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The Sunday School
THE APPOINTMENT 0 THE TWELVE, i
April 21, 1912. Mark 3:7-19. |
Golden Text: "Ye have not chosen
nie, but I have chosen you, and or- dained
you, that ye should go and bring 1
forth fruit." John 15: 16.
i
UAlbl MUMEj BIBUM K^AUUISUS.
M.?Mark 3: 7-19. The Twelve Apostles
Appointed.
T.?Matthew 5: 13-16. Disciples and the
World.
W.?John 1: 35-42. The First Believer.
T.?Matthew 10: 16-25. The Apostles
Forewarned.
F.?Matthew 10:28-33. The Apostles
Encouraged.
S.?Acts 2: 22-36. The Apostles' Message.
S.?Acts 26: 9-23. The Call of Paul.
SHORTER CATECHISM.
Q.101. What do we pray for in the
first petition?
A. In the first petition, which is,
"Hallowed be thy name," we pray that
God would enable us and others to
glor'fy him in all that whereby he
maketh himself known, and that he
would dispose all things to his own
glory.
Lesson Comments.
me sourcess The calling or the
Twelve is described by three gospels.
There are Just enough variations In ,
the several accounts to show their in- ,
dependence, and not enough to make
any conf let In the testimony. (
A Helpful Method: In preparing
these gospel lessons it will always be ,
helpful If one will carefully read the (
narratives of all the synoptic writers. ,
A "Harmony," in parallel columns will
of course be most convenient for this
purpose. The verv divergences which
one will see will be found useful and ,
su^eestlve. '
Time and Place: Tn the early summer
of A. D. 28, the second year of our
Tx>rd's ministry, and shortly after the
first Oal'lesn round with Its numerous <
miracies ann inose inai ciuaeiy preceded
and follow It. The scene was ,
the mountain where the Tx>rd delivered
his great discourse, commonly called, ;
"The Sermon on the Mount." and usually
located as a double-peaked moun- ,
tain a few miles west of the Sea of ,
Clalllee, known In hlstorv as "The
Homes of Hattln," and as "The Mount of
Beatitudes."
The Changing of the Twelve: The
wav In wh'ch our Tx>rd went about
selecting those who were to he his i
special representatives was slow and
careful. The process was deliberate, i
Tt was designed to train and develop i
them before the'r choice as well as af- 1
ter. Several of them had been with
him, perhaps most of the time, from
the day of his return from the wilder- (
ness temptation to the scene of John's
baptism. All had seen enough of him
to be assured of his messlahship. With ,
the training that had been already enjoyed
they could enter more confidently
and Intelligently upon the career of
both training and work that lay before
them. The Lord wisely adapted means
to end.
The Purpose of the Appointment:
Jesus named twelve men as special
followers "that they m'ght be with
him," and "that he might send them
forth to preach." This two-fold end
was practically one and should be thus
kept in mind. Being with Christ is
essential to right presentation of Christ.
The ministry is not a profession. Authoritative
and vigorous and real work
for Christ is in proportion to one's intimate
companionship with him. The
apostles were to be the Lord's special
witnesses. # The number twelve may
perhaps have been a conforming to
the nnmber of the patriarchs or of the
Jewish tribes. There Is no need to
L r
THE PRESBYTERH
believe that there waa any peculiar
significance In it
The Varieties In Type* The college
of apostles Illustrated the Lord's use
of every type of mind and disposition.
Peter was impulsive; John was tender;
James was fiery; Thomas was critical
md distrustful; Simon was a "zealot:"
Matthew was practical and readily obedient;
Philip was inquiring, evidence
seeking; Nathaniel was guileless; Andrew
was modest and content to fill
a subordinate place, and, as his name
Indicates, "manly;" James the son of
Alpheus and Thaddeus were practically
nobodies, not possessed of force of mind
or character to mark them in any way,
as far as the record goes; Judas was
;old and calculating and selfish.
The Apostles* Names: It will help
the memory if a certain grouping be
made. There wore three pairs, Simon
Peter and Andrew, brothers; John and
James, brothers; Ph'llp and Bartholomew,
close friends; perhaps Matthew
and James the son of Alphaeus were
n 1Q rv hrnfV nro rPA-? ???" *
u.uiu^iu. a m,ic ** ao ci pair ui
eery obscure men, barely more then
mentioned, James the son of Alphaeus
and Thaddeus. Tbere was a pair marked
by special disposition and calling,
Thomas and Matthew. There was another
Simon, called Zelotes, and a Judas
called Tscarlot, who became the
traitor. Bartholomew and Nathaniel
were two nemes of one man: Simon
and Peter of another. Matthew pnd Levi
of another, wh'le Thaddeus, Lehhaeus
and Judas were the three names of
another. Thpre were two Simons, two
Jameses, and two Jndeses. All were
of OalPee e^cent Judas "of Kerleth."
or "T?esr'ot," Kerleth being a place
near Hebron.
Social Office nnd Fnmtlnn:. The
anostles were sent out of Christ. Thev
were to eo tn Ma name to prepch the
posnel of the kingdom and to establish
tbe Church. ri*hev were invested
with author'ty in that work and with
miraculous newer for the certification
r>f that authority. Their omce waa In
no Penae transmissphle to others. They
had no followers in the distinct sense
of aro*t1eshin. With the last of them
the divine word was oomn'eted and
m'rac.uious attestation came to an end.
No modem self-stvled apostle or ofllcial
in the asperted line of apostles
ran eive supernatural proof of ny such
position or authority.
The Chnrire: The Sermon on the
Nfount was the T^ord's formal choree
to his apostles, unon their investiture
with authority. Tt was addresped to
ihem pr'marlly. Tt expounded to them
iiie ui^fiL i 111:111f ui LIUC i niii^uunicPD,
as viewed In contrast with the righteousness
of the Scribes and Pharisees.
The expressions, "salt of the earth,"
"light of the world." etc., were applied
to them, and throueh them to Christ's
other and later followers. The Injunctions
In the charge were to be their
rules of action. Its pr'nclples and precepts
were to be the substance of their
preaching.'
Explanatory: "The sea:" of Galilee.
"Great multitude: "the number and directions
from which assembled proof
of the power and fame of Christ. "A
little boat:" that he might push out
from the shore and preach to a large
number without being crowded. "The
mountain:" a few miles back from the
lake, almost universally identified with
the "Horns of Hattln." "Calleth unto
him:" a special call, more definite than
his previous calls which had been to
belief rather than to service. "Salt of
the earth:" in making savory, in purifying,
In preserving, and worthless and
despised if Its own savor he gone. "A
city set on a hill:" the Lord probably
pointed to Safed, on Its lofty eminence,
some miles away. "Light of the
world:" to dispel darkness, to guide
to truth, to show the right path, to lead
to life.
^ N OF THE SOUTH
Young People's Societies
PERSEVERANCE.
Topic for Sunday, April 21: The
Christian Virtues. IY. Perseverance.
Galatians 6: 1-9.
DAILY READINGS.
Monday: A divine promise. Job 17:9.
Tuesday: "Ahide." > .Tnhn 94-9.S
Wednesdays Christ's example. Hebrews
12: 1-4.
Thursday: Hold fast the faith. Hebrews
3: 1-6.
Friday: Steadfast in trial. Job 1:
17-22.
Saturday: The crown. James 1: 2.4,
12.
How long since any of us last heard
a sermon on "The perseverance of the
saints?"
It is a rich old doctrine, but like
many of its class retired into "innocuous
desuetude."
And yet the Bible is full of it, the
soul craves and is comforted by it, and
it is a glory and honor to God.
Perseverance in grace is Itself a
grace, the gift of God, linking on the
believing soul to the unchangeableness
of God himself.
Perseverance gathers up in Itself
many other precious words, such as
"abide," "continue," "steadfast," "immovable,"
"kept," "mine."
It is both stimulus and stimulation.
It is a gift and reproducing itself as
it is receiving, the meanwhile expanding
as well, and feeling upon itself as
God's own gift.
It is not a no'sy grace. It has no
marked demonstration. It underl'es the
life, but is always pushing itself just
a step further along, keeping up an
advance.
Perseverance is but the projection
of the divine way and power into the
human l'fe. It is God working in men
and imparting to them something of
himself.
All mpn admire it, and expect to be
persevering some time. There lies the
trouble. It eludes those are yet to
scpk it. The present is the only time
it knows.
Its man'feststlon is quiet. Its silence
sometimes leads to the thought
that it is absent. But nature's greatest
forces work in silence, as cold,
heat, gravitation, frost, ice, snow.
Mere obstinacv is not perseverance.
There's likeness between the two, but
no kinship. One is of the dlspos'tion.
the other is a precious gift. Perseverance
does not pull simply because
there's opposition.
Perseverance is close akin to patience.
tft is not quite so broad 'n
soone DUt It 18 iiKfi it in orleln and
character. It waits, but It works. It
steadies. but It strives. It 's more constructive.
It does not stand still.
It Is conquering. Difficulties to It
are only thlnes to be overcome. Obstacles
are only thlnes to be beaten
down. Barriers are only things to be
thrust out of the way.
And yet aU this Is not In an unreasonable
or unlntellleent wav, but by the
invoking of the noblest Influences and
powers.
Mere effort Is not perseverance. Many
">"ke ereat effort who persevere little.
Spasmodic doing Is not productive of
results. Steadiness In well-do'ne Is
better than bursts of effort In largedoing.
The slow ox sometimes moves
more than the swift horse.
The reward Is sufficient to stir every
soul to persevere. It Is sure, great,
and of the most exalted kind. The effort
itself makes the efTort easier, step
by step, until the habit Is acquired, but
where It Is perseverance In good It Is
not mere habit but a constant accretion"
of force from God himself.
[ April 10, 1912
The Prayer Meeting
CHRISTIAN TESTIMONY.
Acts 2:40. Week of April 14.
Our Lord's elect are to be gathered
to himself by means of the testimony
of those who are already his disciples.
The written word and evangelistic
writings have been the means of sav
ing many with but little personal testimony,
but the great general assembly
of the first born are to be gathered
in through the confessions of those to
whom it is said, "Ye are my witnesses."
The Master himself is our pattern in
this as in all other service. He was
a ceaseless and mighty personal worker
by word and deed; he bore witness
to the truth. The method which he
used in establishing his kingdom is to
be used in enlarging and maturing it.
What is this testimony? In general
it is commending the love and the grace
which our Lord bestows and the salvation
which he has provided, to our
fellows who need these and have them
not. Some of this class are to be found
everywhere?among friends and kindred,
in our homes, in business and
social circles. Moreover we can send
our testimony through others who go
io ioreign tanas or me remote ana un.
evangelized parts of our own. To all
such we may have a part in commending
the glorious gospel of the blessed
God. A potent part of our testimony
will consist in evidencing what God
has done for ourselves in applying to
our souls by his grace, tbe Imperishable
principles of redemption. We .may
do this effectively by exercising in our
limited way the love which he exercises
and has shown bo wondrously to
us. Such testimony Is one of the great
latent resources of the Church today.
When the time shall come that we,
with apostolic spirit and zeal shall all
hear witness to the triumphs of grace,
there will be a revival such as there
was when the disciples who were scattered
abroad went everywhere preaching
the word, the Lord also working
with (hoiri
The great agency tor bearing testimony
Ib the Christian ministry. "It
pleased God by the foolishness of
preaching to save them that believe"
But it Is not to the ministry alone that
the message comes, "Ye are my witnesses,"
and when the disciples were
scattered abroad It was not excluslvp'y
the ministers who went everywhere
preaching the word. The command is
"given to him that hearetb to say,
"Come." The personal appeal Indlgiven
to him that hearetb to say,
eating personal Interest is often more
effective than the most elaborate sermon.
Personal Velatlonship Imposes
special responsibility In witness bearing.
Testimony may also be borne by our
Church relationship. Devotion to Its
work and prosperity and giving evidence
of a sincere enjoyment of the
ordinances of God's house are effective
In commending the salvation which
we profess. They are not only an
expression of devotion to our Lord,
but are expressive also of Christian
fellowship and appeal to others through
the medium which God has appointed
for gathering and perfecting his saints,
his Church on earth.
One of the best evidences of the
truth of our religion and one which
commends that religion to others Is our
enjoyment of it as a personal possession.
If Wp cherish nnrl delleht In a
personal relationship to Christ as our
Saviour, others -will be attracted to
hose privileges and services which they
are convinced are so valued by us.
They will say, as was said of his people
when returning from captivity, "The
Lord hath done great things for them-"
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