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THE KING’ S BUSINESS
( 8 ) Demetrius thinks “the grass will go” if he must go. (9) A mob is a mass o f madinen. (10) One man with law and reason on his side (and inside), masters a mob.
(5) Demetrius is for Diana and—the dol lar. ( 6 ) The pocket is a sensitive spot. (7) A faithful preacher makes a stir among the silversmiths. >
Journeying to Jerusalem AUGUST 27, 1916. LESSON IX . Acts 20:16-27. (Read 16-38. Commit v. 24). G olden T ext : “ I commend you to God, and to the word o f His grace.”—Acts 20:32.
DA ILY BIBLE READINGS Mon., Aug. 21—Acts 20:16-27. (The Lesson).
Tues., Aug. 22—Acts 20:28-38. Wed., Aug. 23— 1 Peter S:l-7. Thurs., Aug. 24—Acts 21 :4-14. Fri., Aug. 25—Phil. 1:15-26. Sat., Aug. 26—Acts 20:1-15. Sun., Aug. 27—Eph. 6:10-20.
EXPOSIT ION AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
also felt that he must see the representa-- tives o f the church, and he sent for them to meet him at Miletus, twenty or thirty miles away. At the present day it would have been easily possible for Paul himself to have made the trip to Ephesus by land in a short time, but in Paul’s day Ephesus could only be' reached from Miletus by making a long detour around the head o f the gulf, and to go directly from one o f these cities to another one would have been compelled to go across the gulf by boat artd then' continue by .land. This explains why Paul did not go to Ephesus, and shows how accurately the narrative in the Acts fits into the geographical facts as they were at that time, but are not now, and it is one o f the many indications o f the truthfulness o f the narrative. vs. 18, 19. “And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know from the first day that I came into (I set foot in) Asia, after what manner I have been (was) with you at all seasons (all the time), serv ing the Lord with all humility (lowliness) o f mind, and with many (omit, many) tears, and temptations, (trials) which befell me by thè lying ,in wait (plots) o f the Jew s :” Paul begins his address to the elders o f the church at Ephesus with an appeal to their
v. 16. “F o r Paul had determined to sail by (past) Ephesus, because he would (that he might) not ( add, have to) spend time in A sia: ( ;) fo r he hasted (was hastening), if it were possible fo r him to be at Jerusa lem thi day o f Pentecost.” Though Paul passed near Ephesus, the scene o f such eventful and fruitful years o f his life, and though he anticipated that this was the last time that he would be in that nighborhood (v. 25), nevertheless he was so bent on reaching Jerusalem by the day o f Pente cost that he decided noL to visit Ephesus. Many hallowed memories clustered about the day o f Pentecost in Jerusalem. It was on that day that the Holy Spirit was orig inally given (Acts 2:1-4), and the church .began. . Furthermore, many Christians would be gathered together at Jerusalem at that time from diffèrent places, and if by any possibility he could reach Jerusalem by Pentecost he was determined to be there, and he was even willing to pay the price of not seeing the beloved friends in Ephesus where he had spent some o f the most fruit ful years o f his life (vs. 17, 18). v. 17. "And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called ('add, to him) the elders o f the church." Though Paul felt that he could not take time to go to Ephesus, he
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