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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
September, 1940
I NT E RNA T I ONA L L ESSON Commentary Outline and Exposition Blackboard Lesson Children s Division Object Lesson Golden Text Illustration By B. B. S utcliffe By G retchen S ibley By G race W . K ellogg By E lmer L. W ilder By A lan S. P earce Points arid Problems B y A lva J. M c C lain , President of Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind.
H. L uke , the P hysician (C ol . 4 :14 ) Luke was a physician by profession; hence, he was thoroughly trained. We must not forget that there was great advance in medical knowledge even in that day. He was also a beloved physician. He must have had a heart of tenderness, self-forgetfulness, and faithfulness. Whatever a Christian’s place may be, whether as a physician, as Luke was, or as a clerk in a store, or as a worker at the bench, there should be an aspira tion to adorn that place and possess the title of a “beloved” clerk, or worker, or mechanic. Moreover, he was a Christian physi cian. His work was done as unto the Lord. His service would be, not merely to relieve physical distress, but also to relieve the disease of the soul, by the application of the gospel of grace. This kind of service is open to all, whatever their earthly calling may be. m . L uke , the F riend (2 T im . 4 :11 ) As a companion of Paul, Luke ex perienced shipwreck, hunger, cold, im prisonment. In every way that his friendship was tested, it held true. As a friend, Luke was ever thoughtful of others, and this kind of thoughtfulness is the first requirement of true friend ship. There was constancy in Luke’s friendship. When Demas forsook Paul because of the stress of untoward cir cumstances, it was Luke who stayed by the lonely missionary. There is a world of appreciation in Paul’s words to Tim othy, “only Luke is with me” (2 Tim. 4:10, 11). It takes stormy weather to prove true friendship now, as then. And there was service involved in Luke’s friendship. The pronoun “we” occurs after Acts 16:9-15, and continues to the end of the book. Luke’s service was not only as a phy sician, a writer, and a friend, but also as an evangelist. It was as though he had said: “I practice medicine for a living, but my business is to preach the gospel.” That is the business also of every Christian today. Points and Problems 1. “ Forasmuch as many nave taken in hand” (Lk. 1:1). Who are the "many” mentioned by Luke as having attempted to write accounts of our Lord’s life and actions? As suggested by Dr. Barnes.
OCTOBER 6, 1940 LUKE AND HIS GOSPEL L uke 1; A cts 1:1-5; 16:9-15; C olossians 4 :14 ; 2 T imothy 4:11
the superstructure built upon that foundation. The Gospel contains what Jesus “began . . . to do.” The Acts shows what Jesus “continued to do.” To Luke we ire indebted for the record of the first thirty years of church history. In Luke, science and faith meet and coalesce. Though he was a man of un questioned scientific knowledge, he be lieved in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ (1:35), in His deity (20:41-44), in the miracles performed by Him, as well as in future judgment and kindred doc trine. His belief in-science was sub ordinated to his faith, and thus proved to be true science. “ The King’ s Business” in the Ozarks Finding many enthusiastic Biola friends in the Ozark mountains brought joy to two Institute young women as they opened a Dally Va cation Bible School in .the tiny village described by them: “These next two weeks we are working in a story-book town. It is a really old town, dating back further than 1854, and it is very quCnt. The population is only seventy-three. The people are lovely to us. “The best part of it all is, that these people know and love Biola! They are so thrilled that we are from Biola, and in every home to which we. go, we are just plied with question after question. The way they know Biola is through THE KING’ S BUSINESS. Once, years ago, an old man in this com munity s t a r t e d taking THE KING’S BUSINESS. Soon he had twenty-three families subscribing. They just love the magazine and wouldn’t get along without it. Not only that, but since they are so close to John Brown University, ten miles, they have heard Dr. Talbot. Some have even heard Dr. Torrey here at Siloam Springs. Believe me, it’s a real joy to find these people away back here in the mountains loving Biola.”
Luke 1:1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth *in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us» 2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eye witnesses, and ministers of the word; 3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4 That thou mightest know the cer tainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus be gan both to do and teach. Colossians 4:14 Luke, the beloved phy sician, and Demas, greet you. 2 Timothy 4:11a Only Luke is with me. LESSON TEXT: Lk. 1:1-4; Acts 1:1; Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11a. GOLDEN TEXT: “It seemed good to me also . . . to write • . . that thou mightest know the certainty concerning the things, wherein thou hast been instructed” (Lk. 1:3,4). DEVOTIONAL READING: Col. 1:9-13. Outline and Exposition I. L uke , the W riter (L k . 1:1-4; A cts 1:1) ■y UKE’S s u p e r i o r mental equip ment is revealed in all he wrote. 1 Renan said that Luke’s Gospel is “the most beautiful book ever writ ten,” and Harnack said it is “the. most literary of all the Gospels.” Moreover, Luke’s poetical gifts have made him the outstanding hymnologist of the early church, his hymns being used through the centuries in all the stately services of the church. It was he who wrote the “Ave Maria” (1:28- 30); the “Gloria in Excelsis” (2:15); the “Magnificat” (1:46-55); the “Benedic- tus” (1:68-79); and the “Nunc Dimittis” (2:29-32). He also revealed a scientific mind by the careful preparation he made before-' writing. He wrote only after much research and investigation. It is ap parent that he secured interviews with various eyewitnesses of the events of which he wrote—with Zacharias, Elisa beth, the shepherds, and even Mary, the mother of Jesus. And he clearly states his subject, the sources of his materials, his methods, and the purpose in writing. Luke’s Gospel shows the foundation, and The Acts of the Apostles furnishes
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