421
September 1931
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
1. The Word which he preached was op posed by the Jews. They were not opposed to Paul as a man, but as a preacher. So today, the preacher would be received, if he did not persist in proclaiming Christ as the only help and hope of sinners. It was not the Lord but the Jews themselves who led to their final rejection. “Your blood be upon your own heads,” said the apostle, and such may be said today to all who reject the offer of salvation. The refusal of the gospel is really soul suicide. There is a certain horror connected with the taking of one’s own life. But if the cutting off of physical lifd, which is but a brief span at the longest, is so terrible, what words can describe the awfulness of committing soul suicide, when the soul must live on, and on, and on, through the endless ages of eternity, knowing it has deliberately performed the deed which has consigned it to unspeakable woe! That deed is the rejection of the gospel offer. The peo ple of Corinth committed it long ago, sim ply by opposing the Word of God. 2. The Word which he preached was withdrawn. When the Jews opposed the gospel that Paul preached, he withdrew to the house of. Justus, which was near to the syna gogue. It may have been actually only a few feet away, but to the unbelieving Jews, it was as though it did not exist at all. Likewise in our day, the Word is preached throughout the land; but when people will not’ listen, or, after listening, will not turn from sin to the Saviour, although the means of grace remains near at hand, the barrier of their own rebel- The church school fails in its mission when it does not equip the child to meet today’s problems, and solve them in the Christian way. It is the teachers’ responsibility to in still the fundamental truths of the Bible in the church school—and this happy result can be accomplished by using STANDARD GRADED COURSES throughout your en tire church school work. The outstanding Bible Centered Courses. STANDARD Graded Courses p o in t th e w ay to g re a te r c h u rch school success. No o th e r g ra d e d co u rses lik e S ta n d a rd—b u ilt sq u a re ly on th e B ible a n d on n o th in g else, b u t m e e tin g to d a y ’s p ro b lem s in b u ild in g C h ristia n c h a ra c te r. If you do n o t k now S ta n d a rd G raded C ourses you a re d e n y in g y o u r c h u rch school of th e finest te a c h in g h e lp s of th e p re se n t day. O ctober 1st is th e C hurch School New Y ear’s Day. S ta r t th e y e a r r ig h t b y u sin g S ta n d a rd G raded C ourses—ju s t w h a t you have been lo o k in g for. E n ro ll y o u r c h u rch school in th e big sw in g b ack to th e Bible.
Paul sought every opportunity to preach the truth. Each Sabbath day he was found in the synagogue, seeking to per suade both Jews and Greeks. He taught that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, that is, the Anointed One. Among his listeners, there would be those who would be familiar with the Old Tes tament, and who would know that the Anointed One was the Prophet to whose words attention was always to be given—< the Prophet whose ministry was to be accredited by signs and -wonders—and they would be compelled to admit that Jesus met every qualification. Paul de clared that He was the Priest in whose work trust was to be reposed. The priest of old represented the people as he ap proached the holy place and went in be fore the Lord, and God received the peo ple in the person of the priest. This was possible because the priest bore with him the blood of the sacrifice, for “without shedding of blood is no remission,” (Heb. 9:22). Paul taught that Jesus of Naza reth was the Priest in whose work the people were to trust, for With His own blood He made atonement for sin. Trust ing in Him,- they would find perfect ac ceptance with God. Finally, the apostle declared that the Anointed One was the King to whose rule obedience was to be rendered. Jesus Christ is the Prophet before whom all other prophets become silent; He is the Priest superceding all other means of approach to God; and He is the King above all rulers, to whom, first of all, obedience is to be given. T he. results of Paul’s preaching are recorded in verses 6 to 8.
OCTOBER 25, 1931 Paul in Corinth Lesson: Acts 18:1-17; 1 Cor. 13. Lesson Text: Acts 18:1-11.
Golden Text: “Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (1 Cor. 13:13). i P aul ' s P lace in C orinth (18:1-3). Corinth was one of the most wicked cities of ancient times. Such was the prevalence of its wickedness that even the Christians were guilty of unspeakable sin, that would cause excommunication from any communion of professing Christians today. It was a city filled with a strange philosophy which boldly countenanced li centiousness. All the vices of human na ture were to be found in abounding measure in this cultured, pleasure-loving city. Surely we would expect the apostle to preach morality there, if anywhere. But we shall see that the Word of God, which was his message’ at other places and to other peoples, was the only message that he had for these sinful Corinthians. He trusted the action of the Word to produce the highest morality. In this city, Paul found friends who were of the same race as himself. Prob ably Corinth and its corruption were as strange and repellent to them as to Paul. It was natural, therefore, that a mutual understanding should exist between them. As a child, Paul, like all Jewish youths, had been taught a trade, that of tent making. Since Aquila was also a tent maker, he and Paul were drawn together by their nationality and their business, but most of all by their knowledge of and love for the Lord Jesus Christ. Aquila and his wife, Priscilla, had come to Corinth because of an order of the Ro man authorities that all Jews must depart from Rome. What gave rise to such an order is not definitely known. But there can be no question that the hand of God was in it for the furtherance of His own great purposes. The affairs of nations, as well as of individuals, are all in His control. Hence, no matter what the injus tice, or whether it be inflicted by an indi vidual or a government, the child of God may accept it and rejoice. II. P aul ' s P lace in C orinth (18:4-8). Whatever may have been his monetary occupation, Paul’s real work was that of preaching Christ wherever he went. Af ter all, what other business has any Chris tian on earth? The subject of his preach ing was Christ crucified, sufficient for god less sinners and for religious sinners,- and necessary for both (1 Cor. 1:21-24). The Greeks wanted wisdom, and the Jews de sired a sign; but both needed Christ. Paul reasoned with them out of the Scriptures. He had no other means by which to reach them. He could have given them philosophy, but they had already proven that to be insufficient for their need. It had not kept them from sink ing into wickedness and vice. It had only made them puffed up with knowledge and had led them to cover their licentiousness with a veneer of seemingly wise sayings.
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