The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-02-04
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR FEBRUARY q.

Subject, The Church ut cosinti Founde6
Acss KILL, l.ll-0oiden Tsxt. ! Cor.
H.. Ji-Msmo.y Verses, o.1i-Cens
mentnry on the Days Lesson. ).
J.. Pau,'s arrival at Corinth Tvs. ], y. VI
after these things" The events al
Athens described in our last lesson. De-
parted" Paul's stay in Athens was short
and he never returned to the city. INTEL
le:tual Greece had seornfully. rejected the
gospel messaae and heneeforth the apostle
visited more fruitful fields. Game to Cor
NTH" About ~forty-five miles southwest OF
Athens. Here he labored alone for some
tiIae before his c~o-workers arrived. Coz.
in:h was the seat Of commerce in Southern
Greece, and at this time was the political
capital and the residence OF the Roman
pro-consul. 1t was situated on the 18th.
Greece. It was the wealthiest and wicked.
est city in all Greece, and was the scat Of
Of every kind Of RIGHTEOUSNESS and excess.
Ard yet in this wicked city Paul bad .
sood revival and established Q Christian
church.
friends Of Paul, persons Of culture. and
piety. ". 26l, They are always mentioned
together. From this We concluded thas
s they . I15aish , h }. P9S, s;sa;mplis;s s Of 1 Pr;.s;iI,
was one Of those bright, earnest women
called into action BY the work and. teach.
ing Of Christ and His chosen friends; ono
Of the pioneers Of that devoted band OF
women workers who have, for 1900 years
done such splendid work for the Lord In
an c,imes and among all peoples" "Clan-
dius." The fourth Roman emperor. This
was the twelfth year Of his reign. Jews
TO depart" This took place early in A. D.
81 on account Of . revolt in Judea. Tho
Jews were very numerous at Rome, and
inhabited q separate district Of the town,
ten very troublesome, and were several
times bsnished from the city. The decree
did not remain long in force, for We end
Aquila in Rome not long after IRON! 49,
81 and many Jews resided there when
Paul came"
ii. Paul's method Of work Tvs. 3, D.. 3.
Same trade" Paals first concern when
he entered Corinth was to find . home for
himself and then to seek for employment.
"Who could dream that this trsyelstained
man, going from q tentmaker's door 70
another, seeking for work, was carrying
the future 81 the world bsn e. a. hi n,r roe s,r.
port in Ephcsus (Aets 20: 81 and Ihessar
lopiea Il Thess. 2: 81, as well ss in Corinth
Il Cor. q: ~.
4. @Reasoned-persuadcd." From the
Scriptures, and the personal testimonies OF
eye witnesses. Paul showed that Jesus
was the Messiah and the gospel true. The
gospel appeals TO reason and good sense.
The facts Paul presented showed how reae
sonable IL would be TO become Christians.
He sought out his kindred and made op-
portunities to tell them Of Christ.
III; T IS.. arrival av q s s;i.f ssa TmatS \;
arrived together from Macedonia; limo.
thy from Thessalonica and Silas from BE.
rea. Their arrival encouraged Paul. He
now learned that the churches III. had
formed were standing fast IN the faith!
This led him to write his first letter 70 the
T~hessalonians, and soon after Q second let.
ter to guard them against supposing thss
Christ's second coming was near at hand
In his first epistle he writes Of his Distress
and affection" q Thess. s: q while in Coz.
inth. Compare ! Cor. q: Ills. Pani was
faithful in the midst OF the greatest csfa'
Nv. Paul turns to the Gentilss iva. Q.
M. 6. Opposed themselves" The word
implies very strong opposition, as Q force
drawn up in battle array. 1t was an Or
sanized opposition. The moro than usually
violent opposition Of che Jews was NO
doubt stirred up by the intense earnest:
ness of Paul in bis work, after the. arrival
Of Siias and Timothy, when be was
'p.essed and constrained BY the, word.
II will 20" When argument and appeal
brought no candid thought, but only, oppo::
sit:on and blasphemy, Paul said, sadiy and
forever, to the Jews IN CoTinth: wll
Ties" IN Corinth. BE afterward preached
10 the Jews in other places.
:. "a certain mans house" Ceed for
teaching and worship. For his W lodg.
~ Ps,e 81 'a aworshipeS Cod. 4 p%rose,yte,
not q Jew by birth. No doubt be became
4 Christian. Nothing more IL known OF
Justus. Joined - the synagogue" "A
standing protest to the unbelief OF the
Jews. Il would draw in many who would
be coming to the synagogue. The owner
was . Gentle, and would win the attend
ance Of the Gentiles."
8. "C~rispus." His first convert wa the
ruler Of the synagogue he had left. His de-
cided course made the conduct Of others
equally decided. "Chief ruler" A man
Of learning and high character. His eon-
version took him out Of office in the jew
ish church. "All his house" The first re-
corded instance Of the conversion OF an
entire Jewish family.
o. Then spake the Lord II: 10 Likely
that Paul was at this time much distressed
by the violent opposition Of the Jews, ard
probably his life was in danger, q ne
might have been entertaining serious
thoughts q easing to preach en- or oe0 q ,eay p;S
God was pleased to give him this vision.
"Be not afraid" Isolation from bis own
people, physical weakness and the slowness
Of the people to believe, besides the danger
OF sudden persecution oSrdeath, made Paul
question the wisdom Of further effort in
Corinth, since in other places he had with
drawn when opposition anne. Fear OF.
crates against faith, and God forbade It,.
10. with thee" To sustain thee in
trial, to give utterance in the Spirit, TO
give point and edge 70 thy words, to pro
make thee victor in every conflict. Though
men oppose and leave thee, will not:
Thus the assurance came in the hour OF
necessity. mo man-hurt thee" No man
shall oppose or condemn, thee, TO destroy
thee. He was not to meet death at that
place. He should be attacked and brought
to the Judgment seat ". ~; but no yio;
lence should crush him. Much people"
Not many already consecrated to God,
but many in whom he saw . preparedness
II. HE continued" Paul's fear, or de-
mondency, was not rebellion. To know
Gods will was to do il. He feared not
trials 80 much rs 4 failure to follow the
Lords guiding hand. A word Of command
with a promise of help settled al doubts, I
and gave courage for the undertaking.. /
Year and six months" During this tims(
he wrote the second letter to the Thess1 \
onians.
1rsx~~A nINIsa