The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-01-22
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JANUARY IS.
Subject: Paul's Counsel tn the Thessalo-
mans. L Thess. ", 14-2S-Goldon Text
1 Thess. W, 21-MemOry Verses, 1918
documentary on the Days Lesson.

Subject: PauIs C0uuset ro tne Inessalo~
mans. Thess. ", 14-2S-Goldon Text
1 Th.ss. ", 21-Memory Verses. 1918
documentary on the Days Lesson.
7. Christ's second coming Tvs. lily
The first part of this chapter stands In
close connection with the last six verses
of chapter A. The two paragraphs touch
upon two different aspects of our Lords
coming. viewed first as it concerns depart
ed Christians, and then in its relation to
men living upon the earth. The former
passage supplies comfort respecting the
dead in Christ, the latter enjoins watchful-
ness and preparedness upon the living.
Paups teaching concerning the return Of
the Lord Jesus from heaven had very
deeply impressed the Thessalonians. but
his views had been greatly misunderstood.
doubt "includes not only His coming at
the end of the world. but all the special
manifestations of that coming, as at the
day of death and the destruction of Jeru-
salem fsee Matt. 24)."
III. Rules for the sanctified life Tvs. IL
22) In verses IL and Ii he urges them to
properly love and esteem their ministers.
a. Brethren" This exhortation applies
to ministers and laymen alike. "The
weak" A man may be weak in his judg-
reat or in his character. There may be a
lack of information or a lack of capacity
to understand the truth. Such people
need the assistance of those who are
strong. We can Support" others with
Q) our sympathy, (2) our prayers, (3) our
example and "a our counsel.
Is. "See that none" ETC. Some one
has said, Evil for evil is beast like; evil
for good is devil like; good for good is
manlike; good for evil is godlike." Retail
iation betrays a weak, ignoble and cruel
disposition. He is below himself who is
not above an injury" Small souls alone
hold grudges" "But ever follow" etc.
The true Christian always renders good
for evil. The line of conduct here out
lined is to be pursued both within and
without the church. No follower of Christ
will Intentionally harm any man.
10, II. "Reioice Away" He who would
always rejoice must pray without ceasing.
Paul had learned the secret that Sin sor-
row endured for Christ's sake there is hid
3: 2 Cor. II: 10, and the words of Christ in
Matt. 3: 1912. To rejoice is not only
duty. but privilege. The Christian has
the fountain of Joy within him. Pray"
True PRAYER springs from the heart. It
includes ~ an Acknowledgement of God,
(2) thankfulness, (3) confession, (4) en-
treaty. It is our duty to pray because ON
it is commanded, (2) because it tends to
impress us with sense of our dependence
upon God, (3) because it Is the means by
which we commune with God, (4) because
it is made the condition of our receiving
from God Prevailing prayer Q) springs
from sense of real need, (2) is earnest,
90 is humble, az is importunate, 90 is Of
fered for specific blessings, (el pleads the
promises and rests in them as the ground
of all faith
Is. GIVE thanks" Even in persecution
we should thank God that we are consid-
cred worthy to suffer for Christ Prayer
and thanksgiving are the two wings of the
soul by which it rises upward to God"
10, 20. "Quencb not" Since the Spirit
may be quenched he is fire, as appeared
on the day of Pentecost (Acts .: 81 This
emblem sets forth the sudden and vehe-
ment activities of the Holy Spirit. with
His gifts of warmth for the heart and light
for the mind and His power to l1indle the
human spirit. "The gift of the Spirit was
then existing, deep and powerful, in the
young Thessalonian church." ard they
were here commanded not to forbid those
who under divine inspiration stood up to
reveal mysteries or speak with tongues.
But the command is universal. Whatever
hinders the work of the Spirit in ourselves
or others is here forbidden. The Spirit is
Guenched by depreciation, neglect or sin.
p, y. prove" On the other hand. do
not accept as genuine all that may claim
to be genuine. 1t is our duty to probe,
test: try all such manifestations and "hold
fast" only the good. But the exhortation
We are to discern between truth and sx-
ror. and sift the chaff from the wheat,
"Hold fast" We should never allow the
good to sin from u.s. "Buy the truth and
sell it not" To do this will take a strong
effort on our part. abstain" Not only
hold fast the good but abstain from and
renounce the evil which may have been de-
tected as result of proving all things.
III Specification promised Tvs. %,
24). %. Good of peace" 'Peace Is the
ceives and experiences. The APOSTLE
prays that the God of peace might sane.
tify them wholly. The Thessalonian Chris.
tians were truly regenerated; they had had
a genuine conversion (see chap. u, and
YET they needed. entire sanctifcation!
Sanctify you wholly" The work of sane
tifcation was begun in conversion, and
now 1t was their privilege to be made COM
p.lete--to be sancti6ed wholly. Sanctifca.
ton signifies, /. Separation from sin. 2,
Conservation to God-the setting APART
from common to holy use g. cit is
the act or process of making holy" e.
1t denotes the result of this process-the
state of one who is made holy Spirit
soul-body." That is, the whole man. "It
Is net necessary to regard spirit and soul
and body as three distinct logical divisions
of mans nature" But if it seems desirable
to distinguish between soul and spirit. then
the spirit must be regarded as tSe highest
part OF man, by which alone man possesses
intelligence and is enabled to apprehend
God, and the soul as the seat of the affec,
lions, passions and appetites yet we
are to conceive of them as one indivisibla
and spiritual being, called also the mind
and the heart, but usually designated as
the SOUL BE preserved" etc. From
this we see that this experience of entire
is for this life
"a. will do it." This settles the mat.
ter; The God who has faithfully called us
to holiness is ready to make us holy, and
Peter In Acts Is: tells how the expe-
rience was obtained by both Jews and Gen.
tiles tiles; He says their hearts were purified
~. Concluding words Tvs. 25-2s). 25.
70. Pray for u.s." st. Paul FREQUENTLY
made thus request. If he, in an the
strength Of his gifts and his Office. felt his
dependence on the prayers of the church.
how much should we? kiss" This. the
usual sign of affection between kindred
and neal: friends, appears to have been
quite universal in the primitive church,
but the custom gradually died out during
t the Middle Ages. To-day we have the
handshake," which answers all purposes
n, %. "Adjure you" Literally, I put