Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-09-30
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
.ESSON !, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. 1.

/ ts
Text of the Lesson, Rom. 1, 8-l7-Mem-
1. I6-Commentary by the Rev. ID. Nj.
| Stearns.
s. First, thank my God through Jesus
Christ for 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 I to 10 of this lesson it
Il evident that he had not as yet been in
Rome when he wrote this epistle He
writes rs bond slave of Jesus Christ, set
apart to proclaim the glad tidings of God
concerning the Son, and addresses his let
ter TO all the beloved of God in Rome, called
saints. BY receiving Jesus we become
saints, He becoming our Righteousness, and
this being the case we are therefore to live
as saints. We are not told how the gospel
was first preached at Rome, but there were
at this time true believers there to whom
Paul wrote this great epistle emphasizing
In the very beginning of it the great truth
of the resurrection Verse ~. See how faith
in God gloriies Him and becomes known
abroad to His honor.
g. For God is my witness, whom serve
with my spirit in the gospel of His Son,
that without ceasing make mention of
you always in my prayers" One of Paul's
notices was, God, whose am and whom
| serve" tActs xvii, 23), and it was no out
ward service as man pleaser (Gal. i, TO- /
Thess. IL 4; Col. iii, 22), but real heart work
as in the sight of God, whom he loved to
call upon as his witness q Thess. ii, 5, lO)
1t was his custom to pray much for the
saints in every place (Eph. i, IS; Thess. i,
., Phi. A. and he loved to be prayed for
tCol. iv, 3; | Thess v, %; II Thess. iii, ~
God was his intimate friend, and like lit
tie child he told his father everything phil.
iv. 6, y What he preached he practiced.
TO- Making request, if by any means
now at length might have prosperous
journey by the will of God to come unto
you" Outwardly we have seen that as
men see things his journey was anything
but prosperous, but when we consider his
safe arrival and the lives given him (Acts
xvii, "a, 81 it is truly prosperous in Gods
sight. Joseph in prison under false ac-
cusation was prosperous man, for God
was with him Gen. xxx, 2, g. 81, 23).
IL. "For long to see you that may i'm
part unto you some spiritual gift, to the
end ye may be established" He repeats his
longing and desire in the end of the epistle
tchapters XIV, %; xxi, 2o). He at one time
put the Ephesians in mind of the words of
the Lord Jesus, how He said, 1T is more
blessed to give than to receive (Acts Xxx,
35), and His whole life is an illustration of
the joy of imparting spiritual things. The
way to be established is found in Ii Chron
xX, 20, believe in the Lord your God, SO
shall We be established" See the contrast
in lsa- vii, 9, and be mindful of / Cor XIV,
SIS, BE ye steadfast, immovable, always
Astounding in the work of the Lord"
IL. That is, that may be comforted to-
gether with you by the mutual faith both
OF you and me-" In writing to Philemon
tPhi 81 Paul said that the communica-
ton of faith becomes effectuai by the &C
knowledging of every good thing that is
In us in Christ Jesus. Peter speaks of those
who have obtained like precious faith with
us through the righteousness of God and
our Saviour Jesus Christ Gil Pet. i, y. Ev-
cry believer knows how inspiring is the
faith of a fellow believer and how refresh
ing 1t is to meet one who can truly say, ~
believe God" or Il know whom have be
lieved" (Acts xvii, 25; ii Tim. i, 49, Con
fdence begets confidence both in temporal
and spiritual things, so that if In quietness
and confidence we are strong in the Lord
lisa. xxx. l5l somebody will get refresh.
ing.
ID. Now, ! would not have you ignorant,
brethren, that oftentimes | proposed to
come unto you (but was let hitherto), that
might have some fruit among you also,
even as among other gentles. Our pur
poses may come to naught, but the pur
poses of God will stand and all be in due
FIJI inI
Is to place ourselves wholly in His hands
that He may work both to will and 10 do
The word ''let" in this verse signifies to
hinder See r. v and compare ii Thess
Ii, / See also lisa xiii, Is, where God SAYS
Il will work, and who shall let itg"
"A. Il am debtor both to the Greeks and
to the barbarians, both to the wise and to
the unwise." He did not take any credit
to himself for preaching the gospel, but
said, Necessity is laid upon me-yea, woe
is me if preach not the gospel" q Cor. tx
10y. All who have heard the gospel and
have received Christ for themselves are
commissioned to make Him known to 9th
ers for it is written. Let him that hear
eth say come" (Rev. xxi. ~ Whether or
dained OF man or not, they are ordained of
God John XIV, l6l and are put in trust
with the gospel, which is to be declared,
not as pleasing men, but God who trieth
our hearts q Thess. ii, y.
Is so, as much as in me is, | am ready
to preach the gospel to you that are at
Rome also" Ready was one of Paul's
watchwords. Ready to every good work.
ready TO be bound or to die ready to be of
fered up (Titus iii, /; Acts xxi, %; II Tim. iv.
o. The same word is prominent in the Saw
iour's teachings with special reference to
His coming again (Math xiv, A; XIV, lo)
If King David's people could say to him,
Thy servants are ready to do whatsoever
my lord, the king, shall appoint" (I Sam
Nv. i5), how much more should we say it to
our king?
Id For am not ashamed of the gospel
OF Christ, for it is the power of God unto sal
walton to every one that believeth-to tn,
jew first, and also to the Greek" 1t /.
called in verse the gospel of God and in
verse the gospel of His Son. 1t is alsc
called the glorious gospel of Christ and
the glorious gospel Of the Blessed God
ul Cor. iv, 4, Tim. |, III, yet many preach
ers today have become ashamed OF it OF
else seem to think it has lost its power. for
they preach anything and everything but
the good news concerning Jesus They
surely seem to forget Mark viii, IS. There
Is no ocneil iruIli tue SOspel unless We De
lieve or receive il Heb. iv, % and receiy
ing it we receive Him John /. l2) and thus
become the children of God. If today, as
in the daya of the apostles we gave mort
heed ito the jew first, might not the bless
ing be much greater?
II. For therein is the righteousness O
God revealed from faith to faith, as it il
written. The just shall live by faith" Oal
own Righteousness, which is only filthy
rags. is opposed to the righteousness o
God and must be laid aside before We car
enjoy the perfect righteousness OF God
which is Christ Himself (.sa- Xiv, @, ii Cor
v. 81; Rom. K. 5, q. This complete anl
spotless righteousness was wrought ou'
wholly by Christ and becomes ours b,
simple faith In Him-oF, In other words, b,
our receiving Him tRonl Iii. 81, III aTh,
just shall live BY faith.n