Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-02-16
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VIII, FEB. 2O-MATT 1O'
2-i5-APOSTLES DEPART.
Golden Text: Freely Ye Have Re-
ceived, Freely GIve"-Matt. 1918
Tho Disciples Go Forth for the Saliva
ton of Men.

The section includes the chapter, the
instructions TO his disciples as he sends
| them out to work for the salvation OF
| men.
Time.-Autumn of A. d. % and winter
| or u and 49, Place.-Some village or town
In Galilee. The exact place is unknown
The Third Circuit of Galilee was begun
at this time by Jesus with his disciples,
the instructions for which are given in
the chapter of to-days lesson.
Review briefly the gradual development
| OF the work of bringing in the Kingdom
OF God, as seen in the first two years OF
Christs ministry.
Our next interest is in the persons Sc
| lected to be the intimate friends and pu-
pills of Jesus to be instructed in his
truths and trained in his work. and fill
ed with his spirit, so that after his death
| they would be prepared to build up the
church and spread the gospel over the
| world. This work is very practical Tor
US all. 1t is full of instruction, inspira-
! tion, and comfort for us all. We are TO
| look at the principles involved, and fol-
| low those principles So far as our cir
| cumstances are the same, we can FOLLOW
the definite instruction given here for
| those circumstances. So far as our cir
| cumstances differ, we can only apply the
| principles. Jesus did the same with MS
| disciples, and later bade them preach to
| those to whom he now forbade them TO
| preach. We cannot work miracles as
| the disciples did, but we can do good
| and help the sick and afflicted even more
than they.
Their Great Variety Of Character. "Je-
| suS chose twelve disciples, that every
| man, in all time, might find himself rep
| resented among the apostles. The doubt
| er finds himself in Thomas the fierce,
| hot-headed, quick-tempered man finds
| himself in John, the Son of Thunder;
L IN int +zI 1t, tn pnf ar
| the hard-headed. practical man. desiring
the first place in the kingdom. in James,
| etc. We are all there. And to all OF US
| can come like fitness, worthy of apostle
| ship. "-Bp II. w. Warren. All kinds OF
| men can become Christians; all kinds
| can serve the Lord in some good way.
| This great variety in Christians enables
| Christianity to meet the vast variety OF
| men In the world. But all were one In
heart, in the love of Jesus, in seeking the
higher life, in building up the Kingdom
of heaven.
| Counterbalances. lone of the ways Je-
| sus takes to overcome their imperfection
| In doing work, which called for per-
| lection in the workers, was in his group
! Ing or the apostles. Our imperfection
very commonly is of the nature Of half
| ness. We see one side of a truth, and
| not the other. We feel the greatness of
| some quality so strongly that we depre-
| ciate some other quality which seems OPP
posed to 1t, but is really Complementary.
| Our Lord seems to have acted with care
| full reference to this in sending out his
| apostles two by two in the order indi-
| Gated in Matthew" Peter the bold, i'm
| petuous man acting on the spur of the
| moment, is Joined with Andrew, the
apostle instinctively chosen by the Scotch
| as their national patron, as far-seeing,
| cautious, careful full of the sense of diff
| fculty. James and John differed greatly
|
| for he outlived Jesus nearly seventy
years. So the Master paired them off, old
and young together. Philip, the slow
witted was paired with Nathaniel Bar
| tholomew, the quick-witted. Thomas, the
doubling, Skeptical intellect, was Joined
with Matthew, one of the heroes of faith.
James, the author of the epistle the most
| practical of men, was united with Jude,
| the man of doctrine. Simon. the Zealot,
| a man OF zeal, enthusiasm, independence,
and patriotism, was with Judas Iscariot,
the business economist. $50 the Master
made one whole man out of two half
men. And so his church should go forth,
two by two, each with the one most UNI
like himself, and therefore best able to
help him. Pres r. +. Thompson, S. T.
D.. in Sunday-School Times.
Two by Two. They were sent out two
by two mark 6: y. ID Because thus they
were complete and well balanced. Each
would supplement- the work of the other.
They would reach different classes of
minds, and where one failed the other
would be ready with the right word. (2)
They would aid and encourage one an
other, keep up each others courage in
time of difficulty, be suggestive of plans
and aid one anothers warmth and glow
of spiritual life with two there is
warmth" go Two is the best number
More would be hindrance. and would
be dvisive, while two would accomplish
nearly all that more could do. (D This is
still one true and effective method of
Christian work. Two are more than twice
one.
Their Personality and Possibilities.
They were plain men who had not been
perverted by the false PHILOSOPHERS, ira
ditions, and morals of the day They
were mostly working men, business men,
practical men. but of great variety of
early training, and of business life. Some
were poor; some were comparatively well
eff: some belonged to country villages,
,ome to the city; several were fishermen.
"There were two, at least" says DIR.
Gibson. "the choice of whom seemed to
violate all dictates of wisdom and pru-
dence-Matthew the publican, OF hated |
class. inviting hostility; and Simon the |
Zsalot. radical revolutionist in poll |
tics" Yet the choice of these showed |
the broadness of the gospel, and its
power. They were men of ability; there |
were great possibilities in them Christ |
transformed common men into apostles. |
tho foundation stones OF the New Jeru- |
salem, the leaders of the kingdom that !
was to transform the world. The char /
coal was changed into diamonds They
were far from faultless, but the faults |
were flaws in jewel not the crudeness
of the charcoal.
Illustration. 1t is very noticeable I'm
all history that the larger part of the
great men In every department havo
sprung from the common people, so far