Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-02-14
The SABBATH SCHOOL
lDternl .iOnal Lesson OmmcE!s For
February Is.
Subjsc: Christian Scli.Con.rol, | Cor. viii, .'.S
Golden Text, Rom. xiv. lo-Meg.o.y
Verses. s, documentary on
ibc Days Lesson.


i. 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
held 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
for Christians to partake of food connected
with ido.atry. Such meats were forbidden
by. the council at Jerusalem, seven years
before, because the act was offensive TO
Jewish brethren (Acts Is: 20, 2D, but
here in Corinth. Gentle city. the ques.
ton needed to be settled on a new basis.
rs 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.
lieyed that an idol was anything. They all
had knowledge alike that far. The gues.
ton was put upon another point, and for a
settlement they appealed to Paul. None
other God but one" The Creator and sus.
tainer of all things. There is no represen.
tatlon OF the true God in any of the idol
gods.
5. Called gods-in heaven" As the
sun. moon, planet. stars. I'm earth" Del.
fed kings, beasts, rivers. serpents, etc.
The heather had many imaginary gods.
The people OF Bengal acknowledged $780,.
s. ITO u.s." Christians. "One Goo"
All that is needed, for in Him dwells all
tian's dearest word for God He is the
originating cause of all things. I'VE in
Him.. In His thought. His care. We were
created for Him. and our highest happiness
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. 3: 81. I'VE by Him" Re.
deemed by Him, and again by Him to be
| g,orifed.
II. knowledge alone not sufficient Tvs.
.. "Howhet." 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
yet 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
/ O.d customs chung to their memory and
affected them in many ways. knowledge
alone could not settle this question: our
own liberty of action is not the STANDARD.
Conscience of the idol" Sec II. V. Gus.
tom had wrought in them reverence for
the IDOL which Christianity had not yet
! entirely cleared away. \ reformed drank
| ard walks past a saloon with different feel.
ings 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 sim A
weak conscience is one which either re-
CARDS as wrong what in fact is not so, or
one which is not clear and decided in its
judgments, or one which has not power
ttNn 70. Il -.
thing it condemns. rs defled." Whether
a thing be right or wrong he who in doing
I 1t goes against his conscience wrongs HIM
ST.. This hardens the conscience, dis.orts
IL. ::eakenc it, blinds it.
g.. But etc. This verse is to be re.
garded as the view taken By the CORN.
thians in their letter to the apostle. Paul
grants their position. but shows that there
are other points to be considered. Com.
mendeth us not" God docs rot think any
more of us for eating, or for refraininc
from eating 1t is orr characters, our
moral condition. oar love, not some formal
act OF eating or fasting. for which He cares.
The food itself was lust the same whether
It bad 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 4 person better. 4 knowledge
OF right and wrong. and the study os ethics
VIII not eradicate vicious propensities.
That which commends MS to God is a thor.
ouGh regeneration OF heart. whereby we
are enabled to love God and or neighhor.
Ill. The duty OF guarding the weak,
Tvs. 9-l2).
O.. But take heed" This verse is Pauls
reply to the argument of the Corinthians
in verso s.. Though YOU may be no better
or worse for eating or not eating vet If
your conduct Injuries others and leads
them into sin you should abstain entirely.
- faw AZ -
should not be led into sin than that you
should .uartake of meat which YOU ac-
knowledge is in itself of no importance.
This. Is general principle which should
regulate Christian conduct at all times.
This liberty" Though You are delivered
to the spiri. of love 20 hinder another who
Is not yet 80 far enlightened. "A STUN
bling block" A means of confusion. which
might lead to the overthrow of faith.
10. "If any man" II the Christian who
is Ignorant, or the heather 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 heather temple
The apostle. being concerned now only
with the point of eating. does not rebuke
this practice here, bnt he does so fully in
built up. be confirmed in the belief that
an idol is something. and so be led to vio-
late his conscience and become established
in error.
II. For whom Christ died" A pa
thetic and forcibie argument drawn from
the depths OF Christian truth and feeling.
| Will YOU not suffer a privation in behalf
OF the soul for whom Christ died?
u. Eye sin against Christ" by iniur.
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 bv love ". l3l.
-. Wherefore" This is the conclusion
of the whole matter. "To Offend" Cause
him to stumble and fall into sin. evil
cat no flesh" In order to insure my avoid
ing flesh offered to idols l would abstain
from all kinds of flesh in order rot to be
stumbling block. Lest" ETC. This is
the manifestation of truc 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-ccnceit. c: establish false morality.
Against this danger Paul specially pro.
vidcs. While he complies with the weak
brothers error he openly proclaims that :.
is an error. and that h. comnles not for
truth. but from tenderness He Yields to
the unsound conscience. but nothing would
induce him to admit that the conscience
was sound.