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he understands to be the will of God. Those who work for God during life will be given rewards according to their deeds. Jesus, together, with all the prophets and apostles, had the highest respect for the written Word of.God; thus they con stantly took their stand upon what was written. This written Word is backed up by Christ, the living Word. God desires wholehearted service—a service which enlists all of the powers of man. He desires those to worship Him who worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24f). When Jesus approved of the lawyer’s answer and told him to do likewise and he should live, he, like many people to day, wished to justify himself and asked the question as to who is one’s neighbor. This query, though asked in insincerity, drew forth from the Saviour’s lips one of the richest parables recorded—that of the Good Samaritan. A parable is an illustration drawn from life or some incident that is possible—it is based upon reality. It is used of a well-known fact to state a spiritual and unknown truth. In this parable the priest is represented as being heartless and lacking mercy and consideration; hence, he passed by the wounded man, leaving him to die. The Levite, who, likewise, should have been filled with the love of God and mercy, passed by as did the priest, leaving the poor wounded man to die. Where there is much given, mtidh is required. With increased advantages comes increased re sponsibility. The leaders of the people should be examples to the flock (1 Pet. 5:3). A certain Samaritan, because of his na tionality a n d environment, naturally would not be expected to be a man of compassion and pity; but, contrary to such a popular judgment, he proved to be a man with a heart and assisted the poor unfortunate man. Who is one’s neighbor? He for whom one may perform a neighborly deed. It is the one who is in distress. He may be in America or he may be beyond the seas. If such a one is in need and God has placed;another in a position to assist the unfortunate one, it is his God-imposed duty to render this neighborly service. l i t Neighborly Treatment t o w a r d s Widows, Orphans, and the Needy. Jas. 1:27; 2:14-17. The Hebrew Christians to whom the letter of James was addressed had, like the pendulum of a clock, swung to the other extreme. They had been under the tutorship of law. Having heard the Gos pel of God’s grace, they accepted it free ly. They misinterpreted, however, “the liberty wherewith Christ made us free," and understood it to be license and free dom from all duties and obligations to ward one’s fellow man. Such a miscon ception of the religion of Christ called forth James’ statement concerning the pure and undefiled religion. Let it be un derstood that James was not giving a definition of religion; he was simply stat ing the facts in the life of the one who really is a true Christian. One must be come “a new creation in Christ Jesus" by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15; Titus 3:5). This new life which is implanted in the soul, will normally express itself in deeds of kindness to the widows and orphans, and
FRED S. SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTL INE
II. According to the Prophets. Amos 5:6-15; Zech. 8:16, 17. III. According to Jesus. Matt. 20:1-16; Mk. 12:1-9; Lk. 3:14. IV. According to Paul. Eph. 6:5-9; 1 Tim. 6:17-19. —o— Introduction : Historical Setting. Ex. 1 :8—14 was written by Moses con cerning the persecution of the Hebrew people while they were in Egypt and during the oppression. Chapter 20, verse
S e n s ib l e
YMPATHETIC ERVICEABLE Go, and do likewise.—Luke 10:37.
will cause one to live a pure, clean, and holy life in the power of the Spirit of God. The supposed contradiction between Paul’s teaching of salvation by faith in Rom. 4 and James’ statement of works in chapter 2:14-17, is due to a misunder standing of the points of view of the two writers. Rom. 4 is based upon Gen. 15, which records the promise of God made to Abraham when he was between the ages of seventy-five and eighty.-six. Abra ham trusted God and : his faith was counted to him for righteousness (G.en. 15:6). James’ reference to Abraham’s being justified by works is based upon the record of Gen. 22, which gives the events in Abraham’s life which occurred prob ably forty years after he had been justi fied by faith. Therefore there is' no con flict between the passages. Since these Hebrew Christians were ex ulting in the Biblical doctrine of salva tion by faith, emphasizing that it was simply by faith, James challenged them to show their faith apart from tneir works and declared to them that he by his works would demonstrate his faith to them. In order to enforce this lesson, he used the illustration of hungry and needy persons being dismissed with kind words by those claiming that they had faith. Faith always produces action., Where there is no obedience, mercy, and justice, there is n o real, genuine faith. P ith and P oint “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). “Love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matt. 22:39). “To love one’s self at the expense of one’s fellows is for selfishness to become malignancy.” “To love one’s neighbors more than one’s self is foolishness and self-destruction.” “The Gospel of Christ is the Gospel of action.” v “The poor is hated even of his own neighbor; but the rich has many friends” (Prov! 14:20). “A man void of understanding strik- eth hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his neighbor” (Prov. 17:18). December 15, 1929 The Christian Spirit In Industry Scripture. References: Ex. 1:8-14; Deut. 24:14, 15; Amos 5 :6-15; Zech. 8 : 16, 17; Matt. 20:1-16; Mk. 12:1-9; Lk. 3:14; Eph. 6:5-9; 1 Tim. 6:17-19. Devotional Reading: Matt. 7:1-5. Golden Text: “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise" (Luke 6:31). L esson in O utline Introduction: Historical Setting. Beginning the Lesson. I. According to Moses. Ex. 1:8-14; 20:17; Deut. 24:14, 15.
17, the last of the Ten C o mm a n d ments, w a s first spoken by the Lord from • Mount Sinai to Israel upon their arrival and l a t e r written by Moses in the book. The pas
sage from Deuteronomy was spoken by Moses in the plains of Moab east of the Jordan just before his death and then committed to writing by him. Amos, a herdsman from the hill country of Judea, went into the northern kingdom and de livered his messages at the court at Samaria, about 760 B. C. Zechariah, a post-exile prophet, delivered his messages to the returned exiles at Jerusalem and, with Haggai, encouraged the rebuilding of the temple about 520 B. C. The par able recorded in Matt. 20:1-16 was spoken by the Lord when He was making His last journey to Jerusalem, probably in Trans-Jordania. • Mk. 12:1-9 is a parable which the Lord spoke on the last day of His public ministry in the temple. Lk. 3 : 14 records a conversation which John the Baptist had with certain soldiers toward the latter part of his ministry at the Jor dan River. The Ephesian passage was written by Paul from Rome to the. church at Ephesus about 63 A.D. Likewise thé passage from First Timothy was written from Rome by Paul to Timothy a little later probably—after his release from the first imprisonment. Beginning the Lesson. Men are but grown-up children. The habits that are formed in childhood cling to a person throughout his life. Napoleon said that the battles in which he was vic torious were, in reality, won while he was. a boy at school. Christian parents should instil in the minds and hearts of their children the great principles of Christian ity. Then when they get out into the great business world'these principles will govern and control them. I. According to Moses. Ex. 1:8-14; 20: 17; Deut. 24:14, 15. The. children of Israel, according to the definite statement of Moses taken in con nection with that of Paul, Gal. 3 :17, were in the land of Egypt two hundred and fif teen years. They were not in bondage all of this time, because Joseph had great influence and power there. When, how ever, “there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph,” Israel’s sorrows began. In all probability the Pharaohs who were favorable to Joseph and his Is- raelitish kinsmen were the Hyksos, or Shepherd kings, who were the Asiatic conquerors of Egypt; the Pharaoh who knew not Joseph doubtless was a native prince, in whose heart rankled “anti-
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