LESSON IX.—SABBATH, SEPTEMBER 1, 1900.
11 "BUT when Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him to the 12 face, because he stood condemned. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing them that 13 were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews dissembled 14 likewise with him; insomuch that even Barnabas was carried 14 away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel, I said unto Cephas before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest 15 as do the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, how compellest 15 thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? We being Jews by 16 nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, save through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law; because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." NOTE.—Do not read anything, no matter how good it may be—not the notes in the lesson book—until you have mastered the text for the week. There is where the lesson is. - From what place did Paul and Barnabas go up to Jerusalem to meet the apostles and elders?
- Where did they go after the meeting closed?
- Who came down to Antioch later?
- What did Paul do when Peter came down? Why?
- What did Peter do that was blameworthy?
- When did he make this change?
- Why did he do it?
- By what name is such a course called?
- Was Peter alone in this action?
- How strong was the influence toward this double course?
- What did Paul see?
- To what were Peter and the rest going contrary?
- What did Paul then do?
- What question did he put to Peter?
- How did he show his inconsistency?
- What did Paul say that he and Peter were by birth?
- What were they not?
- Were they then not sinners by nature?
- Of what class of sinners were they by nature?
- Is a Jewish sinner better than a Gentile sinner?
- Being sinners of the Jews, what had they known?
- How is a man not made righteous?
- By what, then, is a man justified?
- What, therefore, had they done? What for?
- By whose faith is it that we are justified?
- What can not be done by the works of the law?
- Was it wrong for Peter to eat with the Gentiles? Had he ever done the same thing before? On what occasion? What did he himself say when he entered the house of Cornelius? Acts 10:28. What law was there forbidding it? Is it found in the Bible? What, then, did Peter's course at Antioch, in refraining from eating with the Gentiles, indicate? To what did it tend?
1. NOTE that it was "the truth of the Gospel" that was still in question. It was whether a man is saved by his own efforts, or by a power higher and greater than himself. 2. SINNERS of the Jews and sinners of the Gentiles are all alike in God's sight. There is no difference. See Rom. 3:9-19. In fact, the breaking of the commandments of God changes a Jew into a Gentile. Rom. 2:25. 3. THE word "justify" means literally "to make righteous." In the German and Danish the word used in every case where the English has "justified," is the exact translation of the English "made righteous." It would be better if we used that term in the English, because many do not see the full meaning in the word "justify." If we stop to think, however, we can see that a just man is a righteous man. Justitia is the Latin word for "righteousness." To be just is to be righteous. The termination fy is from the Latin word meaning to make, so that the Latin compound is the exact equivalent of the Anglo-Saxon expression. 4. THE law can not make any man righteous; it can only tell us what righteousness is, leaving us to do it in the best way we can. To be made righteous by the works of the law is, therefore, simply to be justified by the works which we ourselves do, since the written law does not do itself. So justification by the works of the law is self-righteousness, which is nothing but sin. 5. GOD has "dealt to every man the measure of faith" (Rom. 12:3); "unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ" (Eph. 4:7). The power by which Christ overcame is given to every one. Our part is to keep the faith. 2 Tim. 4:7; Rev. 14:12. Christ alone is righteous; He has overcome the world, and He alone has the power to do it; in Him dwelleth all the fulness of God, because the law was in His heart; He alone has kept and can keep the law to perfection; therefore only by His faith—living faith, that is, His life in us—can we be made and kept righteous.