The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-07-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson llI.-Third Quarter, For
July III, 1910.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

4
Text of the Lesson, Matt. xvi, 1928.
Memory Verse, 26--coldsn Text.
Matt. xvi, 16-commentary Prepared
by Rev. .. M. stearns.
Since He said to the Pharisees, "Can
ye not discern the signs Of the times Y'
(verse 81 is 1t not probable that we
might profit by a similar question 2
For there is great need Of men under
standing the times, knowing what be-
levers ought to do q Chron. xii, 32).
We need also to beware of the leaven
Of false doctrine, which seems to be
fast leavening the lump. But many
are more occupied with bread for the
body than with the Living Bread,
which alone can nourish the soul. SO
chat our Lord has still to say: ''Do We
not yet understand? How Is. 1t that
ye do not understand" VERSES 9. 111
When He had finished the parallels of
the kingdom He said. Have We I'M
derstood all these thingsg' (xiii, SD
AS 1t is through faith that we under
stand Heb. XII, 81, His question at
least includes the other, "Do We be-
lieve these things?"
Whom say We that amp verse
100 or, as He put it In xxi, AZ, "What
think We Of Christi Is the most i'm
portant question that could be asked
any one. What we think of a par
ticular doctrine is a minor matter, for
a right view of Christ Himself will
rectify all else-that is, right views OF
His sufferings and His glory. Peters
reply, Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God" (verse 49,, was the
right thing to say. Hear him, say it
again in John vi, SO, and hear Martha
say it in John XII. q. Yet this did not
fully establish either Peter or Martha,
although it was, q heaven revealed
truth, because they did not grasp the
suffering which it included. Not only
does Jesus rejoice with Simon that
God had revealed this to him, but He
speaks for the first time of His church
not as something which He had been
building, but in these words: upon
this rock / will build My church"
(verse 49,. He said, 'Thou art Peter
lpetros, a. little rockl, and upon this
rock Tpetra, solid ledgel / will build
My church" Not Peter, but the great
truth of Peters confession, is the rock,
the solid foundation. See his own tes-
timony in l Pet. ii, 6, z. The building
Of this church or called out company
from Jews and gentiles does not de-
pend upon our faithfulness, for hath
He said and shall He not do it? But
He is willing to use all who are will
ing to be used, and every living stone
may bring other stones. The con-
summation is sure, whoever may or
may not help, and the pearl, the |
church, shall be, glorious and without
spot or wrinkle or any such thing /
(Eph. v, 90. g hay a s.gf 4
What a. comfort it is that no wis
dom from the pit, no unbelief or SCI
ence called Christian or aught else can |
ever prevail against it! Peter was
commissioned to open the door both
to Jews and gentiles into the present |
age mystery Of the kingdom. See
Pentecost and the house of Cornelius. |
Note the keys Of the kingdom, not the
Keys of the church. The power OF
binding and loosing was shared by the
'ther disciples Matt. xviii, IS; John
Xxx, %. &C. |. ST. A business man on
he road is in sense the firm which
ne represents, and his transactions are
n the name of the firm. So every be-
lever is commissioned in the name Of t
he Lord Jesus, in the power of the
Spirit, to take the word Of God and /
how sinners their sins and point them
% the Saviour. And if they receive
Him the believer is authorized to show
hem in the word the result of their
receiving Him or otherwise.
The disciples had been proclaiming
Tesus as the Christi. e., the cove
lanted King of a kingdom promised
0 the Jews and "at hand" The
hurch, on the contrary, must be built
Ipon testimony to Him as crucified, |,
isen from the dead, assembled and
made "head over all things to the
hurch' Eph. /, 1929. &C. /. 81 The
dngdom being postponed, the age of
he mystery Of the kingdom having
een described, the church mentioned
nd its building assured, He now tells
hem plainly that He must suffer, be
Tiled by the Jewish rulers and be !
aised again the third day (verse 21s
vii, %; Xxx, 10. Peter, who had de-
Jared the rock foundation truth on
which the church is to be built, now
ares In all his love for Him to say
hat He must not talk so, must not
hink Of being SO i'll treated, BE 10
ar from Thee, Lord: this shall not !
Q dnto Thee" verse 90, or, as in the /
largin, pity Thyself, Lord" Thus Ia
'eter blind to all the Scriptures con- X
erning His sufferings and speaks as
rom the wicked one rather than from
be Spirit, as before When filed with
ne Spirit Of God no one had more to
ay about the sufferings OF Christ and
ar suffering with Him than this same
eter. See his first epistle. Our Lord /
hen added His oft repeated words
Oncerning denying self, taking up the :
ross, following Him, losing Mne's life
! order to save it CAIatt. <, 37-89:
luke xiv, 26, n, s3; John xii, 90.
There is no such thing in Scripture
$ a beautiful cross, a cross of gold or
overs. 1t is always cruel cross,
vhich suggests lingering death, and
we ere trlln followers OF Ias1Is there | ]