Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-02-10

Commentary on Sunday School 10,
BY e. r. WALKER, D. q.
Not only did Jesus present the posi-
tive gospel unto Nicodemus; but He
also declared the condemnation Of
thus ministering to the conscience
as well as to the intellect and affec-
ton. And He showed that unbelief
is condemnable, because 1t is Of the
heart and will, and declared that every
one who would do the truth will come
to the light. and seek to walk therein.
He thus fulfilled the commission which
he afterward gave to His apostles, de-
claring salvation through faith. and
damnation because Of unbelief.
Into Judea Jesus went and preached,
and performed the initiatory right for
those who embraced His gospel. At the
same time John was fulfilling his min
istry. not far off. in Samaria. Between
the disciples Of John and the Jews
there arose q dispute over purifying
which doubtless was about baptism, as
the two were closely related. the spir-
itual sense Of water baptism being
publication. To John the ministry
Of Jesus. was reported, and its great
success. But the msp Of God. instead
Of criticising or showing any envy.
repeated what he had said before, that
he was not the Messiah but only the
forerunner-not the Bridegroom. but
! only the best man Of the Principal. He
declared that in the ordination Of God
himself was to decrease, while Jesus
was to increase. He proceeded to
magnify the Lord as the One ordain-
ed of heaven for the salvation Of men;
declared that He possessed the Spirit
of God without limitation, and had au-
thority of God supreme. Thus again
John showed that he was real min
lister of the gospel.
EXPLANATORY.
Time: A. d. 30.
Place: Samaria.
That the great multitudes were wait
ing on the ministry of Jesus, and were
being baptized, was told John; and the
Pharisees knew of it, The Lord knew
that the fact was being told John
that He was making and baptizing
more disciples than the Baptist him
self Jesus was not making disciples
by baptizing them; but first making.
then baptizng. Yet Jesus himself did
not practice water baptism. though He
enjoined upon those who were His
followers to administer the rite to the
converts. He left Judea for His home
country of Galilee. The route lay
through Samaria. 1t was not abso-
lutely necessary for Him to go that
way; He might have gone by the
Perean route; but there was a moral
necessity. in the plan of God for Him,
to go through that land of people hat
cd by the Jews. Himself was to be
n missionary unto that people half
foreign; and especially there were a
number of disciples to be made there
as well as in Judea.
| Then cometh he to a city Of Sa.
maria, which is called Sychar.-lt is
generally thought this was another
name for Shcchem. Sychar means
| falsehood or drunken, and the name
may have been given to the place by
the hateful Jews, who were such enc
mics of the Samaritans. 1t was n place
| of very sacred association, though 1t
was now inha bited by a degenerate
race, as some denominations that were
once of high spiritual position have
fallen into mere ecclesiastical organ
izations. There is ever danger of de-
generation in this world OF sin and
folly. Yet even to man in decadence
there is sacred attachment. Liars
and drunkards may now be near to
the truthful and sober
Now Jacobs we'll was there. The
word for well means a spring well. as
distinguished from a cistern. In that
community there were many springs
and wells. 1t is said there are three
hundred and siXty-five living springs
one for every day in the year. Yet
were there wells digged. This well was.
and still is. called Jacobs well. Jesus
! therefore, being wearied with his
journey,-From Judea, whence the
Lord had started. it was about twenty
miles, and He probably had walked
farther than that, and it was now
about noon. The fact that He was
weary shows that in His humanity He
had limitations, like others. He knew
our infirmities, for He felt the same
sat thus on the weI:-Why the word
thus" Simple explanation. Of His
sitting down, because He was weary.
He sat down, like tired man, that He
might rest Himself. He probably took
His seat on the stone-curb surround
ing the well, though the word trans
lated ION" means just as well as by"
and it was about the sixth hour.
That is. about II oclock-the heat of
the day.
There cometh a woman Of Samaria
Not of the city of Samaria, but OF
the country of the Samaritans. Evil
IDENTIFY her home was in Sychar-to
draw water:-Probably she was at
work in some neighboring field, as she
would hardly come forth from the
city at that hour for water: but it
would have been quite natural for her
to resort thither for refreshment at
mid day, II she were working near by.
1t is possible that she was herding
70 lro,