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September 1928
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K i n g ' s
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Internat iona l Lesson Commentary Heart o f the Lesson—K . L. B. :: Outline—David L. Cooper :: Little Folk—Mabel M. Hope I
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O ctober 7, 1928 Paul in Ephesus Text: Acts 19; Eph. 4:1-16 L esson in O utline I. Baptism o f Twelve Disciples o f John. Acts 19:1-7. 1. Paul’s arrival. V. 1. 2. His interview with these early dis ciples. Vs. 2-4. 3. His baptizing these disciples and im parting the Holy Spirit. Vs. 5-7. II. Paul’s Ministry in Ephesus. Vs. 8-20. 1. His preaching in the synagogue. V. 8 . 2. His preaching in school o f Tyrannus. Vs. 9, 10. 3. His miracles. Vs. 11, 12. 4. The attempted exorcising by sons o f Sceva. Vs. 13-17. 5. A revival among certain believers who had been practicing magic. Vs. 18-20. III. Paul's Plans for Future Work. Vs. 21 , 22 . IV. The Uproar at Ephesus. Vs. 23-41. 1. Opposition fomented against Paul by Demetrius. Vs. 23-28. 2. The riot in the theater. Vs. 29-41. a. Arrest of Gaius and Aristarchus. V. 29. b. Paul restrained from participa tion by friends and officials. Vs. 30, 31. c. The multitude in confusion. V. 32. d. Failure o f Alexander to quiet mob. Vs. 33, 34. e. The speech of the town clerk. Vs. 35-41. V. Christian Growth. Eph. 4:1-16. 1. Exhortation to a clean, consistent life. Vs. 1, 2. 2. Exhortation to unity. Vs. 3-8. 3. Diversity of callings and gifts. Vs. 9-16. '"THE Apostle Paul was a penetrative observer. Coming to Ephesus, he missed a certain light in the faces of the believers he met. Their faces were too
Sunday and remarked about it to his grandmother. Her remark was: “ Rover ■ is not a good Christian.” The lad no ticed the old mule sticking his head over the fence, and patting him on the nose, he said: “Nice Christian—you have a long face just like grandpa.” We fear that many a young person .fails to observe the joy o f the Spirit in the faces of professing Christians. The revision o f v. 2 should be carefully noted. It was not a question of- whether these Ephesian believers received the Spirit a t . some time subsequent to ■be lieving, but whether, on .the occasion of believing, they received the Spirit's wit ness. We believe the New Testament clearly teaches that one cannot* be made a partaker o f the divine nature without receiving the Spirit (Rom. 8:9, 14). Observe the answer given: "W e have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost’’- (:y, 3). Here we have another unfortunate translation, correct ed in the Revised Version to read: “ W e did not so much as hear whether the Holy Ghost was given.” They knew only the message o f John the Baptist (v. 3) and no disciple of John could have been igno rant of the existence of the Spirit’. (Mt. 3 :11/). Their answer shows that they; like John himself, who passed away, before the outpouring o f the Spirit, were un aware o f the special bestowment of the Spirit at Pentecost. John’s baptism, Paul explained, was a washing. symbolical o f repentance, which he preached in preparation for the Sav iour’s appearance (v. 4). The baptism commanded after the resurrection be comes the believer’s outward pledge of the covenant o f salvation, the seal of his having been saved through identification with the crucified and risen Saviour. When this company of believers heard this, " they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus” (v. 5). Some have taken these words as a new baptismal formula,' saying that believers should now be bap tized in the name o f Jesus only. There would seem to be no warrant for such a notion, for Paul was dealing with a small group:J[(y. 7) who believed in God and in the Holy Spirit, but did not know that Christ had already come and dealt with their sins. These had never received Christ’s baptism at all. Following the custom in the days before God’s message was committed to written revelation, Paul laid his hands upon these
believers and they received the Spirit and gave evidence by the sign-gifts which con tinued for a time after Pentecost (v. 6 ). For three months Paul was privileged to proclaim the Gospel in the synagogue (v. 8 ). We are reminded that he had many stony-hearted hearers in his audi ences (v. 9), who talked loudly against Paul before the crowds. Openings were continually made for Paul, so that for two years he was able to spread the Gos pel throughout Asia (v. 10), “ God wrought special miracles by the hands o f Paul” (v. 11). They were in deed very unique. “From his body were brought handkerchiefs or aprons” and when these were laid upon the sick they were healed (v. 12). Ephesus was full o f people who practiced curious arts and made long incantations. God gave this signal manifestation of His power, espe cially suited to the need o f this infested city. W e read o f no other similar mir acle., The unusual form was doubtless adapted to meet the superstitions of Ephesus, refuting their magic arts and challenging comparison. - We are not told this method was recommended by Paul or that it was necessary to the healing of the sick." It seems to have been a peculiar idea of their, own, and because of the reality o f their faith; God was pleased not to suffer it to lose its reWard. The roaming fakirs o f Ephesus at tempted imitation, and tried to gain credit by using the names of Jesus and Paul in. their incantations (v. 13). Seven sons of one Sceva did this and to their surprise* an evil spirit answered them: “Jesus T know and Paul I know, but who are you?” (v. 15). The demon-possessed man. leaped upon them and overcame them. Is'this not just the answer the world, still gives the ministry that is merely fool ing with sacred phrases? Their words will be thrown/ back in their faces event ually, and indeed they ought to be twitted; with not knowing anything of the One whose name they use. It is easier to do a_ trick, say a few words in a sanctimonious, tone, and roll the eyes up to heaven than it;is to be honest with God and know the power o f the Spirit. The triflers “fled out o f the house naked and wounded” (v. 16). Why had they made such a mess? They had got. into Christian work in the wrong way. ( “ They took upon them” —v. 13.) They
long, their eyes too dull. "H e said unto them, Have ye re ceived t h e H o l y Ghost since ye be lieved ?” ( M o r e correctly, according to the Revised Ver sion : "Did ye re
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ceive,the Holy Ghost when ye believed?’’ ') What would Paul say to many in our churches today? W e heard o f a boy who lived with some very gloomy but reli gious grandparents. Their Sunday faces, it was. said, would curdle milk. The boy saw his dog joyously jumping about one
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