p. 13 | The Sunday School

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jun 3, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 22.

The Sunday School

International Series.

LESSON XII.—SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 1897.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

NOTE.—This lesson may be profitably used as a temperance lesson. In it are found many of the problems which the church at the present time has to deal with—the conduct of the individual Christian, and the influence which his example may have for good or ill upon those who have not yet learned to look to the perfection of Christ instead of to the faults of their brethren. Paul's determination not to be the occasion for the fall of any of his brethren should be emulated by the professed followers of Christ everywhere. This epistle was written from Corinth to the church at Rome, in the spring of A.D. 58. Paul was at this time returning from his third missionary journey. Commit verses 19 to 21.

Lesson Scripture, Rom. 14:10-21, R. V.

10 "But thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or thou again, why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand 11 before the judgment-seat of God. For it is written, 12 As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 "Let us not therefore judge one another any more; but judge ye this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block in his brother 14 er's way, or an occasion of falling. I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; save that to him who accounteth anything to be unclean, to him it is 15 unclean. For if because of meat thy brother is grieved, thou walkest no longer in love. Destroy not with thy meat him for 16 whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but right-18 eousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that 19 herein serveth Christ is well-pleasing to God, and approved of 19 men. So then let us follow after things which make for peace, 20 and things whereby we may edify one another. Overthrow not for meat's sake the work of God. All things indeed are clean; howbeit it is evil for that man who eateth with offense. 21 It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything whereby thy brother stumbleth."

Golden Text.—"It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth." Rom. 14: 21.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) What two questions does Paul here ask of those to whom this epistle is addressed? Verse 10. (2) What reason does he give why such a course is inconsistent? Note 1. (3) To whom only should man bow the knee of worship? Verse 11. (4) To whom alone will all confess? Note 2. (5) To whom must we all give an account? Verse 12. (6) Therefore what admonition does Paul give? (7) What may we judge? Verse 13. Note 3. (8) What persuasion did Paul reach? (9) What would make it wrong for a professed Christian to partake of certain things? Verse 14. Note 4. (10) How may one show his charity or lack of charity for a brother in the faith? (11) From what is the Christian exhorted to refrain? Verse 15. Note 5. (12) What discredit may self-indulgence bring upon the cause? Verse 16. (13) In what does the kingdom of God not consist? Verse 17. (14) In what does it consist? (15) What is the condition of him who in these things follows Christ? Verse 18. (16) What higher things than meats and drinks are we exhorted to seek after? (17) What effect may indulgence have upon the work of God? (18) What is the condition of all foods to him who eateth without offense? (19) What does it become to him who eateth with offense? Verse 20. (20) How does the apostle sum up the duty of Christians in these respects? Verse 21.

NOTES.

1. Thou, why dost thou judge thy brother?—The word "judge" here evidently means to impute wrong motives to the individual and condemn him for such motives. This is a province in which man has no jurisdiction whatever. "There is none that doeth good, no, not one." He who would act as a judge over other men must himself be free from the guilt of which the other is accused. All men have broken the law of God—the same law—and are therefore barred from judging or condemning their fellow-men. He who has broken the law has no right to condemn another for the same offense; and all have become "guilty before God." He who would attempt to do this is putting himself in the place of God, who alone has the right to exercise such judgment.

2. Every tongue shall confess to God.—The individuality of acceptable service and personal responsibility to God is emphatically taught in this text. As true as the life of God, none should bow in worship to any other being. This statement is given in the nature of an oath, as will be seen by referring to Isa. 45: 23, from which the quotation is made. The last clause of this verse is emphasized by the same oath, that confession should be made to God alone, and not to intermediaries, or those who would be such. The fact that this is in the sight of God an important thing is shown by the way in which he emphasizes it. In the great day of judgment even the wicked will, when too late, confess to him. God desires

man to do this before it is too late. "Now is the acceptable time."

3. But judge ye this rather.—"That is, turn your judgment to yourselves, and see to it that by your use of your liberty you do not cause others to fall into sin. We are never to give up our liberty of thought and action, but to use it in the right way, as in the verses that follow."—Peloubet.

4. To him it is unclean.—That is, if he believes it to be wrong to partake of certain food, and then partakes of it while having that belief, to him it is wrong. He has violated his conscience. He has done that which he believed to be wrong, and in this act shows a lack of principle and fidelity to the right. There are things eaten which are not fit for food. There are things taken into the system which irritate it and break it down, making of the man a physical wreck. Paul is not arguing that everything that is eaten is proper diet, but that he who eats what he believes to be wrong, sins, while another may eat the same thing and have no sin. The sin in this matter comes in doing what one believes to be wrong.

5. If thy brother be grieved with thy meat.—Injured, or hurt. If we allow ourselves to do, for the sake of self-indulgence, that which may be a stumbling-block for our brother, we have not charity; we have not that interest in our brother's salvation which a Christian should have. Have a greater regard for his soul's salvation than for doing those things which gratify self.

The difficulties with which the church at this time was contending referred principally to meats and drinks and feast days. The question of the Sabbath was not troubling them. The statement that at this time the first day of the week was being kept by the Christians, both Jews and Gentiles, is not correct. They were keeping the seventh day, the same day on which the Jews worshiped, as will be seen by reference to Acts 13: 42, 44. And it will also be noticed that the day on which the Jews met for worship (the seventh day) the Bible here recognizes, in verse 44, as the Sabbath day. By reference to Acts 18: 4 it will be seen that the day on which the Jews met in their synagogs for worship is called the Sabbath. Paul remained there at Corinth one year and six months, preaching the Gospel "every Sabbath;" and yet he was not preaching in the synagogs all this time, for verses 6 and 7 of Acts 18 show that he was compelled to seek another place. The events here referred to took place in the year 54 A.D., and prove that the seventh-day Sabbath was being kept at that time by Jews and Christians alike, whether the Christians came from the Jews or the Gentiles. The days referred to in to-day's lesson were simply feast days, or holidays, and had nothing to do with the true Sabbath.