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November 1928
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
“As gold more splendid from the fire appears, Thus friendship brightens by the length of years.” * * * Sentiments of friendship which flow from the heart cannot be frozen in ad versity. . G olden T ex t I llu stra tio n A friend loveth at all times (Prov. 17 :17). The bees were haunting the flowery trees , in crowds^ buzzing among the branches, and gathering honey in the flowers. Said Gotthold:. “Here is a pic ture of temporal prosperity. So long as there is blossom on the trees and, honey in the blossoms, the bees will ’. frequent them in crowds and fill the place with their music, but" when the blossom is over and the honey gone, they, too, will dis appear.-, The same happens in the world among .men. In the abodes of fortune and pleasure, professed friends will be found in plenty, but when fortune flies away, they depart along with it. Tem poral gain apd pleasure is the world’s honey, and when this ' stops, worldly friendships also stop.” True Christian friends are not of this kind. They are bound together by love and stay by those who ate in misery and need, even as Christ came to minister to His friends. Paul Writes A Letter To Philemon Acts 20:36-38; Rom. 16:1-4; Phil. 2:25- 30; Philemon 1-7, 21 Memory Verse.- S ’Let us work that which is good toward all men.” Gal. 6 :10. Approach,— Teachers of all ages, we will do well to pondér prayerfully, the message in Acts, Romans and Philippians, which will help us to realize how Paul his prayers, meditates "upon their spiritual progress, rejoices in their victories. He was always thanking God for his friends, pouring out his love upon them. In these busy days we . are in great danger of neglecting our friends and coworkers, and as we pray for them we share in their work. Our boys and girls and young people sadly need to be taught consid eration for others, and how they need the love and sympathy of friends. (Prayer.) Lesson Story.—Ho-w many of you ever had a ride on a boat in the ocean? (Re view, emphasizing our dependence upon God, andíshow how we are on a voyage from earth to heaven, and how the storms of temptation are about us all along the way; how we need to look io our Lord Jesus constantly to guide and keep us, just as Paul did:).'Wh" 6 n"we commit our selves to Him and trust and honor Him, we, too, will arrive safely in the port of heaven. Touch upon the scene at Miletus as the great apostle poured out his heart c r a v e d h u m a n friendship, and how his. heart yearned for their sympathy a n d cooperation. When he is absent f r o m his friends, he thinks of them, prays for" t h e m every day, mentions them by n a m e in
We see that sickness is a trial that is common to men, even to good servants of Jesus Christ. Paul was endued with power to Heal diseases (Acts 20:10). Why did he not heal his friend? It is evident that this was a sign gift intended to be used upon the unsaved to confirm the truth of the Gospel. The apostles did not exercise it at their own discretion and upon themselves and their friends, but only .when some great end was to be served by it and when God saw fit. . —o— ’ P h il e m o n Paul’s epistle to Philemon is unlike any other portion of the New Testament. It deals with no matter which concerns either the history or the doctrines of Christianity. For a long time, some thought it unworthy to hold a place among the other writings of Paul. It exhibits, however, by a particular ex ample, the practical effect of Christ’s religion upon social life, and so has been found of great value. Philemon appears to have been a native of Colosse, for Onesimus, his slave, is stated to have been an inhabitant of that place (Col. 4:9). From Paul’s language about his liberality to the church, it is clear that Philemon was a man of wealthy having a house in which he could offer room for church services in , Qolosse. We know no ;more of this man than can be gathered from this little epistle. Tradition says that he be came Bishop of Colosse and died a martyr. The epistle would indicate that his services to the cause were rendered rather by his substance than in any other way. Apphia, whose name occurs in close sequence, is taken to be Philemon’s wife. Archippus is believed to have been their son. The latter, who is called “our fellow soldier,” was probably engaged in the work of a Christian teacher, for the term is used by Paul only of those, like himself, who had devoted themselves wholly to Christian work. Philemon was the owner of a slave, Onesimus, concerning whom the epistle is written. He had run away, and from the language Paul uses concerning his offense, it appears that he had appropriat ed some of his master’s property. He had made his way to Rome where Paul was a prisoner. Some have thought that Onesimus may have heard of Paul’s work in the house of his master at Colosse and that he sought him out when he learned he was in Rome. Or it may be that Onesimus fell in with someone who had known him before and was by him brought to Paul. He was soon won for Christ as a result. Paul gained the offender’s heart completely and persuaded him to go back to the lot from which he escaped, for slavery was legal and Paul enjoined strict obedience to law (Rom. 13). The letter to Philemon was written to be carried by the returning slave. Philemon was Paul’s spiritual child and he thus owed much to the apostle. Paul records the good deeds of him to whom he writes and entreats him on behalf of -Onesi mus. He admits the serious offense of Onesimus, but pleads that it has been atoned for by loving deeds that the slave had done for himself. He takes
K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S f f f U E S T I O H o ^ B O X HOUR Every Tuesday 1 : 1 5 to 2:00 Radio KTB I Bible Questions Answered by the Managing Editor The letter is a model among Chris tian epistles; a perfect specimen of a Christian gentleman’s request to a friend. It reveals tenderness toward the offender and at the same time a ’full sense of his fault and the need of reparation. We can hardly doubt that it availed to make Philemon gracious in dealing with the returning slave, and that he did even more than was asked for him. The Apostolic Constitution, an ancient document, relates that Philemon gave Onesimus his freedom, and afterward was made Bishop .of Berea in Mace donia. For this statement, however, there is no more warrant than this tradition. F r ie n d s h ip B revities Lord Brooks was so proud of his friendship with Sir Philip Sidney, that he chose for his epitaph, “Here lies Sir Philip Sidney’s friend.” * * * “Doctor, what shall I do?” asked a pa tient. “My friends, are all out of town.’S “You have one Friend,” answered the doctor,”, ' who is never out ,of town— Jesus, the best F r i e n d for earth or heaven.” * * * President Edwards, when dying ex claimed, “Now, where is Jesus, my true and never-failing Friend?” * * * There can be no lasting friendships be tween bad men. True friendships can be made only between true men. * * * Keep your friendships in constant re pair through kindly deeds and prayer. * * * There is a proverb which says, “Broken friendship may be' soldered but never made sound.”" This, however, is not true among Christians who are led of the Holy Spirit. * * * * An Italian proverb has i t : “Let him that is wretched and in need, try every body and then his friends.” _Surely this could not be true among those who love the Lord. * * * Aristotle said: “Friendship is one mind in two bodies.” upon himself to defray, the loss which Philemon had suffered by his servant’s fraud.
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