Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-03-27
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lesson Comments io'
March 70.
Review OF the Lessons For the First Vna''s'
OF the Year-Read Cor. Kill, l'l0-u''u'
en- Text, Matt. xviii, 20-Summary'

Introduction.- lessons this quarter
cover portions of PauPs second and thlru
missionary journeys. Although great Up,
position met him at nearly every, place ~
visited, yet the gospel took deep hoiu
on the hearts of the people, and In many
of The leading cities of the world good
churches were established. During MS
missionary journeys Paul not only preachedi
the gospel in all the cities he visited, put
he labored with his hands to support hi"''
self.
Summary. I. Topic: Suffering
for Christ. Place: .Phiippi. Paul J., on n. MS
second missionary journey visits fhilippl,
a city of Macedonia. They are followed
by a fortune teller; Paul was gr III Ter,
commanded the spirit to come out OF her;
Paul and Silas arrested; a mob rose up;
the missionaries were beaten; cast; into
prison; at midnight they prayed and sang
praises a great earthquake, the doors
were opened and bands loosed; the laiier
drew his sword; Paul saves him; the Jaller
converted; Paul and SilaS cared for. =,
III. Topic: Paul's love and care for the
church The epistle to the Philippians
was written by Paul, from Rome, in A. ID.
GO, and sent by Epaphroditus. Paul shows
his great love for the saints; calls them
his JOY and crown; urges them to STAND
hira to always rejoice; to be moderate; to
pray and give thanks; desires that they
may be kept through Christ; exhorts them
to think on holy things; thanks them Tor
the gift sent; tells of his contentment and
strength in Christ.
III. Topic: Paul proving that Jesus is
the Christ. Paul and his companions, ex.
cept Luke, leave Philippi and 60 to Thes..
saionita. Paul entered the synagogue and
the three Sabbath days reasoned with
them out of the Scriptures, proving that
Jesus was the Christ. Some of the Jews
believed and joined themselves to Paul and
Slas. but of the Gentiles, "a great multi
tude" became Christians. The unbeliey-
ing Jews gathered a mob, set the city in
an uproar and assaulted the house of ia
son. Paul and Sias were sent to Berea by
night. and at once began to preach in the
synagogue in that city.
". Topic: The church cxhorted to holy
living. The letter to the Thessalonlans
was written by Paul in A. D. So. They
had misunderstood Paul's teaching on the
second coming of Christ. In this lesson
Paul gives them various exhortations and
directions. They are told to admonish the
disorderly; to encourage and support the
weak; to always do good; to constantly re-
ioice pray and give thanks; not to quench
the Spirit or oespise. prophesyings; to
prove all things; to hold fast the good, but
abstain from evil; they are called to en-.
tire sanctifcation.
V. Topic The superiority Of the true
God over the gods of the heather. Paul
having left Berea goes to Athens; adj
dresses the philosophers on Mars Hill;
commends them for being religious; calls
attention to an altar to an unknown God;
tells them of the God of heaven, who
created all things; formerly ignorance pre-
vailed, but now all men should repent;
speaks of the judgment and resurrection;
so ne Knocked; few believed.
VI. Tonic: Paul's struggles and suc.
cesses in Cornth. Paul was in Corinth
one year and six months, from A. ID. 50
to "a. He met Aqula and Priscilla; abode
with them; worked at his trade; reasoned
in the synagogue; was joined by Silas and
Timothy; preached Christ; the Jews bias.
phemed; Paul turned to the Gentiies; had
a great spiritual conflict; was comforted
by a vision; Crispus and many CORN.
thians believed
VII. Topic: The duty of Christians with
respect to weak consciences. The epistle
to tine Corinthians was written by Paul,
from Ephesus. in A. D. 81. Various per.
picking questions arose in the Corinthian
church. There was a difference of opinion
as to whether meat offered to idols should
be eaten. Paul urges those who are strong
TO guard the consciences of the weak.
VIII. Topic: The excellencies Of love.
Love is superior to gifts. Eloquence,
knowledge, generosity, self-denial - these
all amount to nothing without love; Love
is the principal thing. 1t suffereth long;
is kind; envieth not; vaunteth not; is not
pulled up; behaves properly; is unselfsh;
is not provoked; does not think or medi.
tate upon evil; rejoiceth not in upright.
eousness; rejoiceth in the trcth; beareth,
believeth. hopeth and endureth all things;
never faleth
TX. Topic: Establishing the church at
Ephesus. Apollos arrives at Ephesus; be-
gan to speak boldly; was instructed in the
way of God more perfectly by Aquia and
Priscilla; departed to Corinth; was COM
mended by the brethren. Paul having
started on his third missionary journey
reached Ephesus; asked the disciples if
they had received the Holy Ghost; they
had not; Paul laid his hands upon them;
the Holy Ghost came on them; they spake
with tongues and prophesied.
X. Topic: The superiority of the Chris
tian religion. Paul preached the gospel
boldly in the synagogue for three months.
Then the unbelieving Jews reviled Chris
tianty publicly and Paul withdrew from
the synagogue and preached in the school
of Tyrannus. Paul wrought many mira
Giles in Ephesus and many were healed Of
their diseases. Certain vagabonds Jews
sought to initiate Paul and cast out evil
spirits, and the man in whom the evil
spirit was leaped on them and wounded
them. Many who practiced sleight of
hand burned their books.
Xl. Topic: Quieting tumult. The mis-
sionaries were again facing a mob. See
Cor. |: $40 Demetrius caused tumult;
declared their craft, or business, was in
danger of being brought into dsrepute be-
cause Paul and his companions had been
preaching against Diana. the goddess of
The Ephesans. PauPs companions were
seized and might have been killed had not
the town clerk stepped in and quoted the
mob. His speech was full of tact and abil-
ity and shows decided leaning toward
the missionaries.
XII. Topic Salvation through faith.
The cpistle to the Ephesians was written
by Paul while under bonds at Rome. It
was written to confirm and strengthen the
believers in the gospel. In this lesson the
apostle speaks Of the fact that they had
been dead in sins and were by nature the
children of wrath, but through the love,
mercy and grace of God they had been
"q'lickened" and made to sit in heavenly
places with Christ This was not of them