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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
November, 1936
IN T E R N A T IO N A L L E S SO N Commentary Outline and Exposition BY B. B. S utcliffe Children’s Division B y H elen G ailey Golden Text Illustration B y A lan S. P earce Object Lesson BY E lmer L. W ilder
Points and Problems B y A lva J. M c C lain , Dean, Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio
is to be preserved without spot or reproach until the Lord comes. The charge was given in the sight of God and Christ Jesus, who, as a Man, stood before Pontius Pilate and preserved the commandment given Him. This Man is to be recognized as the only Potentate, King of kings, Lord of lords, and the only One who has immortal ity, who dwells in unapproachable light, the One whom none have seen or can See. Surely this Man can be no less than God. III. P aul ’ s E xperience (2 Tim. 4:16-18). 1. The experience of the presence of God (vs. 16, 17). When Paul first made his defense, none stood by him save the Lord. While there was no seen presence at his side, there was the unseen and living God, giving strength for the bitter circumstance and the difficult position. In large measure, this fact re veals the secret of Paul’s power, peace, and service. He was empowered by God for his work, assured and confident in God through circumstances even serving God when in chains. Paul does not rebuke those who might have stood by him and did not; he does not blame them, but rather pleads that failure be not laid to their charge. 2. The experience of preaching for God (v. 17). Paul’s preservation was for the purpose that by him “the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear.” This was the purpose of God through Paul, and in its accomplishment Paul felt that his life was crowned with success, and he rejoiced in that success, whatever outward appearances might indi cate. 3. The experience of preservation by God (v. 18). Paul was confident that he had not only been delivered, but also that he would be preserved from every evil work, and would be brought safely into the Lord’s heavenly kingdom. No doubts entered Paul’s heart concerning where he would spend eternity; he was assured of security; therefore he could be instant in fulfilling the purpose of his life on earth, that of making Christ Jesus the Lord known to all the world. Points and Problems 1. " They that ioill be rich" (1 Tim. 6:9). Notice carefully that we have here no mere undiscriminating denunciation of rich men because they are rich. The apos tle is rather striking at the men whose su preme life purpose is to “be rich.” The Revised Version translates the phrase as, “they that are minded to be rich.” Wey mouth’s translation renders it, “determined to be rich.” Men may be exceedingly poor, but the “will” or motive within, not the mere fact of possession, makes them wrong.
DECEMBER 6, 1936 PAUL’S PARTING COUNSELS 1 T imothy 6; 2 T imothy 4; T itus 2
evil. When the love of money enters the soul; charity flees, pity cools, compassion freezes, and the lover of money departs from the faith, with the delusion that he has found an easy road. But it is a road too soon filled with sorrows. Centuries of the world’s experience have proved this true, yet in the face of both the Scripture and experience, the world today is sick with a consuming passion to be rich and increased in material things. II. P aul ’ s E xhortation (1 Tim. 6:11-16). Paul exhorts us to “flee” the love of money (v. 11); The “man of God” men-i tioned refers to the one who has been born of 'God, who lives near to God, who repre-| sents God, and who seeks God’s purpose in his life and service. Such a one is warned to flee from the snare of covetous ness. Paul uses that forceful word, “flee,”; meaning, to flee from as from imminent or fatal danger, to hasten away as from a plague spot, to get far from the precipice yawning before unwary feet. But Paul is not content with mere nega tives; he would have us not only flee from evils, but “follow after” six objectives which can be set in three couplets (v. 11). They are righteousness and godliness, as touching God; faith and love, as touching man; and patience and meekness, as touching our selves. Here again Paul uses a forceful word. “Follow after” is a hunting term, mean-' ing to pursue as prey, to make these things the supreme objective, to pursue as a hunter follows a deer or a fisherman seeks the salmon ground. In spite of discourage ments, disappointments, and hardships, these qualities are to be followed after— pursued—-until they become a part of the very character. Such pursuit involves a fight, a fight of faith (v. 12). It is by faith that we live (Gal. 3:11), walk (2 Cor. 5:7), and over come the world (1 John 5:4) ; and without it, we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6). The faith of which Paul speaks is objective, that which is the body of teaching once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) ; the fight is subjective, that which is constantly set before the Christian. The reason for the fight is that the warrior might lay hold up on eternal life, that is, experience in prac tical, everyday life the possessions of the Christian. Many Christians possess in Christ benefits which they do not enjoy in actual experience. The Holy Spirit desires saved souls who enjoy their eternal life. The last solemn charge of Paul is to keep the commandment delivered (vs. 13-16). It
Lesson Text: 1 Tim. 6:6-16; 2 Tim. 4:16-18. Golden Text: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). Outline and Exposition I. P aul ’ s E xposition (1 Tim. 6:6-10). P aul had been writing of certain proud men, who possessed corrupt minds and were bereft of the truth, and who sup posed that godliness was a way of gain. That is, they sought godliness because of what they could obtain by way of material return. But the great gain to be sought and obtained, Paul explained, was and is con tentment (vs. 6-8). The contented mind is a mind set free from all worry and anxious care. Disappointments and dis satisfactions of this life are the result of the mind’s never being contented with mere things. The truly godly mind has some thing which lifts up and makes the owner superior to the accidents of material pos sessions; it lives within itself, securing food from a secret, spiritual source not depen dent upon fluctuations of money; it lives in and from God Himself. This is the teaching of both Old and New Testaments. “A little that a righteous man hath is bet ter than the riches of many wicked” (Psa. 37:16). In order to possess true content ment, however, there must be godliness, and in order to possess a quietness of mind and a rest in soul, there must be righteousness. Paul warns of the danger of money (vs. 9, 10), warning on the ground that “we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” ; hence we do, not in reality own anything beyond that which has value in another world, the spiritual world. God has under taken to provide food and clothing, the essential needs; let us be content with these. A soul without God is never content, and a soul with God is never discontented. The desire to be rich precedes the fall of many Christians who otherwise might stand. They fall into the snare set by Satan, sanctioned by the flesh, a snare which brings destruction. We should constantly remember that money, as such, is never held in disrepute in the Bible. It is the love of money which is the root of all manner of [These lessons are developed from out-' lines prepared by the Committee on Im proved Uniform Lessons of the Interna tional Council. The outlines are copy righted, 1934, by the International Coun cil of Religious Education and used by permission .— E ditor .]
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