South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-09-13
CONF ARES PAUL To
TEACHERS TODAY
Rev. G. w. Allison Finds Ser
mon Theme While Watching
School Children.

A comparison TO the work of Paul
as a teacher Of men with schoolmas-
tiers Of the present day was made by
Rev. George william Allison, pastor
of Hope Presbyterian church, in his
Sunday morning sermon on the sub
ject "PauTs Schoolmaster"
In speaking of the way in which
the topic and thought appeared TO
him Rev. Allison said:
1T was while standing in front OF
one of our city schools on Tuesday
morning, watching the happy faces of
excited and lively boys and girls by
the score as they hurried and scurried
hither and thither upon the first day
of school, that this theme occurred to
my mind as being fruitful of religious
teaching. Paul has some words writ
ten to the Galatians (3:24 which
read as follows, so that the law is
become our tutor (schOOlmaster) TO
bring us to Christ, that we might be
justified by faith And it is the law
as Pauls schOOlmaster which we are
to consider.
Meaning of Word.
The word used for schOolmaster
here is our word pedagogue' and oc-
ours in both the Greek and Latin
languages. 1t has the meaning of
leader Of a child, the guide and
guardian of a boy chiefly. We know
that it was customary among the
Greeks and Romans for parents TO en-
trust their boys TO the care OF trust
worthy educated slaves These slaves
were charged with the duty of super
vising and directing the life and NOR
ais of boys of the better classes. And
boys were not even allowed to step
outside of their own homes without
being accompanied by their school
master. The schoOlmaster was often
severe man in discipline, and en-
forced his code of morals without pity.
The fathers discipline was usually
much milder than that of the tutor.
1T is this imagery that Paul ap-
plies to the law The law was his
schoolmaster in that it was severe in
its demands of him. IL revealed to
him his deficiencies. his sins and gave
him the sense of guilt and wrong by
holding up a standard with which he
could not perfectly comply. There
was however no relief from this guilt.
Hence il was that the law brought
him TO Jesus Christ in whom he found
forgiveness and mercy. And as the
schoOlmaster was severe, so he found
the real father of the Lord Jesus COM
passionate and forgiving.
Must be Deficiencies.
law. or live up to a high moral stand
ard, and he must confess that there
will be deficiencies in his conduct.
And even though he could live perfect
~ for a day following. that is only his
duty, and no atonement for the failures
of preceding days. We are unprofit-
able servants; we have done only that
which il was our duty TO do We
cannot earn u surplus merit to apply
in atOnement for past wrongs. Hence
we, If we should attempt 20 keep the
moral or even Mosaic law, would ind
that il would be also a schoolmaster
to bring us 10 Christ by revealing to
failure in any attempt at self-justifica-
us the sense of our sinfulness and our
ton So that we are thrown out upon
the mercies and grace or a forgiVng
Father God as our only hope of justi-
ficauon,-this is justification by faith.
so that the law is become our
schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.
that we might be justified by faith 3"