The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-04-05
The
Sunday School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON CONF
MENTS FOR APRIL 10.
Subject: The Mission Of the Twelve
Matt. 9:s5; 1918, 40, 42--
Commit Verses 9:37, S8.

COHuuC verses 1851, O0s
GOLDEN TEXT" Freely We have
received, freely give" Matt. 1913.
TIME.--Spring, "A. D. 20.
PLACE.--Galilee.
EXPOSITION.-I. Jesus Sending
Forth Those Who Have Learned of
Him to Minister to the Spiritual and
Physical Needs Of the Masses, lots.
Jesus made choice of these twelve
men after night spent in prayer
Gu. 6:12, 13). There was great di-
versity among them in temperament
previous history and native ability.
They are an impressive illustration OF
the different types of men Jesus can
use for His work. Matthew is the
only evangelist who in his list OF
apostles records the fact that he be-
longed to despised class, the publi-
cans The other three cover this fact
up. Matthew humbly writes the fact,
and thus magnifies the grace of God
in calling him. In each of the lists
Judas Iscariot is mentioned last, and
his disgrace as .'the traitor" is noted
in, each. The apostles are grouped in
twos in the lists. The method fol-
lowed in the grouping is worthy of
study The most difficult question
that arises in regard to the choosing
and sending of the twelve, is why
Jesus chose and sent out Judas Isca-
riot. 1t seems hardly sufficient to
answer that it had been predicted in
the o. T. that one of His immediate
circle would betray Him Cps. 41:9;
55:12-14), and that, therefore, Jesus
chose Judas, whom He knew to be
devil John $40, To, in order to
fulfill this prophecy, The simplest
and most natural explanation seems
to be, that Judas had qualities that
would have admirably fitted him for
a place in the apostolic company and
the leadership of the early church, IL
they had been sanctified. Grace gave
him the great opportunity, but he
hardened his heart and brought upon
himself the greater condemnation and
infamy The twelve were prepared
for the work by the Lords imparting
to them power to do 1t (cf. Acts IA;
5, 81. The commission was at this
time to Israel alone, The middle wall
of partition was not yet broken down
(Eph. 2:13-17). After the cross the
commission widens (Acts 1881. The
apostles had five-fold commission
preach, heal the sick, cleanse lepers,
raise the dead, cast out demons. This
is substantially the business of the
missionary of Christ at home and
abroad to-day. Our mission is to soul
and body, but Christ puts the spirit
ual need first. But the church has a
manifest mission to the sick, etc., but
it is moral "lepers" that 1t is our first
duty to cleanse, and those dead in
trespasses and sins" that it is our
most important mission to raise. 1t
is to be noted that this work of heal
ing was to be Free Any "divine
healer or Christian Scientist" who
charges fee for his services, thereby
shows the cloven foot. And how
about the preacher who will declare
the glorious gospel only on condition
of being paid so much? Jesus must
have been divine IL He could bestow
such powers upon others ". -. 1t
is evident that demoniacal possession
is something more than mere form
of disease; for Jesus carefully distin-
cuisines between casting out demons
and "all manner of diseases and all
manner of sickness" Every kind of
disease and sickness was to yield to
the power of the Apostles. These
powers were ~. connnu n,.
WE'VE Apos.les ,Luhe ~ 80 Mai
10: = 10; l GOT. l1s, Jas S.hol.
we 40 noI near much OF most " 'n ,a
men aIter onrlse uSaln, ~. la
was insignificant. Most of these men
were called from the lowliest posi-,
lions In society. Inc substance u
.helr teachlng was 70 De sne Ains
dom OF nsaven Is d. manu-. yonn any
Jesus nad Degun tneir ministry VIII
the same message lcn' go 4.ltl.
And jesus gave the same message 70
the seventy (Luke 1922.
III. How the Twelve Were to Con.
duct Their Ministry, Oils. Thetwelve
were to make no provision for the me-
cessities OF their journey. They were
laboring for God, and the laborer is
worthy of his food, and the One for
Whom they were laboring would see
that they got it. They we're to go
light weighted; many an ambassador
for Christ to-day is impaired in eff
cheney by the amount of baggage he
carries q Tim. 2:4). The. exact let.
ter of these instructions is not bind
ing upon ambassadors of Christ at all
times (cf. Luke 22:35, 36), but the
spirit is. Though they carried SO lit.
tie with them God never suffered
them to lack nor go hungry (Luke
22:35). The obedient, faithful SER