“The Sunday School.” from the July 10, 1897 Door County Democrat
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
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LESSON II, THIRD QUARTER, INTERNATIONAL SERIES, JULY 11.
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Text of the Lesson, Acts xvi, 22-34—Memory Verses, 28-31—Golden Text, Acts xvi, 31—Commentary by the Rev. D. M. Stearns.
22. “And the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates rent off their clothes and commanded to beat them.” So much for their interfering with the god of this world, the prince of the power of the air, for, when the devil’s property is touched, helicon begins to roar. Our Lord has taught us that true fellowship with Him will surely bring the same treatment that He received (John xv, 18-20). The world, the flesh, and the devil are all decidedly against God, and if we are for God we must be against them at all costs.
23 “And when they had laid many stripes upon them they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely.” With no gentle hand had they taken off their clothes, and there would be no love nor gentleness in this scourging. It meant many and heavy stripes upon their bare backs. It meant real pain and much of it, besides the humiliation of being treated as criminals when they were perfectly innocent. Paul, afterward speaking of it, says, “We were shamefully treated at Philippi" (I Thess. ii, 2).
24. “Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks.” Neither is there any tenderness in this man’s handling of them. It is injustice, cruelty throughout, the devil and his followers let loose upon the children of God, strange mystery of iniquity which has been causing the people of God to suffer ever since sin entered this world, and the end is not yet. If any one can tell why God permitted the devil to tempt Eve, we will gladly listen. If not, we will still believe that God is love, trust Him for grace to endure meekly all that comes and wait for the hereafter, when we shall know.
25. “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them.” Here, surely, is the victory of, faith and obedience to the word, “Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven” (Math. v, 12). The same God who could prevent the fire from burning Daniel’s friends could sooth the bleeding backs of Paul and Silas and fill them and their dungeon with His glory. They did not praise because of circumstances, but in spite of circumstances. Consider that mighty “yet” of Hab. iii, 17, 18.
26. “And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bonds were loosed.” One has said that, although they had not influence enough nor earthly friends enough to keep them out of prison, there was power enough on their side to shake the whole earth, if necessary.
27. “And the keeper of the prison, awaking out of his sleep and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.” It was something now in his experience to have prisoners safe without bonds or bolts and bars. It was natural for him to suppose that open doors meant escaped prisoners, and if this were so it meant death to him, which he purposed accomplishing by his own hand rather than that of others.
28. “But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm, for we are all here.” Here was good for evil surely. The jailer had not thought probably of easing their sufferings in the least degree, but Paul would have no harm come to the jailer if he could prevent it. This is like Him who prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Have we this spirit of forgiveness and love?
29. “Then he called for a light and sprang in and carne trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas.” How God does turn the tables! See the man in authority bowing before the apparently helpless prisoners. He now saw in them representatives of the God who could do such wonders as shake the earth and open prison doors. Was it not worth while to suffer as they did thus to afford an opportunity for God to show Himself through them and on their behalf? Let us accept all events as opportunities for God to show Himself in and through us.
30. “And brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” He does not seem to have considered whether this treatment of prisoners was right or wrong in the eyes of the law. Ile only seems to know that he is a sinful man having special dealings with a great God whom he is not prepared to meet, and that he had better consider the matter at all costs and that very quickly.
31. “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” What a simple message and how definite. He is not told to stop doing wrong and try to do better; to follow Christ and do somewhat as He did; to give up his occupation and go preaching with the apostles. He is not even told to pray or read the Scriptures, but just to do the one only thing that a helpless sinner can do, and that is to receive as a gift the Lord Jesus Christ (John i, 12; Rom. iii, 24; vi, 23; iv, 5; Titus iii, 5).
32. “And they spake unto him the word of the Lord and to all that were in his house.” They were the messengers of the Lord of Hosts, and always ready to deliver their message, or rather His message. They would speak of Him who was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but had been recently manifested in the flesh as the Son of God and only Saviour of sinners.
33. “And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was baptized, he and all his straightway.” Halleluiah, what a Saviour! He saves instantly all who receive Him. He saves them fully and freely by His own precious blood without any works of theirs, and then begins at once to work in them the good works which He has before prepared (Eph. ii, 8, 10). We do not know that the jailer or any of his household ever heard these tidings before, and yet they believe as soon as they hear. May God by His Spirit awaken His people to give all on earth the privilege of hearing of Him who still receiveth sinners.
34. “And when he had brought them into his house he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.” What a happy home, what a glorious change, and in so short a time! A little while before they were a household out of Christ, and therefore unsaved; but now a household in Christ, and therefore saved. If the jailer had killed himself and died in his sins, he would have gone out into eternal torment, but now he has eternal life. Why are not all believers joyful and ever ready to pass on the good news of such a Saviour and such a salvation?
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
[A history of a nonprofit bearing Rev. Daniel Miner Stearns’ name, https://www.dmstearnsmissionaryfundinc.org/history, states that at the time this was published he was the pastor of the Reformed Episcopal Church of the Atonement in Philadelphia, https://www.recatonement.org ]
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