38. Repent. To repent in the New Testament sense of the word is to change one's mind, to gain a new view of life and truth, and a new purpose concerning them. It includes not merely sorrow for the past, but change of purpose for the future. It denotes reform as well as regret. It embraces (1) sorrow for past wrong-doing. (2) Confession of our sorrow to God. (3) Forsaking the wrong that we have done. (4) Patient continuance in well-doing in the future. And be baptized every one of you. Baptism in the time of the apostles was a symbolic expression of belief in Jesus as the Messiah. None were baptized but those who believed Jesus to be the Christ, and all who did believe this found it necessary to avow their belief by this form of initiation into the community of believers. The act signified repentance and faith; conversion from an old religion and confession of a new one. When Peter said, "Repent and be baptized," his meaning was, Repent and publicly confess, in the recognized manner of doing so, that Jesus is the Christ. In the course of the ages, baptism has lost much of its original significance. It is not the chief sign of either nominal or true discipleship. It does not follow that one is not a Christian because he has not conformed to this ordinance. Baptism is still an appropriate and beautiful rite, but it has not that efficacy which a mistaken application of Scripture leads some to attach to it, nor is it as essential and full of meaning as it was when the Christian religion was first preached, and the Gospels and Epistles were written. In the name of Jesus Christ. To be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ was to acknowledge by the act of baptism that Jesus was the Messiah. For the remission of sins. "Remission" is here used in the sense of "forgiveness." The terms of the Gospel are, Repent and you shall be forgiven. By forgivehowever, we must not understand that all the consequences of the penitent's guilt will be blotted out, but that he will be regarded by his heavenly Father in as favorable a light as though he never had sinned. The consequences he had incurred by the violation of unalterable laws must remain, but he is at peace with God. And ye shall receive the Holy Ghost. This does not mean that they would have power conferred on them to work wonders, but that the Holy Spirit would be imparted to them to help them to see God's truth and do God's will. The meaning of the whole verse is, Repent and be baptized and your sins will be forgiven, and you will have the help of God's spirit. Noyes translates it, "Repent and let every one of you be baptized to the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins, and ye will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

ness,

41. "And they were constantly attending on the teaching of the apostles, and the imparting [of their substance] and the breaking of bread, and the prayers." -Noyes. "The following verses to the end of the chapter describe in general terms the condition of the church in this first phase of its existence. The duration covered is not indicated, but could not have been very long, for persecution soon ensued, which scattered the disciples and put an end to the temporary community of goods and to 'favor with the people.'" - Abbott.

The following remarks are condensed from Abbott's note on "Communism in the Early Church." (1) The disciples did not sell to give to a priesthood, but to the poor. They employed the apostles only as almoners of their bounty, and the apostles early declined this office, and the disciples appointed others for the purpose (Acts vi. 1-5). (2) The sale and gift were purely voluntary. No disciple was required, as a condition of joining the church, to surrender his property to the community. (3) The community was bound together by sympathies, not by rules and regulations; it did not at any time prevent the disciples from continuing to live separately in individual households and in their own houses. It did not therefore disrupt or weaken the family. (4) It was confined to Jerusalem and to the early period of the Christian Church. (5) Its origin may probably be looked for in the organization of the apostolic band, which during Christ's earthly life lived in voluntary poverty and had a common treasury. Naturally the first converts attempted to adopt the same principle, until experience demonstrated that the community of goods, applicable to a small and itinerant apostolate, was inapplicable to the large and increasing Christian brotherhood. (6) The attempt to organize the Christian Church on this basis, and to have all things in common, failed and was soon abandoned. (7) There is not in the New Testament any warrant for the belief that such communism as was practised temporarily in the church at Jerusalem was directed by God, or is recorded as an example for us. (8) The principle underlying Christian communism, viz., that all possessing goods and industries are to be consecrated to God in the service of humanity, is a fundamental Christian principle; but neither experience nor Scripture indicates that selling all, and dividing to the poor, is the method best calculated to serve humanity, or even the poor.

HINTS TO TEACHERS. Repentance is the leading topic suggested in this Lesson. Show what it is; that all need to repent, because all sin; that repentance was preached by John the Baptist, by Jesus, and by Paul, as well as by Peter; that it is a fundamental doctrine of Unitarian Christianity, that repentance is the condition of forgiveness; that forgiveness is the removal of God's displeasure on account of sin, not the removal of the penalty which follows the violation of law. Show why Peter laid so much stress on baptism, and why this rite, though still appropriate and beautiful, is less essential than in the days of the apostles. Speak of the state of the early Christian community, as indicated in verses 44-47 and iv. 32-35.

REFERENCES. Neander's "Planting and Training of the Christian Church" (Bk. I. Ch. II.); Milman's "History of Christianity" (Bk. II. Ch. I.); "Schaff's "History of the Apostolic Church" (pp. 204-207); Renan's Apostles" (Ch. V.); "Bible for Learners" (Vol. III. Bk. II. Ch. II.); Commentaries on the Acts. Clarke's "Christian Doctrine of the Forgiveness of Sin" should be consulted in connection with what is said in this Lesson on repentance and forgiveness.

THE SEVEN CHOSEN.

STEPHEN.

Acts VI. 1-15; VII. 54–60.

Go forth to life, O child of Earth!
Be worthy of thy heavenly birth!
For noble service thou art here;

Thy brothers help, thy God revere.

GOLDEN TEXT: But to do good, and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. — HEBREWS xiii. 16.

1. What was the last Lesson about?

2. What did the first believers in the Christian religion do? They sold much of their property, and gave the money they got for it to the apostles to give to the needy.

3. What complaint was made against the apostles when the number of believers became great?

It was complained that they neglected some of the widows in their distribution of charity.

4. What did the apostles wish to have done when they heard their complaints ?

They wished to have seven men chosen to distribute charity to the needy.

5. What was the name of one of the seven?

His name was Stephen.

6. What did he do besides distribute charity?

He taught people about Jesus and his religion.

7. What did some of the Jews do when they could not resist the wisdom with which he spoke ?

They procured false witnesses against him.

8. Where was he brought?

He was brought before the Jewish Council.

9. What did the false witnesses say of him?

"This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against

this holy place and the law."

10. What was the appearance of his face at this time? It was like the face of an angel.

11. What kind of thoughts must he have had to give him such a face ?

12. What did the Jews do after Stephen had addressed them?

They cast him out of the city, and stoned him.

13. What did Stephen do while they were stoning him ? "He kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."

14. Who else prayed for his enemies when they were putting him to death?

15. What is said of Stephen when he had prayed?

"He fell asleep."

16. Do you know what is meant by this?

17. In what respects is death like sleep?

18. In what ways can we be like Stephen ?

1. What did you learn in the last Lesson about the mode of life in the first Christian community?

2. What difficulty arose as its numbers increased? Acts vi. 1.

3. Who are meant here by "Grecians"?

4. Who are meant by "Hebrews"?

5. How many and what kind of men did the apostles say should be chosen to dispense charity? 2, 3.

6. Are such men needed for all kinds of work?

7. What were the names of the seven chosen on this occasion? 5.

8. By whom were they chosen ?

9. What title is usually given them?

10. In what way were they inducted into office ? 6.

11. On what occasion is "the laying on of hands" still practised?

12. What does the act signify?

13. What have you to say of the method taken to settle this difficulty in the early church?

14. What followed the appointment of the seven deacons? 7.

15. In what terms is Stephen alluded to? 5, 8.

16. Who disputed with him? 9.

17. What did they do when they were unable to refute his arguments? 10-14.

18. What is the meaning of "suborned”?

19. What may Stephen have said that gave these men a pretext for the charge they brought against him?

20. Is it not still true that they wilfully and maliciously misrepresented what he said?

21. Is not a lie founded on a perverted truth as bad as any other?

22. What was the appearance of Stephen's face while these false accusations were made against him? 15.

23. Does character usually show itself in the face?

24. Where do our feelings frequently reveal themselves? 25. What took place when Stephen had made his defence before the Jewish Council? vii. 54-60.

26. Was the stoning of Stephen a legal act? 27. What have you to say of his character ?

NOTES. Acts vi. 1. In those days. The events mentioned in this chapter took place a considerable time after those which we have noticed in the preceding Lessons, but precisely how long it is impossible to say. Grecians against the Hebrews. By "Grecians" is probably meant both foreign Jews and Gentile proselytes to Judaism. "The word here used is not that which is commonly employed to designate the inhabitants of Greece, but it properly denotes those who use the Greek language and imitate the customs and habits of the Greeks." By "Hebrews" is meant Jews born in Palestine. - The daily ministration. The daily distribution

of alms to the poor.

2. It is not reason.

of God. Preaching

"It doth not seem proper." Noyes. The word here meant by this phrase. The apostles regarded this as their peculiar work. To serve tables. "To provide for tables.". Noyes. Perhaps the expression is used in a general sense, and signifies to attend to the business matters of the church.

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5. And the saying pleased the whole multitude; and they chose Stephen. "The selection was made by the body of the church; the apostles confirmed the choice."- Hackett. The seven mentioned in this verse are usually called ," from a Greek word meaning "to serve.' deacons," Nothing is known of any of them except Stephen and Philip, who shortly became preachers. The names of all seven render it probable that they were Grecians; " if so, the work of distribution was put entirely into the hands of the complainants.

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6. They laid their hands on them. "The imposition of hands, as prac