from WL Worcester (H Blackmer, ed.), 
The Sower.  Helps to the Study of the Bible in Home and Sunday School
 (Boston: Massachusetts New-Church Union, n.d.)

Table of Contents

 

Lesson 36

Topical and Doctrinal Notes

Leading Thought: Samaritans

When the Lord brought the twelve tribes of Israel to dwell in the land of Canaan, and divided up the land among them, they were again admonished by Joshua as they had previously been by Moses, to abstain from idols and to worship Jehovah, as the commandments told them to do. They were not always true to this injunction, and whenever they worshiped idols they were punished by their enemies. Matters became very bad in time. After Solomon, ten of the tribes rebelled against Rehoboam, Solomon's son, and set up a kingdom under Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which they called Israel, to distinguish it from the kingdom of Judah. Samaria became the capital of Israel, while Jerusalem was the capital of Judah. The Jews continued to worship Jehovah in the temple at Jerusalem. The Israelites set up golden calves in the two ends of the kingdom of Israel, and worshiped them. They were punished over and over again for their idolatry. They worshiped not only the calves, but other idols, such as Baal, the moon, Moloch, etc. At last the Lord permitted them to be punished by the Assyrians, who carried them away captive into Assyria. To make up for the loss of inhabitants, the Assyrian king sent immigrants from Assyria, who occupied the city and region of Samaria. Israelitish priests from among the captives were sent back from Assyria to these immigrants to teach them the law of Moses. But the worship of the Samaritans was different from that of the Jews. They had a temple on Mount Gerizim. They were therefore not really part of the Jewish church, but Gentiles, for by the law of Moses the children of Israel might worship only in the one place where the ark was, containing the two tables on which the Ten Commandments were written, and this ark was in the temple at Jerusalem. And yet the Samaritans differed from other Gentiles because they knew about Jehovah, and expected the Messiah.

The Lord made a distinction between (1) Jews (or "the house of Israel"), (2) Samaritans, and (3) Gentiles. And on one occasion when He was sending out His twelve disciples, He told them, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matthew 10: 5, 6)

But He Himself preached to the Samaritans, as you may see by the beautiful story in John 4:1-42, which, if you do not remember it, you ought to read. You will see there that of the Samaritans "many believed on the Word " of Jesus.

After our Redeemer's resurrection, He said, "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His Name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:47) And now we read in the Acts that this was done just as the Lord had commanded. First the Apostles, and also the deacons, preached in Jerusalem and converted many to Christianity. They continued their work in Jerusalem and in Judea for a long time, but after the death of Stephen they extended their work elsewhere also, and first in Samaria, where the Lord Jesus Christ Himself had started the work some time before.

You may remember from the last lesson (Acts 6) that among the seven men appointed to be deacons, was a man who had the same name as one of the twelve apostles, namely, Philip. This is the man who, as today's story tells, went from Jerusalem to Samaria, and there "preached the Christ to them."

Remember that "Messiah" is Hebrew, and "Christ" Greek, of the same word, namely, "anointed," or king. The Samaritans had been expecting the Messiah, as we learn from the story in John 4, and Philip preached the Messiah to them. The Lord Jesus Christ had come to establish a spiritual kingdom - the kingdom of God on earth. And Philip preached Him as King. And, as you will read in today's chapter in the Acts, he did similar miracles to those which the Lord had performed, for he did all "in His Name." He was so successful that Peter and John came down from Jerusalem to take part in the great work.

The Christian Church, as we see here, and as we see elsewhere, was principally established among the Gentiles. The Samaritans were practically Gentiles. Comparatively very few Jews became Christians. Eventually Christianity spread to the heathen or Gentiles throughout Europe and in parts of Africa and Asia.

We are taught in the heavenly Doctrines that the New Church also will be principally established among the Gentiles, that is among those who are not Christians. Some of them may know something about the Lord and the Word, just as the Samaritans did. For the Bible is being translated into almost all the languages of the world, and is being distributed everywhere. How glorious it would be if some of the boys who are reading or hearing these lessons would prepare themselves to preach the Doctrines of the New Church, both to those who are in the Christian world and to those who are outside it! There is no nobler calling than this.

You read that among those who were converted and became baptized was a magician, or sorcerer, named Simon. "Simon" was a common name in those days. We read, in the Gospels and the Acts, of nine different men whose names were Simon. So, to distinguish this one from the rest, we will call him "Simon Magus," for the word "Magus" means a magician.

Although he had been baptized, he still continued to believe in sorcery, and did not have the true idea of Christianity, which is, that we must do good to others from the love of good, not from the love of money. Also that the Lord gives us everything freely. We cannot buy anything from Him. We can receive His good gifts freely, but we must make room for them in our hearts. We must remove everything out of our hearts which is not good, so that His Holy Spirit can enter. Simon Magus saw the wonderful operations of the Holy Spirit, and thought he could buy the power to bestow it upon others. Notice how indignant Peter was at this suggestion.

The story shows us that although it is important to acknowledge the Lord Jesus the Christ and we must be baptized, yet this does not make us true Christians, unless we repent.

Such a false idea as Simon Magus had, if it is kept in the mind, and if it is taught, is called a "heresy." This was the first "heresy" or trouble in the Christian Church.

How beautiful it is to see how the early Christians were led by the Lord. Philip was told by the Lord to go to a certain road leading from Jerusalem to Gaza, and there he met the foreign official who was passing the time of the journey reading the Old Testament. Philip was to instruct him that the Scriptures were fulfilled by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. You learn from this charming story that the faith or belief that saves us is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that the very first thing of such belief or faith is the acknowledgment that He is the Son of God. So this eunuch, or official, said to Philip, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God"; and this, as we know, means that the human nature of the Lord Jesus Christ had become Divine from Jehovah or the Father, Who dwells within it, as the soul dwells in the body. Everyone who wishes to be truly a Christian, and to be saved by the Lord, must believe that Jesus is the son of the living God. This, you will remember, is "the Rock" upon which the Church is founded.

Notice also that the eunuch was baptized although as yet he knew nothing more than this. By baptism he was introduced as to his spirit, among those in the spiritual world who acknowledged the Lord Jesus Christ and so he could be kept in faith in the Lord, and could the better be enlightened to learn more about the Lord and the Christian life.

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