The Carlisle independent., 1909-11-18
Paul's Story of His Life
 Sunday School Lesson for Nov. q, 1909 Specially Arranged for This Paper

-2 Cor. 12:9
 TINfE.-Autumn of A. D. 51 to late in 52 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 a year and 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 ed by intense worldliness, and heathen 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.
 4. An anti-Pauline mission of Chris tian Jews from Palestine came to Corinth with views opposed to PauTs 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
 '. There were attacks upon Pauls character and authority.
 Speaking of those who claimed to be the real leaders and apostles, and who condemned him, Paul says:
 p. Are they Hebrews" of purest blood, one of the nation and Ian guage?
 50 am l."
 Are they Israelites,' of the true re- ligion, worshiping the one God?
 50 am l."
 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 inf1ict more than forty stripes (Deut. 25:3), and lest they should break the law by mis- take in counting they inflicted only thirty-nine.
 ! 25. Thrice was I beaten with rods" 1 Once mentioned in Acts 1922. A sim liar instance is given by Cicero against Verres, " 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.-12:1-6. Vision. Insight Com munion with God. Realization of the spiritual. Pauls second answer to ob- 5ectors 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'O "a man in Christ" That he is referring to himself is proved by V. :; and the whole argument implies it. How it came, he could not tell, but he knew the fact. Caught up to the third heaven" beyond the visible heaven, ito the highest heaven where the throne of God is," to Paradise the abode of the just, and of the angels. Whatever place it may have been, it 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:
 ''T certify you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached of me Is not after man.
 For I neither received it of man, neither was 1 taught it, but by. the revelation of Jesus Christ"
 Something of this vision, of this communion of God with our spirits, of this realization of heaven and it's life, of this insight into spiritual truths, is necessary to our best useful ness and our highest life.
 Three.-The third test of Pauls Apostleship was his saintly life.- 12:7-10. Paul shows that the signs of an apostle were wrought among the Corinthians "in signs and wonders and mighty deeds" every one of them for the good of the people and the glory of God. T seek not yours but you" T will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly l love you, the less I be loved''
 The Thorn in the Flesh. One special form in which his saintliness was cul- tivated and manifested is described in vs. 7-10.
 What Paul's (v. D thorn in the flesh" was we cannot tell. But it ap- pears to have been something which he feared would lessen his power among them and hinder his work.
 If a person bearing burden that is too great for his strength, prays for relief, there are two ways of an. swering his prayer. Q) The burden may be lessened to his strength, or be -l-