Newspapers / The Journal-Patriot (North Wilkesboro, … / Oct. 2, 1947, edition 1 / Page 10
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Sunday School lesson OCTOBER 5, 1947 By Dr. Paul Caudill Topic: "The Better Revelation" Printed Text: Hefc. 1:1-4; 2:1-8; John 14:8-11 The authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews is unknown. Some ascribe it to the Apostle Paul. Others have suggested Apollo8, Clement of Rome, and Luke as the-'author. Harnack suggested that Priscilla might be the author. Priscilla was the chief teacher of Apollos who was an Alexandrian, and some see evidence of Alexandrian in fluences in the contents of the Epistle. Some of the late manu scripts attribute the Epistle to Paul in the title as is set forth in the King James Version of our Bible. But the older manuscripts have as the title "To the He brews." The aim and object of the Epistle Is clear to the careful reader from the very beginning. "The Christians addressed are evidently in danger of falling a way from their faith and apos tatising altogether. So desperate does their condition appear to the author, that he feels it neces sary to expostulate in the gravest terms. It is not fascination of the world luring them away from their original consecration that occasions this danger. The He brews are discouraged to almost the extent of despair, because they do not see how the gospel can offer them anything like compensation for what they have lost in being cast out of the synagogue on account of their confession of the Nazarefle. This is the condition that the Epistle has to face. The method of meet ing it is to boldly challenge the vaunted, venerable Judaism in its very citadel, the Levitical Law. The author institutes a comparison between Christianity and Judaism, or rather between Christ and the chief personages of Judaism—for with him 'Chris tianity is Christ'—in order to show that Christ is their superior in their very points of excellency, and that the gospel gives ua the very thing that the Law profess ed to give, but much more ef fectually. It has all that Juda ism had; and it has this in a higher form, in a larger measure; nay, it alone really has this, for Judaism failed—Judaism could not do what It was relied upon to accomplish." God's Final Word Verses one and two of the opening chapter of Hebrews de clare that God's final word was spoken to humanity through his Son. "God having of old times spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, hath at the end - of these days spoken unto uB in his Son, whom he appoint ed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds." Here we have the two meth ods of revelation contrasted (Dummelow). "Judaism rested on the Old Testament as its au thority; Christianity rests on the revelation in Christ. The earlier revelation was fragmentary, and limited by the limited human na ture of the prophets through whom it came; the later revela tion is a unity coming through that one person in whom Son ship to Cod has been perfected, and who therefore most ade quately represents the divine na ture." The author (v. 4) proceeds then to set forth his argument of the supremacy of Christ. Jes us is declared to be superior to the angels by nature though he had for awhile, on earth, the ' lowly abode of the incarnation whereby he was able to learn to sympathize with us, taking our own nature upon him in order to become our adequate high priest (2:5-18). In this way he tasted "death for every man"j and became as the author of our slavation "perfect through suN ferings" (Heb. 2:10). Jesus is likewise set forth as superior to Moses who is regard ed as the founder of the Nation al religion (3:1-6). ''For he hath been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by so much as he that built the house hath more honor than the' house" (Heb. 3:3). Christ Jesus, therefore, is to be looked upon as the final Word of God—the last door. It is .his privilege to bestow the "prom ised rest" to which Joshua al luded. He is the High Priest, our Saviour. Drifting Away The opening verses of Chapter 2 shout one of the most solemn warnings to be found in God's Word: "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest haply we drift away from them. For if the word spoken through angels proves stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a Just recompense of re ward; how shall we escape, If w< neglect so great a salvation?" The readers of the Epistle were in danger of doing exactly the thing ^hat the author wai warning them against — thej were In danger uof drifting awaj from the teachings they had re celved concerning the Son of God And that Is the gravest dangei that Christians of every genera tion have to face. It Is so easj for one to profess faith in Christ as Saviour and Lord and to man ifest a fair degree of loyalty foi a season nad then to "drift' farther and farther away fron the will and purposes of God. What one believes has a decid ed effect upon what one does in life. Ag a man thlnketh In hit heart so is he. That is why the Apostle Pavul enjoined his fel low Christians to have within them the same mind "which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2: 6). Protestants, and Baptists in particular, have not spent enough time in indoctrinating their young .Christians. Too much la I taken for granted. Unless a per ! son has theological ''bottom" to his beliefs and to -his Christian life he is not apt to stand firm ly in hours of temptation and su preme trial. Creed is important. And it is nothing short of im perative that more attention be given to doctrinal teachings in our churches. We need to believe and to know what we believe and why we believe! Way . . . Troth . • » Life In John 14:6 we have what might he regarded as the "ten words" of the New Testament. They set forth In the New Testa ment an interpretation of the character and mission of the Messiah that may well stand over against the ten words setting forth the moral law In the Old Testament. Christ is a "way" of life. That is what Paul is talking about in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinth ians He is setting forth "av most excellent way" (1 Cor. 12:31). Moreover Christ is the truth, not merely a truth or "some truth." He is the final revela tion of God concerning his plan for redemption of the World. And he is "the life." These words in themselves are enough to compel us to follow Jesus. He is our one and only hope, for there is hope in no other. o In 1777, James Madison, who later became President of the United States, refused to treat the electors to rum and punch, alter the custom of the time; consequently, he was not re elected to his state convention. AT ELKINSUNDAY Elkin.—Fresh from an impres sive victory at the Greensboro Fairgrounds last week-end, Fon ty Flock, now leading the nation al point standings oyer his bro ther Bob by 60 small points, will head a crack field of some 35 of the nation's foremost drivers in 110 laps of stock car racing at the Elkin Speedway' Sunday aft ernoon. Scheduled for Elkln's final race of the 1947 season are three 10-lap heats, a 20-lap con solation and 60-lap feature, longest such program ever to be held here. Time trlalB will begin at 1 p. m. and the first race will get under way at 3 p. m. It will be the next-to-the-last stock car race of the year in North Carolina, as the National Championship Stock Car Racing Circuit schedule calls for only two shows in addition to the big Elkin races — Greensboro this ooming Saturday and North Wil kesboro October 19. GAINS10 LBS. ON RETONGA, IS FEELING FINE Nervong Indigestion Had Him Afraid to EatjHardly Anything, States Asheville Citizen. ♦ "I found Retonga to be the best medicine I ever used and I never miss an opportunity to tell others about it", gratefully declares Mr. F. W. Branson, well-known resi dent of 42 Cumberland Avenue, Asheville, N. C. "I began to suffer from indi gestion about two years ago and it got worse until I was afraid to eat hardly anything at all", con tinued Mr. Branson. "My appe tite got poor and sour stomach and gas pains set in after prac tically every meal. I began to lose sleep and 1 felt as tired every morning as I did when I went to bed. I had to use strong laxatives and this seemed to weaken me still further. I lost several pounds and didn't seem to have half my normal strength left. "I did not expect Retonga to re lieve me like it did. My appetite has returned, I have regained 10 pounds, and I sleep fine. Retonga relieved the constipation and I feel so much stronger that I never seem to tire out. It would be hard to praise Retonga enough". Retonga is intended to relieve distress due to insufficient flow of digestive juices in the stomach, loss of appetite, Vitamin B-l defi ciency and constipation. Accept no substitute. Retonga may be obtained at Horton's Drug Store in North Wilkesboro. (Adv.)
The Journal-Patriot (North Wilkesboro, N.C.)
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Oct. 2, 1947, edition 1
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