The National tribune., 1893-11-09
SUNDAY ,..sMEDITA7IOA.
SsGn
A Study of the international Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for Nov.
air
10, 1893. ssnevo

/
| ryst 1-e-
| Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph lfrem the Holy Scriptures as
| INTRODUCTION.
Our study is the Bible. Rev. Dr. E. L Clark
| was install led. Oct. 20, pastor of the Central
! Congregational Church, Boston. In his state
| ment he said: The Scriptures are the word of
| God. hangesble, the only perfect rule of
| faith and practice. Its writers directed
! by the Holy Spirit. so that they teach without
| the least error, the will of God. Tie gracious
| light of divine truth comes to rs uusulied yet
il is colored by the peculiarities of the age and
authors, who lost none of their personality
when they became medium between God aud
man." ~
g Rev. DR.. D. H. Greer, of St. Bartholomew's,
New York recently in sermon said: " What
is the Bible? If we were asked that question
most OF us would reply: 1t is the inspired
word of God That, at least, is what would
say and that is what believe. | believe that
the men who wrote the Bible were inspires
men, and that theyspake they were moved
by the Holy Ghost. Yet while this is so. it seems
to me that there is a great difference in the
moral qualities of its utteranccS for some are
better and purer arid of higher standard than
are others. All thedcstructivc criticism in the
world however, does not disturb us for know
ing il so, and loving it so and believing it so,
we strive nearly AS we to obey it,
Addison, referring to the influence OF the Old
Testament philologicsly in its relations toour
English tongue, and hence having specially in
mind the grand Hebrew idioms wrote: They
warm and animate our language, give it force
and energy, and convey our thoughts i'll ardent
and intense phrases
THE EPIsTLE TO THE EPHEsIANs.
/. Introductory.
Coleridge said of the Epistle to the Ephesians.
it is one of the diyinest com positions of man,
embracing every doctrine of Christianity"
And Adolf Momod declared as to it thus: 1t
embraces in its brevity the whole field of the
Christian religion"
of this letter, it does not seem TO have teen
called out by any special circumstances, nor
even to have involved any distinctly precau-
tlOnary teaching. whether against Oriental
Judaistic tbeosophy, but to have been suggest
ed Ivy the deep love which the Apostle felt for
his converts at Ephesus and which the mission
of TychIcus, with an epistle to the Church of
Colosse, afforded hin, con venent opportunity
OF evincing in written teaching aud exhorta-
ton"
g When Written.
The EpistIc was probably written A. d. 81, or
33 years after tire death Of Christ and S31
years ago. AS the Epstes arranged in our
Bibles the Epistles to the Ephesians is fifth in
ORDER OF those written by St. P nj. Chronology
ically it was in fact his ninth Epistle.
3. Where Written.
The Epistle was written at Rome while st.
Paul was there as a prisoner. (Acts. %: 16.
Compare Eph.. ;: II Though a prisoner he
allowed some liberty. He could see callers
and send letters. p1td 4
A. Author.
tla L.
was undoubtedly St. Paul. (See 1:l) He
wrote IA of the ,Epistles. He prisoner
of the Lord" ALL; He was not criminal.
He was not in prison for debt, fraud, theft. nor
the like. 1t was then crime TO be Christian,
and st. Paul was prisoner on account of his
following the religion OF Christ He suffered
various tribulations. q: 49, He WIS pris-
oBer because he was an ambassador of Christ
in chains punishment for being a Christian.
:20.) His great culture. his deep and d.
versiied experiences, his severe trials and
prosecutions, ali fitted him to write with
authority aud Intelligence
5. To Wh0m Written.
Though commentators are not agreed as to
which place-whether Ephesus or Laodicea-
the letter was sent, we may consider 1t add ress
ed TO Ephesus. The meaning of the contents
does not depend on the fixing indisputably of
the place whittier sent. Ephesus city in
Ionia. Asia Minor, at the mouth of the river
Cayster. which emptied into the Egean Sea.
That earlier city went TO ruins, aud another |
was built on the site. In the latter ST. Paul |
founded a church. We read in l: l of the Epis- |
tie that il was addressed to the Saints which |
are at Ephesus." In that city was the famous |
Temple of Diana. Though the Epistles of st. |
Paul are add ressed to certain places and con- |
gregations. yet they were intended for all times |
and all localities. Hence we are interested in |
their study.
EPHEsUs, 4: 1922.
Mental and Physical Parts b,uolued in Moral Con- |
duct.
/. The ear. See V. 81.
g. The eye. See V. %. The objects ep- |
pealing to the lusts and misleading men and |
women effect their work by addressing the
sight.
3. Hand. v. g. Wrong use of hands in
stealing and good use in labor are mentioned.
4. Heart. V. 32. In early times it was
thought the heart is the seat of the affections,
and this idea still clings TO our language. The
more correct view is that the emotions are
mental processes.
5. Tongue. V. 90 Good conversation. v.
22 No lying. V. 25; CT. truth in v. 81. No
evil communications. " 80 No camor. volv-
ing brawling, railing. Obstreperous shouts. ex-
citable yels. No evil speaking, swearing,
harmful remarks about Others.
6. Mind V. 90 We must be renewed In
the spirit Tone of our minds Anger. hatred.
malice, bitterness, as well as righteousness and
holiness are mental acts The brain is involved.
Old Nan VS.. Ne,o Man.
/. Anger &c, 81 Edi6cation. 90.
Bitterness. 81. Forgiveness. 81.
g. Clamor. 81. Good talking. 90.
a. Corruption. 3d. %. Gracefulness. 20.
5. Deceit. %. Holiness. "a.
6. Evil speaking 81. Kindness. 80.
z. Lust %. Labor. %.
8. Lying. 25. Liberality. %.
9. Malice. 81 Renewed mind. %.
TO- VS.. Holy Spirit. 30. Righteousness. "a.
II. Stealing. IS. Tenderness. 33.
q Wrath. 26, 81. Truthfulness. o.
Notes.
We record above IL contrasts. We get good
dea OF the old man and see his opposites in