The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-09-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

International Lesson for September ~,
1S93-Personal Responsibility Romans
14:1e-23.
Especially Arranged from Pcloubets Notesl
A TEMPERANCE LESSON
GOLDEN TExT.--It is good neither to eat flesh
nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy
brother stumbleth-Rom. H;2L
AUTHoR st. Paul 'a
DATE,-The spring OF A. d. SO, toward the
close of Paul's third great missionary Journey
PLACE.-Writtenr at Corinth, toward the
close OF Pauls three months residence there
PLACE IN BIBLE HISTORY Paul was just
about to leave Corfnth for Jerusa lem, bringing
with him the contributions OF the Gentle
churches for the poor saints in Jerusalem (Acts
2o:e 3; Cor l6.6).
LESSON NOTES.
General Statement of the Problem
First. There are certain acts which
are universally conceded to be right,
and as coming within the Christian law
of liberty. About these, people of fair
common sense and religious intelli-
genSe have no question. and do them
freely Second. There are other acts
which are as plainly prohibited. To
do them is wrong and always wrong.
Third. There are very large num-
Der of acts which lie in the twilight re-
gion, between the day of certain right
and the night of acknowledged wrong
They are not wrong in themselves. but
according to the circumstances and
motives of their doing.
Fourth. The method of settlement
is that employed all through the Bible,
of laying down general principles, and
not definite rules and commands. For
the principles abide eternally, but the
application of them varies continually.
We have no trouble whatever about
some of the questions which almost
rent the ancient church asunder, such
as keeping the feasts, eating GER
tain foods. or meat offered to
idols, or conforming to Jewish rites and
ceremonies. But there are many other
questions in our day which are very
difficult to decide, and which can be
decided only on general principles.
The same general principles must be
applied in our imitation OF the example
of ancient saints and even of Jesus
Himself. To do the same thing they
did, but under different circumstances,
may be violation of the very princi-
Piles on which they acted. For us to at
tempt to walk on the sea because
Jesus did, or to pray all night on a
mountain in winter storm, because
Jesus did so in summer night, or to
wear the very same fashion of clothes
that He wore, might easily be the very
opposite of following His example.
The application of great divine prin-
ciples to our daily lives in varying cir
cumstances, is large part of the dis
cipline by which we grow in grace and
develop u strong and holy character.
Early Christian Problems. First.
The duties of the Jewish to the Gentle
disciples. The Jewish disciples wanted
the Gentle to be saved, but felt that
it was necessary that in doing SO they
should adopt the jewish ritual. They
knew that their religion was divine.
For fifteen hundred years they had
been the chosen people Of God. The
very God and Father of the Lord Jesus
had instituted their religion. And
now, to ignore this, to receive men in
to the kingdom in another way than
commanded to proselytes by God him
self, and practised for ages, was not
this an insult to God, to religion. to
the Bible, to all their past history?
Was not Moses inspired? Was the
sacred Pentateuch to be reduced, to
dead letter? Were all the curses of
Ebal to he braved? Again. there was
great social and RELIGIOUS barrier be-
tween Jews and Gcntiles, which made
it exceedingly difficult for them to live
nd ,.1y hr,t |,
same churches.
Second. The duties of Gentle dis.
ciples to the Jewish. Why should
not the Gentiles become Jews? And
yet to do SO laid heavy. unnecessary
burden on the Gentiles, yoke which
neither the Jews nor their fathers
were able to bear. 1t destroyed the
glorious liberty of the sons of God,
which allowed the Gospel spirit to
ural to the person who was filled with
that spirit. The ceremonial law was
burdensome on account of the multi
plicity and minuteness of its injunc-
tions-necessary as they were in the
divine training of the Jewish uation.
The traditions of the elders were still
more SO. Again, it placed an unneces-
saryl hindrance in the way of the con-
version of the Gentiles. Then, should
they keep both the Jewish Sabbath
and the Lords day, or which should
they choose? Should they eat all kinds
of meat. or only that permitted to the
Jews? And lastly, it seemed to sub
vert the very truths Of the Gospel for
the salvation of men. 1t led men to
rely on forms and ceremonies instead
of on Christ alone and the change of
heart which he required.
Third The relation of Christians
to the heather world. The Christians
living among the heather were few
and poor, and it was very difficult to
keep themselves pure from idolatry.
A large portion OF the meat offered for
sale in the markets had been offered in
some heather temple as sacrifice to
idols. Should they eat of such meat?