Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-15

Our temperance lesson for this week
has been selected from the epistle that
has been In modern times the battle
ground for freedom. Paul sent this let
ter TO the Galations, who had been di-
vided over the observance of the Mosaic
law. A coterie Of critics had challenged
the apostolic authority Of Paul and
tried to persuade the Galatians and
other Christians that they could escape
prosecutions for their faith by observing
all the Jewish ritual, legal requirements
and practices. They insisted that the
key Of life and human conduct was to
be sought in the fulnllment OF the jew
ish faith They claimed that the mem
beers of the mother church in Jerusalem
we're thoroughly loyal In their practice
Of the Hebrew religion.
The Galatians were Of Celtic origin.
Paul had observed during his second
visit a changed attitude upon their part.
When he preached to them during his
first visit, they would have willingly
plucked cut their eyes for him. He felt
the GOODNESS and noted the evident
change of cordially and support. He
would have been willing to have passed
over the question Of his apostolic au-
thority If he did not see that their Sptr-
itual life was being weakened. In his
championship for liberty Paul had con-
tended that the Gentle converts were
not required to observe the Mosaic law.
They had been saved by grace and were
to be guided by the Holy Spirit.
One can detect the attitude that
moved him, while he prosecuted the
church, when he threatens those who
questioned his apostolic authority. He
established the divine origin OF his ap-
pointment as an apostle by his educa-
ton, conversion and experience with the
other apostles who recognized him as
having been specially chosen for work
among Gentiles. Paul insisted that the
Galatians had been deceived and per-
suaded to give up spiritual system fer
q legal and formal one that was not
helpful to their souls development. He
cites Abraham as a witness to the efii-
cacy of faith. He claimed that faith In
Christ alone could remove "the curse Of
sin which the law entails" Paul in
sisted that the function Of the law was
like that Of slave, who brought the
child entrusted to his care to the school
master to be taught. 1t prepared men
for the spiritual freedom that Christ
gave to all believers. He urged them to
preserve their liberty, which was threat
ened by false Ceacnefs.
BrotherIy Sympathy.
Spiritual freedom did not allow one.
license to do what they pleased. It
called for them to cruelty the flesh
through the power Of the Holy Spirit.
Paul denounced in the preceding
chapter drunkenness and revelings,"
which, according to eminent writers,
appears to be 1.-The darking SIN of the
Celtic people" Evidently some mem
Der Of the church had stnned, possibly
through the influence Of drink. Paul
tactfully passes over mentioning the
individual or the cause Of his fall, but
he emphasizes that the only way the
members, who have been holding them
selves above doing anything Of that
nature, can develop their spiritual life
is by exercising brotherly attitude of
sympathy that viii help restore the
one who has been overtaken in trans
erosion, remembering the possibility of
their own failure Many OF Us would
fall If We had to fight the temptations
Of life handicapped by ancestry and
environment True Christianity re-
veals itself not by harsh condemnation
of the unfortunate, but by extending
sympathy in an effort to restore the
sinner.
Paul evidently had no sympathy with
the censorious individual, who by
pointing out another's faults may have