,,ancient ,,apostles ,,written ,,for ,,the ,,deseret ,,sunday ,,school ,,union ,by ,david ,o4 ,mc,kay ,general ,superintendent ,second ,edition ,published by ,deseret ,book ,company ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,utah #aiba ,,preface ,ancient ,apostles is written as one of the series of text books prepared for use in the ,sunday ,schools of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 ,its purpose is to give a simple account of the leading incidents in the lives of the chief ,apostles of ,christ in the ,holy ,land1 with the view of developing faith in the hearts of the children in the principles of the ,gospel1 and in the divine organization of the ,church4 ,prominent traits of character in the different disciples are pointed out as the circumstances in the lessons permit4 ,these should be so emphasized in the presentation to the class that the pupils will be led not only to appreciate them as commendable and emulative1 but to realize that by personal exertion all these good traits may become theirs4 ,virtuous and honorable actions are the stones by which we build the mansion of character4 ,each chapter is planned1 also1 to emphasize one general aim1 which should be correlated with the incident or incidents with which the personality of the ,apostle and his companions is associated4 ,since it is difficult1 if not impossible to teach morality and doctrine without personality1 the wise teachers will ever keep in mind that the persons1 settings1 actions1 and conversations in this little work are only a means of teaching truths and principles of conduct that will contribute to the moulding of ,god-like character in their boys and girls4 ,the suggestive outlines and aims in the appendix are offered as helps and guides to teachers4 ,only a few suggestive applications are offered2 but no lesson should be given1 or even prepared1 without the teachers attempting1 at least1 to devise the most efficient means of introducing into the children's daily lives the aims and ideals taught4 ,the sincere wish of the author is that at least part of the pleasure experienced in writing these lessons may be realized by those who prepare to teach them1 and by those who read them1 and that their studious efforts through the blessings of the ,lord1 will bring to them that peace and satisfaction which come with the realization of having helped to make better and more efficient the men and women of tomorrow4 ,,contents ,,part ,,one ,peter and ,his ,associates ,i4 ,light-,fountains ,,ii4 ,early ,life and ,surroundings ,john the ,baptist1 ,andrew1 ,john ,,iii4 ,a ,period of ,preparation ,jesus1 ,james and ,john1 ,sons of ,zebedec2 ,andrew ,,iv4 ,a ,special ,witness ,names of the ,twelve ,v4 ,peter's ,faith ,tested ,,vi4 ,peter's ,testimony ,,vii4 ,a ,marvelous ,manifestation ,moses and ,elias ,,viii4 ,lessons in ,true ,leadership ,,ix4 ,on the ,night of the ,betrayal ,x4 ,out of ,gloom ,into ,light ,,xi4 ,a ,true ,leader and ,valiant ,defender ,matthias ,,xii4 ,peter and ,john ,arrested ,,xiii4 ,persecuted ,but ,undismayed ,gamaliel ,,xiv4 ,a ,special ,visit to ,samaria ,stephen1 ,philip ,,xv4 ,at ,lydda and ,joppa ,eneas1 ,tabitha ,,xvi4 ,the ,third ,imprisonment ,,xvii4 ,closing ,scenes of a ,righteous ,ministry ,,part ,,two ,,xviii4 ,james1 the ,son of ,zebedee ,salome1 ,mary ,magdalene1 ,mary1 mother of ,jesus2 the first martyr1 ,apostle ,,part ,,three ,john the ,beloved ,disciple ,,xix4 ,with the ,redeemer ,,xx4 ,with ,peter and the ,twelve ,,xxi4 ,closing ,scenes of ,his ,ministry ,,part ,,four ,paul and ,his ,companions ,,xxii4 ,saul of ,tarsus ,gamaliel ,,xxiii4 ,saul's ,conversion ,ananias ,,xxiv4 ,in ,another ,school ,barnabas ,,xxv4 ,special ,messengers to ,jerusalem ,agabus1 ,john ,mark444 ,,xxvi4 ,first ,missionary ,journey ,,xxvii4 ,first ,missionary ,journey--,continued ,at ,lystia and ,derbe ,timothy1 ,eunice1 ,lois ,,xxviii4 ,a ,great ,controversy ,,xxix4 ,paul ,begins ,his ,second ,missionary ,journey ,silas1 ,luke ,,xxx4 ,at ,philippi ,lydia ,,xxxi4 ,at ,thessalonica and ,berea ,jason ,,xxxii4 ,at ,athens and ,corinth ,aquilla and ,priscilla1 ,crispus1 ,justus ,,xxxiii4 ,third ,missionary ,journey ,from ,antioch to ,ephesus ,apollos ,,xxxiv4 ,third ,missionary ,journey--,continued ,paul's farewell visit to the churches he had established ,,xxxv4 ,exciting ,experiences in ,jerusalem ,,xxxvi4 ,two ,years in ,prison ,,xxxvii4 ,the ,voyage to ,rome ,,xxxviii4 ,the ,world ,enriched by a ,prisoner ,chained ,,image3 ,,christ',s ,,charge ,,to ,,peter4 ,,part ,,one--,,peter4 ,,lesson #a ,,light-,,fountains ,no man has come to true greatness who has not felt in some degree that his life belongs to his race1 and that what ,god gives him ,he gives him for mankind4 ,if any man seek for greatness1 let him forget greatness and ask for truth1 and he will find both4 ,nothing can make a man truly great but being truly good1 and partaking of ,god's holiness4 ,sidenote3 ,influence of ,great ,men4 ,everybody likes to read and to hear about great men4 ,children1 and grown people1 too1 delight to learn how the leaders of men in the past have made the world better and happier by their noble deeds4 ,and when1 after many years have passed1 people still see how much good those leaders of men did in the world1 worthy aspirations are awakened1 and boys and girls of today desire to emulate the lives of these heroes of the past2 for1 as the poet ,longfellow says3 ,lives of great men all remind us ,we can make our lives sublime2 ,and1 departing1 leave behind us ,footprints on the sands of time4 ,sidenote3 ,boy's ,ideals4 ,every boy has somebody who becomes his ideal4 ,or perhaps there are more than one who form this ideal--one man1 for instance1 might be a good athlete1 and the boy wishes to be just like him2 another is a good violinist1 and the boy feels that he1 too1 would some day like to be a musician2 another is an able speaker1 and the boy desires some day to be a great orator4 ,but1 sometimes1 boys1 and girls1 too1 for that matter1 choose bad men for their ideals4 ,this happens when young folks read trashy books or associate with trashy or evil-minded men4 ,how unfortunate that little boy is who happens to read or to hear about some highwayman or robber1 and has awakened in his young mind a desire to be like that bad man6 ,how unfortunate for the boy who chooses for his ideal a man who smokes1 and drinks and swaggers through life in idleness6 ,sidenote3 ,sign ,posts4 ,thus we see that the lives of men become sign posts to us1 pointing the way along roads that lead either to lives of usefulness and happiness or to lives of selfishness and misery4 ,it is important1 then1 that we seek1 both in life and in books1 the companionship of the best and noblest men and women4 ,carlyle1 a great ,english writer1 says that ,great men taken up in any way are profitable company4 ,we cannot look1 however imperfectly1 upon a great man1 without gaining something by him4 ,he is the living 'light-fountain1' which it is good and pleasant to be near4 ,sidenote3 ,secret of ,greatness4 ,if you will study the lives of these great light-fountains of the world1 you will learn of at least one thing that has made their names endure4 ,it is this3 ,each one has given something of his life to make the world better4 ,they did not spend all their time seeking only pleasure and ease1 and a good time for themselves alone1 but found their greatest joy in making others happy and more comfortable4 ,all such good deeds live forever1 even though the world may never hear of them4 ,sidenote3 ,how ,some ,have ,failed4 ,there is an old1 old story that a man from another planet was permitted to visit this earth4 ,from a high mountain peak1 he looked down upon the busy towns and cities of the world4 ,millions of men1 like ants1 were busy building palaces of pleasure1 and other things that would not last4 ,as he left to go back1 he said1 ,all these people are spending their time in building just birds' nests4 ,no wonder they fail and are ashamed4 ,sidenote3 ,how the ,truly ,great ,have ,built4 ,all the truly great men of the world have built something besides birds' nests4 ,out of the deep longing of their minds and hearts1 they have brought forth gems of truth that have made the world richer4 ,they have wrought deeds of love and sacrifice that have inspired millions4 ,in so doing1 they might have suffered2 many indeed have met untimely death2 but all who thus gave their lives1 saved them4 ,that which we do for ,god and our fellowmen lives forever2 that which we do just for ourselves cannot endure4 ,to have sown in the souls of men ,one thought that will not die-- ,to have been a link in the chain of life ,shall be immortality4 ,sidenote3 ,lincoln4 ,when we hear anything about a great man we want to know everything about him--where he was born1 who his parents were1 where he lived1 how he played1 with whom he played1 in what kind of house he lived1 where he went in swimming1 where he fished1 etc41 etc4 ,such things about ,george ,washington and ,abraham ,lincoln1 for example1 are always interesting4 ,what boy is there who doesn't like to hear about the poor boy ,lincoln in the little log cabin in the backwoods of ,indiana2 to picture him there among the bears and other wild animals2 to picture him sitting by the fireplace learning to cipher by using a piece of charcoal on a wooden shovel because he had no slate1 no paper or lead pencil6 ,abraham ,lincoln was a great and good man1 and we want to know everything about him even when he was a boy1 partly to help us become somewhat like him2 for1 as ,lincoln wrote1 ,good boys who to their books apply1 ,will all be great men by and by4 ,sidenote3 ,little ,known of ,apostles' ,boyhood4 ,unfortunately1 we know very little about the boyhood days of the ,ancient ,apostles1 about whom we shall read in this little book4 ,it is true we can partly judge of what kind of boys they were by the kind of men they became2 but the little incidents of childhood and youth1 which tended to mould their character1 and in which we now would be so interested1 though nineteen hundred years have passed1 were never written1 and may never be known4 ,they grew to manhood before the opportunity came for them to render that service to the world which has made their names immortal4 ,sidenote3 ,most ,favored ,men4 ,in one respect1 however1 they were the most favored men the world has known1 because they had the privilege of associating daily--almost hourly1 for about two and one-half years1 with the ,savior of the world4 ,no wonder1 then1 that they became great1 when they had such an example of true ,greatness constantly before them4 ,as soon as they learned to love ,jesus1 they desired to be like ,him1 and so remembered ,his teachings1 and tried to do as ,he said4 ,surely it will be good for us to get acquainted with such men4 ,,image3 ,,map ,,of ,,palestine ,,in ,,the ,,time ,,of ,,christ1 ,,illustrating ,,the ,,four ,,gospels4 ,sidenote3 ,why ,apostles ,are ,known4 ,just think6 ,the only reason the world knows anything about them is because having met the ,savior1 they made ,him their guide in life4 ,if they hadn't1 nobody now would know that such men had ever lived4 ,they would have lived and died and been forgotten just as thousands of other men in their day lived and died and nobody knows or cares anything about them2 just as thousands and thousands are living today1 wasting their time and energy in useless living1 choosing the wrong kind of men for their ideals1 turning their footsteps into the road of ,pleasure and ,indulgence instead of the road of ,service4 ,soon they will reach the end of their journey in life1 and nobody can say that the world is any better for their having lived in it4 ,at the close of each day such men leave their pathway as barren as they found it--they plant no trees to give shade to others1 nor rosebushes to make the world sweeter and brighter to those who follow--no kind deeds1 no noble service--just a barren1 unfruitful1 desert-like pathway1 strewn1 perhaps1 with thorns and thistles4 ,not so with the disciples who chose ,jesus for their ,guide4 ,their lives are like gardens of roses from which the world may pluck beautiful flowers forever4 ,,lesson #b ,early ,life and ,surroundings ,it is with youth as with plants1 from the first fruits they bear we learn what may be expected in future4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,dead ,sea of ,america4 ,flowing north from ,utah ,lake through part of the ,great ,basin1 and emptying into the ,great ,salt ,lake1 the ,dead ,sea of ,america1 is the river ,jordan4 ,utah ,lake is fresh water and abounds in fish2 ,salt ,lake1 as its name suggests1 is so briny that no fish can live in its waters4 ,to ,president ,brigham ,young and the worthy band of ,pioneers1 the ,salt ,lake ,valley with the ,dead ,sea reflecting the glorious rays of a ,july sun1 was indeed a promised land4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,dead ,sea of the ,holy ,land4 ,away across the ,atlantic ,ocean1 stretching along the east shore of the ,mediterranean ,sea is another salt sea1 another river ,jordan1 and another fresh water lake1 and the river flows through the ,promised ,land1 or the ,land of ,canaan4 ,however1 if you will refer to a map of that country1 you will see that the relative position of this lake1 river and sea are just opposite in direction from these in ,utah4 ,in the ,holy ,land the fresh water lake is in the north1 and the ,jordan river flows south into the ,dead ,sea4 ,the land that contains these three important marks in history has several names4 ,as given above1 it is called ,the ,holy ,land2 also ,the ,land of ,canaan2 also the ,land of the ,hebrews1 or the ,land of ,israel1 because ,jacob's children once settled there2 also the ,land of ,judah1 after one of ,jacob's sons2 also ,palestine1 probably after the ,philistines1 who lived1 as you know1 in the days of the shepherd boy ,david4 ,sidenote3 ,size of ,cannan4 ,salt ,lake is eighty miles long and about forty miles wide4 ,the ,land of ,canaan is about twice as long and twice as wide2 or in extreme length about one hundred seventy miles1 and its width about eighty4 ,the ,city of ,dan was in the northern part1 and ,beersheba in the southern part2 so when you hear the expression from ,dan to ,beersheba1 you will know that it once denoted the entire length of the land of ,canaan4 ,sidenote3 ,sea of ,galilee4 ,the fresh water lake1 of the ,holy ,land1 also has several names4 ,it is known generally as the ,sea of ,galilee2 but it is also called ,sea of ,tiberias1 ,lake of ,gennesareth1 ,lake of ,tiberias1 and the ,sea of ,cenneroth4 ,it is about sixteen miles long and six miles wide4 ,the waters of this lake lie in a deep basin1 surrounded on all sides with lofty hills1 excepting only the narrow entrance and outlet of the ,jordan at each extreme4 99 99 99 ,the appearance of this sea from the town of ,capernaum1 which is situated near the upper end of the bank on the western side1 is extremely grand2 its greatest length runs nearly north and south4 ,the barren aspect of the mountains on each side1 and the total absence of wood give1 however1 a cast of dullness to the picture1 which is increased to melancholy by the dead calm of its waters4 ,on the west side of this lake was one of the important divisions of ,palestine1 called ,galilee4 ,one ancient writer says that at one time this province contained two hundred and four cities and towns1 the least of which contained fifteen thousand inhabitants4 #a ,sidenote3 ,bethsaida4 ,somewhere in this province1 probably very near ,capernaum1 was a little town called ,bethsaida4 ,there was another town by this name on the north-eastern shore1 but it is the ,bethsaida1 near ,capernaum1 in which we are now most interested4 ,to must have been near the lake1 because many of the men who lived there made their living by fishing1 not with poles and hooks and lines1 as the boys fish for trout in our mountain streams1 but with nets1 which they let down from their boats1 and with which they dragged the lake until they would entangle the fish1 which they then hauled to shore4 ,sidenote3 ,simon4 ,in one of these fishermen's homes1 probably a few years before the ,savior's birth1 was born one day1 a little baby boy whom his parents named ,simon or ,simeon4 ,he had a brother named ,andrew4 #b ,their father's name was ,jonas or ,johanna1 but very little is known about him1 and nothing about their mother4 ,sidenote3 ,simon's ,home and ,boyhood4 ,nothing definite is known about either ,simon's childhood or his boyhood4 ,however1 we are safe to conclude from what we know about the customs1 beliefs1 and practices of the ,jews of his time that he lived in a small1 flat-roofed house containing very little1 if any1 furniture2 that either at home or at school1 perhaps at both1 he learned all about the prophets in what is now our ,old ,testament2 that he observed the ,sabbath day strictly2 and what is most important of all1 he learned to look forward to the day when the ,savior of the world would come to ,his people4 ,in fancy1 we can picture ,simon and ,andrew and their playmates amusing themselves on the shore of ,galilee2 but it is only in imagination that we can see any of the incidents in ,simon's childhood4 ,we may think of him1 writes ,george ,l4 ,weed1 as a useful boy1 helping his mother in the labors of the house--carefully bringing the little red clay lamps for trimming1 or the corn to be parched1 or the fish his father had caught1 or the charcoal on which it was to be cooked1 or the bread from the oven1 and the oil and honey-cakes to be eaten with it1 or water from the stream that flowed from the hill behind their home into the lake1 or filling the water-jars at the door4 ,was he not his mother's joy when for the first time he shook the olives from the trees and brought them to her as a part of their frugal meal2 or when he spread the maize and hemp to dry on the flat roof in the summer sun8 ,was he not his father's pride the first time he handled the oar1 and dipped it aright in the wave1 and helped to spread the net1 and counted the fish they had caught8 ,he watched the flight of the sparrows and gathered the flowers--poppies1 daisies and anemones--like those from which the ,great ,teacher1 whom now he knew not1 would teach him lessons of wisdom and love4 ,childlike1 he gathered shells upon the seashore1 and dug in the white sand of the beach with a rude stick1 with delight equal to that of the boy of today with his finished toy-shovel and little painted pail4 ,none of the fishermen who saw ,simon with his playmates scampering around the nets and boats ever suspected that he would grow up to be among the greatest men of the world6 ,some writers tell us that the ,galileans were generally brave and fearless1 and loved liberty4 ,the men made good soldiers for they were bold and intrepid4 ,the boy1 ,simon1 as he grew to manhood must have admired the brave1 bold men around him1 for he1 too1 became a man of strong character1 as we learn from the first recorded instance of his life4 ,,simon',s ,,name ,,changed ,sidenote3 ,simon ,hears ,john the ,baptist4 ,soon after ,simon had grown to manhood there came a man from the wilderness of ,jordan1 clothed only in camel's hair and a leathern girdle about his loins1 but preaching with such mighty power that people from ,judea and all the regions round about came to hear him4 ,this great preacher was ,john the ,baptist1 the forerunner of ,christ4 ,among those who came to hear him was ,simon1 who1 no doubt1 rejoiced to hear this preacher of ,repentance declare that the ,son of ,man was about to come to the earth4 ,simon1 ,andrew and some of their friends believed what the ,baptist taught4 ,one day1 when1 with some of his followers1 ,john was near ,bethabara 7a word which means a place of crossing7 he saw ,jesus coming toward them1 and said3 ,sidenote3 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god4 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god1 who taketh away the sin of the world6 ,this is ,he of whom ,i said1 ,after me cometh a man who is preferred before me4 ,again1 the next day1 probably about #aj o'clock in the morning1 ,john was standing talking with two of his disciples4 ,they were ,andrew1 ,simon's brother1 and ,john4 ,walking a short distance from them was the same man whom ,john had pointed out the day before as the ,lamb of ,god ,and looking upon ,jesus as ,he walked1 ,john saith1 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god4 ,and the two disciples heard him speak1 and they followed ,jesus4 ,,image3 ,,christ ,,and ,,john4 ,sidenote3 ,simon's ,brother ,believes in ,jesus4 ,accepting the invitation of ,jesus to go with ,him to the place where ,he stayed1 these two men remained with ,him1 listening to ,his words all the rest of the day4 ,when they left1 they believed that ,jesus was the ,king of ,israel1 the ,savior of the world4 ,thus they became1 in that day the first two1 beside ,john the ,baptist1 to believe in ,jesus4 ,whenever we have anything which is really good1 we always desire to share it with one we love4 ,it was so with these two brothers4 ,they no sooner felt the divine influence that radiated from the ,savior than they were filled with a desire to bring those whom they loved under that same influence4 ,andrew went out to find his brother ,simon1 and ,john to find his brother ,james4 ,andrew found ,simon first1 and said3 ,we have found the ,messiah1 which is1 being interpreted1 the ,christ4 ,sidenote3 ,simon is ,called ,cephas4 ,and he brought him to ,jesus1 and when ,jesus beheld him1 ,he said1 ,thou are ,simon the son of ,jonas3 thou shalt be called ,cephas1 which is by interpretation1 ,a stone 7or ,the ,rock74 ,in those days the ,jews spoke the ,hebrew language2 but the new ,testament was written in the ,greek language4 ,now1 in ,hebrew ,cephas means rock2 but in ,greek the word for rock is ,petras1 or ,peter4 ,so from that time1 ,simon was known as ,simon ,peter1 or ,simon1 the ,rock4 ,when we think of this wonderful world in which we live1 of its great division of land called continents2 that in the eastern continent there are the countries of ,europe1 ,asia1 and ,africa2 that in one little corner of ,asia1 there is a strip of land only about twice as long and twice as wide as our ,salt ,lake2 that in that strip of land was a division1 like one of our counties1 called ,galilee2 that in this province were over two hundred cities1 and in each city several thousand people1 among whom one day was born a little baby whose parents were unknown2 that this baby boy grew to be a man of such strong character that ,jesus named him a ,rock1 and for nineteen hundred years now he has been known and honored by millions and millions of people--when we think of all these things we must surely realize1 even in our youth1 that a humble birth is no hindrance to greatness4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,josephus4 #b4 ,john #a3db-dc4 ,,lesson #c ,a ,period of ,preparation ,oh1 be my friend1 and teach me to be thine4 ,great souls by instinct to each other turn1 ,demand alliance1 and in friendship burn4 ,home in ,capernaum ,sidenote3 ,peter's ,views of the ,messiah4 ,from the moment ,peter met ,jesus1 his views of life were changed4 ,up to that time1 he had looked for the coming of the ,king of the ,jews as an event the indefinite future4 ,with other ,jews1 he had anticipated that the ,savior's coming would be marked by wonderful manifestations1 and that1 clad in purple robes1 and attended by many angels4 ,he would come in mighty power1 and in one divine expression of ,his wrath1 strike the ,roman shackles from the conquered ,jewish nation4 ,but now1 ,peter had met the ,messiah--a lone man on the banks of the ,jordan6 ,only about five men knew of ,his claim to the ,messiahship4 ,there were no legions of heavenly hosts accompanying ,him6 ,he wore no purple robes6 ,he possessed no visible means at hand with which to break the ,roman yoke6 ,was ,he1 indeed1 the ,messiah that was to come1 or should ,peter look for another8 ,sidenote3 ,jesus' ,influence ,over ,peter4 ,these and a hundred other thoughts1 undoubtedly crowded ,peter's mind1 as he left the wilderness of ,jordan to return to his fishing in ,galilee4 ,andrew and ,john1 on that memorable visit1 seemed to have received a testimony of the divinity of ,jesus' mission1 and they bore that testimony to their brothers when they so joyously exclaimed1 ,we have found the ,messiah6 ,but ,peter--impetuous ,peter1 who1 we shall learn1 was naturally outspoken1 had not yet so far as we know1 expressed such assurance4 ,however1 he was deeply impressed2 for had not ,jesus1 at first sight1 read his character8 ,had ,he not penetrated into his inmost nature8 and had ,he not radiated a spirit that so completely enveloped ,peter that from its influence the fisherman never more desired to go8 ,sidenote3 ,peter's ,home4 ,peter at this time was a married man1 and was perhaps the father of a little boy4 ,he had moved from his old home in ,bethsaida1 and lived with his wife's mother1 or she with him1 in ,capernaum4 ,with him were also ,andrew and their two faithful companions and friends1 ,james and ,john1 the sons of ,zebedee4 ,peter's home became the most distinguished home in all ,capernaum1 and later one of the most memorable spots in all the world4 ,here1 undoubtedly1 ,jesus stayed whenever ,he was at ,capernaum6 ,indeed after ,jesus had been so ruthlessly rejected by ,his own townsmen in ,nazareth1 ,he made ,capernaum ,his own city2 and it is supposed that much of the time1 the honor fell upon ,peter to entertain in his home the ,savior of the world4 ,how every word1 every act on the part of his worthy guest must surely have increased ,peter's confidence in ,jesus as the ,messiah6 ,a ,lesson in ,obedience ,sidenote3 ,on ,shores of ,galilee4 ,one beautiful morning1 several months after the events narrated in the previous lesson1 and a short time following ,his rejection from ,nazareth1 ,jesus was preaching to a multitude on the shores of ,galilee4 ,peter and ,andrew were busy near-by washing their nets1 after having spent all night on the lake in a futile attempt to catch some fish4 ,and it came to pass1 that1 as the people pressed upon ,jesus to hear the word of ,god1 ,he stood by the lake of ,gennesaret1 ,and saw two ships standing by the lake3 but the fishermen were gone out of them1 and were washing their nets4 ,and ,he entered into one of the ships1 which was ,simon's1 and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land4 ,and ,he sat down1 and taught the people out of the ship4 #a ,sidenote3 ,first ,recorded ,instance of ,peter's ,obedience4 ,when ,peter complied with ,jesus' request to thrust out a little from the land1 he performed the first recorded instance of his obedience to ,christ's word4 ,now1 however1 followed a command obedience to which was directly contrary to the fisherman's judgment4 ,when ,jesus had finished speaking to the people1 ,he said to ,peter1 ,launch out into the deep1 and let down your nets for toiled all the night1 and have taken nothing4 ,as much as from the empty net2 it was dry1 and the broken threads mended4 ,peter was tired and wanted rest4 ,he was hungry1 too1 and perhaps discouraged4 ,no wonder1 then1 that ,peter answered and said1 ,master1 we have toiled all night1 and have taken nothing4 ,as much as to say1 ,what is the use8 ,there are no fish this morning in this part of the lake1 nor has there been all night6 ,but ,peter was learning to honor and obey this ,man among men2 so he quickly added these words3 ,nevertheless at ,thy word1 ,i will let down the net4 #b ,as an experienced fisherman1 his judgment said to make a further attempt was useless2 as a follower of ,jesus1 his ,faith bade him try4 ,sidenote3 ,result of ,obedience4 ,and when they had this done1 they enclosed a great multitude of fishes3 and their net brake4 ,and they beckoned unto their partners which were in the other ship1 that they should come and help them4 ,and they came1 and filled both ships so that they began to sink4 ,we are told that ,peter was astonished1 and all that were with him1 at the draught of the fishes which they had taken4 ,peter1 the leader of the four as he was afterwards the head of the ,twelve1 fell down at ,jesus' knees1 saying4 ,depart from me3 for ,i am a sinful man1 ,o ,lord4 #c ,was it just the doubt and hesitancy expressed when1 a few minutes before1 ,jesus had asked him to push cut into the deep1 or was it the realization of many such doubts of ,christ's divinity that now overwhelmed him1 and made him sense his own inferiority and weakness in the presence of this ,mighty ,one8 ,jesus had manifested ,his power1 and in so doing had taught ,peter the lesson that he and all the world1 sooner or later1 must learn2 viz41 that obedience to ,christ's words brings blessings1 temporal as well as spiritual4 ,as the realization of this truth was pouring balm on his awe-struck feelings1 ,jesus said unto him1 ,fear not2 from henceforth thou shalt catch men4 #d ,,image3 ,,christ ,,and ,,the ,,fishermen4 ,from henceforth thou shalt catch men4 ,a ,,memorable ,,sabbath4 #e ,after ,jesus had been rejected from ,his own city1 ,nazareth1 ,he came down to ,capernaum1 and taught them on the ,sabbath days4 ,sidenote3 ,service in ,synagogue4 ,the last part of a service in the synagogue in those days was the expounding of the scriptures1 and preaching from them to the people4 ,this was done not always by an officer but by some distinguished person who might be in the congregation4 ,of course1 ,jesus was known all around by this time as a great teacher1 a worker of miracles1 and an able interpreter of the law2 and1 they were astonished at ,his doctrine3 for ,his word was with power4 ,sidenote3 ,an ,evil ,spirit ,rebuked4 ,on one particular ,sabbath1 when ,jesus was preaching1 ,peter and all present were surprised to see a man rise in the audience1 and suddenly interrupt by crying out in a loud voice1 ,let us alone2 what have we to do with ,thee1 ,thou ,jesus of ,nazareth8 ,art ,thou come to destroy us8 ,i know ,thee who ,thou art2 the ,holy ,one of ,god4 ,as this man1 who was possessed of an evil spirit1 ceased his railing1 each person in the congregation must have almost held his breath1 as ,jesus rebuked the evil one by saying1 ,hold thy peace and come out of him4 ,and when the devil had thrown him in the midst1 he came out of him1 and hurt him not4 ,and they were all amazed1 and spake among themselves saying1 ,what a word is this6 for with authority and power1 ,he commandeth the unclean spirits and they come out4 #f ,at the conclusion of this service1 ,jesus went with ,peter to the latter's home1 ,andrew1 and ,james and ,john accompanying them4 ,peter1 ,andrew1 ,james and ,john--these four who were playmates in boyhood1 partners as fishermen1 companions as disciples of ,john the ,baptist1 are now becoming inseparable in the loving bonds of the ,brotherhood of ,christ6 ,as they entered the house1 they learned that ,simon's wife's mother was very sick of fever4 ,undoubtedly1 it was ,peter who told ,jesus of his mother-in-law's condition1 and pleaded1 either by word or look1 or both1 that ,he would bless her4 ,jesus took her by the hand and lifted her up2 and immediately the fever left her1 and she ministered unto them4 ,you can imagine that all ,capernaum was talking about how ,jesus had rebuked the evil spirit from the afflicted man in the synagogue6 ,and then1 a few minutes after the service1 ,he healed a woman instantly of a fever6 ,the news spread from house to house1 and from group to group until the fame of ,him went out into every place of the country round about4 ,sidenote3 ,many ,healed4 ,all that afternoon1 ,peter's house and the streets around it were packed with crowds of people1 some out of curiosity but most of them desiring a blessing4 ,men possessed of devils were taken through the crowd to ,jesus and were cured2 those who had been suffering for days of a burning fever1 those who were afflicted with various kinds of diseases1 were all brought into the presence of this ,great ,physician1 who laid ,his hands on everyone of them1 and healed them4 ,sidenote3 ,through the ,twilight and ,evening4 ,the sun went down1 twilight came1 and evening shades began to deepen into night1 but still the sick and suffering sought that divine healing which only ,christ the ,lord could give4 ,never1 says ,eidersheim1 ,never1 surely1 was ,he more truly the ,christ than when1 in the stillness of that evening1 ,he went through that suffering throng laying ,his hands in the blessing of healing upon every one of them and casting out many devils4 ,it was probably late that night before ,jesus could go to ,his rest4 ,even later1 after the people had gone to their now happier homes1 ,peter and his household would desire to talk to their honored guest about the wonderful miracles of that day4 ,at length1 however1 all retired1 and everybody in the house slept as the midnight hours of that never-to-be-forgotten ,sabbath passed into the early morning hours of ,sunday4 ,another ,week of ,preparation ,sidenote3 ,sunday ,morning4 ,before daylight came1 however1 ,jesus arose quietly1 and walked out into the morning air1 sought a quiet1 solitary place1 and there prayed4 ,his pure thoughts were borne ,like fumes of sacred incense o'er the clouds1 ,and wafted them on angels' wings1 to ways ,of light1 to the bright source of all4 ,peter must have been surprised when upon going to greet ,jesus with a bright ,good-morning1 he found the guest-chamber empty4 ,perhaps he guessed where ,jesus had gone2 for we are told that1 ,simon and they that were with him followed after ,him4 ,and when they had found ,him1 they said unto ,him1 ,all men seek ,thee6 ,what a glorious condition will be in this old world when it can be truthfully said to ,christ1 ,all men seek ,thee6 ,sidenote3 ,all ,men ,seek ,thee4 ,selfishness1 envy1 hatred1 lying1 stealing1 cheating1 disobedience to parents1 cruelty to children and to dumb animals1 quarreling among neighbors1 and fighting among nations--all will be no more when it can be truthfully said to the ,redeemer of mankind1 ,all men seek ,thee6 ,sidenote3 ,around ,galilee4 ,it seems that ,jesus and ,his friends left ,capernaum that day1 and ,preached in synagogues throughout all ,gililee1 and cast out devils4 ,wherever they went the sick were healed1 and the lepers were cleansed4 ,some days afterwards1 they returned to ,capernaum4 ,no sooner did the people learn that ,jesus was in the house 7undoubtedly ,peter's house7 than ,straightway many were gathered together1 insomuch that there was no room to receive them1 no1 not so much as about the door3 and ,he preached the word unto them4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,man ,sick of ,palsy4 ,it was on this occasion that four men brought a man sick of palsy4 ,the poor man lay on his bed1 each corner of which was held by one of the four men4 ,finding it impossible because of the crowd to gain entrance to the house by the door1 they went on the roof4 ,here they made an opening into the room below1 ,and let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay4 ,when ,jesus saw their faith1 ,he said unto the sick of palsy1 ,son1 thy sins be forgiven thee4 ,and immediately he arose1 took up the bed1 and went forth before them all2 insomuch that they were all amazed1 and glorified ,god1 saying3 ,we never saw it on this fashion4 ,all these glorious manifestations of divine power1 and1 undoubtedly1 many1 many more1 ,jesus had given even before ,he chose ,his ,twelve ,apostles4 ,sidenote3 ,peter's ,faith ,strengthened4 ,peter1 as you see1 was a witness of them all4 ,if he had had any doubts a few months previous1 when his brother ,andrew said1 ,we have found the ,messiah1 surely they had long since been banished from his mind2 and we can readily understand why1 when ,jesus said1 ,henceforth thou shalt catch men1 ,peter forsook all and followed ,him4 ,but even yet1 notwithstanding all his experiences1 ,simon's faith is not the ,rock that ,jesus would have it become4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,luke #e3a-c4 #b4 ,luke #e3e4 #c4 ,luke #e3h4 #d4 ,luke #e3aj4 #e4 ,luke #d3ca-dj4 #f4 ,luke #d3cf4 ,,lesson #d ,a ,special ,witness ,the ,twelve traveling counselors are called to be the ,twelve ,apostles1 or special witnesses of the name of ,christ in all the world4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,night of ,prayer4 ,probably several months after the events narrated in the previous chapter and a little while before the ,feast of the ,passover1 ,jesus went out to a mountain near ,capernaum4 ,as was usual1 now1 in ,his life1 a large crowd followed ,him4 ,but ,he left the crowd1 and went to the top of the mountain1 so he could be all alone with ,his ,father in ,heaven1 unto whom ,he prayed all night4 ,sidenote3 ,twelve ,chosen4 ,undoubtedly1 many of his most ardent followers remained at the mountain also all night1 for ,when it was day1 ,he called unto ,him ,his disciples1 and of them ,he chose twelve1 whom also ,he named apostles4 #a ,the word ,apostle means an ,envoy or one who is sent4 ,an apostle is a ,special witness of the name of ,christ in all the world4 ,in all the accounts given of this important event1 ,peter's name is mentioned first1 indicating that he was chosen as the chief apostle1 and was undoubtedly appointed and set apart as the ,president of the ,council of ,twelve4 ,the names of the ,twelve whom ,jesus ordained at that time were3 7#a7 ,simon ,peter1 and his brother 7#b7 ,andrew2 7#c7 ,james and 7#d7 ,john1 the two sons of ,zebedee2 7#e7 ,philip of ,bethsaida1 and 7#f7 ,nathanael1 also called ,bartholomew2 7#g7 ,thomas1 also called ,didymus1 a name which means a twin2 7#h7 ,matthew1 the publican1 or tax gatherer2 7#i7 ,james1 the son of ,alphaeus1 called ,james the ,less2 7#aj7 ,lebbeus1 who was also called ,thaddeus1 and also ,judas1 but not ,judas ,iscariot2 7#aa7 ,simon1 the ,canaanite1 or ,simon the ,zelotes1 and 7#ab7 ,judas ,iscariot1 who became the traitor4 ,,image3 ,,st4 ,,matthew4 ,sidenote3 ,who the ,twelve ,were4 ,these twelve men were1 for the most part1 ,galilean fishermen who labored at their trade on the shores of ,galilee4 ,matthew1 however1 was a publican1 and therefore despised by the ,jews2 and ,judas was a ,judean4 ,some of the leaders of the ,jews thought that they were unlearned and ignorant men4 #b ,unlearned they were2 but not ignorant2 for by their wisdom and preaching1 they overthrew the whole edifice of human wisdom1 and led the world to the light of truth4 ,as a humble disciple of ,jesus1 ,peter had been a witness of many wonderful things pertaining to the ,savior's mission2 but it was difficult for him to comprehend the significance of the ,gospel plan4 ,you will note as we proceed with his biography that his understanding of it unfolded slowly1 even though he was almost constantly1 for the next year or so1 in the presence of his ,lord4 ,here are some of the things which he witnessed immediately after his ordination to the ,apostleship4 ,,at ,,matthew',s ,,feast ,one day ,jesus and the ,twelve accepted an invitation to ,matthew's house1 a circumstance that made the ,pharisees much offended because ,jesus ate with publicans and the sinners4 ,while ,jesus and the ,twelve were still at the feast1 and ,jesus was answering the charge of the ,pharisees1 ,sidenote3 ,jairus ,behold1 there cometh one of the rulers of the ,synagogue1 ,jairus1 by name2 and when he saw him1 he fell at his feet1 and besought him greatly saying1 ,my little daughter lieth at the point of death2 ,i pray thee1 come and lay thy hands on her1 that she may be healed1 and she shall live4 #c ,jesus immediately left the pleasures of the feast and of the entertainment of his friend and brother1 ,matthew1 and followed ,jairus to the latter's house4 ,,the ,,afflicted ,,woman ,sidenote3 ,faith of an ,afflicted ,woman4 ,and much people followed him1 and thronged him4 #d ,in this crowd was a woman who had been suffering for twelve years from a sore that could not be healed4 ,the blood had wasted for so long a time that she was weak1 and she was very poor1 for she had spent all she had trying to get cured4 ,she had heard of ,jesus and of ,his power to heal the sick1 and she had such faith that she said to herself1 ,if ,i may touch but his clothes1 ,i shall be made whole4 ,as ,jesus passed1 she stretched forth her hand and touched just the hem of his garment1 and straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up2 and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague4 ,sidenote3 ,who ,touched ,my ,clothes8 ,jesus1 too1 immediately feeling that ,virtue had gone out of him1 turned and asked1 ,who touched my clothes8 ,peter answered1 ,master1 the multitude throng and press thee and sayest thou4 ,who touched me8 #e ,what an insight must ,peter have received into ,christ's divine powers and susceptibility as he noted the afflicted woman come through the crowd and throw herself at the feet of ,jesus1 confessing all before him6 ,what satisfaction must have been his1 as he heard his ,lord say1 ,daughter1 thy faith hath made thee whole2 go in peace1 and be whole of thy plague4 #f ,but ,peter was soon to witness even a greater miracle4 ,,jairus' ,,little ,,daughter ,sidenote3 ,jairus' ,daughter ,dead4 ,while ,jesus was yet speaking to the now blessed and happy woman1 and while ,peter and his fellow councilmen and the multitude gazed in wonder1 there cometh one from the ruler of the ,synagogue's house1 saying to him1 ',thy daughter is dead2 trouble not the ,master4' ,poor ,jairus6 ,he had hurried from the bedside of his little girl only a half hour or so ago to plead with ,jesus of ,nazareth to come and save his little daughter4 ,the ,divine ,physician had started immediately1 but it was too late4 ,the great destroyer1 ,death1 had claimed the little girl4 ,peter's heart must have ached in sympathy for the sorrowing father4 ,but1 listen6 ,following the gloomy announcement of death1 they hear the comforting voice of ,jesus3 ,fear not2 believe only1 and she shall be made whole4 ,sidenote3 ,jairus' ,daughter ,restored4 ,as they neared the house1 they heard the weeping of friends and the moans of the broken-hearted mother4 ,but ,peter1 and others1 too1 heard the ,master say1 ,weep not2 she is not dead1 but sleepeth4 ,and they laughed ,him to scorn1 knowing that she was dead4 #g ,the ,savior then told everybody to leave the room excepting ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john1 the father and the mother4 ,he then walked up to the bed1 took the little cold white hand in his1 and said1 ,maid1 arise4 ,and her spirit came again1 and she arose straightway3 and he commanded to give her meat4 ,these incidents in the life of ,peter are only a few of the glorious experiences he witnessed even before he went out as a special witness of the name of ,christ4 ,jesus knew that neither ,peter nor anybody else could convert others to the truth until he himself first knew that truth4 ,no one can teach others what he himself does not know4 ,undoubtedly by this time ,peter believed1 with all his heart1 that ,jesus the ,worker of ,wonders1 was indeed the ,messiah who should come2 but his testimony was not yet firm as a rock4 ,,peter',s ,,first ,,mission ,however1 the time had come when he was sufficiently instructed to be able to go on a mission1 ,and ,jesus called unto ,him the ,twelve1 and began to send them forth by two and two2 #h ,sidenote3 ,peter's ,commission4 ,and commanded them saying1 ,go not into the way of the ,gentiles1 and into any city of the ,samaritans enter ye not3 ,but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of ,israel1 and as ye go preach1 saying1 ,the kingdom of heaven is at hand ,heal the sick1 cleanse the lepers1 raise the dead1 cast out devils2 freely ye have received1 freely give4 #i ,he told them to travel without money and without extra coats1 and to carry blessings and peace to all who would receive them4 ,he told them they would be persecuted1 arrested and tried before governors and kings2 but ,he assured them that the ,lord would deliver them4 ,he further said that1 ,whosoever shall not receive you1 nor hear your words1 when ye depart out of that house or city1 shake off the dust of your feet4 ,verily ,i say unto you4 ,it shall be more tolerable for the land of ,sodom and ,gomorra in the day of judgment than for that city4 ,he that receiveth you receiveth me1 and he that receiveth me receiveth ,him that sent me4 ,and whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple1 verily ,i say unto you1 he shall in no wise lose his reward4 ,we do not know who ,peter's companion was on this mission2 but we are told that they went and preached that men should repent2 that they cast out many devils1 anointed with oil1 and healed the sick1 and did many other wonderful things in the name of ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,sidenote3 ,john the ,baptist ,beheaded4 ,while they were on this mission1 ,john ,baptist the ,baptist was beheaded by order of the wicked king ,herod4 ,sidenote3 ,in a ,desert ,place ,opposite ,capernaum4 ,upon their return unto ,jesus1 ,the ,apostles gathered themselves together 7probably at ,capernaum7 and told ,him all things1 both what they had done1 and what they had taught4 ,but there were so many people coming and going that they had no leisure so much as to eat2 so ,jesus desiring to be alone with the ,twelve said1 ,come ye yourselves apart into a desert place1 and rest awhile4 ,so they entered a ship privately and sailed from the ,capernaum side to the northwest coast4 ,but some of the people saw them departing and ran on foot around the northern coast of the lake4 ,other people saw these running1 and joined them so that when ,jesus and the ,twelve landed1 there were hundreds if not thousands of people there to greet them4 ,as evening approached1 the disciples asked ,jesus to send the multitude away1 so they could go to their cities and buy something to eat4 ,sidenote3 ,another ,manifestation4 ,it was on this occasion that ,peter witnessed another manifestation of the power of ,god1 and had repeated the valuable lesson he learned over a year before1 when he made a miraculous draught of fishes2 viz41 ,that obedience to ,christ's words always brings comfort and happiness4 ,instead of sending the multitude away hungry1 ,jesus said1 ,whence shall we buy bread that these might eat8 ,sidenote3 ,the ,multitude ,fed4 ,philip answered1 ,two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them1 that every one of them may take a little4 ,but from five barley loaves and two small fishes1 ,jesus1 by some process natural to ,him but miraculous to us1 fed that vast crowd of people1 numbering about five thousand4 ,peter assisted not only in distributing the bread and fish among the companies1 but also in gathering the twelve baskets full left4 ,no doubt he was one of those who said1 ,this is of a truth that ,prophet that should come into the world4 ,let us hope1 however1 that he was not one of those who would have taken ,jesus by force to make ,him king4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,luke #f3ac4 #b4 ,acts #d3ac4 #c4 ,mark #e3bb-bc4 #d4 ,mark #e3bd4 #e4 ,luke #h3de4 #f4 ,mark #e3cd4 #g4 ,luke #h3eb1 #ec4 #h4 ,mark #f4 #i4 ,matt4 #aj3e-db4 ,,lesson #e ,peter's ,faith ,tested ,the steps of faith fall on the seeming void1 but find the rock beneath4 ,all ,i have seen teaches me to trust the ,creator for all ,i have not seen4 ,sidenote3 ,genuine ,faith4 ,when ,jesus called ,simon ,peter or ,the ,rock1 he undoubtedly expressed in that name one characteristic which ,he desired to see in the faith of ,his disciples1 and particularly in each of ,his ,apostles4 ,he desired them to possess a faith that was unwavering1--a faith that would make them steadfast in the truth regardless of miracles or the acts of men--a faith that would trust the ,lord at all times and under all circumstances1 let those times and circumstances be what they may4 ,jesus knew that the ,jews were easily influenced2 that a miracle performed today might awaken a feeling in them that ,he was the ,king for whom they had been waiting1 and that a truth taught tomorrow might arouse in them a feeling that ,he was an impostor4 ,he wanted to lead them to ,god and to ,his ,gospel4 ,he longed to have them comprehend the truths of life so they would live them after ,he was gone from their midst4 ,sidenote3 ,jesus ,grieved4 ,imagine1 then1 how grieved ,he must have been when1 after the miracle mentioned in the last chapter1 the people arose and hailed ,him ,king and thought by offering ,him the bauble of an empty crown1 they were doing ,him honor6 ,he did not want them to honor ,him4 ,his desire was for them to see the power of ,god1 and believe in ,his divine truth4 ,desiring to be alone once more with ,his ,father1 not wanting the company even of the three chief apostles1 ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john1 ,jesus dismissed the multitude1 told the ,twelve to get into the ship and sail back to ,capernaum1 and ,he retired to a solitary place to pray4 ,a ,,tempestuous ,,sea ,sidenote3 ,a ,storm4 ,during the night1 while ,jesus was yet praying1 a great storm arose1 which stirred the lake into a seething mass of billows4 ,from the mountain ,jesus could see ,his disciples battling with the sea1 but unable to make much headway1 although they could not see ,him4 ,when the ship was about thirty furlongs 7four miles7 from the shore1 ,jesus decided to go into it4 ,it was now past midnight1 and the disciples were still struggling in the midst of the heaving sea4 ,sidenote3 ,jesus on the ,water4 ,imagine their fear when through the darkness they saw an object coming towards them on the waves6 ,and when someone cried out1 ,it's a ,spirit6 they were more frightened than ever4 ,but straightway ,jesus spoke unto them1 saying4 ,be of good cheer2 ,it is ,i2 be not afraid4 ,at once1 ,peter spoke out1 saying1 ,lord1 if it be ,thou1 bid me come unto ,thee on the water4 #a ,sidenote3 ,peter's ,faith4 ,come1 said ,jesus4 ,and when ,peter was come down out of the ship1 he walked on the water1 to go to ,jesus4 ,peter1 firm in belief and strong in determination1 when your eye sees only the majesty of faith and the perfect manifestation of its power6 ,mighty and fearless when your eye sees only the glory of ,god1 and your soul cries out to go to ,him6 ,sidenote3 ,his ,doubt4 ,but when you see the wind boisterous1 you are afraid2 and beginning to sink1 cry1 saying1 ,lord1 save me4 ,so it is in life3 when the winds of temptation and the waves of despair beat upon us1 the eye of faith is turned more upon these raging elements than upon the ,light of ,life1 the power of faith is thus weakened1 and as ,peter1 we begin to sink4 ,too many1 ah1 too many go down beneath the billows2 only a few cry out as he4 ,lord1 save us6 ,and immediately ,jesus stretched forth ,his hand1 and caught him1 and said unto him1 ,o1 thou of little faith1 wherefore didst thou doubt8 ,,another ,,test ,sidenote3 ,in ,capernaum4 ,next morning1 the people in ,capernaum who knew that ,peter and the other disciples had left the opposite shore without ,jesus1 were very much astonished to see ,him in their midst1 and said1 ,rabbi1 when camest thou hither8 ,ye seek me1 answered ,jesus1 not because ye saw the miracles1 but because ye did eat of the loaves1 and were filled4 ,,image3 ,lord1 save me4 ,labor not for the meat which perisheth1 but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life1 which the ,son of ,man shall give unto you4 #b ,sidenote3 ,sermon on the ,bread of ,life4 ,he then delivered the famous sermon on the ,bread of ,life1 part of which1 as ,john remembered it1 is recorded in ,john the sixth chapter4 ,there were so many things spoken which the ,jews could not understand1 because of their prejudice1 that they first became confused1 then angry1 and finally much offended4 ,those who had only a little faith1 became influenced by the murmuring crowd1 and said1 ,we don't believe this man is the ,son of ,god4 ,even some of ,his disciples turned away from the ,truth1 and walked no more with ,him4 ,sidenote3 ,men ,swerved by ,doubt4 ,the mass of angry men and women became much like the heaving sea that tossed the disciples the evening before4 ,the winds of ridicule and the waves of discontent beat against the wavering disciples4 ,as they looked upon these angry elements of human passion1 their faith in ,christ weakened1 and they began to sink4 ,sidenote3 ,jesus ,appeals to the ,twelve4 ,in vain1 ,jesus testified1 ,it is ,i1 the ,son of man6 ,they would not listen to ,him1 for ,he was to them only the son of ,joseph the carpenter4 ,as group after group turned their backs upon ,him4 ,he turned to the ,twelve and said1 ,will ye also go away8 ,sidenote3 ,peter's ,answer4 ,again it was ,peter who broke the silence4 ,with the others1 he had looked at the noisy crowd1 with the others he had listened to the angry words hurled at their ,master4 ,in the midst of this sea of human passion1 shall he say1 ,lord1 if it be ,thee1 bid me come unto ,thee8 ,as if he wavered just a little1 as if his faith had not yet become as firm as ,jesus would have it become1 he answered1 ,lord1 to whom shall we go8 ,thou hast the words of eternal life4 ,sidenote3 ,belief ,matures into ,knowledge4 ,then1 as his assurance became stronger and his thoughts turned from the apostate crowd1 he added1 ,and we believe--and are sure that thou are the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god4 ,though there came not from ,jesus' lips at this time1 the word ,blessed1 yet1 undoubtedly1 ,he was gratified indeed to see the wavering faith of ,his disciples become steadfast in the heart of ,his ,apostles1 as if they would say1 ,then come the wild weather1 come sleet or come snow1 ,we will stand by each other1 however it blow4 ,oppression and sickness1 and sorrow1 and pain ,shall be to our true love as links in a chain4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,matt4 #ad3bh4 #b4 ,john #f3be-bg4 ,,lesson #f ,peter's ,testimony ,sidenote3 ,at ,tyre and ,sidon4 ,very soon after the people of ,capernaum rejected the ,savior1 as narrated in the previous chapter1 ,jesus took ,his ,twelve disciples westward across ,galilee into the land of ,tyre and ,sidon1 near the ,mediterranean ,sea4 ,he desired to be alone with the ,twelve that ,he might teach them many things pertaining to the kingdom of ,god1 and thus prepare them for carrying on the work1 after ,he should leave them4 ,there were many things happened on this tour which must have made it a memorable one to ,peter and the other members of the ,twelve4 ,first1 there was the ,gentile woman who sought ,jesus1 and implored ,him to come and heal her little daughter4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,syro-,phoenician ,woman4 ,because she did not belong to the ,jewish race1 the disciples said3 ,master1 send this woman away1 for she is a trouble to us1 crying out after us4 ,of course1 they thought then1 and a long time afterwards1 that the ,gospel was only for the ,jews4 ,but ,jesus taught them that ,he loved the ,gentile woman just as well as ,he did the ,jews4 ,but ,peter did not fully understand4 ,sidenote3 ,other ,miracles4 ,from the coast of ,tyre and ,sidon1 they traveled around ,galilee and came to the east side of the ,sea of ,galilee4 ,here the disciples witnessed further manifestations of the power of ,jesus4 ,a deaf man who could not speak plainly was made to hear and to speak2 and when the people heard about it1 they followed ,jesus and the ,twelve out of the village into a desert place4 ,again ,peter saw a multitude of people fed2 this time from only seven loaves and a few small fishes4 ,it would seem that after all these months with the ,savior--hearing ,his parables1 seeing ,his miracles1 feeling ,his spirit and receiving ,his teachings daily1 the apostles would surely understand the mission of the ,redeemer4 ,sidenote3 ,jesus' ,sayings ,not ,understood4 ,but we read that after these four thousand men besides women and children were fed1 the disciples entered with ,jesus into a boat and rowed across to the west side of the lake4 ,here they met some ,pharisees and ,sadducees who began to oppose ,jesus4 ,when ,he and the ,twelve were alone again1 ,he said3 ,take heed and beware of the leaven of the ,pharisees and of the ,sadducees4 ,you know what ,jesus meant when ,he said this2 but the disciples said to themselves1 ,he says this 'because we have brought no bread4' ,when ,jesus saw that they did not comprehend ,him1 ,he said3 ,how is it that ye do not understand that ,i spake it not to you concerning bread1 that ye should beware of the leaven of the ,pharisees and of the ,sadducees8 ,then understood they how that ,he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread1 but of the doctrine of the ,pharisees and of the ,sadducees4 #a ,undoubtedly1 there were several among them whose testimony was becoming firm and unwavering4 ,at any rate1 we learn that just a few days later1 the chief apostle gave evidence in words that could not be misunderstood1 of his sure conviction that ,christ was indeed the ,son of the ,living ,god4 ,sidenote3 ,peter's ,memorable ,testimony4 ,they had gone northward to ,caesarea ,philippi at the foot of ,mount ,hermon4 ,here1 ,jesus1 one day1 asked ,his disciples this question3 ,who do men say that ,i1 the ,son of man1 am8 ,they answered1 ,some say thou art ,john the ,baptist4 ,some say thou art ,elias1 and others1 ,jeremias1 or one of the prophets4 ,then ,jesus said1 ,but who say ye that ,i am8 ,simon ,peter answered1 ,thou art the ,christ1 the ,son of the ,living ,god4 ,there is no hesitancy now1 no fear1 no wavering1 no we believe and are sure2 but the unqualified and direct expression of a soul convinced of the truth3 ,thou art the ,christ1 the ,son of the ,living ,god4 ,blessed art thou1 ,simon ,barjona1 said ,jesus1 for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee1 but my ,father which is in heaven4 #b ,at last ,jesus discovers the assurance in ,peter for which ,he has been laboring many months to develop4 ,he now knows that ,peter's spirit has received divine assurance that all these miracles and mighty manifestations have been wrought by the power of ,god through ,his only ,begotten ,son4 ,he knows that the testimony borne by ,peter comes not from men but from ,god1 and no matter what men may think or do1 ,peter will stand firm as a rock on this testimony4 ,i say unto thee1 continued ,jesus1 that thou art ,peter1 and upon this rock will ,i build my church2 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it4 ,sidenote3 ,christ's ,church ,built ,upon ,revelation4 ,by that ,he meant that as ,simon's name ,peter means rock1 so this testimony that comes by revelation shall be the rock upon which ,christ's ,church shall be built4 ,because when one receives such divine assurance in his soul that the gospel is true1 no views of men1 nor waves of temptation nor the power of hell can deprive him of it4 ,you remember when ,jesus first met ,simon1 ,he said ,he should be called the ,rock4 ,ever since then it would seem that ,jesus has been waiting for the time when ,peter's testimony would be like his character--expressive and firm4 ,that time has come2 and ,peter is now prepared to receive a greater responsibility4 ,sidenote3 ,keys of the ,kingdom ,and ,i will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven2 and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven2 and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven4 ,one key was to open the door of the gospel to the ,gentiles1 but it took quite a while before ,peter knew how to use it4 ,it is one thing to know that the gospel is true2 it is quite another thing to comprehend its purpose and significance4 ,sidenote3 ,jesus ,foretells ,his ,death4 ,from that time1 ,jesus began to tell the ,apostles that ,he would suffer and die1 and that they must carry on the preaching of the gospel4 ,he told them that in a few months ,he would be taken by the chief priests1 would be killed1 and would rise again the third day4 ,sidenote3 ,misguided ,zeal4 ,when ,peter heard this1 he took the ,savior off to one side1 and still hoping that ,jesus would some day be a king1 said1 ,far be it from ,thee1 ,lord2 this shall not be unto ,thee4 ,as much as to say1 ,they shall not take you if we can prevent it4 ,sidenote3 ,rebuked ,peter4 ,brave but uncomprehending ,peter6 ,he does not realize that it is necessary for his ,lord to die1 before ,his mission of redemption is fulfilled4 ,so he would1 in his blinded love1 prevent his ,master from completing ,his work6 ,the ,savior perceiving this1 turned and said unto ,peter1 ,get thee behind me1 ,satan3 thou art an offense unto me2 for thou savorest not the things that be of ,god1 but those that be of men4 #c ,this was a severe rebuke1 and it must have impressed ,peter deeply with the thought that his plan was not ,god's plan2 and he no doubt realized that there was yet very much for him to learn before he could carry out the great responsibility that the ,lord had this day conferred upon him4 ,but in his zeal to save ,jesus from death1 he erred1 though only in love2 and we can fancy hearing one of the others saying1 in effect1 in commendation of ,peter's anxiety1 ,if he be not one that truly loves you1 ,that errs in ignorance1 and not in cunning1 ,i have no judgment in an honest man's face4 ,at any rate1 we know that ,jesus was pleased with ,peter's testimony1 and with his love1 and would patiently wait the unfolding of his mind in the comprehension of the gospel plan4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,matt4 #af3a-ab4 #b4 ,matt4 #af3ac-bj4 #c4 ,matt4 #af3af-bc4 ,,lesson #g ,a ,marvelous ,manifestation ,sidenote3 ,the ,holy ,mount4 ,in the region of ,caesarea ,philippi1 where ,peter gave his testimony and received a blessing and power from his ,master1 is a high mountain peak of the ,lebanon range1 known as ,mt4 ,hermon4 ,peter called it the ,holy ,mount4 ,when you learn of what took place there1 you will agree that ,peter gave it a good name4 ,one writer who has visited this region tells us that the glittering splendor of this peak1 towering like a giant above all other peaks of the ,lebanon range1 its head always covered with snow1 is visible from every direction4 ,it is in clear view as far south as the ,dead ,sea4 ,it was probably the highest spot of earth on which our ,lord ever stood1 and from which ,he had ,his most extensive view4 ,from it ,he looked down upon ,galilee1 where ,he had taught and wrought1 where ,he had been received by the few and rejected by the many4 #a ,sidenote3 ,self-,denial ,necessary4 ,six days1 7,luke says eight7 had passed since ,peter had borne his great testimony--six days1 undoubtedly of important instruction to ,peter and the other eleven4 ,it was probably during that time that the ,twelve learned that to be a true follower of ,jesus1 one must be able to deny one's self of many desires and appetites--one must learn to control feelings of anger1 jealousy1 and other passions4 ,said the ,savior1 ,if any man will come after me1 let him deny himself1 and take up his cross1 and follow me4 ,for whosoever will save his life1 shall lose it3 ,and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it4 ,for what is a man profited1 if he shall gain the whole world1 and lose his own soul8 or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul8 #b ,these and many other glorious truths1 ,peter undoubtedly heard during that memorable week at ,caesarea ,philippi4 ,but he was to see and hear things even more glorious4 ,still perplexed over some of the sayings of ,jesus1 still wondering why it was necessary for their ,lord to suffer many things1 and be rejected and even put to death1 ,peter and ,james and ,john one night1 accompanied ,jesus up the side of ,mt4 ,hermon4 ,it appears from the brief accounts we have of this incident that they spent several hours in solemn conversation1 the apostles asking ,him many questions concerning ,his sayings4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,transfiguration4 ,twilight deepened into darkness1 and the shades of night completely hid ,mt4 ,hermon from the sleeping vales below4 ,perhaps the three leaders became drowsy2 and as their ,lord withdrew a little apart to pray1 they may have fallen1 for a moment or two1 into a sleep--,luke tells us that they were heavy with sleep4 ,be that as it may1 we know that when their eyes were turned toward ,jesus1 ,he was transfigured before them4 ,and ,his raiment became shining1 exceeding white as snow2 so white as no fuller on earth can white them4 ,and there appeared unto them ,elias and ,moses1 and they were talking with ,jesus4 #c ,sidenote3 ,death but a ,change4 ,these heavenly personages talked1 not to ,jesus but with him1 about ,his approaching death1 and resurrection1 one of the vital things in ,christ's ministry which ,peter could not comprehend4 ,surely after this glorious vision of two heavenly beings4 ,death would lose much if not all its terror for ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john4 ,they would know that even if wicked men did kill their ,master1 that ,he would still live and still be their ,lord and ,savior4 ,death1 to them1 after this1 would be just a departure4 ,they would realize that ,death hath nothing terrible in it1 but what life hath made so4 ,sidenote3 ,it is ,good to be ,here4 ,peter by inspiration had received assurances that ,jesus was indeed the ,christ2 now he witnessed a visible sign of his testimony4 ,desiring to have a monument to this outward sign1 something which other eyes beside his might behold1 he cried1 out of the impulsiveness of his heart1 ,master1 it is good for us to be here1 and let us make three tabernacles2 one for thee1 and one for ,moses1 and one for ,elias4 ,but suddenly1 as ,moses and ,elias departed1 a cloud overshadowed them and a voice came out of the cloud saying1 ,this is ,my beloved ,son hear ,him6 ,sidenote3 ,sources of ,testimony4 ,peter's testimony was1 by this time1 made strong and his faith proved3 #d 7#a7 ,by the confirmation of miracles2 7#b7 ,by seeing heavenly beings2 7#c7 ,by inspiration2 7#d7 ,by hearing not only the testimony of these angels but the ,divine testimony of ,god ,himself6 ,surely his faith is now built upon the ,rock1 and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it6 ,this is true2 and henceforth1 we may safely conclude as we follow his career1 that not a shadow of doubt of the divinity of ,christ's mission ever crosses ,peter's mind4 ,when we think of ,peter having been in almost daily contact with the ,savior of men1 we may conclude that his testimony grew very slowly1 but if so1 like the oak tree that grows slowly to1 it was all the more enduring4 ,sidenote3 ,purity and ,sincerity ,essentials4 ,after all1 ,peter's experience is the experience that will come to nearly all the boys and girls who read these pages4 ,the knowledge of truth1 and the testimony of the ,gospel may come gradually to most of them4 ,the one great lesson for them to learn even in youth is1 that purity of thought1 and a sincere heart seeking the ,savior's guidance daily will lead to a testimony of the truth of ,christ's ,gospel as sure and permanent as that which ,peter possessed as he descended ,mt4 ,hermon after seeing the transfiguration of ,christ1 and hearing the voice of ,god testify to ,his divinity4 ,but knowing that ,jesus is the ,savior of mankind1 did not give ,peter a comprehension of the ,gospel plan4 ,in this regard1 he had yet much to learn4 ,and1 it may be1 that his strength of character1 or shall we say1 his judgment1 was not yet so sound as it should have been in a man whose whole life should be as firm as a rock4 ,in the strength of his testimony1 and in a somewhat resigned attitude to the fate that sooner or later was to befall his ,master1 ,peter continued to ask many questions1 pertaining to the vital aspects of ,christ's mission4 ,one of these which the apostles asked themselves as they came down towards the crowd at the foot of the hill1 was1 ,what did the ,master mean when ,he said the ,son of ,man would rise from the dead8 ,while the ,savior was answering this question1 and explaining prophecies relating to it1 they came to the place where1 the evening before1 they had left the other disciples4 ,a great multitude had gathered about them1 and the scribes were questioning them4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,afflicted ,boy4 ,in the midst of this crowd was a little boy sorely afflicted by an evil spirit4 ,when he was possessed1 he fell to the ground1 foamed at the mouth1 gnashed his teeth1 and pined away4 ,the father met ,jesus1 and begged ,him to relieve his poor boy1 and added that the disciples had tried but could not4 ,how long a time is it1 asked ,jesus1 since this came unto him8 ,when a child1 the father said2 and ofttimes it hath cast him into fire and into the waters1 to destroy him1 but if thou canst1 ,i ask thee to have compassion on us1 and help us4 ,jesus rebuked the foul spirit1 and the little boy was healed4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,contrast4 ,to ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john what a contrast was this scene to the one they beheld the night before on the ,mount6 ,here was manifest the power of the evil one1 causing suspicions1 pain1 agony1 death2 there was manifest the power of the ,holy ,one1 proclaiming happiness1 peace1 glory1 and immortality6 ,such have been the results of these two powers as they have influenced the lives of men in all ages4 ,such is the result today4 ,a vital question for us is1 ,shall we hover around the foothills of sin where the evil one is triumphant1 or shall we at least show a willingness to climb the mount of ,holiness and let ,god transform our lives8 ',tis not for man to trifle2 life is brief1 ,and sin is here4 ,our age is but the falling leaf1 ,a dropping tear4 ,we have no time to sport away the hours1 ,all must be earnest in a world like ours4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,weed4 #b4 ,matt4 #af3bd-bf4 #c4 ,matt4 #ag3a-h2 ,mark #i3a-f4 #d4 ,peter #a3g4 ,,lesson #h ,lessons in ,true ,leadership4 ,character is built out of circumstances4 ,from exactly the same materials one man builds palaces1 while another builds hovels4 ,between the ,transfiguration and the last eventful week of the ,savior's life on earth1 there are only a few recorded instances in scripture with which ,peter is personally mentioned4 ,it is significant1 however1 that nearly everyone of these1 bears either directly or indirectly upon the moulding of ,peter's character as an ,apostolic leader4 ,peter knows that ,jesus is the ,christ that should come1 but has he strength to defend ,him in word and deed8 ,does he comprehend the divine principles of the ,gospel sufficiently to manifest them in his daily life and conversation and in all his associations with his fellowmen8 ,with the probable exception of the tribute money incident1 which emphasized for ,peter the divine ,sonship of his ,master1 all the lessons following bear directly upon strength of character and principles of conduct4 ,,tribute ,sidenote3 ,an ,ancient ,law4 ,in those days1 there was a tax levied upon every male ,jew of twenty years old and upwards for the maintenance of the ,temple and its services4 ,this law had been in force ever since the days of the children of ,israel when the great lawgiver1 ,moses1 said a half shekel shall be the offering of the ,lord4 #a ,matthew tells us that ,when they were come to ,capernaum1 they that received tribute money1 came to ,peter and said1 ,doth not your ,master pay tribute8 #b ,yes1 promptly answered ,peter4 ,if he knew when he was talking to the tax-gatherers1 that there was no money in the bag1 he must have wondered how the half-shekel due as tribute could have been paid that day4 ,sidenote3 ,children of the ,kingdom ,free4 ,when ,peter went back into the house1 ,jesus anticipated what he was going to say1 and asked ,him1 ,of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute8 of their own children1 or of strangers8 ,of strangers1 answered ,peter4 ,then are the children free1 said ,jesus1 meaning that since this tribute money was for the maintenance of ,his ,father's house1 ,he1 the ,son1 would not have to pay it2 but he added3 ,lest we should offend them1 go thou to the sea1 and cast an hook and take up the fish that first cometh up2 and when thou hast opened his mouth1 thou shalt find a piece of money3 that take and give unto them for me and thee4 ,this experience must have impressed ,peter with the fact that it is better to suffer offense than to give offense4 ,a ,,lesson ,,in ,,forgiveness ,about this same time1 ,peter asked the question3 ,lord1 how oft shall my brother sin against me1 and ,i forgive him8 ,till seven times8 #c ,perhaps ,peter had already been required to settle some difficulty between angry men1 or it may be that he had been provoked during a dispute that arose among the disciples as to who was the greatest among them4 ,if some one had taunted him several times about his being the greatest1 it is quite probable that his patience was exhausted4 ,at any rate1 he wanted to know if there is a limit to the number of times a man should forgive his brother4 ,what a lesson ,jesus taught this impetuous apostle when he answered1 ,i say not unto thee1 until seven times2 but until seventy times seven4 #d ,then1 to make the teaching more impressive1 the ,lord told them the parable of the unmerciful debtor4 ,a certain king took account of his servants for those who had collected his revenue1 and found that one owed him ten thousand talents or about fifteen million dollars4 ,this debt the servant could not pay1 so the king commanded him to be sold1 and his wife and children1 and all that he had4 #e ,the servant begged for mercy saying1 ,lord1 have patience with me1 and ,i will pay thee all4 ,then the ,lord of that servant was moved with compassion1 and loosed him1 and forgave him the debt4 ,the master not only had pity for the unfortunate debtor1 but freed him from prison1 let him keep his wife and children1 and cancelled the debt4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,ungrateful ,servant4 ,but that same servant went out and found one of his fellow-servants who owed him a hundred pence1 more than ten hundred thousand times less than the first servant had owed his master4 ,seizing the fellow-servant by the throat and choking him1 he demanded1 ,pay me that thou owest4 ,the fellow-servant fell down at his feet and begged for mercy1 ,have patience with me and ,i will pay thee all4 ,but the unforgiving1 merciless servant refusing to give pity1 went and cast him into prison1 till he should pay the debt4 ,so when the ,lord heard how the servant whom he had forgiven had treated his fellow-servant1 he called that servant back1 and said3 ,o thou wicked servant6 ,i forgave thee all that debt1 because thou desiredst me2 should not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant1 even as ,i had pity on thee8 ,this unforgiving servant was then told to pay the ten thousand talents1 and was delivered over to the tormentors until it was all paid4 ,then concluded the ,savior3 ,so likewise shall my ,heavenly ,father do also unto you1 if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses4 ,do you think ,peter would ever forget that lesson8 ,,the ,,reward ,,of ,,sacrifice ,sidenote3 ,the ,rich ,young ,ruler ,one day ,peter and others listened to a conversation between their ,lord and a rich young ruler4 ,he was a young man1 rich1 and1 as painted by the old masters1 very handsome4 ,but with all1 he had kept himself morally clean1 and desired to get eternal life4 #f ,but his heart was set upon his riches2 so when the ,savior said1 ,sell all thou hast1 and distribute unto the poor1 and thou shalt have treasure in heaven1 and come1 follow me1 the young ruler went away very sorrowful4 ,then ,peter said1 ,lo1 we have left all and followed thee4 ,as much as to say1 ,lord we have left everything for ,thee1 now what shall be our reward8 ,jesus said3 ,there is no man who has left house1 or parents1 or brethren1 or wife1 or children1 for the kingdom of ,god's sake1 who shall not receive manifold more in this present time2 and in the world to come1 life everlasting4 ,but1 ,he added1 there are many who make themselves first1 that shall be last2 and the last first4 ,sidenote3 ,humility4 ,this last statement must have contained for ,peter1 the first among the ,twelve1 an important lesson in ,humility4 ,a ,,lesson ,,in ,,faith ,it was probably on ,tuesday of the last week that ,jesus spent with ,his apostles1 that ,peter called attention to the result of a divine curse4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,barren ,fig ,tree4 ,a day or so before this1 ,jesus had gone out of ,his way to get some figs from a tree that stood some distance off4 ,when he found that the tree bore no fruit ,he said it should never bear fruit again4 ,on this ,tuesday morning as the disciples were passing by1 they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots4 ,and ,peter calling to remembrance said unto ,him1 ,master1 behold the fig tree which ,thou cursedst is withered away4 ,sidenote3 ,power of ,faith4 ,jesus answered3 ,have faith in ,god4 ,for verily ,i say unto you1 that whosoever shall say unto this mountain1 ,be thou removed1 and be thou cast into the sea2 and shall not doubt in his heart1 but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass2 he shall have whatsoever he saith4 #g ,on that same day1 ,peter was undoubtedly with the ,twelve on the ,mount of ,olives when they asked ,jesus privately about the destruction of the ,temple4 #h ,sidenote3 ,keep ,commandments4 ,to ,peter and to all ,he said3 ,watch ye therefore1 and pray always1 and keep my commandments1 that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things which shall come to pass and to stand before the ,son of ,man when ,he shall come clothed in the glory of ,his ,father4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,ex4 #cj3ac4 #b4 ,matt4 #ag3bd-bg4 #c4 ,matt4 #ah3ba4 #d4 ,matt4 #ah3bb #e4 ,see ,,ii ,kings #d3a2 ,lev4 #be3ci4 #f4 ,read ,luke #ah3ah-cj4 #g4 ,mark #aa3bb-bh4 #h4 ,mark #ac2 ,matt4 #bd2 ,luke #ba4 ,,lesson #i ,,on ,,the ,,night ,,of ,,the ,,betrayal ,the weakest spot in every man1 is where he thinks himself the wisest4 ,,in ,,the ,,upper ,,room ,on ,thursday of the ,passion ,week1 ,jesus called ,peter and ,john to ,him1 and said3 ,go1 and prepare us the passover1 that we may eat4 #a ,sidenote3 ,the ,passover4 ,the ,passover1 you remember1 is the name given to the feast established to commemorate the time when the destroying angel passed over the houses of the ,hebrews1 which had been marked by the blood of the lamb4 ,at this festsival1 a lamb was killed1 and called the ,paschal ,lamb4 ,it was on the day that the passover must be killed that ,peter and ,john were requested to make preparation4 ,where wilt thou that we prepare8 they asked4 ,sidenote3 ,an ,upper ,room ,prepared4 ,when ye have entered into the city1 replied ,jesus1 there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water2 follow him into the house where he entereth in4 ,ask him1 ,where is the guest chamber1 where ,i shall eat the ,passover with my disciples8 ,and he shall show you a large upper room furnished2 there make ready4 #b ,the two apostles did as they were directed1 found everything just as the ,lord had stated1 and made the necessary preparations4 ,at the appointed hour ,jesus and the ,twelve gathered in this upper room4 ,some think it was in ,mark's house1 some the house of ,joseph of ,arimathea1 but we do not know1 nor does it much matter4 ,we are interested most in what took place there4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,solemn ,meeting4 ,jesus sat at the head of the feast4 ,on one side1 close enough to recline on ,his ,master's breast sat ,john1 and on the other side sat ,peter4 ,it was1 perhaps1 the most solemn meeting at which the ,twelve had ever gathered2 for the ,savior said at the beginning3 ,with desire1 that is with longing earnestness1 ,i have desired to eat this passover with you before ,i suffer3 ,for ,i say unto you1 ,i will not any more eat thereof1 until it be fulfilled which is written in the prophets concerning me4 ,meaning that ,his hour had come when ,his enemies should take ,him and put ,him to death4 ,near the end of the supper1 ,jesus rose from where ,he was reclining1 laid aside ,his outer garments1 took a towel and tied it around ,his waist1 thus assuming a servant's dress4 ,he then took a basin of water and proceeded to wash the disciples' feet4 ,sidenote3 ,jesus ,washeth ,disciples' ,feet4 ,it may be that the ,savior had detected in the minds of some the same thought which had caused a dispute among them once before1 as to who was the greatest among them4 ,perhaps this thought arose when they saw ,peter and ,john occupying the places of honor4 ,at any rate1 their ,lord1 the greatest among them1 assumed the attitude of servant1 the least and humblest of them all4 ,sidenote3 ,peter ,objects4 ,when ,he came to ,peter1 the latter said3 ,lord1 dost ,thou wash my feet8 ,peter would serve his ,master1 but his ,master must never serve him6 ,what ,i do thou knowest not now3 but thou shalt know hereafter1 answered ,jesus4 ,thou needst not to wash my feet4 ,if ,i wash thee not1 continued ,jesus1 thou hast no part with me4 ,when ,peter thought that his refusal to submit to be served by the ,lord1 was really putting the ,savior away from him1 he said1 ,lord1 not my feet only1 but also my hands and my head4 ,sidenote3 ,an ,example4 ,so after ,he had washed their feet1 and had taken his garments1 and was set down again4 ,he said unto them3 ,know ye what ,i have done to you8 ,ye call me ,master and ,lord2 and ye say well1 for so ,i am4 ,if ,i then1 your ,lord and ,master1 have washed your feet2 ye also ought to wash one another's feet4 ,for ,i have given you an example1 that ye should do as ,i have done to you4 ,thus did these twelve men receive in an impressive and practical manner1 the divine lesson of service4 ,thus did they learn that those who were greatest among them were really the servants of all4 ,indeed1 in the ,church of ,christ1 there are no masters and no servants1 but all working for every one and each one for all4 ,sidenote3 ,one of ,you ,shall ,betray ,me4 ,immediately following this impressive and sacred ceremony1 the full significance of which very few understand1 the ,savior said1 ,one of you shall betray me4 ,this announcement cast a gloom over all4 ,to make it caused trouble to come over ,christ's spirit2 and to hear it1 made all exceeding sorrowful4 #c ,they began to inquire among themselves which one of them should be so faithless2 and soon each asked the ,master1 ,lord1 is it ,i8 ,judas1 last of all answered and said1 ,lord1 is it ,i8 ,jesus' answer1 ,thou hast said1 must not have been heard by the others1 because ,peter beckoned to ,john to ask the ,master who it should be of whom he spoke4 ,jesus replied1 also in a quiet manner1 ,he it is1 to whom ,i shall give a sop1 when ,i have dipped it4 ,sidenote3 ,judas ,iscariot4 ,when he had dipped the sop1 he handed it to ,judas ,iscariot4 ,peter and ,john1 then1 knew who the traitor was2 but the others probably did not2 for they wondered what ,jesus meant when ,he said to ,judas3 ,that thou doest do quickly4 ,,loyalty ,,as ,,peter ,,felt ,,it ,after the traitor went out into the night--oh such a night for him6 ,jesus continued to teach and to comfort the ,eleven4 ,sidenote3 ,love ,one ,another4 ,a new commandment ,i give unto you1 ,he said1 ,that ye love one another2 as ,i have loved you1 that ye also love one another4 ,among other things1 ,he said1 referring to ,his approaching death1 ,whither ,i go ye cannot come4 ,this stirred ,peter's love and he inquired1 ,lord1 why cannot ,i follow ,thee now8 ,i will lay down my life for ,thy sake4 #d ,sidenote3 ,peter to ,be ,tried4 ,simon1 ,simon1 behold ,satan hath desired you that he may sift you as wheat4 ,but ,i have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not2 and when thou art converted1 that is1 brought back afresh as a penitent disciple strengthen thy brethren4 #e ,this grieved ,peter very deeply4 ,to think that his ,master would even suspect that he1 ,peter1 would even weaken in his steadfastness to his ,lord6 7,it is significant that the ,lord called him by his old name1 ,simon74 ,peter protested1 saying1 ,lord1 ,i am ready to go with thee1 both into prison1 and to death4 #f ,sidenote3 ,a ,prophecy4 ,i tell you1 ,peter1 continued the ,savior1 that the cock shall not crow this day1 before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me4 ,but1 he spake the more vehemently4 ,though ,i should die with thee1 yet will ,i not deny thee4 ,likewise so said they all4 #g ,peter meant every word he said1 and he felt deeply the truth of what he spake2 but his real strength had not come to him yet1 and his ,master knew it4 ,it would come but it would be ,born in the deep silence of a long-suffering heart4 ,,loyalty ,,as ,,peter ,,acted ,,it ,sidenote3 ,gethsemane4 ,later in the night1 the company left the upper room1 crossed the brook ,kedron1 and went to the ,garden of ,gethsemane1 on the west side of the ,mount of ,olives4 ,bidding eight of the ,eleven to remain together4 ,he took the other three1 ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john1 apart4 ,his soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death4 ,he said1 ,tarry ye here1 and watch with me4 ,sidenote3 ,not ,my ,will but ,thine be ,done4 ,soon ,he withdrew a little from them1 and prayed4 ,the ,apostles could see ,him1 perhaps could hear ,him1 as ,he cried1 ,father1 if it be possible let this cup pass2 nevertheless not my will1 but thine be done4 ,when he returned1 and found the three sleeping1 ,he said1 ,simon ,simon again sleepest thou8 ,couldst not thou watch one hour8 ,watch ye and pray1 lest ye enter into temptation4 ,the spirit truly is ready1 but the flesh is weak4 #h ,sidenote3 ,peter and ,his ,brethren ,drowsy4 ,a second time ,he withdrew2 a second time returned2 a second time found them sleeping2 for their eyes were heavy2 neither knew they what to answer ,him4 ,when ,he returned the third time1 ,he said kindly1 ,sleep on now and take your rest2 it is enough1 the hour is come2 behold the ,son of ,man is betrayed into the hands of sinners4 ,after a little longer sleep1 the three were awakened by ,jesus1 only to see approaching a great multitude1 with swords and staves1 from the chief priests1 and the scribes and the elders4 ,at their head was ,judas who approached his ,lord1 and betrayed ,him with a kiss4 ,sidenote3 ,peter ,defends ,his ,lord4 ,as soldiers went to lay hands upon ,jesus1 ,peter1 who was now thoroughly aroused1 jumped to the rescue of his ,master1 drew his sword1 and smote a servant of the high priest and cut off his ear4 ,this servant1 whose right ear ,peter struck off with one blow1 was called ,malchus4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,lesson4 ,put up thy sword into the sheath1 commanded the ,savior1 the cup which my ,father hath given me1 shall ,i not drink it8 ,what a lesson to ,peter6 ,even though duty led to suffering and death1 yet would the ,lord not waver in ,his strength4 ,then said ,jesus1 ,suffer ye thus far1 and ,he touched his ear and healed him4 #i ,as the officers led ,jesus away1 the disciples all forsook ,him1 and fled4 ,sidenote3 ,peter ,follows ,jesus4 ,peter's strength and loyalty were wavering2 but he could not bring himself to flee with the others4 ,neither could he conclude that it was best to go with ,jesus2 so he did neither1 but followed ,him afar off1 even unto the palace of the high priest4 ,at first1 he remained on the outside1 but later ventured in where the servants were sitting4 ,,weakness ,,brings ,,misery ,while ,peter was standing by the stove warming himself1 a girl came in1 and recognizing him as one who had been with ,jesus1 said1 ,thou1 also wast with ,jesus of ,galilee4 ,sidenote3 ,in a ,moment of ,weakness4 ,i know not what thou sayest1 said ,peter before them all4 ,he then stepped out on the porch1 perhaps to cool his burning conscience or to try to collect himself to know what best to do4 ,a man seeing him there cried out1 ,this man was also with ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,i do not know the man1 said ,simon2 and this time he took an oath4 ,one of the servants of the high priest1 who was related to ,malchus approached ,peter a little later1 and said1 ,did ,i not see thee in the ,garden with ,him8 #aj ,then began he to curse and to swear1 saying1 ,man1 ,i know not what thou sayest4 ,at that moment1 ,peter heard the cock crow4 ,sidenote3 ,sorrow4 ,almost immediately1 too1 the ,savior passing near him1 turned and looked upon ,peter4 ,then recalling the words of his ,lord1 ,before the cock crow twice1 thou shalt deny me thrice4 #aa ,peter went out and wept bitterly4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,luke #bb3h4 #b4 ,luke #bb3aa-ab4 #c4 ,matt4 #bf3bb4 #d4 ,john #ac3cd-cg4 #e4 ,luke #bb3ca1 #cb4 #f4 ,luke #bb3cc4 #g4 ,matt4 #bf3ce4 #h4 ,mark #ad3ch4 #i4 ,luke #bb3ea4 #aj4 ,john #ah3bf4 #aa4 ,luke #bb3fa4 ,,lesson #aj ,,out ,,of ,,gloom1 ,,into ,,light ,strength is born in the deep silence of long-suffering hearts1 not amidst joy4 ,sidenote3 ,out of ,weakness1 ,strength4 ,it is said when ,peter went out speechless from the face of all1 99 99 99 and filled the silence1 weeping bitterly1 that his grief was so heavy that he remained alone all day during ,friday and ,saturday following the ,savior's crucifixion4 ,if so1 his sorrow for what he had done was made all the more acute as he recalled the many kind words the ,savior had spoken to him1 and the many1 many happy moments he had spent in the ,lord's company4 ,every word and act and look associated with his ,master would flash upon his mind with a new meaning4 ,perhaps for the first time in his life1 he now fully realized why the ,lord had desired his nature and faith to be as ,the ,rock4 ,through the mist of his bitter tears1 he saw all the true attributes of manhood as they were personified in ,jesus--,reverence1 ,brotherliness1 ,patience1 ,sincerity1 ,courage4 ,these and many other noble traits made ,jesus appear to him now more holy than ever4 ,but the more clearly ,peter saw ,christ's strength and holiness1 the more clearly he realized his own littleness and misery4 ,this last manifestation of his weakness1 which led him to deny his ,lord1 made him see himself in a new light1 and it had a decisive effect upon him4 ,out of the deep silence of his suffering1 those two days1 there was born that strength which ,christ had urged upon him ever since ,he called him ,peter4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,sad ,meeting4 ,it must have been a sad meeting when ,john and ,peter first came together after the ,crucifixion4 ,when it was or where1 we are not told2 but we are sure that ,john must have recognized a great change in his fellow-apostle4 ,out of the haggard look and the deep lines of grief there must have shone a humility which ,john had never before seen in ,peter's face4 ,we can only imagine what ,peter's feelings were as he listened to ,john tell of all that had happened before ,herod and ,pilate1 and at the ,cross4 ,mingling with ,peter's grief was the keen disappointment that their ,messiah1 their ,king1 was not to free the ,jews and rule over them as he had hoped4 ,in doubt as to what to do1 they probably decided to visit the place where their ,master had been laid1 and then return to their former vocation as fishermen4 ,sidenote3 ,at the ,sepulchre4 ,but there was one whose love and devotion took her to the tomb even before the ,apostles4 ,mary ,magdalene1 while it was yet dark approached the place where she thought ,jesus slept in death4 ,but instead of seeing her ,lord's body in the cold1 dark sepulchre1 around which there was nothing but gloom and sorrow1 she found an empty tomb4 ,in alarm1 she ran to ,peter and ,john1 and breathlessly cried1 ,they have taken away the ,lord out of the sepulchre4 ,peter therefore went forth1 and that other disciple1 and came to the sepulchre4 ,at first1 they ran together1 but ,peter already weary with suffering1 was soon out-distanced by the younger ,apostle ,john1 who reached the place first4 ,and stooping down1 and looking in1 he saw the linen clothes lying2 yet went he not in4 ,just to look in1 however1 did not satisfy ,peter2 for as soon as he came1 he went into the sepulchre4 ,john followed him4 ,they noticed the napkin that had been on ,jesus' head wrapped and placed by itself2 the linen clothes1 too1 were folded neatly and placed aside with care4 ,they concluded that thieves would not have done this1 and so dispelled ,mary's theory that the ,lord's body had been stolen4 ,but as yet they knew not the scripture that ,he must rise again from the dead4 ,sidenote3 ,mary ,beholds ,risen ,redeemer4 ,filled with wonder and perplexity1 the two disciples went away again to their own home1 but ,mary lingered near the tomb1 and as a reward for her faithfulness and devotion1 became the first person in the world to behold the risen ,redeemer4 ,sidenote3 ,peter ,sees ,his ,lord4 ,other women who came to the tomb that morning to render1 as they thought1 the last slight service to their ,lord1 were permitted also to see ,him4 ,later on that same day1 it seems that ,he appeared to ,peter2 but where1 or under what circumstances1 or what was said1 we do not know4 ,we may rest assured1 however1 that ,peter's repentant soul was filled with joy eternal as he received the divine forgiveness of ,his ,lord4 ,sidenote3 ,disciples ,from ,emmans4 ,that evening as the ,eleven were assembled in a room talking over the events of the day1 and particularly the ,lord's appearance to ,peter1 there entered two disciples from ,emmaus4 ,they were no sooner in the presence of the ,eleven1 than they heard the joyous message1 ,the ,lord is risen indeed and hath appeared unto ,simon4 ,they could readily believe this1 for they said1 ,when we were returning from ,jerusalem1 today1 after having heard of the angels and the empty tomb1 ,jesus ,himself drew near and went with us4 ,sidenote3 ,jesus ,appears to ,eleven4 ,while they were thus assembled1 ,jesus appeared to them again1 and saith unto them4 ,peace be unto you4 ,such scenes as that cannot be described1 and the evangelists who tell us about it simply state the fact and leave us to imagine what their thoughts and feelings were on that glorious occasion4 ,we are sure1 though1 that we can say of ,peter as has been written of the ,prophet ,joseph when he1 too1 saw the ,savior1 ,o what rapture filled his bosom1 ,for he saw the living ,god4 ,,the ,,fisherman ,,becomes ,,the ,,shepherd ,sidenote3 ,on ,sea of ,tiberias4 ,several days after this1 ,peter and six other disciples were back on the sea of ,tiberias1 fishing4 ,they were in ,galilee1 evidently waiting to meet the ,lord there as ,he had promised4 ,one evening1 as if ,peter had almost despaired of waiting1 he said to the others1 ,i'm going a fishing4 ,we also go with thee1 said they4 ,they entered into a boat immediately1 and let down their nets4 ,they toiled all night1 and caught nothing1 just as some of them had done on a memorable occasion several months before4 ,as morning dawned1 they saw a man standing on the shore1 but in the distance1 they could not tell who he was4 ,suddenly the man cried1 ,sirs1 have ye any meat8 ,no1 was their reply4 ,sidenote3 ,many ,fish ,caught4 ,cast the net on the right side of the ship and ye shall find1 said the man4 ,they did so1 and caught so many fish that they could scarcely draw in the net4 ,john1 whose loving eyes were made more keen by a loving heart1 rushed to ,peter's side and whispered1 ,it is the ,lord4 ,instantly1 ,peter knew ,john spoke the truth1 and man of action that he was1 he put on his fisherman's coat1 plunged into the sea1 and hastened to the feet of his ,master4 ,the others came in the little ship1 dragging the net of fishes4 ,jesus had already started a fire1 and' was cooking them something to eat4 ,after the greetings1 ,he said1 ,bring of the fish which ye have now caught4 ,peter was the leader in going to the net and in drawing it to the land4 ,while the fish were cooking1 the disciples counted the number caught1 and found that in that one draught there were one hundred and fifty-three3 and for all there were so many1 yet was the net not broken4 ,sidenote3 ,peter a ,shepherd of ,christ's ,fold4 ,jesus had shown them where to catch the fish1 ,he had started the fire on which to cook them1 and now ,he taketh the bread and giveth them and the fish likewise4 ,surely these little incidents would tend to impress them with the truth that if they would seek first the ,kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness all else will be added4 ,at any rate1 this is the lesson taught on that great occasion3 ,the apostles were not now to spend their lives seeking the things which perish1 but in searching for souls that will endure throughout all eternity4 ,many are now together in the fold of ,christ1 and the shepherd is called away4 ,henceforward ,peter and his associates must be the keepers of this flock4 ,when they had broken their fast1 ,jesus said to ,simon ,peter1 ,simon1 son of ,jonas1 lovest thou me more than these8 ,yea1 ,lord1 answered ,peter1 ,thou knowest that ,i love ,thee4 ,feed my lambs4 ,that is1 ,take care of the little ones in my ,church4 ,do not let them go astray in paths that will lead them to sin and misery4 ,he saith unto him again the second time1 ,simon1 son of ,jonas lovest thou me8 ,yea1 ,lord1 ,thou knowest that ,i love ,thee4 ,feed my sheep4 ,keep the older ones together and give them the words of life as thou hast received them from me4 ,a third time ,jesus said1 ,simon1 son of ,jonas1 lovest thou me8 ,and ,peter1 somewhat grieved1 answered1 ,lord1 thou knowest all things2 ,thou knowest that ,i love ,thee4 ,feed my sheep4 ,sidenote3 ,duty ,first4 ,and then the ,savior admonished ,peter not always to follow his own inclinations1 and impulsive nature2 but ever to do his duty as the ,shepherd of the ,fold4 ,when ,peter was young1 and did not have the knowledge and responsibility he now possessed1 he could go fishing1 and make money1 or study1 or do whatever he wished1 but now he must attend to his duties in the ,kingdom of ,god no matter what might come to him personally in doing so4 ,even though ,peter's duty led to the cross1 the ,savior said1 ,follow me4 ,while this conversation was going on1 ,jesus and ,peter were walking alone a little ahead of the others4 ,peter turned1 and saw ,john following close to them4 ,lord1 said ,peter1 what is ,john to do8 ,if ,i will that he tarry till ,i come1 what is that to thee1 follow thou me4 ,as much as to say1 ,just attend faithfully to your duty1 ,peter1 teach others to do the same1 and all will be well4 ,this is the last recorded word of ,christ to ,peter2 but he was present of course when the ,savior gave ,his final charge to the ,twelve4 #a ,from this time ,peter's zeal in the ,work of the ,ministry was constant1 and his boldness unsubdued4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,mark #af3af ,,lesson #aa ,a ,,true ,,leader ,,and ,,valiant ,,defender ,the reward of one's duty done is the power to do another4 ,with a knowledge that ,jesus ,christ was his ,savior1 that he was happiest when he did what his ,lord wanted him to do1 and that when he did wrong or yielded to the influence of evil men1 he was miserable1 ,peter1 began his great mission as chief apostle and president of the ,twelve4 ,sidenote3 ,in ,jerusalem4 ,in accordance with the ,savior's command that they should not depart from ,jerusalem until they received the ,holy ,ghost1 for some time after the ,lord's ascension1 made his home in the ,holy ,city4 ,here he and ,james and ,john1 and others of the ,eleven1 frequently met in an upper room1 perhaps the same room in which ,jesus had eaten the ,passover with ,his disciples4 ,with them were ,mary1 the ,mother of ,jesus1 and some other women4 ,,an ,,apostle ,,chosen ,sidenote3 ,a ,new ,apostle ,chosen4 ,on one of these occasions1 there were present one hundred and twenty people1 all engaged in prayer and supplication4 ,peter arose in their midst and said it was necessary to choose a man who had been faithful in following the ,savior to take the place of the traitor1 ,judas1 in the ,quorum of ,twelve ,apostles4 ,there were two names suggested1 ,joseph called ,barsabas1 and ,matthias4 ,knowing that the ,lord should choose the men who were to be ,his special witnesses1 they prayed1 saying1 ,thou1 ,lord1 who knowest the hearts of all men1 show whither of these two ,thou hast chosen4 ,then they gave forth their lots2 and the lot fell upon ,matthias2 and he was numbered with the eleven apostles4 ,,the ,,day ,,of ,,pentecost ,sidenote3 ,the ,holy ,ghost4 ,before nine o'clock in the morning1 ten days after the ,saviors' ascension1 and fifty days after the ,passover associated with the crucifixion1 the apostles held a memorable meeting4 ,as they sat with one acord in one place suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind1 and it filled all the house where they were sitting4 ,thus came the baptism by fire and the ,holy ,ghost as ,christ had promised4 ,the ,comforter about which their ,master had so often spoken had at length come to them1 to guide and to inspire them as ,jesus had done in person4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,gift of ,tongues4 ,immediately a wonderful manifestation took place4 ,though nearly all the apostles were ,galileans and spoke the same language1 yet when they began to bear testimony of ,christ and ,his ,gospel1 they began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance4 ,that a remarkable thing had occurred was soon noised about the city1 and people in great numbers gathered around the apostles4 ,in the crowd were ,jews from many nations who had come to ,jerusalem to celebrate ,pentecost4 ,these spoke the language of the country from which they came4 ,imagine their amazement when every one heard the ,gospel preached in his own tongue6 ,are not theses men who speak ,galileans8 they asked4 ,yes1 was the answer4 ,then how hear we every man in his own tongue1 wherein we were born8 ,as the apostles1 one after another1 told of the salvation of man through the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 some of the people were amazed1 and some amused1 but all were perplexed4 ,what does this mean8 asked some4 ,they act as though they are drunken1 said others4 ,then ,peter arose1 and1 in mighty power1 addressed the multitude4 ,ye men of ,judea1 he began1 and all ye that dwell at ,jerusalem2 be this known unto you1 and hearken to my words3 ,sidenote3 ,peter's ,address4 ,for these are not drunken as ye suppose1 seeing it is but the third hour of the day4 ,but this is what was spoken by the ,prophet ,joel4 #a ,undoubtedly only a small part of ,peter's address is given to us2 but as we read his inspired words1 and partake of the fearlessness with which he told the ,jews that they had crucified the ,christ1 we readily become convinced that the weakness he manifested about a month and a half before1 has been replaced by the strength of the man of ,god4 ,then he stammered and swore1 ,i know not the man2 now1 he declared1 ,this ,jesus hath ,god raised up1 whereof1 we are all witnesses4 ,sidenote3 ,his ,fearlessness4 ,with all the courage of his convictions1 and with the power of the ,holy ,ghost1 he added3 ,therefore1 let all the house of ,israel know assuredly1 ,god hath made that same ,jesus1 whom ye have crucified1 both ,lord and ,christ4 ,as they heard of the wickedness in crucifying the ,christ and of many other sins1 they desired to get forgiveness for what they had done1 and cried out to ,peter--and the other apostles1 ,men and brethren1 what shall we do8 ,sidenote3 ,what ,shall ,we ,do8 ,in ,peter's answer1 we see the open door through which all must pass who desire to be saved in the ,kingdom of ,god3 ,repent and be baptized1 everyone of you1 in the name of ,jesus ,christ1 for the remission of your sins1 and ye shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,then those who believed what ,peter had said1 were baptized2 and the little band of one hundred and twenty grew that day to three thousand one hundred and twenty4 ,and every day thereafter1 many others became converted1 and joined the ,church4 ,,the ,,man ,,who ,,had ,,never ,,walked4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,general ,meeting ,place4 ,about three o'clock one afternoon ,peter and ,john were going up to the ,temple to pray4 ,here they came every day to meet in one accord with the saints1 and then visit from house to house2 breaking bread4 ,thus the ,temple seems to have been the general meeting place for the first followers of the ,redeemer4 ,it was ,his house1 and there they liked to gather to worship4 ,the main entrance to the ,temple was by way of ,solomon's ,porch through a gate that was called ,the beautiful ,gate4 ,here gathered all the poor people--the blind1 the lame1 the weak1 and those who were diseased--who lived by asking alms from those who came to the ,temple4 ,sidenote3 ,an ,appeal4 ,on this particular afternoon1 one of these made his piteous appeal to ,peter and ,john4 ,he was a man forty years old1 but he had never taken a step in his life4 ,friends would carry him there in the morning1 and then carry him home at night4 ,in answer to his request for money1 ,peter said1 ,look on us4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,answer4 ,while the man was wondering how much money the apostles would give him1 ,peter added1 ,silver and gold have ,i none3 but such as ,i have1 give ,i thee3 in the name of ,jesus ,christ of ,nazareth1 rise up and walk4 ,taking him by the right hand1 ,peter lifted him up1 and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength4 ,the man was so happy that he went into the ,temple leaping and praising ,god for the great miracle that had come into his life4 ,again the people were filled with wonder and amazement1 and gathered in great numbers in ,solomon's ,porch staring at ,peter and ,john1 wondering what kind of men they were4 ,sidenote3 ,another ,powerful ,address4 ,here ,peter gave another great address in which he said that this man was healed through faith in the name of ,jesus ,christ whom ,god hath glorified1 whom ye delivered up and denied ,him in the presence of ,pilate1 when he was determined to let ,him go4 ,but ye denied the ,holy ,one and the ,just1 and desired a murderer to be granted unto you2 and killed the ,prince of ,life1 whom ,god hath raised from the dead2 whereof we are witnesses4 #b ,footnotes3 #a4 ,read the entire address as recorded in ,acts #b3ad-cg4 #b4 ,read ,acts #c3b-bf4 ,,lesson #ab ,,peter ,,and ,,john ,,arrested ,as no good is done1 or spoken1 or thought by any man without the assistance of ,god1 99 99 99 so there is no evil done1 or spoken1 or thought without the assistance of the devil4 ,sidenote3 ,peter ,interrupted4 ,while ,peter was still preaching to the thousands assembled in ,solomon's ,porch1 he saw approaching from the castle near the ,temple1 the captain of the guard and his band4 ,the ,jewish priests had become jealous1 and suspicious of the apostles1 and looked with alarm at the thousands of people joining the ,church4 ,so they decided to call out the soldiers1 disperse the multitude1 and arrest ,peter and ,john as the men responsible for all the excitement4 ,however1 about five thousand of the people were converted that afternoon4 ,sidenote3 ,imprisoned4 ,so the soldiers laid hands on them1 and put them in jail1 ,for it was now eventide1 and1 therefore1 too late to take them to trial4 ,though they were shut up in close cells1 yet their spirits were free and their consciences clear4 ,they could sleep more peacefully than the priest who had caused their arrest4 ,sidenote3 ,before the ,sanhedrin4 ,in the morning1 the prisoners were taken to the ,sanhedrin where sat ,annas1 the high priest and ,caiaphas1 and ,john and ,alexander1 and relatives of the high priest4 ,these men had condemned ,jesus1 perhaps in this very room1 and they were determined that the preaching in the name of ,jesus of ,nazareth must cease4 ,others were present that morning1 and among them true friends to the apostles4 ,one of these was the lame man1 who had been healed4 ,sidenote3 ,curiosity and ,amazement4 ,as he was the innocent cause of the multitude's gathering the previous evening1 everybody seemed to be even more interested in him than in the prisoners4 ,he was carried1 they knew1 only twenty-four hours ago1 to the temple gate1 and now they see him walking firmly through the crowd to get near the apostles4 ,by what power1 or by what name1 have ye done this8 demanded one of the judges4 ,then ,peter1 filled with the ,holy ,ghost1 said unto them4 ,ye rulers of the people1 and elders of ,israel1 ,if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man1 by what means he is made whole2 ,sidenote3 ,peter ,testifies of ,christ4 ,be it known unto you all1 and unto all the people of ,israel1 that by the name of ,jesus of ,nazareth whom ye crucified1 whom ,god raised from the dead1 even by ,him doth this man stand here before you whole4 ,how those sinful men must have quailed as they beheld ,peter's dignity1 felt his sincerity1 and listened to the flashing words that pierced their guilty souls6 ,he told them further that they could get no salvation unless they1 too1 took upon themselves the name of ,christ3 for there is none other name under heaven given among men1 whereby we must be saved4 ,what could the priests say8 ,what could they do8 ,nothing4 ,sidenote3 ,enemies ,confounded4 ,there stood the man sound and whole1 who had been helpless for forty years6 ,there stood ,peter boldly proclaiming that the miracle was wrought in the name of ,jesus of ,nazareth whom they had condemned to death4 ,they considered ,peter unlearned1 but he had confounded them all4 ,sidenote3 ,counsel4 ,after ordering the prisoners to be taken into another room1 they said among themselves3 ,what shall we do to these men8 for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in ,jerusalem and we cannot deny it4 ,so1 in order that the doctrine the apostles were preaching would spread no further1 they concluded to threaten ,peter and ,john1 and command them not to speak to any man in this name4 ,so they called the prisoners back and said in effect2 ,you must never more speak at all1 nor teach in the name of ,jesus4 ,sidenote3 ,better to ,obey ,god ,than ,man4 ,said the apostles1 ,whether it be right in the sight of ,god1 to hearken unto you more than unto ,god1 judge ye4 ,for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard4 ,no doubt these priests would have punished the apostles then1 if they had not been afraid of the people1 all of whom ,glorified ,god for that which was done4 ,when they were let go1 ,peter and ,john went to their own company1 and told their friends all that had happened4 ,when they heard it1 the saints united in a prayer of thanksgiving to ,god for all ,his blessings unto them4 #c ,at this meeting there was another mighty manifestation of the ,holy ,ghost1 and they spake the word of ,god with boldness4 ,,dangers ,,within ,,the ,,fold ,sidenote3 ,unconverted4 ,but these leaders had to contend not only with enemies outside the ,church but with the scheming1 dishonest people who stole their way into the fold4 ,there were men and women who had not repented of their sins before they were baptized2 so they did not receive the ,holy ,ghost4 ,two of these were ,ananias and his wife ,sapphira4 ,everybody who joined the ,church had everything in common4 ,those who had land and other property sold it and brought the money to the apostles4 ,there were no rich and no poor--all had everything that anybody else had1 and everyone possessed what belonged to all4 ,sidenote3 ,two ,deceivers4 ,ananias and ,sapphira sold a possession2 but they brought only part of the money1 and said it was all4 ,thus they told a falsehood1 and showed themselves to be among the worst people in the world2 for1 ,sidenote3 ,the ,lie ,detected4 ,who dares think one thing1 ,and another tell1 ,my soul detests him1 ,as the gates of hell4 ,through the inspiration of the ,holy ,spirit1 ,peter detected the lie1 and said to ,ananias1 ,why hath ,satan filled thine heart to lie to the ,holy ,ghost1 and to keep back part of the price of the land8 ,why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart8 ,sidenote3 ,a ,severe ,punishment4 ,thou hast not lied unto me1 but unto ,god4 ,and ,ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost4 ,about three hours later1 his wife came in1 and told the same story as her husband4 ,she1 too1 received a divine rebuke1 and paid the penalty of her sin by giving up her life4 ,after that1 no one dare try to deceive the apostles in giving gifts to the ,church4 ,this is a good lesson for all to keep in mind today especially when paying tithing to the ,lord4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,see ,acts #d3bc-ca4 ,,lesson #ac ,,persecuted ,,but ,,undismayed ,dinna curse him1 sir2 ,i have heard it said that a curse was a stone flung up to the heavens1 and most likely to return on the head of him that sent it4 ,the earnestness with which ,peter and the other ,apostles preached the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ had a wonderful effect upon the multitudes who heard them4 ,at ,solomon's ,porch1 day after day1 men and women heard the ,twelve testify that the ,redeemer of the world had indeed come4 ,sidenote3 ,sick ,healed4 ,these testimonies were corroborated1 too1 by wonderful manifestations2 for by the hands of the ,apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people4 ,so great was the faith in the power of ,god that they brought forth the sick into the streets1 and laid them on beds and couches1 that at the least the shadow of ,peter passing by might overshadow some of them4 ,nor were the sick in ,jerusalem the only persons blessed2 but people from the villages near ,jerusalem who were sick and afflicted with evil spirits appealed to the ,apostles1 and by the power of ,god1 were healed4 ,sidenote3 ,rejoicing and ,unity4 ,it must have given ,peter and his fellow ,apostles much cause for rejoicing to see the interest and the faith of so many thousands in the message of ,christ4 ,what rejoicing1 too1 in the hearts of all those invalids1 who1 made well1 leaped from their couches and joined in the praises of the ,redeemer6 ,,image3 ,,peter4 ,they brought forth the sick into the streets1 and laid them on beds and couches1 that at least the shadow of ,peter passing by might overshadow some of them4 ,how the ,twelve must have loved each other and their hearts beat as one as1 day after day1 they bore witness to the death and the resurrection of their ,lord1 and received divine assurances that ,he was still manifesting ,himself to them through the ,holy ,ghost6 ,as this ,spirit permeated those who joined the ,church1 no wonder that the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul4 ,sidenote3 ,hatred4 ,but there were some men in ,jerusalem who were made very jealous of the ,apostles1 and whose hearts were filled1 not with rejoicing but envy4 ,these were the men who had been the leaders in crucifying ,jesus4 ,it is said that ,no sooner is a temple built to ,god1 but the devil builds a chapel hard by2 thus while the ,lord was pouring out the ,spirit of love upon those who joined the ,church1 the devil was pouring hate into the hearts of those who were wicked and would not repent4 ,sidenote3 ,peter ,imprisoned4 ,so1 the high priest rose up1 and all they that were with him1 and1 being filled with envy1 laid their hands on the ,apostles1 and put them in the common prison4 ,these prejudiced and ignorant rulers were determined to make the ,twelve stop preaching ,christ2 because if what the ,twelve said was true1 these rulers would be blamed for having put to death the ,king of the ,jews4 ,but poor1 puny man cannot hinder the work of the ,lord4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,miraculous ,deliverance4 ,some time during the night while the prisoners were together in the prison room--perhaps singing hymns and praying--an angel of the ,lord appeared to them4 ,he opened the prison doors1 brought them out1 and said3 ,go1 stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life4 ,about this command ,george ,l4 ,weed writes3 ',go'--the very word they had heard from the ,lord before ,his ascension to ,heaven1 whence ,he had sent ,his angel to repeat it in prison4 ',go'--in spite of threats and commands1 of bolts and bars and prison guards4 ,in the name of ,him who commanded you1 ',go1 preach my ,gospel1' do ye ',stand and speak in the ,temple'--the very place whence ye have been driven1 ,speak to the people1 all who will listen1 for your ,master and mine is the ,savior of them all4 ,speak all the words of this life--the promised future life of which the resurrection of ,jesus is the first fulfilment4 ,obedient to the angel's command1 the ,twelve entered into the temple early in the morning1 and taught4 ,how their message must have thrilled the eager listeners who had assembled that early to hear the word of ,god6 ,sidenote3 ,the ,jews ,perplexed4 ,just as early that same morning another group of men assembled4 ,the high priest called his council together1 and all the senate of the children of ,israel4 ,when this council was in readiness1 the high priest sent to the prison for ,peter and his brethren4 ,soon the officers returned and said3 ,the prison truly found we shut with all safety1 and the keepers standing without before the doors3 but when we had opened1 we found no man within4 ,perplexed by this unexpected anouncement1 the high priest and council seemed to be unable to decide just what to do4 ,while they were still seeking for a satisfactory explanation or for the next definite step to take1 some one entered1 saying3 ,behold1 the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple1 and teaching the people4 ,hearing this1 the captain of the temple with his officers fetched the ,apostles before the council4 ,but the officers took them without violence2 that is1 without doing them any injury or without using them roughly2 for they feared the people1 lest they should have been stoned4 ,as soon as the ,twelve appeared1 the high priest demanded3 ,sidenote3 ,before the ,council4 ,did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name8 and behold1 ye have filled ,jerusalem with your doctrine1 and intend to bring this man's blood upon us4 ,his prejudiced heart prompts him to speak of ,jesus without mentioning ,his name4 ,but even in his bitterness1 he bears a noted testimony of the success of the ,apostles' preaching4 ,ye have filled ,jerusalem with your doctrine1 said he1 and now intend to bring this man's blood upon us4 ,did the high priest remember1 just then1 that the ,jews cried at the trial of ,jesus1 ,his blood be upon us1 and upon our children8 ,if so1 he must have felt fearful that the imprecation might be realized4 ,then said ,peter and the other ,apostles3 ,we ought to obey ,god rather than men4 ,manifesting as much eagerness as the high priest had shown reluctance to name ,jesus1 ,peter added3 ,sidenote3 ,a ,bold ,speech4 ,the ,god of our fathers raised up ,jesus1 whom ye slew and hanged on a tree4 ,him hath ,god exalted with his right hand to be a ,prince and a ,savior1 for to give repentance to ,israel1 and forgiveness of sins4 ,we testify to these things and the ,holy ,ghost also says they are true4 ,this bold speech cut the wicked judges to the heart4 ,it made them so angry that they talked of slaying the ,twelve1 just as they had killed the ,savior4 ,sidenote3 ,gamaliel's ,defense4 ,but there was one able lawyer among them who had justice in his heart4 ,his name was ,gamaliel4 ,he stood up among them and said3 ,put these men out of the hall for a little space4 ,when this was done1 he continued1 in effect3 ,ye men of ,israel1 be careful what you do to these men4 ,if what they are preaching is of man it will soon pass away1 just as ,theudas and about four hundred who joined him were scattered and brought to naught2 and just as ,judas of ,galilee and those who believed in him were dispersed4 ,but if it be of ,god1 ye cannot overthrow it2 lest haply ye be found even to fight against ,god4 #a ,sidenote3 ,beaten and ,released4 ,gamaliel's influence prevailed2 and the ,apostles' lives were spared2 but they were not released until they had been beaten and commanded not to speak in the name of ,jesus4 ,if the beating they received was a scourging1 each man was stripped to the waist1 his arms tied to a low pillar1 that he might lean forward1 so the whipping could more easily strike him1 and he was given thirty-nine lashes4 ,as the ,twelve1 bleeding from the wounds of the lash1 left the council chamber1 their hearts were filled1 not with sorrow and regret1 but with rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for ,his name4 ,footnotes3 #a ,read the text3 ,acts #e3cc-ci4 ,,lesson #ad ,a ,,special ,,visit ,,to ,,samaria ,sidenote3 ,deacons4 ,as the membership of the ,church increased1 men were called and ordained to various offices in the work of the ministry4 ,besides the ,apostles1 there were ,evangelists1 ,pastors1 ,teachers1 ,deacons1 etc4 ,among the first to be chosen and ordained to a particular office of service in the ,church were seven men of honest report1 full of the ,holy ,ghost and wisdom4 ,their names were1 ,stephen1 ,philip1 ,prochorus1 ,nicanor1 ,timon1 ,parmenas1 and ,nicolas4 ,they are called ,deacons and one of their chief duties was to oversee the distribution of food among the poor4 ,sidenote3 ,stephen ,martyred4 ,shortly after their appointment1 a bitter and cruel persecution arose against the ,church at ,jerusalem during which the ,saints were scattered abroad throughout the regions of ,judea1 and ,samaria4 ,stephen1 a man full of faith and of the ,holy ,ghost1 was stoned to death4 ,philip went down to the city of ,samaria1 and there continued to preach ,christ unto the ,samaritans4 ,sidenote3 ,philip4 ,it seems that great power accompanied ,philip's ministry1 for unclean spirits1 crying with loud voice1 came out of many that were possessed2 and many taken with palsies1 and that were lame1 were healed4 ,and there was great joy in that city4 ,the people1 with one accord1 heeded ,philip's message and were baptized into the ,church4 ,sidenote3 ,authority ,limited4 ,but baptism by water is not sufficient4 ,it must be followed by the baptism of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,it seems1 however1 that ,philip1 though he had authority to baptize1 did not have the right to confer the ,holy ,ghost4 ,he1 therefore1 probably held the office of ,priest4 ,sidenote3 ,holy ,ghost ,given4 ,when the news that ,samaria had received the ,gospel reached ,jerusalem1 ,peter and ,john were sent unto them4 ,who1 when they were come down1 prayed for them that they might receive the ,holy ,ghost4 ,on the heads of these baptized believers1 ,peter and ,john then laid their hands and conferred upon them the ,holy ,ghost4 ,sidenote3 ,pretenders4 ,the ,lord does not accept everyone who is baptized into the ,church4 ,only those who sincerely believe in ,jesus ,christ as the ,redeemer of the ,world and who repent of their sins receive the ,holy ,ghost4 ,those who are baptized without faith and repentance are mere pretenders4 ,one such joined the ,church in ,england a few years ago4 ,one day a member seeing that the young man had no faith1 asked him why he had joined the ,church4 ,oh1 just to get out to ,america1 he replied4 ,a little later in the conversation1 he confessed to having joined the ,catholic ,church1 at one time1 to get a string of beads6 and afterward joined the ,latter-day ,saints to come to ,utah4 ,of course1 it was not long before he was excommunicated1 and soon after fell into the depths of sin and misery4 ,sidenote3 ,simon the ,sorcerer4 ,at the time ,philip went to ,samaria1 there was a man named ,simon in the city1 who was a great pretender4 ,he claimed to be a sorcerer1 and made a great deal of money by bewitching people with his sorceries4 ,however1 when the people heard the true ,gospel1 and saw miracles wrought by the power of ,god1 they lost interest in ,simon's sorceries1 and were baptized by ,philip4 ,,image3 ,,st4 ,,peter ,,and ,,st4 ,,john ,,in ,,samaria4 ,on the heads of these baptized believers1 ,peter and ,john then laid their hands1 and conferred upon them the ,holy ,ghost4 ,then ,simon himself believed also2 and when he was baptized1 he continued with ,philip1 and wondered1 beholding the signs and great miracles which were done4 ,but he was not converted4 ,his only purpose of joining the ,church was to find out how these miracles were performed1 thinking he might use them for gain4 ,sidenote3 ,his ,greed4 ,when ,simon saw that through the laying on of the ,apostles' hands the ,holy ,ghost was given1 he offered them money1 saying1 ,give me also this power1 that on whomsoever ,i lay hands1 he may receive the ,holy ,ghost4 ,poor1 greedy man6 ,his lust for gold led him to sacrifice even his honor6 ,and hence one master passion in the breast1 ,like ,aaron's serpent1 swallows up the rest4 ,sidenote3 ,simon ,rebuked4 ,if he thought ,peter's heart was as avaricious as his own1 he soon learned better1 for the indignant ,apostle1 looking straight into the sordid soul of this mercenary hypocrite1 answered3 ,thy money perish with thee1 because thou hast thought that the gift of ,god may be purchased with money4 ,thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter3 for thy heart is not right in the sight of ,god4 ,outward show and hypocritical pretenses could not influence ,peter any more than they could win the favor of ,god4 ,only a sincere heart was acceptable4 ,seeing that ,simon's heart was set on making money at the sacrifice of honor1 and even the desecration of the word of ,god1 ,peter told him to repent of his wickedness1 and to pray to ,god for forgiveness1 for he added1 ,i perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness1 and in the bond of iniquity4 ,such a scathing rebuke1 filled the sorcerer with fear1 and he pleaded with ,peter to pray to ,god that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me4 ,peter continued for a short time to preach in other cities in ,samaria and then returned to ,jerusalem4 ,,lesson #ae ,,at ,,lydda ,,and ,,joppa ,sidenote3 ,church ,established4 ,though only a few years had passed since the ,apostles had received the final commission to ,go into all the world and preach the ,gospel1 yet1 through their earnest and continuous labors1 churches were established in all ,judea1 ,galilee and ,samaria4 ,as it was the duty of the ,twelve to look after the interests of the whole ,church1 it became necessary for them to travel throughout all the land of the ,jews4 ,peter visited from place to place1 organizing1 ordaining1 blessing1 and preaching the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,sidenote3 ,eneas the ,cripple4 ,on one of these tours1 he visited the cities on the plain of ,sharon1 which border on the ,mediterranean ,sea4 ,one of these towns was ,lydda1 in the southern part of the plain4 ,while visiting the saints here1 he found a certain man named ,eneas who had kept his bed eight years1 and was sick of the palsy4 ,this was a disease which affected the limbs of those afflicted1 and made it impossible for them to walk4 ,this poor cripple had not taken a step for eight years4 ,undoubtedly1 he had heard that ,christ had healed men as sorely afflicted as he1 and also1 that ,peter1 in the name of ,christ1 had bade the cripple at the ,temple gate to arise and walk4 ,at any rate1 when ,peter found him he appealed to ,peter to give him the same blessing4 ,and ,peter said unto him1 ,eneas1 ,jesus ,christ maketh thee whole3 arise and make thy bed4 ,this meant for him to fold the rug on which he was lying1 and put away for the day4 ,he arose immediately4 ,and all that dwelt at ,lydda and ,sharon saw him1 and turned to the ,lord4 ,sidenote3 ,tabitha4 ,not far distant from ,lydda was another city named ,joppa4 ,one reason why we read of ,joppa is because it was the home of a very good woman whom everybody loved4 ,her name in ,hebrew was ,tabitha1 and in ,greek was ,dorcas4 ,both these words mean ,gazelle1 the name of a very beautiful animal like a deer4 ,tabitha seems to have been as beautiful as she was good1 and her whole time evidently was spent in giving comfort and happiness to others4 ,she benefited the poor by presenting them with coats and garments that she made with her own hands4 ,but one day she was taken sick1 and all her many friends became very anxious about her4 ,when her sickness grew worse and she died1 all their hearts were filled with gloom4 ,among these sad mourners were some widows to whom ,tabitha had given comfort4 ,they were truly bowed in grief1 as1 indeed1 was the entire ,church at ,joppa4 ,after the body was tenderly washed1 it was carried to an upper room4 ,but there was no funeral service held2 for some of the disciples had heard that ,peter was over at ,lydda1 and ,they sent unto him two men1 desiring him that he would not delay to come unto them4 ,peter granted their request and went at once to ,joppa4 ,when he was come1 they brought him into the upper chamber3 and all the widows stood by him weeping2 and1 undoubtedly between their sobs1 praising the virtues of their departed sister4 ,following the example of his ,master when the little daughter of ,jairus was restored to life1 ,peter asked everybody in the room to leave4 ,he then knelt down1 and prayed4 ,turning toward the body1 he said3 ,tabitha1 arise4 ,sidenote3 ,tabitha ,restored4 ,as the first manifestation of life1 we are told that she opened her eyes4 ,what her surprise upon seeing the ,chief ,apostle by her side instead of her nearer friends--what exchange of greetings were made--what expressions of gratitude1 we cannot tell2 but he gave her his hand1 and lifted her up1 and when he had called the saints and widows1 presented her alive4 ,as a result of this miracle1 which became known throughout all ,joppa1 many believed in the ,lord4 ,sidenote3 ,preached ,only to ,jews4 ,up to this time the ,apostles preached only to the ,jews because being ,jews themselves1 they thought the ,messiah was their ,savior but not the ,savior of other nations1 especially of those nations who worshiped idols4 ,all peoples nor ,jews were called ,gentiles and were considered by the ,jews to be common or unclean4 ,sidenote3 ,cornelius4 ,although the ,lord had commanded to teach all nations1 yet the ,apostles did not seem to have comprehended their commission1 until ,peter received a special vision4 ,while he was staying in ,joppa with a man named ,simon who was a tanner1 there was a ,roman officer stationed at ,caesarea1 thirty miles northward4 ,his name was ,cornelius4 ,he was captain of a hundred soldiers1 and was therefore called a ,centurion4 ,although a ,gentile1 ,cornelius did not worship idols as did most of the ,gentiles4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,devout ,man4 ,undoubtedly1 he had heard of ,christ1 and knew that many of the ,jews accepted ,him as their ,savior2 and he wondered why the true ,gospel could not save him as well as the ,jews4 ,he was a devout man1 and one that feared ,god and taught all in his house to do likewise4 ,not only this1 but he lived a righteous life1 which is best of all1 and gave also to the poor4 ,one afternoon1 he was praying in his house when an angel appeared to him1 and said1 ,cornelius4 ,the suddenness of the angel's appearance filled the ,centurion with fear2 but he answered1 ,what is it1 ,lord8 ,sidenote3 ,his ,prayers ,answered4 ,thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before ,god1 said the angel2 and now send men to ,joppa1 and call for one ,simon1 whose surname is ,peter4 ,he is staying with one ,simon the tanner1 whose house is by the seaside3 he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do4 ,as soon as the angel had gone1 ,cornelius called two servants and a soldier who also worshiped the ,lord1 and telling them what the angel had said1 sent them to ,joppa4 ,they followed the seashore southward all night1 and reached ,joppa about noon the next day4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,midday ,vision4 ,just about the hour that these messengers entered the city1 ,peter1 as was his custom1 went upon the housetop to pray4 ,while there1 waiting for the preparation of his noonday meal1 he fell into a trance1 in which he saw coming down from heaven a vessel resembling a great sheet knit at the four corners1 and let down to earth1 wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts1 and creeping things1 and fowls of the air4 ,while ,peter beheld these animals1 thinking they were unfit to eat1 a voice said3 ,rise1 ,peter2 kill and eat4 ,not so1 ,lord2 for ,i have never eaten anything that is common and unclean4 ,what ,god hath cleansed1 continued the voice1 that call not thou common4 ,this was repeated three times1 and then the sheet was taken up again to heaven4 ,sidenote3 ,peter ,perplexed4 ,peter was perplexed1 and sat wondering what the vision might mean4 ,however1 he was not left long in doubt2 for while he was thinking on the vision1 the ,spirit said unto him1 ,behold three men seek thee4 ,arise1 therefore1 and get thee down1 and go with them1 doubting nothing3 for ,i have sent them4 ,now it happened that just while ,peter was given his vision the three messengers from ,cornelius knocked at ,simon's door1 and were admitted into his house4 ,as ,peter entered1 and saw them1 he said1 ,behold1 ,i am he whom ye seek3 what is the cause wherefore ye have come8 ,cornelius1 the centurion1 99 99 99 was warned from ,god by an holy angel1 they answered1 to send for thee into his house1 and to hear words of thee4 ,the messengers stayed that night with ,peter in ,simon's house2 and next morning1 conducted him and certain brethren from ,joppa1 to ,caesarea4 ,on the following day1 as they came to the ,centurion's house1 they found ,cornelius and all his household1 kinsmen1 and friends gathered to receive them4 ,as ,peter neared the door1 ,cornelius stepped out to meet him1 fell1 down at his feet1 and began to worship him4 ,but ,peter raised him up1 saying gently3 ,stand up2 ,i myself also am a man4 ,as the two men entered the house1 ,peter1 seeing a number of people present1 said3 ,sidenote3 ,peter ,communes ,with ,gentiles4 ,ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a ,jew to keep company1 or come unto one of another nation2 but ,god hath showed me that ,i should not call any man common or unclean4 99 99 99 ,now for what intent have ye sent for me8 ,cornelius then told all about his fasting and prayer1 the visit of the angel1 and the angel's instructions4 #a ,the prejudice that had prevented ,peter from comprehending the full meaning of the command to ,teach all nations1 began to lift from his soul1 his eyes began to see more clearly the mercy of our ,heavenly ,father2 and as ,cornelius ceased speaking1 he exclaimed3 ,of a truth ,i perceive that ,god is no respecter of per sons3 but in every nation he that feareth him1 and worketh righteousness1 is accepted with him4 #b ,then to this first meeting of ,gentiles in the early ,church1 ,peter told the story of the ,redeemer1 testifying of the ,savior's death and resurrection4 ,sidenote3 ,holy ,ghost ,given4 ,as final proof to the chief ,apostles that the ,lord would accept the ,gentiles as well as the ,jews into ,his ,church1 the ,holy ,ghost fell on all them which heard the word4 ,accepting this as a direct manifestation from ,god1 ,peter declared4 ,can any man forbid water1 that these may be baptized1 who have received the ,holy ,ghost as well as we8 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,see ,acts #aj3cj-cd4 #b4 ,see ,acts #aj3cd-dc4 ,,lesson #af ,,the ,,third ,,imprisonment ,they never sought in vain that sought the ,lord aright4 ,if you cannot pray over a thing1 and cannot ask ,god to bless you in it1 don't do that thing4 ,a secret that you would keep from ,god is a secret that you should keep from your own heart4 ,after having completed his labors at ,lydda1 ,joppa1 and the adjacent towns1 ,peter returned to ,jerusalem and continued his earnest work in the ministry4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,wicked ,king4 ,but there was a wicked king ruling over ,judea at that time1 named ,herod ,agrippa1 who stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the ,church4 ,he was a grandson of ,herod the ,great1 who1 you remember1 slaughtered all the little children in ,bethlehem in his effort to kill the little baby ,jesus4 ,he was also a nephew of ,herod ,antipas1 the wicked king who had ,john the ,baptist beheaded4 ,herod ,agrippa possessed the same wicked passions as his grandfather and his uncle2 so1 of course1 he hated and despised the righteous men who1 in preaching the ,gospel1 were condemning sin and wickedness4 ,sidenote3 ,peter ,thrust ,into ,prison4 ,the first apostle to suffer from ,king ,agrippa's wickedness was ,james the brother of ,john whom he killed with the sword4 ,when he found that this murderous act pleased the haughty and stiff-necked ,jews1 he thought he would kill some others of the apostolic band4 ,accordingly1 he arrested ,simon ,peter2 but1 fortunately1 concluded not to kill him until after ,easter1 so thrust him in prison until a more favorable time for a public execution4 ,sidenote3 ,strongly ,guarded4 ,as if to make sure that ,peter would not escape this time1 he delivered him to four quarternions of soldiers to keep him4 ,this meant four distinct pickets of four guards each1 sixteen in all4 ,each picket was to keep watch three hours and then be relieved by another during the night watches4 ,two officers must guard at the outer gate of the prison1 and two be in the cell1 one on each side of the prisoner1 with his arms chained to them4 ,thus firmly guarded and chained1 ,peter lay down to sleep between two soldiers1 bound with two chains1 and the keepers before the door4 #a ,james' cruel death and the report of ,peter's imprisonment spread consternation among the saints in ,judea4 ,some1 perhaps1 were fearful2 all were prayerful4 ,sidenote3 ,special ,assemblies in ,prayer4 ,it seems that groups of earnest saints met in different places1 and pleaded in sincere prayer to ,god to spare their leader's life4 ,indeed1 prayer was made without ceasing of the ,church unto ,god for him4 ,it is thought by some historians that among those who were thus supplicating the ,lord were ,paul and ,barnabas who were probably in ,jerusalem at that time4 ,sidenote3 ,at ,mary's ,house4 ,one of the principal meetings was held at the house of ,mary the mother of ,john ,mark1 who many years after1 wrote the ,gospel1 according to ,st4 ,mark4 ,,image3 ,,st4 ,,peter ,,in ,,prison4 ,the angel of the ,lord came upon him1 and a light shined in the prison4 ,while we leave them in solemn prayer on the night before ,peter was to be killed1 let us go back to the prison1 and see what is happening there4 ,sidenote3 ,an ,angel ,appears to ,peter4 ,while ,peter lay sleeping on his pallet of straw1 behold1 the angel of the ,lord came upon him1 and a light shined in the prison4 ,evidently1 the guards were asleep1 and neither saw nor heard anything for the angel touched ,peter on the side1 and raised him up saying1 ,arise up quickly4 ,as ,peter complied1 his chains fell off his hands4 ,then the angel said to him3 ,tie your girdle around your waist1 and put on your sandals4 ,peter1 scarcely knowing what he was doing1 did as he was told4 ,then the angel continued3 ,cast thy garment about thee1 and follow me4 ,still thinking that he was dreaming1 ,peter followed the angel4 ,sidenote3 ,peter ,delivered ,from ,prison4 ,they left the guards in the cell1 passed the first guard of soldiers1 then the second2 but no one tried to stop them4 ,when they came to the big iron gate that leadeth to the city1 it opened to them of its own accord4 ,the angel continued to direct ,peter through one of the streets of the city1 then left him as suddenly as he had appeared4 ,by this time1 however1 ,peter fully realized that he was not dreaming1 but was actually out of prison4 ,he said to himself3 ,sidenote3 ,his ,life ,saved4 ,now ,i know of a surety1 that the ,lord hath sent his angel1 and hath delivered me out of the hand of ,herod1 and from all the expectation of the ,jews4 ,by this last remark1 he referred to the public execution that ,herod had promised to have taken place that very day4 ,but faith and prayers were more mighty in ,peter's behalf than the decree of kings1 and the demands of the wicked ,jews4 ,wondering just a little where he should go1 he turned to the house of ,mary1 the mother of ,john ,mark1 where1 you know1 some of the saints were even at that moment praying for his deliverance4 ,sidenote3 ,rhoda4 ,as ,peter knocked at the door of the gate1 a young girl named ,rhoda came1 and asked who was there4 ,when she heard ,peter's voice1 she was so glad that she didn't stop to open the gate1 but ran immediately into the room saying3 ,peter is here--standing outside the door4 ,sidenote3 ,friends ,astonished4 ,so suddenly interrupted in their prayer1 the people would not believe her1 but said she was beside herself4 ,but ,rhoda insisted that she was right4 ,she knew ,peter's voice1 and she knew he was at the door4 ,they finally concluded that it was his angel4 ,in the meantime1 ,peter kept knocking until he was finally admitted4 ,it seems that the little group hardly expected their prayers to be answered in just that literal way2 so when they opened the door and saw him1 they were astonished4 ,peter1 holding up his hand1 and beckoning them to be quiet1 told them how the ,lord had delivered him from prison4 ,then he added3 ,go explain all these things to ,james1 and to the brethren4 ,this ,james was probably the brother of ,jesus1 who seems to have been appointed to take charge of the ,church at ,jerusalem4 #b ,sidenote3 ,peter ,gets ,away4 ,knowing that as soon as he would be missed in prison the soldiers of old ,herod would be searching for him1 ,peter went unto another place4 ,when morning came1 there was a great stir among the soldiers because of ,peter's having escaped4 ,herod ordered a thorough search in vain4 ,then1 thinking the keepers of the prison had been careless and negligent1 this wicked ruler ordered them put to death4 ,sidenote3 ,guards ,put to ,death4 ,not long afterward he1 himself1 died so suddenly and so miserably1 that some said the wrath of ,god was visited upon him because of his wickedness4 ,luke tells us that the angel of the ,lord smote him4 ,sidenote3 ,herod's ,death4 ,but ,peter1 whom ,herod had sought to kill1 was spared1 through the blessings of the ,lord1 to bless the ,church1 and to preach the ,gospel for many years afterward4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,acts #ab3f4 #b4 ,gal4 #a3ai4 ,,lesson #ag ,,closing ,,scenes ,,of ,a ,,righteous ,,ministry ,the ,gospel is the fulfillment of all hopes1 the perfection of all philosophy1 the interpreter of all revelations1 and a key to all the seeming contradictions of truth in the physical and moral world4 ,sidenote3 ,peter's ,character4 ,many years have passed since ,peter met ,jesus1 and was told that he should be called ,cephas which is by interpretation1 a ,stone4 ,little did ,peter realize then1 why the ,lord desired to have this fisherman's character become as a rock4 ,little did he realize what mighty responsibility his ,master desired to place upon him4 ,but the years that have intervened have been filled with wonderful experiences1 all of which tended to make ,peter not only the ,rock-man ,christ had desired him to become1 but the great leader and chief apostle in the ,church of ,christ4 ,fearlessness1 faithfulness1 prayerfulness1 humility1 and an untiring zeal in his efforts to instruct and to bless the people are traits of ,peter's character that shine out in his life4 ,we should be reminded1 however1 that this rock character was not formed all at once4 ,it grew gradually4 ,you remember how ,jesus1 watching its formation1 reproved ,peter's weaknesses1 commended his strength1 and encouraged him1 time after time1 to remain true to the work as a fisher of men4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,fisher of ,men4 ,we have now reached that period in his life when this man who at one time pulled nets full of fishes from the sea of ,galilee can look back over his years of ministry and see numberless nets full of men1 women1 and children drawn from the sea of ignorance and sin and put safely in the ,church of ,christ4 ,there was this difference1 however1 between the results of his fishing for fish and his fishing for men3 ,the fish he dragged from the element of life to physical death2 the men he drew from the element of death to eternal life4 ,for five years after his deliverance from the third imprisonment1 ,peter continued his visits from city to city1 province to province1 preaching the ,word of the ,lord4 ,during many of these travels1 he was1 undoubtedly1 accompanied by his faithful wife4 ,sidenote3 ,opened ,door to ,gentiles4 ,it had been ,peter's duty and privilege to preach the ,gospel first to the ,gentiles4 ,please note that when the ,lord desired the ,gentiles to hear ,his word1 ,he instructed the ,chief of the ,twelve to turn the key that opened the ,gospel door to them4 ,this is one of the special duties of the ,apostleship4 ,sidenote3 ,christians4 ,since that time1 many ,gentiles had become converted2 and in some cities they met and worshiped together with the ,jews4 ,this was particularly true in ,antioch1 an important city of ,syria where the followers of ,jesus were first called ,christians4 ,but there were certain men from ,judea who went to ,antioch and caused trouble4 ,these were ,jews who had accepted the ,gospel1 but who still believed that the ,gentiles would have to do everything the ,jews did before they could obtain salvation4 ,sidenote3 ,peter ,justifies the ,gentiles4 ,the question as to whether the ,gentiles might receive the ,gospel and be saved1 without conforming to every ,jewish rite1 came before the ,twelve and other ,church leaders in ,jerusalem4 ,and when there had been much disputing1 ,peter arose up1 and said unto them3 ,men and brethren1 ye know how that a good while ago ,god made choice among us1 that the ,gentiles by my mouth should hear the work of the ,gospel and believe4 ,and ,god1 who knoweth the hearts1 bare them witness1 giving them the ,holy ,ghost1 even as he did unto us2 ,and put no difference between us and them1 purifying their hearts by faith4 ,he then told them not to provoke ,god by passing some rule that would compel the ,gentiles to do what the ,lord does not require of them4 ,for1 he added1 ,we believe that through the grace of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 we shall be saved1 even as they4 ,sidenote3 ,upholds the ,right4 ,there was a time when ,simon1 the ,jewish fisherman1 with all his ,jewish prejudices1 would have rather yielded to the ,jewish side of this question2 but now1 it was not ,simon1 the fisherman1 who spoke1 but ,peter1 the chief apostle of the ,lord4 ,what were prejudices to him in the light of the inspiration of truth6 ,all that was necessary for him to know was1 whether the thing was right1 and prejudice or no prejudice1 favor or no favor1 he would defend it4 ,it is true that once after this council1 so ,paul says4 #a ,peter withdrew from the company of some ,gentiles because some of the ,jews came down from ,jerusalem4 ,paul says he rebuked ,peter for his actions on this occasion2 but we have no record of what ,peter said or did4 ,knowing ,peter as we do1 we are safe in concluding that he did not intentionally waver from the right4 ,it seems more probable that ,paul misunderstood ,peter's motives4 ,at any rate1 we may rest assured that what ,peter said and did was intended to help those who were influenced by his actions4 ,sidenote3 ,visits ,all ,churches4 ,from that time1 we know very little of ,peter's travels4 ,by reading his epistles1 we get a little insight into the nature of his labors and travels during the last years of his life4 ,undoubtedly1 he visited every country where there were organized branches of the ,church1 even to the seven churches in ,asia4 ,sidenote3 ,thirty-five ,years' ,service4 ,we do not know just where he died1 nor the kind of death he suffered2 but it is evident that the end was not far off when he wrote his second epistle to the churches4 ,that was about thirty-five years after he first met the ,savior4 ,he was in the ministry then1 approximately thirty-five years1 perhaps longer4 ,referring to the prophecy of the ,lord on the shore of ,galilee1 the aged apostle1 writing to the ,saints and urging them to be true to the ,gospel1 said3 ,knowing that shortly ,i must put off this my tabernacle1 even as our ,lord ,jesus ,christ hath showed me4 ,moreover1 ,i will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance4 ,some of the earliest ,christian writers tell us that ,peter and ,paul were both imprisoned in ,rome during the terrible persecutions of the ,saints under the wicked ,king ,nero4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,legend4 ,there is a story told that before ,nero had imprisoned ,peter1 the ,saints1 perceiving the danger he was in1 pleaded with him to leave ,rome4 ,very reluctantly1 he yielded to their entreaties1 and escaped from the city1 by night4 ,as he was going away1 he met the ,lord carrying ,his cross1 and going toward ,rome4 ,master1 whither art thou going8 asked ,peter4 ,to ,rome1 to be crucified a second time1 was the reply4 ,thinking that if his ,lord could be crucified a second time for the ,truth1 he too1 would be willing to die for in1 he returned to ,rome1 and some time later1 was condemned by the ,emperor ,nero to suffer death by crucifixion4 ,as he neared the place of execution1 however1 ,peter asked that he be permitted to hang on the cross with his head downwards1 which request was granted4 ,these circumstances are more or less legendary1 and may or may not be true2 but this we know that whatever the manner or time of his death ,simon ,peter died true to every trust that his ,lord and ,master had given him ,he has done the work of a true man1-- ,crown him1 honor him1 love him4 ,weep over him1 tears of woman1 ,stoop manliest brows above him6 ,no duty could overtake him1 ,no need his will outrun2 ,or ever our lips could ask him4 ,his hands the work had done4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,gal4 #b3g4 ,,part ,,two--,,james ,,lesson #ah ,,james1 ,,the ,,son ,,of ,,zebedee ,honor and shame from no condition rise2 ,act well thy part1 there all the honor lies4 ,honor is not a matter of any man's calling merely2 but rather of his own actions in it4 ,among the devoted women who followed ,jesus in ,galilee1 who ministered unto ,him1 and watched with anxious care and sorrow the progress of the trials in ,jerusalem1 was a noble mother named ,salome4 ,with ,mary ,magdalene1 and ,mary the mother of ,jesus and ,joses1 she stood beholding afar off the crucifixion of the ,savior4 ,she was one who would not forsake her ,lord even at the cross4 ,she was also one who1 with spices and perfumes1 went early to the sepulchre ,sunday morning1 to participate in the embalming of ,jesus' body4 ,to her and others1 the ,savior appeared1 that morning1 saying1 ,be not afraid2 go tell my brethren that they go into ,galilee1 and there shall they see me4 ,sidenote3 ,tennyson ,quoted4 ,happy he with such a mother6 faith in womankind beats with his blood1 and trust in all things high comes easy to him1 and though he trip and fall1 he shall not blind his soul with clay4 ,sidenote3 ,proud of ,her ,boys4 ,such was the faithful1 devoted woman whom ,james and ,john1 the sons of ,zebedee called mother4 ,and she was as proud of her boys as they were proud of their mother2 for they seemed to have inherited from their mother1 and perhaps their father too1 those true and unwavering qualities which made them such devoted disciples of ,christ4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,mother's ,request4 ,like most mothers1 ,salome desired to see her boys honored2 and one day asked the ,savior to grant that her two sons might sit1 the one on ,his right hand the other on the left1 in ,his kingdom4 ,jesus said1 ,are ye able to drink of the cup that ,i shall drink of1 and be baptized with the baptism that ,i am baptized with8 ,they answered1 ,we are able4 ,sidenote3 ,boys to ,drink of ,cup4 ,ye shall drink indeed of my cup1 and be baptized with the baptism that ,i am baptized with1 answered the ,lord2 but to sit on my right hand1 and on my left1 is not mine to give4 ,sidenote3 ,true ,servants4 ,the mother's eagerness to have her sons thus honored made the other ten a little jealous2 but when ,jesus saw their feelings1 ,he told them that while men who hold offices in the world exercise unrighteous dominion1 those who are given offices in ,his ,church are the servants of all4 ,whosoever will be chief among you let him be your servant4 ,sidenote3 ,of ,bethsaida4 ,james was of ,bethsaida1 in ,galilee1 and was a fisherman4 ,he was busy at his trade when ,jesus called him to the ministry4 ,when the call came1 ,james and his brother were sitting in a boat mending nets4 ,their father and hired servants were also there4 ,of course1 ,james had seen ,jesus before this1 and had undoubtedly heard ,him2 for when ,andrew had hurried off to find ,simon ,peter1 after having met the ,lord1 ,john had hurried to find his brother ,james4 ,sidenote3 ,accepts ,call4 ,so ,james1 too1 had found the ,messiah1 and was already converted to the ,gospel4 ,therefore when ,jesus stopped that morning by the seashore1 and said1 ,come1 ,i will make you fishers of men1 they immediately left their father with the hired servants1 and followed ,christ4 ,sidenote3 ,one of the ,twelve4 ,when the ,twelve were chosen1 ,james was chosen next to ,peter1 and was one of the three who constituted what we might call the ,presidency of the ,twelve4 ,in this position1 he became closely associated with the ,redeemer1 and was an eyewitness to some of the most sacred incidents in ,his ,lord's ministry4 ,thus1 with ,peter and ,john1 he was present in the room when the little daughter of ,jairus was restored to life4 ,sidenote3 ,on the ,mount4 ,he was also one of the favored three on the ,mount of ,transfiguration2 and was one of those chosen to accompany the ,master to the secluded place in the ,garden of ,gethsemane1 when ,christ suffered those bitter agonies preparatory to ,his betrayal and sufferings on the cross4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,son of ,thunder4 ,james was called a son of ,thunder2 and there is one incident in the ,bible which gives us a little insight into a part of his nature which probably called forth that name4 ,when the time came that ,jesus was determined to go to ,jerusalem to be offered up as a sacrifice1 he sent messengers before ,his face3 and they went1 and entered into a village of the ,samaritans1 to make ready for him4 #a ,james was one of these messengers4 ,but the ,samaritans1 who would have no dealings with the ,jews1 and who were particularly offended on this occasion because ,jesus was determined to worship in ,jerusalem1 refused to receive ,jesus4 ,their refusal made ,james and ,john so indignant that they turned to their ,master and said3 ,lord let us command fire to come down from heaven1 and consume them1 even as ,elias did8 ,sidenote3 ,a ,rebuke4 ,but the ,lord was displeased with them for being angry1 and said1 ,ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of4 ,for the ,son of ,man is not come to destroy men's lives but to save them4 ,for this almost righteous manifestation of fire in their natures1 it is thought that ,james and ,john were called ,boanerges1 or sons of ,thunder4 ,sidenote3 ,little ,recorded of ,his ,labors4 ,but if he had an impetuous nature or quick temper1 he controlled it1 and through his faithfulness and devotion won the favor of his ,lord4 ,it is thought that he traveled a great deal1 preaching the ,gospel1 it is said1 to all the dispersed tribes of ,israel4 ,but of his labors1 there is scarcely any record4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,first ,martyr4 ,about forty-two or forty-four years after ,christ1 ,herod ,agrippa1 as you have already learned1 commenced a bitter persecution against the ,saints4 ,james was among the first to be arrested4 ,sidenote3 ,officer ,converted4 ,sentence was passed upon him very soon after he was apprehended1 yet1 so remarkable were his faith and his courage during the trial that the officer who guarded him1 7who1 some say1 was his accuser7 repented of his sins1 became converted1 and declared his faith in ,christianity4 ,as ,james was being led to the place of execution1 this officer threw himself at the apostle's feet1 and humbly begged forgiveness for what he had said against him4 ,putting his arm around the penitent man1 ,james answered1 ,peace1 my son1 peace be unto thee1 and pardon of thy faults4 ,sidenote3 ,execution4 ,both were then executed by order of the cruel ,herod4 ,thus ,james1 the first martyr apostle1 partook of the cup of which he had said to his ,lord many years before he was willing to drink4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,luke #i3eb4 ,,part ,,three--,,john ,,lesson #ai ,,with ,,the ,,redeemer ,modesty is a shining light2 it prepares the mind to receive knowledge1 and the heart for truth4 ,humility is the solid foundation of all the virtues4 ,sidenote3 ,modesty4 ,in the first chapter of the ,gospel according to ,st4 ,john1 we read that two disciples of ,john the ,baptist heard their master bear witness to the divinity of ,jesus4 ,said the ,baptist1 referring to ,jesus walking alone in the distance1 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god1 that taketh away the sin of the world4 ,one of the two disciples who heard this testimony is named2 he was ,andrew1 the brother of ,simon ,peter4 #a ,the other is not named4 ,indeed throughout the entire book1 which undoubtedly1 was written by ,st4 ,john1 himself1 the name of ,john1 son of ,zebedee1 is never once written4 ,in the account of the ,last ,supper1 we read of a disciple whom ,jesus loved1 who sat so near the ,lord that his head could rest on ,jesus' bosom4 ,these two instances1 and others that might be named indicate to us a prominent trait in ,st4 ,john's character2 viz41 an unassumed modesty that won him the respect and love of all who knew him4 ,sidenote3 ,fearlessness4 ,but ,john was the son of ,salome and ,zebedee1 and the younger brother of ,james1 with whim he was called ,boanerges1 or son of ,thunder4 ,this gives us a little insight into another phase of his character4 ,like his brother ,james1 he was evidently fiery in his zeal in whatever he undertook to do1 and fearless in doing what he thought was right4 ,,image3 ,,st4 ,,john ,,and ,,the ,,lamb4 ,sidenote3 ,love4 ,a modesty that made him shrink ever from praising himself or unduly pushing himself forward2 a fearlessness in defending what is right1 and a love for his ,master that gave him the highest place in the ,savior's heart--these are three traits of ,john's character which stand out distinctly in the fragmentary accounts of his life4 ,he lived1 and was probably born in ,bethsaida1 the home of ,peter and ,andrew and ,philip4 ,he was a fisherman by trade1 and worked with his father and brother ,james4 ,his father1 ,zebedee1 owned his own ships1 and employed servants2 so we conclude that he was well to do financially4 #b ,sidenote3 ,a ,seeker ,after ,truth4 ,he was a seeker after true learning1 and especially after those things which would tell him about ,god and the hereafter4 ,he kept his mind and heart pure1 so that he could appreciate the truth when he heard it4 ,when1 therefore1 ,john the ,baptist came out of the wilderness preaching repentance and declaring that the ,kingdom of ,heaven was at hand1 ,john was one of the fearless young men who believed the ,baptist and followed him4 ,thus he was prepared to accept ,john's testimony of ,jesus after the latter was baptized in ,jordan1 and was one of the two who had the first interview with the ,savior of the world at the beginning of ,his ministry4 ,sidenote3 ,follows ,jesus4 ,on the same occasion when ,simon ,peter and his brother were called as disciples of ,jesus1 ,james the son of ,zebedee and ,john were with their father mending their nets1 and when ,jesus called them1 they immediately left the ship and their father and followed ,him4 #c ,sidenote3 ,a ,first ,lesson4 ,luke tells us #d that ,john was present at the miraculous draught of fishes1 and was very much astonished at what he heard and saw on that occasion4 ,it was one of the first lessons if not the first impressive lesson that taught him the great truth that obedience to ,christ's words bring blessings4 ,sidenote3 ,youngest of the ,twelve4 ,from this time on to the end of his eventful life1 he was always in the ministry4 ,when ,jesus chose his disciples1 ,john was chosen one of the special three1 although he was the youngest member of the ,twelve4 ,sidenote3 ,memorable ,experiences4 ,from that time1 ,john was in the close companionship of ,jesus1 and witnessed some of the most remarkable and divine incidents recorded in the history of ,christ's ministry4 ,he was one of the three apostles permitted to remain in the room when the little daughter of ,jairus was restored to life4 #e ,he was on the mount of ,transfiguration when the ,savior conversed with ,moses and ,elias and when a voice from heaven said ,this is my beloved ,son1 hear him4 #f ,with ,peter1 ,james and ,andrew1 ,john was present on the ,mount of ,olives when ,jesus taught them concerning the destrucion of the temple1 and of ,christ's second coming4 ,how the memory of such occasions must have filled his soul in after years1 with rejoicing and sweet content6 ,to him and ,peter was entrusted the duty of making preparations for the ,passover4 #g ,sidenote3 ,close to ,jesus4 ,at the solemn moment when the ,savior said ,one of you shall betray me1 it was ,john the disciple whom ,jesus loved who received the answer indicating who the traitor was4 ,sidenote3 ,in ,gethsemane4 ,when the gloom of ,gethsemane began to weigh heavily upon the spirit of ,jesus1 ,john was one of the three unto whom ,he said1 ,my soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death2 tarry ye here and watch4 #h ,sidenote3 ,in the ,house of the ,high ,priest4 ,later that same night1 when the traitor gave the kiss of betrayal1 and the soldiers arrested ,jesus1 and bore ,him away a prisoner1 all the other disciples fled1 but ,john accompanied his ,master to the house of the high priest and later admitted ,peter1 who1 you remember1 had followed afar off4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,terrible ,ordeal4 ,though we are not told1 yet we can imagine what this beloved disciple's feelings were as he listened to the false and wicked accusations against his ,lord1 and how his heart must have ached as he saw ,jesus beaten and scourged1 and a crown of thorns put on ,his head4 ,if he had wanted to call down fire from heaven and consume the ,samaritans who refused shelter and accommodations to his ,lord1 what must have been the state of his fiery soul when he beheld the ,jews and their judges persecuting the ,christ to death6 ,sidenote3 ,a ,last ,request4 ,how his soul must have been rent in agony as he saw his ,savior nailed to the cross1 and yet what peace must have come to him as he received from the dying lips of his ,master one of the dearest commissions ever given to mortal man6 ,as the three ,marys and ,john stood by the cross1 ,jesus looked down upon them and said to his mother1 ,woman1 behold thy ,son6 and to ,john1 ,behold thy mother6 ,and from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home4 ,on the ,sunday morning following the crucifixion1 ,john was with ,peter when ,mary ,magdalene came running to them1 saying3 ,sidenote3 ,at the ,tomb4 ,they have taken away the ,lord out of the sepulchre1 and we know not where they have laid ,him4 ,as soon as the apostles heard this1 they ran for the spot where ,jesus had been buried4 ,john being the younger outran ,peter and was the first to see the empty tomb2 and looking in1 saw the linen clothes lying1 yet went he not in4 ,a moment later1 however1 he followed ,peter into the tomb1 made a careful examination of the linen clothes and napkin that was about the head2 but not yet realizing that ,christ was to rise the third day1 each returned to his own home4 ,sidenote3 ,his ,testimony4 ,john was with the ten and later with the ,eleven when ,christ appeared to them in the upper room4 ,of this and other glorious experiences he bears testimony in his ,gospel4 ,that ye might believe in ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 and that believing ye might have life through ,his name4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,john #a3dj4 #b4 ,mark #a3bj4 #c4 ,matt4 #d3ba1 #bb2 ,luke #e3a-aa4 #d4 ,luke #e3a-aa4 #e4 ,luke #h3ea4 #f4 ,luke #i3bh4 #g4 ,luke #bb3h #h4 ,mark #ad3cc4 ,,lesson #bj ,,with ,,peter ,,and ,,the ,,twelve ,love one human being purely and warmly and you will love all4 ,love gives itself1 it is not bought4 ,sidenote3 ,at the ,sea of ,galilee4 ,john was one of those who1 after the death and resurrection of ,jesus1 when ,simon ,peter said1 ,i go a fishing replied3 ,we also go with you4 ,they toiled all night1 and caught nothing1 but when morning came they were told by a man on the shore to ,cast the net on the right side of the ship4 ,this they did and caught a multitude of fishes4 ,almost immediately ,john recognized ,jesus and said to ,peter1 ,it is the ,lord4 ,sidenote3 ,feed ,my ,sheep4 ,a little later1 on the shore1 he heard the ,savior's admonition to ,peter to feed the sheep and the lambs in the fold of ,christ1 and no doubt ,john shared in the feeling of responsibility that was then thrown upon the ,twelve4 ,it was on this occasion that ,peter asked ,jesus what would become of ,john1 to which question ,jesus made the significant reply1 ,if ,i will that he tarry till ,i come1 what is that to thee8 follow thou me4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,prophecy4 ,then went this saying abroad among the brethren that that disciple should not die3 yet ,jesus said not unto him1 ,he shall not die2 but if ,i will that he tarry till ,i come1 what is that to thee8 ,in this connection we read in the ,doctrine and ,covenants #a that ,john had said to the ,lord1 ,give me power over death that ,i may live and bring souls unto ,thee4 ,and the ,lord answered1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 because thou desired this1 thou shalt tarry until ,i come in my glory1 and shalt prophesy before nations1 kindred1 tongues and people4 ,the ,lord then told ,peter that ,he would make ,john as a flaming fire and a ministering angel2 he shall minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation who dwell on the earth4 ,sidenote3 ,true ,greatness4 ,thus was expressed ,john's love not only for his ,lord and ,master but for all the children of men whom he desired to bring to ,christ and to participate in the joys of the everlasting gospel4 ,by this spirit1 ,john proved himself to have been one of the greatest men that ever lived2 for true greatness consists in losing oneself for the good of others4 ,sidenote3 ,true to ,trust4 ,for about fifteen years after the ,savior's ascension it is believed that ,john continued at ,jerusalem and remained a true son to the ,virgin ,mary4 ,during all that time1 however1 he was always active in the ministry4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,impotent ,man4 ,he was with ,peter going to the temple when the lame men at the gate ,beautiful asked them for alms4 ,with ,peter he exercised ,his faith on that occasion to bless the poor man who had never walked4 #b ,sidenote3 ,the ,impotent ,man4 ,john1 undoubtedly1 testified to the multitude who assembled at ,solomon's porch on the day of this miracle2 but no historian has told us what he said4 ,we infer from what ,luke says that ,john spoke at that time2 but only ,peter's sermon and only a little of that has been preserved4 ,while they were speaking the captain of the temple arrested them and put them in prison4 ,sidenote3 ,before the ,council4 ,when they were brought out before the ,council next day and told not to preach about ,jesus any more1 ,john was just as bold as ,peter in declaring1 ,whether it be right in the sight of ,god to hearken unto you more than ,god1 judge ye1 for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard4 #c ,sidenote3 ,spiritual ,minded4 ,after they were released1 they continued preaching to the people and praising the ,lord for all ,his wonderful manifestations to them4 ,the great spiritual feast that resulted from their labors must have filled ,john's soul with a divine peace such as he had never before experienced1 for of all the apostles1 he was the most spiritual minded4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,true ,servant4 ,during this period1 he was imprisoned several times1 but never once did he waver in his determination to let all the people know that ,jesus ,christ was the ,redeemer of the ,world4 ,he could suffer and be happy because he loved those whom he served4 ,thus in the beginning of his ministry his character shone out in true greatness2 for he was willing1 patient and strong to endure for others4 ,sidenote3 ,in ,samaria4 ,when the ,samaritans received the ,gospel through the preaching of ,philip1 ,john accompanied ,peter to ,samaria1 and conferred the ,holy ,ghost by the laying on of hands1 upon those whom ,philip had baptized4 #d ,sidenote3 ,various ,officers4 ,no doubt this was just one of many such visits he made during those fifteen years that he remained at ,jerusalem4 ,the ,twelve1 the seventies1 elders1 priests1 teachers and deacons were out preaching in all the cities round about ,jerusalem1 and the three chief ,apostles1 ,peter1 ,james and ,john would be required1 and when not required would be invited1 to organize the branches and to meet with the new converts and give encouragement in their glorious faith4 ,sidenote3 ,pillar of the ,church4 ,when the great question arose about what the ,gentiles who joined the church should be required to do1 ,john was one who sat in the council held at ,jerusalem4 ,paul1 writing about this council1 mentions ,james1 ,cephas and ,john who seemed to be pillars4 ,in the light of the organization of the ,church today1 we know that ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john were the men who presided at that time1 although it was ,james who rendered the decision that was made effective throughout all the provinces4 ,sidenote3 ,heart ,filled ,with ,love4 ,after that time1 we know very little of ,john's ministry4 ,part of what is known will be given in the next lesson4 ,we learn more about what kind of man he was than about what he did4 ,when we read his letters to the church and his ,gospel1 we can readily understand why ,jesus chose him to take care of ,his mother ,mary4 ,john's heart was full of love1 and he wanted everybody to love everybody else4 ,he said that anybody who saith he is in the light1 and hateth his brother is in darkness even until now4 ,he that loveth his brother abideth in the light4 ,but he that hateth his brother is in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth1 because that darkness hath blinded his eyes4 ,i write unto you1 little children1 because your sins are forgiven you for ,his name's sake4 ,in that same letter he says1 ,and now1 little children1 abide in ,christ1 that when ,he shall appear1 we may have confidence and not be ashamed before ,him and ,his coming4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,section #g4 #b4 ,relate the incident4 ,acts #c3a-ab4 #c4 ,acts #d3ai-bj4 #d4 ,acts #h3e-ad4 ,,lesson #ba ,,closing ,,scenes ,,of ,,ministry ,love was to his impassioned soul1 not a mere part of its existence1 but the whole1 the very life-breath of his heart4 ,sidenote3 ,eighteen ,years ,pass4 ,the important council mentioned in the last chapter was held about #ej years after the birth of ,christ 7#ej ,a4 ,d47 ,during the next eighteen years ,john seems to have been hidden from view4 ,nothing is known about what he did or where he went4 ,it is presumed that he left ,jerusalem1 and seldom1 if ever1 returned4 ,if so1 then we may rightly conclude that ,mary the mother of ,jesus had left ,jerusalem also1 and left it and all her loving kindred and friends on earth for a happy1 glorious meeting with her ,son in their heavenly home on high4 ,the dutiful and loving attention ,john had bestowed upon ,mary1 he is now free to give to the ,church which now bears her ,son's name4 ,undoubtedly he visited nearly all1 if not all the important places where ,christians dwelt2 but most of his latest years seem to have been spent in ,asia ,minor4 ,sidenote3 ,at ,ephesus4 ,tradition informs us that he made his home at ,ephesus1 a large and populous city of ,iona about #dj miles from ,smyrna4 ,it was noted chiefly for its wickedness and the beautiful temple of ,diana4 ,some claim that the ,virgin ,mary and ,mary ,magdalene went to ,ephesus with ,john and died there4 ,the tradition is a pleasing one2 for with the devotion of a son to his mother1 as shown by ,john1 there is associated ,mary ,magdalene's love1 which might well be expressed in the words of another beautiful woman1 who said to her husband's mother1 ,intreat me not to leave thee or to return from following after thee3 for whither thou goest1 ,i will go2 and where thou lodgest1 ,i will lodge2 thy people shall be my people1 and thy ,god my ,god2 ,where thou diest1 will ,i die1 and there will ,i be buried4 #a ,from ,ephesus ,john visited all the branches of the ,church1 laboring especially among ,the ,seven ,churches in ,asia4 ,when ,john had spent several years at ,ephesus a cruel ,roman emperor1 during his persecution of the ,church1 arrested him1 had him carried to ,rome1 condemned him to death1 and had him plunged into boiling oil4 ,john's life being preserved through the power of ,god1 he was then banished to ,patmos4 ,all that ,john says about it is that he was in the isle that is called ,patmos1 for the ,word of ,god1 and for the testimony of ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is quite evident from this that he had been persecuted for his belief in the ,gospel and for his unwavering testimony of the life1 death and resurrection of ,jesus ,christ4 ,he was probably the last living witness of the ,savior's miracles and teachings4 ,perhaps that is why he was banished4 ,but wicked men could not banish the testimony he had borne4 ,that was planted in the hearts of thousands of sincere believers1 and like seeds sown in fertile soil1 would grow and bear rich harvests for ages to come4 ,nor did banishment injure the aged apostle1 for he was not alone even on that uninhabited and barren rock4 ,one ,sunday morning1 on the ,lord's ,day as he called it1 he heard behind him a great voice1 as of a trumpet that said to him1 ,what thou seest write in a book and send it unto the seven churches which are in ,asia4 ,he turned1 and saw the ,son of ,man clothed with a garment down to the foot1 and bound with a golden girdle4 ,as he beheld his ,lord wrapped in such divine splendor1 he fell at ,his feet as dead4 ,but the ,savior1 ,john says1 laid ,his right hand upon me1 saying unto me4 ,fear not1 ,i am the ,first and the ,last1 ,i am ,he that liveth1 and was dead1 and behold ,i am alive forever more4 ,he was again commanded to write all he had witnessed and what would yet be shown him in vision4 ,thus was given to the seven churches of ,asia1 and subsequently to the world1 what is now known as ,revelation1 the last book in the ,bible1 but the first one written by its author4 ,upon the death of ,domitian1 the cruel emperor who had banished him1 the ,apostle was permitted to return to ,ephesus1 where he continued his preaching1 writing1 and testimony4 ,sidenote3 ,john's ,writings4 ,besides ,revelation1 he wrote his ,gospel and his three ,epistles4 ,john's second ,epistle should be of special interest to the young4 ,from it we infer that there were two ,christian homes1 in each of which ,john took delight4 ,the mothers were sisters4 ,his letter is addressed to ,the ,elect ,lady or1 as she is sometimes called1 the ,lady ,electa and her children4 ,john tells of his love and that of others for them--mother and children--because of their ,christian character4 ,he tells of his great joy because of the children walking in the truth1 living as children should live who have learned of the teachings of ,christ4 ,,image3 ,,st4 ,,john4 ,the ,apostle and ,evangelist4 ,it is said that when he became so old and feeble that he could not walk to church1 nor preach to his people1 his loving friends would carry him to the place of meeting4 ,on these occasions1 he would repeat again and again1 ,my dear children1 love one another4 ,one day some asked him1 ,master1 why dost thou always say this8 ,he answered4 ,this is what the ,lord commands you2 and this1 if you do it1 is sufficient4 ,it is said that he lived to be over one hundred years of age1 but of his last days there is nothing definite of record4 ,we do know1 however1 that he survived most bitter persecution1 outlived his wicked persecutors1 instructed by his life and teachings thousands in the ,way of life1 and is blessing many thousands in the world today1 by his lofty and childlike ,christian spirit4 ,beloved1 follow not that which is evil1 but that which is good4 ,he that doeth good is of ,god1 but he that doeth evil hath not seen ,god4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,ruth #a3af1 #ag4 ,,part ,,four--,,paul ,,and ,,his ,,companions4 ,,lesson #bb ,,saul ,,of ,,tarsus ,good company1 and good discourses are the very sinews of virtue4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,benjaminite4 ,at the time that ,peter and ,andrew1 ,james and ,john were boys playing in ,bethsaida1 on the shores of ,galilee1 there was another bright1 clever little lad playing and studying in a town about three hundred miles from them1 whom they were to know in after years1 first as a bitter enemy and afterwards as a friend and brother4 ,this boy's name was ,saul1 and he lived in ,tarsus1 the capital of ,cilicia4 ,he was a ,jew and belonged to the tribe of ,benjamin1 the youngest son of ,jacob4 ,benjamin's father1 you remember1 kept him home when the other sons first went to ,egypt to buy corn4 ,the tribe of ,benjamin was said to have been valorous2 and in this respect1 you will see that ,saul was a true ,benjaminite4 ,sidenote3 ,other ,members of ,family4 ,of ,saul's parents and boyhood days we know very little4 ,his father1 at one time1 lived in ,palestine1 and would1 of course1 teach his son to be a good orthodox ,jew4 ,of his mother we know nothing1 but we may be sure that she watched over him carefully1 guided him in his games and in his studies and inspired him1 even in his youth1 to desire to grow up to be a great and useful man4 ,undoubtedly1 this was the kind of mother he had1 for all great men have been blest with just such noble mothers4 ,we are not told whether he had any brothers2 but he had at least one sister1 whom he always loved and to whom he was a true and noble brother all his life4 ,,image3 ,,st4 ,,paul4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,good student4 ,saul was a good student1 and attended school probably from the time he was six years old until he became a man4 ,but in those days1 school boys had no school books4 ,they would just listen to what their teacher told them1 remember it1 and try to be able to tell it again when asked to do so4 ,the principal study in the schoolroom1 at that time1 was the holy scriptures4 ,of course1 they did not have the ,bible then as we have it now1 but they had the ,old ,testament1 and could learn all about ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 the children of ,israel4 ,king ,saul1 ,king ,david1 ,king ,solomon and the prophets4 ,thus1 he was taught early in his life to look forward to the ,messiah who should be ,king of the ,jews4 ,sidenote3 ,pharisees and ,sadducees4 ,among the ,jews were found different sects or religions1 chief among which were the ,pharisees and the ,sadducees4 ,in ,saul's day1 ,pharisees were the most popular of all the sects1 and held most of the highest offices in the state and the church4 ,they believed in the oral law as delivered from ,god to ,moses1 as well as in the written law4 ,they believed also in the resurrection of the body4 ,but they made long and frequent prayers1 not only in the synagogue and temple1 but in the streets1 so they could be heard of men4 ,in other things1 too1 they were very hypocritical4 ,the ,sadducees did not believe in a bodily resurrection4 ,you will see1 later1 how ,saul used to good advantage this difference of belief between these two sects4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,pharisee4 ,saul was a ,pharisee2 and a good ,pharisee1 too4 ,he was just as sincere in his belief and education as any good man could be4 ,if ,saul had been a hypocritical ,pharisee1 he probably never would have found the truth1 but being sincere1 that is1 always doing what he thought was right1 he was led to the ,gospel4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,roman ,citizen4 ,there is another thing to learn about this boy1 ,saul of ,tarsus2 viz41 that he was born a ,roman citizen4 ,tarsus1 an exceedingly rich and populous city1 was a ,roman municipium1 or free corporation4 ,this means that the freedom of ,rome 7which ruled all those countries at that time7 had been given to the freemen of ,tarsus4 ,this freedom had been granted because the men of ,tarsus had defended two emperors of ,rome during a rebellion against them4 ,thus1 ,saul1 though a ,jew1 was a freeborn ,roman citizen4 ,in this double capacity1 he had two names1 ,saul and ,paul2 the first his ,jewish name and the latter his ,roman or ,latin name4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,tentmaker4 ,as has been said1 ,saul was a student2 but he was industrious1 not only with his head1 but also with his hands4 ,he was a tentmaker4 ,this trade he learned when he was still a boy4 ,it was a constant practice of the ,jews to bring their children to some honest calling that1 in case of necessity1 they might provide for themselves by the labor of their own hands4 ,the time came when ,paul1 though an apostle1 labored at intervals for twenty-nine years at the trade his father had taught him4 ,it was during such times that he wrote ,these hands have ministered unto my necessities4 ,sidenote3 ,gamaliel4 ,when ,saul had completed the studies as given in the ,jewish schools at ,tarsus1 and had learned his trade1 he desired to attend college4 ,he was then1 probably1 about fourteen years of age4 ,there were ,gentile universities near his home1 but1 as he wanted to become a ,rabbi1 he went to ,jerusalem1 and became a student in the famous ,school of ,hillel4 ,the president of this noted institution of learning was1 a ,pharisee named ,gamaliel1 a doctor of the law had in reputation among all the people4 #a ,it is supposed that he was a son of ,simeon who was in the ,temple when the little baby ,jesus was blessed1 and who said1 ,lord1 now lettest ,thou ,thy servant depart in peace2 for mine eyes have seen ,thy salvation4 ,but though ,gamaliel was the most learned man of his day1 he did not know that the ,messiah had come4 ,evidently1 he did not believe what his father had told him about the child ,jesus4 ,under the instruction and influence of his great teacher1 ,saul continued for several years studying in ,hebrew and ,greek1 and memorizing all the important commandments which the old ,testament contained4 ,sidenote3 ,stephen4 ,saul completed his course under ,gamaliel1 and probably returned to ,cilicia4 ,in the meantime1 ,jesus had been crucified and a bitter persecution against some of ,his disciples had begun4 ,the first to suffer death during this persecution was ,stephen1 one of the seven deacons chosen to look after the funds for the poor4 ,stephen was a very faithful servant full of faith and the ,holy ,ghost4 ,he declared that ,jesus was the ,savior of the world1 and that all men must believe in ,his name if they would be saved4 ,stephen knew that the ,pharisees were wrong in what they thought was necessary to salvation1 and he1 undoubtedly1 told them so4 ,at any rate he disputed with them in the synagogue4 ,sidenote3 ,stephen ,before ,sanhedrin4 ,being defeated in their disputations1 the angry ,jews dragged ,stephen before the ,sanhedrin and accused him of blasphemy4 ,even in court he still bore testimony of the divinity1 death and persecution of the ,savior1 which so maddened the wicked ,jews that they gnashed on him with their teeth1 and finally dragged him out of the court room1 and stoned him to death4 ,sidenote3 ,consents to ,stephen's ,death4 ,among those blinded ,pharisees who disputed with ,stephen1 was the young1 learned student1 ,saul of ,tarsus4 ,and when they cried out with a loud voice1 and stopped their ears1 and ran upon him with one accord1 ,saul consented unto his death1 held the cloaks of the murderers and stood by and witnessed the cruel death of this first ,christian martyr4 ,saul was sincere in believing that ,stephen was an enemy to the ,jewish religion4 ,probably ,stephen recognized this when1 just as he was dying he prayed1 ,lord1 lay not this sin to their charge4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,acts #e3cd4 ,,lesson #bc ,,saul',s ,,conversion ,better is the wrong with sincerity1 rather than the right with falsehood4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,bitter ,persecutor4 ,sidenote3 ,his ,sincerity4 ,after the death of ,stephen1 there was a great persecution against the church which was at ,jerusalem2 and they were all scattered abroad1 throughout the regions of ,judea and ,samaria4 ,one of the ,saints' most energetic and persistent persecutors1 during those terrible days1 was the blinded ,pharisee1 ,saul1 of ,tarsus4 ,so determined was he to put an end to what he thought was a heresy that he secured the right as an officer of the ,sanhedrin to arrest the followers of ,jesus wherever he found them4 ,he went from house to house1 dragging men from their wives and children4 ,he even arrested the women1 and thrust them in prison6 ,surely the cries and piteous pleadings of the little children must have rent even his bitter heart almost more than the martyrdom of the faithful ,stephen4 ,surely1 as he forced men and women away from their homes1 the blanched faces of crouching children1 and their heartbroken sobs must have imprinted upon his bigoted soul impressions that would humble him if not haunt him all the days of his life6 ,only one thing could give him comfort in later life as he looked back upon those awful experiences4 ,it was this1 as expressed in his own words3 ,i verily thought with myself that ,i ought to do many things contrary to the name of ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,saul was sincere in what he was doing4 ,he did not believe that ,jesus ,christ was the ,son of ,god1 and thought it would be pleasing to his ,father in ,heaven to make every believer in ,christ deny ,his name4 ,sidenote3 ,made ,havoc of the ,church4 ,so ,saul made havoc of the church2 and when he had either imprisoned or driven out of ,jerusalem every man he could find who confessed the ,christ1 with his soul yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the ,lord1 he asked the ,high ,priest for letters to ,damascus to the synagogues1 that if he found any of this way1 whether they were men or women1 he might bring them bound unto ,jerusalem4 #a ,sidenote3 ,doubt4 ,damascus is about one hundred and fifty miles north of ,jerusalem1 so it would take ,saul and his attendants about a week to travel the distance4 ,perhaps during those few days of comparative leisure1 he began to wonder whether what he was doing was right or not4 ,perhaps the shining face of the dying ,stephen and the martyr's last prayer began to sink more deeply into his soul than it had done before4 ,little children's cries for their parents whom ,saul had bound began to pierce his soul more keenly1 and make him feel miserably unhappy as he looked forward to more experiences of that kind in ,damascus4 ,perhaps he wondered whether the work of the ,lord1 if he were really engaged in it1 would make him feel so restless and bitter4 ,he was soon to learn that only the work of the evil one produces those feelings1 and that true service for the ,lord1 always brings peace and contentment4 ,sidenote3 ,light4 ,but1 whatever his thoughts and feelings were1 he was hastening on with a determination to arrest every follower of ,jesus whom he could find4 ,as he neared the city1 however1 suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven4 ,saul fell to the earth1 and the men with him stood around him speechless4 ,from that moment1 ,saul was a changed man4 ,when he fell to the earth1 he was a proud1 haughty ,pharisee1 a persecutor of innocent people3 when he arose1 he was a humble1 submissive seeker after truth1 a repentant follower of ,him whom he had been persecuting4 ,from the midst of the light1 came a voice saying3 ,sidenote3 ,the ,revelation4 ,saul1 ,saul1 why persecutest thou me8 ,who art thou1 ,lord8 asked ,saul4 ,i am ,jesus whom thou persecutest1 and then ,he added1 in effect4 ,the more you persecute me the worse you feel2 and the more your conscience troubles you4 ,fighting the ,lord is just like kicking a prickly pear1 the harder you kick the worse it hurts4 ,when ,saul realized this1 and knew he had been doing wrong1 he asked1 ,what wilt ,thou have me to do8 ,sidenote3 ,a ,commission4 ,arise1 go into the city1 and it will be told thee what thou must do1 not what ,saul would like to do2 not what he might do2 but what he must do1 if he would be accepted of the ,lord4 ,sidenote3 ,eyes but ,saw ,not2 ,blind1 but ,sees4 ,saul had been blessed with eyesight but had been blinded spiritually4 ,now he was blind physically1 but light was coming into his soul4 ,as he arose he could see nothing1 and his attendants led him into the city1 where he lodged in the house of ,judas1 in a street called ,straight4 ,sidenote3 ,ananias4 ,in the meantime1 the ,lord1 in a vision1 said to one of ,his servants called ,ananias1 ,arise and go into the street called ,straight1 and inquire in the house of ,judas for one called ,saul1 of ,tarsus3 for1 behold1 he prayeth4 ,but ,ananias answered1 ,lord1 ,i have heard by many of this man1 how much evil he hath done to ,thy saints of ,jerusalem3 and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on ,thy name4 ,ananias was probably one whom ,saul would have arrested first4 ,the ,lord told ,ananias to go as directed1 for ,he had chosen ,saul to bear ,his name1 before the ,gentiles1 and kings1 and the children of ,israel4 ,sidenote3 ,saul ,administered to4 ,ananias did as directed2 and when he entered the house of ,judas1 he found ,saul not only penitent but blind4 ,all the proud ,pharisee's bitterness was gone and he was praying for light--light in his eyes and light in his soul4 ,his prayers were answered1 for ,god's humble servant laid his hands upon him and said1 ,brother ,saul1 the ,lord1 even ,jesus that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest1 hath sent me1 that thou mightest receive thy sight1 and be filled with the ,holy ,ghost4 ,sidenote3 ,receives ,sight4 ,and ,saul received his sight immediately1 and arose and was baptized4 ,this was one thing he had to do if he would be numbered in the ,church of ,christ4 ,thus in the conversion of this great man1 we find illustrated the application of several principles of the ,gospel1 viz43 ,faith1 in ,jesus ,christ2 ,repentance from wrong doing2 ,baptism and the recognition of ,christ's authority on earth4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,acts #i3b4 ,,lesson #bd ,,in ,,another ,,school ,all the scholastic scaffolding falls as a ruined edifice1 before one single word--faith4 ,sidenote3 ,teachers ,compared4 ,for several days immediately following his wonderful conversion and his restoration to sight1 ,saul was with the disciples who were at ,damascus4 ,saul had now entered another school1 but how different from the one in which he sat at the feet of the learned ,gamaliel6 ,there he listened to instruction from the most learned men of his day2 now he is listening to men who were thought unlearned4 ,there he received training of the intellect2 now he is receiving training of the soul4 ,there he studied blindly2 now he studies1 truly seeing6 ,his instructor is one of the faithful men whom he had despised and whom he came to arrest4 ,not ,peter1 or ,james or ,john1 no great and eminent apostle need be sent for1 to instruct the learned and highly talented ,saul2 but ,ananias1 some poor1 simple-hearted ,christian of whom the ,divine word has never before made mention1 is fully sufficient1 in ,god's hand1 to teach this most richly endowed of all the early converts4 ,sidenote3 ,true ,zeal4 ,as he listened1 hour after hour1 during those few memorable days1 his soul became fired with a true zeal2 and we can imagine hearing him say to his new teachers1 ,set on your foot4 ,and with a heart new fir'd ,i follow you4 ,and straightway he preached ,christ in the synagogues1 that ,he is the ,son of ,god4 ,sidenote3 ,jews ,amazed4 ,we are not told whether any of the men who accompanied him to ,damascus became converted4 ,perhaps one or two did2 but1 undoubtedly1 some of them thought ,saul had turned traitor4 ,so also did the ,jews in ,damascus1 who were amazed1 and said to one another1 ,is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in ,jerusalem1 and came here for that intent1 that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests8 ,but the more they opposed him1 the more eloquently he defended the name of ,jesus and proved to them that ,jesus is the ,christ4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,school of ,solitude4 ,after a few days of fiery disputations in the synagogues1 ,saul concluded to leave ,damascus and go into retirement2 so1 bidding his new friends goodby1 he went into ,arabia in the mountains near the ,red ,sea4 ,here he received instruction in the ,school of ,solitude4 ,o sacred solitude6 divine retreat6 ,choice of the prudent6 envy of the great6 ,by thy ,pure stream1 or in thy waving shade1 ,we court fair wisdom4 ,like ,moses1 ,elijah1 ,john the ,baptist1 and even the ,savior ,himself1 ,paul now sought to be alone with ,god1 and to learn how to get his spirit in communion with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,how long he remained there1 we do not know4 ,all he says about this journey is3 ,i went into ,arabia1 and returned again to ,damascus4 ,,his ,,flight ,,from ,,damascus ,no sooner had he returned to the city of his conversion1 than he began to preach again in the synagogues4 ,again the ,jews began to dispute him1 and again he confounded them4 ,day after day1 and week after week the religious controversy continued until the ,jews could stand it no longer1 and took council to kill him4 ,sidenote3 ,every ,gate ,guarded4 ,around the city of ,damascus was a high wall1 and no one could go in or out except through the gates4 ,therefore1 when the ,jews decided to kill ,saul1 the first thing they did was to make sure he could not escape4 ,so they placed guards at every gate1 and watched day and night to kill him4 ,sidenote3 ,friends4 ,but ,saul had his friends as well as enemies1 and he had one ,friend who had chosen him for a great and useful mission1 and as long as ,saul was faithful1 his life would be spared until this special work was done4 ,through inspiration or otherwise1 ,saul knew that his enemies were lying in wait for him1 so he kept out of their way4 ,sidenote3 ,over the ,wall4 ,fortunately1 one of his friends lived in a house built right near the wall of the city2 and from here1 some of the disciples assisted ,saul to escape4 ,they put him in a basket1 and then watching carefully to see that no enemies were in sight1 they carried ,saul to the top of the wall1 and let him down on the other side4 ,thus it happened that while the wicked guards were watching day and night to entrap ,saul1 that disciple of the ,master was making his journey back to ,jerusalem4 ,,with ,,the ,,disciples ,,in ,,jerusalem ,sidenote3 ,returns to ,jerusalem4 ,three years before1 he left ,jerusalem as an officer of the ,sanhedrin1 bearing a special commission1 and accompanied by attendants and officers4 ,he left with enmity in his heart for every person who professed to believe in ,jesus ,christ4 ,now he journeys back alone1 rejected by those whom he had served1 a fugitive from the ,jews who1 a few years before1 awaited to welcome him as a hero6 ,but ,saul is happier now alone as he is than when he went in pomp to arrest ,god's servants4 ,and yet he can look forward to no welcome in ,jerusalem6 ,his old friends and teachers think he has turned traitor to their cause1 and the ,apostles of ,jesus doubt his conversion4 ,they were all afraid of him1 and believed not that he was a disciple4 ,sidenote3 ,barnabas4 ,but there was one1 an old friend and true1 a classmate1 and fellow townsman who extended to ,saul the glad hand of fellowship4 ,that was ,barnabas1 who took him1 and brought him to the apostles1 declaring how ,saul had been converted by a light1 and the voice of the ,lord1 and how he had preached in ,damascus in the name of ,jesus4 ,with this testimony1 the ,apostles accepted ,saul1 and gave him their companionship4 ,soon ,saul was preaching in ,jerusalem as boldly as he had in ,damascus4 ,in his disputes with the ,grecians1 he evidently confounded them as he had those in ,damascus1 and with the same effect--,they went about to slay him4 ,sidenote3 ,back to ,tarsus4 ,when the brethren learned this1 they brought him down to ,caesarea1 and sent him forth to ,tarsus back to his old home1 to his parents and to his sister4 ,but what a changed man from what he was when he left to practice in ,jerusalem4 ,in name he was still ,saul of ,tarsus2 but in nature he was ,paul the disciple of ,jesus ,christ4 ,,image3 ,,map1 ,,st4 ,,paul',s ,,first ,,journey4 ,,called ,,to ,,assist ,,barnabas ,during the persecution in which ,stephen was martyred1 the ,saints scattered to different places1 and where ever they went1 they preached the ,glad ,tidings of ,great ,joy4 ,and the hand of the ,lord was with them1 and a great number believed and turned unto the ,lord4 ,sidenote3 ,christians4 ,a large number of these converts gathered in ,antioch and it was there as you already know that the ,saints were first called ,christians4 ,it was first applied to them in derision just as the word ,mormon was first applied to the ,church in this day1 but later was accepted as an honorable title4 ,sidenote3 ,barnabas ,seeks ,saul4 ,barnabas1 who was a good man1 and full of the ,holy ,ghost and of faith was appointed to look after the ,saints in that great city4 ,finding a great missionary opportunity in that field1 and desiring able assistance in carrying on the great work assigned him1 ,barnabas decided to go to ,tarsus1 his old home1 and try to find ,paul4 ,what a happy time these old playmates must have had when they met once again in the familiar scenes of their boyhood days6 ,we are not told what they did1 nor what they said1 nor what their old friends and relatives thought of their new religion4 ,we do know1 however1 that ,paul accepted the call to go with ,barnabas to ,antioch4 ,there they assembled themselves in the ,church1 and taught much people4 ,this seems to have been ,paul's first definite assignment in the ,church4 ,,lesson #be ,,special ,,messengers ,,to ,,jerusalem ,god has so ordered that men1 being in need of each other1 should learn to love each other1 and bear each other's burdens4 ,to pity distress is but human2 to relieve it is ,god-like4 ,sidenote3 ,agabus4 ,while ,paul and ,barnabas were at ,antioch1 there came prophets from ,jerusalem1 one of whom was named ,agabus4 ,he is thought to have been one of the ,seventy chosen by the ,savior2 but just what priesthood and what position in the ,church he held we do not know for certain4 ,but he must have been a righteous man1 and filled with the ,holy ,ghost1 for he could foretell1 through the inspiration of the ,spirit1 things that other people1 by their own intelligence1 could not see4 ,at the time of which we are speaking he prophesied that there should be a great dearth throughout all the world1 meaning that there would be a famine in the land1 and that people would go hungry4 ,sidenote3 ,offerings to ,poor4 ,the disciples had faith in ,agabus and believed to be true what he said4 ,they knew of some of the ,saints in ,judea who could not stand a famine2 in fact1 many of them had given all they had to the ,church2 so every man according to his ability determined to send relief unto the brethren who dwelt in ,judea4 ,paul and ,barnabas were chosen as the messengers of relief4 ,sidenote3 ,famine4 ,it was well they did so1 for the famine came just as ,agabus had said it would4 ,luke tells us that it happened in the days of ,claudius ,caesar 7#dd ,a4 ,d471 and profane historians inform us that it was so severe that even the emperor himself was insulted in the market place by those who were starving4 ,sidenote3 ,persecution ,under ,herod4 ,at about the time that the two elders were sent from ,antioch to ,jerusalem1 there was a bitter persecution1 waged against the ,saints2 and ,herod the king began to vex certain of the ,church1 and he killed ,james1 the brother of ,john1 with the sword4 ,those were the days in which ,peter was imprisoned and chained to his guards1 but through the miraculous intervention of ,god1 was delivered by an angel4 ,paul and ,barnabas were probably present in the house of ,mary the mother of ,john ,mark1 joining in prayer for the preservation of ,peter's life1 when1 as we have already learned in the lessons on ,peter1 ,rhoda announced ,peter at the door4 ,sidenote3 ,return to ,caesarea4 ,after witnessing this wonderful manifestation of the power of ,god in behalf of ,his servants1 ,paul and ,barnabas probably witnessed how ,god sometimes punishes the wicked4 ,if so1 it happened on this wise4 ,their duty as messengers for the ,saints in ,antioch had been faithfully performed1 and the relief sent to the members of the ,church in ,judea properly delivered to those who should have it in charge4 ,they had spent many days renewing old friendships1 and enjoying the companionship1 even in persecution1 of the leaders and members of the ,church of ,christ4 ,they were now ready to return and report their labors to the ,church in ,antioch4 ,their return journey took them to ,caesarea4 ,perhaps they visited ,cornelius1 whose home1 you remember1 was there4 ,at any rate1 some who have carefully studied the life and travels of ,st4 ,paul tell us that on his return from ,jerusalem at this time1 he witnessed the death of the wicked ,king ,herod4 ,weed describes the scene as follows3 ,sidenote3 ,death of ,herod4 ,the ,roman ,emperor ,claudius had obtained great victories in ,great ,britain4 ,on his return to ,rome there was great rejoicing4 ,herod thought he would gain great favor with the emperor by a grand festival in his honor in ,caesarea1 to which he hastened from ,jerusalem4 ,on the morning of the second day the theatre was filled with a mass of human beings to witness the inhuman exhibition of gladiators who fought one another for public amusement4 ,herod appeared in a magnificent robe1 sparkling with silver4 ,as the rays of the early morning sun fell upon him1 the eyes of the beholders were dazzled by the brilliant robe4 ,flattered by their foolish cries of admiration he made an oration to the people who gave a shout1 crying1 ',it is the voice of a ,god and not of a man4' ,he was willing to be so called1 though this was blasphemy1 giving to a man what belongs to ,god alone4 ,immediately the angel of the ,lord smote him because he gave not ,god the glory4 ,this was very different from the experience of ,peter in prison when the angel of the ,lord came upon him1 and smote him upon the side2 and led him from death4 ,the smiting of ,herod by the angel was with a dreadful disease such as had caused the death of his grandfather4 ,he was carried from the theatre to his palace where he lingered five days in agony until death closed his life in the fifty-fourth year of his age4 ,it was the fourth year of his reign over the region where had ruled his grandfather1 whose wicked example he had followed to a like inglorious end4 ,when in the theatre the scene was suddenly changed from the gladiatorial and other wicked amuesements to the judgment on the king1 the multitude fled1 rending their clothes according to the custom in horror4 ,sidenote3 ,john ,mark4 ,all these things and many more1 ,paul and ,barnabas would report to the ,saints upon their return to ,antioch4 ,luke informs us that after they had fulfilled their ministry they returned from ,jerusalem1 and took with them ,john whose surname was ,mark4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,report4 ,interesting meetings were held in ,antioch1 at which the report of the mission of ,paul and ,barnabas was given4 ,in attendance at these meetings and reasiding in ,antioch at the time were certain prophets and teachers1 ,barnabas1 and ,lucius of ,cyrene1 and ,manean1 which had been brought up with ,herod the tetrarch1 and ,saul4 ,as they ministered to the ,lord1 and fasted1 the ,holy ,ghost said1 separate me ,barnabas and ,saul for the work whereunto ,i have called them4 ,they had performed one duty well and faithfully1 and were now better prepared for a greater one for which the ,lord had chosen them4 ,this was a special mission to the ,gentiles4 ,some time later1 after fasting and prayer1 some of the prophets and teachers laid their hands on the chosen missionaries1 set them apart1 and bade them prepare for their journey4 ,,lesson #bf ,,first ,,missionary ,,journey ,let your religion be seen4 ,lamps do not talk1 but they do shine4 ,a lighthouse sounds no drum1 it beats no gong2 yet far over the waters its friendly light is seen by the mariner4 ,soon after the special meetings mentioned in the last chapter1 ,paul1 ,barnabas and ,john ,mark started on their mission1 which is now known as ,paul's first missionary tour4 ,sidenote3 ,at ,cyprus4 ,leaving the famous city of ,antioch1 in ,syria1 they sailed down the river to ,seleucia1 a seaport town on the ,mediterranean ,sea4 ,here they took the boat on the open sea1 and sailed southwestward to the island of ,cyprus4 ,sidenote3 ,at ,salamis4 ,landing at ,salamis1 a port of ,cyprus1 the missionaries began their labors at once1 preaching the word of ,god in the synagogue of the ,jews4 ,here ,barnabas was at home1 and undoubtedly experienced great joy in preaching the ,gospel to his old friends and playmates4 ,but he must have been deeply grieved to see how many of them rejected his message1 and continued in sin and idolatry4 ,the ,gentiles on this island worshiped the goddess ,venus1 to whom they built a temple and offered sacrifices4 ,sidenote3 ,call to ,repentance4 ,their religion1 instead of making them purer in their thoughts and more virtuous in their actions1 made them more sinful4 ,so ,paul and his companions found the people very wicked indeed4 ,wherever they went1 these three missionaries preached the only true ,gospel1 and called on men everywhere to repent4 ,they traveled the entire length of ,cyprus1 a distance of one hundred miles1 telling the people about ,christ the ,redeemer of the world4 ,,at ,,paphos ,sidenote3 ,governor ,hears ,gospel4 ,on the southwestern coast of ,cyprus was the chief city of the island named ,paphos4 ,here is where the ,roman governor1 or1 as ,luke says1 the deputy of the country1 lived4 ,as was their custom1 soon after the missionaries entered the city they proclaimed their message to the people4 ,when the governor1 ,sergius ,paulus1 heard about them1 he called for ,barnabas and ,paul1 and desired to hear the word of ,god4 ,luke says he was a prudent man1 so we conclude that he was sincere in his desire to know the truth4 ,,elymas ,,the ,,sorcerer ,sidenote3 ,a ,sorcerer ,rejects ,gospel4 ,but there was living in the deptuy-house at the time a man who was not sincere1 and who claimed to be a sorcerer4 ,he rejected ,paul's message1 and opposed his teachings4 ,bar-,jesus was his right name1 and he was a ,jew1 and a false prophet4 ,paul read his wicked heart1 and knew that because of selfishness and love of money he rejected the ,gospel4 ,then ,paul1 filled with the ,holy ,ghost1 set his eyes on him and said1 ,o full of subtlety and all mischief1 thou child of the devil1 thou enemy of all righteousness1 wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the ,lord8 ,and now behold the hand of the ,lord is upon thee1 and thou shalt be blind1 not seeing the sun for a season4 ,and immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness2 and he went about seeking some one to lead him by the hand4 ,if in his darkness he had let the messengers of ,light lead him they would have given him eternal sight1 just as ,paul had received it through ,ananias1 in ,damascus4 ,but we are led to believe that he remained blind and bitter4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,governor ,believes4 ,sergius ,paulus1 however1 believed1 being astonished at the doctrine of the ,lord4 ,many others believed also1 and in the wicked town of ,paphos1 where the revellers worshiped the goddess of love1 a church was organized1 and a little body of ,christians came together to worship the true ,god and ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ4 ,,in ,,pamphylia ,sidenote3 ,a ,missionary ,returns4 ,from ,paphos1 ,paul and his companions sailed northward to ,perga in ,pamphylia4 ,at this place something happened about which we wish we knew more4 ,all that ,luke says about it is this3 ,and ,john departing from there returned to ,jerusalem4 ,we know that later1 this circumstance became a matter of sharp dispute between ,barnabas and ,paul1 but just why ,john wished to return we are not informed4 ,perhaps he had not intended to travel so far2 or it may be that matters at home needed his attention2 or he might have been over sensitive1 and felt that two were company but three were a crowd2 but whatever the cause ,paul and ,barnabas had to continue their journey without the young man ,mark4 ,later1 he resumed his missionary work traveling with ,barnabas4 ,there is no record of his traveling again with ,paul2 although the latter wrote of him later as a comfort1 and a fellow worker unto the kingdom of ,god4 ,,in ,,pisidia ,sidenote3 ,through ,mountain ,passes4 ,from ,perga in ,pamphylia1 ,paul and ,barnabas continued north to ,antioch in ,pisidia4 ,day after day1 these two missionaries traveled on foot through a mountainous region1 where very few people resided4 ,sometimes1 perhaps1 they could find lodging with some shepherd1 but more often1 they would sleep in caves or among the trees4 ,but they had a message of salvation in their hearts and so were happy4 ,after about seven days of wearisome and dangerous travel1 they reached ,antioch in ,pisidia4 ,sidenote3 ,in the ,synagogue4 ,when the ,sabbath day came1 as was their custom1 the missionaries went into the synagogue1 and sat down in the congregation4 ,after the leaders had read the law and the prophets1 they asked the visitors if they had any word of exhortation for the people4 ,at this1 ,paul stood up and delivered a most impressive sermon1 so much so1 that the people invited ,paul to speak again on the next ,sabbath4 ,many who were present accepted the ,gospel4 #a ,and the next ,sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of ,god4 ,sidenote3 ,turn to ,gentiles4 ,but when the ,jews saw the multitudes1 they were filled with envy1 and spake against those things which were spoken by ,paul1 contradicting and blaspheming4 ,their opposition and contradiction made the missionaries only more earnest and emphatic4 ,finally1 when it was apparent that the ,jews would not accept the truth1 ,paul and ,barnabas waxed bold and said1 ,it was necessary that the word of ,god should first have been spoken to you2 but seeing ye put it from you1 and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life1 lo we turn to the ,gentiles4 ,when the ,gentiles heard this announcement1 they were delighted and many of them accepted the principles of the ,gospel4 ,sidenote3 ,jews ,jealous4 ,but the ,jews were jealous2 they became filled with envy and determined to drive the missionaries out of their coasts4 ,this they did with the aid of the devout and honorable women and the chief men of the city4 ,the persecution became so bitter that ,paul and ,barnabas shook off the dust of their feet against them1 and came unto ,iconium4 ,,in ,,iconium ,sidenote3 ,again in ,synagogue4 ,filled with the joy that comes from true service to one's fellowmen1 ,paul and ,barnabas began their preaching in ,iconium4 ,entering the synagogue here1 as they had done in the city from which they had just been driven1 they spoke boldly in the ,lord1 who gave testimony unto the word of ,his grace1 and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands4 ,sidenote3 ,again ,opposed4 ,jews and ,greeks also rallied around the standard as unfurled by these great missionaries2 but ,jews and ,greeks also organized to oppose them4 ,the result was that the city was divided2 and part held with the ,jews and part with the ,apostles4 ,hearing that a plot was on foot to do them injury1 and to stone them1 ,paul and ,barnabas withdrew from the city1 and went to ,lystra and ,derbe1 cities of ,lycaonia1 and unto the region that lieth round about4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,see ,paul's sermon1 ,acts #ac3ad-da4 ,,lesson #bg ,,first ,,missionary ,,journey--,continued ,,at ,,lystra ,,and ,,derbe ,outward attacks and troubles rather fix than unsettle the ,christian1 as tempests from without only serve to root the oak more firmly in the ground4 ,as sure as ever ,god puts ,his children in the furnace1 ,he will be in the furnace with them4 ,sidenote3 ,among the ,heathen4 ,at ,lystra1 ,paul and ,barnabas found a people who were almost entirely heathen for they worshiped ,jupiter and ,mercury and other false deities1 and knew little or nothing about the true ,god4 ,there were ,jews amongst them1 but not of sufficient numbers even to build a synagogue4 ,the country was wild and rugged1 and the inhabitants were like the country4 ,they were villagers of little learning1 and rude in dress and manner4 ,such people are usually shy of strangers1 and slow to accept anything new4 ,but once they begin to get confidence in the stranger1 they may be easily swayed by him2 not having very definite opinions of their own4 ,the doctrine preached by ,paul and ,barnabas was new to them1 and after a time began to arouse their curiosity1 and then awaken their interest4 ,sidenote3 ,choice ,people ,among ,them4 ,some of the most intelligent comprehended the truth1 and accepted it4 ,lest you boys and girls might think that there were no superior people among these heathens1 you must be reminded of the fact that in ,lystra there was at least one choice family of whose membership in the ,church the ,bible makes mention1 and in ,derbe there were others4 ,sidenote3 ,timothy4 ,in these towns1 out of the persecution and affliction heaped upon them by the ignorant and wicked1 ,paul and ,barnabas brought to the faith some of the choicest members of the early ,church4 ,among these were ,timothy1 whom ,paul afterwards called his son2 ,eunice1 ,timothy's mother1 and ,lois1 ,timothy's grandmother1 whose unfeigned faith ,paul commended in later years4 ,undoubtedly1 the friendship alone of these noble people more than paid ,paul for all the persecution he suffered during this first mission4 ,but to the people generally1 the message was strange and incomprehensisble4 ,they could not separate the doctrine of ,christ from their heathen deities as was shown by a remarkable experience4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,miracle4 ,paul and ,barnabas and a few converts were holding a meeting one day in the open air4 ,in the audience sat a man impotent in his feet1 who had been a cripple from birth1 and who had never walked4 ,this fact1 of course1 all the people knew1 for many of them were acquainted with him1 and had seen him carried to the meeting4 ,the same heard ,paul speak1 and conviction entered his weary heart that what ,paul said was true4 ,paul looked at him1 and perceiving that he had faith to be healed1 said1 ,stand upright on thy feet4 ,this he commanded by the power of the ,redeemer4 ,sidenote3 ,effect4 ,the man leaped to his feet and walked4 ,when the people saw this1 they created an uproar in the city1 and they said in their language1 which was a mixture of ,greek and ,syrian3 ,the gods have come down to us in the likeness of men1 and they named ,paul and ,barnabas after their gods4 ,barnabas was tall1 so they called him ,jupiter2 and ,paul1 being short and a gifted speaker1 they called ,mercury1 because ,mercury was supposed to preside over learning and eloquence4 ,sidenote3 ,to ,offer ,sacrifice ,some time after the meeting1 the priests of ,jupiter1 who officiated in the temple of ,jupiter that was in the city1 decided to offer sacrifice to their gods as personified in ,paul and ,barnabas4 ,so with the people1 they gathered at the gates of the city1 brought oxen and began to prepare to offer sacrifice4 ,sidenote3 ,missionaries ,protest4 ,when ,paul and ,barnabas heard of it1 they ran among the people1 and rent their clothes in protestation against such sacrifice4 ,to rend their clothes was to express intense feeling and the people so understood it4 ,besides doing this they cried3 ,sirs1 why do ye these things8 ,we also are men of like passions with you1 and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living ,god1 which made heaven and earth1 and the sea1 and all things that are therein4 ,sidenote3 ,paul ,stoned4 ,however1 they could scarcely make the people refrain from worshiping them2 but there were certain ,jews there who had followed the missionaries from ,antioch and ,iconium1 who persuaded the people that ,paul and ,barnabas were deceivers1 and that the miracle which had been performed had been done by the power of the evil one4 ,these ,jews swayed the people to such an extent that instead of worshiping ,paul and ,barnabas1 they picked up stones and stoned ,paul until he fell to the earth1 apparently dead4 ,thinking he was so1 the mob then dragged his body out of the city and left it4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,many ,headed ,monster4 ,what a many-headed monster this mob was6 ,first they were ready to worship the men as gods1 and then in just a few minutes became so bitter that they would stain their souls with murder6 ,shakespeare called such a crowd ,the blind monster1 with uncounted heads4 ,the still discordant1 wavering multitude4 ,sidenote3 ,paul ,regains ,consciousness4 ,the mob dispersed1 and around the still bleeding1 silent body on the ground1 stood the few intelligent1 faithful disciples who had believed the true ,gospel4 ,how delighted and thankful they must have been when they saw ,paul move1 and later regain consciousness4 ,he had been stunned1 but not seriously injured2 so a little gentle nursing gave him strength to stand on his feet1 and he walked back to the city4 ,sidenote3 ,gaius4 ,the next day he left ,lystra and traveled twenty miles to ,derbe4 ,here he preached boldly and effectively1 and converted many to the truth1 among them a man by the name of ,gaius1 who proved to be a staunch and true friend to ,paul and to the ,church generally4 ,sidenote3 ,another ,branch ,organized4 ,as they had done in other cities1 so the missionaries did in ,derbe--organized a branch of the ,church and ordained elders over it4 ,these they instructed1 and met with them and with the ,saints in fasting and prayer1 commended them to the ,lord1 and bade them goodby1 for the time had come when the first missionaries from ,antioch should return home4 ,sidenote3 ,return ,home4 ,they visited all the branches1 preaching the ,gospel1 instructing1 blessing1 and comforting the ,saints in ,lystra and the regions round about4 ,they then returned forty miles to ,iconium and sixty miles back to ,antioch in ,pisidia4 ,from there1 they went to ,perga in ,pamphylia1 and sailed from ,attalia to ,antioch in ,syria4 ,here the ,saints gathered and bade them welcome1 and heard the returned ,elders report all that ,god had done with them1 and how ,he had opened the door of faith unto the ,gentiles4 ,,lesson #bh ,a ,,great ,,controversy ,texts3 ,acts #ae3a-ce ,the union of ,christians to ,christ1 their common head1 and by means of the influence they derive from ,him1 one to another1 may be illustrated by the loadstone4 ,it not only attaches the particles of iron to itself by the magnetic virtue1 but by this virtue it unites them one to the other4 ,sidenote3 ,jews ,scattered ,over ,empire4 ,as we followed ,paul and ,barnabas in their first missionary journey1 we noticed that in nearly every city they visited1 they found ,jews1 and that their preaching was frequently first done in a synagogue4 ,the fact is1 that the ,jews were scattered over nearly all of the ,roman ,empire4 ,they were on the coasts and islands of ,western ,asia1 on the borders of the ,caspian ,sea1 and some were even as far as ,china4 ,sidenote3 ,jews ,kept to ,their ,religion4 ,but no matter where the ,jew was living1 he always kept his own religion1 and studied carefully the ,law of ,moses4 ,that is what ,james meant when he said1 ,moses of old time1 hath in every city1 them that preach him1 being read in the synagogues every ,sabbath day4 ,their religion taught them not to mingle with the ,gentiles in marriage or in social intercourse4 ,sidenote3 ,gentiles ,would ,not ,worship ,with ,jews4 ,the ,gentiles1 on the other hand1 looked with contempt upon the ,jews2 while the gay and licentious festivities of the ,greek and ,roman worship made the ,jews look with contempt upon ,gentiles4 ,they would trade with each other1 and mingle together in daily vocations1 but as a rule1 that is as far as their intercourse went4 ,they said with ,shylock3 ,i will buy with you1 sell with you1 talk with you1 walk with you1 and so following2 but ,i will not eat with you1 drink with you1 nor pray with you4 #a ,of course1 there were ,gentiles who sometimes became converted to the ,jewish religion1 and there were some who married ,jewish women1 but the line of dislike and suspicion was none the less sharply drawn4 ,sidenote3 ,peter's ,prejudices4 ,you remember how difficult it was for the ,lord to convince ,peter that the ,gentiles were worthy to be baptized into the ,church of ,christ4 ,peter saw in a vision a vast sheet descending from heaven in which there were unclean animals1 and he heard a voice saying1 ,arise1 ,peter1 kill and eat4 ,but ,peter said1 ,not so1 ,lord3 for ,i have never eaten anything that is common or unclean4 #b ,sidenote3 ,peter's ,revelation4 ,when ,peter realized the meaning of the vision1 his whole ,jewish nature was shocked2 for to obey was to break the ,law of his forefathers by associating with ,gentiles4 ,the ,jewish ,christians who were with ,peter from ,joppa to ,caesarea were astonished when they saw the gift of the ,holy ,ghost poured out on the unclean ,gentiles4 ,when ,peter reached ,jerusalem1 he was accused of having not only associated but eaten with ,gentiles1 but ,peter had learned by revelation that what ,god has made clean no one should call common or unclean1 that the ,lord is no respecter of persons1 and that every nation that accepts ,him1 and feareth ,him and worketh righteousness1 may receive ,his blessings4 ,,the ,,question ,,agitated ,sidenote3 ,the ,church ,agitated4 ,but there were many ,jews in the ,church who did not believe this1 and the only condition on which they would accept a ,gentile was that he should obey the ,jewish religion also4 ,when this class of ,christians heard that ,paul and ,barnabas had baptized hundreds of ,gentiles1 they became very much agitated in their feelings1 and some of them went to ,antioch and began to preach1 first privately then publicly1 that unless the ,gentiles obeyed a certain ,jewish rite1 they could not be saved4 ,paul and ,barnabas had told the ,saints that obedience to the ,gospel of ,christ would save the ,gentiles as well as the ,jews1 and that the ,gentiles did not have to become ,jews4 ,now these men from the chief branch of the ,church declared that ,paul and ,barnabas were wrong4 ,no wonder those who from among the ,gentiles were turned unto ,god1 were troubled and perplexed4 ,indeed1 the controversy became so sharp that it threatened to lead some out of the ,church4 ,,messengers ,,sent ,,to ,,jerusalem ,sidenote3 ,messengers to ,jerusalem4 ,so it was determined that ,paul and ,barnabas1 and certain other of them1 should go up to ,jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question4 ,the ,church in ,antioch evidently believed ,paul and ,barnabas to be in the right1 for when they started on their journey they were escorted on their way by the ,church4 ,as they passed through ,syro-,phoenecia and ,samaria1 and told the ,saints who greeted them how the ,gentiles had been converted1 they caused great joy unto all the brethren4 ,sidenote3 ,paul's ,third ,visit4 ,this was ,paul's third visit to ,jerusalem since his conversion4 ,the first was three years after he joined the ,church1 when he spent two weeks with ,peter1 and then had to flee for his life4 ,the second was when he accompanied the messengers who brought relief to the ,saints in ,judea during the famine4 ,that was the time ,peter was sentenced to be killed4 ,fifteen years had passed since he left ,jerusalem for ,damascus with papers to arrest all ,christians whom he found6 ,now he enters the city as the defender of one of the greatest truths that the ,christian ,church or the world can know2 namely1 that ,god is no respecter of persons1 but will bless every nation as it obeys the principles of life and salvation4 ,,in ,,council ,,with ,,the ,,leaders ,sidenote3 ,titus4 ,he first met in council with ,peter1 ,james and ,john1 and received for the first time1 so far as we know1 the right hand of fellowship from ,john the beloved disciple4 ,titus was with ,paul as an example of those who were ,gentile converts4 ,sidenote3 ,an ,appeal to the ,presidency4 ,this visit was really an appeal to the ,presidency of the ,twelve1 and confirms the belief of the members of the ,church today that ,peter1 ,james and ,john were appointed leaders at that time just as three ,high ,priests are now chosen as the ,first ,presidency of ,christ's ,church4 ,sidenote3 ,an ,important ,meeting4 ,at length the great meeting was called at which was to be settled once and for all the standing of the ,gentiles in the ,christian ,church4 ,it was a scene of earnest debate1 and perhaps1 in its earlier portion1 of angry disputing2 but finally ,peter addressed the assembly1 and told how ,god had revealed to him the fact that the ,gentiles could accept the ,gospel without obeying all the ,jewish ceremonies4 ,sidenote3 ,missionaries ,testify4 ,then ,paul and ,barnabas spoke amidst great silence1 while every eye was riveted upon these two great missionaries who had first organized branches of the ,church among ,gentile nations4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,decision4 ,finally1 ,james1 the brother of the ,lord1 who was known among the ,jews as ,james the ,just1 arose and gave the decision of the council1 which established the union of the ,jewish and the ,gentile ,christians4 ,,paul ,,returns ,,to ,,antioch ,sidenote3 ,judas and ,silas4 ,thus the controversy ended1 and ,paul's mission to the ,gentiles was authoritatively approved4 ,when he started back to ,antioch he was accompanied by ,judas surnamed ,barsabas and ,silas1 chief men among the brethren4 ,it seems that ,john ,mark went with them also4 ,they carried with them the decree of the council to be read to the churches that had been so disturbed by the controversy4 ,when they reached ,antioch1 the whole body of the church met together1 to hear the decision of the council4 ,we can imagine with what interest and consolation the saints listened to the decree that there should not be one ,church for the ,jew and another for the ,gentile2 but that everyone who sincerely believed in ,christ1 and obeyed the ,gospel would be saved4 ,,image3 ,,map1 ,,saint ,,paul',s ,,second ,,journey4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,merchant of ,venice2 ,act #a1 ,scene #c4 #b4 ,review entire experience4 ,,lesson #bi ,,paul ,,begins ,,his ,,second ,,missionary ,,journey ,man should trust in ,god1 as if ,god did all1 and yet labor as earnestly as if he himself did all4 ,sidenote3 ,paul ,desires to ,visit ,branches4 ,after ,silas and ,judas ,barsabas had remained in ,antioch a short time teaching and preaching the word of the ,lord with ,paul and ,barnabas and many others also1 ,judas returned presumably to ,jerusalem1 but it pleased ,silas to abide there still4 ,two years had passed since ,paul and ,barnabas had returned from their first mission1 and ,paul felt impressed to visit again the churches they had established on that memorable tour4 ,so one day he said to ,barnabas4 ,let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the ,lord1 and see how they do4 ,sidenote3 ,disagreement4 ,to this ,barnabas readily consented1 but said1 ,let us take my cousin ,john ,mark along with us4 ,no1 answered ,paul1 it is not good to take ,mark with us1 because he turned back from us at ,pamphylia1 and went not with us to the work4 ,sidenote3 ,separation4 ,but ,barnabas knew why ,mark had done that1 and was sure he would not turn back this time4 ,paul1 however1 would not consent2 so these two great missionaries agreed to separate1 and each take his own companion4 ,barnabas chose ,john ,mark1 and ,paul chose ,silas4 ,they probably also agreed that ,barnabas and ,mark should go to the churches on the islands1 and ,paul and ,silas to those on the mainland4 ,we do not know that ,paul and ,barnabas ever met again1 but ,paul speaks of him afterwards as of an apostle actively engaged in his ,master's service4 ,mark1 too1 in later years won ,paul's confidence1 for the latter speaks of him as his fellow-laborer1 and one profitable to the ministry4 ,sidenote3 ,barnabas and ,mark at ,cyprus4 ,barnabas and ,mark left first1 and sailed to ,cyprus1 ,barnabas' native island4 ,here ,mark1 too1 would feel at home1 for it was where he began his work as a missionary4 ,here we will leave them among the newly-made ,christians1 and follow ,paul and ,silas4 ,,probable ,,visit ,,to ,,paul',s ,,old ,,home ,these two missionaries started by land northward through ,syria and ,cilicia1 confirming the churches4 ,they had with them1 of course1 the decision of the ,council which no doubt1 gave a great deal of comfort to the ,christian ,gentiles in these branches4 ,sidenote3 ,paul and ,silas4 ,just what particular cities ,paul and ,silas visited in ,syria and ,cilicia1 we do not know2 but there was one which ,paul certainly would not pass by4 ,paul and ,that was his old home town ,tarsus4 ,if he had succeeded in establishing a church there1 with what joy and satisfaction he would return to it now4 ,paul was always proud of ,tarsus1 and spoke of it later as no mean city4 #a ,,image3 ,,timothy4 ,instructed from childhood to read the scripture1 and to lead a pure life4 ,,at ,,derbe ,,and ,,other ,,towns ,sidenote3 ,derbe ,first4 ,on his first mission1 ,paul and ,barnabas visited in order ,iconium1 ,lystra1 and ,derbe1 ,now he and ,silas approach these towns from the opposite direction1 and come to ,derbe first1 then to ,lystra1 then to ,iconium4 ,sidenote3 ,welcome at ,lystra4 ,at ,lystra he was welcomed by that beautiful character ,eunice who was a ,jewess1 the mother of ,timothy4 ,lois1 her mother1 would also greet ,paul1 and extend the glad hand to his companion ,silas4 ,,call ,,and ,,ordination ,,of ,,timothy ,sidenote3 ,timothy ,true to ,faith4 ,from the brethren at ,iconium and ,lystra1 ,paul learned that these good women and their noble young son ,timothy had been true to the faith4 ,he already knew that ,timothy had been instructed from childhood to repeat the scripture and to live a pure life4 ,timothy had been one who had stood by him when the mob dragged him from the city and left him for dead1 and now he finds still in the young man's heart the unfeigned faith which first dwelt in his grandmother ,lois1 and his mother ,eunice4 ,no wonder ,paul said to the women ,i desire ,timothy to go forth with me4 ,sidenote3 ,timothy ,ordained4 ,the mother consented1 and ,timothy accepted the call1 though scarcely twenty years of age4 ,accordingly1 a meeting was held1 and ,paul ordained ,timothy by the laying on of hands to be a missionary and servant of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,paul afterwards called this young man his own son in the ,faith4 #b ,this instance tends to confirm the truth of the ,article of ,faith which declares the belief of the ,latter-day ,saints that a man must be called of ,god1 by prophecy and by the laying on of hands1 by those who are in authority1 to preach the ,gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof4 ,sidenote3 ,towards ,galatia4 ,after baptizing many more converts and establishing the churches in the faith1 and undoubtedly visiting ,antioch in ,pisidia and other towns on the mainland where he and ,barnabas had organized branches of the ,church1 ,paul1 ,silas1 and ,timothy went in a northerly direction through the region of ,galatia4 ,sidenote3 ,paul ,,iii4 ,while passing through here ,paul was taken sick4 ,what kind of sickness1 whether it was the thorn in the flesh he mentions in one of his epistles1 or some other bodily ailment1 is not stated4 ,paul calls it an infirmity of the flesh4 #c ,but he was very sick1 and was detained in ,galatia seemingly against his will4 ,in spite of sickness1 however1 he preached the ,gospel to the people and many believed4 ,how he loved the friends he made at that time1 and appreciated their tender care1 can be partly understood from a letter he wrote to them in which he said in effect1 ,when ,i was sick in your midst1 ye despised me not1 nor rejected2 but received me as an angel of ,god1 even as ,christ ,jesus4 ,what was then the blessedness ye spake of8 for ,i bear you record1 that1 if it had been possible1 ye would have plucked out your own eyes1 and have given them to me4 #d ,in that same letter he calls them his little children1 #e and expresses a desire to be with them again to strengthen them in the ,gospel4 ,sidenote3 ,branches ,established4 ,before the missionaries left ,galatia1 even though ,paul suffered in sickness1 several new branches of the ,church had been organized1 and ,paul's letter to these churches now forms part of the ,new ,testament4 ,sidenote3 ,westward4 ,leaving ,galatia1 the three travelers continued westward toward the ,aegean ,sea1 and passing by ,mysia came to ,troas1 the full name of which was ,alexandria ,troas4 ,paul had his face turned toward ,europe and from this place could look across the ,aegean and see the distant prospect of the ,macedonian hills4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,vision4 ,one evening he went to bed1 perhaps wondering about the people who lived on the other side of the water and inspired with the feeling that the ,lord desired him to go to them4 ,there appeared to him1 that night1 a vision1 in which ,there stood a man of ,macedonia1 and prayed him1 saying1 ,come over into ,macedonia1 and help us4 ,sidenote3 ,luke4 ,but before he took boat across1 he and his companions had been joined by another faithful convert to whom you must now be introduced4 ,it may be that ,paul met him when ,paul was sick1 for the man was a physician1 and could be of great service to him in his affliction4 ,this new companion kept notes and afterwards wrote the ,acts of the ,apostles in which we learn most of the things we are telling you about4 ,his name was ,luke1 called by ,paul the beloved ,physician4 ,sidenote3 ,over to ,macedonia4 ,paul told his vision to his brethren1 and immediately ,luke says1 we endeavored to go into ,macedonia1 assuredly gathering that the ,lord had called us for to preach the ,gospel unto them4 ,they sailed from ,troas with a straight course across to ,samothracia and the next day to ,neapolis2 and from thence to ,philippi1 the chief city of that part of ,macedonia4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,acts #ba3ci4 #b4 ,i ,tim4 #a3b4 #c4 ,gal4 #d3ac4 #d4 ,gal4 #d3ac-ae4 #e4 ,gal4 #b3ai4 ,,lesson #cj ,,at ,,philippi ,the ,gospel is the fulfillment of all hopes1 the perfection of all philosophy1 the interpreter of all revelations1 and a key to all seeming contradictions of truth in the physical and moral world4 ,sidenote3 ,by the ,river ,side4 ,near the city of ,philippi flowed the river ,gaggitas4 ,on its banks just out of the city was built a plain enclosure probably open at the top1 in which a few people met to worship the ,lord4 ,there was no synagogue in ,philippi2 and the few ,jews who were there went to this place by the river side to offer their prayers1 and to read the law4 ,most of those who did so were women4 ,when the first ,sabbath day came after the elders had been in ,philippi several days1 they went to this place of worship1 sat down1 and spake unto the women who resorted thither4 ,sidenote3 ,gospel ,preached4 ,no doubt evil minded men accused the missionaries in those days of trying to lead the women astray1 just as enemies accuse the elders of the ,church today4 ,but lies and false accusations could not keep ,paul and his associates from doing their duty4 ,to these women1 they preached the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 and told them the story of ,his life4 ,his cruel death and ,his glorious resurrection4 ,,lydia ,sidenote3 ,first in ,europe to ,accept ,gospel4 ,in the group that listened to the wonderful message was a certain woman named ,lydia1 who lived in ,thyatira1 but who was then in ,philippi attending to her business connected with the dyeing trade4 ,she sold purple dyes used by the rich and the nobility4 ,the ,lord gave her a testimony of the truth as ,paul explained it1 and she applied for baptism4 ,she and her household were admitted into membership that day4 ,if ,lydia was the first one baptized1 then she has the distinction of being the first person in ,europe to accept ,christianity4 ,whether her household means she had children1 or whether it refers to her servants or to both we do not know1 but they became the nuclueus of a thriving branch of the ,church in that city1 and in ,lydia's home town as well4 ,after baptism1 ,lydia invited the missionaries to her home1 saying1 ,if ye have judged me to be faithful to the ,lord1 come into my house1 and abide there4 ,,the ,,damsel ,,with ,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,divination ,sidenote3 ,evil ,spirit ,rebuked4 ,one day when the elders were going out to the place of prayer1 they met an unfortunate woman who caused them no little annoyance4 ,she was a damsel who seemed to be possessed by some spirit of divination which her masters 7for she had more than one7 used for making money4 ,when she would meet the elders1 she would cry out3 ,these men are the servants of the most high ,god1 which show unto us the way of salvation4 ,after she had done this on several different days1 ,paul became grieved1 not particularly because of what she said1 but because he knew the evil spirit was tormenting her4 ,so he turned to her one day1 and said to the evil spirits3 ,i command thee in the name of ,jesus ,christ to come out of her1 and immediately she was healed4 ,sidenote3 ,effect4 ,when her masters realized that their female slave had been cured1 and that the hope of their gains was gone1 they became very angry4 ,they caught ,paul and ,silas1 and drew them into the court unto the rulers4 ,but they were shrewd enough not to tell the magistrates the real reason why ,paul and ,silas had been brought there4 ,they didn't say these men cured our slave1 and we cannot any longer fool the people for money4 ,no1 they accused them of breaking the ,roman law by introducing customs and beliefs which it was unlawful for ,romans to observe4 ,when the mob cried out ,that is so1 the magistrates gave the elders no opportunity to defend themselves1 but condemned them to be taken out and beaten4 ,,scourged ,,and ,,imprisoned ,sidenote3 ,the ,inner ,prison4 ,with their hands tied1 and their backs bared to the whip1 the elders were beaten with many stripes4 ,bleeding and faint they were then taken to the prison4 ,as the jailor received them1 he was ordered to keep them safely4 ,hearing this order and thinking the prisoners must be wicked men indeed1 the jailor took them and thrust them into the inner prison4 ,the inner prison of a ,roman jail was a dark1 damp1 gloomy dungeon4 ,one writer calls it a pestilential cell1 damp and cold1 from which the light was excluded1 and where the chains rusted on the limbs of the prisoners4 ,but not content with shutting the elders up in such a gloomy hole1 the jailor made their feet fast in the stocks4 ,in fastening only their feet1 however1 he showed a little mercy for there were holes in the stock for the wrists and for the neck also4 ,sidenote3 ,happiness in ,gloom4 ,with their backs sore and bleeding1 their bodies chilled by the cold and dampness1 their legs cramped and aching1 hungry and sleepless and surrounded by the blackness of midnight1 ,paul and ,silas who knew they were suffering for the sake of the true ,gospel1 could rejoice and praise the ,lord4 ,this they did at midnight by praying and singing praises unto ,god4 ,their voices rang out through the prison cells2 and prisoners1 hard hearted and sinful1 listened in surprise to the first ,christian hymn they had ever heard4 ,the power of the ,lord manifested itself not only in the hearts of ,his true servants1 but in the entire prison and the town as well2 for suddenly there was a great earthquake1 so that the foundations of the prison were shaken4 ,all the bolts and bars at the doors fell from their sockets and the doors of the prison flew open1 and every one's bands were loosed1 but not a prisoner tried to escape4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,jailor's ,fear4 ,aroused from his sleep by the commotion and earthquake1 the jailor hurried to the prison only to find the doors wide open4 ,remembering his injunction to keep the prisoners safely1 and knowing that he would forfeit his life if any had escaped1 he drew his sword to take his own life1 when ,paul cried out3 ,do thyself no harm2 for we are all here6 ,,image3 ,,paul ,,and ,,silas ,,in ,,prison ,,at ,,philippi4 ,then he called for a light1 and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before ,paul and ,silas4 ,then he the jailor called for a light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before ,paul and ,silas4 ,,his ,,conversion ,sidenote3 ,an ,all-,important ,question4 ,perhaps he had heard what the damsel had said1 that ,these men are the servants of the most high ,god2 it may be that he had heard them preach1 or at least had been told by others what they preached4 ,probably the earthquake itself had convinced him that these men not only were innocent1 but were servants of ,god4 ,at any rate1 he cried out3 ,sirs1 what must ,i do to be saved8 ,that is the question everybody should ask1 and the answer1 when truthfully given1 everybody should obey4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,answer4 ,note the answer3 ,believe in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved1 and thy house4 ,then the servants of the ,lord explained what a true belief is1 expounded the word of the ,lord1 taught them faith and repentance and baptism2 and when the keeper of the prison and his family said they believed the ,gospel to be true1 he led the elders out1 washed their stripes1 and was baptized that same night1 he and all his straightway4 ,then he took them1 not back to the dreary dungeon1 but into his own house1 and set meat before them4 ,we are told that his heart was filled with rejoicing because he believed in ,god with all his house4 ,by doing right he had opened the windows of his soul1 and the sunshine of pure happiness had radiated through his entire being4 ,he was experiencing the truth as expressed in the song3 ,doing good is a pleasure1 ,a joy beyond measure1 ,a blessing of duty and love4 ,sidenote3 ,prisoners ,released4 ,the earthquake or something else had put fear in the hearts of other men in that city1 too1 and among these were the magistrates who had sentenced1 uncondemned1 two innocent men to be beaten and imprisoned4 ,realizing their mistake they sent word early in the morning to the jailor to ,let those men go4 ,sidenote3 ,paul ,surprises the ,jailor4 ,pleased with the message1 the keeper of the prison hurried to ,paul and ,silas crying3 ,the magistrates have sent to let you go3 now therefore depart1 and go in peace4 ,he was surprised to hear ,paul coolly answer1 ,no1 they have beaten us openly1 uncondemned1 being ,romans1 and have cast us into prison4 ,now they want us to go out privily so that people will think we are pestilent fellows who escaped from jail4 ,nay verily1 but let them come themselves and fetch us out4 ,sidenote3 ,magistrates ,humbled4 ,when the magistrates heard what ,paul had said1 and learned that ,roman citizens had been scourged and thrust into prison without even a trial1 they were very much afraid1 for they realized that they might lose their offices4 ,so they came1 and led ,paul and ,silas out of the prison1 and expressed a desire that the missionaries leave the city4 ,but the released prisoners had won a great victory2 and while they did not flaunt it in the face of their persecutors1 they took occasion to go to the house of ,lydia1 and meet all the ,saints4 ,perhaps ,paul reminded the ,saints of the night in ,jerusalem when ,peter was released from prison and came to the house of ,mary4 ,whatever was said1 we know that when he had seen the brethren they comforted them and departed4 ,luke remained to strengthen and build up the ,church in ,philippi1 and ,paul and his other companions went to ,thessalonica4 ,,lesson #ca ,,at ,,thessalonica ,,and ,,berea ,a constant struggle1 a ceaseless battle to bring success from inhospitable surroundings1 is the price of all great achievements4 ,to banish1 imprison1 plunder1 starve1 hang1 and burn men for religion is not the ,gospel of ,christ1 but the policy of the devil4 ,christ never used anything that looked like force but once1 and that was to drive bad men out of the temple1 not to drive them in4 ,it is easy enough to do right when in good company1 but it is not easy to defend the right when the majority of the crowd are opposing it2 and yet1 that is the time to show true courage4 ,the ,prophet ,joseph1 for example1 was reviled and persecuted for saying that he had received a vision1 but he always remained true to his testimony4 ,though he was hated and persecuted yet he said it was true that ,god had spoken to him1 and ,all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise6 ,such is the courage and firmness everyone should have4 ,when one knows what is right one should always have the courage to defend it even in the face of ridicule or punishment4 ,it's easy enough to be virtuous ,when nothing tempts you to stray2 ,when without or within ,no voice of sin ,is luring your soul away2 ,but it's only a negative virtue ,until it is tried by fire3 ,and the soul that is worth ,the praises of earth ,is the soul that resists desire4 ,in the matter of courage to preach the ,gospel in the face of bitter persecution1 the missionaries at ,thessalonica and ,berea proved themselves true heroes4 ,after the cruel treatment ,paul had received in ,philippi1 he was not in a condition to endure long travel1 and hardship2 yet he and his companions traveled over one hundred miles before they reached ,thessalonica4 ,this city1 the capital of ,macedonia1 towards which ,paul had been directing his course ever since he left ,troas1 was an important trading center4 ,indeed1 in all ,greece1 if we except ,corinth1 there is no harbor with a finer situation2 the anchorage is of the best2 the roadstead is as smooth as a lake1 while the neighboring valleys give access to highways leading into ,epirus and upper ,macedonia4 #a ,sidenote3 ,how ,named4 ,at one time the city was called ,therma2 but in the days of ,alexander the ,great1 it was named ,thessalonica for ,alexander's sister1 ,thessalonica1 the wife of one of ,alexander's generals4 ,this name1 slightly shortened clings to the city today4 ,it is now called ,saloniki and is one of the centers of the great war that is1 at the present time1 #b wasting all ,europe4 ,in importance it is the second city in ,european ,turkey4 ,sidenote3 ,worn in ,body2 ,fresh in ,spirit4 ,tired and worn and penniless1 ,paul entered this great city4 ,tired and worn in body1 but fresh and vigorous as ever in spirit1 he took immediate steps to give to the people the glorious message of the ,gospel of the ,redeemer4 ,sidenote3 ,in the ,synagogue4 ,the first meeting was probably held in the synagogue1 for ,thessalonica was then1 and has been since1 a strong ,jewish center4 ,for three successive weeks1 ,paul and ,silas reasoned with them out of the scriptures2 opening and alleging that ,christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead2 and that this same ,jesus1 whom1 he said1 ',i preach unto you1' is ,christ4 ,nor was it only in the synagogue that these earnest missionaries proclaimed their message1 but in the street and in the workshop4 ,sidenote3 ,with ,jason4 ,paul and ,silas lodged with a man named ,jason1 where ,paul worked at the trade he had learned in ,tarsus4 ,paul says himself that he labored night and day1 that he might not be burdensome to any of them4 #c ,thus late at night1 when the sun had long set on the incessant spiritual labors of the day1 the apostle might be seen by lamplight laboring at the rough haircloth1 that he might be chargeable to none4 ,sidenote3 ,aided by the ,saints4 ,we can well imagine that he was frequently interrupted in this work by men and women who would seek for more light on the doctrines of the ,gospel4 ,the result was that ,paul made scarcely enough money to pay for his food and clothing2 and if the good ,saints in ,philippi had not sent him relief1 he and ,silas would perhaps have been in actual want4 ,not many ,jews believed1 so ,paul and his companion turned to the ,gentiles1 many of whom believed1 of the devout ,greeks a great multitude1 and of the chief women not a few4 ,,the ,,storm ,,gathers ,sidenote3 ,a ,mob4 ,but when the unbelieving ,jews saw great numbers accepting this new ,gospel1 they became very jealous and angry4 ,they went among a low1 ignorant class of the citizens1 certain lewd fellows of the baser sort1 and told them that these ,christians are setting the whole world in an uproar1 and ought to be driven out of the town4 ,so they gathered a mob1 and surrounded the house of ,jason where the elders lodged4 ,sidenote3 ,missionaries ,warned4 ,but1 fortunately1 ,paul and ,silas were not in1 and could not be found4 ,perhaps some friend1 or it may be the ,spirit of the ,lord1 had warned the ,lord's servants not to go home just at that time4 ,not finding the elders1 the mob dragged ,jason and some other brethren before the rulers of the city and said3 ,sidenote3 ,jason ,seized4 ,those ,christians that have turned the world upside down have come hither also2 ,whom ,jason hath received2 and these all do contrary to the decrees of ,caesar1 saying that there is another king1 one ,jesus4 ,how easy it is sometimes to prevert the truth into a lie6 ,sidenote3 ,paul and ,companions ,escape4 ,jason and his friends had to give security2 7by which is probably meant that they had to deposit money as assurance that they would do nothing against the government71 after which they were permitted to go free4 ,but the mob was still bitter against ,paul and ,silas who were advised by the brethren to leave immediately4 ,this they did by night1 traveling fifty-one miles to ,berea4 ,,at ,,berea ,sidenote3 ,many ,accept ,gospel4 ,persecution and suffering could no more stop these inspired workers from preaching the ,gospel than it could stop them from breathing2 so as soon as they arrived at ,berea1 they went into the synagogue of the ,jews4 ,the ,jews here were more noble than those in ,thessalonica1 and would reason from the scripture1 which was the ,old ,testament1 kept in sacred rolls in the synagogue4 ,so we conclude that the ,bereans1 not only listened attentively to what the missionaries told them but searched the scriptures to see if what they said was in harmony with the ,law4 ,when they found that it was1 many believed1 also of honorable women who were ,greeks1 and of men not a few4 ,,the ,,storms ,,follows ,,them ,as the ,jews had gone once before from ,iconium to ,lystra1 so they came now from ,thessalonica to ,berea1 like hunters upon their prey1 and stirred up the people4 ,sidenote3 ,silas and ,timothy ,remain4 ,but the seeds of truth had taken root in the rich soil1 and while the storm of persecution threatened to deluge ,paul1 it served only to strengthen and vitalize the ,gospel field4 ,sidenote3 ,paul ,escapes4 ,leaving ,silas and ,timothy to continue the work1 to bless and encourage the ,saints1 ,paul became once more a fugitive and was conducted by some of the brethren to the sea4 ,from some point on the coast he embarked for ,athens4 ,,image3 ,,map1 ,,st4 ,,paul',s ,,third ,,journey4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,touard4 #b4 #aiae4 #c4 ,i ,thess4 #aa3i4 ,,lesson #cb ,,at ,,athens ,,and ,,corinth ,sometimes a noble failure serves the world as faithfully as a distinguished success4 ,life has no blessing like a prudent friend4 ,sidenote3 ,loneliness4 ,perhaps few if any of the young folks who read these lessons have ever been alone1 even for a short time1 in a strange city2 but it may be that some of your fathers or brothers have1 if so1 you may learn by asking just how lonesome one can feel when one is in a large crowd1 in a strange city1 and out of sympathy with the people around him4 ,to be ,amid the crowd1 the hum1 the shock of men1 ,to hear1 to see1 to feel and to possess1 ,and roam along the world's tired denizen1 ,with none to bless us1 none whom we can bless2 ,this is to be alone2 this1 this is solitude4 ,such must have been ,paul's condition after he said goodby to his brethren1 and walked through the streets of ,athens alone4 ,this loneliness impressed him so deeply that he afterwards wrote to the ,thessalonians that he was left in ,athens alone4 #a ,he had sent a command back to ,berea for ,silas and ,timothy to come to him with all speed2 but until they came1 he was the only ,christian in the great pagan city4 ,sidenote3 ,statues and ,deities4 ,as ,paul walked through the streets of ,athens1 he saw many statues and memorials built in honor of men and mystical gods4 ,some of these were the statues of the great men of ,athens1 such as ,solon the lawgiver1 ,conon the admiral1 ,demosthenes the orator4 ,among her defied heroes were ,hercules1 ,mercury1 ,apollo1 ,neptune1 ,jupiter1 ,minerva1 and many others1 and in one place1 in the center of all these was an altar to the ,twelve ,gods4 ,there were more statues in ,athens than in all the rest of ,greece4 ,it has been said as almost a truth that it was easier to find a god in ,athens than a man4 #b ,there were altars erected also to ,fame1 to ,modesty1 to ,energy1 to ,persuasion1 and to ,pity1 and ,paul saw one inscription1 ,to the ,unknown ,god4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,market ,place4 ,in the city was a common meeting place called the ,agora4 ,here the ,athenians gathered to talk about and discuss the questions of the day4 ,idlers and professed philosophers mingled together eager to hear anything new4 ,while ,paul was waiting for his companions1 he visited this gathering place daily1 and conversed with those whom he met4 ,from him the crowd heard1 for the first time1 about ,jesus and the resurrection4 ,he also attended the service in the synagogue1 and disputed with the ,jews4 ,sidenote3 ,interest ,awakened4 ,so ,paul1 though lonely and discouraged1 and perhaps gloomy because of the ignorance and wickedness he saw around him1 began to stir the city because of the message he announced4 ,the ,athenians and strangers1 too1 began to get curious2 for some of them1 ,luke tells us spent their time in nothing else1 but either to tell1 or to hear some new thing4 ,then certain philosophers began to hear about him1 and took notice of him4 ,some said1 ,what will this base fellow say8 ,and others1 ,he seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods2 because he preacheth unto them ,jesus and the resurrection4 ,sidenote3 ,mars' ,hill4 ,on the top of the hill of ,areopagus was a platform which was reached by a flight of stone steps leading immediately from the ,agora4 ,on this had sat the leading judges who had1 for time immemorial1 decided important questions of religion1 or passed sentence on the greatest criminals4 ,because ,mars was supposed to have had his trial there1 it was called ,mars' ,hill3 ,on the brow of this hill was built the temple of ,mars4 ,to this important and memorable spot1 the philosophers led the ,apostle1 saying1 ,may we know what this new doctrine whereof thou speakest is8 ,for thou bringest certain strange things to our ears2 we would know1 therefore1 what these things mean4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,memorable ,address4 ,paul accepted the invitation1 and delivered one of the most memorable addresses in the world4 ,you will notice1 however1 that he does not even mention the name of ,christ1 but tries to influence his hearers ,a by leading them from what they were interested in to that in which he wanted them to be interested4 #c ,sidenote3 ,interrupted4 ,as soon as ,paul mentioned the resurrection of the dead1 he was interrupted4 ,some broke out into laughter and made light of his remark4 ,others were more courteous1 and said1 as they withdrew from him1 ,we will hear thee again on this matter4 ,sidenote3 ,converted ,dionysius4 ,paul must have felt almost crushed with the thought that his sermon had been an utter failure2 but he had done his duty and the seeds of truth had been sown4 ,they bore fruit in the conversion of ,dionysius1 a member of the court of the ,areopagus1 and of a woman whose name was ,damaris1 and others with them4 ,after remaining a short time1 he left ,athens as he had lived in it1 a despised and lonely man4 ,yet that short visit1 and that interrupted speech1 characterized1 as both were1 by a sincere desire to call the erring and wicked to repentance1 have made ,paul more famous than any of the philosophers1 so wise in their own conceit1 who mocked and spurned him4 ,,at ,,the ,,close ,,of ,,the ,,second ,,mission ,sidenote3 ,alone in ,corinth4 ,it is probable that ,timothy joined ,paul in ,athens2 but if so1 he returned immediately to the churches in ,macedonia4 ,thus it was that ,paul sailed from ,athens alone1 and having landed at the seaport of ,cenchrea1 walked eighteen miles to ,corinth4 ,here he found many ,greeks and ,jews4 ,there were crowds also of strangers who came to see the great games and races for which ,corinth was noted4 ,corinth1 at that time1 was a great commercial center1 and merchantmen and other traders from far and near made up its population4 ,if ,athens was a learned city1 ,corinth was a wealthy and wicked one4 ,so ,paul's loneliness here must have been just as keen as it was in ,athens4 ,indeed1 he says himself that he went there in weakness and in fear and in much trembling4 #d ,,image3 ,,st4 ,,paul ,,at ,,athens4 ,and when they heard of the resurrection of the dead1 some mocked and others said1 we will hear thee again on this matter4 ,sidenote3 ,aquila and ,priscilla4 ,just about that time a ,roman emperor named ,claudius issued a decree that all ,jews should be banished from ,rome4 ,among those who had to leave were a man named ,aquila and his wife ,priscilla4 ,whether they were ,christians before they came to ,corinth is not known4 ,at any rate1 they were among the first friends ,paul met in that city4 ,it may be that they became acquainted because ,aquila and ,paul had the same trade4 ,at any rate1 ,paul lived with them1 and 7if they were not ,christians before7 converted them to the ,gospel1 to which they remained staunch and true4 ,these friends were a help to ,paul in furnishing him employment1 but in a greater way by proving to be true friends indeed4 ,sidenote3 ,in the ,synagogue4 ,every ,sabbath day1 these three friends and fellow-laborers would lay aside their unfinished tents1 and go to the synagogue to worship the ,lord4 ,paul1 as usual1 would speak to his countrymen and to the converted ,greeks1 and proclaim to them the glorious message of the risen ,redeemer4 ,he would reason with them from the scripture1 and persuade them to become ,christians4 ,sidenote3 ,timothy and ,silas ,join ,paul4 ,for some time1 he seems to have been less energetic than usual4 ,he was more discouraged than enthusiastic4 ,but1 just at that period1 he was joined by his two dear friends1 ,timothy and ,silas4 ,their coming gave him new heart1 or as ,luke says1 he was pressed in the spirit1 and testified to the ,jews that ,jesus was the ,christ4 ,judging from the strength ,paul received from the companionship of these friends1 he realized that1 ,a true friend is the gift of ,god1 and ,he only who made hearts can unite them4 ,sidenote3 ,jews ,reject ,truth4 ,but the more boldly and earnestly ,paul preached1 the more bitterly those unconverted ,jews opposed him4 ,finally1 when they blasphemed the name of ,god1 and refused to accept the truth1 ,paul shook his raiment1 and said1 ,your blood be upon your own heads2 ,i am clean2 from henceforth ,i will go unto the ,gentiles4 ,sidenote3 ,crispus ,converted4 ,but many were converted1 and among these was--,crispus1 the chief ruler of the synagogue--he and all his house4 ,his conversion1 with the crowds of ,corinthians who were baptized also1 only made the ,jews more bitter than ever2 and they began to threaten ,paul4 ,sidenote3 ,comfort4 ,about this time ,paul wrote his second letter to the ,thessalonians4 ,in it he asks1 especially1 for their prayers that he might be delivered from the wicked men around him4 ,pray for us1 brethren1 he pleads1 that the word of the ,lord may be preached freely2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men3 for all have not faith4 #e ,and ,paul prayed1 too1 and he received a direct answer from the ,lord1 who said3 ,be not afraid1 but speak1 and hold not thy peace3 ,for ,i am with thee1 and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee3 for ,i have much people in this city4 ,sidenote3 ,in the ,house of ,justus4 ,when ,paul left the synagogue1 he held meetings in a house that joined hard to the synagogue2 that is1 it was perhaps next to it4 ,here ,paul and his two companions continued preaching4 ,this so exasperated the ,jews that they concluded to try to get ,paul either expelled or punished4 ,sidenote3 ,before ,gallio4 ,now it so happened that just at that time a new governor was appointed over ,achaia4 ,his name was ,gallio1 and he was known as a very kind and gentle man4 ,thinking he would be easily influenced1 the ,jews had ,paul arrested1 and dragged him before the judgment seat1 saying falsely1 ,this fellow persuadeth men to worship ,god contrary to the law4 ,paul arose1 or beckoned some way that he desired to answer the charge2 but ,gallio stopped him1 and addressing the ,jews1 said3 ,if it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness1 ,o ye ,jews1 reason would that ,i should bear with you2 but if it be a question of words and names1 and of your law1 look ye to it2 for ,i will be no judge of such matters4 ,and he drove them from his presence4 ,sidenote3 ,persecutors ,punished4 ,so ,paul was not harmed1 just as the ,lord promised4 ,but the ,jews were2 for the ,greeks took their leader and whipped him even before the judgment seat4 ,paul remained in ,corinth one year and a half1 and established there a strong church4 ,then1 as the time for the ,passover at ,jerusalem was drawing near1 he bade goodby to the ,saints2 and taking ,aquila and ,priscilla1 ,silas and ,timothy1 his faithful friends and companions1 he set sail for ,ephesus1 thence to ,caesarea1 and ,jerusalem4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,i ,thess4 #c3a4 #b4 ,weed4 #c4 ,read and explain sermon ,acts #ag3bb-ca4 #d4 ,i ,cor4 #b3c4 #e4 ,,ii ,thes4 #c3a-b4 ,,lesson #cc ,,paul',s ,,third ,,missionary ,,journey ,,from ,,antioch ,,to ,,ephesus ,no man taketh this honor unto himself but he that is called of ,god as was ,aaron4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,promise4 ,when ,paul stopped off at ,ephesus on his way to ,jerusalem1 as mentioned in the previous lesson1 the ,jews to whom he preached asked him to tarry a longer time with them4 ,not being able to do so1 he promised them to return again if ,god will4 ,this promise1 as we shall see1 ,paul literally fulfilled4 ,sidenote3 ,salutes the ,church4 ,whether he arrived in ,jerusalem in time to attend the ,passover we do not know4 ,in fact we are led to infer that he did not1 for all that we know of this visit is that he saluted the church1 and went down to ,antioch4 ,sidenote3 ,beginning of ,third ,journey4 ,after spending some time with the important church in ,antioch1 ,paul started on his third missionary journey4 ,just what course he followed1 it is difficult to determine2 but since ,luke tells us that he went over all the country of ,galatia and ,phrygia in order1 we may safely conclude that he visited his old home in ,tarsus1 as well as the cities of ,derbe1 ,lystra1 ,iconium1 and possibly ,antioch in ,pisidia4 ,the good people in ,galatia also would again have the pleasure of meeting the apostle who first preached to them the ,gospel1 and to whom they had so kindly administered in affliction4 ,neither do we know of a certainty who were his companions4 ,timotheus1 undoubtedly1 was one who accompanied him on the whole of his journey4 ,,apollos ,sidenote3 ,an ,eloquent ,preacher4 ,while ,paul and ,timothy are visiting the churches in ,galatia and ,phrygia1 let us hasten ahead of them to ,ephesus2 for there is a man there whose acquaintance we should make4 ,his name is ,apollos and he came from ,alexandria4 ,he was1 undoubtedly1 one of the most eloquent preachers of the ,gospel in that day4 ,but when he first came to ,ephesus1 he knew only the baptism of ,john4 ,he had accepted the message of ,john the ,baptist1 but he had not heard the ,gospel as it had been taught by ,jesus and ,his disciples4 ,he seemed to have been ignorant of the mission of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,with him were twelve other men who held the same incomplete belief4 ,sidenote3 ,new ,light4 ,believing they had the truth1 these men went to the same synagogue in which ,paul had preached when the ,jews asked him to tarry longer1 and ,apollos spoke to the people4 ,in the congregation sat ,aquila and ,priscilla4 ,these good ,christians perceived at once that ,apollos did not understand the ,gospel2 so1 they invited him home with them and expounded unto him the way of ,god more perfectly4 ,shortly after this1 ,apollos left ,ephesus for ,corinth1 taking with him a letter of recommendation from the ,saints in ,ephesus4 ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost ,,given ,thus it was that when ,paul arrived in ,ephesus he met the twelve men who had been taught the ,gospel as ,apollos had known it4 ,when they told ,paul that they believed the ,gospel1 he asked them1 ,have ye received the ,holy ,ghost since ye believed8 ,we have not so much as heard whether there be any ,holy ,ghost1 they answered4 ,unto what then were ye baptized8 asked ,paul4 ,unto ,john's baptism1 they replied4 ,john verily baptized with the baptism of repentance1 said ,paul1 saying unto the people1 that they should believe on ,him which should come after him that is1 on ,christ ,jesus4 ,they were then baptized by the proper authority1 in the name of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,paul then laid his hands upon them and the ,holy ,ghost came on them2 and they spoke with tongues1 and prophesied4 ,sidenote3 ,three ,months in the ,synagogue4 ,for three months ,paul continued to preach in the synagogue1 disputing and persuading the things concerning the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,during this time1 he worked at his trade supporting himself with his hands4 ,daily the ,church grew in strength1 and daily its enemies became so bitter in their opposition that ,paul left the synagogue1 and held his meetings in a schoolhouse where taught a man named ,tyrannus4 ,sidenote3 ,two ,years at ,ephesus4 ,in this place1 ,paul labored for two years1 a period in his life marked by wonderful manifestations from the ,lord4 ,sick people were healed by the power of faith in most miraculous ways4 ,sometimes when ,paul could not visit in person those afflicted1 they would be healed by simply touching a handkerchief or an apron he had worn4 ,thus the name of the ,lord ,jesus was magnified4 ,,men ,,who ,,acted ,,without ,,authority ,sidenote3 ,sons of ,sceva4 ,among those who witnessed these miracles were some vagabond ,jews who made a living by deceiving the people by pretending to be magicians4 ,when they saw ,paul heal the sick in the name of ,jesus1 they thought they could do the same1 and thus make a great deal of money4 ,so one day these seven men who were sons of ,sceva1 meeting a man who was afflicted with an evil spirit1 said1 ,we adjure you by ,jesus whom ,paul preacheth1 to come out of him4 ,jesus ,i know1 said the evil spirit1 and ,paul ,i know1 but who are ye8 ,and the man leaped on them1 and overcame them1 so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,big ,bonfire4 ,the treatment that these seven men received through their hypocrisy1 soon spread over the city4 ,many who had practiced such arts as the sons of ,sceva had1 brought all their books of magic and made a bonfire of them4 ,paul saw burned that day about #aj1jjj worth of books and papers4 ,sidenote3 ,annual ,festival4 ,every year in ,ephesus1 in the month of ,may1 there was held a great festival in honor of the ,goddess ,diana4 ,rich men came from all parts of ,asia1 and paid vast sums of money for the entertainment of the people4 ,the entertainments were of different kinds4 ,in the theatre were concerts and shows2 in the hippodrome horse-racing2 in the stadium gymnastic games of running1 leaping and wrestling4 ,there were noisy scenes through the day and night4 ,in every hour of the day there were gay processions to the temple1 following the bleating animals crowned with garland1 being led to sacrifice4 ,idlers and drunkards could be seen almost everywhere at any time4 99 99 99 ,the shops and bazaars were filled with all the attractive things of those days which parents and friends would buy themselves and those left in distant homes4 ,the special mementos would be little models of ,diana and her shrine4 ,the poorest of purchasers would buy those made of wood2 others those of silver2 and the wealthy those of gold4 #a ,sidenote3 ,a ,loss of ,trade4 ,paul1 no doubt1 had told the ,ephesians as he had the ,athenians1 that ,god is not made of wood or of silver1 or of gold1 neither graven by art of man's devise4 ,these were hundreds and thousands of people who believed ,paul and worshiped the true ,god4 ,consequently1 at this annual feast1 there were not so many images of ,diana bought as there had been at other festivals4 ,a ,,mob ,,gathers ,sidenote3 ,demetrius ,demetrius1 a sliversmoth1 who made silver shrines for ,diana1 became very much agitated when he saw his trade interfered with4 ,he called together all his workmen and said3 ,sirs1 ye know by this craft we have our wealth4 ,moreover ye see and hear1 that not alone at ,ephesus but almost throughout all ,asia1 this ,paul hath persuaded and turned away much people1 saying that they be no gods1 which are made with hands4 ,he continued to speak to them until they became thoroughly aroused and cried out1 ,great is ,diana of the ,ephesians4 ,sidenote3 ,paul's ,companions ,seized4 ,soon the whole city became in confusion4 ,a mob gathered1 and tried to find ,paul4 ,failing in this1 they caught ,gaius and ,aristarchus1 two of ,paul's companions1 and rushed them into the theatre4 ,paul was kept in safety by his friends who refused to let him enter the theatre1 although he insisted on doing so4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,howling ,mob4 ,a ,jew named ,alexander tried to speak to the mob1 but they would not listen1 and continued to howl for two hours1 ,great is ,diana of the ,ephesians1 ,great is ,diana of the ,ephesians4 ,when they had worn themselves out1 the town clerk arose and told them they had better go home and be quiet1 or the ,romans might call them in question for this day's uproar4 ,he said1 too1 that if ,demetrius had any case against ,paul1 he could have ,paul arrested and taken into court4 ,as half the people1 as is the case of all mobs1 did not know why they had come1 they began to move out of the theatre4 ,the stone seats were gradually emptied1 the uproar ceased and the rioters dispersed to their various occupations and amusements4 ,as ,paul had already made preparations to go into ,macedonia1 he called the disciples to him1 and after embracing them1 left ,ephesus so far as we know1 forever4 ,later1 however1 as we shall learn in the next lesson1 he met some of the ,elders and ,saints from ,ephesus4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,weed4 ,,lesson #cd ,,third ,,missionary ,,journey--7,continued7 ,paul's farewell visit to churches he had established ,during the next nine or ten months--from the summer1 ,a4 ,d41 #eg1 to the spring1 ,a4 ,d41 #eh--;following ,paul's affectionate farewell to the disciples at ,ephesus1 we know very little of his travels4 ,from the epistles that he wrote during this period1 we learn most of what is known about his labors and duties over those parts in ,macedonia4 ,he first went to ,troas1 where he expected to meet ,titus whom he had sent to ,corinth4 ,here1 he says1 ,i had no rest in my spirit1 because ,i found not ,titus1 my brother4 #a ,worrying over the reports he had heard about the evil conditions in the ,corinthian church1 he left ,troas for ,philippi4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,joyous ,welcome4 ,here he met some of his most beloved ,saints2 for the ,philippian converts1 though among the poorest1 financially1 were among the most faithful of all the churches4 ,paul had accepted their assistance when he had refused help from other sources4 ,this is one church which ,paul did not reprove4 ,what a joyous welcome these faithful ,saints must have given the ,apostle6 ,how their hearts would rejoice as they retold their experiences when ,paul and ,timothy and ,silas first preached to the women by the river side4 ,lydia and the jailor and a host of other faithful members would all be there to recall the arrest1 the whipping1 the imprisonment1 the stocks1 the midnight hymns1 the earthquake1 the authorities' fears and all the other wonderful experiences of that first visit to ,philippi6 ,sidenote3 ,paul ,depressed4 ,yet amidst all this welcome ,paul says his flesh had no rest2 without were fightings1 within were fears2 until ,god who comforts them that are cast down1 comforted me by the coming of ,titus4 #b ,sidenote3 ,second ,epistle to ,corinthians4 ,titus told him that the members of the ,church in ,corinth who had been doing wrong had been excommunicated1 and that many of the saints were doing better4 ,hearing this1 ,paul wrote another letter to them1 7the second ,epistle to the ,corinthians7 and sent ,titus back with it4 ,sidenote3 ,offerings4 ,titus seems to have been one of the chief men in collecting contributions for the relief of the poor in ,judea4 ,when he returned to ,corinth1 he continued to make collections for ,paul to take to ,jerusalem in the near future4 #c ,the next we hear of ,paul1 he is in ,corinth4 ,while there he hears that the ,galatians were saying that he was not an apostle because ,jesus had not chosen him as one of the ,twelve4 ,so he wrote a letter to the ,galatians in which he says1 ,sidenote3 ,galatians ,reproved4 ,i marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you unto the grace of ,christ unto another ,gospel4 ,then he warns them against accepting any other ,gospel1 for if anyone preach any other ,gospel1 let him be accursed4 ,here he also wrote his epistle to the ,romans4 ,sidenote3 ,retraces ,steps4 ,paul prepared to go to ,palestine direct from ,corinth1 but he heard of a plot to take his life4 ,to frustrate this1 he retraced his steps through ,macedonia4 ,when the company again reached ,philippi1 ,timothy and several others went ahead to ,troas4 ,paul and ,luke remained for a short time and then rejoined the company at ,troas4 ,a ,,long ,,and ,,memorable ,,meeting ,when ,sunday came1 all the disciples came together to break bread1 and ,paul preached to them his farewell sermon4 ,as he was to leave them in the morning1 they persuaded him to continue his speech until midnight1 which he did4 ,the meeting was held in an upper room1 the windows of which were all thrown open so the congregation could enjoy the cool of the evening4 ,sidenote3 ,eutychus ,falls4 ,sitting in one of the windows was a young man named ,eutychus who listened to the sermon as long as he could1 and then fell asleep4 ,as ,paul continued to preach1 ,eutychus continued to nod1 until finally he became overbalanced and fell into the courtyard below4 ,no doubt a woman's scream first interrupted the sermon4 ,the people sprang to their feet1 and rushed below1 and picked the young man up for dead4 ,sidenote3 ,restored4 ,paul1 too1 went down1 and embracing the boy1 said1 ,trouble not yourselves for his life is in him4 ,,image3 ,,st4 ,,paul ,,at ,,miletus ,,with ,,the ,,elders ,,of ,,the ,,church ,,at ,,ephesus4 ,and they all wept sore1 and fell on ,paul's neck1 and kissed him1 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake1 that they should see his face no more4 ,thankful that the young man was restored1 the people returned to the room1 and ,paul preached to them until morning4 ,paul's companions went by ship to ,assos1 but he preferred to walk the twenty miles alone4 ,at ,assos he went abroad the ship and sailed to ,mitylene1 thence to ,chios1 and the next day to ,samos1 about a mile from which they tarried at ,trogyllium4 ,sidenote3 ,at ,miletus4 ,on the next day1 ,paul sailed past ,ephesus1 thinking that he would not have time to visit the ,saints there1 for he wanted to be in ,jerusalem on the day of ,pentecost4 ,but when he reached ,miletus1 a few miles from ,ephesus1 he sent word over to the ,elders of the ,church to come to him4 ,this they did with all gladness1 and listened with intense interest to his address to them4 #d ,and when he had thus spoken1 he kneeled down and prayed with them all4 ,that little company of ,christians assembled in an obscure place on the seashore presents to our minds one of the most beautiful pictures of the world1 and their farewell greeting one of the most impressive and pathetic4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,sad ,farewell4 ,when the beloved apostle was about to leave them1 they all wept sore1 and fell on ,paul's neck1 and kissed him2 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake4 ,it seemed that they just could not bear to have him leave them4 ,they clung to him even when he went aboard the ship1 and it was with difficulty that his companions drew ,paul from them4 ,a similar scene was enacted at ,tyre where the company remained seven days4 ,while ,paul was visiting and comforting the ,saints here1 they entreated him not to go up to ,jerusalem1 because his life would be in danger4 ,but ,paul could not be persuaded4 ,when the time came to say goodby1 the men1 women and children all went with ,paul and his company down to the shore4 ,here they all kneeled down and prayed1 and bade farewell one of another4 ,then ,paul and his companions entered the ship1 and the sorrowing ,saints returned slowly to their homes4 ,,at ,,caesarea ,at ,caesarea the missionaries were entertained by ,philip1 the evangelist1 one of the seven chosen deacons4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,prophecy4 ,while they were there1 ,agabus1 a prophet came down from ,jerusalem and after greeting them all1 took ,paul's girdle1 and bound his own hands and feet1 saying1 ,thus sayeth the ,holy ,ghost1 so shall the ,jews at ,jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle1 and shall deliver him into the hands of the ,gentiles4 ,hearing this prophecy1 ,luke and all ,paul's company pleaded with him not to go to ,jerusalem4 ,but ,paul answered1 ,sidenote3 ,ready to ,die4 ,what mean ye to weep and to break my heart8 for ,i am ready not to be bound only1 but also to die at ,jerusalem for the name of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,all right1 said his friends1 ,the will of the ,lord be done4 ,from ,caesarea1 they traveled by carriage to ,jerusalem1 where the brethren received them gladly4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,,ii ,cor4 #b3ac4 #b4 ,,ii ,cor4 #g3f4 #c4 ,,ii ,cor4 #h4 #d4 ,see ,acts #bj3ag-ce4 ,,lesson #ce ,,exciting ,,experiences ,,in ,,jerusalem ,in the huge mass of evil as it rolls and swells1 there is ever some good working toward deliverance and triumph4 ,sidenote3 ,at ,headquarters4 ,at ,jerusalem1 ,paul and his companions met with the ,church and undoubtedly gave the money that had been given by the ,gentile churches for the benefit of the poor in ,judea4 ,at the advice of ,james1 the brother of the ,lord1 who was then presiding over the ,church in ,jerusalem1 ,paul shaved his head1 and did certain other things to show the ,jews that he was willing to observe the ,jewish laws4 ,sidenote3 ,falsely ,accused4 ,when he had been in ,jerusalem about a week1 he went to the temple to worship4 ,there happened to be also in the temple1 some men who had seen ,paul in ,asia with the ,gentiles4 ,thinking that he had brought some of these ,gentiles into the temple1 they stirred up the people1 seized ,paul1 and cried out1 ,men of ,israel1 help2 this is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people1 and the law1 and this place2 and further brought ,greeks also into the temple1 and hath polluted this place4 ,of course1 this was not true1 but it served to arouse the crowd1 who dragged ,paul out of the temple and shut the doors4 ,in their rage they were about to kill ,paul1 which they would have done but for the timely interference of a ,roman officer4 ,stationed in the castle north of the temple was a guard of soldiers under command of an officer called the ,chief ,captain4 ,sidenote3 ,rescued ,from ,death4 ,when somebody told the captain1 whose name was ,claudius ,lysius1 that there was trouble in the outer court of the temple1 he hurried the soldiers down there just as the mob began to beat and trample ,paul to death4 ,the soldiers rescued ,paul2 but the captain thinking he was a desperate man1 commanded him to be bound with chains4 ,who is this man1 and what has he done8 ,claudius asked of the angry ,jews4 ,some cried one thing and some another in such confusion that the chief captain could understand nothing2 so he said to the soldiers1 ,carry him to the castle4 ,sidenote3 ,on the ,castle ,steps4 ,as the soldiers bore ,paul away1 the mob1 acting like wolves after their prey1 followed1 crying1 ,away with him4 ,just as they were going up the steps into the castle1 ,paul speaking in ,greek said to the chief captain1 ,may ,i speak unto thee8 ,canst thou speak ,greek8 answered the captain1 ,aren't you that ,egyptian who sometime ago made an uproar here and led out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers8 ,i am a ,jew from ,tarsus1 answered ,paul1 a city in ,cilicia1 a citizen of no mean city1 ,i beseech thee let me speak unto the people4 ,hoping to learn something about the cause of the uproar the chief captain gave his consent4 ,paul turned to the people and beckoned for them to be quiet4 ,their yelling ceased1 especially when they heard ,paul speak in ,hebrew1 their own language4 #a ,sidenote3 ,the ,word ,gentiles4 ,the ,jews listened to him quietly until he happened to mention the word ,gentiles1 then they cried1 ,away with such a fellow from the earth2 for it is not fit that he should live4 ,in their anger1 they took off their coats and threw dust in the air to show how they hated him4 ,sidenote3 ,ordered ,whipped4 ,being still in doubt as to what ,paul had done1 the chief captain ordered him brought into the castle and whipped until ,paul told why the ,jews cried so against him4 ,as they were binding him to beat him1 ,paul said to the centurion who stood by4 ,is it lawful for you to whip a man who is a ,roman and uncondemned8 ,when the centurion heard this1 he hurried to the chief captain saying1 ,take heed what thou doest2 for this man is a ,roman4 ,then the chief captain came and said to ,paul1 ,tell me1 art thou a ,roman8 ,yes1 answered ,paul4 ,with a great sum obtained ,i this freedom1 said ,claudius4 ,but ,i was a free born ,roman1 proudly answered ,paul4 ,when they heard this1 those who were going to torture him hurried away from him1 and the chief captain1 too1 was troubled2 for he knew he had no right to put chains on a ,roman citizen who had not had a fair trial4 ,,before ,,ananias ,,the ,,high ,,priest ,next morning ,paul was brought before ,ananias the ,high ,priest and the ,council4 ,sidenote3 ,paul ,smitten4 ,and ,paul earnestly beholding the council said1 ,men and brethren1 ,i have lived in all good conscience before ,god until this day4 ,at this ,ananias became so enraged that he said to those who stood by ,paul1 ,smite him on the mouth4 ,god shall smite thee1 thou whited wall1 answered ,paul with sudden anger4 ,sittest thou to judge me after the law1 and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law8 ,sidenote3 ,temper ,controlled4 ,those who stood nearest ,paul said1 ,revilest thou ,god's ,high ,priest8 ,then ,paul1 getting control of his feelings answered1 ,i did not know1 brethren1 that he was the ,high ,priest2 for it is written1 ,thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people4 ,sidenote3 ,two ,sects4 ,paul then noticed that in the council were two parties1 some ,pharisees and some ,sadducees2 so by speaking wisely of the resurrection1 he won the ,pharisees on his side1 who said1 ,we find no evil in this man4 ,it may be that an angel or a spirit has spoken to him4 ,this made the ,sadducees angry1 the two factions got to quarreling and became so angry at each other that the chief captain fearing that they would tear ,paul to pieces1 commanded the soldiers to take him back to the castle4 ,sidenote3 ,divine ,comfort4 ,on the next night while ,paul was still in the castle1 the ,lord stood by him and said1 ,be of good cheer1 ,paul2 for as thou hast testified of me in ,jerusalem so must thou also bear witness at ,rome4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,plot to ,kill4 ,on the following morning about forty of these angary ,jews bound themselves together by an oath1 swearing that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed ,paul4 ,to accomplish this1 they said to the chief ,priests1 we have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will taste nothing until we have slain ,paul4 ,now1 you ask the chief captain to bring him down to you tomorrow1 as though you would inquire something more2 and we1 as soon as he comes near us1 will be ready to kill him4 ,but their plot became known to ,paul's sister's son1 who hastened to the castle1 and told his uncle all about it4 ,after hearing his nephew's story1 ,paul called one of the centurions1 and said1 ,sidenote3 ,the ,plot ,frustrated4 ,take this young man to the chief captain2 for he hath a certain thing to tell him4 ,the centurion did as directed and said to the chief captain1 ,paul1 the prisoner1 called me to him1 and asked me to bring this young man unto thee1 who hath something to say unto thee4 ,what is it thou hast to tell me8 asked the chief captain4 ,the ,jews have agreed to ask you to take ,paul tomorrow into the ,council1 as though they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly4 ,but do not thou yield unto them2 for there lie in wait for him about forty men1 who have bound themselves together with an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him4 ,the chief captain believed the young man and said to him4 ,see thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me4 ,the chief captain then called two centurions saying1 ,make ready two hundred soldiers to go to ,caesarea1 and seventy horsemen1 and two hundred spearmen4 ,tell them to be ready at nine o'clock tonight to take ,paul safely unto ,felix the governor4 ,claudius ,lysius then wrote a letter to ,governor ,felix explaining1 briefly1 why ,paul was being sent to him4 #b ,he also sent word to ,paul's accusers to go to the ,governor and make their charges known4 ,when ,paul1 safe and sound1 appeared before ,felix1 the ,governor asked1 ,sidenote3 ,at ,caesarea4 ,what province are you from8 ,from ,cilicia1 ,paul answered4 ,i will hear thee1 said ,felix1 when thine accusers are also come4 ,paul was then put in ,herod's judgment hall until his trial five days later4 ,sidenote3 ,in ,confinement4 ,thus had ,paul's life within the short space of a few days been twice preserved from those who wanted to kill him4 ,god had spoken to him1 saying1 ,be of good cheer1 and although he was still a prisoner1 there was peace in his soul for he knew he had done only what was right1 and that ,god approved of his labors4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,read the entire speech as recorded in ,acts #bb3a-ba4 #b4 ,see ,acts #bc3be-cj4 ,,lesson #cf ,,two ,,years ,,in ,,prison ,i have a conscience void of offense toward ,god and all men4--,joseph ,smith4 ,,before ,,felix ,five days after ,paul had been put in the ,judgment ,hall1 the high priest ,ananias and some of his elders came to ,caesarea to appear against him4 ,they brought with them a lawyer named ,tertullus4 ,felix1 the ,roman ,governor1 summoned the prisoner to appear before him to hear from the ,jewish lawyer what things ,paul had done4 ,the hired lawyer began his speech by flattering ,felix1 to win his favor1 and then charged ,paul as follows3 ,sidenote3 ,paul ,falsely ,accused4 ,this man is a pestilent fellow1 a mover of sedition among all the ,jews throughout the world and a ringleader among the sect called ,nazarenes4 ,he has profaned the temple1 and has done many other things for which he should be punished4 ,and the ,jews all cried out1 ,yes1 these things are true4 ,when they had spoken1 ,felix motioned with his hand for ,paul to speak in his own defense1 which he did by saying3 ,sidenote3 ,paul's ,defense4 ,as ,i know that thou hast been of many years a judge over this people1 ,i cheerfully answer for myself these charges of the ,jews4 ,twelve days ago1 ,i went up to ,jerusalem to worship2 but ,i deny that ,i disputed with any man1 or that ,i stirred up the people1 either in the synagogues1 or in the city4 ,neither can they prove the charges they make against me4 ,this1 however1 ,i do confess1 that after the way which they call heresy1 so worship ,i the ,god of my fathers1 believing in the law and the prophets1 and in the resurrection of the dead1 both of the just and the unjust2 and ,i try to live to have always a clear conscience void of offense toward ,god1 and men4 ,sidenote3 ,innocent but a ,prisoner4 ,paul spoke so earnestly and honestly that ,felix was convinced he spoke the truth2 and when he concluded1 ,felix knew he was innocent1 but1 for fear of displeasing the ,jews1 who1 he could see1 hated ,paul1 he told the officers to hold ,paul a prisoner1 but to give him his liberty1 and to let his friends come to see him4 ,so ,ananias and ,turtullus had to go back to ,jerusalem without having seen ,paul punished4 ,they still hoped1 however1 to get him either scourged or killed4 ,sidenote3 ,before ,felix and ,druscilla4 ,several days later1 ,felix and his wife ,druscilla1 a ,jewess1 called ,paul before them to hear more about this ,christian doctrine4 ,unfortunately the governor and his wife had not lived a good life2 so when ,paul reasoned of righteousness1 temperance1 and judgment to come upon sinners1 ,felix trembled1 and answered1 ,go away for this time2 when ,i find it again convenient to hear you1 ,i will send for you4 ,sidenote3 ,offered a ,bribe4 ,felix was not a just judge1 yet he wanted to dismiss ,paul2 but he hoped to get some money for doing it4 ,so he called the prisoner before him many times1 and hinted that if ,paul would give him money1 he would free him2 but ,paul scorned the intimation to be bribed4 ,so for two years ,paul was kept in prison2 but during that time1 he no doubt preached the ,gospel to many of his friends1 and perhaps to many strangers as well4 ,when ,felix was released as governor1 willing to show the ,jews a pleasure1 he left ,paul bound4 ,,before ,,festus ,sidenote3 ,another ,wicked ,scheme4 ,felix was succeeded by ,festus1 who was a more just and honorable governor4 ,festus remained in ,caesarea about three days1 and went up to visit ,jerusalem4 ,then the chief priests and others tried to poison his mind against ,paul1 and asked that he might be brought from ,caesarea to ,jerusalem to be tried4 ,it was their wicked plan to waylay ,paul and kill him4 ,but ,festus answered1 ,this prisoner will be kept at ,caesarea1 and ,i will return there myself4 ,let some of your ablest men go down with me1 and prove that this man is as wicked as you say4 ,ten days later1 in ,caesarea1 ,festus sat on the judgment seat1 and summoned ,paul before him4 ,they again accused ,paul of many wicked things1 but could prove none of them4 ,paul again answered for himself1 saying1 ,sidenote3 ,denies ,charges4 ,i have done no wrong against the law of the ,jews1 neither against the temple2 nor against ,caesar4 ,festus1 desiring to please the ,jews1 and not knowing that they desired to kill ,paul1 said1 ,are you willing to go up to ,jerusalem1 and there be judged of these things before me8 ,i am standing in a ,roman court1 where ,i ought to be judged2 ,i have not wronged the ,jews1 as thou very well knowest2 and no man shall deliver me unto them4 ,i appeal unto ,caesar4 ,sidenote3 ,appeal to ,caesar4 ,paul1 you remember1 was a ,roman citizen2 and therefore1 had the right under the law to be tried at ,rome before ,caesar1 the emperor4 ,festus1 after conferring with his council1 said to ,paul4 ,hast thou appealed unto ,caesar8 ,then unto ,caesar shalt thou go4 ,so ,paul was taken to prison to await a favorable opportunity to be sent to ,rome4 ,,before ,,king ,,agrippa ,when ,paul was blind just after his vision1 the ,lord said1 ,he is a chosen vessel unto me1 to bear my name before the ,gentiles and kings1 and the children of ,israel4 ,among the rulers to whom ,paul preached the ,gospel were ,king ,agrippa and his sister ,bernice4 ,agrippa1 who ruled over part of the land on the east side of the river ,jordan1 paid ,festus a visit2 and the ,governor took occasion to tell the ,king all about ,paul1 how he had been left a prisoner by ,felix2 how the ,jews had accused him1 but failed to prove their charges2 how he refused to go to ,jerusalem2 and how finally he had appealed to ,caesar4 #a ,said ,agrippa1 ,festus1 ,i should like to hear this man myself4 ,all right1 said ,festus1 tomorrow thou shalt hear him4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,royal ,assembly4 ,on the morrow1 ,agrippa and ,bernice came with great pomp2 which means1 no doubt1 that he dressed in his purple robes and she in her bright jewels1 and attended with servants all dressed in gorgeous colors4 ,it was a royal assemblage1 and a royal occasion1 but the most royal personage among them was the humble prisoner who appeared in chains to plead his innocence and the justice of his cause4 ,the ,king1 looking at ,paul1 with more curiosity than contempt1 said1 ,thou art permitted to speak for thyself4 ,then ,paul1 addressing himself principally to ,agrippa1 delivered a most impressive address as follows3 ,sidenote3 ,an ,impressive ,address4 ,i think myself happy1 ,king ,agrippa1 that ,i shall answer for myself1 before thee1 of all the things charged against me by the ,jews2 because ,i know that thou dost know all about the customs and the questions which are among the ,jews4 ,i ask thee then1 to hear me patiently4 ,my manner of life from my youth1 all the ,jews know1 for ,i lived among them2 and if they would tell the truth1 they would testify that after the most strict sect of our religion1 ,i lived a ,pharisee4 ,and now ,i stand and am to be judged for the hope of the promise made of ,god unto our fathers2 that promise unto which our twelve tribes1 constantly serving ,god day and night1 hope to come4 ,for this hope1 ,king ,agrippa1 ,i am accused of the ,jews4 ,why should it be thought a thing which thou couldst not believe1 that ,god should raise the dead8 ,at one time1 ,i verily thought myself1 that ,i ought to do many things contrary to the name of ,jesus of ,nazareth2 and this ,i did in ,jerusalem3 and many of the ,saints ,i shut up in prison1 having received authority from the chief priests2 and even when they were put to death1 ,i gave my voice against them4 ,and ,i punished them oft in every synagogue1 and compelled them to blaspheme2 and being exceedingly mad against them1 ,i persecuted them even unto strange cities4 ,whereupon as ,i went to ,damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests1 at midday1 ,o ,king1 ,i saw in the way a light from heaven1 above the brightness of the sun1 shining round about me and them who journeyed with me4 ,and when we were all fallen to the earth1 ,i heard a voice speaking unto me1 saying1 in the ,hebrew tongue3 ',saul1 ,saul1 why persecutest thou me8' ,and ,i said1 ',who art thou4 ,lord8' ,and he answered1 ',i am ,jesus whom thou persecutest1 ,but rise1 and stand upon thy feet3 for ,i have appeared unto thee for this purpose1 to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen1 and of those things in which ,i will appear unto thee2 delivering thee from the people1 and from the ,gentiles1 unto whom now ,i send thee1 to open their eyes1 and to turn them from darkness to light1 and from the power of ,satan unto ,god1 that they may receive forgiveness of sins1 and inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith that is in me4' ,whereupon1 ,o ,king ,agrippa1 ,i was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision3 but explained first unto them of ,damascus1 and at ,jerusalem1 and throughout all the coasts of ,judea1 and then to the ,gentiles1 that they should repent and turn to ,god1 and to works meet for repentance4 ,for these causes the ,jews caught me in the temple1 and went about to kill me4 ,having therefore obtained help of ,god1 ,i continue unto this day1 witnessing both to small and great1 saying none other things than those which the prophets and ,moses did say should come1 that ,christ should suffer1 and that he should be the first to rise from the dead1 and should show light unto the people1 and to the ,gentiles4 ,sidenote3 ,an ,interruption4 ,just at this point in his address1 ,paul was interrupted by ,festus1 who cried1 ,paul1 thou art beside thyself2 much learning doth make thee mad6 ,but ,paul said1 ,i am not mad1 most noble ,festus2 but speak forth the words of truth and soberness4 ,the king knoweth of these things1 before whom ,i speak freely2 for ,i am persauded that none of these things are hidden from him2 for this thing was not done in a corner4 ,king ,agrippa1 believest thou the prophets8 ,i know thou believest4 ,sidenote3 ,almost ,persuaded4 ,then said ,agrippa1 ,almost thou persaudest me to be a ,christian4 ,i would to ,god1 answered ,paul1 ,that not only thou1 but also all that hear me this day1 were both almost and altogether such as ,i am1 except these bonds4 ,sidenote3 ,should ,be ,free4 ,after listening to ,paul's great address1 the king and his sister1 and the governor withdrew to one side1 and said that there was no cause to keep ,paul a prisoner1 for he had done nothing worthy of death or of bonds4 ,this man1 said ,agrippa to ,festus1 might have been set at liberty1 if he had not appealed unto ,caesar4 ,footnotes3 #a4 ,acts #be3ac-bb4 ,,lesson #cg ,,the ,,voyage ,,to ,,rome ,if we acknowledge ,god in all our ways1 he has promised safely to direct our steps1 and in our experience we shall find the promise fulfilled4 ,sidenote3 ,julius the ,roman ,captain4 ,paul's appeal to ,caesar made it necessary for him to go to ,rome1 ,italy1 where the ,roman ,emperor lived4 ,accordingly1 when all was in readiness1 and passage on a ship secured1 ,paul and some other prisoners embarked for ,rome4 ,he was put into the charge of a ,roman captain named ,julius1 a man who proved to be a kind1 honorable gentleman1 and a true friend to ,paul4 ,he recognized that his apostle-prisoner was a great and good man1 and possessed wisdom superior to that even of the wisest4 ,thrilling experiences happened on this voyage that proved to ,julius that ,paul was not only wise but also inspired of the ,lord4 ,no matter where ,paul was1 in whose company he was thrown1 in peace or persecution1 in prospect of life or threatened death1 he was always the same earnest preacher of the ,gospel--a true servant of his ,lord and ,master ,jesus ,christ4 ,this is why even his enemies respected and feared him1 and why ,julius and other honest men admired and loved him4 ,sidenote3 ,companions4 ,sidenote3 ,on the ,sea4 ,two of ,paul's true friends were with them1 ,luke the doctor and historian1 and ,aristarchus from ,thessalonica4 ,sailing northward from ,caesarea1 they stopped for a day at ,sidon1 where1 through the courtesy of ,julius1 ,paul went ashore to see his friends who were living there4 ,what a happy and yet sad meeting that must have been6 ,from ,sidon1 they sailed to the northwest1 past the island of ,cyprus1 thence westward1 past the shore of ,asia ,minor4 ,at ,myra1 a city of ,lycia1 ,julius1 the ,centurion1 found a ship sailing from ,alexandria to ,italy1 so he transferred his prisoners from the ship of ,adranythum to the one from ,alexandria4 ,this latter ship was loaded with wheat that was being taken from ,egypt to ,italy4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,fair ,havens4 ,for many days1 the ship moved very slowly because of a heavy wind1 but at length it came to the island of ,crete4 ,they followed its shore until they found a harbor called ,the ,fair ,havens1 near the city of ,lasea4 ,as it was not a very good place in which to spend the winter1 the owner concluded to sail to another harbor4 ,,paul ,,gives ,,warning ,as the sailing was dangerous1 it being late in the season1 ,paul warned them not to leave1 saying3 ,sidenote3 ,inspired ,warning4 ,sirs1 ,i perceive that this voyage will be with injury and much damage1 not only of the lading of the ship1 but also of our lives2 and he urged them to stay where they were for the winter4 ,but the owner of the ship1 believing ,paul didn't know anything about sailing1 said it was alright to go2 and the ,centurion believing the owner of the ship had better judgment than ,paul1 consented to sail for sea again4 ,sidenote3 ,ancient ,ships4 ,the ships in those days were not like the steamships of today4 ,they were rudely built and rigged2 having one large mast1 through whose head passed ,ancient strong ropes2 and one large sail4 ,it was steered by two paddle-rudders4 ,easily strained and exposed to leakage1 it was in danger of floundering2 the way in which many ancient vessels were lost4 ,ropes were carried for binding the hull when weakened by storm4 ,on the prow was a painted eye1 as if seeking direction and watching against danger4 ,its ornaments were figures of heathen divinities1 to whom idolatrous and superstitious sailors looked for protection4 ,paul's judgment told him it was dangerous to attempt to cross the ,mediterranean ,sea in such a boat1 and he knew by the inspiration of the ,lord that1 if the sailors attempted to do so1 they would meet with disaster4 ,there were two hundred and seventy-six persons on board as they weighed anchor at ,fair ,havens1 and continued their journey4 ,the fair weather and favorable wind gave promise of a successful and safe voyage2 and no doubt the sailors laughed at ,paul for his fears4 ,sidenote3 ,a ,storm ,begins4 ,but suddenly all was changed4 ,a strong wind sweeping down from the mountains on the shore1 struck the ship and wheeled it around4 ,the sailors were unable to control it1 and the rudder was powerless to guide it4 ,behind the ship was a little boat1 which they now pulled up on board2 and as the ship was being threatened to be dashed to pieces1 they bound it with ropes to keep it together1 and if possible1 to prevent it from leaking4 ,sidenote3 ,ship ,threatened4 ,but notwithstanding all their efforts1 the boat began to leak1 and was driven out into the sea4 ,it was then that they began to lighten the ship4 ,still the tempestuous wind and rain beat against the ship1 and the danger of ship wreck increased every hour4 ,the hours dragged on into days1 and the hungry1 stricken passengers and sailors paced terror-stricken day and night4 ,on the third day1 ,luke says1 ,we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship2 by which we conclude that the ship was leaking so badly that even the passengers assisted in casting overboard everything that could be thrown4 ,and when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared1 and no small tempest lay on us1 all hope that we should be saved was then taken away4 ,even ,luke1 it seems lost heart1 and was about to give up4 ,sidenote3 ,all in ,despair but ,one4 ,without regular food--and what they had probably in a spoiled condition--drenched and cold1 despair seized the whole company4 ,but there was one exception--that was ,paul4 ,while others were losing hope1 'he was engaged in earnest prayer4' ,neither discomfort nor danger1 nor opposition to his counsels1 nor these combined could disturb his calmness which was so unlike the fear and anguish about him4 ,there was a great contrast between the reeling ship and his firmness2 between the darkness1 and the heavenly light within him2 between bodily weakness and spiritual strength2 between the despairing cries about him1 and his calm voice2 between the painted eye on the ship's prow1 and the all-seeing eye upon him2 between the ornamental images of powerless false gods1 and the ,almighty ,ruler over all4 ,in the midst of this despair and darkness1 ,paul arose1 and said3 ,sidenote3 ,a ,prophecy4 ,sirs1 ye should have hearkened unto me1 and not have loosed from ,crete1 and to have gained this harm and loss4 ,and now1 ,i exhort you to be of good cheer3 for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you1 but the ship4 ,for there stood by me this night the angel of ,god1 whose ,i am1 and whom ,i serve1 saying1 ,fear not1 ,paul2 thou must be brought before ,caesar2 and lo1 ,god has given thee all of them that sail with thee2 wherefore1 sirs1 be of good cheer2 for ,i believe ,god1 that it shall be even as it was told me4 ,but we must be cast upon an island4 ,sidenote3 ,sailors ,attempt to ,escape4 ,for fourteen days the storm lasted2 and then one night the sailors thought they were nearing land4 ,they sounded the depth and found the water twenty fathoms deep2 then in a little while1 they measured again1 and found it fifteen fathoms deep1 so they knew that land was not far away4 ,they anchored the ship1 and looked anxiously for the day4 ,then some of the sailors began to lower the little boat1 pretending to throw out more anchors1 but really intending to forsake the ship and leave all on board to destruction4 ,when ,paul discovered their purpose1 he said to the ,centurion1 ,sidenote3 ,paul ,stops ,them4 ,unless these sailors stay in the ship none of us can be saved4 ,at this the soldiers cut the rope and let the boat fall away1 so the sailors could not get off4 ,sidenote3 ,comfort and ,food4 ,about daylight1 ,paul addressed the company again1 and urged them to take food4 ,this is the fourteenth day1 he said1 that you have gone without eating1 wherefore1 ,i pray you to take some meat2 for this is for your health3 for there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you4 ,he then took bread1 and gave thanks in the presence of them all3 and when he had broken it1 he began to eat4 ,encouraged by ,paul's faith and assurance1 they all broke their fast1 and then lightened the ship by throwing overboard the wheat4 ,as soon as daylight came1 they could see land1 but did not know what place it was4 ,however1 they saw a creek coming into the sea1 and concluded they could run their ship safely into the bay4 ,so they cut anchor1 hoisted the sail1 and struck for shore4 ,as a climax of all disasters1 the ship ran aground4 ,the front end stuck fast in the sand and the rear part began to break in pieces4 ,sidenote3 ,ship ,wrecked4 ,there was a ,roman law which said a soldier must take a prisoner's place if the soldier permitted the prisoner to escape2 so the soldiers fearing the prisoners might swim ashore and escape asked the ,centurion to kill all the prisoners while they were on board4 ,but ,julius1 desiring to save ,paul's life1 refused to permit the prisoners to be killed4 ,some then swam ashore1 and rendering help to others1 succeeded in getting every soul safe to land--not one life was lost1 but the ship1 just as ,paul had foretold it4 ,the island was ,melita1 just south of ,sicily4 ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,god ,,manifest ,luke says the barbarous people showed us no little kindness2 for they kindled a fire1 and received us everyone1 because of the present rain1 and because of the cold4 ,sidenote3 ,bitten by a ,viper4 ,paul was busy helping to feed the fire1 and to make it more comfortable for himself and others1 when something happened that startled the natives4 ,a viper crawled from one of the sticks1 and fastened itself on ,paul's hand4 ,when the people saw it1 and knew how poisonous it was1 they said3 ,no doubt this man is a murderer1 whom1 though he hath escaped the sea1 yet vengeance will not permit to live4 ,sidenote3 ,natives ,astonished4 ,then they looked for him to swell up and die4 ,but they were surprised to see that not the least harm came to him4 ,then they changed their minds1 and said he was a god4 ,sidenote3 ,gospel ,preached4 ,undoubtedly1 ,paul told them who he was1 and preached the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ to them4 ,they were entertained by ,publius1 the chief man of the island1 who also heard the ,gospel1 and saw the power of the ,priesthood made manifest4 ,his father was sick of fever1 and very ill4 ,paul administered to him by laying on of hands1 and he was instantly healed4 ,the news of these miracles soon spread with the result that many who were sick came to the brethren and were healed4 ,all these honored us with many honors1 says the historian ,luke1 ,and when we departed1 they loaded us with such things as were necessary4 ,sidenote3 ,seeds of ,truth ,sown4 ,what a blessing to these people was the three months sojourn of ,paul and his companions1 and with what keen regret and sorrow they must have said goodby when the ,castor and ,pollus1 the ship from ,alexandria1 carried ,paul away from them forever8 ,it carried him1 but not the truths he had taught4 ,these would remain with them1 and1 if accepted1 would bless them eternally4 ,,lesson #ch ,,the ,,world ,,enriched ,,by ,a ,,prisoner ,,chained ,the blood of the ,martyrs is the seed of the ,church4 ,sidenote3 ,anticipation vs4 ,realization4 ,a few school boys1 one day1 met to debate the question1 ,resolved1 ,that there is more pleasure in ,anticipation than in ,realization4 ,one on the side that tried to prove that ,anticipation gives more pleasure1 referred to every boy's experience at ,christmas time1 saying that the day before ,christmas and ,christmas ,eve always give more joy than ,christmas itself--,as soon as the boy gets his toys1 then he begins to regret that ,christmas isn't tomorrow4 ,that boy expressed in his simple way about the same thought contained in this sentence from ,emerson3 ,man looks forward with smiles but backward with sighs2 or as another writer puts it1 ,what we expect is always greater than what we enjoy4 ,such may not be the case always in life2 but it certainly must have been ,paul's experience in regard to his anticipated visit to ,rome4 ,for several years he had looked forward with pleasure to the time when he would have the opportunity to preach the ,gospel in the famous capital of the great ,roman ,empire4 ,but now as he approaches the realization of his hopes1 he is an old man1 worn with exposure and confinement1 and a prisoner4 ,however1 we must not conclude that he was left comfortless1 or that he had any less desire to bear testimony to the world of the divine mission of his ,savior4 ,on the contrary he continued to seize every opportunity to preach the everlasting ,gospel4 ,sidenote3 ,syracuse4 ,this he did when the ,castor and ,pollux or ,the ,twin ,brothers1 stopped eighty miles north from ,malta1 at a place called ,syracuse1 the ancient capital of ,sicily4 ,it is not unlikely that ,paul asked permission to go ashore and preach the ,gospel to the ,jews and the ,gentiles who were in that celebrated city4 ,if so1 we are sure ,julius would grant his request4 ,at any rate1 the ,sicilians afterward claimed that ,paul founded the ,church on that island4 ,sidenote3 ,puteoli4 ,his next important stop was on the northern part of the beautiful bay of ,naples1 where was situated a town named ,puteoli2 now known as ,pozzuoli4 ,as the ship carrying ,paul and his friends entered this harbor1 it was met by a crowd of people who had gathered to greet it4 ,among these were brethren who came to welcome and comfort the missionary-prisoner4 ,perhaps through a desire of ,julius to remain here long enough to communicate with ,rome1 or it may be through his kindness to ,paul1 the company remained at ,puteoli seven days1 thus giving the ,elders an opportunity to spend a ,sabbath day with the ,saints in that place4 ,how refreshing to ,paul's spirit to worship once again with those who possessed the same testimony of the ,gospel as he6 ,sidenote3 ,met by ,true ,friends4 ,word having been sent ahead that ,paul was on his way from ,puteoli to ,rome1 many of the brethren in that city started out to meet the beloved and famous missionary4 ,no doubt the ,saints in ,rome realized that ,paul's spirit as well as his body would be worn and weary1 and1 as true friends indeed1 they made preparation to go to him4 ,true friendship always prompts one to go to a friend in adversity rather than in prosperity4 ,it may be that they desired only to give him a royal convoy into their city2 for he was truly a royal personage even though bound in chains4 ,whatever their motive1 some of the brethren traveled forty-one miles1 and met their beloved ,apostle at the ,apii ,forum4 ,another party met him at ,three ,taverns--thirty miles from ,rome4 ,paul's heart was touched by this manifestation of friendship and true brotherhood1 and he thanked ,god1 and took courage4 ,sidenote3 ,under ,guard4 ,when the company reached the renowned capital of the ancient world1 it must have seemed to ,paul like a huge prison2 and when his friends parted from him to go to their own homes and he to his guarded place1 his heart must have been heavy indeed4 ,however1 ,julius kindly delivered his prisoner over to the captain of the ,pretorian ,guard1 the highest military authority in the city--the guard that had charge of all those who were to come before the ,emperor for trial4 ,fortunately1 ,paul was not put in prison but permitted to dwell in a house by himself1 under the constant guard of a soldier4 ,here he was given all the freedom possible1 to a prisoner2 so1 true to his energetic spirit1 he found many opportunities to continue his preaching4 ,this he would do first to the soldiers to whom he was chained daily4 ,as they would frequently relieve one another1 he would have ample opportunity to preach the truth to many of the guards1 and thus1 probably1 indirectly to the ,emperor himself4 ,sidenote3 ,appeals to ,jews4 ,he made occasion1 also1 to preach to the ,jews4 ,he called the chief men of this nation together and told them why he was then a prisoner4 ,though ,i have committed nothing against the people1 or customs of our fathers1 said he1 yet was ,i delivered prisoner from ,jerusalem into the hands of the ,romans1 who1 when they had examined me1 would have let me go1 because there was no cause of death in me2 but when the ,jews spake against it1 ,i was constrained to appeal unto ,caesar4 ,for this cause therefore have ,i called for you1 to see you1 and to speak with you1 because that for the hope of ,israel ,i am bound with this chain4 ,sidenote3 ,jews ,reject ,message4 ,the ,jews answered that they had heard nothing of evil against him2 but as concerning this sect 7meaning the ,christians71 we know that everywhere it is spoken against4 ,in fact1 in ,rome as elsewhere1 the ,jews rejected the ,gospel message1 and compelled ,paul to turn to the ,gentiles4 ,sidenote3 ,the ,gospel ,spreads4 ,for nearly eight hundred days1 ,paul remained a prisoner awaiting his trial before the ,emperor4 ,during that time1 he preached the ,gospel to hundreds of soldiers who had one after another daily been appointed as guards4 ,these1 when converted1 would convert others1 and when sent off to ,roman provinces1 would spread the ,gospel in new lands1 thus widening the area in which the light of truth might shine4 ,sidenote3 ,message ,through ,epistles4 ,but that was not the only way in which it radiated from the humble abode of the missionary-prisoner4 ,during that two years confinement1 he kept in communication with the ,church in ,europe and ,asia4 ,as there were no railroads1 no steamboats1 nor telegraph1 every letter that he received or that he sent to them was carried by a courier1 who had to travel very slowly by land and sea1 sometimes for hundreds of miles4 ,but he had loving friends attending him who were always ready to bear his messages4 ,some of these you already know4 ,luke1 the faithful physician2 ,timothy1 his son in the ,gospel2 ,john ,mark1 who1 you remember1 started with ,paul and ,barnabas on their first mission2 ,aristarchus of ,thessalonica2 ,epaphroditus1 a friend from ,macedonia2 ,onesimus1 a slave belonging to ,paul's friend1 ,philemon1 and others4 ,with these faithful servants as messengers1 ,paul wrote letters1 called epistles1 which have made the whole world better and richer in the knowledge of truth4 ,these letters are now in the ,new ,testament1 and are called ,epistle to the ,philippians1 ,epistles to ,philemon1 ,epistle to the ,colossians1 and ,epistle to the ,ephesians4 ,,image3 ,,st4 ,,paul4 ,chained by the wrist to his soldier guard1 in his own house1 for two whole years4 ,thus did ,paul's epistles written in a ,roman prison become literally ,winged messengers that can fly from east to west on embassies of love4 ,sidenote3 ,released4 ,certainty of what ,paul did after his having been a prisoner in ,rome for two years1 ends with ,luke's statement1 that he received all that came unto him1 preaching the kingdom of ,god1 and teaching those things which concern the ,lord ,jesus ,christ with all confidence1 no man forbidding him4 ,it is believed1 however1 that he was finally given his liberty and that he preached in many lands1 tradition saying that he even went to ,england4 ,it is thought that it was during this missionary tour that he wrote his first letter to ,timothy1 who had been appointed to take care of the church at ,ephesus1 and also the one to ,titus who was with the churches on the island of ,crete4 ,sidenote3 ,again ,arrested4 ,about the year #fd ,a4 ,d41 however1 he was again arrested and imprisoned in ,rome4 ,only a year previous the ,saints had been persecuted to death by the wicked ,nero4 ,they had been thrown into the ,arena1 devoured by wild beasts1 burned to death as human torches1 and martyred in other cruel ways4 ,sidenote3 ,beheaded4 ,it was soon after the burning of ,rome by this wicked emperor1 that ,paul1 the most energetic of all missionaries1 after thirty years of constant service in the ministry1 was put to death by beheading4 ,just before the end came1 he wrote to ,timothy these beautiful and pathetic words3 ,i am now ready to be offered1 and the time of my departure is at hand4 ,i have fought a good fight1 ,i have finished my course1 ,i have kept the faith2 henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness1 which the ,lord1 the righteous judge1 shall give me at that day4' ,as he bowed his head to receive the fatal stroke1 we know that he could have said in very truth3 ,i feel my immortality o'ersweep all pains1 all tears1 all time1 all fears2 and peal1 like the eternal thunders of the deep1 into my ears this truth--thou livest forever6 ,before the ,royal he was kingly1 ,in the prison1 noble1 true2 ,in the tempest1 mighty captain ,of a terror-stricken crew4 ,sunless days nor nights of blackness1 ,prison chains--tempestuous wave4 ,floundered ship nor deadly viper-- ,feared he not the yawning grave4 ,god's good angel stood beside me1 ,his ,i am and ,him ,i serve1 ,this the secret of his power-- ,him from ,right no power could swerve4