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I. MET BY FRIENDS.

1. Paul was glad to visit Jerusalem, and the brethren were glad to receive him. They and he were too good Christians to raise a loud lament because immortal duty doing had led the apostle into a place of mortal danger.

2. Paul rehearsed the things which God had wrought, humbly making of himself a mere instrument in God's hand. Naturally, then, the brethren glorified not Paul, but God.

3. Paul spoke much of results, and but little of difficulties and dangers and privations. It matters more to the true missionary what God does by him than what God does with him.

4. Paul worked abroad — and the brethren worked at home, etc., and rejoiced in each other's successful efforts. The cause of Foreign Missions and the cause of Home Missions should have the fullest mutual sympathy and support.

II. MISREPRESENTED BY ENEMIES.

1. No earnest Christian but meets with misrepresentation, and it usually increases just in proportion as his earnestness does.

2. No earnest Christian but will find that "they have been informed" of all sorts of imaginary errors in his teaching.

3. No form of opposition is more difficult for the earnest Christian to face than this anonymous misrepresentation. "They have been informed," and they — in the church or outside of it — hasten to spread the warning that Paul does not believe in the Old Testament.

4. Anonymous contributions are not everywhere rejected if they assail the teachings of a good and earnest man. Therefore the devil usually chooses to do his work anonymously.

III. MISREPRESENTATION MET.

1. It was well for Paul to vindicate himself for the Master's cause suffers so long as there is an imputation upon the servant.

2. It is well for the servant of Christ to concede a point provided no principle is sacrificed.

3. It is well for one to vindicate himself from a false charge as Paul did, by deeds rather than by words.

4. It is well to treat different men differently. There is a way in which to reach a Jew, and a way in which to reach a Gentile, and the two ways are not identical.

5. It is well to subordinate minor questions of Church polity, individual preference, denominational peculiarities to the great paramount object of soul saving. "All things to all men, that I may by all means save some."

(S. S. Times.)

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KJV: And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

WEB: When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly.