The Red Cloud chief., 1916-07-20
LESSON FOR JULY %
PAUL AT CORiNTH.
|, TENT-Acts iS.l.29.

! I. Pauls Companions. wv. l-O)
! paul's coming to this city after his
experiences in Athens IN significant
! when We read | Cor. 81. =. He
| found n home as usual ut first among
| his Jewish countrymcn. AQuiln and
| Priscilla were not only fellow Chris.
/ tiuns but fellow craftsmen ". ~. Paul
| supported himself. as Jesus did for
/ 80 years. as n carpenter. This gave
opportunity to reach the people nntu.
| rally as one of them. AT the same
! time he set them the example of do.
! ny good q Cor. 10:3l; Cor. o:6.12;
| II Thrss. 2-W. Paul did not think II
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
Phlippi and Rcrea. The Philippians
had sent him MD and brought news Of
the abundant harvest of faith and
love In that church. Paul was weak
and sick nnd detected in spirit (II Cor.
2:O, probably bodily sickness. He
was also In want QI Cor. II: O. Az
| he mcditatcd on the word, II had SO
rot hold on him that he could not
keep still. It ovcrpowered him with
the thought that Jesus was the Christ
and that he must tell II out. hut the
Jews were not willing to receive
his testimony. "They opposed them.
selves and blasphemcd," ". G). The
good news these helpers brought en-
cOuraged him In his conflict ". o..
u. Paui's CompuIsion. (vv. 7-1D.
The opposition OF the Jews did not
that II had been unwiscly presented,
hut rather it revealed the iniQuity OF
the hearts OF the men who were the
religious leaders. TO their faces Paul
could cxclaim, 81 am Clean" ". o.. II
Is great thing for any man to be
able to say this, and II Is the priv
ilege OF every believer (Acts 20 :26).
Then we can say with Paul. II shrnnk
not from declaring unto you the whole
counsel OF God" Or. W II we do not
declare unto men the way OF life, then
their blood IL upon US ezekiel 33: a. 8,
~. but are we indeed clean Of the
blood OF I'll 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 viii go unto the Gentiles." The
advantage OF the house OF Justus was
(a) that the owner was q prOselyte,
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 n Roman citizen, and Paul
would gain access through him to
the more educated people of the city,
Moreover ne would have greater I'D.
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 Aquiln
and Priscilla nor ceased his work OF
tent making.
Paul's testimony after Athens was
based only on the cross Il Cor 81, p
and II was that which turned "impure,
sinful souls into pure brides whom he
conducted to Christ" (See Cor. 9: 20
~. This vision kept Paul In the city
where he founded one Of his strongest
classes wv. II, 49,.
~. Paui's Contest, wv. 12-1O
Gallo, the brother of Seneca, listened
to the charges, but threw the accuse.
lions out Of court wv. ii, 49,. Sir
William Ramsey calls this decision the
"charter OF Christian freedom" Free
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
tho word. The Lord only allows us
to be hurt when both we and the
work can he helped thereby. He
never really allows US to be hurt
Rom. S:1J; Isaiah 54:17). Christian
workers In this land are confronting
the same Corinthian evils In every
great city; inteElperance, crime, graft
dishonesty, white slavery, oppression
of the poor Lud other works OF the
flesh.
II 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
eOnsness.
There are also Corinthlan evils In
the heart, and In order to overcome
them we must put on the whole ar
NOR Of Cod and be filed with the
Spirit OF Christ.
Summary: At Corlnth Paul worked
at his trade, converted his fellow work
men, preached to Jews and Gentlles
founded IA strong church, wrote let
tiers to the Thessalonians, had two
helpers, Silas and Timothy, accepted
aid from the Philippians, received 9
vision in the night from God, was dc