King's Business - 1944-04

T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S

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In order to attain his threefold de­ sire, Paul recognized that he must press on (vs. 12-14). He wanted to apprehend, or arrest, or lay hold upon that for which the Lord had arrested, or apprehended, or laid hold upon him. God’s purpose in laying hold upon him was to conform him to the image of God’s Son (cf. Rom. 8:29). Arid that was the “ prize,” the “high calling of God,” toward which Paul pressed. The measure in which this advice is followed will be the measure of our satisfaction with and our understand­ ing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Points and Problems 1. "A certain woman . . . attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul" (Acts 16:14). The first convert in Europe was a woman. The preacher was Paul, the Pharisee. Pharisees were in the habit of daily repeating such words as these: “O God, I thank Thee that I am neither Gentile, nor slave, nor woman.” Very likely Paul joined in the repetition. His present attitude shows the reality of his transforma­ tion by the gospel. He later wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Greek . . . bond nor free . . . male nor fem ale... for ye are all one' in Christ Jesus.” It is the Lord Jesus Christ who has elevated womanhood. 2. "When she was baptized, and her household" (v. 15). The natural inference from this statement is that through the influence of Lydia who received the gospel and was baptized, the other members of the family be­ lieved and were baptized. God’s plan for every household is that each mem­ ber, old and young, should be in the true church. 3. "The resurrection of the dead" (Phil. 3:11). The literal reading, and the one in harmony with Scripture teaching elsewhere on the resurrec­ tion is, “The resurrection out from among the dead." The resurrection here referred to is the believers’ res­ urrection. It is called in the Book of Revelation “ the first resurrection” (20:5, 6). There is no such thing in Scripture as a general resurrection. 4. "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (v. 14). The imagery is taken from the race course. Paul saw the runner straining every muscle to be first to the goal where rewards were given to the winner. For the Christian, the goal 'is the coming of the Lord. The prize is not the upward calling itself, but rather the reward which w ill be given on that occasion to those who have run well the Chris­ tian race. Paul was sure of the high calling (2 Tim. 1:9). What he wanted to be sure of was that he would not be lacking when it ¿¿tie time for the distribution of rewards.

LET 'S G IVE

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ing the good news about the Lord Jesus Christ, he met many new friends. Some were young, and some were? older. Many of them became true friends—loving the Lord Jesus as Paul did. One was a young man named Tim­ othy, (You may tell about his mother —2 Tim. 1:5; about his training—2 Tim. 3:15; about his work with Paul— Acts 16:3; and about the two special letters, 1 and 2 '"Timothy, that Paul wrote to him.) Another friend was a woman named Lydia. One Sabbath day, Lydia and some other women went to a cozy place on the river’s bank to have a prayer meeting, because there was no church near by. Paul went there, too, and he talked to the women about the Lord Jesus. Lydia listened eagerly, and the Lord opened her heart to un­ derstand the massage. “She was bap­ tized” (v. 15), and her family was, too, and she was so happy that she wanted Paul to stay at their house. What a happy, friendly time they had together! It was a very exciting night when one man became a friend of Paul’s. The man was the keeper of the prison. Some of the people who heard Paul preach were so angry that they tore off the missionaries’ clothes and beat these good men, and threw them into jail. The keeper of the prison was to guard them. Paul, and Silas who was with him, prayed and sang praises to God, right there in the prison, at mid-

Golden Text Illustration

P h il ip p ia n s 3:14 Frith says: “ An arfist must see his picture finished in his mind’s eye be­ fore he begins it, or he will never be an artist at all.” A clear conception of what at the end any understanding will be like is the mark of all wis­ dom. A true business 'man in all his investments looks to the end; only the foolish plunger lives for the day. So is it with life—in determining conduct, • look to the end. John Stuart M ill declares that his life was changed by his asking him­ self this question: “Suppose I attain what I am now pursuing, what sort of a man shall I be at the end?” The . thought of the end showed him the unworthiness of the ambition.— Twen­ ty-five Hundred Best Modern Illus­ trations, by Hallock. In a Town Far Away A cts 16 MEMORY VERSE: “ If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). AIM: To show that the best friend­ ships c e n t e r in Christ. A P P R O A C H :

When we have a new member in our class, how glad we are to find a new friend! LESSON STORY: As Paul went from place to place, tell­

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