The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-08-13
TIE SUNDAY SChOO
International LessOn for August 10
tso7-Abstnining for the sake of
Others-I Corinthians s-I-i3.

inthians. , r 49, u,,o, ,r
ApriI. A. ID. 81. toward the close OF Paul's
three years at Ephesus.
TEMPERANCE LESSON.
l.. Some Practical Questions That
Perplcxed the Corinthian Church.
". /. Things offered unto IDOLS" Were
those portions of the animals offered in
,acrifice which were not laid on the
altar, and which belonged partly to the
priests. partly TO those who had offered
them. These remnants were some
times eaten at feasts holden in the tenn
pies (see V. 10). or in private houses
tChap. 1927 f.), sometimes solo Ia the
markets, by the priests, or by the poor.
or by the niggardly.
The question, therefore, was:
Whether il was right for the disciples
OF Christ TO partake of food so connected
with idolatry.
III. Such Questions Cannot BE Set
tied by Mere knowledge and Rights
VS.. IL. 1.s"We all nave knowledge:"
The difficulty does not lie in our igno-
rance of the facts about idols referred to
below.
Now begins a kind of pa-enthesis,
WHICH tOltinutS lAl0hEh Ntlst d
knowledge puffeth up;" Greek. in
fates, fills with wind. as n bubble. A
conceited person is one whose nature is
60 inflated with ~self-opinion that he APP
pears 10 himself vastly greater than he
really Is.
but charity ediieth:" 'Love build
eth up" builds up the soul into Gods
spiritual temple. II enlarges its nature,
its powers. its character.
>. "And if any man think that he
lnoweth a%nything:" Thinks that with
out love he really knows anything in
It's completeness. in its relations, with
out which there is no true knowledge.
"lle knoweth nothing yet as he ought
to know" lie has mistaken a part for
the whole.
3. "B1t If any man love Cod" The
FIRST and deepest love. and therefore
The love which must extendto man. He
has the principle of love in his heart.
4. AS concerning therefore:" Hav-
Ing laid down the principle. he returns
20 his subject to apply the principle.
we know that an idol is nothing liz
the world" The image is nothing but
wood. or brass, or stone.
:. "Howbeit:" We are not alone and
we cannot act as if alone. for there is
not in every man that knowledge"
about meat offered to idols. Many were
very ignorant. having just escaped from
idolatry. And this fact must affect our
conduct.
III. The Question Settled by Love.
Aided by Knowledge and Liberty-Vs.
Tia. For some with conscience of the
idol" Recognizing the idol as a reality
and feeling while eatingrhat it is par
taking in its worship. And their
conscience being weak" A weak on
science is opposed TO a strong. which
very strength consisted in the tender
ness or quickness of discerning a per-
ceptive power. A weak conscience is.
therefore "a. one which either regards
as wrong what is not in fact so; or (2)
one which is not clear and decided in
its judgments tHodge); or ca one
which has not power enough TO restrain
q person from doing the wrong il con-
dennis. us dcfled:" BY yielding 10
what il regards as wrong.
Q. "Takc heed" For what is right TO
you may do a wrong to another. "Be-
come a stumbling block" over which
the weak fall into sin.
10. For If any man." who may feel
thatthe act is wrong. "see thee .
sit at meat in the idols temple" at some
social feast or festival. although you do
not regard il as favoring id,!atry or ia
sinful Accomplishments. and can do II
safely. or think you can. Seeing this.
the man who regards il as wrong may
be tempted to 90 against his conscience.
weak be cmbnldcned:" Built up: the
same Greek word is uscdin 'charity edi-
feth." Verse 1. the weak are built up in
evil. as charity builds up in good.
II. "Shall the weak brother PERISH"
The II. ". has the right pointing. his
is o n question. but a statement OF
fact. He who sins against his con-
science is i'm the swift road TO destruc-
ton. "For whom Christ Gied:" There
is n great power and pathos in these
words. Shall we. for the sake of eating
one kind Of meat rather than another,
endanger the salvation Of those for
whom the eternal Son Of God laid down
His life?
-. wherefore. ir meat (old English
for food in general) make my brother to
offend:" Cause him to stumble and fall
into sin. Christ declares that we had
better have a milestone tied TO our neck
and we be sunk into the sen than TO Of
fcnd the least Of His disciples Matt
ls:6). II will eat no fesh:" In order
TO insure my avoiding flesh offered to
idols | would abstain from all kinds OF
flesh in order not to be a stumbling
block to my brother.
The principle laid down by Paul Is one
OF the two great foundation stones OF
the temperance reform. We will not
drink wine or strong drink. even though
we believe them 10 be harmless 10 u
selves (which they are not). because OF
orr ncighbor. AS Mr.. Cough says. the
Bible surely permits us 10 abstain from
wine. and we shoulddo il. II by our In
dulging weak neighbor perish. and
do IN NJ INV porrppaI c,o~;faa