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INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS OdJ&Jt) v a m g / ¡1 EXPOSITION A N D PRACTICAL COMM ENT . Keitk L. Bracks PO IN T S of the LESSON, T . C . Horton DAILY READINGS Dr. F. W . Farr m\ IÜ ILLUSTRATIONS . W . H. Pike ELEMENTARY . Mabel L. Merrill M l DECEMBER 11, 1921 PAUL WRITES TO A FRIEND Golden Text: “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servan t.” Mat. 20:27. BESSON TEXT Phile. 8-21. (Read Dput. 15:12-16; Jno. 13:14, 35; Ac. 10:34, 35- I Cor 1:26-29; Col. 3:9-11; Jas. 2:1-9.)
(S) W h e re fo re , th o u g h I m ig h t be m u ch b o ld in C h rist to e n jo in th e e th a t w h ic h is co n v e n ie n t, (9) Y et fo r lo v e 's sa k e I r a th e r b eseech th e e b e in g su c h a n one a s P a u l th e . . ag ed , a n d n ow ~also a p ris o n e r of Je s u s C h rist: (10) I b eseech th e e fo r m y so n O n esim u s (ch ild ), w hom I h a v e b e g o tte n in m y b o n d s: (11) W h ich in tim e p a s t w as to th e e u n - ' p ro fitab le, b u t . n ow p ro fita b le to th e e a n d to m e: (12) W h om I h av e s e n t a g a in : th o u th e re fo re , receiv e him , th a t is, m in e ow n b o w els: (13) W hom I w o u ld h av e re ta in e d w ith m e, th a t in th y ste a d (b e h a lf) he m ig h t h av e m in iste re d u n to m e in th e b o n d s of th e g o sp e l: (14) B u t w ith o u t th y m in d w o u ld I do n o th in g ; th a t th y b en efit sh o u ld n o t be as i t w e re of n e c e ssity , b u t w illin g ly. (15) F o r p e rh a p s h e .th e re fo re O u tline: (1) P au l’s Personal Greetings, vs. 1-7. (2) P au l’s Petition for Onesimus, vs. 8-17. (3) P au l’s Pledge for Onesimus, vs. 18-21. (4) P au l’s P arting Benediction, vs. 22-23. Introduction: Here is a rem arkable epistle throw ing ligh t upon th e heart-life of th is man of God— the g reatest of all Christ’s
d e p a rte d fo r a se aso n , t h a t th o u sh o u ld e st re c e iv e h im fo re v e r; (16) N ot n ow a s a s e rv a n t, b u t a b o v e a s e rv a n t, a b ro th e r beloved, sp e c ia lly to m e, b u t h ow m u ch m o re u n to th ee, b o th in th e flesh, a n d in th e L o rd ? • (17) I f th o u c o u n t m e th e r e fo re a p a r tn e r, re ceiv e h im a s m y se lf. (18) I f he h a th w ro n g e d th e e o r o w e th th e e o u g h t, p u t th a t on m in e a c c o u n t; (19) I P a u l h av e w r itte n it w ith m in e ow n h an d , I w ill re p a y it: a lb e it I do n o t s a y -to th e e h ow th o u o w e st u n to m e even th in e ow n s e lf b esid es. (20) Y ea, b ro th e r, le t m e h av e jo y of th e e in th e L o rd : r e fr e s h m y b o w els in th e L o rd . (21) H a v in g confidence in th y o bedience, I w ro te u n to th ee, k n o w in g th a t th o u w ilt a lso do m o re th a n I say. apostles. I t reveals the secret springs of his love and loyalty BESSON to his beloved Chris- EXPOSIHON tia n friend and his T. C. H orton "fidelity to a runaway slave, now his son in th e Gospel, endeared to him dn blessed bonds. This le tte r is also an exempli fication of th e indwelling life of Christ which alone makes possible the strong, stu rdy denunciations of sin found in P au l’s message in I Cor. 16:22.
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