The Tupelo journal., 1905-11-24
Abstinence for the
Sake of Others
Sunday School Lesson for Nov. 26. 1905
Specially Prepared for This Paper.


LESSON TEXT Cor. 1O:2S-S3. Memory
| verses, 31-33.
GOLDEN TExT.-"Let him that think
| eth he standeth take heed lest he fall
/ Cor. 1912.
TIME.-Paul wrote this first letter to the
Corinthian church about Az. 81.
PLACE.-Corinth, one of the most world
Nv and luxurious cities of the time.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
v. %. "All things are lawful All
things pertaining to the support OF life,
such as eating and drinking, and to its
enjoyment in social intercourse and
pleasure. The Christian is, or should
be. the one free man in Gods world.
Not all are expedient." A negative
way of saying that some things That
are lawful may yet be harmful to ones
self or to another. "Edify not" Lit
orally, "do not build up" The INFER
ence is plain: If some things are IN
themselves lawful, yet are found to
tear down rather than build up CHAR
acter, the Christian must stop to con
slider what should be his attitude
toward those things.
v. "a. mo man" No person-man.
woman or child. Seek his own" Make
it his own business to look after his W
interests. But every man" etc. Bet
ter in Revised Version, but each his
neighbours good" We should be unself-
ish in thought, word and action.
v. 25. Whatsoever is sold in the sham
bles." A shamble is a slaughterhouse,
a place where animals are slain Tor
food; the reference is to whatever meat
has been slain thus, and is sold In the
public market. Such meat, the apostle
says, the Christian may freely buy n
eat. asking no question" He is not to
fret himself or others by questioning
how the animal was slain, what has be-
come of other portions of it, or anything
of the sort. If the meat appears to have
been properly prepared so hat 1t VIII
be wholesome, that is all he needs to
know. For conscience sake" You
need have no conscientious scruples in
the matter.
V. 26. For the earth is the Lords.
and the fullness thereof" This sentence
was often used by the Jews as a grace
before meals.
V. q. The first question, concerning
what food the Christian may buy in the
market for his family, having been set
tied, the apostle now takes up the sec
ond, one needing a more complicated
answer-"How can a Christian partake
of food at the table of a pagan friend?'
That believe not" A pagan. bid you
to a feast" Invite you to a feast at his
house. Some had gone so far as to
claim that Christians might feast in an
id~ol-temple, but Paul had expostulated
against this C0:14-21), showing it to
be an actual participation in idolatry-
V. %. But if any man say unto you"
etc. If anyone, heather host or guest.
or Christian guest. There would be no
Jew there, for Jews never ate with Cen
tiles. If anyone raised the question.
then the matter was to be looked at in
another light. This. in sacrifice" II
Q portion of the animal has been offered
to a heather deity. Eat not for his
sake" His questioning about it showed
that he had a feeling that n partakinS
of this meat was rendering homage to
the idol to whom part of it had been
dedicated; hence for his AXE the Chris
tian had best decline to eat of the meat.
V. 90. Conscience not thine
own" Not because you have any con-
scientious scruples of your own about
the meat. AS the apostle has previous
Iy shown $40, an idol is nothing,
and food or aught else can be neither
improved nor impaired by any relation
to it. But of the other" The con-
science of the other man, who raised the
question. To him you might do great
harm if you allowed him to judge, from
YOUR eating chis meat, that idols and
idolatfy were not so bad, after all.
why is my liberty judged?" the Word
Judged has here the sense of con-
demned. The question is: Why has
another any right to condemn h
my conscience approves? The an
swer must be: He has no such right:
Judging and cendemning one another
is most unchristian; but V. 81 will lead
to the conclusion of this thought. V.
so repeats the question in slightly diff
fering form.
V. 80. by grace partaker:" Better,
IF | partake with th~ankfulness:" The
Christian recognizes every good gift
as from his Heavenly Father, and at
heart, if not audibly, returns thanks to
Him for food and drink and all other
daily benefits.
V. 81. ITO the glory of God" Con-
slider, How do the eating and drinking
appear in His sight. Is all to His
glory? 1t is a glorious as we'll as a
solemnizing thought that the great
God is glorified or dishonored by even
the trivial acts of His children.
V. so. "Give one offense:" Do not
yillfully act so as to offend the con
science of any or cause him to stumble
in his Christian course, but rather sac
rifce personal preferences in order to
avoid hurting any.
V. 80. 81 please all men in all things"
Paul states his personal decision of the
questions that have been considered
Chap. 9:20-22
Practical Points.
v. %. The Christian is the one free
man.-John 1886.
V. 90. A law which is higher than the
Mosaic law of meats and drinks, rules
the Christian life.-Rom. ,8:2.
V. IS. Let us thankfully enjoy our
Heavenly Fathers good gifts.-1 Tim.
IA.
V. 2S. We can gladly foregO any pe--