The Brandon news., 1916-07-20
LESSON FOR JULY %
PAUL AT coRINTH.

experiences in Athens Is signi1cant
when we read I Cor. 2:1, 2. He
found a home as usual at first among
his Jewish countrymen. Aquila and
Priscilla were not only fellow Chris
tians but fellow craftsmen ". 81. Paul
supported himself, as Jesus did for
80 years, as carpenter. This gave
opportunity to reach the people natu-
rally as one of them. At the same
time he set them the example of do
ing good Il Cor. 10 81; Cor. 9:6-12;
II Thess. 2-9). Paul did not think it
a lack of faith to do manual labor or
secular work for his own support be-
cause God had called him to preach.
In the midst Of his labors ". 81 Silas
and Timothy came to him from
Philippi and Berea. The Philippians
had sent him aid and brought news OF
| the abundant harvest Of faith and
love in that church. Paul was weak
and sick and detected in spirit (II Cor.
li2:B), probably bodily sickness. He
was also in want (II Cor. IL :9). AS
he meditated on the word, 1t had so
keep still. 1t overpowered him with
the thought that Jesus was the Christ
and that he must tell it out, but the
Jews were not willing to receive
his testimony. "They opposed them
selves and blasphemed," ". 81. The
good news these helpers brought en-
couraged him in his conflict ". 81.
II. PauI's CompuIsion. (vv. 7-1D.
The opposition of the Jews did not
prove his testimony to be untrue or
that it had been unwisely presented,
but rather it revealed the iniquity Of
the hearts of the men who were the
religious leaders, To their faces Paul
could exclaim, II am clean," ". g.. 1t
is a great thing for any man to be
able to say this, and it Is the priv
ilege of every believer (Acts 20 :26).
Then we can say with Paul: II shrank
not from declaring unto you the whole
counsel of God" Or. W If we do not
declare unto men the way of life, then
their blood is upon US ezekiel 33 Il, 3,
81. but are we indeed clean OF the
blood of all in our own homes, in
our churches, in our Sunday school
classes, in our communities and In the
lands beyond the sea? This compul-
sion disconnected Paul from the false
religionists of his day. "From hence
forth will go unto the Gentiles." The
advantage of the house of Justus was
(a) that the owner was a prcselyte,
| not q born Jew. (b) The place was
| close to the synagogue so that his
preaching would be a standing invita-
ton to the Jews, and (c) Justus was
evidently a Roman citizen, and Paul
would gain access through him to
the more educated people of the city.
Moreover he would have greater ad-
vantage of the Romans than Of the
Jews for protection of the Christian
converts. We do not infer that he
left his lodgings in the home of Aquila
and Priscilla nor ceased his work Of
tent making.
Pauls testimony after Athens was
| based only on the cross q Cor. 2 L, y,
and it was that which turned impure,
sinful souls into pure brides whom he
conducted to Christ" (See / Cor. 6 30
11). This vision kept Paul in the city
where he founded one of his strongest
classes (vv. II, 1S).
TIL. PauI's Contest, (vv. 12-17).
Gallo, the brother of Seneca. listened
to the charges, but threw the accusa-
tions out of court (vv. IA, 15). Sir
William Ramsey calls this decision the
Charter of Christian freedom" Free
dom of religious speech was granted
over the entire Roman empire so far
as Roman authorities were concerned,
and the door was open for Paul to
make his way throughout the civilized
world. Thus we have further evidence
that all of Corinth was no match for
Christ. The Lord had people there
who must be called by the spoken
word, and Paul was the one to, speak
the word. The Lord only allows us
to be hurt when both we and the
work can be helped thereby. He
never really allows us to be hurt
(Ron. 8:13; Isaiah 81 4:1D. Christian
workers in this land are confronting
the same Corinthian evils in every
great city; intemperance, crime, graft.
dishonesty, white slavery, oppression
of the poor and other works OF the
flesh.
1t is the business Of every preacher
and Christian to pray and teach and
work and live to save men from these
evils and to convert them to right
eousneSS.
There are also Corinthian evils In
the heart, and in order to overcome
them we must put on the whole ar
NOR of God, and be filled with the
| Spirit of Christ.
Summary: At Corinth Paul worked
at his trade, converted his fellow work.
men, preached to Jews and Gentiles,
founded strong church, wrote let
ters to the Thessalonians, had two
helpers, Silas and Timothy, accepted
aid from the Philippians, received
vision in the night from God was de-