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April 14, 1909. THE PRESBYTERI/
A process of ennobling the soul with all its faculties and
capacities, is carried forward. Graces of character are
nourished and matured. The image of Christ is wrought
gradually more distinct and more beautiful In the soul. It is
In fulfillment of an intelligent plan, exeouted according to
preordained laws.
Glorification is the culminating fulfillment of his gracious
designs. The "far more exceeding and eternal weieht of
glory'' is the heritage that is prepared for those whom he is
preparing for it. It is the destination that he had in view for
us from the beginning. Christ gave himself for the Church
that he might present to himself a glorious Church not
having spot or wrinkle or any such thing."
Sunday School
THE GOSPEL AT ANTIOCH.
Acts 11: 19-30; 12: 25.
Lesson for Sunday April 25, 1909.
GOLDEN TEXT.?"The disciples were called Christians first
in Antioch."?Acts 11: 20.
SHORTER CATECHISM.
Q. 52. Whit are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment are:
lod's sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal
he hath to his own worship.
DAILY HOME READINGS.
I
M.?Acta 11: 19-20; 12: Th.?Luke 10: 17-24.
T.?Matt. 10: 16-23. F.?1 Thess. 1.
W.?Matt. 28: 16-20. S.?Acts 4: 32-37.
S.?Rom. 1'2: 1-15.
TOPICAL OUTLINE.
A Great Church Founded?
The revival in Antioch, vs, 19-21.
What Barnabas finds there, vs. 22-25.
Christians in name and in deed, vs. 26-30.
LESSON COMMENT.
It will be well at this time, before entering upon this
lesson, to review some New Testament facts as to the proclamation
or the Gospel. When Christ came to earth there were
three principal nations with different national hopes, ideas, purposes.
The Jew was living in the past, the man of tradition,
hoping for the Messiah. The Greek looked to the future and had
an ideal humanity as his goal; while the Roman was the man
of the present, glorying in power and delighting to manifest it.
When the inspiied writers came to set down the essential
facts of the life ot Christ, the ideas of these three nations
seem to have been kept*in mind; and we have the life of
Christ set forth from three different points of view by the
writers or tne synoptic Gospels. Matthew writes an
account from the Jt?wlsh point of view presenting
Jesus as the promised Messiah. Mark presents the Christ
ct power and hence appeals to the Roman; and J^uke sets
before us the ideal man and thus makes Christ attractive to
the Greek, the man who is seeking the ideal.
When these appeals and the preaching of ihe apostles have
gathered out of these nations the body of Christians, John
rear the close of his life writes the Gospel for the Christian
and presents of Christ of the inner life, the Logos, the
Kevealer of the Father.
A study of the history of the early Church as given in the
t-ook of Acts will show that the preaching of the Gospel has
I
LN OF THE SOUTH. ^15
three distinct centers from which it radiates. First, Jerusalem,
the Jewish center; secondly from Antioch, the Greek center,
and lastly, from Rome, the Roman center. Of course there is
overlapping but in each center the dominating ideal are those
given.
The work of gathering the people of God out of the nations
is progressing. We have already seen that Christ gave to
the Church, in the beginning a definite program that was to
he worked out. It was to be a campaign of testimony.
For a number of years the disciples .lid not grasp the idea
that they were to go outside of the Jewish church to do their
work. Now the events we have been studying have begun the
work of giving them a different conception. God is preparing
a great worker to be the chief Apostle to the Gentiles and
the events of Drevious lessons hnvo imon 1? *
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him. Paul essayed to preach at Damascus and at Jerusalem
soon after his conversion, but the antagonism of the Jews
prevented. During the years following when he was in
retirement and preparation the movement towards the
Gentiles nad been going on and it had come from the right
source, the Apostles themselves. The work is ready, and then
happens one of those things that, humanly speaking, seenm
small, but means much for the bringing together of the work
and the worker. When Paul was at Jerusalem he had been
vouched for and protected by one Barnabas. The acquaintance
lasted only a very short time.
Barnabas is sent to investigate the conditions at Antioch.
Finding that the Gentiles have received the Gospel and that
the work is larger than he can handle he thinks of the man
he had known in Jerusalem and over to Tarsus he goes and
prevails on Paul to come to Antioch and a work that is to
mean great things for the world has been quietly launched.
The work and the worker have been brought together. In a
perfectly human way God's purposes are being carried out.
This city of Antioch which is to be the headquarters of the
Church for a great time will repay study. While it. is now
under the domination of the Romans it was founded by the
Greeks and is Greek in its ways and habits. At the time of
ihe lesson It probably had a population of one-half million.
It had magnificent government buildings and the unique
distinction of beine nrohahlv tho nnlv ondont
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by public lamps. It was notorious for its wickedness. The
grove of Daphne, situated near the city, was the scene of
orgies, mostly in the name of religion, that are practically
inconceivable tc us of this time. So wicked was it that it was
said by a Roman writer: "The Orontes flows into the Tiber."
It was in this city that the work of preaching to the Gentiles
really began. The Gospel does not seek the easy places.
C hrist caiue to seek apd to save that which was lost and his
followers must do their work in that spirit. The events
happening here at the time we are studying are interesting
also as marking the beginning of Foreign Missions. Antioch
'.s the first foreign mission headquarters of the Church. From
it as a center the real work of evangelizing the world began.
Our study of the city and its location will show how well it
was adapted to this function.
It was hero that members of the new sect were first
called Christians. As has often been the case with names
this one was first given in derision and it fitted so well and
suited the needs of the case so 'well that it stuck. It has
iviuc ui in*.- tum-ic ui me centuries 10 De one or tlie most
used and effective of the world's terms. It has even come to
be applied to tl:e era.
That these early Christians soon caught the spirit of service
is shown in their aid so beautifully extended to those in need
elsewhere. This was a new thing in the times in which it
occurred.
..Geo. D. Booth.