T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
1008
This is a humorous episode in the progress of our history, and we cannot help sm iling to see these exorcists ex ercised. B u t th e re is One who can handle the devil, and may He. soon cast hirh out of the air and into th e pit! (6) Effect on th e E phesians, vs. 18, 19. ‘ , - These sup ern atu ral portents awed th é beholders. Moved w ith fear they confessed th e ir sins and consigned th e ir works on the “black a rts ” to the flames. F rom $10,000 to $30,000 w ent up in smoke, b u t it was smoke from th e p it of hell. God will send a more general conflagration of th a t sort. (2 Pet. 3 :10) “B u t th e d ay o f th e Lord w ill com e as a th ie f in .the n ig h t; in th e w h ich th e h ea v en s sh a ll p a ss aw a y w ith a g rea t n oise, and th e elem en ts sh a ll 'm elt w ith .ferv en t h ea t, th e ea rth a lso an d th e w o rk s th a t are th erein sh a ll be burned up.” (7 ) The W onderful Word, v. 20. “So m ightily grew th e Word of God,” and so may it continue to grow till “ th e ea rth shall be full of th e knowledge of th e Lord as th e w aters cover the sea.” . (Isa. 1 1 :9 ). PRACTICAL POINTS (1 ) The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a reasonable religion. (2) When people are unreasonable, w hat profit is th e re in reasoning w ith them ? ( 3 ) - The mystery of P au l’s m iracles was th e m anifestation of th e m iracu lous power of th e man Christ Jesus. (4) The source of a sorceress’ power is in th e stren g th of Satan. (5 ) You can cast out demons in Jesu s’ name if your desire is to exalt Jesu s' fame. (6 ) W hat wonders can be w rought in His wonderful Name! (7) F aith in Christ is always attend ed w ith confession and forsaking of sin. (8) If th e books of th e false cults could be burned, it would save many from th e flames of the fire which will n ever be quenched.
v. 8. Concerning kingdom of God. He did not give ethical nor sociological lectures b u t held fast to th e things con cerning th e kingdom of God.-|s|Torrey. T h ere' are many COMMENTS PROM outside themes MANY SOURCES pressed upon the K eith L. Brooks pulpit today. Un to them one and all, th e m inister should tu rn a deaf ear. “P reach th e Word”, is th e Spirit’s command. W hat rig h t has anyone to tu rn th e pulpit over as a public forum from which th e issues of th e day may be discussed?—Neighbour. v. 9. Spake evil o f th a t way. The apostle continued his exhortations to stony h earted h earers for th ree months, b u t when th e ir obstinacy changed to m alignity he left them .— Camb. Bible. v. 10. Continued two years. To w ard th e close of th is long stay a t Ephesus, as we learned from I Cor. 16: 8, he w rote his first epistle to the Corinthians, also probably the epistle to th e Galatians.— J. F. & B. All in Asia. The seed of th e seven churches of th e Apocalypse was sown in these two years. It is evident from th e tum u lt described in th is chapter th a t th e Christian teaching was making as much way among th e Gentiles as among th e Jews.— Lumby. This is “ th e g reat door and effectual” opened unto him (I Cor. 1 6 :9 ), which induced him to make it his headqu arters for so long a time. Thus Ephesus became the ecclesiastical center for the entire re gion as indeed it rem ained for a long time.— Baumgarten. Word of th e Lord Jesus. The Gospel is Christ’s Word. To preach from th e Scriptures w ithout preaching Christ is to miqs the resu lt in verse 20, th e prevailing m ightily in th e h earts of men. It is Christ in our preaching who goes on conquering and to conquer.— Sum. Bible. v. 11. Special m iracles. It is evi dent th a t P au l was not possessed of such healing power a t all times. Ephesus was th e center of magical a rts and p rac tices, and some such display was needed a t th a t special tim e and place, and God gave it.— Torrey. Things were done which could by no means be ascribed eith er to chance or second causes. They were even uncommon miracles, such as had not been w rought by th e hands of any other of th e apostles. Now was fulfilled Christ’s word, “G reater works th an these shall ye do.” We read of one th a t was cured by the touch of
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