The Tupelo journal., 1903-02-20
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Less ON In the International Series
for February -, l903-Chris-
tian Love.
THE LESSON TEXT.

Lille 1<1PoA
q Cor. 49,
/. Though l speak with the tongues of
men and of angels, and have not charity.
l am become as sounding brass, or a link
ling symbal.
., And though I have the gift of prophecy,
and understand all mysteries, and ali
knowledge; and though | have all faith. so
that / could remove mountains, and nave
not charity, | am nothing.
8. And though l bestow all my goods to
feed the poor, and though my body be
burned, and have not charity, it profteth
me nothing.
4. Charity suffereth long. and is kind;
charity envieth not: charity ~vaunteth not
itself, is not pulled up.
8. Doth not behave itself unseemly. seek
eth not her own, is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil;
6. Rejoiceth not in ipiquity, but rejoiceth
in the truth;
Z. Beareth all things. believeth all things.
hopeth all things, endureth all things.
s. Charity never faileth; but whether
there be prophecies, they fail; whether
there be tongues, they shall cease; whether
there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
8. For We know in part. and we ~prophesy
in part.
10. But when that which is perfect is come.
then that which is in part shall be done
away.
II. When l was a child, / spake as a
child, l understood as a child, l thought as
a child; but when l became a man, | put
away childish things.
II. For now we see through a glass Clark
ly; but then face to face; now | know in
part; but then shall l know even as also
l am known.
1S. And now abideth faith, hope, charity.
these three; but the greatest of these is
charity.
GOLDEN TEXT.-Noyv ahideth faith,
hope, charity, these three; but the
greatest of these is CHARITY Cor.
13: Ii.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
The Importance of love.........1 Cor. 1918.
The nature of love........>....1 Cor. 13-4-7.
The duration of love..........1 Cor. 10 :S-13.
TlME.-A. D.. 81, spring.
PLACE.-Ephesus.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
On account of their disputings this
lesson on love was needed by the
Corinthians. In connection with its
study one should read Drummond's
famous address, first delivered to the
students at Mortified, on The Great.
est Thing in the World" What one
longs for above all else is to him
the greatest thing. Among the
things that Christians desire paul
does not refer to others) the apostle
mentions eloquence. the gift of proph-
ecy, miracle-working faith, know
ledge of mysteries, charity, the hero
ism of martyrdom. Here is a list
from which n might find it difficult
to make a choice. And Paul set love
higher than ali. Why?
The last clause of chapter xii. be
longs with this section in which PAU
speaks of love. He has told them
that it is right that they should a.
sire and strive for some of these
gifts-the more important ones-and
now, he says. he will tell them how.
Seek love, and let these gifts be man.
ifesiations of love, for only so are
they really of any value Tvs. 1-3).
Speak with . tongues: One of
the gifts of which the Corinthians
were very proud. 1t was the utter
ance of wild and incoherent words
and meaningless sounds when under
religious excitement. The same thing
is observed to-day in connection with
the "camp-meetings" in the south
Paul said that he would rather speak
five words with his understanding
than ten thousand words in a
tongue" Q4:19). "Of men and of
angels: "Of men, aye, and of an
gels" in whom the gift might be
supposed to be even superior to that
of men-eve this, without love,
would be only useless noise. ''Tbc
gift of prophecy: This was what
we call speaking in meeting" or
exhorting. These things, which are
of the head, and good in themselves.
are nothing" so far as character is
concerned, unless the heart is right.
"Bestow all my goods: A man may
make great gifts to charity and yet
be an abominably mean and selfish
man. He may endure great personal
discomforts and even sacrifice his life
rather than yield a theological opin-
ion, and still be a proud, narrow
minded, unchristian man. Outward
actions do not tell. 1t is everywhere
a question of. motive. With love is
the governing motive all life and ac-
ton are good; without it nothing is
good.
Paul was writing to IA particular
church about the little rivalries and
j%ealousies OF its church life. which
were utterly inconsistent with the
Christ-spirit. but the lesson is needed
fully as much by us as it was by the
people in Corinth. 'Love ~suffereth
long: But more than that, though
injured, love is Progressively kind"
"Envieth not: When it lacks: is not
too greatly "set up over what it
has. "Taketh not account of evil:
Is not always looking for personal
sights, and does not bear grudges.
away: All those gifts which are use
full to us now, children as we arc,
in the knowledge of divine mysteries,
will be no longer needed when that
which is perfect is come" They are
partial and temporary. But faith in
God, joyous hope in view of the
future, which is Gods future, and
love, which is the summing up of the
character of God, and the fulfilling
of all obligation-these are eternal;
"and the greatest of these is love-
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Without love, prophecy and faith
would be mere exhibitors, exercising
their gifts for display.
Without love, charity would be a
bestowal of aims for the sake OF