
pates itself as steam. But, nei-
Their can the doubter irrcvoc-
able prove that death is the end,
for all nature seems TO reveal the
indestructability of matter. Form
nod habitat may be altered but
that is all-so with the human
Soul.
We know that hydrogen and
oxygen. in certain proportions,
unite TO form that which we know
of as water The running brook
is hydrogen and oxygen. the
frozen ice or vaporous steam is
the same. Melt it or condense it,
Nve have water again in its Gus
tomary form. This is no mys-
terry and we accept it without
question. Then. why may not
life--our conscious. individual
identity or soul-have capahili-
ties Of existing in our human
bodies during one period and un-
der certain conditions. and OF
surviving in spirit under a diff
ferent environment and al an
other time? The same creating
power which perpefuates hySiro-
gen in their various stages would
hardly equip the acme Of is crea-
tion-the human with. less
reS0urcefulnessg
Man distinguishes himself frosn
the physical body which Is his,
During al the years Of life, he Is
alert TO the unity Of one soul
throughput all the changing forms
Of his mortal frame He knows
that he controls that body, that