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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
October, 1933
COMMENTARY Children’s Division In Holy Places B y H elen G ailey B y H erbert H. T ay
LESSON Golden Text Illustrations B y A lan S. P earce
Outline and Exposition B y B. B. S utcliffe
Blackboard Outlines B y B essie B. B urch
tives to teach that Gentiles must keep the law (v. 24). Such had never been the case, and in this the legalists had been untruth ful. But legalism does not hesitate to adopt dishonest methods, if only it can get the Christian into bondage. The message then stated that the decision delivered was a unanimous one arrived at by the assembled apostles, elders, and brethren at Jerusalem. They had come “to one accord” in the matter (v. 25, R. V .). As it was not a decision in which only a portion of the church concurred, the legal ists at Antioch had no backing whatever in Jerusalem. In the highest terms, the message commended both Barnabas and Paul for their work and teaching (v. 26). They had both endangered their lives for the sake of the gospel of grace, something the legalists would hesitate to do for the sake o f what they taught. The message moreover stated that Judas and Silas, leading men at Jerusalem, had been sent with Paul and Barnabas to de liver the letter. This would forestall any suggestion that Paul and Barnabas did not correctly report the proceedings of the council. And these leading representatives o f the council, Judas and Silas, would not only deliver the written message, but they would corroborate its contents by word of mouth (v. 27), The message concluded with the asser tion that the decision of the council was the mind of the Holy Spirit (vs. 28, 29). The principle established by this decision is fundamental in Christianity. W e might think it strange that such precautions were taken to ensure the correct giving of the message. But the history of legalism shows the need of taking such careful methods. Because it has such an appeal to what man is by nature, legalism easily secures a hear ing and thus leads Christians astray. Legal ism is never satisfied even with the deci sion o f the Holy Spirit in this matter. Nothing but submissive and obedient ad herence to the Word of God gives adequate protection against it. Law and grace are mutually exclusive and are essentially dif ferent ; neither can exist in conj unction with the other. Where law is combined with grace, the combination necessarily nullifies the force and perfection of the law, and the establishing and sanctifying power o f grace. III. P aul ’ s R eturn to A ntioch (30, 31). Returning to Antioch, the delegation gathered the multitude together and de livered the message (v. 30). Upon hearing the message which liberated them from the hindering influence of legalism, the dis ciples rejoiced for the consolation (v. 31). When legalism is admitted, assurance of salvation departs, because it never can be known when sufficient has been done to assure that the soul is safe; and progress comes to an end, because the legalist must ever be occupied with nature’s work and not with Christ’s work. Looking to the work o f Christ alone, assurance comes, because that work is perfect. God’s recog nition of its perfection and His acknowl edgment of His satisfaction with it are re vealed in the fact that God raised Him
NOVEMBER 5, 1933 PAUL IN JERUSALEM A cts 15 :l-35
group. Hence, as circumcision was the door into Judaism, these men found it easy to teach their error concerning cir cumcision. But Paul and Barnabas withstood such teaching, and there arose considerable dis- sention and disputation between them and these teachers of legalism. When this had gone on for some time with no agreement being reached, it was decided to send a del egation to Jerusalem to present the whole matter before the apostles and elders there and to secure a decision about it once for all. This delegation was composed of Paul and Barnabas, together with certain other men, and was instructed to take the ques tion to Jerusalem and lay it before the apos tles and elders. This was the occasion for the first Ecumenical Council o f the church, at which the question of the relation be tween law and grace was forever settled. II. T he R esult of P aul ’ s G o in g to J erusalem (22-29). The delegation from Antioch was re ceived by the whole church which was called together to hear and consider the matter. When the apostles and elders had formally convened the council, Peter first made a speech in which he took the side of Paul, appealing to history (vs. 7-9), experience (v. 10), and essential truth (v. 11). Following Peter, Barnabas and Paul were heard. Then after full discussion, James, the president of the council, sum med up the conclusions and gave the deci sion of the council (vs. 22-29). The council then appointed a commission to carry the decision to Antioch (v. 22). The commission consisted of Paul and Barnabas, together with Judas and Silas, two of the chief men among the brethren o f Jerusalem. The latter were chosen per haps to lend authority to the commission, to which was entrusted a particular mes sage from the council (vs. 23-27) The message recognized the unity of all who believed in Christ, in that it was sent as from brethren to brethren—the brethren of Judaism to the brethren “which are of the Gentiles.” Thus, early in the history of the church, the unity of the members was recognized (v. 23). The message denied that the church at Jerusalem had appointed any representa- BLACKBOARD LESSON
Lesson T ext: Acts 15:1,2, 22-31. Golden T ext: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor. 3:17). Wicked' Antioch I n t h e message sent from the elders in Jerusalem to the Christians in Antioch, the latter were advised to ..“abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication.” A glimpse o f the city of An tioch in the days of the apostles makes it
qui t e evident why this advice was given.. Antioch is described by Conybeare a n d Howson as follows : “For the m o s t part, its population was a worthless rab ble o f Greeks and Orientals. The friv olous amusements of
the theater were the occupation of their life. Their passion for races, and the ri diculous party quarrels connected with them, were the patterns of those which afterward became the disgrace of By zantium. The oriental element o f super stition and imposture was not less active. The Chaldean astrologers found their most credulous disciples in Antioch. Jewish im posters, sufficiently common throughout the East, found their best opportunities here. It is probable that no populations have ever been more abandoned than those o f oriental Greek cities under the Roman Empire, and of these cities Antioch was the greatest and the worst. . . Under the cli mate o f Syria, and the wealthy patronage o f Rome, all that was beautiful in nature and in art had created a sanctuary for a perpetual festival of vice. Thus, if any city, in the first century, was worthy to be called the Heathen Queen and Metropolis of the East, that city was Antioch.” Living among such conditions as those described above, it is no wonder that the Christian converts would be tempted to adopt the ritualistic forms and ceremonies of the Jewish or pagan religions and to partake of their accompanying immorali ties. The advice sent by the apostles was both necessary and timely. Outline and Exposition I. T h e O c c a s io n for G o in g to J e r u s a l e m a 2>. While Paul and Barnabas were minis tering among the Christians at Antioch, certain men arrived claiming to be repre sentatives o f the apostles and elders at Jerusalem and teaching that converts from among the Gentiles could not be saved un less they kept the law, particularly circum cision. At that time, there was no thorough understanding of what the church really was; it was supposed to be merely a new sect among the Jews, in opposition to the Pharisees or Sadducees or some other
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