The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1959-10-24
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
BY Rev. George A. Harper
511 Avenue G.,
Greenwood, Miss.

GREENWOOD, MISS.
PETER AND JOHN, UN-
DAUNTED WITNESSES:
Lesson Text - Acts Alb;
Print - Acts AHA.
MEMORY SELECTION -
Whether it be right in the
sight of God to hearken unto
you more than unto God, Judge
We. For we cannot but SPEAK
the things which we have seen
and heard. - Acts 4:19, 20).
Nothing can be more absurd
than to hearken unto weak and
fallible men, that are fellow
creatures and fellow-subjects.
more than unto a God that is
infinitely wise and holy, our
Creator and sovereign Lord,
and the judge to whom we are
all accountable. Even if they
had not had such an express
command from heaven to
preach the doctrine of Christ.
yet they could not but speak,
and speak publicly, those
things which they had seen and
heard. They felt the influence
of it upon themselves.
THE DISCIPLES ARREST.
ED IN THE TEMPLE:
"And as they spake unto the
people, the priests, and the
captain of the temple, and the
Sadducees, came upon them"
The preaching of Christ's
gospel anywhere in Judaea was
unacceptable to the Jews, but
to invade the temple with this
"heresy" was intolerable.
Something had to be done
about that and quickly, even
though it happened more as a
matter of Incidental that Pc
ter's preaching was done in the
temple, for the healing of the
lame man at the Beautiful gate
had occasioned it. Being
grieved that they taught the
people, and preached through
Jesus the resurrection from
the dead" All of them
were grieved that the apostles
taught the people in the name
of Jesus, but the Sadducees in
particular could make them
selves feel justified for oppos-
ing the doctrine of the resur-
rection. Naturally the perpe-
tuation of the resistance
through the apostles would be
strongly opposed just as Jesus
himself was opposed. "And
they laid hands on them, and
put them in hold unto the next
day: for it was now eventide"
The Sanhedrin had prob
ably recessed for the day, due
to the lateneSS of the hour,
and no trial could be held that
evening. The next logical
thing that the arresting party
decided to do was to put the
apostles in prison for safe de-
tention until the next day.
"Howbeit many of them which
heard the word believed; and
the number of the men was a
bout five thousand" The
priests and their associates in
terrupted the teaching of the
apostles, but not early enough
to prevent the gospel from
having some effect upon the
multitude. They were afraid
that if these men were let a.
lone they would indoctrinate
all Jerusalem and Judaea.
PETER AND JOHN BE-
FORE THE SANHEDRIN:
"And it came OF pass on the
morrow, that their rulers, and
elders and scribes'' - AS sta
ted above, the day was too far
spent at the time the apostles
were arrested to have a hear
ing or a trial for them. How
belt, they were not released
on security or on a pledge of
honor to voluntarily appear for
tomorrow's court, but the apos-
ties were lodged in prison un.
til the following day in order
that they might be brought be-
fore the court.
"And Annas the high priest,
and Caiaphas John, and Alex
ander, and as many as were of
the kindred of the high priest
were gathered together at Jer-
uSalem" The personal
names given in verse 6 are
very probably those of mem
bers of the high priests fam
lily. Certainly the John men,
toned in this verse is not the