The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-11-10
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
international Lesson for Nov. IL. 1924

I'IN . %Vt11
Cor. ZEN TExr.-He became poor. that VI
through Ills poverty might be rioh-2 Cor SO
TiMx-1 ne Second Ipistlc 10 the Corinthians
was written T. the autumn Of A. ID 81. . few
months after he mrs, Epistle, and not long II.
ter The uproar = ! Ephesus-"
PLACE Written TO the church in Corinth
from one of the chur, hes OF Macedonia Some
think at Philippi (Col ybeare aud Howson),
and some ut ThessalonicA tAliord)
PLACE IN BIBLE EIsro.t y Acts 20: !, 2
After writing the First Ep.s site to the Cor
t~nthians, Paul sailed to Maced. mia, and went
around among the various churche.' there
SENT by Titus. who had just e..urned to
Paul from Corinth- lie was ~acconpalied by
two noted brethren q Cor. =: 10. Is. e). They
went 10 complete the collection previously
begun 4,
TnE SEcTloS concerning this subject e.
tends over chapters y and o
CHARACTER OF THE EPfsTIE The First
Epistle In good measure accomplished its pur-
pose But In such u church as that at Corinth,
surrounded by many bad influences both
moral and speculative, many troubles are sure
to rise
l. There arose men at Coripth who bitterly
opposed and accused Paul, as we see from the
answers he gives In this Episllc. They called
him b%oastful, insincerc. foolish; they said
that be was untutored In speech, mean in bod
lily appearance, his motives were worldly. not
spiritual; that he had sinister designs, aud was
collecting the contributions In behalf OF the
Jerusalem poor as . crafty cloak for his own
avarice.'"
2 These calumnies hurt Paul's feelinxs He
had "a human heart. not an artificial one: and
he does not even pretend that such calumnies
did not sting and wound him They stung him
Ill the more because they came upon him at q
time Of great mental discouragement and
physical prostration 4; s-i2.'y VIXEN there
were nghtings without and fears within c7:5D
They made him at once wretched and indie-
nant"
1 There are two ways Of dealing with calum-
ny, both best according TO circumstances.
Christ had forctold that men would speak evil
OF His disciples, falsely for His sake. ''The
early Christians we're accused on ali sides Of
infant murder and Thyestian banquetx
Athanasius. Calvin. Luther. we're charged with
the most fragrant iniquitics. George White
hcld spent his life amid o roar Of execration-
Few modern statesmen. few modern writer's,
few public men Of any kind. are DO fortunate
as TO escape misreprcsen tation "-Farrar.
One way to meet these calumnics is to
take no notice of them 1T Is said that an
eminent person OF the present day has treas
ured up In . book all the nercesi attacks which
have been made upon him. and, without ever
having one either good or bad, keeps
that book for the amusement OF his friends.
Better perhaps was the observation OF another:
They cannot harm me by what they say Of
me. ] am too near the great white throne for
that''-Farrar. The other way Is 20 answer
those calummes that are doing mischief to
Gods people or His cause.
LESSON NOTES.
The Collection for the SAINTS. At
the great council at Jerusalem il AID.
so, when tie Gcntiles were welcomed
with the Jews into the Christian
church. Paul promised to take up q
collection among the Gentle churches
for the poor saints at jerusalem (see
1892, Fourth Quarter. Lesson XI.).
Paul had been making this collection
in Macedonia and in Greece (9:2) md
in Asia Minor q Cor. l6:1). The need
of this collection % aros from the
great number Of strangers at Jerusalem
from all parts of the world. Co Most
of the converts were from the poorer
classes. (3) The turbulent aud un-
settled state Of the people. This letter
was written only about twelve years
before the final destruction of Jerusa-
lem. The abnormal condition of the
labor market is illustrated by the fact
that Agrippa ii. was compelled to re-
sort to artificial means. such as paving
the streets of Jerusalem with white
marble, after having declined a pro-
posal to destroy and rebuild Solomon's
porch, IN order to supply with work
and wages eighteen thousand work.
who had been employed in repair
ing the temple. Life and property
were rendered painfully insecure by
the terrible atrocities Of the Sicarii. At
once assassins and robbers. There
was a famine in the reign Of Claudius,
and the privations accompanying Il.
for the mitigation Of which ST. Paul
had previously been instrumental in
providing ACTS 1l:29, 3O), may nave
been still continuing. Independently
of the general disorder. IL is easy 10
comprehend how difficult the Chris
tians. regarded as rencgadcs from the
national faith. may have found it to
ings were probably much more severe
than is usually imagined.
The gra &c of God is Gods favor and
the disposition or character which Is
its fruit. The liberal giving described
is the fruit of Gods gracious influences
bestowed upon these churches. How
ever much one may know that he gives
of his own free will, yet he that sees
truly sees so much that comes from God
in his every good or noble work that
the star of his free will IL almost nm
seen in the radiance of the sun Of
Gods grace. His very nature. his
early training. his conversion. the in
fiucnccs that have nodded his charac-
ter, the Gospel, the power Of the Holy
Spirit, the example of others, all are
so powerful hat the docr OF the grand
est deeds forgcts self in thanking God
for the privilege OF doing them.
A Motive from the Spiritual Rewards
of Libcrality. Spiritual prosperity II
inseparable from Christian liberality.
As often as you practice this duty you
must be conscious hat the best part
Of your sanctificd nature is called into
exercise; your heart is partially dis
charged Of its remaining sclfshness;
your mind Is braccd more for Christian
activity; your sympathy causes you o
fecl afrcsh your alliance with man;
your bcncficencc enables you to rejoice
in your union of spirit with Christ, and
adds n new bond N TIM poyer NJ affec-