The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-01-25
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JANUARY 29.
subjecti Jesus and Nicodemus, John ill.,,
lilo - Golden Text, John Ill, 49,
Memory Verses. IL. f5-Commeutar,
on the Day's Lessou

L. Nicodemus comes to Christ Tvs l.
p, !. "Of the Pharisccs" A very strict
orthodox and believed in the immortality
OF the soul and future state. They laid
! great stress upon their traditions, esteem.
ing them as highly they did the Scrip
lures, They expected the Messiah would
be temporal deliverer and king. and were
generally looking for Him. ''Ncodemus'
rich ruler of the Jews. Pharisee and
member of the Sanhedrin. the supreme
council of the Jewish nation. All we know
OF MN with certainty is recorded here
and IN John 1850 and 1899 9. Game
| by night The act of cleansing the TEN
PIE had brought Christ into prominence
ihe PLAIN inference is, also, that He had
/ performed miracles that are not mentioned
| by the Bible writer's He came privately
| by night, 'as an act of prudence and dis.
cretion." He had strength of character
and was an unprejudiced. earnest seeker
after light. Rabbi" This was showing
great respect to one who had not been ed.
ucated IN the rabbinical schools "A teach
er come from God This was complete
Endorsements of Jesus and His work. and
now, having thus Endorsed Him he was
under greater obligations to accept the
truths that Jesus was about to proclaim
III. The new birth Tvs. 36). g. "Jcsus
answered Not TO a spoken question. but
to the deep unspoken question of his soul
to express the truthfulness of what was
about to be spoken and were considered
OF equal import with the most solemn oath
II say unto thee" Jesus here entered
into the very heart OF gospel truth. lie
did not undertake to preach pleasing ser.
mon IN order to make a new disciple OF
this master IN Israel" but gave a PEI.
sonal, thorough, heart-searching talk. in
which Ncodemus was made to understand
that he was not in the kingdom of God
SIMPLY because he was a pious Jew "Ex
cept Jesus meets the except OF Nicode
do; Jesus says be- We must be before
we can do" Born again" IRON above. Z"
anew" converted, regenerated The one
born again has a new life. with n new ma.
ture, new principles, new affections. new
aims. Cannot see" Enjoy. share in. en-
ter ", 81. Kingdom, Of God - The king
dom oil grace here and OF glory hereafter
4. "How-born." etc. To be born again
was familiar figure with the Jews. but
Nlcodemus evidently thought Christ's de
scription of this being born again to bc so
radical and absolute as to suggest and ius
thy the query whether it did not include n
re-birth of body 3. "Of water and of the
Spirit" We present three different views
as to the meaning of the term IVA 3"
l. Water, washing and cleansing are fieur.
atlve expressions used in Scripture to de-
note a spiritual operation on mans heart.
lt Is not necessary that we should under.
stand two different things. and this is
probably only an elliptical form of speech
Tor the Hoy Spirit under the simlitudc Of
water. 2 A number OF eXpositors think
the water" has reference to Christian
baptism. 3. The expression refers 10
Johns baptism. which was unto repent
ance, and was alone known to Nicodemus.
% ''Of the flesh is flesh" Like produces
Ike with regard to both flesh and spirit
We are thoroughly fallen. and clean
thing cannot come from an uncean
III. An illustration Tvs. :, 81. :
Marvel not. Do not wonder at this
there are many things you do not under
stand. Thou canst not even understand
the blowing OF the wind. "Must be :"
This law is Interchangeable. There is no
other way OF entering the kingdom of
heaven
s. wind bloweth." This illustration
was likely suggested by the sound of the
night wind about the house. Jesus speci
lies three points in which the Holy Spirits
work in regeneration is like the wind:
independence OF movement, where it list.
eth ?. Distinctness of effect thou
nearest the sound" :. Its surprising our
comprehension as to its origin and its des.
tiny, thou 'canst not tell etc A fourth
analogy is certainly worthy of mention,
though not in point with Nicodemus,
namely, the varieties in the power. some.
times gentle as a zephyr, again raging as
a tornado. In Hebrew the term for wind"
and spirit" is the same This would
make the illustration all the more forcblc.
so is every one" The laws OF the spirit.
ual life are unknown. We can understand
the new birth only as we receive it,
". Christ's words the foundation OF
faith Tvs. 9-l3). o. How" etc. In verse
4 his question was really an objection. bnc
now he is not unbelieving but bewildered.
lie could not apprehend spiritual truth.
10. Art thou the teacher" Or. VI The
question is a reproof. Have you studied
the Scriptures so you are capable of teach.
ing them without learning these allimpor.
tant truths; IL. We Edershem
thinks that in all probability ST. John
was present during this entire interview.
"Do know" He spoke with the greatest
possible assurance. Not upon hearsay hut
from personal knowledge. "Ye receive
not our witness" They received His mir.
acles as genuine, vet refused to accept The
spiritual truths He taught. 'Ye" is al.
ways plural, and is spoken with reference
to the class TO which Nicodemus belongs,
u. ''How shall we believe" If you do
not believe the first principles--the begin.
nings OF gospel truth-how shall we believe
ii continue the subject further and tell
YOU OF the deeper things. the heavenly
things, such as. My divinity w. l3); the
atonement ". l4; salvation by faith N.
l5l; the great love of God ". i6) ?"
l3 And no man." etc. There ryas
false notion among the Jews that Moses
had ascended up to heaven to get the law.
Jesus in effect says, No one, not even
Moses, hath assembled NJ to heaven to
search out heavenly things; but the Son
of man has dwelt from all eternity in the
bosom OF the Father" and has come di
rect from heaven. In heaven" He is
o.pnipresent. filling heaven and earth with
HIS presence, and even now is in heaven.
V. The way OF salvation Tvs Ia. l5),
"a, "The serpent" Mum, 9l;4-O. The
history OF the brazen serpent is a parable
of the gospel. 'Son of Man be lifted up ="
l. In His cruci6xion. g In His exaita.
ton. s. In, the publishing and preaching
of His everlasting. gospel. 10. Whose.
ever" etc. GeDtiles as well as jews
''Whosoever" is better for each one than
though he were called by name, for the
same name might belong to another. Those
who accept Christ as their personal Sa.
viour will be saved from the effects of sin.
which naturally end in the destruction OF
the soul, and win be given spiritual life
here and in the world to come life ever.
lasting Eternal lfe," Eternal lfe is
fulness OF life, joy, peace and love.