Newspaper Page Text
November 10, 1909.
| Sunda
PAUL'S STO
November 21, 1909.
GOLDEN TEXT.?"He sa
for thee; for my strength
2 Cor. 12:9.
DAILY HO
M.?2Cor. 11: 21-33.
T?2 Cor. 12:1-10.
W.?2 Cor. 10:1-12.
Ep
TOPIC)
How Paul Sets Us an Exami
Of suffering for Christ,
Of visions in Christ
Of the suflicier
LESSOh
The lesson under eonsid<
is not rightly termed a "Stor;
defense of himself against '
tions and insinuations his
was imperiled. A brief re<
will make this most eviden
More time, labor, teachin
the founding of the church
other upon the continent of
suffering. Its position in a
people, representing many
tiire of all the devices of
church of the Lord Jesus >
tested. All the powers usii
extermination, or at least pi
lor the purpose of the utt?
life and work could have a
the other churches planted
ooun divisions, sects, a]
Peterism, Apolloism and Chi
preparation for and forem
jealousy and all manner of
this downward career when
his first letter from Ephes
followed soon by Titus, wh<
church, see the effect of Pai
make careful report to Paul
After the despatch of tli
have passed, all of them
Paul received, in Philippi, t
church in Corinth* That i
noying. The church had m
its injunctions had been r
state of sorrow towards G
evidence of which was seen
and prayerful effort to live
?nn tnis consoling news, ]
formation that a minority 1
his (Paul's) first letter wer
batting the apostle's right
Prom a close reading of tl
that this minority was lnslr
the personal and apostolic c
were to the effect that he
seen our Lord; that he ^
himself; Indulged In large
contemptible In appearance
interested in the collection
thp nnr\r anfnta In Tornaolor
acter; sometimes it was *'j
circumcised Timothy, but n
sometimes Gentile, accordii
was always threatening to
etc., etc.
This, in brief, was the si
his second letter to Corint
T#E PRESBYTERIA
y School |
RY OF HIS LIFE.
2 Cor. 11:22-28; 12:1-10.
id unto me, My grace is sufficient
is made perfect in weakness."?
ME READINGS.
Th.?2 Cor. 13.
P.?Gal. 1:11-24.
S.?Gal. 4:12-18.
h. 3:1-12.
VL OUTLINE,
pie?
vs. 22-28.
, eta. 12:1-6.
it grace of Christ, vs. 7-10.
I COMMENTS.
eration (2 Cor. 11:22-28; 12:1-10)
V of His fPaill'sl TJfo " Tt la Ponl'o
'false brethren," by whose accusapersonal
and apostolic character
:ital of the most prominent facts
t.
g and suffering had been given to
in the city of Corinth than to any
Europe. Its birth was with much
great commercial city of 1,000,000
nations and many beliefs, a mixSatan,
rendered it certain that a
would be speedily and thoroughly
lally wielded by the devil for the
aralysis, of a church were invoked
sr ruin of the very church whose
more telling influence than any of
upon Grecian soil.
[jpeared iu the church?Paulism,
-istism. Such a condition is the sure
ui on uc, uuiiLcunuii, envy,
ungodliness. The church was in
the apostle Paul sent that church
us. This letter was borne by or
>, it appears, was to stay with the
ll's letter and, as soon as possible,
is letter many months appear to
crowded with "labors oft," when
he report of the real status of the
eport was both cheering and an
ade diligent use of his first letter;
igidly complied with. A genuine
od had come to the church, the
i in its repentance, in its watchful
worthy of their vocation. Along
however, came the astounding in
who resented the arraignments of
e vigorously and maliciously cornto
assume leadership over them,
le entire second letter, it appears
luating many things derogatory to
haracter of Paul. The intimations
was no true apostle, having never
'as assumptious, forever praising
talk in his letters; that he was
; that he was probably personally
of money that he was asking for
n Ka ?faa ,. ?a111?M?~ ?? -1
U, iiiut ne nets ?av<uitiiui? in uniirre
a," sometimes it was "nay"; he
lot Titus; he was sometimes Jew,
ig to the company he was in; he
come to Corinth and never came,
tate of the case when Paul wrote
h and to all the saints in Achala
"S *
4
N OF THE SOUTH.
and sent it as quickly as possible I
that this letter contains very genei
for the church there. It is a mod
tenderness, sympathy and love. H
that they go not too far in the dis
person whose life had so shocked tt
In the lesson before us, it can nov
iug to do something more than gi
Out of that life, using the promine
in it, he lifts, in peerless eloquence
power of truth. tht> rfpfpnso ?r
character and rights. It recalls the
12th chapter of his first book: "Be
against me before the Lord and be
ox have I taken? or whose ass have
defrauded? whom have I oppressed
received any bribe to blind mine e:
The defense of his personal cha
sions of his defamers precedes, but
the present lesson. The last charg
but for its most outrageous falsit:
damaging, was the intimation that
ested in the collection for the poor
simply calls attention to the fact tt
was the church that had received
without pay. His own hands and t
had supported him during his eight
Addressing himself to the defensi
ter, which would he of little worth
ter, he proves by three tests that h
front rank of all the apostles. The
sufferings that he endured in order
Cor. 1:33).
The second test adduced is seen ii
revelations accorded him were to
proof that he was "called to be an
the vision at Troas, and in Corinth,
journeyed to Rome?a vision not in
here made. But the apostle appears
with God, a transportation of hims
experience far above, out of or dis
What he saw and heard could no
earthly language. He calls the plac
But the third and chief test?one 1
to his readers most readily?was hii
that memorable visit to "the third
tect him against the sin that gave 1
God had prepared and given him a
tion?"a thorn in his side." This
as "a messenger of Satan to buffet
experiences with this same Satan?a
and test thoroughly. Paul, hero th(
three times besought God to R
it away, but gave him in addition '
not only would he be able to bear
witnessed his joy (in spite of such i
and his saintliness of life, would be
evidences of an apostle of Jesus CI
1. The most trustworthy statem
in one's behavior under adverse cril
dishonesty, of inconsistency, of two
jostle a man of small character. So
to die under such goadings. The ti
the armor of truth.
2. Most men that have been pre
have accomplished great good for tt
defamed, caricatured and their mot
3. There are times when it is b
"Hp Wn R lPrl a a a lomh fA do *?-V?
her shearers is dumb, so he opene<
are times when loyalty to the truth
clear defense. If the character of P
assailed or the signs of his apostles
shadow by the aspersions and ins!
the truth would have suffered, the c
nain and the world would h#uo loaf
Favettevllle, Ark.
13
>y Titus. It will be seen
ous and unstinted praise
el outpouring of fatherly
e even vpntnroo m
icipline of the incestuous
le apostle.
v be seen, he is endeavorve
"a story of his life."
nt and indisputable facts
and with the irrefutable
own and of his apostolic
defense of Samuel in the
hold, here am I; witness
fore his anointed: whose
I taken? or whom have I
I? of whose hand have I
res therewith"?
racter against the asperis
closely connected with
e refuted and that which
7 WOlllfl h?VO boon
he was personally intersaints
in Jerusalem. He
lat the church in Corinth
his teachings absolutely
he aid of other churches
een months of toil there,
e of his apostolic characwithout
personal characiis
place is rightly in the
s first test is seen in the
to preach the gospel (2
i 12:1-6. The visions and
him at least Indubitable
apostle." Luke mentions
, and on the ship as they
icluded in the statemeuts
i to refer to a communion
elf to a mountain top of
connected with the body,
t find expression in any
:e "Hip thlrH hoovon "
that should have appealed
3 life among them. Since
heaven," in order to pro>irth
to the devil, "pride,"
special means of proteethorn?further
described
me," reminding of Job's
ivas severe enough to test
)ugh he undoubtedly was,
. away. God did not take
"grace sufficient," so that
it, but so that those who
a thorn piercing his side)
compelled to see the real
tirist.
ent of character is seen
licism. An insinuation of
facedness, etc., will badly
me men have been known
ue man meets them with
eminently great and that
leir fellow-man have been
Ives impugned,
etter to suffer in silence,
ter, and as a sheep before
3 not his mouth." There
reaillrM anOAph full
a tun auu
aul had been successfully
ihlp been thrown Into the
inuatlons of bis enemies,
hurch would have felt the
a great heritage.
R. B. Willis.