Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-02-13
The SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lesson Comments For
February Is.
Subject: Christian Self.Contro, Cor. vlii'' 40
-0olden Text, Rom. XIV, D-Memory
Verses, 8, 9-commentary on
the DAYS Lesson.

I. Perplexing questions Tvs. ~. =
"Unto idols" Those portions Oh tne am am
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 teasts
held in the temples ". lO), or IN private
houses (chap. 10: ~; sometimes sold ID
the markets by the priests, or by the poor:
''f'he question was whether 1T was rlgh5
for Christians to partake OF 1000 c eh;J5
by the council at Jerusalem, seven years
before, because the act was offensive to
Jewish brethren (Acts Is: 20, ~, but
here in Corinth, a Gentle city, the .ques
ton needed to be settled on new, basis.
| IT'S nothing" Nothing but carved BLOCK
Of wood or stone, having no power over the
meat or the eater None in the C2rlnthlan
iieved that an idol was anything. They all
had knowledge alike that far. The, cues
ton was put upon another point, and for
settlement they appealed to Paul. None
other God but one" The Creator and sus.
tainer of all things. There is no represen.
tation of the true God in any of the idol
gods.
sun, moon, planet, stars. "In earth. Del
fed kings, beasts, rivers, serpents, etc
The heather had many imaginary gods.
The people of Bengal acknowledged $780,
6. ITO u.s." Christians. Zone God"
All that is needed, for in Him dwells all
power and love. Father" The Chris.
tian's dearest word for God. He is the
originating cause of all things. eve in
Him." In His thought, His care. We were
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-3; Eph. 8: 81. eve by Him." Re
deemed by Him, and again by Him to be
glorifed.
II. knowledge alone not sufficient Tvs.
Il "Howbeit," etc. The Corinthians ar.
gued that they all knew that an idol was
nothing, but Paul replied that this was not
universally the case, that some were not
vet entirely free from their heather 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 chung to their memory, and
affected them in many ways. knowledge
alone could not settle this question:, our
Conscience of the idol" See R. V. Gus
tom had wrought in them a reverence fol
the idol which Christianity. had not vel
entirely cleared away A reformed drunk
ard walks past saloon with different feel
ings from one who has never known the
taste for strong drink. conscience beinf
weak" From want of knowledge. NO
strong enough to grasp firmly the ,grea
truth that an idol is nothing. only able t.
see that the worship of idols is sin. 4
weak conscience is one which either re
CARDS as wrong what in fact is not so, o.
one which is not clear and decided in 1T
judgments, or one which has not poWe
enough to restrain person from doing tn
thing it condemns. "Is defled." Whethe
thing be right or wrong he who in dom
it goes against his conscience wrongs HIM
self. This hardens the conscience, distort
it, weakens it, blinds it,
8. "But," etc. This verse is to be re
, garded as the view taken by the Corir
thians in their letter to the apostle. PAT
grants their position, but shows that ther
are other points to be considered. Con
mendeth us not" God does not think an
more of us for eating or for refrainln
from, eating. 1t is our characters 60. on
moral condition. our love- not ,t; some Me iCam
ID The food itself was just the same whetht
~ it had ever been offered to idols OF. no
~ Its having been in an idol temple did nj
d. in the least affect it in any way. 1t
as we'll to remember that education alor
w never makes a person better. A knowledl
lis of right and wrong, and the study of eth
he will not eradicate vicious propenslte
in That which commends us to God is tho
,a ough regeneration of heart, whereby
nc are enabled to love God and our neighbor
Ill The duty of guarding the we;
Tvs. 9-l2).
On o. "But take heed" This verse is Pau
IS reply to the argument Of the Corinthia
in verse s. Though you may be no bett
or worse for eating or not eating; yet
=, your conduct Injuries Others and lea
a. them into sin you should abstain entire
- should not be led into sin than that y
should partake of meat which you ;
knowledge is in itself of no important
This is a general principle which shot
regulate Christian conduct at all tim
"This liberty" Though you are deliver
from superstitious notions; 1t Is contra
to the spirit OF love to hinder another W
is not yet 50 far enlightened "a stu
bling block" A'means Of confusion, VIII
might lead to the overthrow Of faith
10. 'Tf any man." If the Christian, W
is ignorant, or the heather seeking Zig
"See thee-in the idols temple" So
went so far as not only to eat but to
in the precincts of the heather tenn
The apostle, being concerned now o
with the point OF eating, does not rep
this practice here, but he does so tully
chap. 10: 14-22. "Be emboldened...
built up, be confirmed in the belief t
an idol is something, and so be led to
late his conscience and become establis
II. "For whom Christ died" A.
thetic and forcible argument drawn Il
the depths of Christian truth and feel
Will you not suffer privation IN bel
of the soul for whom Christ died?
-. aye sin against Christ" by IN
ing His children, whose wrong lie tee
His own; by iniuring His cause and
stroying the work He has come to DO,
q by incorporating His spirit,
VI ". The question settled by love ".
l3 Wherefore" This is the conclu
n Of the whole matter; TO offend: -
n him to stumble and fall into sin.
q eat no flesh" In order to insure my av
"a inc flesh offered to idols would abs
n from all kinds Of flesh in order not t., I!
q a stumbling block. "Lest, etc. I'M
the manifestation Of true love. gee
n Love builds up the soul IN God. YET I
n il danger even here. We may by ODE
another mans false conscience, confirm
self-conceit, or establish a false mora n,
n Against this danger Paul specially
a vides, While he complies with the
brothers error he openly procla!ms tn
n Is an error, and that he complies no.
u truth. but from tenderness. he ylelo
~ the unsound conscience. but nothing "
VIZ induce him to admit that the conscl
was sound.
Panhandle --latest Man.