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to reach gathered together and he could meet the people and preach Jesus to them on that day better than on any other day. Missionaries among the Jews today have their services on the Sabbath Day. v. IS.- " And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the syna gogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and (omit, Ye men and) brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.’’ Paul put himself in the way o f opportunity and opportunity came.' He had simply taken his seat in the synagogue, without asking an opportunity to speak, but, following the usage o f the synagogue, he and his companions were called upon for any word o f exhortation that they might have. This was just the opportunity that Paul was seeking. Like Peter on the day o f Pentecost (Acts 2:14-34) and Ste- ph enbefore the council (Acts 7:2-49), he began with an exposition o f Old Testament Scripture and Jewish history, but he used it, all tb lead up to Christ. By this he gained the attention o f the people and their favor before they realized in what direc tion he was leading them. It is always the part o f wisdom in dealing with men to begin with the things which they do believe, and thus lead them on to the things that they need to believe. The verses (38-41) which form the conclusion o f Paul’s ser mon, the point to which he was leading up, should be carefully studied, though they do not form part o f the lesson assigned. Verses 38 and 39 are especially important as in them is one o f the clearest declarations o f the Christian doctrine of justification by faith that is to be found in the Bible, and these verses have been greatly used o f God to lead men and women into assurance that they were “justified.” v. 42. “And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought (And as they went out, they besought) Jhat these words might be preached (spoken ) to them the next Sabbath.’’ What Paul had said to them made them desirous to hear still ¿more, so they asked that the
truth might.be presented to them on the following Sabbath also. The reason why the Sabbath was chosen for this further gathering was because that was the day on which they were wont to assemble for the study o f the W ord o f God. There was as yet no Christian church in Antioch o f Pisidia, and here as elsewhere the gos- 1 pel was first presented to the Jews, and their day o f assembly was naturally the day that was used for the purpose. v. 43. “Now when the synagogue was broken up ( broke up), many of the Jews and religious proselytes (o f the devout proselytes) followed Paul and Barnabas, who speaking to them, persuaded (urged) them to continue in the grace of God.’’ Paul in his sermon had made it as plain as day that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son o f God (vs. 23, 25, 27, 29-31, 33-37), that God had raised Him from the dead and thus fulfilled the promise made unto the fathers (vs. 32, 33) and that “by Him every one that believeth is justified from all things” (vs. 38, 39). Such powerful and convincing présentation o f the truth naturally produced immediate and abundant fruit, there were numerous converts. These converts were of. two classes, regu lar “Jews,” and “proselytes.” Paul and Barnabas followed up their work by words o f private instruction and exhortation. Hitherto the order in which their names have been given has been “ Barnabas and Paul” (see v. 2), but from this time on it becomes “ Paul and Barnabas,” Paul taking' the leadership to which God had chosen him. The substance o f the exhortation of Paul and Barnabas was, “continue in the grace o f God” (cf. John 8:31, 32; 15:5-10; Acts 11:23; 14:22; Col. 1:23). The sphere o f their continuance was to be “the grace o f God :” it was pure grace that Paul taught (vs. 38, 39; cf. Rom. 3:24; 11:6; Eph. 2 :8 ), and it is only in grace that one can “continue,” or “ stand” ( Rom. 5:2; Gal. 5 1 4). There is no exhortation more needed today than the exhortation to con tinue. There are many who start, but there are also many who fall by the way.
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