Passaic City record., 1893-09-30
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
OCTOBER 1.
Lesson Text: ssThe Power of the Cos
peI,v Romans L., S-17-Golden
Text: Romans f., 49,
Commentary.

8. First thank my God through Jesus
Christ for you all, that your faith is spoker
OF throughout the whole world Our las
lesson in the Acts found Paul at Rome
| preaching Jesus to all who came to him, bu
| from verses II to 13 of this lesson It is evi
dent that he had not as yet been in Rome
when he wrote this epistle. He writes as
bond slave OF Jesus Christ set apart to pro-
| claim the 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 case
we are 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
| epistie, emphasizing in the very beginning OF
1.-THE great truth Of the resurrection (yerse ~.
! See how faith in God glorities Him, and be-
| comes known abroad to His honor
| y 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" (Acts xvii, 23), and 1t was no OUT
ward service as man pleaser [Gal. l., TO- I
Thess. IL, A; Col. ill, 22), but real heart
| work as in the sight OF God. whom he loved
to call upon as his witness Il Thess. H., 5, 10).
It was his custom to pray much for the saints
in every place (Eph l., is Thess. l., q;
LIS III duu no AQfc1 ~ Dc DIHy6a 1OL (COIs
W, 8 Thess. v, IS III Thess ILL.,, y. God
was his intimate friend, and like little child
he told his father everything (Phil. w., 6. y.
What he preached be practiced.
10. Making request. if by any means now
at length might have prosperous journey
by the will of God to come unto you" Out
wardly 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, 80 it is truly
prosperous in Gods sight. Joseph In prison
under false accusation was a prosperous
man, for God was with him (Gen. xxxix., 2,
| 8, 81, 23).
II. s'For long to see you that may inn
part unto you some spiritual gift. to the end
ye may be established He repeats his long
ing and desire In the end of the epistle (chap-
ters XIV, %; xxxii., 29). Ee 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 III. Chron. Xxx, 20,
aBelieve in the Lord your God, so shall ye
be established See the contrast In lisa. vii,
8, and be mindful Of /. Cor. xv., So, "Be ye
the work Of the Lord. /" -
10. That is, that may be comforted to-
gether with you by the mutual faith both of
you and me-" In writing to Philemon (Phi
g. Paul said that the communication of faith
becomes effectual By the acknowledging of
every good thing that is In us In Christ Jesus
Peter speaks of these who have obtained like
precious faith with us through the righteous
ness Of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ
(II Pet. l., y. Every believer knows how in
spiring is the faith of fellow believer and
how refreshing it is to meet one who can truly
say, 'sI believe God, = or II know whom I
have believed (Acts xvii, %; II Tim. i,
12}. Confidence begets confidence both in
temporal and spiritual things, SO that If in
quietness and confidence we are strong in the
Lord (Isa. XXX, 15) somebody will get a re-
freshing.
13. Now, would not have you ign
brethren, that oftentimes proposed TO -ae
unto you (but was let hltherto), thar /
might have some fruit among you also, even
as among other gentiles." Our purposes may
come to naught, but the purposes OF God will
stand and all be in due time fulfilled. The
way oil rest, therefore, is to place ourselves
wholly in His hands tnat He may work both
to willand to do. The word :.iet'' in this
verse signifies to hinder. See r. V. and COM
pare III Thess. IL, 7. See also Isa. xiiii., 13,
where God says, II will work, and who shall
let it?''
IA II am debtor both to the Greeks and
to the barbarians, both to the wise and tothe
unwise. !" He did not take any credit to him
self Tor preaching the gospel, but said,
Necessity is laid upon me-yea, woe is me
if preach not the gospel (I Cor. tx, 16).
All who have heard the gospel and have re-
ceived Christ Tor themselves are commits
stoned to make Him known to others, for it
is written, Let him that heareth say come"
Grew xxU., 17). Whether ordained of man
or not, they are ordained of God (John
XIV, 16) and are put in trust with the
gospel, which is to be declared, not as pleas
ing men, but God who trieth our hearts Il
Thess. H.. A..
20 .y,o7to nj, "a in mo, e r Ipror " n
preach the Gospel to you thar are at Rome
Also" Ready was one OF Paul.s watch
words. Ready to every good work, ready to
be bound OF TO die, ready to be offered mp
Titus ill.,, Acts XXI, %; II Tim. w.. 81.
The same word is prominent in the Saviour's
teachings with special reference to His COM
ing again (Matn. xxiy., Al ky. 10). II
King Davids people could say 10 nim,
ssTny servants are ready to co whatsoever
my lord, the king, shall appoint" I'll Sam.
xy., 15), how mucn more snould we say tit
our king?
l6. ..For am not enhanced OF the Gospc.
OF Christ, for it is the power Of God rats sal
va:ion to every one than 6ofiuveth Ito the
Jew first, and also to the Greek" 1t is
called in verse the Gospel of God and in
verse 9 the Gospel CT His Son. 1t is also
called the glorious Gospel of Christ aud the
glorious Gospel OF the Blessed God QI Cor.
w., 4 I Tim. j.. ~, yet many preachers to-
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., SO. There is no benefit from
the Gospel unless we believe or receive it
(Heb. iv., p, and receiving it we receive Him
(John l., 12) and thus become the children of
God. If to-day, as in the Gays OF the
apostles, we gave mare heed "to the Jew
first" might not the blessing be much
greater?
II. s'For therein is the righteousness of
God revealed from faith to faith, as it is
written, The just shall live by faith. Our
own righteousness, which is only filthy
rags, is opposed to the righteousness OF God
and must be laid aside before we can enjoy
the perfect righteousness of God, which ~
Christ Himself elsa. Xiv, 6 +; II Cor. ", al 1.
Rom. K, 8, AZ. This complete and spotless
righteousness was wrought out wholly by
Christ and becomes ours by simple faith in
Him-or, in other words, by our receiving
Him (Rom. ill, 81, 22). sThe just shall live
by faith. Lesson Helner.