The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1914-03-05
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson X.-FirSt Quarter, For
March 8, 1914.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, Luke xii, 35-48.
Memory Verses, AZ, 48-Golden Text,
Luke xii, 37-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. NJ. Stearns.


The secret of deliverance from the
snares of this present evil age is the
attitude of expecting the return of the
Lord Jesus, according to the teaching
Of the epistles. waiting for the COM
ing of our Lord Jesus Christi" 'serv-
ing the Living and True God and wait
ing for His Son from heaven" "look-
ing for that blessed hope, the glori-
Gus appearing of the great God. even
our Saviour Jesus Christ" Il Cor. /. I;
l Thess. i. 0. 10; Tit. ii. 13).
In the gospels. as in the Old Tesla
mCnt. the coming of Christ is general
ly. if not always, His coming in glory
to set up His kingdom; His coming in
vengeance upon His enemies and with
redemption for Israel. as in Deut.
xxi, 39-43; lisa. XXXiv, l: XXxv, 4:
xiii. 1; Matt. xiv, so: XIV, 81. His
coming for His church. previous to
His coming in glory to judge the ma
tons was specially revealed to Paul.
as we saw in our last lesson.
The reference to the return from the
wedding in verse sc makes us think of
the order of events in Rev. xix, where
the coming in glory with His saints
follows the marriage of the Lamb;
also in Matt. XIV, 1. in both the Syriac
and Vulgate versions. the reading is
that the ten virgins went forth to meet
''the bridegroom and the BRIDE" so
that the virgins cannot represent the
church nor can the "all nations" of
Matt. XIV, 81, include the church. The
church must be seen with Him as the
Bridegroom and with Him when He
shall come in His glory Matt XIV, 1.
81; Col. iii, A.. The coming of Christ as
the Son of Man is His coming with
His saints to begin His reign of right
eOusnesS and peace on earth Matt
XVI. GA: Dan. vii. Is. IA; lisa. xxi.
l, IL.
Having considered the interpreta-
ton. we must not lose the application
to our own hearts as set forth in such
words in our lesson as loins girded.
lights burning. watching, ready. doing
(35, 81, 40. AZ, 49,. The loins girded
takes US back to Elk. xii. IL. and the
night of the first passover and on to
Eph. vi. IA; Pet. /, ID; "loins grit
about with truth" grid up the loins
Of your mind, be sober and hope to
the end for the grace that is to be
brought unto you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ"
Watching reminds us Of the thrice
repeated watch" of Mark xiii, SO, 80.
81; the reproof in Gethsemane: Could
est not thou watch one hour? Watch
We and pray lest We enter into tempta-
ton" Mark xiv. 81, 3S); the praying
and watching Of Eph. vi, IS: Col. iv,
2; the Watch We; stand fast In the
faith" of Cor. xvi, -, anG the watch
ing to see what He will say (Hab
ii, ~. The word ready" reminds us
that on His part "all things are now
ready" but there is fullness of ''sal-
walton ready to be revealed in the last
time" duke xiv. II: Pet i, 81.
Believers should always be ready to
preach the gospel. ready to every good
work, ready to be absent from the
body or to be caught up to meet the
Lord in the air from. i, 10; Tit. iii, l.:
Acts xxi, 10; Rev. xix. Z; | Thess. iv,
1913. As to doing" (verse 43). while
there can be no doing on our part to
obtain salvation from. iv, 3; Eph. ii.
8, 81, we are saved in order to good
works which God has prepared for us
to walk in, works which are good and
profitable unto men when they are
God working in us both to will and to
do of His good pleasure Eph. ii, 10;
Tit iii. s; Phil. ii. 49,.
The coming of Christ will not be to
His waiting ones as thief. for we are
not in darkness, but children of light
and of the day Il Thess. V, 4, 81. We
are stewards Of the manifold grace Of
God and Of the mysteries Of God. and
the one thing required Of a steward
is faithfulness II Cor. iv. l. 2: Pet.
iv, 10). All who handle the word of
God must be careful to give meat in
due season. not only milk for babes.
but meat as people are able to bear it
Il Cor. iii. 1-3: Heb. V. 12-14: John
xvi. 12).
We are stewards in reference to all
with which our Lord has intrusted us.
whether talents or wealth or the Cos
pei. and We must give an account of
our stewardship. Every one of us
shall give account Of himself to God
Rom. xiv. 12,. This will be at the
judgment seat of Christ. where only
saved ones shall be to be tried for
their service since they became beIiev
ers. We need for all orr service such
words rs these: That God in all
things may be glorifipd through Jesus
Christ" Not as pleasing men. but
God. who trieth our hearts Il Pet. iv.
Il; | Thess. H. 4: II Tim ii. 10.
As Joseph shared the throne with
Pharaoh. so we are to share the rule
with Christ iii His kingdom. but
whether over few or many cities will
depend upon our faithfulness as stew
ards now Rev. iii. 81: V. 10: Luke
Egypt: Christ shall rule over all the
world FPS. Xxi. III.
There are those called servants who
are only Outwardly servants. like the
Pharisees. Such shall find their place
with the unbeiievers. However they
may profess to have known Christ, He
will say to them: Il never knew you
Depart from Me We that work iniqui-
ty' Matt. vii. 21-23I.
That there will be different degrees
of punishment seems evident from
verses Al. as