BIBLE LESSONS By CHARLES FILLMORE. Lesson 8-May 23 THE COUNCIL AT JERUSALEM-Acts 15:1-35. I And certain men came down from Judæa and taught the brethren, saying, Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and questioning with them, the brethren appointed that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. 3 They therefore, being brought on their way by the church, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. 4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and the apostles and the elders, and they rehearsed all things that God had done with them. 5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, It is needful to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses. 22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: namely Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief among the brethren: 23 And they wrote thus by them, The apostles and the elders, brethren, unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting: 24 Forasmuch as we have heard that certain who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls; to whom we gave no commandment; 25 It seemed good unto us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul. 26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also shall tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 29 That ye abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye keep yourselves, it shall be well with you. Fare ye well. GOLDEN TEXT- But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they.-Acts 15:11. The early Christians were divided into two classes: First, the Christian Jews of all kinds, and the Gentile proselytes who had become Jews, accepting their laws, ritual and hopes. Second, the Gentile Christians, who accepted Jesus as their Savior, but refused to submit to the peculiar rites of Jewish life. It will be seen at a glance that this difference has its foundation in forms of worship, and not in essential principles. In the individual consciousness a similar division is at first set up. The form of words in which a truth is stated seems of great importance to the new disciple, and he cannot understand how there can be so many statements, in apparently diverse words, of exact principles. The Jewish thought is the intellectual. perception, which is usually wedded to certain set ways of expressing Truth, and gives careful attention that the same idea be stated in exactly the same way every time. If allowed to dominate, this Jew forms a religious caste, which separates itself from its fellows in factions and sects, based upon the form of Truth instead of its essence. The real Christian spirit is opposed to this caste system. It is broad and free in that higher spiritual understanding which recognizes Truth in principles rather than words. "Forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls." "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; "That ye abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled and from fornication." This means: Withdraw your thought from the idea that religious forms and ceremonies have any essential effect upon your relation to God. Deny that these forms have any life in them. Withdraw your thought from all lifeless things do not unite yourself to any illusion of sense. Lesson 9-May 30 BELIEVING AND DOING - James 2:14-26. 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and in lack of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Go in peace, and be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith if it hath not works, is dead in itself. 18 Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith. 19 Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? 21 Was not Abraham our father, justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect; 23 And the scripture was filled with faith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God. 24 Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. 25 And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body apart from the Spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead. GOLDEN TEXT-Faith apart from works is barren. -2:20. The question of the relation between faith and works has never been settled. Some theologians contend that a man can be saved by faith alone, while others are sure that it takes works to complete the salvation. But there is diversity of opinion as to the character of the works. There are two kinds of faith; one is founded on intellectual perception of spiritual things and the other on true spiritual Understanding. The first is not naturally followed by works, while the second by virtue of the law under which it exists completes itself in works. Paul describes this true faith in Heb. II, and in all the examples given, works resulted. There was no question whatever of the absence of works. Whoever has this spiritual faith must manifest it in some way. This faith is Substance and brings forth fruit as naturally as a rich soil produces a crop. But let no man say what the character of works from spiritual faith shall be. Those who perceive from the intellect claim that the evidence of faith is in such outer works as clothing and feeding the bodies of men, while the spiritually wise see a much greater need in clothing their naked souls. Spiritual faith is the most real thing in existence. It is, as Paul says, a substance. a living substance and those who have it are in the assurance of the reality of things that others cannot see. By thinking continuously about God as the very Substance of supply, a faith is built up in the mind that produces everything that thought puts into it. Many people have almost unconsciously developed this faith and it has produced marvelous results in their works. The several large orphan asylums built and operated by George Mueller in Bristol, and other places in England, are striking evidences of this spiritual faith. And this man knew the value of absolute faith. It is related that his chief steward came to him just before dinner one day and said that the children would have to eat their meal without bread, as there was none and no money to buy it. Mr. Mueller told the steward to go right back to his work that there would be bread in time, and sure enough a few minutes before dinner a wagon load of bread was sent by a benevolent baker. The steward was at once discharged by Mueller, who told him that he could not afford to have anyone in his house who doubted the providence of God. It is not safe to have a single doubt in your mind if you want the unfailing fruit of faith. Lesson 10 - June 6 THE POWER OF THE TONGUE - James 3.1-12. I Be not many of you teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive heavier judgment. 2 For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. 3 Now if we put the horses' bridles into their mouths, that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also. 4 Behold the ships also, though they are so great, and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth. things. 5 So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature. and is set on fire by hell. 6 7 For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison. 8 9 Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God: ΙΟ Out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. II Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter? 12 Can a fig tree. my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither can salt water yield sweet. GOLDEN TEXT Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.- Prov. 21:23. Philosophers have striven to discover what faculty most clearly separates man from the brute; as, that man is the only animal that laughs, or the only animal that cooks, or the only animal that stands upright. Most thinkers, however, agree that the power of speech, with all that has grown out of it, is the |