Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1953-07-15
Sunday School
Lesson
FOR SUNDAY. JULY 10
EpeaiAna k:2-lA: lS-f4

q
Is divided and torn-torn by in
ternal dissensions and divided into
two armed camps, maintaining an
uneasy truce, erupting at times
into a violence that threatens to
engulf the world. Is there any
hope for a world society in which
peace and brotherhood may pre-
vail?
In his letter to the Ephesians
the Apostle Paul tells us that II
is Gods ultimate purpose to gath
er together in one all things in
Christ" (1:l0). and that this pur-
pose is to be realized in and thro-
ugh the church. BY this he means
that all things, as they are brought
into their true relation to Christ
are also brought into their true
relation to one anoter and so into
an all-embracing harmony. This
is the destined issue Of creation,
the end for which the universe
was brought forth.
In chapters Ia Paul proceeds
to describe certain essential steps
toward the realization Of this
glorious end. The first step was
the resurrection Of Jesus Christ
from the dead Q:15-23). In these
verses Paul states that the church
is the organ through which or in
which Christ manifests his pres
ence and power in the world and
by which he will ultimately bring
to fulfillment his divine purpose
to unite all things in him.
The second step is the salvation
Of individual men and women
through the power of the risen
Christ (2:l-lO. In the Bible the
world salvation" was a term used
in referring to deliverance from
some sort of evil. In the present
instance it was not salvation from
sickness and pain, or poverty and
want, or anxiety and fear, not
even escape from future
torment that Paul has in mind.
though in one sense or another all
Of these are involved: it is rather
dellVerance from spiritual death,
from a life of sinful self-indul-
gence, deliverance that begins
here and is completed in the life
beyond.
The third step is the formation
OF the church in which human
are transcribed and
the possibility of human brother
hood is manifested to all mankind
(2:ll-22; 3-7-l0). Jesus has brok-
en- down the barriers that divide
man from his fellowman. parlIcu-
larry here the barrier that divided
Jew and Gentle. The church into
which members of different races
are Incorporated has been bIilt
upon the foundation of the apost-
les, and prophets. Christ Jesu.
himself being the chief cor.er-
stone and is growing into a holy
temple in the Lord-a temple in
winch Gods purpose for the ulti-
mate reconciliation of all ma nkind
VIII be ultimately effected (2:le-
~. Each believer in Christ. Paul
indicates, must allow himself to
be built into this growing temple
and thus to aid in its further pro-
greSS.
faul has been speaking of the
difference between Jew and Gen.
tile, because that was the greatest
problem in his own day. 1t IS quite
plain that if he were speaking in
our day, he would speak of the
in race and nationality
and class which divide our modern
world. Brotherhood can become
actual in the long run only when
men know themselves TO be and
h TACT are sons of Coo. Within
the church that brotherhood must
become an actual fact. We ,.i,not
allow social or ratial distinctions
WITHIN the body of Christ. To do
so Is TO deny its essential nature
as the body of Christ. For Gods
eternal purpose to unite ali things
IN Christ must be realized In tbs
Chuich as well as preached uy II.
ministers. What then are Iarist-
lans to do in our modern dav TO
hasten the time when there stall
DC one world in which peace and
shall prevail?
We will support necessary mea-
SureS OF national defense Tor otr-
erWiSe the world would fall 4
victim to militant communism in
which Christian brotherhood has
no place.
we Will take an interest IN the
political questions of the hour and