The Brinkley argus., 1918-01-04
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL SUNDSYSCT()(l
 LESSON {By D. o. SELLERS, Acting Director oi the Sunday School Course of the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago) iCopyrght, 1917. Western Newspaper Union.
LESSON FOR JANUARY 6
JOHN PREPARES THE WAY FoF
 JESUS.
LESSON TExT-Mark 1:1-11.


 LESSON TEXT-Mark Hill.
 GOLDEN TEXT-Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.--John 1:29
 PRIMARY MEMORY vERSE-Thou shalt call his name Jesus: For it is he that shall save his people from their sins. Matt. 1:21
 INTERMEDIATE, SENIOR AND ADULT TOPIC-Heralds of the king.
 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR TEACHERS-Isa 4O:3-5; Nal. 3:1-3; Luke 1:5-25; 39-sO; Matt. 3:1-17; Luke 3:1-S; John 1:19-42
 The first lesson for this year marks the introduction of The Improved Uni form series of International Sunday School Lessons. This series has grown out of several years of frank discus sion and the presentation of many pro- posed lesson schemes. It is an effort to conserve the benefits of the uni form system of lessons with the desire to adapt the lessons as thoroughly as possible to the modern pedagogical idea of graded instruction for the vari- ous departments of the school: an attempt to provide for the whole school as thorough and as teachable uni form lesson idea as possible.
 Special topics and special memory verses and additional scriptural ma terial have been designated wherever it has been deemed possible whereby to make the lessons more helpful to the pupils of different departments. It is the beginning of an eight-year cycle, chosen with the view first, of incorporating several short topical courses in addition to the usual series on the chronological basis, and sec ond the committee had in mind the desirability of more frequent survey of the entire Bible with varying meth ods of approach than is possible under a six-years cycle. Finally, to har- monize in the period of the cycle the newly adopted quadrennial conven- lions of the International Sunday School association. Where no topic, memory verse or additional material is indicated for inter-departments cf schools, it is intended that uniform material should be employed for such departments.
 Occasionally the general title and lesson may be found to be more help- full than the special topics or addi- tional material as indicated for g1v- en department. Sunday school lead- CTS frankly acknowledge that this new plan is an experiment. It is hoped, however, that the long continued con- troversies over graded lessons, extra biblical material and uniform lessons may find a solution in this newer plaE.
 Marks Gospel pictures Jesus as the servant; therefore, it makes no refer ence whatever to his genealogy. The key-word to this gospel is the word "straightway," which is used more than forty times, and it is sugges- ton as regards the obedience Of servant.
 1. introduction (vv. 1-3). The be- ginning of the gospel is meant the beginning of the blessed story as told by the evangelist, Mark. Note it is fulfilment of prophecy (Mal. 3:1; Isa. 6O:3) Mark is here more particular ly referring to Isaiah. This IS the period in the life of Christ between his temple experience and the day or his baptism, when he first entered publically into the real history or Israel. Jesus must needs have her aid, even as an earthly king IS an nounced before his arrival. Christ himself is the living word John l:D, though the voice which announces nm is the voice of a man-John the bap- tiger. The baptism Of John WAS unto repentance and the remission Of slns. It must not be confused with Christian baptism. Some interesting questions arise as to the life of Jesus before this event-his religious habits (LuKe 4:16); his attitude toward the word of God and its prophecies Luke 4:l'- 2D the work he had been doing ln Nazareth (Mark 6:3).
 II. The Baptizer. (vv. 4-9). TO know what kind of man John was, we must look up Mark 1:6 and Matt. 3:4. His religious convictions are ln- teresting also. They were a matter of his heart Uuke 3:S), a thing of his daily life Uuke 3:l0). He was man who held to strict moral stand ard (Mark 6 :1S). His method and his message were a protest and warn ing as we'll as preparation. Repent ance is not remission of sin q John 30. John demanded fruit which should accompany repentance (Matt. 2 s, 9). His message was not na- tional but individual and his sugges- ton (Matt. 3:1O-12) of future punish
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