The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-02-15
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR FEBRUARY -.

on the Days Lesson.
I. Jesus at the feast Tvs. LAY. !. "Af.
ter this" After these things" R. V.
Some think that when John is telling SOM
| event which follows Immediately after the
last thing narrated, he uses the expression
latter this thing" (chap. 2:l2), but that
when there has been an interval OF time
he uses the expression latter these things"
"A feast" There has been much differ
but it is the opinion now of the best writ.
ers that it was the Passover. .. by tine
| sheep gate" (R. W We know from Neh,
81. 81; 1879 that there was a sheep gate;
so called probably from sheep for sacrifice
being sold there. 1t was near the temple,
"The Hebrew tongue" Hebrew here
| means .Aralnaic, the language spoken at
the time. not the old Hebrew OF the Scrip
lures. Bethesda" This name does not
occur elsewhere. 1t means "nouse Of mer.
cy." The site is not identified with Ger
/ tainty. The traditional spot is near Castle
Antonio. But DR.. Robinson thinks "the
fountain of the Virgin" an intermittent
spring in the southeast OF the city, near
| porches." These porches we're probably
| covered arcades, colonades or verandas,
| open at one side to the air. but protected
! against the sun or rain overhead. In a hot
! country like Palestine such buildings arc
very necessary. 8. Multitude" The sick
congregated here in great numbers.
II. Jesus heals an imDotent man Tvs.
5-9). 5. ":An inirmity." The original inn
plies rather a loss Of power than a positive
disease; probably it was a nervous disease
OF paralytic type. Thirty and eight
wears" The duration Of the illness is
mentioned. either to show how inyeterate
and difficult it was to heal, or rather. ac'
cording to verse 6. to explain the deep
compassion with which Jesus was affected
on behoiding the unhappy man. From
the result of the sins Of his youth.
6. knew" The word knew" in the
! original indicates one of those instantan.
eous perceptions by which the truth be-
came known to Jesus according as the task
of the moment demanded. Verse IA will
show that the whole life OF the sufferer is
present to the eye of Jesus, as that Of the
| Samaritan woman was in chapter 4. Saith
unto him" Usually Christ waited until
He was asked before He relieved the snf'
fering, but in this and few other cases
He healed without being asked. He read
the mans past life and present condition
! of mind, and saw that he was in a state
to receive spiritual good from the healing.
"Wilt thou" Why does He ask a ques.
ton to which the answer was so obvious!
out of his lethsrgy and dependency. =.
7. mo man." He was friendless as well
as sick. rs troubled" This spring, prob.
! ably the fountain of the Virgin, is inter
mittent to this day. and various travellers
have seen it suddenly rise from five inches
to a foot in five minutes. Whedon thinks
that the moving of the waters arose from
an underground connection of the pool
with the city water works. The occasional
and intermittent disturbance of the water
is not to be understood as a regular occur
renee. but as something sudden and quick.
~ passing away. Hence the mans waiting
and complaint. "Put me into the pool"
Literally. Sin order to throw" me into the
pool; perhaps implying that the gush OF
water did not last long, and there was no
time to be lost in quiet carrying. While
l am coming" Thus picturing, the extreme
haste and rapidity with which the favor
able opportunity was seized. There was a
rush and scramble for the one chance.
s. Rise" etc. Commands like these
would test the mans faith and obedience.
As in the case Of the paralytic mark 2:9l,
Christ made no enquiry as to the mans
faith. Christ knew that he had faith, and
the mans attempting to rise and carry his
bed after thirty-eight years of impotence,
was an open confession of faith: Bed"
Probably only a nat or rug, still common
in the East. 9. "And walked" With the
command was given the power of ODE.
dience. So the sinner who is hidden to
commit himself to Christ need not wait
for any %compulsion. AS he makes the ef.
fort he will find divine power within him.
self. Sabbath" The seventh day Of the
week, the Jewish Sabbath.
III. Persecution of the Jews Tvs. 1913.
10. "Not lawful" Jeremiah had com
manded, "Take heed to yourselves: and
bear no burden on the Sabbath day" ll6:
2ll. and the Jews interpreted this as for
bidding the carrying OF the lightest weight.
But Jeremiah's meaning is made clear by
Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lad.
ing asses" etc. ITO forbid this man from
carrying his bed was like f%orbidding a mod
ern man to move a camp stool or a chair"
II. "He-said." Unquestionably the
words seem to say that one who could do
such a wonder as healing me must certain.
" have the right to tell me what to do.
He had been authorized by Il endorsed
as sent from God. And this was indeed
the very ground which Christ Himself
took. II. Who is the man" (R. W
They ignore the miracle, and attack the
command. They ask not. Who cured
thee. and therefore must have divine au'
thority?" but, who told thee to break
the Sabbath. and therefore could not have
it," Is. Knew not" (R W Jesus had
been in Jerusalem but little. and the man
who was healed had probably never seen
withdrew. Literally, "siipned ASIDE be.
anne suddenly lost to sight. "a multi.
tude,' etc. This may be understood as
explaining either why he withdrew-to
avoid the crowd, or the manner in which
he wlthdrew-by disappearing in the
crowd. Either explanation makes good
sense.
". Jesus gives advice and warning "
l4). IA. "Afterward." Probably soon af.
terward: in a day or So, "Findeth him
Jesus had His eye on the man; His work
with him was not yet finished: this meet:
ing was not accidental. In the temple
A good place for the man to ! Sin no
more" God asks this of ev' y sinner.
And vet there are those who Insist that it
is impossible to live without sin in this
asked this man to do the impossible. "a
worse thing" A paralysis from which no
pool can restore and no Saviour will de.
liver: the most terrible catastrophe OF the
so"l's eternal history.
v. The man bears testimony ". Isl.
y. Told the Jews" etc. In reply to the
inquiry they had made of him a short time
before. party in obedience to the authori.
ties and partly to complete his apology for
himself. He expected, probably, in the
simplicity OF his heart, that the name OF
Him whom so many counted as 4 prophet,
ii not as the Messiah Himself. VOID have
been sufficient 10 stop the mouth 4 gal1'
eavEra
Autos on Runners.
The unusual sight OF automobiles on run
ners with gay parties OF pleasure seekers