The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-11-25
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
international Lesson for November
~. .1s07.-salutnry Warnings-1 Peter
II


4,1-S.
tArranged from Peloubet's Notes.l
GOLDEN TExT.-Be We therefore sober,
and watch unto prayer.-1 Pet AZ.
DATE.-written between A. D. Ga and
67, about the time of 1 Timothy, In the
reign of Nero. and during his great per-
secution.
THE PLACE of writing was Babylon Is:
l3), either the Babylon on the Euphrates
or q mystic name for Rome.
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
I. The True Life. Dead to Sin. Alive
to Christ.-Vs. 1, 2. 1."For as much
then" referring back 3:1s. "As Christ
hath suffered in the fesh:"
Since He has thus opened the way Of
salvation. of forgiveness and a new
heart and new life; and since He has
set you the example of doing right at
any cost. even at the cost of crucifixion.
"Arm yourselves:" AS your defense
against the great enemy of yourselves
and of the world. Likewise with the
same mind" Viz. the hatred of sin
and the love of righteousness; the love
Of His Father and of good. and the de-
sire that all the world should live the
Heavenly life. like His own resurrec-
ton life. "He that hath suffered in the
flesh" has been crucified with Christ
as to the body. and has become dead to
sin. as Paul argues in the Epistle to the
Romans. Hath ceased from sins" Sin
is dead for him.
2. mo longer in the HeSh
to the llsts of men:" The sinful desires
of human nature which naturally men
give indulgence to. "But to the will of
Cod" which is that IL, should be holy
"as it is in Heaven" just as Christ hav-
ing died. as to the body. on the cross,
was raised again to a new and glorious
life, so those who cruelty the passions
and lusts have done it that they too may
live a new and glorious life. as muck
beyond their former life as the resur-
rection life of glory is beyond the nat
ural life of the body.
II. The Deeds of the Flesh to be Cast
Out.-Vs. 3, 4. 8. 1.-The will" the desire.
the inclination. "of the Gentiles." the
idolaters. The description Of their sins
in this verse and in the first chapter of
Romans is borne out by secular writer's
of that age. "Lasciviousness: The
Greek word is in the plural as express
ing the manifold forms or acts of i'm
purity. "Lusts," the inner principles
of licentiousness. Excess of wine."
| from Greek words meaning to boil
over" "to overflow with wine." refer
| ring to the excessive, insatiate desire for
drink. "Revellings:" The word is
originally derived from the Greek. word
for village (Koma), and meant at first,
village merry makings. which degener-
ated into parties of jewellers parading
the streets with torches, singing, dane
ing and all kinds of frolics. Banquet
ings:" Drinking bouts. carousals.
"Abominable idolatries:" The lusts
and denominations which were connect
ed with idolatry and which made it
often so attractive to the natural man.
| 4. wherein they think it stranger
It is not hard, even from our own en-
perience. to picture to ourselves the
surprise of the heather when he found
his friend refusing an invitation to a
banquet, shrinking from contact with
the prostitutes of Greek cities. or when
there. passing the wine cup untasted.
III. The Influence by Which the Vic
tory is Gained.-Vs. 5-s. First. Gods
Judgments Against Sin. s. "Who shall
give account" No one can sin with
impunity. A judgment day hangs ever
more over the head of every sinner
This fact is powerful incentive to the
forsaking of sin. There are those whom
no other motive will reach till they have
felt something of this. 1t is everywhere
in nature, in society. in the conscience
in the governmero of God, drawing
men away from sin to righteousness.
Second. The Gospel. 6. For this
cause was the Gospel preached" The
good news of the Saviour, of forgive
ness. of the love of God, of holy
Heaven. ''To them that are dead:'
Past generations. THAT they might
be judged according to men:" Pun
ished, chastened, as other men, in the
body by sickness, pain and death, and
in temporal things. And the purpose
of all this was that they might 'livt
according to God in the spirit:" Il
was not to destroy them. but to save
them to high, noble, spiritual life.
Third. The Nearness of the Kingdom
of God. z. ''The end of all things is al
hand" The old order was changing
and giving place to the new. Their,
was to be a great removal of the thing.
that were shaken, that had decayet
and waxed old, that the things thai
could not be shaken might remaiI
(Heb. 12:27) This was powerful mo
tive for turning away from sin. They
would then have part in the new king
dom that was to rule the world. =
Fourth. Self-control. "Be ye there
fore sober:" of sound mind, of goot
and wise Judgment, be temperate
Sand watch" This is not the wore
usually translated watch (as Matt. "a
42). but implies in the strictest sens
abstinence from wine and stronl
drink"