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September 15, 1909. THE PRESBYTERIAN
Sunday School
TEMPERANCE LESSON.
September 26, 1909. 1 Cor. 10:23-33.
GOLDEN TEXT.?"Let every one of us please his neighbor
for his good to edification."?Romans 15:2.
DAILY HOME READINGS.
M.?1 Cor. 10:23-33. Th.?l" Peter 5:1-11.
T.?1 Cor. 9:19-27. P.r-Titus 2:6-15.
VV.?1 Cor. 8. S.?Rom. 15:1-7.
S.?Eph. 6:1-10.
TOPICAL OUTLINE.
Principles of Christian Conduct?
Seek the good of others, vs. 23, 24.
Do not misuse liberty, vs. 25-30.
Do all to the glory of God, vs. 31.
Win men to save them, vs. 32, 33.
SHORTER CATECHISM.
Q. 74. What is required in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring
and furthering the wealth and outward estate of our.selves
and others.
LESSONS COMMENTS.
Introductory?Corinth was a city of the first importance.
It was a center of political, social and intellectual influence
in Greece. Its commercial power extended to other cities
and nations. Corinth stood for cultivated heathenism. It
has been called "The Star of Hellas." "Gallio, the brother
of Seneca, was proconsul during Paul's first visit there." The
inhabitants of the city were Greeks, Romans and Jews. Paul
visited Corinth three times and from that place wrote his
great epistle to the Romans. He also addressed two letters
from Philippi to the Christians In that city. Dr. Hodge
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were probably Greek, as distinguished from Jews, and that
the characteristics of the Greeks, who were speculative,
pleasure-loving, vain and divisive in spirit, were illustrated
in the members of the Corinthian Church. Meyer says, that
it was "the most important church in Greece and the motherchurch
of the province, although only a few of the upper
classes embraced the faith." Paul wrote to unify the church;
to instruct them in the essentials of religion; to correct
abuses; to establish them in the faith and to purify the
church by judicious discipline. In this particular passage;
true, scriptural temperance is inculcated, which consists in
a complete control of all the appetites of the body and the
passions of the soul. These principles lie at the foundation
of Christian liberty in its relations to our fellowmen.
Comment.?Following the topical outline, it is worthy of
remark that verses 23 and 24 teach us that unselfishness
lies at the basis of all Christian conduct. All that
Christ did and suffered, He did and suffered for others. His
incarnation, life, death, resurrection, ascension and intercession
contemplated the benefit of others; next to the glory of
God. The same spirit is In every true Christian. As far as
in him lies, it is his duty to imitate Christ. This is the way
Paul acted. It was lawful for him to eat meat that had'been
offered in sacrifice to idols; but if it offended the conscience
of some weak Christian, he would abstain from it. "We
should be governed in this matter by a regard to the good
of others, and to our own edification." The word "wealth"
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"welfare." It had this meaning In 16:11, when the Bible was
translated; but is now obsolete. In matters indifferent, we
are to waive our rights for the welfare of others.
It would be right to buy at the "shambles," or meat market,
whatever was exposed for sale, without inquiring whether
or not the meat had been offered in sacrifice to idols. No
one should have conscientious scruples about the matter. An
idol is nothing in the world. God has made the world and
furnished it for man's benefit. Animals, fruits, vegetables,
were created for us to richly enjoy within the limitations of
temperance. The sacred writer then illustrates his meanMAAM*
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a feast and should accept the Invitation, he should partake
[ OF THE SOUTH. 13
of whatever provisions should be on the table without asking
any questions through prurient curiosity. But should
some one at the table Inform the other guests that the meat
had been ofTered in sacrifice to idols, it would be their duty
not to partake of it, lest they should wound the weak conscience
of the person who gave the information. "The most
enlightened man of his whole generation was the most
yielding and conciliatory in all matters of indifference." No
man has a right to make any use of his liberty in these
matters that will be a hindrance to the weak in the faith.
"Why should I be blamed for what I receive with thanksgiving"?
Hqdge. "The only motive for the abstinence,
therefore, is the sparing of the conscience of others, not the
uau^cr iu une s own. - Meyer. "Why should I give occasion
by the rash use of my liberty that another should condemn
it"? Estius, in Jamieson, Fausset and Brown. "They who
do whatever is lawful, will soon glide into that which is unlawful."
In verse 31, the apostle writes one of his grand
generalisations that forms the starting point of the Shorter
Catechism. The glory of God is the principal purpose of our
creation, preservation and redemption, and in things little or
large that purpose should be kept chiefly in view. Anything
in business or pleasure that is inconsistent with that end
should be omitted. The Christian should so conduct himself
as a witness of Jesus on earth that "he would not be a
stumbling block to others; but on the other hand, by lip and
life, attract others to Christ that God may be honored.
Matt. 5:16. Paul felt no hesitancy in referring to his own
conduct as an illustration of the principles he taught. His
love and liberty were as broad as truth; and he felt under
obligation to Jews, Gentiles and Christians. He endeavored
to win the souls of all to whom he ministered without regard
to his own advantage. In matters of indifference he adapted
himself to all to save them; but he "never compromised
any truth or sanctioned any error." Christian charity has
its hnale In tlin fnntVi 1 1 o. c
Doctrinal and Practical.?(1) Selfishness Is the mother of
most sins; and the more vital godliness one has, the less
selfish he is in the pulpit, Sunday-school, home, business and
society. The Earl of Shaftesbury said: "Oh, I can't die and
leave this world with all its sorrows in it! I want to stay
and help." But selfishness must not be mistaken for self
love. Self-love is an instinctive principle of our nature and
God has made it the rule by which we are to measure our
love to our neighbors. It is therefore right. (2) The prinple
of self-denial for the sake of others is of priceless value.
Self-indulgence is one of the sins of the American people. We
do not have any occasion to offend the weak consciences of
other Christians by eating meat offered to idols; but we have
constantly opportunities to apply the principle of Christian
liberty. Many things may not be wrong in themselves; but
if they should be obstacles In the wnv nf ntho
abstain from them. We have examples In card playing, dancing,
wine-drinking and theater-going. Judging by the conduct
of many professed Christians in these and other particulars.
one could not decide whether they are the servants of
Christ or the devil. 1 John 2:15. (3) Intemperance is the
great curse of the country. A change of heart is the best
solution of the temperance question. Every moderate
drinker or drunkard affects others. Before he committed
suicide recently in a hotel in New York, a drunkard left the
following paper, headed: "My Last Will and Testament."
"I leave to society a ruined character. I leave to my father
and mother as much misery as, in their feeble state, they
can bear. I leave to my brothers and sisters the memory of
a mis-spent life. I leave to my wife a broken heart and demented
mind, and to my children the memory that their
father fills a drunkard's grave and a drunkard's hell."
E. P. Davis.
Blessed is the blunder who profile by having his blurders
kindly pointed out to him.
Then deem it not an idle thing
VI nlMinnt Wrtrd <A anon If.
The face you wear, the thought you bring,
A heart may heal or breaa.
?John G. Whittier,
4