October 1929
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who journey thither.' The Jehovah of the Old Testament who appeared unto patri archs and prophets, was the Jesus of the New Testament. Jesus shall return, mount the throne of David, and set up His reign in Jerusalem, which shall ex tend to the uttermost parts of the earth. He will be the Teacher and the Law giver—-the King who reigns in justice and in righteousness (see Psa. 2; Isa. 32; Zech. 14:9f). When Christ reigns, wars will be no more. At the beginning of the Tribula tion, which immediately precedes the mil- mennium, the nations will beat their plow shares into swords (Joel 3 :9-13) ; in violent contrast with their preparation for war, they, when Christ returns, will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning-hooks. He will make wars to cease ‘‘unto the end of the earth" (Psa. 46:9). Without casting any reflec tion upon the good intentions and efforts of the promoters of the League of Na tions, World Court, and settlement of disputes by arbitration, the writer wishes to say that world peace will never come that way; it wiil come only when the Prince of Peace comes and causes wars to cease. 2 . Universal Peace Among Animals. 11 : 6 - 10 . In chapter 11 appears the glorious reign of King Messiah over the earth. In verses 3-5 appears the work which King Messiah will perform when He returns in power and glory. In 6-9 appears the picture of the peacefulness and harmony which shall be restored to the animal cre ation during the millennium. Originally, before the Fall, the animals were peace ful, there being no hostility, neither one species feasting upon another (Gen. 1: 29, 30). Paul likewise sees the time when the entire creation—both animate and in animate—shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, curse (Gen. 3), into the liberty of the glory of the chil dren of God (Rom. 8:18-24). 3. Understanding Between Nations. 19:23-25. From the dawn of history to the present, nations, like individuals, have had misun derstandings which frequently developed into war. It is most highly desirable for both individuals and nations to adjust their differences by arbitration and mu tual understanding; however, the very best plans and intentions of men fail fre quently. History is definite on this point; but when the Messiah returns in glory and reigns over the nations, there will be perfect understanding among them, as ap pears in this passage. II. Universal Peace According to Paul. Acts 17:22-31. 1. The one God to be Worshiped. Vs. 22-25. Upon Paul’s arrival at Athens he ob served the city given over to idolatry. Among the altars he saw one dedicated “To an Unknown God." It has been said that there were more idols than citi zens in the city of Athens. They were indeed religious. Using this inscription as a point of contact, Paul began to preach the truth to the Athenians—that there is but one God (the Uni-Triune God) who has made the heavens and the earth, who does not dwell in man-made temples, and
FRED S. SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTL INE P ATIENT P ERSISTENCE E ARNEST E NDEAVOR A BSOLUTE A GREEMENT C HARITABLE C O-OPERATION E QUITABLE E XCHANGES Follow after the things which make for peace.T^Rom. 14:19. 2. The Unity of the Race. Vs. 26-29. At this point Paul taught the unity of the human race by affirming the father hood of Adam. The differences in the races today may be accounted for sci entifically and accurately upon the basis of climatic conditions and the Mendelian principle of biology. It is in this One God that the human race lives, and it is He whom they were created to seek (vs. 27, 28). 3. The One Judge to Administer Jus tice.. Vs. 30, 31. In times past God has tolerated polythe ism (He never did sanction it and never will) ; but now the positive command is that men should turn to the •Living God arid serve Him in view of the fact that He has appointed a day in which He will judge in righteousness by one Man— Jesus the risen and glorified Messiah. When He returns in glory He will reign in righteousness and administer justice. 4. The Unity of the Body of Christ. Eph. 4:4-6, 13-19. During the Christian dispensation—the time while the rejected Messiah is away in heaven—God is calling out from among the Gentiles a people' for His name (Acts 15:14). It is the will of God that all who believe on Christ should be one as He and the Father are one (Jno. 17:20, 21). Division and strife had arisen at Corinth in Paul’s day, but he imme diately condemned it (1 Cor. 1:10). Paul, in Eph. 4, urged the brethren to be ce mented together in the unity of the Spirit—the only true unity that can ex ist and that is an antidote to all strife and division. In order to maintain this unity he emphasizes the oneness of the doctrinal statement of the faith (Eph. 4: 4-6). Following this statement he ex plains that the diversity of gifts admin istered by the Spirit is designed for the unity of the believers. Following these statements, in verses 13-19, he shows that the body of Christ, of which He is the Head, is to grow up to maturity and that it is to live a life of purity and holi ness in the world of sin and wickedness. III. Universal Worship According to Jesus. Jno. 4:20-26. In the conversation which Jesus had with the Samaritan woman He spoke of the universality of the worship of God during the present time. Men do not have to go to Jerusalem, as during the Jew ish dispensation, to worship God accept ably; but now in every place man may worship God “in spirit and truth." Only the regenerated people can worship in such a manner, and with such worshipers God is well pleased. In the millennial age, however, God will be universally wor who is not served with men’s hands (vs. 24, 25).
shiped (Zech. 14:9, 16-21). Men will, ac cording to this and other predictions, go to Jerusalem and worship the One, True, Living God. —
c o n v e r s a t i o n of Jesus with the Samaritan woman, which forms p a r t of the lesson, oc curred in Sarnaria about the middle of the first full year of His public min
istry. The conversion of Cornelius oc curred at Caesarea in Palestine, probably around 31 or 32 A.D. Paul’s statement with regard to his desire to preach the Gospel to all nations was made in the Roman epistle which he wrote from Cor inth the first part of 58 A.D. The Galatian letter, from which the last passage of the lesson is taken, was written at the sjme time as the writing of the Roman letter. Beginning the Lesson. Jewish exclusiveness was very pro nounced in the first century, as it has been throughout the Middle Ages. On account of the fact that the Jew had the oracles
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