December 1930
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
585
SNotes on Christian
ßndeavor
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By M ilo F. Jam ison :»«■
Bible Study and Christian Endeavor T HE GENIUS o f Christian Endeav or lies in the opportunity it affords young people to express their re ligious convictions and experiences. How ever, all forms of expression presuppose that there has been previously impressed upon the mind and life that which fur nishes the background for that expression. No water can be poured from an empty pail, and a blank mind is a poor source for the brilliant discussion o f any subject. One of the outstanding needs of young people today is that they be provided with adequate sources of information which will enable them to express themselves properly. The church in its preaching ser vices and Bible study classes is the nat ural basic source o f supply for informa tion about Christ and the Bible. However, this source of Christian education must be supplemented by a personal devotional and expository study o f the Word o f God if the young person is to be able to give expression to the best thinking in the field o f Christianity. All of this is but another way of say ing that the trouble with most Christians today lies in the fact that they do not know or study their Bibles. To attempt to express oneself in Christian Endeavor without having first made adequate and careful preparation from the only true source book on Christianity is a fallacious method of procedure. Good Christian Endeavor talks and meetings depend upon careful, prayerful study of the Bible and its message. The practical personal question is, “How can I be of the most value to Christ in my Christian Endeavor Society?” One answer that comes to mind almost im mediately is, “ By knowing what the Christian life is; by living it; and by leading others into the same place o f joy.” Each of these depends upon the former. We cannot point others to the Christ whom we do not know ourselves. We cannot know Him except as we allow God’s Holy Spirit to open to us the pages of the one book which presents Him to us as the living Son of God. Therefore, we again, from another angle, come to the same conclusion that the study of the Bible is the prime essential in the develop ment o f a good Christian. The next question is, “How can I best study my Bible?” The purpose o f this department o f T he K ing ’ s B usiness is to present methods whereby Christian En deavor meetings may be made more ef fective. Each month the attempt will be made to present a slightly different ap proach to the topics. The individual should study the various methods offered, adapting and adopting suggestions in ac cordance with his own needs. —o— T he C oncordant M ethod There are two approaches which can be made to every Christian Endeavor
meeting. The first is through the topic or subject announced for discussion. The second is through the text or scripture passage which supplies the Bible basis for that discussion. In the discussion of the topics for January, we are suggesting a plan of preparation which we have termed the concordant method. In this method the scripture is stressed rather than the topic. Usually the Bible furnish es the most helpful basis for discussion and should be used whenever possible. The elements of the method may be sum marized as follows; 1. A Bible concordance is absolutely necessary for the employment of this method o f preparation. Every Christian Endeavor society should have one or more copies of a standard concordance in its library. In addition, as many members as possible should be urged to secure cop ies for their own use in the study of the Bible. There, are three standard concor dances that are recommended: Cruden’s Concordance is a comparatively small vol ume which gives a fairly complete list of scripture references. Both Young’s and Strong’s Concordances are more exhaus tive in their treatment o f the scripture references, and one or the other should be secured, if possible. It will be discov ered that concordances, along with other helps, are often bound in the back of Bibles. Most public libraries also have copies oti their shelves. If none of these sources produces a copy, it will be well to visit the pastor o f the church, who should be able to supply the' need. 2. In using the concordance to prepare a Christian Endeavor talk, the text which is suggested for the meeting should be carefully studied two or three times in the effort to determine which words or thoughts stand out prominently. These
words should then be looked up in the con cordance to discover other Bible passages which develop the thought. 3. These new passages should be looked up in the Bible, and those bearing directly on the subject should be written out and analyzed. 4. The analysis of these various addi tional passages will provide ample mater ial for the preparation of a simple outline which will serve as the basis of the talk as well as furnishing the illustrative mat ter that may be necessary. 5. The whole should be climaxed with a suggestive practical application or pointed illustration. In the discussion of the January topics which follow, the concordant method will be used throughout. The examples o f fered are to be used as demonstrations o f the method rather than as outlines for the talks. Each student should develop a similar study for himself and give it as his contribution to the general discussion in the meeting. Some of the following lesson material will be worked out in detail, some in out line form, and the rest merely suggested. It should be remembered that nothing o f value can be well expressed without con siderable effort being expended in prepar ation. It is impossible to give out that which has never been thought out. --- 0 --- January 4, 1931 How to Keep on the Up-Grade Philippians 3 :12-16 I N using the concordant method in the preparation o f this lesson, two outlines will be offered. The first will be worked out in detail, the second given in outline form. * * * F ollowing A fter C hrist A Concordant Study o f Philippians 3:12 I ntroductory W ord : The first verse of the passage under dis cussion reads as follows 'in Weymouth’s translation: “ I do not say that I 'have al ready won the race or have already reach ed perfection. But I am pressing on (I follow after), striving to lay hold o f the prize for which also Christ has laid hold of me” (Phil. 3:12). This passage presents the real secret of keeping on the up-grade in the Chris tian life. We must first come to the Christ of Calvary. After we have come and been received, we should then “ follow af ter” Christ that we might lay hold of the prize of His approbation. . D iscussion : Three other verses written by Paul clar ify some o f the actual details involved in that “ following after.” In each instance the same Greek word, which means “to pursue,” is used.
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