The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1961-09-02
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
SEPTEMBER 8, 1861
BY Rev. George A. Harper,
Sill Avenue G.,
Greenwood. Miss.

511 Avenue G.,
Greenwood, Miss.
TIMOTHY, A GUARDIAN
OF THE TRUTH.
Temperance LessOn)
Lesson Text - Acts 1915;
TIA, Is; Philippians 2:19-23; 1
Timothy Ills; 2 Timothy lib;
2:1-5, %. Print = Acts 1913;
Philippians 2:19-23; 2 Timothy
2:1-5, %.
MEMORY SELECTION -
Be not thou therefore asham-
ed of the testimony of our
Lord, nor of me his prisoner:
but be thou partaker of the af-
Elections of the gospel accord
ing to the power of Cod e
Timothy 1:8). There is nothing
to be ashamed of in being
Christian, nor should anyone
be ashamed of another saint
and servant of the Lord. Meth
er should anyone be ashamed
of the gospel. The Lord is
not ashamed of His dear chill
dren. A person should never
be ashamed of Christ, nor to
witness for Christ. Paul en-
courages Timothy not to be
ashamed of those who were
suffering shame because of be-
ing faithful to the gospel. On
the other hand, he should be
a courageous partner in gospel
hardships, for the limitless
power of God would enable
him to endure and also equip
him to do his duty.
THE PARENTAGE OF TIM
OTHY:
Timothy was the son of a
Jewish woman and a Greek
father. His mother was a
believer but from all indica-
tons his father was not. Eu-
nice, the mother of Timothy,
was a Jewess, she did not
reach back from her Chris
tianity to her early Judaism.
Timothy was not circumcised
in his infancy. This should
not cause surprise. Christian
ity does not require it. His
Greek father would never
have thought of it. However,
when Paul enlisted Timothy
into his missionary party he
requested that Timothy submit
to circumcision as a concession
to Jewish believers with whom
he would come in contact. This
was contrary to the expressed
will of Christ Jesus. They were
trying to put new wine into old
wineskinS. They should have
completely discarded their old
religious containers. Christian
ity is sufficient within tself.
TIMOTHY, A MAN OF
GOOD CHARACTER: limo
thy had a pastors heart. He
was a shepherd, and not hire
ling. He did not work with
his eyes on the clock, nor was
he concerned with who would
gut the credit. At this early
stage of the church it was al
ready saddled with self-seek-
erS. Paul points out that Tim
othy was unique among those
who were available to be sent
to the church at Philippi. He
knew of no one else than who
would unselfishly work for the
welfare of the church. The
need for men of Timothy'S
type is not cinfined to the
ministry. During the first CEN
fury A. D., when Paul and
Timothy lived, the Gospel was
spread more rapidly upon the
feet of enthusiastic believers.
These were lay-folk, not or
dained preachers. Sunday
Schools, Missionary Unions,
Choirs and other organizations
within the churches are wreck
ed by self-seekers - by peo-
pie who wish the credit for
all things or who seek some
other type of personal gain.
The primary need in these
groups today is a membership
which is devoted to the Cause
first, instead of to various per-
Qualities.
PAUL'S EXPLOITATION
TO TIMOTHY:
Paul selected two illustra-
tons, both of which demand
great discipline. They are the
soldier and the athlete. He
used these figures to illustrate
the nature of the Christian
life. In our day of self-expres-