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I he Sunday School
THE APPEARANCES OF THE RISEN
LORD.
April 7, 1912. 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11.
Golden Text: "This Jesus hath God
raised up, whereof we all are witnesses."?Acts
2:32.
DAILY HOME BIBLE READINGS.
MnnrfilT! 1 rnrlntW... 1K.1 11 TU- -
?? ? *ututauo iu. i. xi. 1UC
Appearance of the Risen Lord.
Tuesday: Matthew 28:1-10. Angel's
Message.
Wednesday: Mark 16:1-8. Witness
of the Women.
Thursday: Luke 24:13-27. Journey
to Emmaus.
Friday: John 20:1-12 Jesus and
Ascension.
Saturday: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Resurrection of the Saints.
SHORTER CATECHISM.
Q. 99. What rule hath God given
for our direction in prayer?
A. The whole Word of God is of use
to direct us in prayer, hut the special
rule of direction Is that form of prayer
which Christ taught his disciples, commonly
called The Third's Prnvor
LESSON COMMENTS.
Time und Place: The First Epistle to
the Corinthians, which contains the
lesson of the day, was written from
Ephesus, where Paul, its author, passed
three years on the outward part of his
third great missionary tour, and where
word was brought him concerning certain
evils prevailing in the church at
Corinth, about A. D. 56 or 57. He left
Ephesus soon after writing this letter.
Mid while in Macedonia, moving toward
Corinth, got word of the reception of
the letter and of the effect which it
produced. One of the evils reported to
him was the denial by some of the
church's members of the doctrine of
the resurrection of believers.
The Great Miracle: The resurrection
of Christ was the miracle of miracles.
It was so pronounced by Christ himself.
when he said that no sign should
be given those that were asking one
but "the sign of Jonas." Tt was so
pronouced by Paul, when he wrote to
the Romans that Chirst was "declared
to be the Son of God with power, by
the resurrection from the dead." "If
Christ be not risen, then is our preachIn*
rain, and your faith is also vain."
Its importance is also shown in its relation
to the apdstleshlp. No one could
be an anostle who had not seen the
risen Lord.
The Evidence: No single event in
history has as much evidence to prove
ii li e ret?urreuuiJii OI i nriai. ll was
plalnlv foretold, in both Aeure end direct
statement, in both Old and New
Testaments. Ten or eleven times the
T/ord anneared personally to credible
witnesses. It was recorded and spoken
of as a matter of hlstorv while vet the
erester number of witnesses were livine.
The onpnnents of the anostles had
the onnortnnltv to challenge the facts
whi'e the witnesses, above Ave hundred
of fbem in one instance, were mostly
llvinsr. but they dared not. The moral
evidence, in the results sorineinj? from
the fact, was iocontrovertable, as corrnVnmUTfl
testimony.
Om|tf?d Annearance*: Besides the
si* appearances named here, there
were at least Ave others, viz., to Mary
Maeda^ene, to the women, to the two
dlecinles at Fmmaus. to the seven at
the Pea of Galilee and to the disciples
at hl? ascension. The last named mar
he the <^ne referred to here aa "to all
the anoetiea.'* If so, then It was the
apnearanre a weelt anhaeonent to hta
reanrrectlon that it 1a omitted here.
t
THE PRESBYTER1A
The appearance to the ten, Thomas be- \
ing absent, was another.
Our Relation to Christ's Resurrection:
"If the dead rise not, then is
Christ not raised; and if Christ be not
raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in
your sins." His resurrection was the *
rroof of the acceptance of his sacrifice. ^
It was, as Dr. Thornwell put it, our
Highpriest's return from the innermost
sanctuary, where he had gone in to
make atonement for us. Had he not re- i
turned, it would have been known that
flnh wqq mnl 1 tviaooa/1 pu-u4u 1
vwu ?*w a vt < v>ii picaocUi V/Ul 131 S J
resurrection was also the proof of ours
to come. He became "the first fruits of 1
them that slept." "I am the resurrection
and the life; he that believeth <
in me, though he were dead, yet shall
he live." His resurrection also showed I
that Christ had power not only over
death but over nln. thar has the power <
of death."
"Easter:" The utterly unwarranted 1
and unfortunate English translation of |
the word for "passover," in one place '
in the Acts, has misled only the 1
ignorant or unthinking as to the scripturalness
of the name and observance 5
cf what is cal'ed "Easter." The word
is from "Eastre," a goddess of the J
Anglo-Saxon mythology, In whose hon- '
nr o fnotlvo 1 moo V? rJ l? A ? ?? * 1 T4 ? ? ?
w* * nao UCIU 111 n pill. It Wftb
many hundred years after Christ, (
when the name came to be used in
connection with the commemoration of
our Lord's rising. No annual commemoration
or observance is even so much
as hinted at in the Bible. A weekly
commemoration is implied in the name
"The Lord's Day," given to the Christian
Sabbath.
Explanatory: "Gospel:" good news.
"Which I preached unto' you:" Paul
had visited Corinth and founded the
church there. "Ye stand:" the gospel
sure ground under our feet. "If ye
hold fast:" the doctrine and the form
of sound words as well as the principles
of the faith are needful to be
maintained. "First of all:" the most
important and fundamental fact of the
faith. "That which I received:" by
revelation of God and also through the
teachings of the apostles. "Christ died r
for our sins:" to atone for our sins
his death was needful. His death was (
utanuuB. i iit* atonement was ac- (
complished by means of a vicarious
sacrifice. "According to the Scriptures
it was the Bible plan, the
God-ordained, predicted, developed way.
"Buried:" laid in the tomb, and the
tomb sealed. "Raised the third day:"
Sunday morning following the Friday
of the crucifixion and burial. "According
to the Scriptures:" the fulfilment
of prophecy conceding him. "Cephas:"
Simon Peter. "The twelve:"
the apoB'tles, not literally more than
eleven, as Judas had fallen. "Five
hundred brethren at once:" where, is
not mentioned, but note the extent of the
!*V? "TT-ill ?? - * ^ *
iciuu. uuui now. gi leasi iwemyflve
years after the resurrection. "Fallen
asleep:" have died. "To James:"
an appearance not mentioned else,
where, and probably James, "the brother
of our Lord," not James the son of
Alpheus. "All the apostles:" The
eleven. "To me also:" Paul, on the
road to Damascus. "Not meet:" not
fit, or worthy. "Persecuted:" as In
Stephen's case, and In the embassy to
Damascus. "The grace of God:"
Paul's conversion azd his activity as a
Christian were both of God. His work
was God working In him.,
Lesson*: Tt was "the same old
story" that Paul alwajs told, the
nnon?1 1- V. I ?V. a -
uu?in;i, in ruiuii uu? ran nnniv siann, \
and which Is "the power of Ood unto 1
salvation" to all who believe. The ^
atonement la the areat central doctrine r
of the faith. Christ died for our alna. c
Death penalty had to be borne. The t
sacrifice was vicarious, 1b the place t
of those whom he came -to save. <
N OF THE SOUTH
young People's Societies
OIK LIFE.
Topic 1'or Sunday, April 7: The kind
?f Life We Shall Wish We Had Lived.
I,like 16:19-31.
DAILY HEADINGS.
Monday: Balaam's wish. 'Numbers
13:10.
Tuesday: The life to live. Titus 2:
11-15.
IVeduesday: A well-built life.
Proverbs 4:20.27.
Tnursduy: The friendly life. Provjrbs
17:17.
Friday: The helpful life. I Corinthians
10:32-33.
Saturday: The victorious life. Rev?lation
2:17, 11, 17.
Life is at once the most mysterious
ind glorious thing in the universe, its
secret is as ntue Known In the exstence
of the sponge as in that of the
irchangel.
Men cannot make it. Science has
struggled in vain to bridge the gap be:ween
the non-living and the living.
But while they cannot make it they
nay break it.
It is left to those who have It to
letermine its products and its destiny.
is a gift put in their possession.thac
nay be used or marred, and the use or
narring of which fixes the destiny.
A proper estimate of life stands at
;he front in the study of what that life
should be. It is a gift, the supreme
Sift, a power, the greatest power, a
-esponsibility, the chiefest responsibility
of mankind.
The kind of life we shall wish we
lad lived is one that is started right.
Saving its development largely within
LOCH, j?. ouapea u? own career, 'rnat
:his start may be of the most perfect
kind, the divine Spirit offers to recreate
the soul.
The kind of life we shall wish we had
ived is one that has also respect to its
end. It starts right and it holds in
.dew a goal worthy of itself and
iresses towards that goal all the time,
rhat goal is godlikeness.
Balaam's prayer, "Let me die the
ieath of the righteous, and let my last
end be like his," was fair as far as it
went; but how much better it would
lave been for him if he had prayed and
abored that his life might be that of
he righteous!
Life is not ended here. What we call
leath is only dissolution. To life ltlelf,
to the soul, there are no parts. It
.herefore cannot dissolve. Immortality
s Btamped upon life In every aspect of
t. Those who assert that death ends
ill do not say so when they face it
hem selves.
Here is a description, from a divine
iource;.of the right life. The life we
ihall wish we had lived: "The grace
>f God that brlngeth salvation hath apjeared
to all men, teaching us that,
lenylng ungodliness and worldly lusts,
ve should live soberly, righteously, and
jodly, In this present world."
To secure such a life, 'Keep thy
ieart with all diligence; for out of It
ire the issues of life. Put away from
hee a forward mouth and preverse lips
?ut far from thee. Liet thine eyes look
ight on, and let thine eyelids look
itralght before thee. Ponder the path
>f thv feet, and let all thy ways be
sstabllshed."
The desirable life is also one that is
mriched by service to others. It Is a
>oor life that passes through the world
vltbout Imparting something to manrlnd.
Paul expressed this thought
vhen he said. "Even as I please all
nen in all things, not seeking mine
>wn profit, but the profit of many, that
hey may be saved." The "Inasmuch
loetrlne" of Christ should he the rule
>f one's life.
[ March 27, 1912.
The Prayer Meeting
FOLLOWING JESIS.
Hark 2:11. .Week of March 31.
"Following Jesus" was with him a
favorite form of expressing the relation
of his disciples to himself. The
custom then prevailing of having pupils
walk with their master, receiving instruction
at the same time, was prac
tlced by our Lord and he thus became
their leader in more respects than one.
They followed him as example, Instructor,
guide and master of their
lives.
The idea, too, was suggested by the
habits of the shepherds of Palestine
and their docks. So in his discourse in
the tenth chapter of John he speaks at
length of his people as his sheep and of
their following him as their shepherd.
Taking the shepherd as an illustration,
he says, "When he putteth forth his
own sheep, he goeth before them and
the sheep follow him for they know his
voice." Later in his discourse he says,
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know
tnem ana tney follow me." In Revelation
we read of the redeemed, "These
are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever
he goeth."
Taking our Lord as our example,
following him involves the entire range
of our lives. "We ought also to walk
even as he walked." "If we walked in
the light as he is in the light we have
fellowship one with another." We are
to imitate his humility. "Let this
mind be in you which was also in
Christ Jesus." Then the apostle goes
on to say that he "made himself ot no
reputation and took upon him the form
of a servant." "After the remarkable
service of washing the disciples' feet
our Lord said: "I have given you an
example that ye should do as I have
done to you."
We may consider him an example
also in obedience and submission to
the Father's will. He said, "My meat
is to do the will of him that sent me
and to finish his work.-' "I do always
the things that please him." In his humiliation
there was an entire deference
to the Father's will In the service he
rendered and the things which he
suffered. Here then is a clear model
for our lives. As far as we can ascertain
the Father's will, our service and
our life-work are plainly defined. We
should cultivate his spirit expressed in
the words, "I delight to do thy will, O
my God."
As our teacher we are to be his followers.
"The words that I speak unto
you they are spirit and they are life."
"All things that I have heard of my
Father I have made known unto you."
His true followers make no appeal
from his instruction. It is final and
supreme on all subjects which affect
the relation of man to God. The words
of our Lord on any subject is absolute
truth upon which there can be no advance.
He is our guide as the shepherd is
guide to his flock. He guides us by his
written Word to which we may resort
and from which we may learn the way
of service and of life. He tells us that
he Is "the way." He also guides us by
his Spirit. His promise of the Comforter
was, "He shall guide you Into
all truth.""' The "word translated "Comforter"
means helper and he helps by
indicating, through appointed means
and by spiritual Influence, the course
that we are to pursue. We should seek
dally the guidance whch Is assured to
iuc iremuu ui iue nuiy spirit..
The need of every church to-day is
young people In its tnembersh'p who
will "Just work and keep on working."
It has plenty of talkers, starters, suggesters
and shirkers, but of workers
there is often a painful scarcity.
>