The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1912-11-15
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson VII.-Fourth Quarter, Fol
Nov. l7, 1912.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

InlS lesson is recorded also in Matt.
xvi and Luke TX, and we will consider
it with the harmony of the gospels
before us. Mimpriss in his harmony
says that this is the first particular
prediction concerning the rejection,
the death and the resurrection of the
Christ and was probably apart from
the multitude and is the first key op-
posed to the leaven of the Pharisees.
Matthew and Mark say that He had
come into the coasts or towns Of Caesa-
rea Philippi, and Luke adds that He
was alone praying, His disciples being
with Him. We shall see in the next
lesson that He was praying also at the
time Of His TRANSPORTATION duke tx,
1S, 29). Luke records other instances
Of His praying in chapters i'll, 21; vi,
II; xi, 1; xii, Al; xiii, "a. He ever
talked with Els Father in heaven with
the same realization of His presence
as that of the people about Him.
People talked about Him and had
their opinions as they have today. The
Pharisees who believed in resurrec-
ton thought that He might be John
the Baptist or Elijah or Jeremiah or
one Of the prophets, at which, no
doubt, the Sadducees scoffed, for they
did not believe in resurrection or spirit,
but the Pharisees confessed both (Acts
xiii, 81. His next question is the one
that should lay hold of our hearts.
whom say ye that | am" or as He
put 1t to the Pharisees at another time.
what think ye Of Christi" (Matt
xii, 42.) ....
1t should not so much concern me
what others say, but what does my
heart say, what is He to me person
ally? Simon Peter. generally the
spokesman, answered, "Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the living God'
fverse. 20; Matt, xvi, 16. See his
similar testimony in John vi, SO, and
that Of Martha in John xi, q. Can I
look upon Him with His eyes as a
fame of fire searching me through
and through and say, o Lord, thou art
to me the risen living Christ, my per
sonal Saviour. If so, then blessed am
I, for our Father in heaven has taught
me by His spirit (Matt xvi, ~. The
words translated Peter and rock in
Matt xvi, 1S, are not quite the same.
the first signifyfng a piece of rock
easily moved and the other solid
rock immovable The rock foundation
is the great truth that Jesus is God.
and other foundation can no man lay
q Cor. iii, IL; Acts iv, 12).
The church built on this and on His
great atonement as God can never be
moved. The company Of all true be.
levers In Him constitutes this church
and all else must come to naught
Peter was given the keys Of the king
dom, not the church, and the church IL
not the kingdom, but the heavenly cen
ter of it. From that time and re-
peatedly He began to tell them that
at the hands of the elders, chief priests
and scribes He must suffer many
things, be rejected and killed and aft
er three days rise again (verses 81; TX
81; K, 3S, 34; but, although to us
seemingly so plain. His disciples did
not receive these sayings, not even
Peter and John. and it is written con.
cerning them that up to the time Of
His actual resurrection from the dead
they knew not the Scripture that He
must rise again from the dead John
Xxx, 81. They had not received the
message of the prophets that the Mes
siah must suffer, die, be buried and
rise again, though we can see 1t plain
ly In such passages as Ps. xii; lisa
liii; Dan. TX. 26; Zech. xii, 10: Kill.
Z. Peter therefore said that He should
not speak of suffering: BE it far from
Thee, Lord. This shall not be unto
Thee" "Pity thyself" Matt. xvi. %
and margin). Mark our Lords reply
and note that what is not OF God is Of
the devil and is an offense to God
Believers are either a sweet savol
of Christ or salt that has lost its savor
There is no room for self in disciple
of Christ. 1t must be always denia
OF self, taking up the cross daily and
following Him; always delivered untC
death for Jesus sake, that the life o.
Jesus may be manifest In us; reckon
ing ourselves dead unto sin and alive
unto God III Cor. iv, 10. IL; Rom. vi
III. There is no cross of gold or je
or jewels or towers seen in Scripture
but only cruel cross of death
1t means crucified TO the world an(
the world to Us. seeing Jesus only. II
one life means business. to another hi!
profession, to another pleasure, to an
other this or that great scheme, phil
anthropic perhaps, or Just to make
money. but one who is right with Coz
says, ITO me to live is Christ" HI
does not ask us to suffer with Hin
without setting before us the glory o
the kingdom to which He has callet
II Thess. Ii, IL; III Thess. II, ID; Pet
v. 10), and to which He refers In verse
! 38 of our lesson, and which we shal
see more clearly In next weeks stud.
of the TRANSPORTATION. and to whicl
the last verse of this lesson mark IL
u clearly belongs. 1t was the God .
| glory who appeared to Abraham (Act
| vii, ~, and we can only be sustainel
| in the patient waiting. as He ant
others were. But the church as !
whole Is as blind to the glory Of Hi
kingdom as the disciples were to Hi
death and resurrection, not because
ts not plainly revealed, but becaus
other thoughts and ways leave n
room for His.
i Ifpr6aN {Ya AZ ~ Thnn1AG T0ESOr