NOTES ON THE INTERNATIONAL LESSON.
By Alonzo T. Jones
"TAKE heed therefore unto yourselves." This is the first duty that is presented in the Scriptures, for the consideration of those who are placed in authority in the church. And here in his final charge to the elders of the church at Ephesus Paul does not fail to set it before them. You, elders, are the guides, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves." Jesus said: "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Those will not be called great in the kingdom of heaven who teach the commandments but do not do them. It is only those who do and teach them that shall be called great there. For it is only those who do them, whose teaching will be of any avail. IT is so likewise with the elders of the churches. They are to be "ensamples to the flock;" they "must be blameless, sober, of good behavior," &c. 1 Tim. 3:1, 2. He who will fulfill those scriptures which are given for the special guidance of the elders must take heed unto himself. So Paul again in writing, to Timothy says: "Take heed unto thyself and to the doctrine." One of the qualifications of an elder is that he shall be "apt to teach," and that he shall hold "fast the faithful word, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers." Titus 1:9. Yet before any of these, comes the duty, "take heed unto thyself." Then take heed unto the doctrine; "for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee." 1 Tim. 4:16. The office of a bishop (elder) is indeed "a good work," and he who will fulfill its obligations will thereby be a good man. And to fulfill those obligations he needs to study diligently the chart laid down in Timothy, Titus, and 1 Peter 5. "TAKE heed to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers." Watching for souls as they that "must give account." Heb. 13:17. Taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, being ensamples to the flock. "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." 1 Peter 5:2-4. To "FEED the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." "Feed the flock of God." "Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds: Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? . . . The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd; and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill; yea my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them." Eze. 34:2-6. "He that entereth in by the door [Christ is the door. John 10:9] is the shepherd of the sheep, . . . and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice." John 10:2-4. Feed the7flock of God. "FOR I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock." From Paul's first letter to Timothy it seems that these grievous wolves were the Judaizing teachers, who made a great merit of long genealogies (1 Tim. 1:3, 4), and pretended to be apostles (Rev. 2:2). These were the greatest enemies of the church all through the apostolic age, at Ephesus and almost everywhere else, even following Paul from one place to another, stirring up the people against him, and making the brethren evil affected toward him. And it was only a manifestation of his faithfulness to the church when he gave this warning and charge to the elders; and afterward he left Timothy there specially to guard the church against these evil influences as well as against the other class mentioned. "ALSO of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them." Hymeneus and Alexander, mentioned in 1 Tim. 1:20, were of these, and made "shipwreck of faith," and went so far as to "blaspheme," and had to be delivered unto Satan. Hymeneus is again named in 2 Tim. 2:17, and with him another, Philetus, who had so far erred from the truth as to say that the resurrection was past already; and these were thus trying to "overthrow the faith of some." Another one, Diotrephes, loved to have the "pre-eminence among them." So much so, in fact, as to refuse to receive John, the beloved disciple, "prating" against him with malicious words; and not content with that he would not receive any of the ministering brethren, and still more, forbade others who were willing to entertain them, and if any did receive them he cast them out of the church. 3 John 9, 10. He not only would draw away disciples after him, but he was not willing that anybody but himself should have any disciples. REMEMBER the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." It is true. How many believe it.