The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-06-09
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JUNE I3.

Lesson Text: "Pauls Advice to Timothy"
III Tim. t., IL; ILL.,, 14-17-Golden
Text: III Timothy ill.,, 15- Com
mentary by Rev. DIR. d. M. stearns.
The second epistles are all suggestive Of
the last days when the world shall have
corrupted the church. and contain special
instructions to Gods servants for times Of
disorders, confusions, formality, etc. The
faithful witness is taught how to deal with
those who 'turn away FROM" "err con-
corning" and "resist" the truth, or "will
not endure second doctrine" QI Tim. l., Is;
H., 1S; ill.,, 8; iv., 81.
l. paul, an apostle Of Jesus Christ by
The will of God, according to the promise
Of life which Is in Jesus Christ" He
loved to think OF himself as one sent forth
by Jesus Christ and chosen for this honor
by the will OF God Why God should choose
any Of US is certainly great wonder, but
II we have truly received the Lord Jesus
Christ as our Saviour. resting wholly and
only on His finished work of atonement,
We need not fear to believe that we were
chosen in Him before the foundation Of
The world (Eph. l., ~; that we should be
aoly before Him, and that He might send
is forth In His name, even as the Father
,ent Him (John xviii, 18; Xxx, 2I. The
life that God gives is in Christ, and apart
from Him there is no life II John ", 12).
2. ''To Timothy, my dearly beloved son:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the
Father and Christ Jesus our Lord" In
Tim. l., 2, he calls Him "My own son in the
'aith," and in Phil. H., 20 (margin), He
wrote that he had no man so dear unto
Him as Timothy. We first read OF him In
Acts xvi. 1, as q disciple living as Lystra,
lis mother a JeweSs, his father Greek.
And Paul on his second missionary tour
;ook him with him. 1t is by the grace or un-
deserved favor Of God through Jesus Christ
hat we are saved.
II thank God, whom serves from my
iorefathers with pure conscience, that with
,ut ceasing have remembrance OF thee in
nv prayers night and day." Before the
council he also said that he had lived in all
good conscience before God (Acts xxiii., ~
,r as he puts 1t In Acts XVI, 5, after the
most straitest sect OF our religion lived
oharisee." He does not attempt to excuse
lis great sins against Jesus Christ and His
:edeemed, but saws that he verify thought
hat he ought to do these thing (Acts XVI,
y.
"Greatly desiring to see thee, being
mindful of thy tears that 1 may be filed
With ioy." Paul prayed much for those
whom God had given him, but he would
oray, especially for such one as his son
Timothy. II Paul had the Philippian and
,ther believers in his heart phil. l., y and
prayed much for them, how much more
loes our Lord Jesus carry love and pray
or His redeemed ones. We are not told
he cause Of Timothy's tears, but IL Paul
vas mindful Of them how much more Is
)ur Lord Of ours. There Is comfort to hu-
nan weakness In the thought that the Joy
" such one as Paul might be Increased
~ Timothy.
s. "When I call to mind the unfeigned
aith that is In thee" Not In him only but
both mother and grandmother; not that
aith Is hereditary, but children may be 80
aupht and trained that from earliest in
ancy they may be true believers In the
Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed are the moth
rs and grandmothers who so train the
children. Unfeigned faith makes US think
II the "most surely believed and know
The certainty" of Luke |, l, 4.
6. Wherefore put thee In remembrance
hat thou stir up the gift Of God which IS
tlee by the putting on OF my HANDS.
de refers to this also in Tim. w., Il. me
Spirit bestows gifts upon people severa!ly
as He, the Spirit, will, and God places the
members In the body as 1t hath pleased
Him (I Cor xiii. II, 18). He gives to every
nan his work and something to work with,
and saws, Occupy till I come" Mark kill,
a; Luke xix, 13). Then at His coming He
will reward every man according TO MS
works.
I. "For God hath not given US the spirit
If fear, but of power and OF love, and OF
sound mind" Judging from the portion
If the eptstle following, such as l., g. II, 10;
l., 5, TO- 12; ill.,, 12; w., S, 16, we would
nfer that the fear referred to Is fear OF
what one might be called upon to endure;
out thoughts Of the perfect love OF God cast
out all fear q John w., 18).
8-14. "But continue thou in the things
which thou hast learned and hast been as
,ured Of" Our Lord said, Continue ye In
Ny love,.' "If ye continue In my word, then
are ye My disciples indeed" (John xv., y;
viii., 31). like to remember that Luxe
said In the beginning Of his gospel that he
most surely believed" that his friend
might know the certainty Of these things
Luke l., l, ~, and that Abraham was fully
persuaded that what God had promised He
was able to perform (Rom. iv., 20, 2D.
Is. "And that from child thou hast
known the Holy Scriptures, which are able
to make thee wise unto salvation through
faith which is in Christ Jesus" These could
be none other than what some despise as
the Old Testament writings, In which Paul
testihes there was wisdom unto salvation
and the way of faith In Christ Jesus. Think
the way OF salvation, Gods way, is nowhere
In all the Bible more simply set forth than
in Gen. ill.,, 21. The Lord Himself provided
the clothing by the shedding Of blood, and
Adam and Eve had only to drop as useless
their own works, the fig leaf aprons, and
accept Gods provision. Blessed are the
children who from their youth are taught
these things.
16. "All Scripture Is given by inspiration
of God and Is profitable for doctrine, for re-
proof for correction, for instruction In
| Righteousness" While the Bible contains
the very words OF God and some OF the very
words OF the devil, as well as some words
OF good and bad men, yet the whole book
from beginning to end, was written by the
Spirit OF God, He giving the men whom he
used the very words to write, as ID plain
from such texts as Ex. w., -; II Sam. kill.
2; Jer l., Z, 9; xxxvi.. 2, 4, 6, 8; John Kill, ~
The Spirit who wrote the book is still in the
book, and its words are spirit and life (JohD
vi, 6S).
II. "That the man Of God may be per
feet, thoroughly furnished unto all good
works" A man OF God Is one who is first
a child Of God by faith In Christ Jesus, and
then fully yielded to God as His purchased
property for His service, the Lords mes
senger with the Lords message, receiving
his orders from God AMI responsible tc
God, seeking in all things His approval
While we are saved freely by grace. 1t Is
that we may walk in the works. He has
, prepared for US (Eph. H., l0), and the
Scriptures alone are sufficient to qualify
fully for all good works. If we will only
Weld fully, God will work in US both &c
will and to do His good pleasure (Phil. H..
13; Heb. Kill, 2D.-Lesson Helper.