South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1893-09-28
sABBATHfsC SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL ESSON FOR
O"rC;.Els
Lesson Text: ''rhe Power OF the Cos.
pei" Romans l., = 17-Golden
Text: Romans l., 16-
Commentary

g.. First thank my God through Jesus
Christ Tor you all, that your faith is spoken
OF throughout the whole world Our last
lesson In the Acts found Paul at Rome
preaching Jesus to all who came TO him but
from verses II to 13 Of this lesson It Is evil
dent that he had not as yet been In Rome
, Snen ne wrote this epistle. He writes a, n
BOND slave OF Jesus Christ set apart TO pro-
claim tho glad tidings of God concerning
the Son. and addresses his letters to all the
beloved OF God In Rome, called saints. BY
receiving Jesus We become saints, He becom-
ing our righteousness, and this being the cnso
We arc therefore to live as saints. We are
not told how the gospel was first preached
al Rome, but there were at this time true be-
levers there to whom Paul wrote this great
eplstle. emphasizing in the very beginning of
II the great truth ofthe resurrection (verse ~.
see how faith In God gloritles Him. and be-
comes known abroad to His honor
'For God Is my witness, whom I serve
WITH my spirit In the gospel Of His Son. that
without ceasing I make mention of you
always In my prayers" Ono Of PauI's
notices was, "God, whose am and whom I
serve (Acts xvii, 23), and 1t was no out
wa, ward service as man ploaser (Gal. t., 10
Ihess. H., 4; Col. ILL.,. 22), but real heart
work AS In the sight Of God whom he loved
TO call upon rs his witness Il Thess H., s. lO).
II was his custom 10 pray much for the saints
In every place (Eph. t., 16: Thess t., 2,
r. tn'- ~ and ne loved to be prayed for (Coi:
u.
was MS intimate friend. and like a little child
ne told his father everything (PhiL w., G. ~.
What he preached he practiced. -
~. Making request, IL by any means now
AT ienHth might have q prosperous journey
by the will OF God TO come unto YOU Out
wardly we have seen that az men $50 thiuu,.
MS journey was anything but prosperous hut
when we constdey his safe arrival and the
prosperous In Gods sight. Joseph In prison
under a false accusation was a prosperous
nan, for God was with him (Gen. xxx, 2.
8, 81, 23).
part unto you some spiritual gift. to the end
ys may be established" He repeats his long
Ing and desire in the end OF the epis.le chap
tiers xv., IS: xxxii.. 29). He at one time put
the EPhesians in mind OF the words OF the
Lord Jesus. how He said. SIT is more blessed
to give than to receive" (Acts XXX, 35), and
His whole life is al illustration OF tho ioy OF
imparting spiritual things. The way to be
established is found i'll II. Chron. XX. 90,
'Bc!ieve in the Lori your God, SO shall yo
lie established" Sc" the contrast in lisa vii
!, and be mindful OF I. Cor. Nv. So, "Be 70
s:eadfast, immovable. always Astounding In
the work OF the Lord"
IL. That Is, that may be comfor.ed to-
Eetner with you by the mutual faith both OF
you and me-. In writing To Philemon (Phi
o. Paul said that tho communication of faith
btromss enectunl by the acknowledging of
every GOOD thing that Is in us in Christ Jesus.
W
precious faith with US through the righteous
ness OF God and our Saviour .Tesus Christ
Oh Pet. l., -. Every believer knows how in
spring Is the faith OF fellow believer and
say, II believe God" or 81 know whom /
have believed" (Acts xvii, IS III TIM H.
~ Confidence begets confidence both In
temporal and spiritual things, 80 that II In
quietness and confidence we are strong In the
Lord lisa. Xxx, 15) somebody will get q re-
freshing
IS. Now, would not have you igno-:nt,
brethren, that oftentimes proposed to come
unto you (but was let hitherto), thar
might have some fruit among you also, even
asamong other gentiles." Our purposes may
come to naught, but the purposes OF God will
stand and all DO In due time fulfilled The
way OF rest, therefore, Is TO place ourselves
wholly in His hands that He may work both
to william to do. The word ret in this
verse signifies to hinder. See r. v. and COM
pare Ii Thess. H., 7. Sec also lisa. kill, IS,
where God says, Il will work, and who shall
let it?''
ii. .I am debtor both to the Greeks and
to the barbarians, both to the wise and to The
unwtse. he did not take any credit to him
Sell Tor preaching the gospel, but said.
Necessity is laid upon me-yea, woe Is m.
II preach not the gospel q Cor. TX, 16).
All VINO have heard the gospel anu have re-
ceived Christ Tor themselves are commits
stoned to make Him known TO Others for 1t
Is written, Let him that heareth say come"
or not, they are ordained OF God John
XIV, 10y and are put in trust with the
gospel, which is to be declared, not US pleas
inS men, but God who treth our hearts Il
Thes5. H. ~.
Is. so, HIS much us in me- is, am ready to
preach the Gospel TO you that are at Rome
Also Ready was one OF Paurs watch
words. keady to every good WORK, ready to
bc bound or TO die, re1uy to be Offered up
(ri,us nj, l Acts XXI, - III lin. W., 81.
Ihe same word IS prominent III the Saviour 8
teacnInys with special reference to His COM
inS again (Alatn. N-.iv., A XIV, 1O). II
h.nS DavIds people couIu shy TO MIN,
''Iny servants nru ready TO 60 whatsoever
my Iurd, the king, shall appoint Oh Sam
xv., 49,, how mucL more snvuld We say 1t to
our Hin9I
16. "For / am not ashamed OF the Gospel
OF Christ, for # is the power OF God unto sal
va;ion to every one that believeth-to the
Jew first, and also to the Greek" II Is
called in verse 1 tho Gospel OF God and in
verse the Gospel OF His Son. 1t is also
called the glorious Gospel Of Christ aid the
glorious Gospel Of the Blessed God II Cor.
w.. i; l Tim. l., I'D, yet. many preachers to-
day have become ashamed Of It or else seem
to think 1t has lost its power for they preach
anything and everything but the good news
concerning Jesus. They surely seem to for
get Mark viii, ss. There is no benefit from
the Gospel unless we believe or receive 1t
(Heb. w., q, and receiving 1t we receive Him
John l., 12) and thus become tho children Of
God. II to-day. as in the days OF the
apostles, We gave more heed 'to the Jew
first might not the blessing be much
greater?
II. ''For therein is the righteousness OF
God revealed from faith to faith, as It IL
written, The just shall live by faith" Our
own righteousness. which Is only filthy
rags, Is opposed to the righteousness OF God
and must DO laid aside before ws can enjoy
the perfect righteousness OF God which Is
Christ Himself lisa. Xiv, 6; II Cor. v. Il
Rom. Z. 8, ~. This complete and spotless
righteousness was wrought out wholly by
Christ aud becomes ours By simple faith in
Him-or, in other words. by our receiving
Him (Rom. ILL.,. al, 22). The Just shall II 80
by fuith."-Lesson Helper.