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STUDIES IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

—INTERNATIONAL S.S. LESSONS—

SUGGESTIVE THOUGHTS DESIGNED TO ASSIST THOSE OF OUR READERS WHO ATTEND BIBLE CLASSES, WHERE THESE LESSONS ARE USED; THAT THEY MAY BE ENABLED TO LEAD OTHERS INTO THE FULLNESS OF THE GOSPEL. PUBLISHED IN ADVANCE, AT THE REQUEST OF FOREIGN READERS.

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THE FIRST CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES

IV. QUAR., LESSON VII., NOV. 13, ACTS 13:1-13

Golden Text—”That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations.”—Luke 24:47

VERSE 1. The Church at Antioch had grown and prospered under the instructions of Barnabas and Saul, who, after spending a year with them, went to Jerusalem at the time of the famine and must have returned again to Antioch and resumed their work of teaching and strengthening them in the faith and hope of the gospel. The occasion of this lesson was probably about a year after the famine. Not only had the Church there increased largely in numbers, but in their midst had developed both prophets and teachers. The view of this band of Christians is truly a refreshing one. Here Jews and Gentiles were made one in Christ Jesus, and mingled together in ardent devotion to the recognized Messiah. They were full of love and zeal; they were earnest students of the Word of the Lord as expounded by Barnabas and Saul; they were prompt in sending relief to other Christians in time of famine. And now, having themselves grown strong spiritually through the knowledge of the truth and humble submission to its teaching, the missionary spirit began to develop.

VERSE 2. As the prophets and teachers continued in the good work with fasting and prayer, the holy Spirit indicated in some way that Barnabas and Saul should be released from the work in Antioch and sent elsewhere, to the work whereunto God had called them—the work among the Gentiles—to which Saul had been appointed by a voice from heaven, and Barnabas by the circumstances which had drawn him into this work and by the ability he manifested in carrying it forward. We are not informed as to the manner in which the holy Spirit indicated this, whether by some miraculous means, or whether by a simple consensus of opinion regarding the matter, in view of the ability of the Church at Antioch now to dispense with their services.

VERSE 3. In a most solemn manner—with prayer and fasting and the laying on of hands—the dear brethren at Antioch bade Barnabas and Saul God-speed on their mission. The laying on of hands cannot be understood as conveying authority to these brethren to preach the gospel; for they had been preaching the gospel for several years: and, besides, these brethren who laid their hands on them were not bishops or great ones in the Church; but, like all the others, they were simply brethren in Christ. The laying on of their hands we understand, therefore, to signify that they wished the new converts abroad to recognize these two as representatives, not only of the Lord, but also of the Church at Antioch, who, in parting with them and foregoing the advantage of their services, thus manifested their disposition to bless others with the same good tidings which had so refreshed them. And doubtless they paid their expenses and pledged them the support of their sympathy and prayers, and their means, if need be. Thus Barnabas and Saul went forth in the name of the Lord, and of the Church at Antioch, who thereby shared in the enterprise. In the symbolic services of the Tabernacle, this same significance attached to the laying on of hands. Thus Aaron, the high-priest, in laying his hands upon the head of the bullock to be sacrificed, declared that the animal represented him (Lev. 8:14) and thus typified Christ Jesus, our great high-priest who gave himself a sacrifice for our sins.

Thus we see that there was no apostolic succession indicated in this simple ceremony; for, as a matter of fact, it was brethren who were not apostles who laid their hands on one (Saul) who was already an apostle chosen and ordained of God.—1 Tim. 2:7.

VERSES 4,5. Being thus sent forth by the holy Spirit, they began their work in the synagogues of the Jews, because the Jews, having a knowledge of the prophecies and of the events, etc., connected with the life and tragic death of Jesus of Nazareth, were best fitted to receive the truth. Just so now the truths of the new, Millennial dispensation belong to Christians first, and the testimony should be borne to them before going to the world in general. This being our custom, we are often confronted with the query, Why not go rather to wicked people who never go to church? We reply, Because this gospel is sent to the meek (Isa. 61:1), and because “Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.”

But the temples of the nominal church today do not offer the same advantages for the

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presentation of the truth as did the synagogues of the Jews. The former are so hedged about with restrictions and formalities that there is almost no opportunity to present the truth there, while the Jewish synagogues, on the contrary, were open to any one who would read or expound the Scriptures. So also were the assemblies of Christians in those days of primitive simplicity, which have been so widely departed from by the nominal church of these later days.

VERSES 6-12 show how God worked with Barnabas and Saul and manifested his power through them. As they sought to make plain the way of truth to an earnest inquirer an enemy appeared who endeavored to withstand their teaching; but the power of God exercised through Saul promptly silenced the opposer, and the truth had free course.

Here the question naturally arises, Why does such power not exist in the Church to-day? On every hand the foes of truth and righteousness arise and flourish, and there is no power to withstand them save the power of the truth. We answer, it was not God’s purpose thus to defend the Church from her foes all through the age. It was his purpose, on the contrary, to let “the mystery of iniquity” work and prosper, and to let the Church develop under the trial; but in those early days, in order to let truth have a start on a fair footing it was necessary for a time to restrain the power of the adversary, as in the case of Elymas the sorcerer. The difference between that time and this is that that was the seed-sowing time while this is the harvest. And therefore God now permits false teachers to increase and multiply more and more, and to have such liberty that, if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect. Even these enemies serve a purpose in testing and in sifting the true children of God from the false.

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— October 15, 1892 —