Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1912-12-26

GOLDEN TEXT--'If any man wisSstlh
to do hts will he shall know OF the
teaching. whether it be of God, or wheth-
er speak of myself" John TIL r. ".
The golden text is in this case a
very good introduction to the review
Of the work Of the past quarter. Jesus
had sent his disciples up to the Je-
rusaIem feast, while he remained in
Galilee, whittier he had gone for fear
OF the Jews John I'D. When they
arrived in Jerusalem they found a
sharp division among the people, some
for and some against him John 2:
| 1919. Jesus secretly followed his
disciples, and suddenly in the midst
Of the feast he is found in the temple
| teaching. That his teaching was diff
ferent is evidenced from John 7.15.
| 1t is also evident that he had thor
! ough knowledge Of culture and the
things OF the scholastics Of his day
| The inquiry as to where he acquired
his knowledge elicits the reply that,
MY teaching is not mine, but his
| that sent me-" and then as if to prove
the accuracy of his assertion, he uses
the words of the Golden Text. Those
who desire to know the will of God
will find that his words express that
win perfectly, and as men obey his
words the divine origin of them will
be demonstrated.
His Claim Valid.
The lessons Of the past year, but
particularly the past quarter, are all
strong Illustrations of the validity OF
his claim as we'll as the truth of this
general proposition afa
II we omit the temperance
lesson, the lessons OF this quarter
are confined to few months of
time following April. A. d. 20, and
In particular present Jesus as a
worker and healer more than q
teacher. tff
In the first lesson we read of his
command to his disciples to cross the
sea. They obeyed though it sent them
into the storm. In the midst of their
perplexity he appears, superior to the
laws of nature.
Lesson two shows Jesus defending
himself and the authority of the Word
Of God. Two ideals are presented or
the Kingdom, and the proof of the d.
vinity of his ideal will always come
to those who obey him.
In the third lesson Jesus teaches
this same truth to two Gentiles, the
Syro- Phoenician woman and the
centurion.
Lesson four gives us the account of
the second feeding Of the multitude.
1t shows US how our poverty may be
transmitted into wealth as he takes
such as we have for the satisfaction
of the needs of mankind
In the fifth lesson Jesus rebukes the
materialistic, sign-seeking Pharisees
and warns us concerning the leaven
(eviD of their hypocrisy.
Lesson six is the temperance lesson,
and If a connected review is desired,
1t will have to be omitted, as it does
not belong to the systematic studies
of this quarter. ssSs
In the seventh lesson Jesus ques-
tons his disciples to see as 1t were
how firm grip this principle has se-
cured upon their lives e 4
Divine Authority. feE
The incidents of lesson eight fol-
low Immediately after those of les
-on seven. It is as though he would
restore his disciples to full loyalty
chat they behold the special revela-
zion upon the Mount of Transfgura-
ton. Those heavenly visitors talked
not OF the glory but Of this disease
which he should accomplish at Jeru-
SALEM thus adding their testimony
to the Divine authority Of his words.
The ninth lesson is prominently
ane that illustrates the fundamental
principle of this entire review. 1T
believe. help thou mine unbelief."
Twas a faltering reply. but indicated
his surrender to the word and will OF
Christ. The demonstration he re.
ceived of the Divine authority of the
words Of Jesus was that his boy waa
restored to him fully healed.
Again in lesson ten this principle
that an absolute and complete submits
sion to Gods will is necessity II
shown by the teachings of jesus
which center about the child that wac
set sin the midst
Lesson eleven deals with the sub
ject Of forgiveness. In reply to Pc
.ter's query Jesus taught his discf-
pies that forgiveness is not a nero
matter of formal observance, but with
God 1t is limitless and he calls the
disciples to definite testing of hia
words that they might not only know
that this is the divine method. bus
that they might enter into fellowship
with God. Jesus here shows the re-
verse side of the picture when he
reveals the fate of the srvant who was
compiled to pay "all that is due"
In the twelfth lesson Jesus re-
Dukes the false spirit OF his disciples
and In his treatment of the would-be
disciples he emphasizes the fact that
to follow him involves the setting
aside of all else. "No man looking
back is fit for the kingdom" plainly
means that he who came to establish
this kingdom has the right to demand