Chapter 9

#145.# There, too, were _the Apostles_, who were filled with despair at the fate of him who they had hoped would redeem Israel. Now their hope perished, and they gave way to dark despair. All his acquaintances from Galilee were there, the women beating their breasts for sorrow. Criminals were there as his companions in agony and shame. Yes, the scene at the cross was the most dramatic that the world had ever seen. For the time, the powers of darkness seem to have triumphed, and the best man in the world was nailed to the accursed cross.

#146. The Penitent Robber.#--Yet even here a sudden ray of light divine breaks the darkness, and in the penitent robber we have the most wonderful record of the triumph of faith that the world has ever seen. How he was led out into the light of faith just at the moment that the faith of all others was eclipsed we cannot tell, but the fact remains. Note, all, even the Apostles, had given up faith in Jesus as the Messiah. But just at this moment, like the sun bursting through the dark thunder-cloud, we see the faith of this robber emerge, resplendent, for he recognized in the crucified man next him his "Lord." He also recognizes in him a king, for he speaks to him concerning his kingdom, to which he is about to go. More than this. The robber believes that it will be well with him in the next world if his dying companion in pain remembers him, and he also believes that he will be willing to remember him. What a most wonderful exhibition of faith this was, under the circumstances. At the moment when the powers of darkness were most triumphant the power of the Holy Spirit was also most clearly shown. And in response to all this faith comes the reassuring reply, "To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise."

#147.# At the cross, too, we may see the epitome of all men in their relation to sin and death, for while all three of the victims that day were brought to the cross by sin, they stood in very different relationships to sin. See, all died because of sin. But the impenitent robber died _in_ his sin. On the other hand, the penitent robber that day died _to_ sin. Jesus could do neither of these things, for he had no sin. But that day he died _for_ sin. This truth is set forth in the accompanying diagram, and is most suggestive. None but Jesus can die for sin, but all sinners must either die in sin or die to sin.

Test Questions

When did our Lord arrive at Bethany?

How do we know that the events of these eight days were of the utmost importance in the minds of the evangelists?

Why did the ecclesiastics not want to put Jesus to death on the feast day?

Give the first reason why his death came on a feast day.

Give the second reason for this.

Give the third reason for this action.

State in what respect the trial of Jesus was twofold.

What were the charges in the ecclesiastical trial?

What were the charges in the political trial?

What was the verdict of both Pilate and Herod about Jesus?

State in detail who were present at the crucifixion.

Give the story of the wonderful triumph of faith on the part of the penitent robber.

What was the relationship of the three crucified men to sin?

Lesson 7

The Forty Days

New Testament Division--Second Period (Concluded)

+-----------+----------+----------+---------- EVENTS | MATTHEW | MARK | LUKE | JOHN ---------------------+-----------+----------+----------+---------- The Resurrection | | | | Morning. Women Visit | | | | the Sepulcher. | 28:1-8 | 16:1-8 | 24:1-11 | 20:1, 2 | | | | Peter and John Visit | | | | the Sepulcher. | ... | ... | 24:12 | 20:3-10 | | | | Appearance to Mary | | | | Magdalene. | ... | 16:9-11 | ... | 20:11-18 | | | | Second Appearance. | 28:9, 10 | | | | | | | Report of the Guard. | 28:11-15 | | | | | | | Appearance to Peter; | 1 Cor. | 16:12, | | Walk to Emmaus. | 15:5 | 13 | 24:13-35 | | | | | Appearance to Ten | | | | Disciples. | ... | 16:14-18 | 24:36-43 | 20:19-25 | | | | Appearance to Eleven | | | | Disciples. | ... | ... | ... | 20:26-29 | | | | Sea of Galilee. | | | | Appearance to Seven | | | | Disciples. | 28:16 | ... | ... | 21:1-24 | | | | Appearance to Many | | 1 Cor. | | Disciples. | 28:16-20 | 15:6 | | | | | | Final Appearance; | Acts | 16:19, | | Ascension. | 1:3-12 | 20 | 24:44-53 | | | | | Conclusion. | ... | ... | ... | 20:30, | | | | 31; 21:25 ---------------------+-----------+----------+----------+----------

#TIME.#--A. D. 30.

#PLACES.#--Jerusalem, Galilee, Mt. of Olives.

The Incomparable Life (Concluded)

#148. The Forty Days.#--As it is unfortunately customary on the part of certain modern critics to deny the physical resurrection of our Lord, and to maintain that all that we know about him after his resurrection is that he was alive, it seems needful to give a whole lesson to these forty days. The critics above referred to claim that the disciples of Jesus _expected_ his physical resurrection, and, being ignorant and unlearned, they were easily deceived by the reports of the women. In reply to this unwarranted claim the following truths must be insisted on.

#149.# _First truth._ The disciples never expected Jesus _to die_, least of all on the cross. Indeed, the general expectation was that the Messiah must abide forever (John 12:34). So when he spoke of his death, they did not even understand what he meant. (See Mark 9:32; Luke 9:45; Luke 18:34.) At one time when Jesus spoke of all this, Peter even ventured to rebuke him (Matt. 16:22).

#150.# _Second truth._ From the above it is most apparent that they never _even thought_ of a resurrection (see Mark 9:10). When they saw him die, and knew from the physical signs of the blood and water that he was dead, they at once gave up all hope in him as the expected Messiah. This is apparent from the remark of the two to the Master as they were going to Emmaus (Luke 24:21). Their remark implies that now they had given up any such hope. But more than this. Had they thought of any resurrection, would they not have remained near the garden where his body was laid? Surely John and the Master's mother would not have abandoned that garden for Jerusalem. Nor would they have prepared spices for his final entombment had they had any reasonable hope of his resurrection. What took the women to the tomb on that Easter morning was not any remotest hope that they might find him alive, but only the completion of plans for his final burial. All this is apparent from the unvarnished narrative of all of the evangelists. Rightly read, the narrative reveals the one fact that they had not the least hope that they would ever see him alive in this world.

#151.# _Third truth._ When the tomb was found empty on that Easter morning, even that did not awaken any thought that the Lord had risen. This is proved by the whole story of Mary on that day (John 20). All her thought was, where is _the body_? Even when Jesus appeared to Mary, she did not recognize him at first, so far was it from her thought that he could be living. And when the women reported to the disciples that they had seen him alive, their words seemed to the Apostles as "idle talk" (Luke 24:11). So when Peter and John ran to the tomb and found not his body, they simply believed that it had been taken away by some one, and not at all that he had risen from the dead, for as yet they knew not the truth that he must rise (John 20:9).

#152.# _Fourth truth._ When the women were convinced that the Lord was really risen, still the men remained unconvinced. The two on their way to Emmaus did not recognize him, for they never thought that it could be he. Peter seems to have been convinced when the Lord appeared to him, but in that upper chamber, when they all (excepting Thomas) saw him, still they would not believe that it was really he, but thought that they saw a spirit (Luke 24:36-40). It took physical demonstration to prove to these men that he was really in their presence. No, they were not the "credulous" men that the critics would have us believe.

#153.# _Fifth truth._ But as yet Thomas would not believe, and a whole week of arguing on the part of the other disciples did not move him. It took the personal appearance of the Master himself to convince Thomas that the others had not been deceived (John 20:24-29). All this is proof positive that the critics are wrong in this matter and that the evangelists are telling the simple truth about the physical resurrection of our blessed Lord.

#154.# _Sixth truth._ If the body had not risen, but was still in the grave, it would have been easy for the Jews to disprove the story of the physical resurrection. All they would have had to do was to say, "Here we have the body, and to talk of resurrection under these circumstances is absurd." The concocted falsehood (Matt. 28:11-15) shows that the body was not in the grave. But for the disciples to steal it while the Roman soldiers were on guard was absolutely impossible. This is why money had to be given to the soldiers, and they made sure that Pilate would be "fixed" also, and so the soldiers be saved from punishment.

#155. The Conclusion.#--No, the arguments offered to convince us that Jesus' body did not rise are all based on unbelief, and buttressed by false presentation of the whole case. To all these we simply respond, "Now IS Christ risen from the dead."

The appearances of the Master, given in their order, so far as we can arrange it, are as follows:

1. To Mary at the tomb (John 20:11-18).

2. To the women as they were returning from the empty tomb (Matt. 28:9).

3. To Peter (Luke 24:34).

4. To the two walking to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-33).

5. To the ten in the upper chamber (Luke 24:36-48).

6. To the eleven in the upper chamber (John 20:26-29).

7. To James (1 Cor. 15:7).

8. To the seven, at the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-25).

9. To the five hundred brethren in a mountain in Galilee (1 Cor. 15:6).

10. To the Apostles in Jerusalem (Acts 1).

To these may be added his appearances to Paul, to Stephen, and to John on the Isle of Patmos.

#156. The Ascension.#--At last we come to the final scene. We are on the Mount of Olives. He is there, and with him the eleven. As he blesses them, lo, he begins to ascend. In rapt amazement they gaze on his disappearing figure. Then a cloud intervenes, and he is lost to their sight. Still they gaze, hoping once more to see him, when they are aware that two strangers are with them. These men say to them that this same Jesus will return again in like manner as they have just seen him go. Satisfied with this message, they return to Jerusalem, there to tarry until they be endued with that power of which the Master had just spoken to them. How this power came and the results of its coming we shall see in the lesson on the Acts of the Apostles.

Test Questions

What explanation of the resurrection of the Lord do some critics give?

In reply to this false contention, give the first truth.

Give the second truth.

Give the third truth.

Give the fourth truth.

Give the fifth truth.

Give the sixth truth.

Mention in their order the various appearances of our Lord to his disciples.

What other appearances may we add to these?

Describe the final ascent on the Mount of Olives.

After his ascension, where did the Apostles go?

For what did they then wait in the city of Jerusalem?

Lesson 8

The Early Church

New Testament Division--Third and Fourth Periods

#The Pivotal Events of the Book of Acts.#--Pentecost--the bestowal of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-47). The healing power given, as well as spiritual power (Acts 3:1-11; Acts 5:12-16). Persecution came to the disciples (Acts 4:1-22; Acts 5:18). The great persecution (Acts 6:1 to 7:60). The conversion of Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1-22; Acts 22:1-21; Acts 26:1-20). The gospel given to the Gentiles (Acts 10:3 to 11:48). Missionary work organized (Acts 13:1-3). The Council at Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-31). The gospel crossed from Asia to Europe (Acts 16:9). The first preaching at Philippi (Acts 16:14, 15.) Lydia the first convert. (The life of Paul is treated more fully in the next lesson.)

#TIME.#--A. D. 30 to A. D. 51.

#PLACES.#--Jerusalem, Damascus, Caesarea, Tarsus and Cilicia, Troas, Philippi.

#SIGNIFICANCE OF EVENTS.#--Here the gospel ceases to be local in character and becomes universal--held no longer by national or geographical boundaries.

Development of the Early Church

#157. Importance of the Book.#--The Acts of the Apostles is the most important book in the New Testament, for if we were to lose one of the Gospels, we should still have three left, and if we lost one epistle, the others would still be ours. But if we had no "Acts," we should be left with no story of the ascension, (except Luke 24:51) and the next record would be Paul's letter to the Thessalonians. The whole story of Pentecost, and the spread of the Gospel, would be lacking, and, indeed, we should know nothing of the writer of the above-named epistle, nor how he came to write to the church in Thessalonica. We should have absolutely nothing to bridge over the gap between the ascension and this letter.

#158.# In the Acts there are six pivotal events, on which all the rest of the story turns. Master these, and the whole story is clear. These events we give as follows:

(1) _Pentecost._ This means power. It is suggestive that the Greek word translated power (Acts 1:8) is the one from which our word dynamite comes. Bear in mind the situation at the ascension. Here were fishermen and common individuals, to whom was committed the carrying of the gospel to all the world, yet they had neither education, nor wealth, nor social position, nor political influence. What an impossible task! What they needed, therefore, more than anything else, was power from above. It was this that Pentecost gave them, and that, too, in such measure that Peter won, in one day, more disciples for his Master than the Master himself had won in three and a half years. Thus the church was founded, and before long numbered in Jerusalem over ten thousand persons.

(2) _Persecution._ At first persecution might seem to be a disaster to the church. As a matter of fact, it was a great blessing. There was danger that the believers in Jerusalem would forget that they were told to "begin" at Jerusalem, but were to go to Judea and Samaria, and as far as the ends of the earth. Up to the time of the persecution that arose about Stephen there is no sign that the church did anything outside of the City of David. So, in the providence of God, the cloud of persecution broke on them and they were scattered abroad. Most fortunate it is that then they did their duty, for we read that the disciples (except the Apostles who stayed in Jerusalem), went everywhere "preaching the Word" (Acts 8:1-4). This event marked the beginning of that spread of the gospel that has never ceased from that day to this, and never will cease, until the final victory is won. Through persecution it was that God stirred up the disciples, and forced them to do work that they seem, in their great joy over the truth, to have neglected.

(3) _The conversion of Saul._ By far the most dangerous enemy of the infant church was Saul of Tarsus. How he worked, and how the church feared him, we shall see more in detail in our next lesson. Suffice it to say here that had he continued in his first course, the whole history of the spread of the Gospel would have been very different from what it was. From the standpoint of the truth of God, next to Moses, Paul was the greatest man who has ever lived. To have him on the side of the truth, instead of against it, was a great thing for the church of that day and for the church since that day. That which is of the utmost importance in the conversion of Saul is the fact that Jesus himself appeared to him, and in this way gave him, as it were, the Master's own sanction to act as one of the Apostles. As a matter of fact, the two most important miracles of the New Testament are the resurrection of the Lord and the conversion of Saul of Tarsus.

(4) _The tearing down of the middle wall of partition._ This took place in Caesarea, and to Peter was given the great privilege of tearing this wall down. What was this wall? (Eph. 2:14.) It was one divinely built centuries before. Up to the experience at Caesarea (Acts 10) no Gentile might come into the church of God, excepting by way of the Gate of the Proselyte. He must submit to Jewish ordinances and customs before he could be one of the Covenant People. The Apostles themselves had no thought that the Gentiles ever could come into the church excepting in the usual way. Without circumcision, they believed no man could be acceptable to God. Now the time had come when this "middle wall" must come down, and to Peter was given the high privilege of accomplishing this task. But to convince Peter that the command was of Divine origin, it was needful for God to perform a double miracle, the like of which had never been seen. Therefore to Peter on the housetop at Joppa, and to Cornelius the centurion, in Caesarea, God gave a vision, and when the two visions were brought together, they were found to match exactly. Then when the Holy Spirit came to the men at Cornelius' house, Peter was convinced that the middle wall was down, and that to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews the door was open on condition of faith in the Messiah. In this event and that of the church on the day of Pentecost, when Peter opened the door of the church to 3000 Jews, we see, in part at least (and in large part), the fulfilment of "the power of the keys" (Matt. 16:19). To exaggerate the importance of this breaking down of the middle wall is not possible, for had not that been done, we in this day would still have to become Jews before we could be members of God's church on earth. This action by Peter was afterward endorsed by the Council at Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-31), at which the apostle rehearsed his experiences in Caesarea.

(5) _The organizing of missionary work by the church._ This was done in Antioch, as seen in Acts 13:1-3. In this action, guided by the Holy Spirit, the church at Antioch became the pioneer church in missionary labor. It is worth noting that the Holy Spirit chose for this missionary work, not the inferior members of the church, but their very best men. What an example to the church of later days! To this day we need not the lesser lights for missionary work, but the great lights of the church. Let the lesser lights burn at home, but the great lights be sent into the outer darkness to illuminate that. This is the Divine plan.

(6) _The crossing of the gospel from Asia to Europe._ This took place from Troas to Philippi. It was in accord with the Divine plan (Acts 16:9). This army of invasion consisted of only four men, Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke. A feeble force, as viewed from the merely human standpoint; but a potent force viewed from the Divine position. The story is one of the most fascinating in all history. Noteworthy it is that in Europe the first two converts were women--Lydia was the first, and the poor woman possessed of a spirit of divination the second (Acts 16). This woman was under the control of a syndicate of men, who made gain from her misfortune. In these two cases we see a kind of prophecy of the work that the gospel does for womankind. All other religions degrade woman. Only the Christian religion puts her where God originally placed her, by man's side, as his helpmate.

Alas! soon half of this army of invasion finds itself in prison on account of its beneficent work. Yet even here they make a conquest, and before morning the jailor, who put them in the inner prison, is himself a prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ. An army with such a spirit as Paul and Silas had is practically invincible. Thus, the gospel started on its westward way, destined in due time to reach these western shores, then as yet unknown to the eastern world.

Test Questions

Why is the Acts of the Apostles the most important book in the New Testament?

Name the first of the six pivotal events recorded in the Acts.

To what danger was the early church exposed?

About how many members did the church in Jerusalem have before the persecution broke out?

Name the second pivotal event in the Acts.

How did the scattered disciples show their great loyalty to the truth?

Give the third pivotal event in the Acts.

What fact in the conversion of Saul is of the utmost importance?

Give the fourth pivotal event.

What was this middle wall of partition?

What was there remarkable in the miracles that God wrought to convince Peter that he was to tear the wall down?

Name the fifth pivotal event in the Acts.

What kind of men did the Holy Spirit choose for missionaries?

Give the sixth pivotal event in the Acts.

What significance is there in the first conversions in Europe?

What notable victory did Paul and Silas gain in prison?

Lesson 9

The Life of Paul

New Testament Division--Third Period (Concluded)

PRINCIPAL EVENTS

#His Early Life.#--Born (as Saul) at Tarsus, in Cilicia (Acts 22:3), the date of his birth not being known. His trade was that of tentmaking (Acts 18:3), and this he found useful later (1 Cor. 4:12). He was educated under Gamaliel, a noted Rabbi (Acts 22:3; 5:34).

#His First Appearance# in the gospel story is at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:3) and he became an active persecutor of Christians (Acts 9:1; 26:10, 11; 9:13).

#His Conversion# took place on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-22; 22:3-13; 26:9-18). He went to Arabia (Gal. 1:15-17) and worked in Syria and Cilicia (Gal. 1:21). He was brought by Barnabas to Antioch (Acts 11:25, 26) and remained there a year.

#His First Missionary Journey# began at Antioch (Acts 13:1-3) and is described in Acts 13 to Acts 15:35, when a return to Antioch was made. He was stoned at Lystra (Acts 14:8-19) and made a number of disciples (Acts 14:20-24).

#His Second Missionary Journey# began at Antioch, where he and Barnabas disagreed (Acts 15:36-40) and is recorded in Acts 15 to 18:22. Timothy joined him (Acts 16:1-3), he heard the call of need from Macedonia; crossing to Europe (Acts 16:8-10) he planted churches (Acts 17:1-9; 18:1-17) and again returned to Antioch.