Holbrook argus., 1909-12-28
Paul's Story of
 His Life
Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON TExT.--Cor. 1l:22-2s; 12:l-10. Memory verses, 2, s.
 GOLDEN TEXT.--''He said unto me. My grace Is sufficient for thee; for my strength :s made perfect in weakness. -2 Cor. 12:9
 TIME.-Autumn of A. D. 51 to late in s2 or early in 5.
 PLACE.-In Macedonia, where the Sec ond Epistle to the Corinthians was writ. ten.
 Suggestion and Practical Thought.
 l. The church in Corinth was very young, not seven years old, from the first coming of Paul, who remained with them only year and a half Since that time they had grown in numbers with but little outside help from Paul and those who represented him.
 2. The young church was surround cd by intense worldliness, and heather immoralities and principles, which were like an intense moral malaria, an unhealthy atmosphere.
 3. There was in the city a consider able colony of Jews who were opposed to the whole Christian movement.
 l. An anti-Pauline mission of Chris tian Jews from Palestine came to Corinth with views opposed to Pauls teachings concerning the Gentiles, and insisted that all Gentle Chris tians should conform to the Jewish ritual.
 5. Cases of immortality had arisen in the church for which Paul had been compelled to reprove them.
 6. There were divisions among them, one being for Peter, another for Paul, and another for Christ, as if all were not for Christ
 z. There were attacks upon Paul's character and authority.
 Speaking of those who claimed to be the real leaders and apostles, and who condemned him. Paul says:
 22. Are they Hebrews" of purest blood, one of the nation and lan- guage?
 "So am l."
 Are they Israelites," of the true re- liglon, worshiping the one God?
 So am I.'
 Are they the seed of Abraham" in- heritOrs of the promises, of the Mes sianic hopes, and the Kingdom of God
 50 am l."
 24. Five times received I forty stripes save one" from the Jews. None are mentioned in the Acts. The Jews were forbidden to infiict more than forty stripes Deut. 25:3), and lest they should break the law by a mis- take in counting they inflicted only thirty-nine.
 25. Thrice was l beaten with rods" Once mentioned in Acts 1922. A sim far instance is given by Cicero against Verres, V. 62. Once was I stoned" At Lystra (Acts 14:19). Stoning was planned once before at Iconium, but the plan was not carried out (Acts 14:5).
 Two.-The second test of apostle ship.-12:16. Vision. Insight Con- munion with God. Realization of the spiritual. Paul's second answer to ob- jectors is that he has right to speak in the name of God; for though he had not seen Jesus in the flesh, he had seen eternal things, he had re- ceived revelations from God.
 2. q knew" (better q know") "a man in Christ" That he is referring to himself is proved by " z; and the whole argument implies it. How it came, Re could not tell, but he knew the fact. Caught up to the third heaven" beyond the visible heaven, "to the highest heaven where the throne of God is,' to Paradise the abode of the just, and of the angels. Whatever place 1t may have been, 1t was into the inmost spiritual realities
 Note the several visions which are recorded in the Acts from this vision of Jesus at his conversion, to his vision in the storm on the way to Rome. In his letter to the Galatians | Q:11, 12) Paul declares:
 q certify you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
 For I neither received 1t of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ"
 Something of this vision, of this communion of God with our spirits,