The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-03-26
What is the Sunday School I?

/ NAAttNA ~ L. bdukutEf ANttuHlDIts
The Sunday school is a modern
name for an ancient, apostolic
service of the church. In other
words, it is a Bible school on
Sundays. 1t is a school for dis
ciples. 1t is a school with Jesus,
for men women and children to
gether each Sunday with their
Bibles as the text book, to learn
about Jesus the Master" and
lessons of love. The Master"
with his disciples" about him on
the shore of the Sea of Galilee, on
the Mount of Olives, in the desert
in the temple, or in the synagogue
in the upper room-that was Sun
day school in the first century
The teaching of that time was not
wholly different from the teach
ing of to-day. 1t was a school for
questions and answers, for con.
versations, illustration and appli-
cation. The "Master" of this
first school did not often, | imag.
inc, preach a sermon--an occa.
sional lecture but, probably,
more often an answer of a ques.
tion from disciple regarding
the meaning of certain things in
the Old Testament, or concerning
the mysteries of the new king.
dom. The Sunday school of to-
day meets only on Sunday. Not
so in those days; for, then, all
days were sacred, and every hour
laden with opportunity to learn
from the great teacher, Jesus
Christ. There were times, of
course, when Christ worshIpped
according to the established Gus.
tom Of the temple or synagogue.
There were times when he
preached to the multitude before
him, and times when he chose for
his themes the law, the prophets,
the soul, the Father, the future
tlking his illustrations from life
and nature. His best teaching,
however, was done in the inform
al way of conversation when men
sought Him to inquire concerning
the things of the kingdom, or
when, perchance, he had an op.
portunity, as at Jacobs well or
on the way to Emmaus, to speak
of the deeper, personal truths Of
His mission. IN the catechetlcal
confidential interviews, so full of
questions and answers-so sug-
gestive of eagerness on the part
of the taught to learn the truth,
and the act on the part of the
teacher, we see clearly the germ
and the idea OF the Sunday school
of the early church. This idea
has been revived from time to
time through all the centuries un-
til we have the Sunday school of
to-day. Given an open Bible, an
earnest believer and teacher, and
a sincere seeker and scholar, and
we have the essentials of the
early Sunday school yet to-day.
Some claim that the Sunday
school had it's name and origin in
Robert Raikes, but it has existed
since Christ taught the lawyers
and doctors. And he came TO
Nazareth, where he had been
brought up; and as his custom
was he went into the synagogue
on the Sabbath day and stood up
for to read. And there was de
livered unto him the book of the
prophet Esaias. And when he had
opened the book he found the
place where it was written: The
spirit of the Lord is upon me be-
cause he hath annointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor; he
hath sent me TO heal the broken
hearted, to preach deliverance to
the captives, and recovering of
sight to the blind, to set at liberty
them that are bruised, to preach
the acceptable year of the Lord.
And he closed the book and he
gave it again to the minister and
sat down. Luke 6 1870. And
all thy children shall be taught OF
! the Lord, and great shall be the
peace Of thy children. Isa. 56:13,
E Then will | teach nsgressors
thy way; and sinners shall be
converted unto thee. Psalm 51:19
And that they may teach their