The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-11-24
Abstinence for the
Sake of Others
Sunday School Lesson Tor Nov %. 1905
Specially Prepared for This Paper.


verses. Sl-33
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Iet hlm that think
eth he standeth take heed .est De iail' '-
| Cor. 1912
| TiME.-Paui wrote this FIRST letter 20 The
| Corinthlan church about A. ID 90
PLACE -CorInth. one 0f the most world.
| " and luxurious cities OF the time.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
V. %. "All things are lawful" AN
things pertaining to the support Of l.fe
such as eating and drinking, and Co its
enjoyment in social intercourse and
pleasure. The Christian is. or should
be. the one free man I'm Gods world.
Not all are expedient." A negative
way OF saying that some things that
are lawful may yet be harmful 20 ones
self or to another. "Edify not" Lit
orally, do not build up" The infer
ence Is plain: II some things are in
themselves lawful yet are found TO
tear down rather than build mp char
acter, the Christian must stop 10 CON
slider what should be his attitude
toward those things.
V. "a no man" No person-man
woman or child. Seek his own" Make
II his own business to look after his own
interests. But every man" etc. Bet
ter in Revised Version. "but each IBIS
nelghbor's 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 for
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 and
eat. asking no question" He Us not 10
fret himself or others by questioning
how the animal was slain. what has De
come Of other portions of it, ranythins
Of the sort. II the meat appears 90 have
been properly prepared so that 30 viii
be wholesome, that is an De needs to
know. For conscience sake" lou
need have no conscientious scruples in
the matter.
V. rs. 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 iu the
market for his family. having been set
tied, the apostle now takes mp The sec
ond. one needing a more complicated
answer-"How can a Christian partake
OF food at the table Of a pagan friendg
That believe not" A pagan. bid you
10 a feast" Invite you TO a feast at his
house. Some had gone so far as TO
claim that Christians might feast In an
idol-temple, but Paul had eXpostulated
against this Q0:14-2D, showing it 70
be an actual participation in idolatry
V. 2s. But II any man say unto you,
etc. II anyone heather host or guest
or Christian guest. There would be no
Jew there. for Jews never ate with Cen
tiles. II anyone raised the question
then the matter was to be looked at ln
another light. "This. I'm sacrifice" If
a portion Of the animal has been offered
to heather deity. Eat not for his
sake" His questioning about it showed
that he had feeling that one partakng
Of this meat was rendering homage TO
the idol to whom part Of It had been
dedicated: hence for his sake the Chris
tian had best decline TO eat of The meat
Y. %. Conscience not thine
own" Not because you have any con-
scientious scruples Of your own about
the meat. As the apostle has previous
ly shown $40. an idol Is nothing
and food or aught else can be neither
improved nor impaired by any relation
to 1t. But Of the other The con.
science Of the other man, who raised the
question. To him you might do great
harm II you allowed him 10 judge. from
your eating this meat. that idols and
idolatry were not so bad. after all.
why is my liberty iudged?' the Word
Judged has here the sense of Cou-
demned. The question IS: Why has
another any right TO condemn what
my conscience approves? Tho an.
swer must be: He has no such right;
Judging and condemning one another
is most unchrstian; but " 81 VIII lead
to the conclusion Of this thought. v.
30 repeats the question I'm slightly dif.
fering form.
V. 30. by grace partaker:" Better.
II partake with thankfulness: The
Christian recognizes every good gift
as from his Heavenly Father and az
heart, II not audibly, returns thanks TO
Him for food and drink and all other
daily benefits.
V. 81 "To the glory Of God:" Con
slider, How do the eating and drinking
appear in His sight. Is an TO Ills
glory? II Is a glorious as well as o
solemnizlng thought that the great
God Is glorfed or dishonored by even
the trivial acts Of His children.
V. 30. "Give none ofense." DO not
willfully act so as 20 offend the con
science Of any or cause him 70 stumble
In his Christian course, but rather sac
rifce personal preferences in order 70
avoid hurting any.
v. Il please all men in an things"
Paul states his personal decision of The
questions that have been considered
Chap. 9:2O-22
Practical Points.
V. %. The Christian is the one free
mau.-John S:36.
V. %. A law which is higher than the
Mosaic law Of meats and drinks. rules
the Christian life.-Rom. SO.
V. &c. Let us thankfully enjoy our
Heavenly Fathers good g.fts-1 T.m
-
V. 2S. We can gladly forego amy per.
sonal preference or pleasure for The
sake OF helping another-1 Cor s.l3
V. 32. We must take heed lest by
csrelessness. n not by evil intent, we
cast stumbling blocks In the way Of any.
re q. 1913.
A Disastrous Calamity.