, 1935-03-29
0
LESSON
Text: I Peter 5:6-i1: I Peter
3:14-1e.
The international Uniform Sunday
School Lesson for March 81.
BY VIM. Z. GILROY, ID. ID.
E1ffnr "A Advance

Editor Of Advance
All the IL lessons OF this quarter
have centered around the life and
teaching OF Peter. Peter offers a
rich and fruitful study Of the nature
Of the Christian life with all its
hopes and aspirations. with its weak
nesses and failures. and its emer-
eence TO triumph through the saw
ing power OF God.
Our lessons begin with Peters
Aconversion and call. We must put
together various passages of scrip
ture II we would get the full story
and ever then We have only glimpses
Of II.
From one account We might mag
inc that Jesus came as a complete
stranger where Peter was by the Sea
of Galilee mending his nets. and
that in the very moment OF Jesus
cali he left his nets and followed
Jesus. The story as 1t Is given IN
the first chapter Of John. however.
adds q great deal to that and ex-
plains It.
There we have the record Of An
drew, Simon Peters brother, meeting
Jesus and becoming so impressed
with his truth and teaching that
he goes and finds Peter and brings
him 10 Jesus. 1t Is probable that
Peter may have had a number Of
such contacts with Jesus before the
final call In response to which he left
his nets.
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the Master. to whom Peter gave
himself. was early acknowledged IN
his great confession. Jesus was in
deed for Peter. the Christ. or the
Messiah. the Son Of God.
Such q recognition and such q
relationship might well have
1arged Peters vision and so strength
ened his will that he would have
been secure against any temptation.
Yet We find him so lacking in the
simplicities of love in human rela-
tionships that Jesus must give him a
lesson in humble service. and VI also
find him denying his Master in the
most fragrant way.
It was well for Peter that there
was q love Of God that followed him
In spite OF his weakness. and that
restored him to a place in faith
and discipleship. With this restora-
ton came a new Peter doing his part
I'm the founding Of the Christian
church as he preached at Pente-
cost when many were saved.
Henceforth in the lessons Of the
ouarter. we are face to face with
peters teaching and example as a
faithful servant Of Jesus Christ. W.
listen to him as he laid emphasis
upon good citizenship and the dis
ciplines of the Christian life.
we are with him as he healed the
lame man ut the gate OF the temple.
and we discern him as he unmasks
falsehood and hypocrisy in the ear-
~ church. dealing with those who
profess TO give TO God what they
actually withhold. and with those
4bo would buy the gift OF grace.
we see Peter saved from narrow
religious and racial prejudice.
ureaching 10 the Gentiles. We fol-
low him in his miraculous deliver
ance from prison, and in the final
lesson we listen 10 the Towering OF
his teaching concerning practical
living as he describes. partly In his
own terms and partly In language
derived from the Jewish scriptures,
the nature and reality Of the Christ
fan life.
II has been g quarters lessons
concerning vital truths centered in
: remarkable personality-a man of
i~rnpetuous zeal. crucial weakness.
and of God-given strength Of
achievement.