Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-09-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
A Scholarly Exposition Of the Lesson
Thoughts worthy of Calm Rehec-
tion-HsIf an Hours Study Of tb~
scriptares-Time Well Spent.
Le..on for Sc ptember l2.

Leseon for September IL
Golden Text.-'Be not overcome Of
evil, but overcome evil with good. Rom.
II: n.
Christian Living is the subject OF this
lesson-Rom. IL: 9-21. The letter to the
Romans was written from Corinth In the
spring Of 50, according to the usual chro-
nology. In the last lesson we left Paul In
Macedonia, probably IN Philippi, on his
journey from Ephesus to Corinth. He
wrote Second Corinthians, from which the
last lesson was taken, shortly before he
left Macedonia for Corinth. Then he
went south to Corinth and spent the three
winter months there (see Acts 20: 1-3).
During those three months he wrote the
Epistle to the Galatians las 10 generally
supposed, and seems to be proved by COM
parison OF various passa ges) and the Epis-
tie to the Romans. For years he had long
ed to visit Rome and strengthen the.
church which had already been planted
there, probably by Jewish Christians from
Palestine, though perhaps by Gentle
Christians from Asia Minor. Rome was
the capital Of the world, and Paul longed
to have 1t made a center Of true religion
as well. But the financial straits of the
Jerusalem church were evidently more
important just then than anything else.
After the errand to Jerusalem as bearer
of the collection was accomplished, he In
tended to start as soon as possible for
Rome. As we learn later he was hinder
ed and delayed, and reached the Eternal
City only after long imprisonment, and
then only as prisoner sent up for trial.
But when he wrote to the Romans from
Corinth be knew nothing Of the future;
knew only that his heart was full of anx-
iety for them during his enforced delay,
and that he must make clear to them some
Of the fundamentals of Christian faith,
that no false teachers might draw them
away. s.. .1-Z-- L. r-...--'T''>
The book of Romans is one Of the rich
est books in the Bible, and one of the most
difficult BY difficult we do not mean that
it Is obscure, but that the mastery of Its
argument requires hard study and close
reasoning. Even a superficial reading re-
veals many isolated passages Of beauty
and power, but to get grasp Of the book
rs whole nothing but work will suffice.
Happily, it is not necessary for the under
standing Of this lesson to study the gen.
eral argument of the book; for this pas
sage is taken from the latter part, which
consists of practical exhortations, the
connection of which with the preceding
argument is not very close. Romans falls
into four clearly marked divisions: a. In
PRODUCTION, 1: 1-15: (2) Doctrinal portion,
l: 10; IL: 80; (3) Practical exhortations,
~: 1; 10: ID; az Personal messages and
conclusion, 1914; 10: %.
This great proposition of the epistle, as
everybody knows, is that salvation
through faith in Christ is the UNIVERSAL
opportunity Of mankind, of Gentle as
well as Jew. Paul proves first that there
is no salvation in any other course, then,
explains the Christian plan Of salvationi
and its consequences. This occupies the
first eleven chapters. The rest Of the book
is based on these chapters by the word
therefore" in IL: /. In view of all the
profound and inspiring truths which Paul
has been expounding, let Christians pre-
sent their bodies living sacrifice, ETC.,
and live worthy of their calling, as they
are exhorted to do in our lesson and its
contest