Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-03-18
Lesson for March FL.

view Of the same.
Lesson for March "a.
Golden Text.-"Every man that striv.
eth for the mastery 10 temperate in all
things.'--1 Cor. o: %.
Christian self-restraint Ia the subject Of
this lesson: Cor. 8: 1927. This lesson
Is taken from a letter written by Paul
some twenty years after his conversion.
OF course the teacher will be familiar with
the time and place of writing the epistle
81, Ephesus, third missionary Journey.
unto the Jews -. as jew, to them
that are under the law, as under the law:
though his especial call was to Gentiles.
Paul remained always In touch with Jews,
and knew full well how to appeal to them:
he felt deeply the contrast between the
splendid possibilities Of Judaism and it's
actual failure and rejection Of Christ, as
Is shown in chapters Gil of Romans; he
was well aware of the legitimate advan-
tage possessed by those who had been
brought up on the Jewish scriptures, even
so perverted form of the law as was
taught in that day; and in all arguments
with Jews we may be sure he used to the
full this bond of agreement between him
and his hearers or readers.
This do for the gospels sake, that
might be partaker thereof with you: the
last word, ''you," Is supplied by the trans
lators and does not appear in the revised
versiOn-"that l may be a joint partaker
thereof" The thought is plain, and
noble thought it is: a. Christian self-re-
straint wins men; 81 He who wins men
becomes in a new sense sharer in the
gospel; he shared in its benefits at CONVEX
sion and ever since; he shares now in the
joy of spreading the good news and so be-
coming a Joint partaker" with Christ, as
well as with other disciples, in active and
benefcent service.
''To the weak became as weak: leave
out the "as." Paul wrote, II became
weak" Of course it is bold rhetorical
figure, meaning that he came to the weak
with words and ministrations suited to
their condition; helping them in their
temptations by his own example, though
their temptations were not his.
Here the apostles thought takes new
turn. The first point in the chapter was,
II have theoretical right to do many
things which / refrain from doing" the
second, Il refrain from them in order to
win men," Now his mind turns to the
intensity with which he has for nearly 4
score of years pursued this self-denying
stTNlCt. anu ITOm ueIenuluS MS own
course he turns to exhorting his readers.
In a smaller man it would be Boosting.
The athletic festivals of the Grecian
world impressed deeply the imagination
of Paul. He was doubtless familiar with
them from childhood, for Tarsus was a
Greek city; and had witnessed them fire.
quenty at both Corinth and Ephesus.
The Isthmian games at Corinth were
among the most famous events of an
tiquity, second only to the Olympian
games. They included leaping, discus
throwing, running, boxing, wrestling,
horse racing and chariot racing. The run
ming races were the most famous, and vic
tory in them was a distinction far greater
than that attained by any champion ball
player or bicycle racer in our day. "The
festivals were attended by immense
crowds from all the Greek States, and
from even the most distant colonies. The
various States sent embassies, and We'd
with each other in the splendor of them
and of the gifts they brought. The victor
was received home by triumphal process
sion, entered the city by new opening
broken for him through the walls. was
taken in a chariot TO the temple of the
guardian deity, and welcomed with songs.
"Not as uncertainty: the successful
runner is the one who looks only at the
goal, not ut the spectators or at his an
tagonists-"So fight i, not as one that
beateth the air.: anybody who has ever
seen boxing match between a strong but
unskilled man and scientific boxer will
get Paul's point. The big, burly fellow
makes great show of his arms, keeps
them waving i'm the air most of the time:
but he has no skill. and every time he
l. A. II
mt the other mans head, the other man
ducks or lodges or guards and the big fell
low finds himself spinning around with
the force of his own futile blow; he Is
beating the air. When he has tired him
self out his opponent makes short work
of him by few quick. unexpected blows.
Paul compares himself to the scientific
boxer in such an encounter. He saved
his strength and hit hard when the pro-
per time came.
Teaching Hints.
The theme of the lesson Is not self-re-
straint as an end, but self-restraint as a
means to the service of other men. Let
not this be forgotten. Sef-contrOl was
one of the Greek virtues: it appealed to
cultivated pagans merely because it seem
ed the course best in accordance with the
principles of beauty. A man ruled by his
passions is unbalanced, one-sided, distort-
ed, ugly. But the virtue of which Paul
speaks, sometimes under the name item
perance"-which of course has a much
wider meaning than abstinence from in
toxicants-is desirable because it enables
one to serve his fellow men and through
them to serve his Master. BY emphasiz-
ing this point you can make this an in
teresting lesson; by neglecting it you will
be likely to fail. Dispense with pathetic
temperance stories for once, and make
the pupils feel this sense of responsibility.
at once honor and burden, which the fam
GUS college athlete feels. The response
bility, in our case, instead of being to n
college or school, is to Christ and to the
world. We may waste much time argu-
ing whether man has a right to use his
body as he sees fit If we regard each man
as an isolated unit; but when we get
Paurs point of view, "all things to all
| men, that l might by all means save
| some," argument becomes unnecessary.
Next Lesson-Review.
The Measure of Success.
Success is not always to be measured
| by money, position, reputation, al
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