McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1916-09-01

LESSON. TEXT--II Cor. 11:2-12:l0.
GOLDEN TEXT-My grace is sufficient
for thee; for my power is made perfect
In Weakness.-lI Cor. 1919
This letter raises interesting ques-
tons for research and discussion, such
as:
l. What is the difference between
Paul's heroism and that of soldier2
2. Is war essential to the development
Of heroism? 3. Which courage is high
er, moral or physical? Is
l.Paui, the Hero III :21-22). To man
Of sensitive nature, craving perfec-
ton, sarcasm stirs up the deepest BIT
terness of the soul. We do not believe
Paul primarily desired to refuse these
false charges-they were unworthy of
him-but the knowledge of his suffer-
ings for the cause of Christ and the
truth of the gospel would augment his
power TO serve the church. For the
sake of those whom he had reclaimed
from heathenism he was willing to
seem to be boasting. Literally he
says: Il speak by way of disparage-
ment (of myself) as though we had
been weak" yet he adds: "Whereinso-
ever any Is bold, am bold also" Paul
had as much to boast of as any one
Of his Jewish opponents ". 21). "Are
they Hebrews? (Of the purest blood,
of one nation and languageD So am
l." Are they Israelites, worshiping
only one God? Are they ofjthe seed of
Abraham, inheritors of the ministry of
the promise and the Messianic hope
and the kingdom of God? Are they
ministers of the Messiah, seeking to
bring all men into his kingdom? 81
speak as fool. speak as one beside
himself. / am MORE" In labors he
was more abundant; he hid occupied
a larger field with greater results. In
stripes above measure-those inflicted
by the heather were not limited to
forty blows-besides other beatings re-
ferred to in this list. In prisons oft
(Acts 1929. Frequently exposed to
death and to the perils Of robbers by
land and sea ". 24). "Five times /
received forty stripes, save one, from
the Jews" ". 25). "Thrice was l
beaten with rods; once was / stoned"
(Acts. ID 10y. Thrice / suffered ship
wreck" evidently not recorded In Acts,
for his shipwreck on the way to Rome
was later. "a night and day in the
Deep" this not otherwise recorded.
''In journeyings often" suffering from
the perils of hard travel, often on foot
In uncivilized regions. SIN perils Of
water" literally lin rivers" Bridges
were rare, and floods sudden and fire.
quent. "In perils of robbers" Every
road in Asia Minor then as now was
infested with robbers. I'm perils Of
his own countrymen;" "In perils by
the Gentiles;" "In perils in the city,"
"In perils in the wilderness" I'm per-
lis In the sea" from storms rocks, pi-
rates; an perils among false breth-'
ren''-Judaising teachers who were
self-seeking instead of making the Cos
pei first (Gal. 2 a; II Cor, II :13). "In
WtdIluCSS unu ulhCoo, atAJ Ala
labor and. travail; "In watchings oft
en-" repeated nights of sleeplessness
due to anxiety or pain. I'm hunger and
thirst, In HASTINGS often" hunger un-
satisfied for long time. 'In cold and
nakedness;" in the mountain passes
badly shod and badly clothed. Besides
these things which were without, In
Vulnerable other trials such as the
care of or anxiety over the churches
wv. 81, 33). The story of these suf-
ferjngs for the sake Of saving men
from sin and ruin proves Paul to have
been one of the greatest heroes in all
history. Pauls enemies had little In
deed to set up against such record
as this. In contrast, there are those
today who assume to have all scholar.
ship and to be entitled to leadership,
but who have neither done nor suffered
anything worth while In laying foun-
dalton for their pretensions. Their
assumptions are baseless and their ig-
norance of "the marks of the Lord Je-
sus" is oft amazing.
II. Gods Sustaining Grace t12 :1-10).
To Paul God gave one of the greatest
tasks over committed to man, viz, the
planting of the gospel in heather
lands; founding churches; teaching
them the gospel truths Of the Lord Je-
sus. He wrote to these churches two
fifths of the New Testament, thirteen
Of its twenty-seven books, and this
work was accomplished under the
greatest difficulty, trials and suffering.
To sustain and guide, the Lord gave
him visions and revelations" ". ~.
! These revelations came to him from
the very beginning of his Christian life
and continued in every great crisis.
The first was given at his conversion,
! twenty years before this letter was
written, when he saw Jesus In His
glory and received his marching or
ders. Again wv. 2-4), fourteen years
before, or about A. d. 43. when he was
In Antioch and first entered upon his
foreign missionary work. He obtained
his gospel directly from the Lord. Sub
sequently he had other visions to sus-
tain and guide him. God gives us vi
sions today through his word, his prov
idence and the testimony Of his serv-
ants. Paul's thorn in the flesh (vv.
7-10) is matter Of conjecture. 1t was
given him, lest he be exalted above
measure, and he compares this vexa-
ton to the irritation of thorn. Some
think he had ophthalmia, common
disease of the eyes. Professor Ramsey
thinks 1t was chronic malarial fever.
1t apparently affected the dignity of
his outward appearance Oh Cor, 10:1,
10). Paul prayed that this thorn