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THE APOSTLE JOHN.

1. John was the son of Zebedee and Salome, "Peace," who was one of the band of women who ministered to Jesus.

2. He was the son of Zebedee, a master fisherman in the sea of Galilee.

3. He was a native of Bethsaida on the northern shore of the sea of Galilee; and his home was there or at Capernaum.

4. He appears to have been younger than Jesus, born perhaps between A.D. I and 5.

5. He lived to be the oldest of the Apostles, dying between A.D. 95-98.

6. He was named Boanerges = a Son of thunder (Mk. 3:17). "From his fiery earnestness," or from "the union of the passionate or vehement with the gentle and loving in his character. . once and again tempests of long-restrained emotion would burst forth out of the deep stillness of his strong reserved nature; " or " as a tribute to his eloquence."

7. In his later life John lived at Ephesus, and doubtless he had a fatherly pastorate over" the seven churches of Asia" which were planted in the region around Ephesus. 8. Five of the books of the New Testament bear his name, the Fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the book of Revelation.

9. He had a peculiarly tender, gentle, loving, and receptive nature, and with these was also ardent, bold, impetuous. He blended the gentleness of the dove with the sublime force and vision of the eagle.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN.

1. The Author was St. John the apostle, the most intimate companion of Jesus, and the best prepared by his own nature to understand Him. No one but an eye witness could have written this Gospel.

2. It was written in Greek, then known over the world. 3. It is entirely probable that in this Gospel John writes down what he had been preaching for more than half a century. It was this fact which made the wonderful perfection of the style and language of this Gospel, as well as its accuracy. said that Whitefield's sermons did not attain their perfect form till he had preached them forty times. I know the same was true of John B. Gough as he himself showed

me.

It is

4. He wrote this Gospel somewhere between A.D. 80-95. The exact date is unknown. "The general voice of antiquity places it at A.D. 80-86 when John was about 80 years old, in the full maturity of his years.

5. It was probably written at Ephesus in the province of Asia.

6. The purpose of this Gospel was "that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life through his name." Hence the

emphasis of this Gospel is on Signs and witnessing, the word "witness" being used 76 times in this Gospel. The signs, too were another form of bearing witness, being the credentials of his divine nature.

7. It is well to note some characteristics of this Gospel.

Only about 8 per cent of this Gospel is found in the other three.

The events recorded are chiefly in Jerusalem and Judea.

There are no parables in this Gospel, but "there are seven great similitudes, as 'the bread of life,' 'the light of the world,' sublime illustrations of glorious truths. There are also seven great miracles, or signs, acts of supernatural power worthy of the Son of God, Credentials of his Divine Commission, Symbols and Emblems and Objectlessons of the Great Truths he taught. Both the similitudes and the signs are wonderfully effective ways of teaching the great truths of the Gospel. Note too that in John's Gospel there is comparatively little of practical teaching like the sermon on the mount, but he lays down and illustrates the great dynamic principles which underlie, and inspire the duties of man to God, and man to man.

"The word 'Father' occurs 140 times in this Gospel. The name 'Jesus' is found in John 242 times." "Words such as light, life, grace, truth, glory meet us on almost every page: and the verb ' to believe' about 100 times."

Rev. D. Butler Pratt writes from the standpoint of Greek tragedy:

"One is surprised to discover how little descriptive narrative and how much dialogue and discourse the Fourth Gospel contains. Chapter after chapter can be written in dramatic form."

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, Vol. I, includes the Gospel of St. John. ($5.00, Doran.)

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The Inner Witness of the Fourth Gospel, by Laurence Keister, A.M., S.T.B. ($1.00 net. United Brethren Pub. House, Dayton, Ohio. 1915.)

The Expositor's Bible, by Dr. Marcus Dods. (50 cts. net. Doran.)

The Westminster New Testament on John. (75 cts. Revell.)

An American Commentary on the Gospel of John, by Rev. Alvah Hovey, D.D., LL.D. ($2.25, American Baptist Publication Company, Philadelphia.)

The Johannine Theology, a study of doctrinal contents of the gospel and epistles of the Apostle John, by Prof. George B. Stevens, D.D. ($2.00, Scribner's, New York.)

The New Testament for English Readers, a critical and explanatory commentary, by Henry Alford, D.D., Dean of Canterbury. Vol. I., Part II., is on John.

Word Studies in the New Testament, Synoptic Gospels and the Acts, by Prof. Marvin R. Vincent. (4 vols., $4.00 each. Scribner's. A special price of $8.00 for the 4 vols. is now made.)

The New Century Bible, volume on John by Rev. J. A. McClymont, D.D., of Edinburgh. (75 cts., Oxford University Press, American Branch, New York.) Bible for House and School, vol. on John by Prof. Shailer Mathews, D.D., is in preparation. (Macmillan.)

Lyman Abbott's Commentary on John. Modern Readers' Bible, volume on John. is short, but one of the best ever written for millan, New York.)

($1.50. A. S. Barnes & Co., N. Y.). The introduction by Professor Moulton Sunday school teachers. (50 cts. Mac

The Fourth Gospel: The Heart of Christ, by Edmund H. Sears. In libraries, but probably out of print.

The Gospel of St. John, in the series of Bible class expositions, by Alexander Maclaren. (Doran, 32 vols., sold by subscription. Send for prospectus.)

Devotional Hours with the Bible. The Gospel of John, by J. R. Miller, D.D. ($1.25. Doran.)

The People's Commentary on St. John, by Dr. Edwin W. Rice. (Am. Sun. Schl. Union.)

The Bible Commentary, by Canon Cook. ($3.00. Scribner's.)

An Inquiry into the Character and Authorship of the Fourth Gospel, by James Drummond, LL.D., principal of Manchester College, Oxford. ($3.50, Scribner's, N.Y.)

Our Lord's signs in St. John's Gospel, by John Hutchinson, D.D. (H. T. Clark.) Messages of Jesus according to John, Vol. X, in the Messages of the Bible Series, by Prof. J. S. Riggs, D.D. ($1.25, Scribner's, New York.)

Thirty Studies in the Gospel by John, by Principal Wilbert W. White, Bible Institute, Chicago. (30 cts. and 55 cts., Revell, New York.)

Bearing of Recent Discoveries on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament, by Sir Wm. Ramsay. ($1.25. Hodder and Stoughton. Doran, N.Y.)

Messianic Hope in the New Testament, by Prof. Shailer Mathews of the University of Chicago. ($2.50. University of Chicago Press.)

Suggestive Illustrations on John, by F. N. Peloubet. ($1.25. Holman Co., Phila.) The New Testament in Life and Literature, by Jane Stoddart. (Doran. $2.25.) John's Gospel: The Greatest Book in the World, by Robert E. Speer. (Revell.

50 cts. net.) An excellent little book for the study of the fourth Gospel, with terse and suggestive notes.

The thoughtful teacher who wants to deepen and broaden his foundation work in the study of the Gospel of John will find a helpful analysis in Dr. Pratt's book, just issued, The Deity of Jesus Christ. It is a most careful study of the fourth Gospel. It is bound in cloth, and may be had from The Sunday School Times Company for fifty cents.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT LESSONS.

Commentaries on the whole Old Testament, and on the different books studied. The Cambridge Bible. (75 cts. to $1.00 a volume, Cambridge University Press. Putnam's, N.Y.)

The Expositor's Bible. (50 cts. net a volume. Doran, N.Y.)

International Critical Commentary. ($3.00 a volume, Scribner's, New York.) The Bible Commentary, Canon F. C. Cook, editor. ($3.00 a volume, Scribner's, New York.)

The Pulpit Commentary. ($2.00 a volume, Funk & Wagnalls, New York.)

The New Century Bible, revised version with notes by Rev. A. R. S. Kennedy, D.D., of Edinburgh University. (75 cts. a volume. Oxford University Press, American Branch, New York.)

A recent and very helpful Bible exposition is The Christian Worker's Commentary, covering the Old and New Testaments, by James M. Gray, D.D., Dean of the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago. ($2.00. Revell.)

Expositions of Holy Scripture, by Alexander Maclaren, D.D., Litt.D. (Published

in 32 vols., sold by subscription. Doran.)

The Westminster Commentaries, by various editors. (Methuen.)
Commentary on the Holy Bible, in one volume, by various writers.

J. R. Dummelow. (Macmillan. $2.50 net.)

Edited by

History of the Jewish Church, by Rev. A. P. Stanley, D.D. 3 vols. Revised Edition. (Scribner's. $1.75 a volume.) (Cheaper edition for 90 cts.)

Hours with the Bible, by C. Cunningham Geikie. In various forms and prices. The Old Testament in Life and Literature, by Jane Stoddart. ($2.25 net. Doran.) This is a very skillful anthology, from an extensive reading in Biography, History and fiction.

The Prophets and Kings of the Old Testament, by F. D. Maurice, M.A. ($1.00, Macmillan, New York.)

Great Texts of the Bible, edited by James Hastings, D.D. (20 vols. $3.00 a volume. Sold separately. Scribner's.)

The Bible for Home and Schools on Isaiah.

D.D. (90 cts. Macmillan.)

Edited by Prof. Shailer Matthews,

The Temple Series of Bible characters. (18 small vols.

cott.)

30 cts. each. Lippin

The Poet's Bible, selected and edited by W. Garrett Horder, Old Testament Section. ($1.25, Ward, Locke & Bowden, London.) Poems illustrating various inci

dents in the Bible.

LIGHT FROM THE MONUMENTS.

Three or four books will give the most help to the Sunday school teachers, and senior scholars.

The Monuments and the Old Testament. New ed., by Prof. Ira M. Price, Ph.D. (Christian Culture Press.) With many interesting pictures.

Professor Kyle's Deciding voice of the Monuments in Biblical criticism is remarkably enlightening on many difficult points, and is written very clearly. (1912. Bibliotheca Sacra Co. Oberlin. $1.65.)

Light on the Old Testament from Babel, by Prof. Albert T. Clay, Ph.D. of Yale. (S. S. Times Company, $2.00.)

Urquhart's New Biblical Guide.

Recent Discoveries and the Bible. (8 vols. $7.00.

Gospel Pub. House, N. Y. City.)

LIGHT FROM THE HOLY LAND.

Everyday Life in the Holy Land, by Rev. James Neil, for years a clergyman at Jerusalem, with 32 pictures painted by the Royal Artist, James Clark, 1913. of the most helpful books yet written. (Cassell & Co. $2.50.)

One

Palestine and its Transformation, by Prof. Ellsworth Huntingdon, a remarkable book on new lines of investigation. (Houghton & Mifflin. $2.00.)

In the Master's Country, by Martha Tarbell, Ph.D. (Doran. 25 cts.) The Holy Land, painted by John Fulleylove, and described by John Kelman, contains 92 colored pictures of the land where Jesus lived, with attractive descriptions,

and can greatly aid the teacher in impressing facts and interesting the scholar. (Macmillan. $6.00.)

Sacred Sites of the Gospels, by Prof. W. Sanday, LL.D., with 58 plates, maps and plans, is remarkably helpful. (Oxford Univ. Press. $4.50.)

The Historical Geography of the Holy Land, by Prof. Geo. A. Smith, D.D., is the

best book on this subject. (Doran. $3.75.)

On Holy Ground, Bible stories with pictures of Bible lands, by William L. Worcester, D.D. ($3.00, Lippincott, Philadelphia.)

Dr. Trumbull's Studies in Oriental Social Life is remarkable for the light it throws upon the Bible. (Scribner's. $1.50.)

The Land and the Book, by William M. Thomson, D.D., for forty-five years a missionary in Syria and Palestine. (Harper's, 3 vols., $7.50.)

THE LIFE OF CHRIST IN ART.

The Christ Face in Art, by James Burns. 62 illustrations. 1908.)

(Dutton. $2.00.

The Palestine Pictorial Bible contains 32 beautifully colored illustrations and 84 engravings. Authorized Version. (Oxford University Press. $2.00 to $4.50.)

The Christ-Child in Art, by Henry van Dyke, D.D., is exceedingly interesting and attractive. (Harper's. $4.00.)

The Life of Our Lord in Art, by Estelle M. Hurll, is a brief descriptive history of the art illustrating the incidents in the historic life of Christ. (Houghton & Mifflin. $3.00.)

The Life of Christ as Represented in Art, by Canon Farrar, is very suggestive, with pictures, ancient and modern, representing Christ in various relations, as portrayed by the great artists of the ages. (Macmillan. $6.00.)

Mrs. Jameson's History of Our Lord as Exemplified in Works of Art (completed by Lady Eastlake) is fascinating in its pictures and descriptions. (Longmans. 2 vols., $8.00.)

The Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, illustrated by Tissot, from pictures painted from nature in the Holy Land. 4 vols.

Riverside Art Series, by Estelle M. Hurll. A collection of pictures with introduction and interpretation. 12 vols. each on a single artist. (Houghton, Mifflin Co. 50 cts. each.)

BIBLE DICTIONARIES.

Hastings's Bible Dictionary, in 4 vols., is the most complete of the larger diction.

aries.

One of the best of the smaller Bible Dictionaries is A Dictionary of the Bible, by John D. Davis, Ph.D., D.D., LL.D., of Princeton. The newest edition of this book, the Third Revised Edition, has 848 pages octavo, 229 good illustrations, and 22 maps. This is completely revised, with the addition of some new articles, and the rewriting of others. 1911. $2.50 net. (Westminster Press.)

The International Bible Dictionary. 800 pages, 400 unusually good explanatory illustrations with charts, colored maps, new clear type. Proper names pronounced by respelling. An appendix containing much valuable matter in the way of tables, etc. This is based on Dr. Wm. Smith's Condensed Bible Dictionary, and revised up to the most recent accepted Biblical research by Rev. F. N. Peloubet, D.D., assisted by Alice D. Adams, M.A. 1912. $2.40 and $5.00. (Winston, Philadelphia.)

The Dictionary of the Bible. Edited by James Hastings, D.D. Complete in one volume. 992 pages, 7 by 5 inches. No illustrations and proper names not pronounced. Three colored maps in the text, two of them fine, large, double-paged. Full discussions. 1909. $6.00. (Scribner's.)

The Standard Bible Dictionary.. 920 pages, 8 by 5 inches. Somewhat larger and clearer type than some other dictionaries. 460 unusually good explanatory illustrations. Proper names pronounced by respelling. 9 colored maps and 23 plain maps and plans scattered throughout the text. Thumb index. 1909. $6.00. (Funk & Wagnalls.)

A Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, 2 vols., edited by James Hastings, D.D., is very valuable. (Scribner's. $6.00 a volume. 1906.)

CHILDREN'S BIBLE STORIES.

The Story of the Bible, by J. L. Hurlbut, D.D. Finely illustrated.

up. (Winston Co.)

1904. $1.25 and

The Bible for Children, selected and arranged by Prof. Francis Brown. 1903. $3.00 (Century Co.)

On Holy Ground, by W. L. Worcester. Bible stories beautifully illustrated with more than 500 pictures of Bible lands. 1904. $3.00 (Lippincott.)

Telling Bible Stories, by Louise Seymour Houghton. 1905. $1.25 (Scribner's.) Old Testament Bible Stories, arranged by Prof. R. G. Moulton. (Modern Reader's Bible Series.) 1899. 40 cents. (Macmillan.)

The Story Bible, by Margaret E. Sangster, is illustrated, 12 colored decorative drawings. 1905. $2.00. (Moffat, Yard & Co.)

Old Testament Stories for Little Children, by Laura E. Cragin.
The Bible Beautiful, by Estelle M. Hurll. Finely illustrated.
Bible Stories to Tell Children, by W. D. Murray. $1.00.
Tell Me a True Story, by Mary Stewart. $1.25.

$1.25.
(Page & Co.)

The Garden of Eden, by Dean George Hodges. 1909. $1.50. (Houghton & Mifflin.)

Old Testament Narratives, by Prof. George H. Nettleton. 1909. (Henry Holt.) The Old Testament Story, by Mary W. Brownson. 4 vols., 2 on this period. 1904. 75 cents each. (Wilde Co.)

Biblical Dramas, arranged by Rev. Harris G. Hale, D.D. (Pilgrim Press), are capital for reading in character in school or in class.

It is impossible to give an exhaustive list of the valuable books under this heading. Some of those in the list at present may be out of print, but even these will be found in libraries; and all are good.

PICTURES AS AN AID TO TEACHING.

After obtaining a knowledge of the lesson material and its applications, few aids to teaching are more effective than pictures of various kinds. Photographs of places and of great pictures can be obtained for about 15 cents each.

Underwood's Stereoscopic Views of scenes in the Holy Land, taken from nature, by most experienced artists, are a great aid to the teacher in making the environment of this year's lessons vivid and real to his scholars. (Underwood and Underwood, New York.)

Colored Photographs. Beautiful photographs in the colors of nature have been taken of many places and scenes in the Holy Land, which combine the truthfulness of a photograph with a richness of color and delicacy of tinting that remind one of fine oil or water-color paintings. I have them always in my study to make me familiar with Bible scenes and places. There are 150 of the smaller, 6 by 9, pictures, besides a number of larger size. (Detroit Photographic Company, Detroit, Mich.)

Colorgraphs are reproductions in colors of the most celebrated paintings of the world by a lately discovered process, by means of which the colorings of the originals are duplicated in all their richness and beauty. These pictures are marvels of beauty and attractiveness. (W. A. Wilde Company.)

There are several thousand inexpensive pictures illustrating the Holy Bible, consisting of reproductions of pictures by famous artists, and of photographs from the land itself. (See the catalogue issued by the Sunday-school Commission, I Lafayette Street, New York City.) Among the best of these are those issued by the W. A. Wilde Co. The Penny Pictures in half-tone. The half-tone process which gives excellent copies of famous paintings and scenes from nature, illustrating the life of Christ and the Old Testament history. These can be used in the class, or can be pasted in blank books. The scholars can write out the story of the lesson in connection with the pictures. These pictures are only one cent apiece. A list of some of the pictures are here given. If more are desired, send for catalogue to W. A. Wilde Company. Containing 800 subjects.

Scrap Albums for Bible Pictures. The W. A. Wilde Company have prepared a most attractive album to hold the Bible pictures. It is expressly made for this

purpose.

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