The Sunday School

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 15, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 15.

The Sunday School

International Series.

LESSON V.—SUNDAY, MAY 2, 1897.

Paul Begins His First Missionary Journey.

NOTE.—After some sixteen years of growth, the church now sends out her first missionaries to the Gentiles, and in this and succeeding lessons we will follow the journeys of these men to the different peoples for whom they labored. The lesson section includes also the account of Saul’s conversion in Acts 9:1–30 and Gal. 1:13–24. In teaching these lessons the use of the map will be essential. It may be well also to mention that from this time on Saul is known by his Roman name of Paul (little). Claudius Caesar is still ruling Rome, and Cuspius is governor of Judea.

Lesson Scripture, Acts 13:1–13, R. V.

“Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

“So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, went down to Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they had also John as their attendant. And when they had gone through the whole island unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus; which was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. The same called unto him Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the Word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith. But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, fastened his eyes on him, and said, O full of all guile and all villany, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”

“Now Paul and his company set sail for Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.”

Golden Text.—“Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) What gifts of the Spirit were represented in the church at Antioch? Verse 1, first part. (2) Who are mentioned as having these gifts? Ib., last part. Note 1. (3) What command came to the church at this time? Verse 2. Note 2. (4) What solemn ceremony was performed over the departing missionaries? Verse 3. (5) Where did they go? Verse 4. Note 3. (6) At Salamis to whom did they preach? Verse 5, first part. Note 4. (7) Who was with them, acting as their assistant? Ib., last clause. Note 5. (8) Whom did they meet at Paphos? Verse 6. Note 6. (9) What important position did this sorcerer hold? Verse 7, first part. Note 7. (10) What did this proconsul desire of Barnabas and Saul? Ib., last part. (11) In view of the expected loss of his position, what course did the sorcerer take? Verse 8. (12) What was Saul then moved to do? Verse 9. Note 8. (13) How did the apostle address him? Verse 10. (14) What judgment did Saul pronounce upon Elymas? Verse 11, first part. Note 9. (15) What was the effect of the words pronounced upon Bar-jesus? Ib., last part. (16) Seeing this manifestation of power, what did the deputy, or proconsul, do? Verse 12. (17) How was he affected by the teaching of the Lord? Ib. (18) To what place did the apostle and his company next sail? Verse 13, first part. (19) Locate these places on the map. (20) To what place did John go? Verse 13. Note 10.

NOTES.

1. The Barnabas here mentioned is the same who, “having land, sold it,” and laid the money at the apostles’ feet. He was a native of the island of Cyprus. One writer says of Barnabas that he was “born of rich parents, who sent him to be trained at Jerusalem under Gamaliel. There he formed an early friendship with Paul. He was a witness of our Lord’s miracles, and was converted by the healing of the impotent man at Bethesda. He then was the means of converting his sister Mary and her son Mark.” “Niger was a common Roman name, and therefore there is no reason to suppose that he was an African, and was called Niger on account of his dark complexion.”—Meyer. Cyrene was a province of northern Africa; and there is a strong supposition that this Lucius was one of the men of Cyrene mentioned in Acts 11:19, 20, who were instrumental in bringing the Gospel to Antioch. Manaen must have been a person of considerable influence, as well as a man of piety and great strength of character. The association with Herod the Tetrarch, how different was the character developed in the two men. Manaen had abundant opportunity to become as bad a man as his boyhood companion, but what a gulf separates the unrestricted indulgence of the one and the manly, Christian self-restraint of the other!

2. And fasted.—The earnestness of the early church to know the will of the Lord and to keep themselves in a condition to receive his blessing and guidance is clearly shown in this verse. The time had arrived for the church to begin a broader work than she had yet done. The church is in the proper condition to receive the divine command; the command is given, and a new era is marked in the work of God.

3. Seleucia.—This city was the seaport of Antioch, and was distant from it about sixteen and one-half miles. The island of Cyprus was southwest of Seleucia, and nearly 100 miles distant. It is about sixty miles wide, and about 150 long. It was the old home of Barnabas, and no doubt many of his friends and acquaintances with whom he would have influence still lived there. The Gospel had already been preached there to some extent by the Christians who were scattered by the persecution.

4. Preached . . . in the synagogues.—It seems to have been the custom of the apostles to preach first to the Jews, to give them the first opportunity of accepting the truth of Christ’s Messiahship, and then to extend the same privilege to any who would hear. There were many Jews in Cyprus, numbers of whom were working in the copper mines of that place.

5. John.—This is John Mark, author of the Gospel according to Mark, who was a cousin of Barnabas. Col. 4:10, R. V.

6. A certain sorcerer.—Note the different terms applied to him. He was a sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, and was known also as Bar-jesus (son of Jesus), and Elymas (which means a magician). He was false in more senses than being unable to do what he professed to do; for being a Jew, he knew that any such pretensions as he made were false, and it seems to have been his aim to mislead and to teach falsehood for his own profit.

7. Which was with the deputy.—The deputy was a proconsul, or governor, appointed by the State, and Elymas was one of his train, a “friend or associate.” The position which he held was an honorable one, but it was also one which would try the character of the one holding it. Professor Ramsay states that “in the east it is always believed that the governor’s friend may influence his judgment; and every suppliant, every litigant, and every criminal, tries to propitiate or to bribe the friend.” He was in a position where he might have done much good; but the glitter of gold was brighter to him than the purity of a spotless character.

8. Set his eyes on him.—“With an intent and piercing gaze that looked into his very soul.”—Peloubet. The verse would seem to indicate that Paul was specially empowered for this act; that he was specially filled with the Holy Ghost for that particular occasion.

9. Thou shalt be blind.—Elymas had pretended to an ability to do wonderful things. How apparent does his weakness become in the presence of real power! How complete is the overthrow of all his assumptions when he first stretches out his hand to steady or to guide himself, and appeals to the bystanders to lead him. The immediate execution of the sentence by the “hand of the Lord” leaves no room for doubt as to where is truth and where is falsehood. “Not seeing the sun for a season” would indicate total blindness.

10. John . . . returned to Jerusalem.—We do not know why John chose to leave the work and return home; but from Acts 15:37, 38 we see that Paul did not approve of his course. It was this action of John Mark’s which caused the separation of Paul and Barnabas. Mark afterward reentered the work and became an efficient worker, as is shown in Col. 4:10 and 2 Tim. 4:11.