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T H E K l N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON Commentary Outline- and.jÈ^pìositfpn, ;. ; ¡ r; fllac^pófifd. fyssoff ¡ j(t ,, , ,! Children’s Division, Golden T ext Illustfgtipn. ¡. . Object-Lesson j B y J3rB. S u . tcl Í pfe “ ' B y ^ es S ie ’ B. B urch , By .H élen *Ç a Î lèy * j ' J' ’B y a l an 'S v M arce / JK¡ 'B y ' ËLfcféé'L.’ 'W ilder ’Pàims’àm'PJobliéiHS Ü yí ‘ á ¿V á j i McëÙinsr, Dean, Ashláh’d'Théólógicar Seminary, Ashland, Ohio >¡ 1
NOVEMBER 1, 1936 LAW , LOVE, AND TEMPERANCE .-':1 . R omans T3:1-14
n'carer than when we believed. ,-It is, there fore, time to awaken out o f .sleep, .tp/Touse iourselves. from cjupihdifferent attitude and ¡opr .sluggish :concerp about. His eqmfng// ,., “The night f s .fqr Spent”1 (V. .12) (/that ■is," ;our life ujoufnéÿ.illerei uponi earth is y.erÿ 'sôb'h to’ be fcoihpleted. 'Thià journey through this world to: the Christian, is as though it, .were; ¡night travel. It i x likçhed .to, “the /valley ,o f, the,shadow of death” jijga.,.23.:4),i,beeptise! that^phadow; is, cast fppj,every -step.' ,E[ut the dpptriiri|l bà-xV the 94TP;f light, ,tne (lay; o,£,eter- npi. lifp,,.is,:a,t.harid,,/P pcau^ -pf. this, ./ye ar,e.;:exhoTtqd,,to, ç/asf/.off,, as.'dVOTSp. .than .useless ,gayments^. thel,works,¡of ; dai;knes,s, iâjod.ifo p.ut ,on the!ar,mor.,d.f ligbit 9S(a PUP- tection against the/allurements,.and..tenip- JthtionS !o.f.¡this night', journey, in [which we .are.traveling,'¡ir,;.. 1 ! Having thus, put/off and'put-on, we>are to Walk honestly f(V.' ilftJypIThe word 'really idêans ‘fh good form,” a form suitable to the day. in.,iyhich,everything,, .yvill be re- ,;v,ealed';and: tested for its; actual, worth. The coining of the 1-ord will Uot alter the ‘individual, life walk; it will; merely reveal the stability, honesty,;sincerity—the worth of the/ivalk. . / “Make mit preivision for the flesh” (v. 14), means f‘take no foothold” in the pres crit scene or order. Lot lost everything he possessed except his soul, when he en deavored tp[ establish himself;;jn hjs. *sur- 'roundiqgs,' , Points and Problems ,'; -The thirteenth '¡chapter of Romans is so importantand upique ip the treatment./pf the Christian’s relation tb'gqvernment. that .(w ou ld like to suggest an’ outline which ijcfllows this' 6'he fde’a. 1. Christian Duty toward the State (vs. l-7');:;This dutyfs summed up in one word which occurs .in the first verseir- 'iSwbjectio.u;.',1: T h e 'reason, for this attitude is; clearly stated: .‘ There is; no; power but .pi God:, thfe pow’ers/that be!.are ordained of God” (v. 1). When Paul wrote these Words, one’ of the worst monsters in all hpman history sat ori the imperial throne of Ronie.//Paur'saw-.what Daniel also saw clearly, that “the; Most High ruleth in. the kingdorri o f men, and giveth it to whom soever he will, and setteth up over it the bisest ,of men” (Dan. 4,;l7)hj Even the Hitlers' and the Stalins rule ;jbnly by the permissive; decree pf G,od. /A ll rulers, therefore, are as Paul says, “ God/s minis- ters.” The poorest and the most imperfect government is better: than no government at all.' It is not merely kings who'! rule by “divine right,” but all ‘fthe powers that be,” whether kings, presidents, governors, mayors, or even the humble policeman who directs the traffic at the crossroads. Therefore,'we are obligated to obey them, respect them, and pay our taxes (vs. 6, 7). Only as their, commands' may violate the Commands .of God'. to us are we released from, the obligation o f ‘.obedience!' ( Acts 5 :29)V '
fGolden T ext: “It is good'neither;,tb eat flesh,' nor .to;.'¡drink w ine//nor .anything whereby - thy brother stumbleth” -' ( Roni. 14:21). Outline and Exposition ■ ;;j I. ' , : D uty to th e S f ate / ( 1-7.) T !J t ^: sou R cé /0^ government is in God (vs. 1, 2). Therefore every 'soul is to. be subject, to that government or dered of God. .“ 1 et every soul” embraces; every individual no one is exeriipt. Th(e' CHriStiahi is still a human being) and as such he has a relation o f obedience and submission tb God, the Creator and the Governor overiall. The powers that are ih arithority, at pres ent áreh ordained ip f Godt that 1is,’ their, source island their, sanction comes from Him: God has/ordained thg authority of governments ; ; without it, there would be anarchy.:,.;. He bas hot,. however, •ordained the wickedness; ;found therein. Resisting the government means resisting God. Obe dience honors, the government . and it, honors God who Ordained; it. Today the challenge-comes to Christians to trust God though wickedness abounds ip govern-, meets and evildoers occupy official posi tions, There was'a-NerO in authority when' Paul’s words were written,vbuthOb’èdiencé and subjection were en'coufáged. ' l The-obligation o f the State to sòtiéty is to promote morality ; the responsibility of the church isito develop,.spirituality; Each has its- own sphere in which to. minister, God’s appointed purpose and plani f or man. The officer o f the state/' the minister in the pulpit, both are-the ministers .of God, The purpose then of the sfqtp iá to punish evildoers and lawbreakers, to protect law-abiding citizens; and, to. represent God in the. affairs;p|;se,e.úlar;Jilé:(vs. 3,;4)>jThe, state, a,ssnmés: t}fç ;.pespopsibifity; .of,¡being God’s .representative; jjj¡ the [.social, sphere/ while the èhurchrepfésenfg ihíihi.in spirit ual affairs/ 'This división o f •responsibilities reveáis ,‘the necessity Top á: çpihpieté igepa- fation, hét^eéri ''¿ljufé/i; arid strife;’’ Thé Christian is>exhorted to he' hútíjè'ct! to ' thè* state in all o f his secular affairs ,(v..5).i The jhjghest .patriotism, is, .that, evidenced by personal' submission'to. /the (iommahds/ of the state,. This:submission''tioesTiBt always; mean obedience, for one may be fubj ect to the state and submit to thé state by paying the penalty for refusal to obey. ! It is incumbent upon the-Christian that he pay his taxes (vs. 6, 7). This, has been, ordained by God for the support of the •; [These lessons are developed from, out lines prepared by the Committee on Improved Uniform Lessons ò f thé Inter national Council.- The ■ outlines■are copy-’ lighted, 1934, by the International Council o f Religious Education; and used by per mission. —E ditor .]
State. Toitry toevride psÿmçht,is,fo eyaffçi the command of ;G od,.,;Thes^should,be :jiaid aâ ufito God .through thé medium of the stat'e/ijust as gifts ar.e' offerétf td,God througti.the medium of Chifîstiànr entdi1-' prises, !,/ ; Furthermore, the Christian is t;o render; |Jto, a|l/their, dues’/; (cf.'.i Matt,;(22:17-22;)v whether tribute,; or;hondr;; or .custom,..and the like. The fear; here mentioned is irey.-l prencé,;fo,r the;, office,stegardlessi.'ioif'the; character / of ,the;J"offideri .o'acupying, that office^.yariid tfie/hdnori’mentioned' fefers also, ,to,, the offjçé,;>not necessarily to the ;o f f i c e r . , n o q i K « D uty TO.'ÇtTizE^b/(R -lff)''/ ,l '‘‘Owe. no rrian any thing,v-touche'S/,the second table o f the law (vs. 8, 9). While the relationship-.-hi; the bfeliever to.Ghris.t is.not a légal .relationship, the relation of the bëlieyer td/fellpw citizens is‘ one;.em bracing; legality. But love transforms all legal and:rigid'requirements until,they be come easy to fulfill. God’s ' demands/ are ‘more .'inclusive than (the;'stat)?’s. The state [gays that thou shaft not injure other citi zens ; God sâys ï .TThojj. shalt ],by:ei! thy1 neighbor as thyself” (Matt. 19:1'9). ¡[The state, .being impersonal, .rules by the force OTlaw ; . God, because of [the perspjial re lationship; with His children; 'rules by; the power, o f' IbveJSi; “Love/iyofkefh; no ill to his neighbor : therefore lové is ¡the fulfilling of the-law” /(v. 10)1'/Love finds [ho/heed of haying rules arid ;regulations! to/follow ',/for ilove, instinctively follows that, which, is good regardless of ‘the ¡presence..or absence of laws. ' L;v: III. T he G reat I ncentive (11-14) “For now is. our salvatiop nearer /than .whën we believed”; (v. 11).' Eternal;'life, p'éacë,(,:,title, fitneSs, and other .desirable things'Ure not nearer our po^ses&ibn.fjohn than when we ’first .believed,'! but .our. Salvation, the Lord Jesus ChrlstH His return—is nearer. Our [salvatiorili our deliverance,, is-, a Person, not a thing ; (cf. Gen.3>;15; Ex. 15 ;2; Psa. 27:1 ; Isa. 49:6 ; Lk. '2:29, 30; John .1:12; 1 John 5/12}. The time of His. coming is near at hand; 1 1 B LACKBO ARD 'LE SSON :
HOW TO BE A GOOD CITIZEN BBraM A R IG H T L IV IN G .
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