Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1919-09-04
LESSON FoR SEPTEMBER Z
PARALLELS OF THE KINGDOM OF
HEAVEN.

4
LESSON rE.T-Mitt. .1s:si-ss. 1850.
GOLDEN TExT--seek We ifst the
kingdom Of God ana his righteousness, -
PRIMARY ToPIc-obeyins our king.
JUNIOR ToPIc-A message Of the
INrERMEDrATE roPIc The growth
SENIOR AND ADULT ToP1c-The
extent Of the kingdom.
|. The Parable Of the Mustard seed
XVI 81, s2y.
Three things mainly occupy our at
tention in this parable:
l.. Its unimportant beginning. It
begins as the least Of all seeds and
grows to be the greatest among herbs.
The king was of ordinary parentage
and humble circumstances. He select
ed unlettered fishermen as his royal
advisers. The prophet had said con-
corning him that he would be ''de-
spised," rejected" 'forsaken," "cut
orr and as ''haying nothing"
2. Its vigorous growth. From these
small beginnings Christ's influence has
gone forth so that there is no power
or influence equal In greatness to that
of Christendom.
3. Its lodging capacity.
The birds which find Judgment in
the tree do not represent the children
| Of men who find safety and salvation
! In the church. The birds constitute
no part Of the tree, while the believer
becomes a part Of the tree. adding to
Its strength and fruitfulness. The birds
/ are something foreign to the tree, and
are burdensome and injurious to it.
| They come to find shelter and wait to-
/ pluck off the tender buds, or to prey
upon the ripened fruit. The effect Of
their lodging in the tree Is evil and
blighting. In Christ's Interpretation
i ". 19l- he said that the fowls repre-
sent the wicked ones. He who would
make the dodgers here anything else
makes Christ's Interpretation a farce.
The same Greek word Is used in both
cases, and the circumstances are the
same.
4 II. The Parable q the Leavened
Meal ". 33).
\ Three things mainly occupy our at
tention here's the meal, the woman.
and the leaven.
4 1. The meal. Meal has a Nhole-
some and nutritious effect. It was
used In one of the sweet-savour Offer
ings whict-mas typical Of Christ tI.ev.
2:1-3 II. v.);it was food for the
!. priests (Lev. 6:15-17 r. VI; Abraham
, had Sarah to knead cake out Of
three measures Of meal for the angelic
J messengers of the Lord Teen. IS :6) !;
! Solomon's royal table was provided
Z with meal Il Kings 4:2): Elijah was
2 fed upon cake made of meal III
Kings 4:41); Elisha used meal as an
antidote for the poison Of death from
. the pot I'll Kings 4:3S-411.
2. The woman. In scripture we
I find false doctrine being taught by
! woman {Rev. 2:20). Dealing with
n doctrine is forbidden to women q
e Tim. 2:12). In I Tim. Alb II Tim.
$ 2:17, 10; II Peter 2:1-S, we And that
v the apostasy will be brought N
e through false teaching within the
/. ranks of Gods people. The meaning,
o then, Of the parable is that the true
\ doctrine. the meal given for the nour-
ishment of the children OF the king
!. dom (II peter 2:2, ! Tim. :6), will be
II officially corrupted by false doctrine
d Woman is type of the church IN
p some sense. The church Is hiding
e away false doctrine, and its corrupt
II ing effects are seen on every hand.
Ia 3. The 1eaven. In scripture leayer
d Is invariably type of evil. I'D All
Is through the Old Testament leaven i
d continual and unyaryIng type O
u evil EEK. 1918. Lev. AID. II is IN
% conceivable that Jesus should arbi
trarily change. without due NOTES
and explanation, word from al
evil to good sense. which the Spirl
It'll Of God had SO unchangingly used 10
er two thousand years t2l Jesus him
$. self makes leaven to denote sin (Mati
d. 1915, 12; Mark S:15l. tS) Paul use
p heaven in its usual biblical sense 4
ne Cor.-5 :6-S; Gal. 5:8. 81. Further, TIL
In is the only Interpretation that wi
th harmonize with Chrlst's interprets
y. ton Of the first two parallels. Fact
Is patent to all prove that the professe
vs. church today Is feeding upon tn
Of Ieaven of Journalism and legalism Y
ad stead Of the unleavened bread Of sir
Cd certify and truth--the Word Of Coz
NJ iii. The Parable Of the Hid Trea'
'ly ure ". AZ. W.
I'D Nv. The Parable Of the Merchan
ut man seeking Pearls ". As. 40.
ne ". The Paratie Of the Drag Ne
he ". 47-50).
he (For detailed study OF the lal
di. three PARALLELS see the Review for Sel
~ 81 Il, -. 90 n sSa