The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-10-27
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
s.,sruutionai Lesson for October 30. 1898
Abstinsncc for the sake Ut Others.

Abstinsncc for the Sake Ut Others.
,epociaily Arranged from Pcloubers Notesl
TEMPERANCE LESSON
aoLpEs TEXT We then that are strong
ought 10 bear the tnurmities OF the weak and
M, 10 please ourselves Rom ISL.
Tux CHURCH IN CoRiSTn was founded In
ID So. about Ave years before this epis,le
"a. written II was on Pauls second mission
80 Journey, after he had entered Europe. and
cone down through Philppi. Thcssalonica and
s,erea to Corinth lie remained In the city =
wear and a Halt
RECURRENCE For an account OF Cornth ana
tho church there. see third quarter. lesson Nv
PLAcE-Thc e?iste was written from Epb
csus Il Cor. 1850
TlME--Eary in A. ID. 81 Toward the close
~ Paul's three years stay In Ephesus Paul in
tended TO leave Ephcsus about Pcntccost that
year. May ~ Il Cor 1879. so that the epistle
xas written earlier than that date Levin
,hInks from the allusion In I Cor. 5:7 that IL
was written during the passover which that
,ear occurred April
Arrnoit-Paul. aged ffiy-nvc. on his third
missionary journey
PLACE IN Bible HISTORY story OF the
foundation OF the church In Corin,h * related
in Acts is.i-is The story Of his work In Ephc-
sus. where he was when he wrote this letter. Is
tod IA Acts 1917 TO .0:i
THE EPIsTIE TO THE CORINTHIANS seems TO
have been written in answer TO a letter received
from them ,.:i. and the report OF visitors
SD The church at Corinth was u little
hand in "a city OF four hundred thousand.
Gem In q flowing sewer OF niquity The early
training, the former habits. tho surrounding
Influences OF n city which even "in the Gentle
world was faiuous-nsamous- dishonesty.
aelauchcry and drunkenness" made IL difficult
20 live the true Christian lie Says Farrar
III is not ia a day that the habits Of q life can
he thrown aside Even the most sincere OF the
converts had terrible battle to fight against
two mpta,ions--thc temptation TO dishonesty
In their means of obtaining their daily .iveli-
hood. and the temptation 10 sensuality which
was cnianglcd with the very nbers Of their indt
y,iu:l' and social life 1--WE often hear the early
church spoken OF as II we had nothing 10 do but
10 ST a, her feet and learn. and weep because
we had fallen far short OF her example
That Is the conventional fiction; very different
Is the hard reality"
Three main lessons dominate the cpisile, ~
practical unity amid divergent opinions; e,
ittic details decided by great principles, and
a. He In the world but not 81 IT, I'arrar),
with the two magnificent passages on Charity
and on the Resurrection.
LESSON NOTES.
A Great Practical Difficulty. Things
offered unto idols were those portions
Of the animals offered in sacrifice
which were not laid on the altar and
which belonged partly TO the priests,
partly To those who had offered them.
These remnants were sometimes eaten
at fcasts holden in the temples (sce
yer. lO). or in private houses (chap.
10:27f), sometimes sold in the markets
by the priests, or by the poor. or by
the niggardly. Afford. Thus a Chris
tian might unconsciously eat of such
meat either at the house of friend
tsce chap. 1927 or 10y purchasing it
himself in the public SHAMELESS Eli
colt. Or. If he attended any of tho so
cial fcastS. or wedding fcasts of his
heather ncighbors. or their public
gatherings he would almost of neccs-
sity partakc of meats offered to idols.
for only such were used. For the
whole social life of the ancient world
was CLOSELY interviewer with its rcli-
gious worships. Sacrifices are enumer-
ated by Aristotle and Thucydidcs
amongst the chief means of social en-
joyment. The fcasts which take place
amongst the lower orders In Spain. on
the carcasscs of the bulls killed in the
great national bull-fghts Fiesta dos
Toros). afford good illustration of the
racticc.--Stanlcy.
The question. therefore. was. wheth-
err il was right for the disciples of
Christ To partakc of food so connected
with idolatry Ii is easy 20 see that
under these circumstances. as Stanley
says, this question ''occasioncd the |
greatest practical difficulty in the
apostolical age" as the question of
caste does in India.
|. Arguments why they might par
take t1) because there was no essen
tial wrong in it. The meat was not |
changed or harmed by being offered TO
idols. CD Because the prohibition in |
tcrfcred with true Christian liberty. |
CD Because the prohibition would |
cause a great deal of difficulty in OBJ
tanning meats for food. "a Because
any unnecessary burdens on disciples
hindcrcd Others from becoming Chris
tians. 90 because il compelled the
disciples 10 keep away from all social |
and civil assemblies, and prevented |
them from influencing their heather |
neighbors toward the gospel. 90 BE-
cause such emphasis on matters not
wrong in themselves would call attcn-
'''h away lTblu Ttdl SlnS anu cTlIncS
"a The decree of the Jerusalem coun-
cil tActs 15:a9) was in this regard
matter OF compromise and not based
on any permanent moral grounds as il
u were wrong in itself. Hence il was
only temporary and local in its appli-
cation.
Arguments why they should not
partakc-(D Such meats were forbid
den by the decree Of the council ut
Jerusalem seven years before ACTS
i';29). CD Because the act was pecul-
iarly offensive to their Jewish breth-
ren. CD To use the flesh which had
once been offered TO a heather divinity,
even in ordinary circumstances,
would be an encouragement Of the
practice Of sacrifice much more to par
take of the banqucts which took place
IN the precincts OF the temple itself,
ana on the scene of those lccntious
orgies with which the heather wor-
snip was SO often accompanied. Dean
stanley. (i) There was especial dan
ger that the disciples themselves would