The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-12-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
Tho Apostolic Couneil-internationai Les
son for December IL, 1S92-Acts Is;
1920.

Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as
they.-Acts l5:lL
CENTRAL TRUTH God guides His people In
to fuller understanding OF the truth.
THE SECTION OF HISTORY includes Acts Is:
1871; Gal 2:l-lo, with a glance at Acts lO9-l7,
A4s
TINE-Probably A. D. so, fourteen years
, after Pauls conversion gal 2;l). s-.
The GREAT QUESTION was whether the Gen.
| tiles must not only believe In Jesus. but must
| become Jews, il they would be saved l. 1t had
! been held by the Jews that only those who
| adopted Jewish rites and ceremonies
could be saved Their religion was
| divine They were the people of God
Their rites were ordained by God Not
! 10 impose these on the Gcntilcs was contrary
| TO the ordinance Of God Then how could Jews
and 'Gentilcs mingle together as Christians
| unless the Gentiles became Jews' Much that
! the GentilcS ate was unclean 10 the Jews. 2,
! On tho other hand, TO yield to the JudaiZing
Christians was 10 make conditions OF salvation
which Christ had not laid down II laid UNI
necessary burdens on the Gcntiles, and kept
them from becoming Christians. II would have
prevented Christianity from becoming uni
| versal religion.
THE RESULT was CD that salvation came on
one condition only-by faith in Jesus-and not
by any rites or ceremonies; (2) but that in those
! things which separated the Jewish from the
| Gentle Christians the Gentiles should in love
| yield some OF their rites Each side gave up
something or the things forbidden two were
| 10 make it possible for Jrws and Geniies 10
live together in the church, and two were very
common sins aud dangers OF the Gentiles
LESSON NOTES
The Gospel had been preached far and
wide, at first to Jews only, but after
that to Gcntiles as well. For centuries
the Jews had believed that GcntileS
would be saved as well as they, but
only by conforming to certain outward
rites and ceremonies This belief they
now adhered to, and therefore trouble
arose in the church because the apos-
ties had not insisted on any such OBJ
servances on the part of the Gentle
converts.
Now the discussion hinged on the
question: what was necessary to sal
vation?" The Jews very naturally felt
that at least part Of the Mosaic law
must be adhered to. They did not deny
that Jesus was the true Messiah, or that
through Him salvation was to be had;
but they held that faith in Christ was
not of itself enough to save man.
There must be added certain outward
rites which had come down to them
from the great Lawgiver. This Paul
and Barnabas denied. They had more
clearly seen that in Christ all the old
Mosaic ritual had been fulfilled and set
aside; and they were therefore not will
ing to subject the new Gentle converts
to any such regulations. Instead OF
using angry words, and finally splitting
apart, they tried to get the best posi-
BILE advice. How many w,etched church
quarrsls and splits would be avoided in
our days if we only would follow their
good example!
The opinion of Peter and James
while it was well to do nothing that
would offend others, and cause them to
stumble, yet faith in Jesus Christ was
all that was really needful for saliva
ton. Salvation was not of works, mol
by the law of Moses, but by the grace
of Jesus.
: No such discussion will ever again
arise in the world as that of which oul
lesson speaks; but there are still per
, sons who would turn us away from the
plain statements of the Word of God
5 and would substitute some other way
s of salvation in the place of that which
is laid down in the Scriptures. In oul
( days there are many who agree will
| the council at Jerusalem that rites anC
ceremonies are not needful to salvation
. but they go farther than this, and de
clare, that, to be saved, it is no. necdfu
) to believe in Christ, The Jews of ON
, lesson said: "To be saved, you must ac
cept Jesus, and be circumcised." TIL,
4 apostles said ITO be saved, you mus
r accept Jesus, but you need not be cir
v cumcised." These modern teachers say
r ITO be saved, you need neither accep
Jesus, nor submit to any outward rites.
}. There is very great difference between
. these three statements. The second i
!. the only correct one. 1t was the teach
+. ing of Jesus himself, as anyone can Sc
| who reads the third chapter of John
1t is the teaching of al the apostles, a
v seen in their epistles. And just as tn
y Jews of our lesson were wrong in thei
opinion, so these modern teachers ar
v wrong in theirs; for there is only on
= name under Heaven given among men
/ whereby we may be saved; and that
the name of Jesus. No moral life (un
>. less it be perfect from the cradle t
;. the gravel can save man.
!. On the other hand if there are an
a who are trusting in anything outwar
q to save them-as baptism, or contirma
a ton, or church-mcmbership, or church
going, or the sacrament of the Lord
Supper 49, they are equally mistaken
: Not that moral life is not obligator
> in Christian, or that these simple cere
= monies established by Christi are c
y no use, but that the foundation of a
must be faith in Jesus, and that such
: faith as will show itself in correct life
and obedience to the will of Jesus a
our master.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
/. Differences of opinion will arts
!" among the best If people.
: . They should be settled in Chris
= tian spirit, by discussion, by advice c
= the best people, by the guidance of th
Il Holy spirit.
. s. Free discussion is a great safeguar
against wrong teachings and wron
Z feelings.
lc 4. There is ouly one condition of sa
:. walton.
Il 3. People must often yield their right
d and privileges FOR the sake Of harmon