Schedule for Week Ending November 18, 1911
| Sunday |
November 12 |
Acts |
20, 21 |
|---|
| Monday |
" 13 |
" |
22-24 |
| Tuesday |
" 14 |
" |
25, 26 |
| Wednesday |
" 15 |
" |
27, 28 |
| Thursday |
" 16 |
1 Thess. |
1-4 |
| Friday |
" 17 |
" |
5 |
|
|
2 Thess. |
1-3 |
| Sabbath |
" 18 |
1 Cor. |
1-4 |
The book of Acts is concluded with the apostle Paul in Rome, in our reading of November 15. The study of the book in our Sabbath-school lessons concludes with the quarter. In the three following days we cover the first two epistles written by the apostle Paul, Thessalonians 1st and 2d. They are addressed to Christians who lived in the city of Thessalonica, yet a considerable town in Western Turkey known as Saloniki. The first epistle was written in 54, probably the second either the same year or the next. Of Paul's early labors in the Macedonian city at the head of the Thermaic Gulf we have learned in Acts 17. In Paul's day it was a free city, governed by seven politarchs. It was rebuilt by Cassander in 315 B.C., and renamed after his wife, sister of Alexander the Great. From 146 B.C. it was the seat of the Roman government in Macedonia. After Corinth it was the second commercial city of the European Greeks, and is now the second city of European Turkey. The first epistle of the apostle is very clear, very simple, commending the Thessalonians for their "work of faith," and "labor of love," and "patience of hope," warning them of dangers, and ever and again bringing before them the coming of the Lord. The second epistle shows that they had received a wrong idea from the first epistle, and thought Christ's coming was imminent in their day. This the apostle corrects, and tells them that the coming of Christ should not occur until the great apostasy had taken place, the character of which he very graphically describes. The last day of the week we begin the reading of Paul's third epistle, the first to the Corinthians, altho some scholars place Galatians the year before. This was probably written in the year 55, altho some place it as late as 59. We have already learned of the founding of this church in the Acts, during Paul's stay at Corinth 52 to 54. His work there was continued by Apollos. Disorders crept in through Judaisers and Greek philosophy, the moral tone was greatly depressed, and this epistle of Paul was written to correct these things. This epistle and the one following reveal much of the personality of the apostle.