God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All
things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made, that
was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the
light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. * * *
* And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his
glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace
and truth."_--JOHN.
_NOTES._
1. _Authorship of the Gospel of St. John:_ "It is the almost unanimous
tradition of the church that the Apostle John wrote this Gospel.
Our earliest authorities for the fact are Theophilus of Antioch (A.
D. 175), Irenaeus (A. D. 130-200), the Muratorian Fragment (A. D.
170-180), and Clement of Alexandria (A. D. 160-220). The accounts
of these writers differ slightly from each other; but all agree in
distinctly attributing our present Gospel to John; while the fourth,
who is clearly independent of the other three, draws a remarkable
distinction between it and the earlier Gospels, the later being spoken
of as containing 'the bodily things,' the former as 'a spiritual
Gospel.'" (International Commentary, Intro., p. xiv.)
2. _The Apostle St. John:_ This Apostle was the son of Zebedee and
Salome, and younger, as there seems every reason to think, than his
brother James. Of Zebedee we know little. He was a fisherman upon the
Sea of Galilee, who pursued his occupation in common with his sons,
and who continued it even after they had obeyed the summons of their
Lord to follow him (Matt. iv: 21). Of Salome we fortunately know more.
From John xix: 25, it would seem probable that she was a sister of the
Virgin Mary. (International Commentary, p. 8.)
"It is probable that he (John) was born at Bethsaida, on the lake of
Galilee. His parents appear to have been in easy circumstances; at
least, we find that Zebedee employed hired servants (Mark i: 20), and
that Salome was among the number of those women who contributed to the
maintenance of Jesus (Matt. xxvii: 56). We also find that John received
Mary into his house after the death of Jesus. Since this house seems to
have been situated at Jerusalem it would appear that he was the owner
of two houses. John's acquaintance, also, with the high priest (xviii:
15) seems to indicate that he lived at Jerusalem, and belonged to the
wealthier class." (Cycl. of Biblical Literature, Kitto, pp. 130, 131.)
3. _The Pre-Ordained Mission of St. John:_ Of all the Apostles St. John
is the most interesting to the Latter-day Saints, and this because of
the light that is thrown upon his career and character by the Book
of Mormon. In the great vision that was granted to the first Nephi
concerning the birth, life and mission of Jesus, he comes to the point
where he beheld a man dressed in a white robe:
"And the angel said unto me, Behold one of the Twelve Apostles of
the Lamb! Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of these
things; yea, and also many things which have been; and he shall
also write concerning the end of the world; wherefore the things
which he shall write, are just and true; and behold they are
written in the book which thou beheld [in previous part of vision]
proceeding out of the mouth of the Jew; * * * * * And behold,
the things which this Apostle of the Lamb shall write, are many
things which thou hast seen; and behold, the remainder shalt thou
see; but the things which thou shalt see hereafter, thou shalt
not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the Apostle of the Lamb
of God, that he should write them. * * * * * And I, Nephi, heard
and bear record, that the name of the Apostle of the Lamb was
John, according to the word of the angel. And behold, I, Nephi, am
forbidden that I should write the remainder of the things which I
saw and heard." (I Nephi xiv.)
From the above, it appears that John, the beloved disciple, was
foreordained to write the things we have in the Jewish Scripture from
his pen. And so jealously guarded was the mission assigned to him in
his pre-existent state, that a man living upon another continent and
six centuries before John's time, was not permitted to trespass upon
that divine appointment. And when the peculiar importance of the Gospel
according to St. John is taken into account; how that Gospel more
specifically than any of the others that have been written, testifies
not only to the divinity of Jesus, but to the deeper fact that he is
Deity in his own right and person; and how that same Gospel supplies so
much in its account of the earth career of the Messiah that was omitted
by the other evangelists, it must be conceded that the character of
John's work bears out the idea of a specific appointment which the Book
of Mormon declares was given to him before he was born in the flesh.
4. _Date and Style of St. John:_ This Gospel would appear to have been
written at Ephesus, at the instance, Jerome alleges, of the bishops of
the Asiatic churches, with a view to confirm the faith of the Church
in the divinity of Christ, of which he was the special witness. Its
date must be long after the writing of the other Gospels and towards
the end of the first century. It is one of the latest books of the New
Testament--much later than the 'Revelation.' On this calculation, it
must have been composed after the destruction of Jerusalem." (Bagster
Bible Helps, p. 64.)
"The time and place of writing was at Ephesus, as is generally held,
not long before the death of the Apostle, and probably at the request
of Christians in that city, Ch. xxi: 24 ('And we know that this
testimony is true') suggests that others desired to attest the truth
of the record as coming from the Apostle. This late date, nearly a
generation after the writing of the other Gospels, shows that the
leading facts about Jesus were already known to Christians. This
Gospel is therefore, in a certain sense, supplementary; but there is
no evidence that it was intended to supply omissions in the other
narratives. The design is stated in the book itself, and the many
events and discourses found only in this Gospel are in accordance with
it." (Bible Treasury, p. 129).
5. _The Purpose of John's Gospel:_ Contradictory opinions obtain
concerning the purpose for which the Apostle John wrote his account of
the gospel. Eusebius quotes Clement of Alexandria as saying that John,
perceiving that the bodily influence of Jesus had been made known in
the Gospels, (i. e., supposedly Matthew, Mark and Luke), and being
at the same time urged by his friends and borne along by the spirit,
wrote a spiritual Gospel (third century). A still earlier authority,
the unknown author of the so-called Muratorian Fragment (See Apostolic
Fathers, Rev. George A. Jackson, p. 186), which most scholars agree
belongs to the second century and probably not later than A. D. 170, so
far agrees with the idea that John's Gospel was intended to supplement
the other Gospels as to say, that when John's fellow-disciples and
bishops exhorted him to write, he said: "Fast along with me three days
from today, and let us relate the one to the other whatever has been
revealed to us. The same night it was revealed to Andrew, the Apostle,
that "John should in his own name, write down the whole, and that they
all should revise" what he wrote. Another contention is, and this is
based on the authority of Irenaeus (third century) that John wrote to
controvert the errors of the Nicholaitanes and Cerinthus, in other
words, that "his aim was not so much supplementary as polemical." In
the midst of the conflicting theories it is just as well that we accept
the simple and straight-forward statement of St. John himself in the
last chapter but one of his famous Gospel as to the purpose for which
he wrote his Gospel, namely, "And many other signs truly did Jesus in
the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book; but
these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God; and that, believing, ye might have life through his name."
6. _The Acts of the Apostles:_ "The Acts of the Apostles is an account
of the conflicts and conquests of Christianity from the ascension of
our Lord to the imprisonment of Paul in the city of Rome (33-63 A. D.)
It is the earliest manual of Church History, and the only one treating
of the age of the Apostles which has come down to us from the first
century. Its loss would leave a wide chasm between the Gospels and the
Epistles, and involve the student in great ignorance of the progress
of events in the history of the Church during the period intervening
between the close of our Lord's earthly activity and the destruction of
Jerusalem (70 A. D.), which the direct statements and the implications
of the Epistles of the New Testament and the Apocalypse would only
partially illumine. He, in this case, would know nothing of the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the testimony
and death of Stephen, the conversion of Cornelius, the miraculous
manifestation making Saul a Christian, or the stages in the advance of
the Church from Jerusalem to Rome and other occurrences hardly less
important." (Acts of the Apostles, Intro., p. ix.)
7. _Authorship of the Acts:_ "This book, according to internal and
external evidence, was writen by Luke, and forms the sequel to
his Gospel. It is the history of the foundation and spread of the
Christian Church--the former under Peter (i-xii), the latter under Paul
(vii-xxviii). It was founded on the Day of Pentecost; its first sons
were Jews (hence it appeared only a Jewish sect in Judea), and the
former part of the book is occupied with its establishment there, with
arguments in its favor, and with challenges to disprove the fundamental
fact of Christ's resurrection. Its first development into an organized
community, with official staff, provoked the first persecution and
martyrdom, which precipitated its extension to Samaria and Syria,
caused a new and more independent center of operations to be planted at
Antioch, whence under Paul (the first converted persecutor) it spread
to Asia Minor, Greece, Rome, and various parts of the Gentile world.
The motive influence was the direct impulse of the Holy Spirit, not any
preconceived plan of the Apostolic body (ii: 4; xv: 6, 7, 9)." (Oxford
Bible Helps, p. 26.)
_The Completeness of the Four Gospels:_ Much is made of the differences
between John and the first three Gospels, not only as to the facts
related, but also with reference to the style of Jesus' addresses. But
the difficulty disappears when we remember that Matthew, Mark, and
Luke present the scenes of Christ's Galilean ministry among the rude
peasantry who were less acquainted with the law than their southern
brethren, and who needed simple and direct teaching; on the other hand,
John sets forth mainly Christ's Judean ministry among those who were
conversant with the law and were accustomed to elaborate discussions.
The ministry of one year implied by the Synoptists, considered by
themselves, does not exclude the three years' ministry which is derived
from John's Gospel, for the four taken together supplement each other.
(Date of Our Gospels, p. 35-6.)
LESSON IV.
SPECIAL LESSON.
_THE PECULIAR FORCE OF MORAL DUTIES WHEN REGARDED AS COMMANDMENTS OF
GOD._[1]
_Illustrations:_
(a) Observance of the "Lord's Day."
(b) Honor thy Father and thy mother.
(c) Thou shalt not bear false witness.
(d) Thou shalt not steal.
(e) Thou shalt not covet.
(f) "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy mind. * * * Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself."
_SPECIAL TEXT: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear
God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man."_
_NOTES._
1. _Suggestions in the Formation of a Lecture:_ In a previous lesson on
lectures, I made some suggestions in relation to the construction of
a lecture (Lesson XI, Part II), quoting from a little work by William
Pittenger on "Extempore Speech," calling attention to the simple
framework of a lecture, consisting of, 1. _The Introduction;_; 2. _The
Discussion_; 3. _The Conclusion_. I now give from the same work an
example in outline of such a speech.
"Subject--The Ocean.
"1. _Introduction_--The vastness of the ocean. No one person has seen
more than a small part of it. Power evidenced by storm and shipwrecks.
"2. _Discussion_.--Five great divisions of the ocean. Use in nature,
watering and tempering the land; in commerce, as a highway; in history,
by dividing and uniting nations; its mystery, etc.
"3. _Conclusion_.--Proof of the Creator's power and wisdom found in the
ocean.
"THE SAME PLAN CONDENSED.
"Subject--The Ocean.
"1. _Vastness and Power_.
"2. _Parts, Use, and Mystery_.
"3. _Evidence_.
"DEAN SWIFT'S SERMON.
"(Illustrating above plan.)
"This eccentric clergyman once preached a sermon shorter than its own
text, yet having all the three parts of which we have spoken. The text
was Prov. xix: 20: "'He that pitieth the poor lendeth to the Lord; and
that which he hath given will he pay him again.'
"The sermon was:
"'Brethren, you hear the condition; if you like the security, down with
the dust.'
"The collection is said to have been munificent.
"In this short sermon the text with the word 'Brethren' constitutes
the introduction; the phrase, 'you hear the condition,' is a good
transition to the discussion contained in the next member, 'if you
like the security,' which assumes the truth of the text, makes its
general declarations present and personal, and prepares the way for the
forcible and practical, if not very elegant conclusion, 'down with the
dust.'" (Extempore Speech, pp. 53, 54.)
_Extempore Speech:_ Extempore speech does not lose its special
character, though some scattered quotations be read or repeated from
memory. To pick up a book, in the midst of a speech, and read a theme
or argument, or the statement of another's position, does not make the
discourse composite in character, unless such reading be the principal
part of it. * * * * Unwritten speech does not preclude the fullest
preparation. The plans advocated in this volume will enable a speaker
to gather materials as widely, arrange them as systematically, and hold
them as firmly in hand, as if every word was written; while at the
same time he may have all the freedom and play of thought, the rush of
passion, and the energy of delivery that comes in the happiest moment
of outgushing words. (Extempore Speech, Pittenger, p. 25-6.)
_Preparation for Extempore Speech:_ On all ordinary occasions a good
speech must result from a previous ingathering of materials--the
formation of a mental treasury in connection with a special subject.
The speaker works for days or weeks in collecting from all sources and
arranging in the happiest manner that which his hearers are to receive
in an hour with no other labor than that of listening. The great
advantage of writing is supposed to lie in this preparation. Today an
orator may write everything he knows about a subject; tomorrow, by
means of reading, conversation, or further thought, he may have more
ideas to record; and he may thus continue to widen and record his
knowledge, until his time, or the subject itself, is exhausted. Then
he may revise, select what is most appropriate, refine and polish his
language, and finally come before an audience confident that he holds
in his hand the very best that he can give them. (Extempore Speech,
Pittenger, pp. 27-8.)
Footnotes
1. _Note to Teacher_.--It would be well for the sake of giving variety
to our exercises, as also for the excellence of the exercise itself,
to make no assignments of the sub-divisions of the subject of these
special lessons to individual members, but let it be a subject for
general consideration by all the quorum during the week preceding its
treatment in the class; and then call upon the members to speak to
the subject without previous warning or notification. In a word, let
it be an exercise in extemporaneous speaking. (See suggestions in the
_Introduction._)
LESSON V.
SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.
_BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. (Continued.)_
ANALYSIS. REFERENCES.
_I. The Epistles of Paul,--General Notes 1 and 2.
Grouping._[1]
1. Doctrinal, Addressed to Churches. All Bible Dictionaries
2. Pastoral, Addressed to Individuals. and Helps before quoted,
Art. "Pauline" Epistles.
Coneybeare and Howson's
Life and Epistles
of St. Paul.
3. Special, Addressed to Philemon. Notes 3, 4, 5, 6.
_II. General Character of the Epistles._
1. The Author. Students required to
2. General Purpose. read the whole of the
3. Form and Literary Style. Epistles to the Romans.
_III. Doctrinal Epistles--Romans._
1. When and Where Written. Notes 7, 8, 9, 10.
2. Outline of Its Purpose and Doctrine.
3. Select Readings from Romans. Reading, State of the
Pagan World; Chap. i: 13-32
and Chap. ii: 1-13.
(The passage should be
read without noting
chapter division.)
_SPECIAL TEXT: "Whatsoever things were written afore time were
written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the
scripture, might have hope."_--PAUL.
_NOTES._
1. _Chronological Order:_ The arrangement of the Epistles as found
in our Bibles and as followed in these lessons, is not one of
chronological order. As far as the chronological order can be followed
at all, it is generally conceded to be about as follows:
1. I and II Thessalonians, A. D. 50, 51.
2. I and II Cor., Gal., Rom., A. D. 55, 56.
3. Phil., Col., Eph., Philemon, A. D. 60, 61.
4. 1 and 2 Tim., Titus, A. D. 64, 65.
As implied above, there is some variation in these dates among
authorities on the Epistles.
2. _The Epistles of St. Paul:_ "St. Paul contrived, in a remarkable
degree, to maintain a connection with the churches he founded. The
care of all the Gentile churches (II Cor. xi: 28) he exercised not
merely by occasional revisiting them, but by letter. Of the letters
thus produced we possess thirteen. The originals have indeed naturally
disappeared; they were written by amanuenses, and authenticated by the
addition of a paragraph in St. Paul's own writing (Gal. vi: 11), or
by his signature (II Thes. iii: 17). With the exception of the three
pastoral epistles to Timothy and Titus, which are still questioned by
some critics, the epistles ascribed to St. Paul in our New Testament
are generally and justly received as his. These thirteen epistles all
belong to the later half of St. Paul's ministry. The first eighteen
years after his conversion give us not one epistle. In the year 52
or 53 A. D. the two epistles to the Thessalonians were written. Then
follows another blank period till 58, when, within the space of one
year, the four great epistles to the Corinthians, Galations, and Romans
were produced. Again there occurs an interval of five years till 63,
when the four 'Prison Epistles' appeared; and finally, yet another gap,
until 66-68 A. D., when he sent the pastoral letters to Timothy and
Titus. In the character of these groups there is a marked difference,
while within each group the epistles belonging to it resemble one
another. In the earliest group there is a reflection of St. Paul's
preaching to the heathen, in which the second coming and the kingdom of
Christ are in the foreground. The second group exhibits the doctrines
of grace in conflict with Judaism, and also shows us in detail the
difficulties Christianity had to overcome in the social ideas and
customs of the Roman world. The third group is characterized by a
calmer spirit, a higher reach of Christian thought, more constructive
statements regarding Christ's person. In the fourth group we have
chiefly instructions regarding church order, interspersed with passages
of remarkable beauty and richness." (Bible Treasury, p. 135).
3. _The Pastoral Epistles:_ The Epistle to Timothy and Titus are called
pastoral because they give directions for the training and governing
of the churches, the proper treatment of individual members, old and
young, official and unofficial, back-sliders and heretics. They treat
of practical wisdom, warning and encouragement, rather than of doctrine.
4. _Their Author:_ "Paul, originally called Saul, was born in Tarsus,
the capital of Cilicia, of parents who were Jews, apparently of a
strict type, but he had the rights of Roman citizenship. He was sent
when young to Jerusalem, where he studied at the feet of a great Jewish
doctor, Gamaliel, and wrought at the trade of a tent-maker. Here he
became zealous for the law, and distinguished himself by his enmity
against those Jews who had apostatized from the faith of their fathers.
He went about persecuting the Christians everywhere, and dragging
them before the Sanhedrim, that they might be put to death, till, on
the road near Damascus, whither he was bound, under commission from
the Sanhedrim, in the work of persecution, he was arrested in his
course, and suddenly converted, by an apparition of the glorified Christ
himself, into a disciple and preacher of the faith he had been seeking
to crush." (Bagster Bible Helps, p. 69.)
5. _The General Purport of the Epistles:_ The general purport of these
epistles is to teach that salvation is not possible by the works of
the law, but is the free gift of God by and in Jesus Christ; and that
every man, Jew as well as Gentile, is equally in need, as he is equally
capable of this salvation, which is represented as experienced by faith
in Christ crucified leading to death with Christ, rising again with
Christ, and living with Christ in the inner life. This is the burden
of the epistles as it is the sum of Paul's gospel, and it is the exact
opposite of the Pharisaic creed in which he had been brought up; his
antagonism to that creed now not only enabled him to define better the
character of the new faith, but to become the apostle of it to all
nations as a religion deriving its inspiration direct from Christ, and
alone adequate to the exigency of Jew and Gentile alike, seeing 'all
had sinned and come short of the glory of God.'" (Bagster Bible Helps,
p. 69.)
6. _The Style of the Epistles:_ The style of these letters shows a man
of an eager and impetuous temper, who, on that account, as well as
through the fulness of his matter, is impatient of dialectic restraint.
The theme is a pressing one, and the writer is to intent to gain his
end to study his steps. In his hurry to carry his thought forward he
sometimes forgets what he has been saying, and passes on to another
point, more urgent perhaps, leaving the original sentence unfinished;
while in his eagerness to express himself he is often careless of the
coherence of his thought. [May it not be that the defect here pointed
out can be accounted for by some of the passages being lost?] He has
no time to adjust himself to any formulae: he must make his way at any
expense. All forms are alike to him, and he will use any or use none,
if only he can thereby gain his point." (Bagster Bible Helps, p. 69.)
7. _Date of the Epistle to the Romans:_ Although this epistle stands
first among the Pauline letters, this position has been accorded to it,
not because it is the earliest in point of time, but partly owing to
its doctrinal importance, and mainly on account of its being addressed
to the metropolis of the world. Its probable date is the early spring
of the year 58 A. D." (Bible Treasury, p. 135.)
8. _Its Purpose:_ St. Paul's primary purpose in writing to the Romans
was to explain why during the many years of his missionary journeyings
he had never yet reached Rome, and to pave the way for his intended
visit. He had many friends among the Christians of Rome (ch. 16),
and it is likely that in a friendly way they had been chiding him
with attending so much to others, and so little to them. He assures
them that this was due to no oblivion of the claims of Rome, nor to
any intentional neglect on his part. On the contrary, he, himself a
Roman citizen, had intensely felt the attraction of Rome, and had
'oftentimes' (i: 13) proposed to visit it, and had only been hindered
by work from which he could not escape." (Bible Treasury, p. 135.)
9. _The Gospel According to St. Paul Expounded in Romans:_ "St. Paul
takes the opportunity of presenting an exposition of his 'gospel'
more systematic than we have in any other of his letters. Why, if he
expected so soon to see his friends in Rome? Possibly because it was
said that he shrank from bringing his bare and simple gospel into the
trying light of the metropolis. It is not this, he says, that hinders
him from coming to Rome. 'I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.'
(i: 16). And having good reason to know the precariousness of life,
and the delays which may hinder and retard the best intentions, he
at once proceeds to give the main outline of his habitual teaching.
It was natural that, while proposing greatly to extend his mission,
he should wish to make clear to the church of the imperial city, the
center of the Gentile world, what his gospel was, and that it was
applicable to Gentiles as well as to Jews, to metropolitans as well as
to provincials. The letter is a justification of his mission to the
Gentiles." (Bible Treasury, p. 135.)
10. _The Church at Rome:_ "The name of the original founder of
the Roman Church has not been preserved to us by history, nor
even celebrated by tradition. This is a remarkable fact, when we
consider how soon the Church of Rome attained great eminence in the
Christian world, both from its numbers, and from the influence of its
metropolitan rank. Had any of the Apostles laid its first foundation,
the fact could scarcely fail to have been recorded. It is, therefore,
probable that it was formed, in the first instance, of private
Christians converted in Palestine, who had come from the eastern parts
of the Empire to reside at Rome, or who had brought back Christianity
with them, from some of their periodical visits to Jerusalem, as the
'Strangers of Rome,' from the great Pentecost. Indeed, among the
immense multitudes whom political and commercial reasons constantly
attracted to the metropolis of the world, there could not fail to be
representatives of every religion which had established itself in
any of the provinces. On this hypothesis, the earliest of the Roman
Christians were Jews by birth, who resided in Rome, from some of the
causes above alluded to. By their efforts, others of their friends and
fellow countrymen (who were very numerous at Rome) would have been
led to embrace the Gospel. But the Church so founded, though Jewish
in its origin, was remarkably free from the predominance of Judaizing
tendencies. This is evident from the fact that so large a proportion of
it at this early period were already of Gentile blood; and it appears
still more plainly from the tone assumed by St. Paul throughout the
Epistle, so different from that in which he addresses the Galatians,
although the subject-matter is often nearly identical." (The Life and
Epistles of St. Paul (Conybeare & Howson), p. 544.)
_A Pen Picture of Paul:_ Paul was small in size, and his personal
appearance did not correspond with the greatness of his soul. He was
ugly, stout, short, and stooping, and his broad shoulders awkwardly
sustained a little bald head. His sallow countenance was half hidden
in a thick beard; his nose was aquiline, his eyes piercing, and his
eyebrows heavy and joined across his forehead. Nor was there anything
imposing in his speech, for his timid and embarrassed air gave but a
poor idea of his eloquence. He shrewdly, however, admitted his exterior
defects, and even drew advantage therefrom. The Jewish race possesses
the peculiarity of at the same time presenting types of the greatest
beauty, and the most thorough ugliness; but this Jewish ugliness is
something quite apart by itself. Some of the strange visages which at
first excite a smile, assume, when lighted up by emotion, a sort of
deep brilliancy and grandeur. (The Apostles, Renan, pp. 165-6.) See
also description of Paul, Richards & Little's Compendium.
Footnotes
1. See Seventy's Bible Dictionary, Art. "Pauline Epistles." There
is a fine analysis and history of each Epistle; they are grouped
chronologically and the student would do well to read them in that
order.
LESSON VI.
SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.
_BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. (Continued)._
ANALYSIS. REFERENCES.
_I. Doctrinal Epistles--I Corinthians._ I Corinthians. The
1. The City of Corinth. whole epistle for Home
2. Character of Paul's Converts. reading. Notes 1, 2, 3, 4.
3. Subject Matter of the Epistles. All Bible Helps and
Dictionaries before quoted,
Art. 1 and II Corinthians,
and the other
Epistles of this lesson.
Notes 1, 2, 3, 4.
Coneybeare and Howson's
Life and Epistles
_II. II Corinthians._ of St. Paul.
1. When and Where Writen. Notes 5, 6.
2. Purpose and Character of the Readings:
Epistle. Against Schisms in the
3. Selected Passages for Readings. Church. I Cor. Chap. i: 10-31.
_III. Galatians._[1] Spiritual Gifts and
1. To Whom Addressed. Church Organization, I Cor. xii: 1-31.
2. Galatia and Its People. Charity, I Cor. xiii: 1-13.
3. Object of the Epistle. Epistle to the Galatians--All
4. The Nature of the Controversy of of it should be
Which It Treats studied.
Notes 1, 2, 3, 4.
All the Bible Helps and
Dictionaries before cited
Art. "Galatians," "Ephesians,"
etc.
_SPECIAL TEXT: "Do ye not know that they which minister about holy
things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the
altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that
they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel"_--PAUL.
_NOTES._
1. _Corinth--the City:_ "Corinth was the great center of commercial
traffic on the overland route from Rome to the East; and also between
Upper and Lower Greece. Possessing the only good harbor in that
quarter, and being the shortest and safest route, small vessels were
dragged across the isthmus, larger ones transhipped their cargoes,
and hence all the trade of the Mediterranean flowed through it, so
that 'a perpetual fair was held there from year's end to year's end;'
to which were added the great annual gatherings of Greeks at the
'Isthmian Games' (to which Paul alludes, I Cor. ix: 24-27). Hence it
was proverbial for wealth, luxury, and profligacy. Its population, and
that of Achaia, was mainly foreign, formed of colonists from Caesar's
army, and of manumitted slaves, settlers from Asia Minor, returned
exiles from the islands, and at this time a large influx of Jews lately
expelled from Rome. (Acts xviii: 2.)" (Oxford Bible Helps, p. 27.)
2. _Character of Paul's Disciples at Corinth:_ "Paul's disciples were
mostly of the lower order, partly Jews, but mainly Roman freedmen and
heathen Greeks, who became enthusiastic admirers of the Apostle. Here
he wrote the latter or both of his two epistles to the Thessalonians,
and one to the Romans; immediately after which he returned to Ephesus,
and was succeeded in his mission by Apollos, who also made many
converts. The latter was imperfectly instructed in Christianity, but
was well versed in the Jewish Scriptures, and very eloquent." (Oxford
Bible Helps, p. 27.)
3. _Cause of Writing the First Epistle to the Corinthians:_ "There
arose two factions, in Corinth, a Jewish, clinging to a Pharisaic
attachment to the law; a Gentile, prone to push evangelical freedom to
license; while keeping the right faith, claiming to indulge in even
heathen licentiousness. They joined freely in heathen sacrificial
feasts; degraded the Holy Communion into a festive banquet; women
threw off the usual eastern veil of modest attire; and the Greek
love of intellectual speculation and discussion ran riot on sacred
subjects, till appeals on Christian disputes were brought before
heathen tribunals and morality was scandalized by even incestuous
intercourse. Under such corruption, during three years, factions
attained a formidable height. Paul was defamed by the Jewish party, and
rumors of alarming disputes reached him, followed by a letter full of
inquiries on matters of morality and doctrine, brought by a deputation
of freedom. Under such circumstances the first epistle was written."
(Oxford Bible Helps, p. 27.)
4. _The Character of the First Epistle to the Corinthians:_ "The
letter is, in its contents, the most diversified of all St. Paul's
epistles; and in proportion to the variety of its topics, is the
depth of its interest for ourselves. For by it we are introduced, as
it were, behind the scenes of the Apostolic Church, and its minutest
features are revealed to us under the light of daily life. We see
the picture of a Christian congregation as it met for worship in
some upper chambers, such as the house of Aquila, or of Caius, could
furnish. We see that these seasons of pure devotion were not unalloyed
by human vanity and excitement; yet, on the other hand, we behold the
heathen auditor pierced to the heart by the inspired eloquence of the
Christian prophets, the secrets of his conscience laid bare to him,
and himself constrained to fall down on his face and worship God; we
hear the fervent thanksgiving echoed by the unanimous Amen; we see the
administration of the Holy Communion terminating the feast of love.
Again we become familiar with the perplexities of domestic life, the
corrupting proximity of heathen immorality, the lingering superstition,
the rash speculation, the lawless perversion of Christian liberty;
we witness the strife of theological factions, the party names, the
sectarian animosities. We perceive the difficulty of the task imposed
upon the Apostle, who must guard from so many perils, and guide through
so many difficulties, his children in the faith, whom else he had
begotten in vain; and we learn to appreciate more fully the magnitude
of that laborious responsibility under which he describes himself as
almost ready to sink, 'the care of all of the churches,'" (The Life and
Epistles of St. Paul, Coneybeare & Howson, p. 424.)
1. _The Persons Addressed in Galatians:_ "This alone among the Pauline
epistles is addressed, not to an individual or to a single church, but
to a group of churches; 'unto the churches of Galatia' (i: 2)."
2. _Galatia:_ "The name 'Galatia,' however, is ambiguous. Originally it
was restricted to the region possessed and inhabited by the descendants
of the invading Gauls; a tract of country separated from the Black
Sea by Bithynia and Paphlagonia, and bounded on the east by Pontus
and Cappadocia and on the south by Phrygia. This country had been
known as Galatia since the beginning of the third century B. C., when
three tribes of Gauls (Galatinas, Celts), who had attempted to overrun
Greece, were driven back, and finally found a footing in this part of
Asia Minor. In 189 B. C., Galatia became a Roman dependency, and in 25
B. C. Augustus added to it Lycanonia, Pisidia, Pamphylia, and a large
part of Phrygia, and constituted the whole into a Roman province, under
the name 'Galatia.' And it is not easy to determine whether we are to
seek for the churches here addressed among the northern Galatians, or
in Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. Perhaps, on the whole, the
evidence is somewhat in favor of the belief that St. Paul addresses the
last-named churches. Of the founding of these we have a full account in
Acts xiii: 13-14, 24." (Bible Treasury, p. 139.)
3. _Object of the Epistle:_ During the absence of St. Paul from the
churches of Galatia, Judaizing teachers had found access to them. These
persistent enemies of the Apostle of the Gentiles taught his young
churches that it was only through the gate of Judaism any one could
enter the Christian fold. They demanded that the Gentile converts
should be circumcised, and should keep the whole law. And they had
much that was plausible to advance in favor of the idea. The law was a
divine institution, and could not be abrogated. The promises had been
made to Abraham and to his seed. The Messiah was the Messiah of the
Jews. Jesus himself had been circumcised and had kept the whole law.
The original apostles followed his example. Besides, if the Gentiles
were not enjoined to keep the law, how were they to escape from the
immoralities in which they had been reared? And who was Paul, that
he should presume to introduce this novel doctrine? He had not known
Christ while on earth. He was merely the messenger of the church at
Antioch, and had no commission from the apostolic circle at Jerusalem.
And vehemently as he declaimed against circumcision, he enjoined it
when it suited him; witness the case of Timothy. The very speciousness
of these arguments convinced St. Paul that a great crisis had arrived,
and that, if Christianity was to become the universal religion and
not a mere Jewish sect--if religion was to be spiritual and not mere
ritual--if union with Christ really meant emancipation from bondage of
every kind, then it was time that he should, once for all, make clear
the relation of Christ to the law" hence the epistle. (Bible Treasury,
p. 139.)
4. _The Case of the Judaizing Party against Paul:_ "It is remarkable,
therefore, that the Judaizing emissaries should so soon have gained so
great a hold over a church consisting mainly of Gentile Christians; and
the fact that they did so proves not only their indefatigable activity,
but also their skill in the arts of conciliation and persuasion. It
must be remembered, however, that they were by no means scrupulous
as to the means which they employed to effect their objects. At any
cost of falsehood and detraction, they resolved to loosen the hold
of St. Paul upon the affection and respect of his converts. Thus to
the Galatians they accused him of want of uprightness in observing
the Law himself whilst among the Jews, yet persuading the Gentiles to
renounce it, they argued that his motive was to keep his converts in a
subordinate state, excluded from the privileges of a full covenant with
God, which was enjoyed by the circumcised alone; they declared that he
was an interested flatterer, 'becoming all things to all men,' that he
might make a party for himself; and above all, they insisted that he
falsely represented himself as an Apostle of Christ, for that he had
not, like the Twelve, been a follower of Jesus when he was on earth,
and had not received his commission; that, on the contrary, he was only
a teacher sent out by the authority of the Twelve, whose teaching was
only to be received so far as it agreed with theirs, and was sanctioned
by them; whereas his doctrine (they alleged) was now in opposition to
that of Peter and James, and the other 'Pillars' of the Church. By such
representations they succeeded, to a great extent, in alienating the
Galatian Christians from their father in the faith; already many of the
recent converts submitted to circumcision, and embraced the party of
their new teachers with the same zeal which they had formerly shown for
the Apostle of the Gentiles; and the rest of the Church was thrown into
a state of agitation and division"--hence the Epistle to the Galations.
(The Life and Epistles of St. Paul, Conybeare and Howson, p. 522.)
Footnotes
1. This could well be classed as a controversial epistle, for it is,
one may say, fiercely controversial in spirit throughout. Renan refers
to it as Paul's "terrible epistle."
LESSON VII.
SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.
_BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.(Continued.)_
ANALYSIS. REFERENCES.
_I. Doctrinal Epistles--Ephesians._ Epistle to the Ephesians.
1. The City of Ephesus. Notes 1, 2.
2. Occasion and Object of the Epistles. Coneybeare and Howson's
_II. Philippians._ Life and Epistles
1. The City of Phillippi. of St. Paul. Bible Helps
2. Occasion and Character of the and Dictionaries under
Epistles. Titles of Ephesians, and
all the epistles of this
lesson. Epistle to the
Philippians.
Notes 3, 4, 5.
_III. Colossians._ Colossians.
1. The City of Colossae. Thessalonians I and II.
2. Character of the Epistle. Note 10.
_IV. Thessalonians I and II._
1. Thessalonica, the City.
2. Summary of the Epistles I and II.
_V. Epistle to the Hebrews._ Hebrews, the whole
1. Authorship. epistle. A fine treatise
2. Character of the Epistle. on the subject is found
3. Doctrinal Outline. on the Life and Epistles
of St. Paul (Coneybeare
and Howson), Chap. xxviii.
Notes 6, 7, 8.
_SPECIAL TEXT: "God * * * hath in these last days spoken unto us by
his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he
made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express
image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,
when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high."_ PAUL.
_NOTES._
1. _Ephesus:_ Capital of the Roman province of Asia and a great
commercial center. The province was governed by 'proconsuls,' while
Ephesus, as a 'free city,' had its town clerk, or keeper of the
records, its 'asiarchs,' or officers appointed to preside over the
public games; its court days, and its popular assembly, was three miles
from the sea, and was on the banks of the navigable river Cayster. It
was an important business center, much of the commerce between east and
west passing along the great highway which connected Ephesus with the
Euphrates. It thus became a natural center for the Christian Church in
Asia Minor. The city was celebrated as the guardian of the image of
Artemis or Diana, and there was a large manufacture of silver shrines
of the goddess. The magnificence of her temple was proverbial. A large
part of the site was excavated by Mr. J. T. Wood, 1863-71, who also
discovered the site of the theater, a huge building capable of seating
24,500 people. Some of the inscriptions are to be seen in the British
Museum." (Cambridge Bible Helps, p. 53.)
2. _Occasion and Object of the Epistle:_ The occasion of writing this
letter was the opportunity that offered in the mission of Tychicus and
Onesimus to the Church at Colossae, and the object is to show that the
Gentiles had a standing in Christ as well as the Jews; that their call
into the Church was no mere accident, that it was the eternal purpose
of God to gather all into oneness, or one body, in Christ, and that
except in this oneness the fulness of Christ would not be revealed.
Thus the epistle sets before us, as has been said, Paul's doctrine of
the Church, the Church in its unity, 'the completion of an edifice
whose foundations had been laid in a past eternity, and which was to
stand forever." (Cambridge Bible Helps, p. 73.)
3. _The Church at Philippi:_ "Philippi was a place of great importance.
Surrounded by a fertile district, and possessing valuable mines, it
also commanded the great highway from east to west, and was on this
account attractive to St. Paul. The town which originally occupied the
site was known as Krenides ('Fountains'); but Philip II of Macedonia
having improved it, named it after himself. In St. Paul's time it was a
Roman 'colony' (Acts xvi: 12), e. g., a settlement of veterans who had
served their time in the army." (Bible Treasury, p. 142.)
4. _Occasion of the Epistle:_ "Epaphroditus had been the bearer of
some pecuniary aid sent to St. Paul by the Philippians, and had thrown
himself so vigorously into the work of Christ in the metropolis that
he became alarmingly ill (Phil. ii: 30). On recovering, and hearing
how anxious his friends in Philippi were, he proposed to return to
them; and St. Paul felt that he could not allow him to go without
putting in his hands a written acknowledgement of their kindness. Hence
this letter was intended to be a simple letter of friendship." (Bible
Treasury, p. 142.)
5. _Colossae and its Church:_ "Colossae was situated in southwestern
Phrygia, but within the proconsular province of Asia. It lay on the
south bank of the river Lycus, and on the main road from Ephesus to
the great plateau of Asia Minor. In the fifth century B. C., it was
known as a great and prosperous city, but the still more advantageous
position of its neighbor Laodicea, a few miles down the river,
gradually told on Colossae; and in the time of St. Paul, although a
large number of Jews had been introduced into it, and although the city
had become rather Greek than Phrygian, it yet had somewhat fallen from
its former grandeur and importance. Since the twelfth century, only
the ruins of the great church of St. Michael have marked its site.
So completely was Colossae forgotten, that the idea arose that the
Colossians to whom St. Paul wrote his epistle were Rhodians, so called
from their famous Colossus." (Bible Treasury, p. 143.)
6. _Authorship of Hebrews:_ "The origin and history of the Epistle to
the Hebrews was a subject of controversy even in the second century.
There is no portion of the New Testament whose authorship is so
disputed, nor any of which the inspiration is more indisputable. The
early Church could not determine whether it was writen by Barnabas,
by Luke, by Clement, or by Paul. Since the Reformation, still greater
diversity of opinion has prevailed. Luther assigned it to Apollos,
Calvin to a disciple of the Apostles. The Church of Rome now maintains
by its infallibility the Pauline authorship of the Epistle, which in
the second, third, and fourth centuries, the same Church, with the same
infallibility, denied. But notwithstanding these doubts concerning the
origin of this canonical book, its inspired authority is beyond all
doubt. It is certain, from internal evidence, that it was written by a
contemporary of the Apostles, and before the destruction of Jerusalem;
that its writer was the friend of Timotheus; and that he was the
teacher of one of the Apostolic churches. Moreover, the Epistle was
received by the Oriental church as canonical from the first. Every
sound reasoner must agree with St. Jerome, that it matters nothing
whether it were written by Luke, by Barnabas, or by Paul, since it
is allowed to be the production of the Apostolic age, and has been
read in the public service of the Church from the earliest times.
Those, therefore, who conclude with Calvin, that it was not written
by St. Paul, must also join with him in thinking the question of its
authorship a question of little moment, and in 'embracing it without
controversy as one of the Apostolical Epistles." (Life and Epistles of
St. Paul, Conybeare and Howson, p. 848.)
7. _Summary Respecting Hebrews:_ The sum of all the controversy
respecting the Epistles to the Hebrews, I think is well set forth
in the following quotation from the Oxford Bible notes on the New
Testament:
"The great weight of testimony favors the opinion that Paul was the
author (though probably Luke was the writer) of this Epistle. It was
probably composed by the former when in very strict custody, either
at Caesarea, or at Rome (A. D. 62-64), just before his martyrdom (II
Timothy iv: 26), when denied writing materials, and dictated by him to
Luke, who then committed it to writing from memory. Some think we have
only a Greek translation of an original Hebrew text. It was addressed
specially to those Aramaic Christians of Palestine, who were exposed
to severe persecution from their fellow-countrymen, who adhered to
the expected return of visible glory to Israel. Brought up in fond
reminiscence of the glories of the past, they seemed in Christianity to
be receding from their peculiar privileges of intercommunion with God,
as a favored people, Angels, Moses, the High Priest, were superseded by
Jesus, the peasant of Nazareth; the Sabbath of the Lord's Day, the Old
Covenant by the New; while temple and sacrifices were obsolete What,
they asked, did Christianity give in their place? And Paul answers,
Christ; i. e., God for their Mediator and Intercessor: superior to
Angels, because nearer to the Father; to Moses, because a Son, not a
servant; more sympathizing than the High Priest, and more powerful
in intercession, because he pleads his own blood. The Sabbath is but
a type of rest in heaven, the New Covenant is the fulfillment of the
Old." (Oxford Bible Helps, p. 28.)
LESSON VIII.
SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.
_BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT (Concluded)._
ANALYSIS. REFERENCES.
_I. Paul's Pastoral Epistles._[1] Note 1.
1. General Character. I and II Timothy Titus;
2. I Timothy. Bible Helps and Dictionaries
3. II Timothy. previously cited.
4. Titus. Articles, the Epistles of
this lesson.
_II. Special Epistle._ Notes. Philemon, and
1. Philemon. Note 6.
_III. The Catholic Epistles._ All the Epistles named
1. James. in the Analysis. Notes
2. I and II Peter. and Bible Helps and Dictionaries.
3. I, II and III John.
4. Jude.
_IV. The Apocalypse._ The Book of Revelation.
1. The Name and Author. Doc. & Cov., Sec. 77: 1-2.
Y. M. I. A. Manual.
_SPECIAL TEXT: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear
my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me
in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father
in his throne."_--ST. JOHN.
_NOTES._
1. _Pastoral Epistles:_ "The Pastoral Epistles are three in
number--viz., I Timothy, II Timothy, and Titus. They are so called
because they bear upon pastoral duties. From the earliest times they
have been ascribed to Paul, and received as of canonical authority
by the Church. They all belong to the same period, and they were all
written towards the close of the Apostle's life. If the apostle had
been released from imprisonment for a time and then imprisoned a second
time, the epistles belong to the interval between his release from his
first imprisonment in Rome and his death--an interval during which he
had paid a brief visit to the churches he had founded in the east."
(Bagster Bible Helps, p. 76.)
2. _Timothy--Paul's Disciple:_ "Timothy resided at Lystra (Acts xvi:
1). He was the son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother named Eunice,
from whom, as also from his grandmother, Lois, he had received a
devout training in the Old Testament (II Tim. i: 5; iii: 14, 15). Paul
calls him his 'true son in the faith,' whence it is inferred that he
had received the gospel through Paul's preaching during his first
sojourn in Lystra. At all events, on the apostle's second visit to
Lystra, he found the mother and son already converted, although the
father continued an unbeliever. As Timothy was well reported of by
the brethren, Paul circumcised him and took him as one of his chosen
companions (Acts xix: 22). The connection continued intimate and
unbroken till the close of the apostle's career." (Bible Treasury, p.
146.)
3. _I Timothy:_ "The time and place of writing cannot be certainly
fixed. The former must have been between the years 64 and 67 A. D.
But the occasion and purport of the epistle are very plain. Heretical
teachers had arisen at Ephesus, where Timothy was stationed, and the
Apostle gives directions which the young man required, and which have
a permanent value for all youthful ministers. No systematic order of
thought, such as is found in Romans and Ephesians, meets us here, but
a free outpouring of the apostle's heart. The letter has been justly
compared to pearls of varied size and color loosely strung on one
thread." (Bible Treasury, p. 146.)
4. _II Timothy:_ "This epistle was written from Rome during Paul's
second imprisonment, probably about 67 A. D., and is the last of his
extant writings. After the address and a fervent thanksgiving for
Timothy's early training (ch.. i: 1-5), he exhorts him to boldness and
fidelity (ver. 6-14), adducing two examples--one of desertion, the
other of faithfulness (ver. 15-18); summons him to exercise fortitude
(ii: 1-13), to reprove 'profane babblings' (ver. 14-21), and to guard
well his own conduct (ver. 22-26.)" (Bible Treasury, p. 146.)
5. _Titus:_ "Of Titus, to whom this epistle is addressed, we know
nothing, except what we learn of him in Galatians, II Corinthians,
II Timothy, and this epistle, for he is not once mentioned by name
in the Acts of the Apostles. From these sources we conclude that he
was a Greek by birth, and a convert of Paul, that he accompanied
Paul and Barnabas to the first Council at Jerusalem (Acts xv), and
that he was one of those converts from heathenism on whose behalf
the council issued its decree exempting such from the obligation to
observe the Mosaic law. From the date of this event he appears to have
been a constant companion of Paul, and to have been from time to time
sent by him on missions of importance to the infant churches (comp.
II Cor. vii: 6-13; viii: 6; xii: 18). Titus was with Paul during
his imprisonment at Rome, and seems together with Timothy, to have
accompanied him after his release in the brief visit he paid to the
churches in the East." (Bagster's Bible Helps, p. 77.)
6. _The Story of Onesimus:_ It is remarkable how great the small
things of life sometimes become. Perhaps there is no letter or single
Christian document that reveals so much of the character of the times
of St. Paul as this brief personal note given to the runaway slave,
Onesimus--meaning "Profitable"--whom Paul is returning to his master
with so much courtesy. The following account of the Epistle by Prof.
Marcus Dodds, in the Bible Treasury, is worthy the space we here give
it:
"It is interesting to find this short note, on a merely domestic
matter, preserved among the epistles of St. Paul. It was written to
intercede for a runaway slave with his master, and it illustrates the
multifarious services the Apostle was invited to render. It is only
one sample of numberless letters which must have been written to his
many friends and disciples by one of St.. Paul's eager temperament
and warm affections in the course of a long and chequered life.'
Philemon was resident in Colossae (Col. iv: 9). He had been brought
to the faith by St. Paul (Philem. 19) and as it seems that as yet St.
Paul had not visited Colossae, it is probable that Philemon had heard
him in Ephesus. He was a thorough-going Christian (4-7), loving and
helpful, and the disciples in Colossae, or a section of them, met
in his house (2); Apphia was probably his wife, and Archippus his
son. Philemon's slave Onesimus (or 'Profitable,' a common name for a
slave) had run away, not empty-handed (18); and, having found his way
to Rome, and being somehow brought into contact with St. Paul he was
by him persuaded to abandon his old mind and his old ways (10). Paul
had devoted and active friends around him in Rome; but this energetic
slave, trained to watch a master's wants and to execute promptly what
was entrusted to him, became almost indispensable to the Apostle (11,
13). 'Profitable,' who was aforetime unprofitable to thee, now is
profitable to thee and to me.' Paul would gladly have retained his
services, but he acknowledged the claim of his master, and, besides,
would not deprive Philemon of the pleasure of voluntarily sending
him to minister to him (14). The note, short as it is, is valuable
in two respects: 1. It gives us a clear view of the uprightness and
courteousness of Paul. Nothing could be more winning and persuasive,
nothing more sympathetic and considerate, than the terms he used
in restoring the runaway to his master's good graces. 2. But the
letter shows us Christianity at work in connection with slavery. No
institution was more deeply rooted in the ancient world, and none more
alien to the spirit of Christ. Yet St. Paul does not set himself to
uproot it. Rather he might seem to give it his countenance by thus
restoring a runaway to his master. But Christianity (and Paul as its
representative), by admitting slaves to the brotherhood of the Church,
and by appealing to the brotherly feeling of the masters, introduced
principles which would not be stayed in their operation till slavery
was seen to be unchristian, and abolished. The Christian spirit does
not work the less surely because it works indirectly." (Bible Treasury,
p. 146-7.)
7. _The Catholic Epistles--General View:_ "Seven epistles are now
designated 'general' or 'catholic.' The term was first applied to
three of these (James, I Peter, and I John), and afterwards to II
Peter and Jude, the brief letters, II and III John, being finally
classed with the five others for convenience. The designation implies
that the letter was originally addressed to a wider circle of readers
than the members of a single community of Christians. In Greek Mss.
these epistles were usually placed immediately after the Acts of the
Apostles. This group of writings presents great variety in style and
diction, in date, and in maturity of doctrinal teaching." (Bible
Treasury, p. 149).
8. _Epistle of James:_ "James the Less, brother, or near relation, of
our Lord, an Apostle, had the oversight of the Church at Jerusalem
(Acts xv: 13), where he remained until his martyrdom (A. D. 62).
This epistle, generally attributed to him, shows evident tokens of a
degeneracy in the tone of Jewish Christians, to whom it is addressed,
stimulating them to the exercise of higher principles. It reproves
the prevailing vices of his countrymen,--hypocrisy, presumption,
censoriousness, love of riches; and insists that true faith
necessitates good works. It is remarkable for its eminently practical
nature, the homeliness and aptness of its illustration, and the bold,
plain-spoken rebukes of the wealthy oppressors of the poor. It was
probably written near the close of his life, and is addressed to the
whole 'twelve tribes.'" (Oxford Bible Helps, p. 29.)
9. _St. Peter--Protestant View:_ "Simon Peter, son of Jonas, a
fisherman at Bethsaida, was one of the foremost Apostles, by whom three
thousand were converted on the Day of Pentecost (Acts ii), and the
first Gentile family admitted by baptism into Christianity (Acts x:
47, 48). He is said to have preached to the Jews scattered throughout
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, i. e., the countries
of Asia adjacent to the Black Sea, to whom he addressed this epistle
from Babylon, probably about A. D. 63. Its general design was to
comfort them under afflictions." (Oxford Bible Helps, p. 29.)
10. _St. Peter--Catholic View:_ "The first Epistle of St. Peter, though
brief, containeth much doctrine concerning Faith, Hope, and Charity,
with divers instructions to all persons of what state or condition
soever. The Apostle commandeth submission to rulers and superiors,
and exhorteth all to the practice of a virtuous life in imitation of
Christ. This epistle is written with such apostolic dignity, as to
manifest the supreme authority with which its writer, the prince of the
Apostles, had been vested by his Lord and master Jesus Christ. He wrote
it at Rome, which figuratively he calls Babylon, about fifteen years
after our Lord's Ascension." (Douay Bible, p. 1481.)
11. _I Peter:_ "The date of the epistle is uncertain. Some place it
in 61 A. D.., before St. Paul's Roman imprisonment; others, in 63 or
64 A. D., after the release of that Apostle. The probabilities are
slightly in favor of the latter date. It was addressed to Christians
in certain regions of Asia Minor (i: 1). Strictly interpreted, the
language points to Jewish Christians, but it is now generally held that
all Christians are included in the address. The occasion of the epistle
was impending trial, probably not state persecution, but social and
personal opposition and reproach. Hence the tone of consolation and
encouragement, even in the exhortations. As often remarked, the keynote
is 'Hope.'" (Bible Treasury, p. 150.)
12. _II Peter:_ "The early evidence from Christian writers in support
of this epistle is not so strong as in the case of most of the New
Testament books. But, as it claims to be written by the 'Apostle'
Peter, it must be regarded as genuine, or as a wilful forgery. Internal
evidence disproves the latter view. It differs but slightly from the
first epistle in style and language, and these slight differences can
be accounted for from its purpose. The superiority to all Christian
writings of the post-apostolic age is evident. A recent discovery
of parts of two apocryphal books attributed to St. Peter shows what
inferior literature the earliest forgers produced. * * * * Apparently
addressed to the same readers as the first epistle, this one has a
different purpose, viz., to warn against teachers of error, and to
enjoin an advance in knowledge as well as in holiness. The false
teachers cannot be identified with those of the second century, which
is another proof that St. Peter wrote the epistle." (Bible Treasury, p.
150.)
13. _Epistles of John:_ "The tract called the First Epistle of John
seems rather to partake of the nature of a doctrinal discourse,
addressed to believers generally, but more particularly to Gentiles in
Asia Minor, probably in the neighborhood of its chief city, Ephesus.
Its date is uncertain. Some place it before the destruction of
Jerusalem, others towards the end of Cent. i., thinking it bears marks
of combating the Gnostic heresy. This epistle contains only thirteen
verses, eight of which are found in substance in the first. It was
probably written about the same time, but it is addressed 'to the Elect
Lady' (thought by some to mean the Church), and 'her children;' or to
'the Lady Electa,' a person so-called for her eminent piety. They are
exhorted to persevere in love, faith, and godliness, and to beware of
false teachers." (Bagster Bible Helps, p. 30.)
14. _Jude:_ "Jude, 'brother of James,' is supposed to be the Apostle
(surnamed Thaddeaus and Lebbaeus), and a near relation of our Lord
(Matt. x: 3; xiii: 55; Luke vi: 16). The epistle is remarkable for
the quotation of an otherwise unrecorded saying of Enoch (ver. 14),
and a tradition of a dispute between Michael the archangel and Satan
regarding the body of Moses (ver. 9.) Its date, place, and occasion,
are unknown; but it seems to denounce the same false teachers as those
rebuked in II Peter ii, and in very similar language; warning them by
the example of the fallen angels, of Cain, the impenitent in the times
of Noah, of the wicked cities of the plain, of Korah, and Balaam;
asserting the certainty of the future judgment and punishment of the
wicked." (Bagster Bible Helps, p 30.)
15. _Revelation:_ "This is the only [most largely] prophetic book of
the New Testament, and much of it remains still unfulfilled. There is
satisfactory evidence of its being genuine. Justin Martyr, living sixty
years after its supposed date, ascribes it to John; Papias acknowledges
its inspiration; Irenaeus (disciple of Polycarp, who was John's own
disciple) testifies to his authorship, and that he had himself received
the explanation of one passage in it from those who had conversed with
the Apostle about it. To these may be added Clement of Alexandria,
Theophilus, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, Jerome, Athanasius, etc."
(Bagster Bible Helps, p. 30.) See Doctrine & Covenants, sec.. lxxvii;
also Y. M. I. A. Manual for 1898-9.
Footnotes
1. See note 3, Lesson IV.
LESSON IX.
_GREAT NEW TESTAMENT CHARACTERS--LECTURES._
LECTURES. REFERENCES.
_I. Peter, the Chief of the Apostles._ The Four Gospels. Acts
1. Early Life of. of the Apostles, XV.
2. His Call to the Apostleship and I and II Peter, Commentary
Companionship with Jesus. Critical and Explanatory
3. His life after the Death of Jesus. Introduction to
4. Did He Establish the Church at I and II Peter, pp. 494-99.
Rome? Smith's Dictionary of the
Bible Art. Peter. St. Peter
as founder of the
Church at Rome--Catholic
View--"Catholic Belief"
(Bruno), pp. 307-321.
Protestant View, Milman's
History of Christianity,