The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-02-12
The SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lesson Comments For
February Is.
Subect ChrlstaIn Self.controi, I Cor. viii., i.iS
-0olSen Text, Rom. XIV, Io-Memory
Verses, 8,9-Commentary on
the Days Lesson.

We Wy LessVus
al. Perplexing. questions Tvs. 4-6). 4
Unto idols" Those portions of the ami.
mails offered in sacrifice which were not
laid on the altar. and which belonged part
ly to those who had offered them. These
remnants were sometimes eaten at feasts
heid IN the temples ". l0), or in private
houses lchap. 10: 27); sometimes sold in
the markets by the priests, or by the poor.
The question was whether it was right
Tor Christians to partake OF food connected
with idolatry. Such meats were forbidden
by the council at Jerusalem, seven years
before, because the act was offensive to
Jewish brethren (Aets l5: 20, 2l), but
here in Corinth, Gentle city, the .ques
is nothing" Nothing but carved block
OF wood or stone, having no power over the
meat or the eater. None in the Corinthian
church. whether Jews or Gentiles, be-
lieved that an idol was anything. They all
had knowledge alike that far. The Gues
tion, was put upon another point, and for a
other God but one6 The Creator and s sus.
tainer Of all things There is no represen.
tation of the true God in any of the idol
gods.
5. Called gods-in heaven" As the
sun, moon, planet, stars. "In earth" Del
fec hed kings, beasts, rivers: serpents, etc
100000.
Q, ITO u.s." Christians. zone God !"
All that is needed, for in Him dwels all
power and love. Father" The Chris.
tian,s dearest word for God. He is the
Him" In His thought, His care. We were
created for Him. and our highest happiness
Is in living in His glory. zone Lord Jesus
Christ The Fathers Son, one with the
Father, our Lord and Saviour, Through
whose mediation are all things, including
the natural and spiritual creation" John
L l-3; Eph: 3: o.. I'VE by Him." Re-
glorihed.
II. knowledge alone not sufficient Tvs.
T.. "Howbeit," etc. The Corinthians ar
gued that they all knew that an idol wa,
nothing, but Paul replied that this was not
universally the case, that some were not
yet entirely free from their heathen ideas.
Many were very ignorant, having Just es.
capped from heather idolatry, with but lit.
tie knowledge of the truths of the gospel
Old customs clung to their memory and
affeeted them in many ways. knowledge
alone could not settle this question; our
own liberty Of action is not the standard
tom had wrought III them reverence for
the idol which Christianity had not yet
entirely. cleared away. A reformed drunk.
ard walks past saloon with different feel.
lngs from one who has never known the
taste for strong drink. Conscience being
weak" From want of knowledge. Not
strong enough to grasp firmly the great
truth, that an idol is nothing; only able to
see that the worship of idols is sin. A
weak conscience is one which either re-
CARDS as wrong wnat in fact is not so, or
one which is not clear and decided in its
judgments, or one which has not power
enough to restrain person from doing the
a thing be right or wrong he who in doing
1t goes against his conscience wrongs him.
self. This hardens the conscience, distorts
1t, weakens it, blinds it.
g., But. etc. This verse is to be re-
garded as the view taken by the Corin.
grants their position. but shows that there
are other points to be considered. "Com.
mendeth us not" God does not think any
more OF us for eating, OF for refraining
from eating. 1t is our characters, our
moral condition. our love, not some formal
act OF eating or fasting, for which He cares
The food itself was Just the same whether
il had ever been offered to idols, or not.
Its having been in an idol temple did not
IN the least affect it in any way. 1t is
well to remember that education alone
never makes person better. A knowledge
OF right and wrong and the study of ethics
VIII not eradicate vicious propensities.
That which commends us to God is a thor.
ough regeneration of heart, whereby we
are enabled to love God and our neighbor.
III, The duty of guarding the weak
O.. "But take heed" This verse is Paups
reply to the argument of the Corinthians
In verse g. Though you may be. no better
or worse for eating or not eating, yet if
your conduct Injuries others and leads
them into sin you should abstain entirely.
1t Is far more important that your brother
should not be led into sin than that yo1
should .partake of meat which you ac.
knowledge is in itself of no Importance.
This, is general principle which should
This liberty" Though you are delivered
from superstitious notions. it is contrary
to the spirit of love to hinder another who
i not yet 50 far enlightened. "a STUN
bling block A means of confusion, which
might lead to the overthrow of faith.
10. "If any man." If the Christian who
Is ignorant, or the beathen seeking light.
"See thee--in the idols temple" Some
went so far as not only to eat. but to eat
in the precincts of the heathen temple.
The apostle, being concerned now only
with the point of eating, does not rebuke
chap. 10: l4.22. "Be emboldened." Be
built up, be confirmed in the belief that
an idol is something, and so be led to VIC.
late his conscience and become established
in error.
IL. "For whom Christ died" A pa.
thetic and forcible argument drawn from
the depths of Christian truth and feelino.
Will you not suffer privation in behalf
Of the soul for whom Christ died?
IL. "Ye sin against Christ" "By injur.
ing His children. whose wrong He feels as
His own; by iniuring His cause and de-
stroying the work He has come to do, and
by misrepresenting His spirit"
~. The question settled by love ". l3),
| 13. Wherefore" This is the conclusion
of the whole matter "To offend" Cause
him to stumble and fall into sin. "Will
eat no flesh" In order to insure my avoid
ing flesh offered to idols / would abstain
from all kinds of flesh in order not to be
stumbling block. Test." etc. This il
the manifestation of true love. See V. /
Love builds up the soul in God. Yet there
is danger even here. We may by obeying
another mans false conscience confirm his
self-conceit, or establish false morality
Against this danger Paul specially pro
vides. While he complies with the weak
brothers error he openly proclaims that il
is an error, and that h, complies not for
truth, but from tenderness. He yields tc
the unsound conscience, but nothing would
induce him to admit that the conscience
was sound.