p. 485 | The Sabbath-School by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Nov 1, 1883

The Sabbath-School.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

Lesson for Pacific Coast.—November 10.

Review of Acts 13-18; 1 and 2 Thess.

NOTES ON THE LESSON.

THE Bible, unlike most books, is adapted to all times and all classes of people. Much of it was written for a special purpose, for the reproof or encouragement of those then living, yet it is as applicable to us as it was to persons who lived hundreds of years ago. The parables of Christ were all given for the purpose of meeting some pressing want, yet they are as fresh to-day as when uttered. All of the epistles were addressed to persons who lived in the days of the apostles, yet Christians in all intervening time have felt that they were for them as much as for those who are named in them. In the case of the epistles to the Thessalonians, we readily see that the apostle had in mind not only the Thessalonian brethren, but those especially who would live in the days immediately preceding the coming of the Lord. If we remember this fact, it will add new force to many passages.

IN the fifth chapter of 1 Thessalonians, the apostle gives several short precepts that are worthy of our careful consideration. First we notice the exhortation to the brethren to "know" those who labored among them, "and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake." And what is the work for which the brethren are to esteem those who labor among them? It is to admonish, or, as Paul says to Timothy, to "reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." Ministers are not to be esteemed because they succeed in pleasing their hearers, or in expressing the sentiment of the congregation, but because they are faithful in exhortation and reproof. The true Christian will always love the one who faithfully admonishes him, no matter how severe the rebuke may be. David said, "Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head."

THE apostle writes: "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly." He does not seem to have had any faith in the idea that no one has any right to interfere to set matters right in the church; that church difficulties are to be left alone to work themselves clear. He knew that under such circumstances they usually work themselves clear through the church. As much reproach is brought on the cause of God by lax discipline as by any other thing. The church relation is of divine origin, and unless each member does his duty faithfully, and all work in harmony, its object will be defeated. On this point we can do no better than quote the words of another:—

"The word here used is one which properly means not keeping the ranks; and then irregular, confused, neglectful of duty, disorderly. The reference here is to the members of the church who were irregular in their Christian walk. It is not difficult, in an army, when soldiers get out of the line, or leave their places in the ranks, or are thrown into confusion, to see that little can be accomplished in such a state of irregularity and confusion. As little difficult is it, when the members of a church are out of their places, to see that little can be accomplished in such a state. Many a church is like an army where half the soldiers are out of the line; where there is entire insubordination in the ranks, and where not half of them could be depended on for efficient service in a campaign. Indeed, an army would accomplish little, if as large a proportion of it were irregular, idle, remiss, or pursuing their own aims, to the neglect of the public interest, as there are members of the church, who can never be depended on in accomplishing the great purpose for which it was designed."

"SEE that none render evil for evil unto any man, but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men." The easiest way to see that this injunction is carried out would be for each one to hold his own evil tendencies in check. But if there are those who do not practice that charity which is described in 1 Cor. 13: 4, 5, then the church has a duty in the matter. It is the duty of the body to see that the members are in harmony. This should not be done in a harsh, censorious manner, but in accordance with the command in Lev. 19: 17, 18: "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart; thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

"DESPISE not prophesyings." It must be remembered that there is a difference between prophecies and prophesyings. The command does not have reference especially to the prophecies of the Old Testament, or of the New, although it is a sad fact that they are quite generally despised at the present day. But it has to do with something in the present tense. It needs no argument to show that this chapter is addressed through the Thessalonians to those who would be living in the very last days. Then it must be that there will be some in the last days who will prophesy, and not only so, but their prophesying is to be esteemed. There will be false prophets, but this only makes it the more certain that there will be true ones. Joel says, "And it shall come to pass afterward ["in the last days," Acts 2:17], that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." But if there are to be both true and false prophets, how can we tell which to believe? The same rule applies now as of old: "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

IT is not optional with us whether or not we will try the spirits. The command is, "Prove all things." We are in duty bound to test every doctrine or professed truth that is presented to us. To turn away from a new truth, simply because it is new to us, and then to imagine that we cannot be condemned, on account of our ignorance, is a fatal mistake. We do not know but that the new thought may be truth; therefore we are to turn upon it the blazing light of God's word, to try it. If it proves to be good, then we must hold it fast, at whatever sacrifice. This necessarily implies the utter rejection of everything that is bad, for good and evil cannot dwell long together. Not only must we reject the wrong; but we must "abstain from all appearance of evil."

"AND the very God of peace sanctify you wholly." Entire sanctification is most clearly brought out in the Scriptures, as necessary for all, but like every good and necessary thing, it has been sadly abused. The prevalent idea at the present time is that sanctification is a state of mind or feeling; a state in which the individual feels very good, in short, perfectly satisfied with himself. It arises from the idea that the sole object of religion is to make man happy. This is a mistake. Man's first great duty is to please God, whether the duty be pleasant or disagreeable. And we can please God only by keeping his commandments. With this agree the words of Christ, "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth." We can test every man's professed sanctification by the law of God. If his life is wholly devoted to carrying out its requirements, his sanctification is genuine; but if he ignores or tramples upon God's law, or any portion of it, his sanctification is spurious. And true sanctification does not loudly proclaim its own excellence. "Charity [love] vaunteth not itself." The man who loudly "professes entire sanctification," may well be suspected of insincerity.

Much of the so-called sanctification is a manifestation not only of selfishness but of obstinacy. A religion of feeling must necessarily be a selfish religion. The great object of the person is to get in a state of mind where nothing will trouble him. Duty may be acknowledged in theory, but if it is contrary to the feelings, it is rejected. We have known persons who confessed that the fourth commandment is as binding now as it ever was, and that there is not the slightest warrant in the Bible for Sunday-keeping, yet they deliberately decided not to obey, because they did not feel as though they ought to. They had such "perfect love" for God that they were excused from obeying him! We think we are warranted in calling such a course a manifestation of "perfect obstinacy" and self-will. Purity of heart and soul comes only through obeying the truth. 1 Peter 1: 22.

"AND I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." "There," says one, "you materialistic Adventists do not believe that man is a compound body, composed of soul, body, and spirit; and what do you do with this text?" We accept every word as true. Our friends are sometimes too hasty in telling what we do and do not believe. We believe most heartily that man is a soul, body, and spirit, because Paul speaks of those different parts; but we utterly reject the idea that any or all of these parts are essentially immortal, because the Bible gives positive evidence to the contrary. If these elements compose the man, what reason have we to suppose that the man can maintain a conscious existence without any one of them? Such a supposition is contrary both to reason and Scripture. See Ps. 146: 3, 4, etc.

2 THESS. 1: 9 says that the wicked "shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." This is commonly supposed to mean that the wicked will be banished from the presence of the Lord, and that this alone will constitute their punishment. But, in the first place, to be out of God's immediate presence is what the wicked desire; no greater punishment could be devised for them, than to be obliged to be in the sacred presence of God. Wicked men do not now seek the place where God manifests himself, and we cannot suppose that they ever will, unless they become converted. Indeed, the prophet tells us that at the last day, the wicked will say to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb." Rev. 6: 16. And secondly, there is no place in the universe where the wicked could flee from the presence of God. See Ps. 139: 7-12. The wages of the sinner will be death, destruction that comes from the presence of the Lord. And when their destruction shall have been accomplished, no place will be found for them. Dan. 2: 35. The wails and blasphemies of the damned will not forever rise to mar the harmony of a portion of God's universe, for there will come a time when "every creature which is in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them," will unite in saying, "Blessing and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever."

E. J. W.