The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-24
Sunday School
Lesson
for
November Is.

The chapter 10 be studied forms part OF Paul'a
letter to OF his helpers III Corinthians>, the
pastor of the church in Crete 1t may be di
vided into three parts. The first exhibits the
desirable qualities OF the minister; the second
shows where he must serve and how; the third
assigns the reasons Tor faithful teaching. Taken
as a whole, the passage contains wholesome m
struction for all classes and indicates what kind
Of society would be formed il the prccepts and
spirit OF the gospel were applied to real life.
TIE MINISTER'S QUALITIES.
SOUND DOCTRlNE.-(V Verse D--IIc must be
well grounded in the faith. lie must know the
system OF doctrine contained in the Scriptures,
and he must not blend with that any OF the
yagaries or iallacies OF men, put forth by those
who formulate their opinion Instead OF inquirng
what God hath revealed (Ephesians, iv, l4.)
This doctrine is sound because it Is healthful
and nonislng, designed and able to build one
up in all goodness Ql Timothy, iii, 16.l) and
because also it cndures the most searching cx.
animation by the most gifted minds. In all
a,rs II has been approved as Divine. The more
il has been studied the more il has been nd.
mired and praised. The minister must therefore
hold and support these ancient vcrities.
(Iudges 3)
GOOD PATTERN Versc O.-Iruth received in
the mind must be incarnated. Jesus said, ~ am
the truth" living embodiment and illustra.
tion OF it, (John, xiv, o. SO it must he with
the minister. lie must live as the truth re,
quires Ills character must he the product OF
the doctrine which he holds, commentary re-
ycang its glory, commencing itself to all be.
holders. In this way he becomes a good pat
tern To men QI Tessalonians, iii, > who can
understand what they see more readily than
what they hear. There is after all no testimony
so eloquent as that OF good life No one can
say aught against it or resist its argument and
power, Il Timothy, i, ld)
SOUND SPEECH Verse sp.--still, the truth
is to be proclaimed It must find expression in
words as well as in lives. BY speech the ears
and minds and hearts OF men must be reached
by process wholly unlike that when they be.
held a good life. Truth in the concrete cannot
make the same impression as truth in the alb.
stract. We must all learn that there are great
principles and rules, eternal and precious, which
we must acquire and by which we must live
whether any others found them and lived by
them We are not TO be dominated by men, but
by the vcrities OF God And so the minister,
having the truth and having a lie in accord
with it, mut acquire speech, in style and sub.
stance that is well suited TO convey TO men the
absolute and unohanseable truth. This is not
the speech OF the world but that OF the inspired
writers a Corinthians, ii, H.
HIGH REGARD-(Verse l5)-By all these
means-by what he knows, by what he is, and
by what he says--the minister ought 10 win the
respect of all who know him. lie should expect
a good reputation and desire it. Il Timothy. iv,
l2.) lie must not seek it by compromising him.
self or by lowering his standard, but rather by
lifting up lofty ideal before his mind and
striving after il. lie should challenge criticism
as Jesus did tJohn, viii, 46), and welcome it so
long as it is Justly delivered. because by it he
may know and correct his faults And he should
not be puifed up by expressions OF approval, but