The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-02-11
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR FEBRUARY Is.

Subject: Christian ~self-coEtrol, I Cor.
WILL, l~-l3-Goldsn Text, Rom. XIV, 10
-Memory Verses, 8, o-Commentary on
the Days Lesson.
"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 (chap. 10: ~; sometimes sold in
the markets by the priests, or by the poor.
1.-THE question was whether it was right
for Christians to partake OF food connected
with idolatry. Such meats were forbidden
by the council at Jerusalem, seven years
before, because the act was offensive to
Jewish brethren (Aets Is: 20, 2l), but
ton needed to be settled on a new basis.
"Is nothing" Nothing but . carved block
Of wood or stone, having no power over the
meat or the eater. None in the CorinthiaD
church, whether Jews or Gentiles, be.
ieved that ar idol was anything. They al
had knowledge alike that far. The gues
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 il no represen.
tation Of the true God in any Of the idol
gods.
S. Called sods-in heaven" IS tbs
sun. moon, planet, stars. In earth" DEF
fed kings, beasts, rivers, serpents, etc.
The heather had many imaginary gods.
The people Of Bengal acknowledged $780,.
s. 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. I've in
Him" In His thought, His care. We were
created for Him. and our highest happiness
is in living in His glory. lone Lord Jesus
Christ" The Fathers Son, n with the
Father, our Lord and II Saviour, %shrcEs6
the natural and spiritual creation" John
]: l-3; Eph. 3: o.. I'VE by Him" Re
deemed by Him, and again by Him to be
glori6ed.
II. knowledge alone not sufficient iva
T. "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
yet entirely free from t.. cir heather ideas.
Many were very ignorant, having just .
SopGu IEOm ucaIucu luOA6LIy, Will OuL IL
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
WI liberty Of action is not the standard.
Conscience OF the idol" See r. v. Gus
tom had wrought in them o reverence for
the idol which Christianity had not yet
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 being
weak" From want Of knowledge. Not
strong enough to grasp, firmly the great
see that the worship Of idols il sin. A
weak conscience is on which either re.
CARDS as wrong what in fact is not 80, or
n which il not clear and decided in ito
judgments, or one which has not powe,
enough to restrain a person from doing the
thing it condemns. Its de6lcd." Whether
q thing be right or wrong he who in doing
it goes against his conscience wrongs him.
sell. This hardens the conscience, distorts
It, weakens it, blinds it.
8. But" etc. This verse is to be re.
Garded as the view taken by the CORN.
thians in their letter to the apostle. Paul
are other points to be considered. Com.
mendeth US not" God does not think any
more of us for eating, or for ~refrainina
from eating. It is our characters, our
moral condition. our love, not some formal
act of eating or fasting, for which He cares.
The food itself was Just the same whether
it had 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 10
well to remember that education alone
never makes a person better. A knowledge
81 riohf and -roo1 and tho ek,dy of otb;c.
will not eradicate vicious p%ropensities.
That which commends Us to God is . thor
ough regeneration of heart, whereby We
are enabled to love God and our neighbor.
III: The duty of guarding the weak
o. But take heed" This verse is Paul,
reply to the argument Of the Corinthians
in verse g.. Though you may be no better
or worse for eating or not eating. yet II
your conduct Injuries others and lead.
them into sin you should abstain entirely,
should not be led into sin than that you
should partake Of meat which you &C.
knowledge is in itself Of no importance.
This is q general principle which should
regulate Christian conduct at all times.
This liberty" Though you are delivered
from supers.itious notions. il In contrary
to the spirit Of love to hinder another who
is not yet so far enlightened. "a STUN.
bling block" A means Of confusion. which
might lead to the overthrow of faith.
10. III any man II the Christian who
"See thee-in the idols temple" Somt
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 rebukt
this practice here, but he does so fully ir
chap. 10: l4-22. BE emboldcned." Be-
built up, be confirmed in the belief thai
an idol is something, and so be led to vo
late his conscience and become established
ii. For whom Christ died" A. pa
thetic and forcible argument drawn from
the depths of Christian truth and feeling
OF the soul for whom Christ died.?
l2. "Ye sin against Christ" by injur
ing His children. whose wrong He feels. a,
His own; by injuring. His cause and de,
stroyiug the work He has come to do, ant
by disappearing His spirit.
". The question settled by love ". 49,
Il. Wherefore" This is the conclusion
him to stumble and fall into sin. "Wir
eat no flesh" In order to insure my avoid
ing flesh offered ts idols l would abstain
from all xmas OF HesH III o.uet hoS "
q stumbling block. Lest" etc. This il
the manifestation of true love. See v. l
Love builds up the soul in God. Yet Their.
Is danger even here. We may by obeyin,
another mans false conscience confirm hi
self.conceit. or establish q false morality
Against this danger Paul specially pro
vides. While he complies with the veal
brothers error he openly proclaims that il
is an error, and that he complies not TO,
truth, but from tenderness. He yields e
the unsound conscience, but nothing woult
induce him to admit that the consciens
vas sound.
Sucks Its way Alope.