_Now there were in the Church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers._ THE NATURE AND SOURCES OF THE NARRATIVE We now lose sight for a time of the Church of Jerusalem and the apostles, and in the place of Jerusalem, Antioch becomes the centre of Church history. Indeed chaps, 13 and 14 f... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate unto Me Barnabas and Saul._ THE COMPLETION OF THE APOSTOLATE This act was no conferring of the apostleship by the prophets and teachers; the apostles themselves had received no power from Christ to do that. Both the vocatio... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away._ UNDYING FAME History has contemptuously obliterated from her annals the names of countless kings, who have set forth from their capitals for the scourge or conquest of nations at the head of armies, and with... [ Continuer la lecture ]
THEN SAUL (WHO ALSO IS CALLED PAUL). The crisis in Saul’s history and his change of name From this point Paul appears as the great figure in every picture, and Barnabas falls into the background. The great apostle now enters on his work as preacher to the Gentiles; and simultaneously his name is ch... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed._ TWO PAULS AND A BLINDED SORCERER Note-- I. Opposition to the faith. 1. Elymas “withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.” This is true the world over. The greater the opportunity the greater the opposition. The devil i... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia._ PERGA IN PAMPHYLIA Because Perga was little known Pamphylia is subjoined. It was an ancient city on the river Cestrus, about seven miles from its mouth. The stay in it was very short, and there seems to have been... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers._ THE HOURS ON THE WORLD’S CLOCK 1. Moving slowly forward as the hours of the Eternal God, with whom a thousand years are as one day, and of the long suffering God, whose patience has borne with this perverse world, as it did with Israel for fort... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And about the time of forty years suffered He their manners in the wilderness._ DIVINE FORBEARANCE TOWARD HUMAN PERVERSENESS RETRACED The goodness of God to man and the ingratitude of man to God form a very striking and affecting contrast. No one can seriously review his own history or that of th... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_He raised up David._ DAVID David is one of the grandest men in the Bible, and his character is more fully portrayed than that of any other with one exception. The sweet singer of Israel was royally dowered with charms of the person, with gifts of the mind, and with susceptibilities of the heart;... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_John fulfilled his course._ ON THE DUTY, HAPPINESS, AND HONOUR OF MAINTAINING THE COURSE PRESCRIBED TO US BY PROVIDENCE The life of every individual may be compared to a river: rising in obscurity, increasing by the accession of tributary streams, and, after flowing through a longer or shorter dis... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent._ TO YOU I. What is the word of this salvation? 1. It is the testimony that Jesus is the promised Saviour (Actes 13:23). 2. The word which promises forgiveness to a... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew Him not._ THE REJECTION OF CHRIST I. Its ground. 1. Ignorance of Christ Himself. (1) Of His Divine Sonship. (2) His mediatorial authority. (3) His saving mission. Had they known all this, “they would not have crucified the... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise … God hath fulfilled._ THE GLAD TIDINGS I. What they are. The origin of the gospel conception is connected with Jewish history. The people were often assailed by enemies, and in Jerusalem they waited with anxiety to learn the issue. By ag... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_For David, after he had served his own generation._ THE LIFE, CHARACTER, AND DEATH OF DAVID I. The general character of the man. We shall not attempt to extenuate his sins. But let his penitential Psalms bear witness for him, that no judgment can be passed upon him more severe than that which he... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Be it known unto you … that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him all that believe are justified._ THE GOSPEL MESSAGE I. The blessings which the text exhibits--forgiveness and justification. 1. Forgiveness implies offence, and have not we transgressed the law... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Beware therefore._ A SOLEMN WARNING TO THE UNGODLY We are, in this world, represented as being remarkably under the influence of self-love; but, with regard to the eternal future, the self-love of man is strangely perverted and enfeebled. One of the main objects of the sacred writings is to grapp... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words._ GROWTH OF APOSTOLIC POWER 1. There are always unexpected hearers arising to give encouragement to the preacher. Strangers are there, who spring up, and say, “This is the gate of heaven.” The Gentiles hailed... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad._ RIGHT RELATION TO THE TRUTH On hearing the gospel the Gentiles-- I. Were glad. 1. This should be, but alas is not, the uniform effect of gospel hearing. (1) Some are indifferent, for they feel no need of it. (2) Some are critical. They may fe... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And the Word of the Lord was published throughout all the region._ GOSPEL MISSIONS We feel persuaded that all of you are of one mind in this matter, that it is the duty as well as the privilege of the Church to proclaim the gospel to the world. But we have not been successful to the extent we mig... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women._ JEWISH TACTICS The fact brings before us another feature of the relations between Jews and Gentiles at this period. They “compassed sea and land to make one proselyte.” They found it easiest to make proselytes of women. Such conversions ha... [ Continuer la lecture ]