p. 13 | THE SABBATH SCHOOL

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 21, 1900

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 26, No. 47.

THE SABBATH SCHOOL

LESSON X.—SABBATH, DECEMBER 8, 1900.

THE BLESSEDNESS LOST.

Lesson Scripture, Gal. 4: 8-18, R.V.

8 "At that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them which by nature are no gods; but now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known of God, how turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments, whereunto ye desire to be in bondage over again? Ye observe days, and months, and seasons, and years. I am afraid of you, lest by any means I have bestowed labor upon you in vain. 12 I beseech you, brethren, be as I am, for I am as ye are. 13 Ye did me no wrong; but ye know that because of an infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospel unto you the first time; 14 and that which was a temptation to you in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected, but ye received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where then is that gratulation of yourselves? for I bear you witness, that, if possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So then am I become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? 17 They zealously seek you in no good way; nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them. But it is good to be zealously sought in a good matter at all times, and not only when I am present with you."

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) In what state were the Galatians before their conversion? Compare verse 8 with Eph. 2: 11, 12. (2) What did they at that time serve? (3) With whom had they become acquainted? (4) Yet to what were they turning again?—Compare the apostle's questions, "How turn ye again," etc., with Jer. 2: 11-13. (5) What words in verse 9 indicate that the Galatians were taking up some of their old idolatrous customs? (6) What were some of them? (7) Where do we find any of these things spoken against? (8) What fear did the apostle express? (9) How did he appeal to them? (10) What did he say they had not done to him? (11) To what experience did he refer them? (12) Under what circumstance did Paul first preach the Gospel to the Galatians? (13) How did they receive him at that time? (14) How did they regard his infirmity? (15) How devoted were they to him? (16) Yet how did they now seem to be regarding him? Verse 16. (17) Who had changed, he or they? (18) What did the new teachers desire to do to them? (19) Where is zeal a good thing? (20) At what time?

NOTES.

1. THE apostle did not feel personally affronted because the Galatian brethren had turned away from that which he had taught them. It was wholly a matter between them and God, and he was solicitous only for their welfare. They were departing from God, not from Paul. They were injuring only themselves. The true servant of God will not feel elated when men accept the Gospel at his mouth, nor cast down when they reject it. Truth does not belong to any man, and therefore no man has any business to have personal feelings over the way in which people regard it. The failure to recognize this fact has led to untold persecution. Men have felt as tho they were personally insulted if people did not believe what they taught; and the most of the persecution that has existed in the world has been the resentment of offended dignity.

2. ALL the best translations have "because," or its equivalent, in verse 13, instead of "through," as in our ordinary version. What a flood of light upon Paul's labor among the Galatians we get from these few sentences! He was in great bodily affliction and physical pain when he first preached the Gospel in Galatia. Not only so, but that infirmity was the cause of his preaching the Gospel at that place. It is evident from his statement that he was obliged to stop in Galatia on account of physical infirmity, but instead of spending the time looking after his own comfort, he took advantage of the circumstance to preach the Gospel; and he evidently did it with the more vigor because of his infirmity. See 2 Cor. 11: 23-30; 12: 7-10. What a marvel of the power of Christ in man that can use even his times of greatest physical weakness as an occasion for accomplishing the greatest work! Here, also, we see another proof that the Gospel does not depend upon man, but on God. It is not of the flesh, but of the Spirit.

3. COMPARING these verses with Gal. 3: 1-5, we shall see that the Galatians had had no ordinary experience. Paul's preaching was "in demonstration of the Spirit and power" (1 Cor. 2: 2-4), just because he had no power of his own. Christ was set before them so vividly that they could see Him crucified; the Spirit was administered to them, and received, miracles were wrought among them, expressions of rejoicing in God were heard from all, and they had suffered persecution for their faith. All these things are distinctly stated in this Epistle; see if you can recall them.

4. WHILE the Galatians received the truth directly from Christ crucified, they did not despise the humble instrument that the Lord used. They received him as an angel of God, even as they would have received the Lord. Christ said, "He that receiveth you, receiveth Me." Paul's affliction was evidently such that it made him personally very unattractive. Compare verse 14 with 2 Cor. 10: 10. That the seat of the difficulty was the eyes, is apparent. But this made no difference with the Galatians. The blessed Gospel he brought to them transfigured him in their eyes, and so it did in reality; for real beauty is of the soul, not of the body. "The beauty of the Lord" was in Paul. The gracious words that he spoke more than made up for his unsightly appearance. No sacrifice was too great for the Galatians to make, and this they would do as unto the Lord.

5. BY the memory of all the blessedness and joy of their first faith, Paul appeals to the Galatians. He contrasts their former experience with the present. Where is now the blessedness? Where are their joyful testimonies of praise? Ah, the new teaching has changed all that! They could tell by their own experience that there was a vast difference between the Gospel which they received through Paul and the false gospel which they were now receiving.

6. THE kingdom of God is "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Rom. 14: 17. Persons who have been truly converted know what joy and peace filled them at that time. But most people seem to have the idea that that joy can not last; that it must necessarily pass away, as they take up the monotonous round of daily duties, and these stretch out into years. Their Christian life becomes a sort of treadmill experience. That is a great mistake. Jesus said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John 15: 11. The path of the just shines more and more until the perfect day. Christ never leaves us nor forsakes us; He abides with us to the end, and in His presence there are rest and fulness of joy. Ex. 33: 14; Ps. 16: 11. The giving of the Holy Spirit is the anointing with "the oil of gladness." God gives "the oil of joy" in place of mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Isa. 61: 1-3, 10. The fountain of life from God never runs low. If, therefore, you find that your joy in God is growing less in your experience, do not rest content in any such condition. Know that any teaching, any doctrine, that does not bring gladness into your heart, and give you strength and courage for daily life, is not the good news of Jesus.