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The Sunday School

The Sunday School image
Parent Issue
Day
19
Month
March
Year
1897
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

19. ' ■ For, though I bo free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all. that I might gain the more." For the snke of a temperance lesson we turn from the narrativo in the Acts to a section of this epistle, but it is a temperance lesson in the sense of overy form of restraint and control of the self life that the Christ life j may be made more manifest, and thus the gospel be lived as well as preachcd in order to gain more poople for Christ. ' The section in whioh vre flnd our lesson begins with chapter viii, 1, and runs to the end of chapter xi, the beginning of each section being easiiy recognized by tho words "now as touching" or "now concerning" (chaptcrs vii, 1 ; viii, 1; xii, 1; xvi, 1). The central thought in this section seems to be chapter x, 31, "Whether, therefore, yeeator drink or whatsoever y e do, do all to the glory of God," the object of such a life being primarily that God in all things may be gloriüed through Jesus Christ (I Pet. iv, 11), and then that some may be savcd (chapters ix, 22; x, 33). Paul was ini debted to no one for favors; he was under compliment to no one. He said to these very Corinthians that if he had wronged them it was in that he had not been a burden to them, and for this he asked their forgiveness. He sought them and not thoir possessions (II Cor. xii, 13, 14). Bb ing thus free from obligation to all, except the obligation laid upon him by God to preach the gospel to all, he gladly became servant to all for Christ's sake that he might gain more for Christ. 20. "Unto the Jews I becamo as a Jew that I might gain the Jews." We must think of Paul as a servant of Christ, a member of the body of Christ in perfect joint and hcalth, undcr full and complete control of Christ, the head, and ever seeking in all things to please Him (chapters iii, 5; xii, 12; Gal. i, 10; I Thess, ii, 4). He had a great desire that Christ should be magnifled in his body whether by life or by death (Phil. i, 20). We must keep this in mind in considering this and the next two verses lest we might be tempted to think Paul guilty of some inconsistency or of conniving at a wrong thing in order to win men to Christ. He was a Jew and knew what it was to live undor the law. In dealing with such he would, as far af he conscientiously could, put himself in their place and from their standpoint lead them to Christ. 21. "Tothem that are without law, as without law, that I might gain them that are without law. ' ' He often speaks of gentiles as "them that are without." He would have believers exereise special care in walking honestly toward them so as to win them. As far as Paul could in the sight of God, he put himself in their place, saw things with their eyes and from their standpoint sought to lead them to Christ that they might bo saved. 22. "To the weak became I as weak that I might gain the weak. I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some." In Kom. xv, 1-3, he takes, as he always does, Christ for his exampie and teaehes us not to please ourselves, but others, and to bear tho infirmities of the weak, and this even in the common acts of eating and drinking, as the context shows. There is a self centered life and a Christ centered lifo, and, though strange it is yet true, sadly true, that the former is often manifest in bolievers te the great grief of the Spirit and dishonor of God. Paul, liko his Master, thought not of himself. but of how he could glorify Cnrist and win people to Him. 23. ''And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might bo partaker thereof with you. ' ' What is this which, as a servant of Christ, he is aiming to be a partaker off It cannot be oternal life, the gift of God, nor the forgiveness of sins, nor peaee with God, nor justiftcation, nor sanctiflcation, for all these come to us in Christ freely by virtue of His íinished work. Seo Kom. iii, 24; v, 1; viii, 1; I Cor. iii, 21-23; vi, 11. Wo do not work for redemptlon and its beneüts; but, receiving Christ as God's unfipeakable gift to us, we believe that His divine power hath given unto us all things tiiat pertain unto life and godliness (II Pet. i, 3). Being a saved man through the blood of Christ, Paul knows that deniiil of self in preaching the gospel wil) bring him a reward (verses 17, IS), and he wishes the believcrs at Corinth to share this with him. 24. "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize. Go run that ye may obtain." Now, salvation is not obtained by running, for we cannot run till we have obtained salvation. Until we are saved wo are dcad in trespasses and sins (Eph. ii, 5), and dead peuplc cannot run lor God. To run in an ordiuary race, those whodesiroto run must lirst enter; so in the race before us, the Christian lifo, or race, we must first enter, and the entrance is ;it the croh.s. The fee is paid for all who are williug to enter, for the blood of Christ cleansoth from all sin. 25. ''And every man that strivcth for tho mastery is temporato in all things. Now, they do It to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible." The wreath, the reward, the honor associatea with the victor in the Grecian games soon faded or passed away, but the Christian seeks a crown incorruptible to cast at the feet of Christ (Rev. iv, 10). That there are rewards for the faithful in addition to salvation, which is the free gift of God, and that it is possible to bo rewarded or bo saved and have no reward. Seo I Cor. iii, 14, 15; II John viii; Rev. xxii, 12; Luko xiv, 14, etc. 26. ' ' I thereforo so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beatetii the air." In an ordinary race thero is uncertainty as to who sliall win, and ouly one can possibly win tho prize. In the Christian race there need be no uncertainty, for Christ Himself will be the judgo, and He will reward every one according to his works. All who will may have rewards for service- the crown of life for patiënt endurance, the crown of our lesson for denial of self, etc. (Jas. i, 12; Rev. ii, 10; I Thess. ii, 19; I Pet v, 4; II m. lv, 8). 27. "But I keep undor my body and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means when I have preachcd to others I myself should be a casta way. ' ' Not a lost soul, for nono of Christ's sneep can perish (John x, 28, 29), but disapproved as to service. See R. V. Paul never questioned, nor ever taught others to question, the eternal safety of every true believer (Phil. i, 6; II Tim. i, 12; Eph. v, 25-á7; Jude xxiv). But he did strongly emphasize the possibility of the loss of service anó the neoessity of a whole hearted deniaJ and renunoiation of the self life (Gal. ii, 20; vi, 14; II Cor. iv, 10, 11; Kom. xii, 1,2).

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Democrat