VOL. XXVI SEPTEMBER 1943
NO. 9 Tolerance"Love suffereth long, and is
kind." - 1 Cor. 13:4 THERE IS no
quality of the Christian character more important than that of tolerance. The lack of it
has been back of most of the terrible persecutions and martyrdoms that have come to
followers of Christ since the introduction of Christianity into the world. Foxe's Book
of Martyrs, and the many histories recording the dreadful persecutions and manifold
sufferings and tortures of Christ's true followers, would never have been written but
for the absence of this most important trait of character-likeness to our divine Lord
and Master. Intolerance has existed in all ages, and has been that which more than
anything else has misrepresented true Christianity. And sad and strange to say, it has
not only been manifested on the part of apostate Christians, but it is found to exist in
the lives of true Christians; indeed, it will hardly be an exaggeration to say that
nearly all Christians have at some time been guilty of giving expression to intolerance,
and have to a greater or less extent at some time in their Christian experience,
exhibited it, even in their dealings with their fellow-Christians. It appears that but few
people have a true and proper appreciation of what
tolerance really is. Some learned, devout Christians have even questioned the
correctness of our dictionaries in defining it. One of the reasons for this is, doubtless,
because of the failure to see that tolerance is an.
inner disposition or state. In fact, all the various traits or manifestations of
Christian character are based upon, and grow out of, the inward condition of the heart.
Murder is defined generally as the commission of the act or deed in taking life. It is
defined in the Scriptures as the disposition of
hatred that is expressed in a desire or wish to commit the deed which has hatred back of
it. That we may
appreciate the wrong views- held as to the meaning of tolerance, we will examine what some
others have said. A learned and godly writer has quoted some utterances of eminent men in
regard to this matter. One of these has said: "The only foundation for tolerance is a
degree of skepticism." * --------------------------------------- * Charles
James Fox. "John
Harvard, in the university that bears his name, declared of the Puritans by whom that
college was created: 'They were intolerant, as all men the world over in all time have
always been and will always be when they are in solemn earnest for the truth,' " How
utterly unscriptural, how unchristlike are these statements which imply that this
disposition is a proper one to possess. This godly man who quotes the above writer, has
given: us a true definition of tolerance as exhibited in Christ Himself, the true model
and example for His followers, and it is with a pleasurable feeling that we listen to his words: "Tolerance is the willing consent that
other men should hold and ex press opinions with which we disagree, until they are
convinced by reason that those opinions are untrue." TOLERANCE IS FORBEARANCEAs we have
said, tolerance is a disposition, an inner quality of character; a. willing, not a forced, consent that others should hold and
express 'opinions until they are convinced by reason and Scripture that they are wrong.
Toleration is the behavior in which that disposition finds expression. It is possible to
have the latter and not possess the former." "The consent is a willing one; it is not a mere yielding of
compulsion." One has said: "It
might have all the power to put down the error by force which pope or parliament ever
possessed, and it would never for a moment dream of
using it. On the other hand, it is simply consent.
Tolerance is not called to champion the cause in
which it disbelieves, nor to lend trumpets through which what it believes to be error may
be blown; for it is the very essence of tolerance that there should be a disagreement.
. . And the error, which is not to be yielded until it is convinced of its untruth' by
reason, must be attacked by reason; and so the right and duty of earnest discussion is
included as a part of tolerance. And the tolerance which is patient toward what it counts honest error, is utterly impatient towards
dishonesty, toward hypocrisy, toward self-conceit, toward cant, whether it be [exhibited]
on the side of what the-honest man thinks to be error, or of that which he thinks to be
true." Another
writer has said that "it is the natural feeling
of all of us that charity [we would say tolerance] is founded upon the uncertainty of
truth." "I believe," says this same writer, "it is founded upon the
certainty of truth." Two very strong evidences,, then, of the existence of true
tolerance in a follower of Christ are, positive conviction, and sympathy with' other: men
whose convictions differ with your own. It is only by the possession of these two
qualities that. tolerance becomes "a clear, definable, respectable position for a
man to stand in." Furthermore, true tolerance is exhibited toward our fellow-men just
in "proportion to the earnestness with which we hold our well-proven truth." Conviction of truth is the first, and an absolutely
necessary element to an exhibition of true tolerance. It is only when we are
thoroughly convinced that what we hold is truth, that true tolerance has an opportunity
to manifest itself. On the other hand, it is almost certain to be the case that when a
Christian becomes the most thoroughly, convinced of truth and its importance, that then it
is apt to become to him a terrible thing for another to differ with him. Before we see the
truth and its importance, it is a matter of very little concern or consequence to us
what another believes about the matter. It is just at the point when we become
thoroughly convinced of truth that the exhibition of intolerant bigotry is manifested and
the temptation to "lift the axe or kindle the fires of persecution" has to be
resisted, and the cultivation of true tolerance inculcated. The professed Christian,
however, who is indifferent in the matter, who has no real creed or belief of his own, and
who has no strong conviction that his belief is correct, has no opportunity to manifest
true tolerance. He may call himself tolerant toward his fellow-Christians because he is
willing that they should believe what they please, but he lacks the first element of true
tolerance, which is that of a strong conviction that what he holds is the truth: IMITATIONS OF TOLERANCETolerance,
being a disposition of, the heart, like other traits of character, has its imitations or
counterfeits. We mention three. One of these may be properly termed the tolerance of
indifference. If it is a matter of indifference to me whether a thing is truth or not, why
should I not be perfectly willing to let my Christian brother believe what he chooses to
believe. This is frequently defined as tolerance, but it is not Scriptural, Christlike
tolerance. Then we have that which is akin to this, that may be denominated the tolerance
of helplessness; for example, we allow another to hold error because we cannot help
ourselves. This is
sometimes called the "tolerance of persecuted minorities." Neither is this true
Christian tolerance, for the reason that the disposition of intolerance may be possessed,
but because of a lack of authority or power to exercise that disposition,, it is
suppressed. Then we have what 'might be called the tolerance of policy, which means simply
that we allow another to hold what we believe is error because we think it might stir up
strife and division if we attempted to stamp it out. These three kinds of what are
sometimes called tolerance, are not real Christian tolerance. While there may be some
-commendable qualities in them, they lack either a strong conviction of truth, as does
the first, or the inner trait or disposition, as do the two last. We will now
endeavor to illustrate what calls for the exercise of tolerance; and this will help us to
understand whether real, commendable tolerance is possessed First of all, we notice what
may be termed the tolerance that is exhibited because of pure respect for a man because he
is a man. We. may entirely, disagree with a man's opinion or belief, and yet we may
cordially acknowledge that if he is honest in his belief, he has as good a right, to his
own opinion or convictions as we have to ours -- and this for the simple reason that he
is a man and, as such, this is his right. Next we have
what is properly termed the tolerance that is exhibited as a result of Christian love
and sympathy. We may feel sure that our Christian brother's opinions are wrong, but the
fact that we know and recognize that he has the spirit of Christ and therefore is a true
Christian, enables us, or should enable us, to willingly and cordially allow him to hold
those opinions until either by our efforts or
those of some one else, or by his own reasoning powers, he becomes convinced that he is
wrong. THE PURPOSE OF TRUTHNext we have
the tolerance that is exhibited as the result of an enlarged view of truth. It should be
much easier to exhibit true tolerance from this standpoint. Such an one, if he have
learned the truth at the Master's feet, and if he have (as such always have) made, a
proper use of the truth, will realize, possibly for the first time, that sacred truth is
very much larger than' his own conception of it. Such Christians experience, or should
experience, an enlargement of the heart as they come to realize how great, how
wonderful, is God's love for His creatures; that all sacred truth comes from Him; and that
He is the great Caretaker and Preserver of truth.. Such have come to know that the Bible,
which contains His truth, is for man, and will eventually be known and understood by all.
As God freely lets His truth be misunderstood, and waits in perfect patience for the time
appointed by Him when it will be freed from misconceptions and shine out clear and bright,
so ought not we be patient, knowing that this
is His purpose? While it is
without question that truth is the most important of all the trusts committed to the
servant of God, it should ever and always be kept before the mind that truth is not an
end in itself, but is rather a means to accomplish an end. Therefore, truth is not
committed to the servant of God as a sacred trust, to be guarded and defended as a miser
does his treasures, but rather as an instrument to be used for the great and
all-important work of character development. While it is commendable that we dread a
stain of error on the truth, we should dread vastly
more the losing sight of what the truth was given for. We will not be called to
account,' when we stand before our divine Lord and Master to render up our stewardship,
as to how faithfully we have fenced in, or contended for, or safeguarded, or defended the
truth; it will rather be concerning what use we have
made of the truth in allowing it to change, to transform our characters into the
likeness of our Lord and Master.. The larger our knowledge or view of truth becomes, the
larger the measure of that character-likeness of our Lord and Master will be required on
our part. It is
possible, indeed it is with sorrow that we say it, that the real purpose or object of the
enlarged view of truth now so graciously given, is thwarted in the lives of many who have
received it by a kind of pride that we know so much,
as well as a spirit of intolerance manifested among us. One of the very purposes of
the truth is to make us meek and humble, as well as charitable toward one another, and
patient- and kind toward those who are blinded by the god of this world; and in the
proportion that it fails to work this change in our own lives, in that proportion will we
fail in recommending it to others and, in drawing them to become meek and humble followers
of the divine Master. SATAN OPPOSED TO BIBLE STUDYAgain, this
feeling of pride exhibits itself in causing some of us to think that we possess all the
truth; that we are no longer to be Bible students, truth seekers, in the true and proper
sense of those terms. The moment we cease to search the Scriptures, that moment we cease
to be either "Truth people" or "Bible students." Satan's efforts have
ever been to hinder the progress of the Truth, for the success of his-empire of darkness
depends upon holding the people in darkness and ignorance. Consequently, varied have been
his tactics by which he has sought to hold in check or throttle those, who would press on
in the path of light and truth. One of his most successful methods has been to arrest the
attention of the truth seeker upon some visible instrumentality that the Lord has used in
a special way to blaze and prepare the way for the onward march of others. How often in
the past, multitudes have made the very grave
mistake of supposing and concluding that their leader had received all the truth,
had been made the complete custodian over all the volume of divine revelation, and that
there was nothing more to be learned, and accordingly have set about to make a little
fence around their leader and the measure of truth they possessed, thus narrowing down
their opportunities and preventing any further progress. It. is amongst such as make this
serious error that we so frequently discern the most radical intolerance and the largest
measure of bigotry. Nor is the Christian leader to whom many may have been led to look,
always to blame for the error his followers thus make. In fact, history clearly reveals
that the real reformers, the true and worthy leaders, have never claimed to have mastered
all the truth; have never taught their, followers to believe that there was nothing more
to be learned by those who came after them. To the contrary, we find that all true
reformers and teachers of divine truth have humbly acknowledged the fact that what they
have succeeded in bringing forth was only a part of the
Truth -- their quota, or such as it seemed good to divine Providence to impart to each in
his day -- and that there was more to follow. Such leaders have encouraged those who
received their messages to continue to be truth seekers and to continue to progress in the
path of light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The Bible, of all books,
stands for liberty and progress, and bids the humble believer throw off all human fetters
and bondages, and to walk in the light as Christ is in the light. THE LIGHT IS MARCHING ONNo language
is fraught with more significance and solemn meaning to God's people today than that of
Pastor Russell on this very-point, and his illustrious words should stand out as a
warning' against the tendency at the present time to fence in the truth that we have and
to halt in the path of light. We quote his message: "Over
1800 years ago, when the Apostles 'fell asleep,' the enemy Satan, got a free hand in the
Church, the Lord's wheat-field; and as our Lord's parable prophesied, he sowed the tares
of error unstintingly. (Matt. 13:24, 36-43.) Those errors more or less twisted and
distorted every truth of the divine revelation, with the result that, before the fourth
century had dawned, the Lord's wheat field had practically become a tare-field with only a
proportionately small minority of true wheat in it. The darkness of error more and more
settled down upon the Church, and for ten centuries the 'Mystery of Iniquity' prevailed,
and gross darkness covered the people. Those ten centuries are today, denominated the
'dark ages' by a large proportion of the most intelligent people, of the 'Christian
world,' and we are to remember
that it was in the midst of this gross darkness that the, Reformation Movement had its
start. The light of the Reformers began to shine amidst the darkness, and, thank God; it
has been. growing brighter and brighter ever since! We cannot wonder, however, that
the Reformers themselves, educated in that gross darkness, were more or less contaminated
with it, and that they did not instantly, succeed in purging themselves of its defiling
errors: rather we would have considered it nothing short of a miracle had they slipped
from the gross darkness into the full, clear light of the divine character and plan. "The
difficulty amongst the followers of the Re formers in the past three centuries has been
that the have considered it meritorious to accept the creed formulated in that reformation
period, and have glorified in them, and have considered unorthodox an further progress
toward the light. On the contrary they and we, while honoring the Reformers and rejoicing
in their fidelity, should remember that they were not the lights of the Church, that they-
were not given to the Church to be her guides, and were but helpers at the very most. The
divinely appointed guides were, first of all, our Lord; and, secondly, His inspired and
kept and guided Apostles; and, thirdly God's holy men of old, who spake and wrote as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit, for our admonition
It was because the Reformers were granted by the Lord a glimpse of true light that they
were enabled to discern partially how gross was the darkness which surrounded them, and to
make the heroic effort which they did make to escape from it and to get again into the
light of the knowledge of God, which shines in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord, and
which, through His words and the words of the Apostles, is given us to be a lamp to our feet and a lantern to our footsteps,
causing the path of the just to shine 'more and more unto the perfect day.' Whoever now
would be a follower of the Lord and a follower of the light, should take heed that, while
not ignoring human instrumentalities and their ministries, orally' and through the
printed page, they should accept from these only such assistance as will aid ahem in
appreciating the inspired message recorded in the Scriptures: 'If they speak not
according to this Word, it is because they have no light in them.'" - Scripture Studies, Vol. VI, p. F60. Surely God's
people in these days have much for which to be thankful along the line of the unfolding of
truth, but we do well to remember that neither ourselves nor those who have gone before us have mastered all
the truth of divine revelation; that there is much
in the Bible not yet revealed, and therefore we should continue to search our Bibles
for more truth, keeping in mind always the great end to be accomplished in the obtainment
of truth. The character is the end to be accomplished; the truth is simply the means to accomplish that end. A FITTING ILLUSTRATIONOne has
forcefully expressed to what a wide extent this end has been lost sight of, and the means
lifted out of its true place. "It is not strange in this world, says this writer,
"to see ends sacrificed to means; but it is no less sad because in history it has
grown so familiar." This writer goes on to elucidate his thought and proceeds to
relate an incident that transpired in Westminster Abbey, London, which not only
forcefully illustrates this point, but also illustrates the other point we have referred
to as prevailing among Bible Students-that of discouraging the continued searching for
truth. He says: "I
remember a curious illustration of this which occurred some years ago in England. It seems
that in Westminster Abbey, a good many Roman Catholics have been in the habit of coming on
the day of his sainthood, to, pray beside the tomb of Edward the Confessor, at the old
shrine where petitions of devout pilgrims were offered up for centuries. The late Dean Stanley loved the
custom; it pleased his catholicity and his historic sense, and he gave it all encouragement. But it seems that it did not so
well please one of the old vergers or sextons of the Abbey; and one day when the
worshipers were numerous, this venerable official came to one of them and touching him on
the shoulder as he knelt upon the ground, said: 'You must go away from here!' The man
meekly looked up and replied, 'Why? 'I am doing no harm.' 'No matter,
you must go away,' reiterated the verger. 'But why?'
persisted the worshiper, still on his knees, 'I am only
praying.' But the verger persevered, and gave his most conclusive reason. 'No matter, I
tell you, you must go away; this thing must stop. If this thing goes on, we shall have
people praying all over the Abbey!' "There is a sort of verger
Churchman, more sexton than priest of the house of God, who is always for stopping free
inquiry, because if
this thing goes on, we shall have men seeking for truth all over the Church of
Christ." The true
Bible student, truth seeker, knows that that is what is pleasing to Christ that it is what
the Church of Christ is for, and he welcomes it, not merely for the truth which such a
searching will bring to light, but for the searcher's sake he welcomes it. The truths that
are required to constitute one a Christian, while of paramount importance, are very few;
and these, when experienced in the life, are all that are required to admit one into
fellowship with other Christians, in other words, to make one . a member of the true
Church, which is the Body of Christ. More truth, to be sure, is required for the
Christian's growth and development, but it should ever be remembered that while the
various churches of human organization have insisted upon more than these to make one a member of their church, we do not find any others
than these stipulated or taught by Christ and the inspired Apostles to become a member
of the true Church which He founded. A noted Churchman, who did not have or claim to have
the knowledge of the Divine Plan that many of us as ''Truth people" claim to have,
and doubtless do have, is on record as making a statement that even many of us will do
well to emulate and profit by. Referring to his own church organization, he said: "The Church horizon . . is always reaching out
toward the Christian horizon„and trying to
identify itself with it. If it could perfectly do so,
all would be well. But there is not a church in Christendom which can 'do so today. There is not a church in
Christendom-not ours, nor any other-which is not forced to own that there are men whom she
will freely acknowledge to be Christian men, whom yet she is not ready and fit to
receive into full communion and membership with herself, into full acceptance of her
privileges and full enjoyment of her influence. Some dogma doubted,, or some dogma held,
or some peculiarity of thought' or feeling on their part, stands in the way.. Some excess, or some defect of faith, keeps the Christian outside the Christian Church." This noted
Churchman, enlarging on this truly grave and lamentable condition, which, sad to say, so
widely prevails, next asks: "Is it,
not so? I can see nothing to do but frankly to face the fact and own it. A man comes too
you who are a minister of our church, and tells you of his faith-tells you how earnestly
he loves, how deeply he honors the Lord Jesus Christ-tells you how he is trying to give
his whole life to the Master's service. Is he, a Christian? Of course he is; you cannot
doubt it a moment. You are sure what the Lord would have said if He had met him in
Jerusalem. But can you, simply and solely because he is a Christian, throw wide open the
door and bid him welcome to our church's privileges?' Are there no tests of doctrine, no
definitions of orthodoxy, which lie within' the absolute truth, which you must apply
before' you can bid that Christian welcome, and feel that he and it belong together?" We listen to
this man's words, and most, naturally we say: This man has come to understand God's
wonderful Plan, or he never could talk this way. We are astonished; and as he draws or
sums up the logical conclusions which most naturally are the results of these sad
conditions that exist all around us, and even among "Truth people," "Bible
Students," we ask: Can we claim exemption? Are
we better than our fellows? His
conclusions are contained in the following brief but emphatic statement: "If there are [tests of doctrine and
definitions of orthodoxy], then the Church is not
prepared' today to make itself identical with Christianity. If the chance to do 'so
were freely given her, she is not ready, to accept it. Therefore she is not Catholic;
she is not prepared' to lay claim to universality." Of course,
it would not be proper or Scriptural to say that all that is required of a Christian elder
or bishop would be this limited measure of truth. However, the true standards of
fellowship and membership "ought not to be one whit more, as well as not one whit
less than the standard by which a-man would' have a 'right to count himself, and to think
that Christ would count him, a true servant of the Lord of Christians." If a company
of the Lord's followers dare not make this their standard, they ought to "rejoice
that there are forms of worship and groups of believers, in which those Christians for
whom she has no place, may find fellowship with one another and feed their souls on
truth." - R. E. Streeter Christ-Trained Fishers of Men"And Jesus said unto them, Come
ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.- And straightway they forsook
their nets, and followed Him." THE MASTER
walked by the Sea of Galilee where men toiled at their chosen occupation, and, as it would
seem from the meager bit of information given us, four men were found ready in a moment to
leave all to follow Him. ' Simon and Andrew, James and John "straightway"
entered the school of discipleship from which they were to graduate as Christ-trained
fishers of men. A high honor was theirs to be thus singled out for so great a work; and
with what becoming readiness of spirit these men accepted the call. Though the
New Testament contains comparatively little of the doings of Andrew as a fisher of men,
and only a little more concerning James in the same capacity, yet we may feel assured that
their prompt obedience to the Master's call resulted in all He promised to make them.
Characters such as Peter and John may all along have been more in the forefront, yet who
but the Master can know how vitally important and fruitful has been the service of the
less prominent among His servants? In any event, as in the Body of Christ the service of
one member is the service of all, each member contributing his or her quota of help, be it
large or small, so in a unity and cooperation wonderful and practical, each, individual
may rejoice as having a part in every branch of the Lord's service. While Paul may plant,
Apollos water, yet, "neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth;
but God that giveth the increase." - l Cor. 3:6, 7. But if Simon
and Andrew were to become fishers of men in this high service, they must "forsake their nets and follow Him."
Likewise, James and John must leave off "mending
their nets and as readily respond to His call. The primary lesson here is the one so
frequently set forth by Jesus, namely, "Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not
all that hee hath, he cannot be My disciple."-Luke 14:33. In the case
of these early disciples, their nets must first
be forsaken, then, a period of training begin. This was the import of the promise, "I
will make you to become fishers of men. For a
task so important as that to which He called them, this special preparation was
important. Their need- of such training is made apparent by incidents recorded in the
Gospels showing their unfitness without it. Many viewpoints needed correcting, and not a
few of their attitudes required attention. There was need for an occasional rebuke too,
until they caught the spirit and outlook of their Master and Teacher. All of this has its
meaning to us also, for in teaching, these first disciples how to become fishers
competent to work among men, He was likewise instructing all subsequent disciples. First, then,
they needed much to catch His spirit.: A few incidents serve to show this. We recall how
they acted when the Samaritans refused food and shelter as they journeyed toward
Jerusalem, what readiness there was to call down fire from heaven because of this
Samaritan-treatment of their Master. "But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye
know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's
lives, but to save them. (Luke 9:55.) Again there' was the strife among them over who
should be greatest, and the rebuke administered through seeing Jesus Himself taking the
place of the lowest servant by washing their feet. There was also another typically human
evidence of immaturity recorded about them for our benefit-the occasion on which they
thought it proper to discredit the work of another in casting out devils apart from
cooperation with themselves. These and other incidents reveal how great was their need of
training for efficient ministry; likewise our own need of similar instruction if we too
would be fitted for His service. Next, they
needed to be instructed in regard to the message they were to carry' throughout the world.
In this matter they must learn to obey His commands implicitly. Obedience to His
instructions would be required of them all. No liberty could be taken to develop any
message of their own, or to supplement His Word with expedients and inventions of their
choice and development. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, . . . Teaching them
to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." (Matt. 28:19, 20.) This was
His command, and He would have them know that His warning must not go unheeded, for He
taught that many would overlook the urgency of this obedient attention to His clearly
defined message, only to discover at the last that notwithstanding all they had done in
His name, He knew them not. The keynote of His message was summed up in His statement:
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto Me." (John 12:32.)
To this message these first disciples dedicated their lives, and to their credit it can be
said that to this message in its original purity they adhered faithfully, leaving the
early Church looking unto Jesus the Author and
the Finisher of their faith. True to the
prophecy of Jesus, and also of Paul, grievous wolves came in later, and false teachers
subverted the faith of many, yet may we not believe that notwithstanding the prolific
crop of tares resulting from these sources, still there has ever been preserved in the
earth "the whole counsel of God." Surely the Head of the Church, who so
confidently declared that "the gates of hell" should never destroy His Church,
would likewise see to it that there would always be one or another of its many outstanding
servants or assemblies, and that His message would never be without a witness in the
earth. As a matter of fact the truth has had its exponents and defenders all along the
pathway of the Church. Consistent, therefore, with His clear command, Jesus has seen to
it that His message has been preserved in its simplicity and power. Having,
then, called and trained these first disciples, equipping them with both His spirit and
message, Jesus did indeed make them "to become fishers of men." Faithful they
were in leaving all to follow Him, willingly suffering the inevitable results of
"keeping and declaring His message; without adulteration. Of them it can be truly
said, "They that sow in tears shall, reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth,
bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing. his sheaves
with him." - Psa. 126:5, 6. ALL OUR NETS MUST BE ABANDONEDIn the
foregoing the foundation is laid for practical lessons we may need in our day. As we have
seen, the four disciples when called, "straightway left their nets" to become
followers of Jesus, but they were yet far from being competent fishers of men. The most
that can be said for them up to this time would be in connection with their spontaneous
acceptance of His call. There were others who at different times manifested a desire to
become His followers, but one had a father to bury first, another must wait until he bade
a suitable farewell to home folks. These incidents by their contrast give much of merit
to the ready response of Simon and Andrew, James and John. Their
"forsaking all," however, was a progressive matter, and so it is with us. As
with them it was first a readiness to forsake the immediate things, then to learn later
the ever-widening yielding up that discipleship would demand, so we too are called and
trained by the same Master-Teacher. We do learn
in the passing of time more of what it means to say truthfully, "We have left all to follow Thee." When those first
disciples so confidently affirmed that they had thus forsaken, all, they were honest in
their claim, and so may we be likewise. But they were soon to discover that there was much
to be willingly given up. So must it be with every true spirit among us. There were bigger
things than fishing nets for those men to give up, and things much more difficult to leave
behind. Even so now, it is often easier to abandon "all our, goods to feed the
poor," or give "our body to be burned" out in some chosen form of service,
than just to obey some of the simple but vitally important things our Lord asks of us. Our four
fishermen had truly left 'their literal nets behind, but what about some ideals and
schemes still cherished' and by no means abandoned? How about. their plans for a speedy setting up, of the
hoped-for ,Kingdom-reign in which they would- hold important positions? What of their
spirit of striving over who should be greatest in that new order? These and other things
were not as "straightway" forsaken as were the boats and the business of
catching fish. How theft is
it with us? Suppose we too have left off laying up treasures on earth to the extent of
having counted them loss and dross, can it be that we have need to learn the same
lessons as these disciples of the meaning of leaving all
to follow our Lord and Teacher? Have we no cherished plans of, our own as yet
unforsaken? Are there any "nets" of ours which we have come to think essential
if we would be fishers of men approved, of the Master? How possible; it is that our
favorite brand of equipment may be very ineffective for the work of gathering the kind of characters which the Lord would send us to
find, if obedient to His instruction. How possible that it were better to cease trying
to "mend our nets and appeal to the Lord
for better instruments. Strange indeed it must be if such discoveries were impossible with
us, since it has always been possible for human inventions to become attached to all
originally good, sound reformation movements. Are we wiser than -the many who have gone
before us? Are mistaken viewpoints that hinder effective service an impossibility with
us? Certain it is, if we are ready to leave all to
follow the Master, we shall learn how necessary it still is to listen attentively to
His words, "Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. Jesus talked
much about foundations on which saving faith and acceptable works must be built. In doing
this He swept away the innumerable traditions of men which have ever been introduced to
vitiate the Word of God, and thus-He said, "It has been said of old time, but I say unto thee. Men multiplied commands making
void the pure message, and invented burdens with which to confuse the minds and hearts
of sincere worshipers. Jesus simplified the whole of the Decalogue into one brief term
embracing God and man. None need have any difficulty in seeing that great learning has
not been needed to feel the meaning and inspiration of His invitation, "Come unto
Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." When He said,
"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, there was nothing abstruse in such a
reference to Himself. He can make it plain to every seeking heart, unlearned though it be,
what it means to take up the cross daily and follow Him. Only by so doing throughout life
will we eventually attain to a place with Him in His Kingdom reign. To such there will be
no "hard saving" in the deep fundamental statement that a personal
appropriation of Him as the Bread from heaven is imperative. Was it not just such profound
truths He had in mind when thanking the Father that even to babes He revealed things so
sublime? Surely so! The beloved John put it all in a brief sentence so that all who would
run the Christian race aright might read it clearly, "He that hath the Son hath life;
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." - l John 5:12. If, then, we
have "nets" which may better be abandoned in order to become more efficient
fishers of men, what better nets will the Lord' provide? The answer is found in His own
effective methods with men. Christ's nets! What were they? Were they not His acts of
compassion, and the gracious words which fell from His lips?-the words which made men say, "Never
man spake like this man"? Were they not those deep words of life and light which
brought that noble confession from the lips of Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go?
Thou hast the words of eternal life." Yes, it was by these He drew men to Himself and
held them in ties nothing could break. The common people heard Him in gladness because
He spoke in the simple terms of love; and by His acts radiated sympathy. Did not an
Apostle, himself saved from the hardness of traditional religion, express in a few words
the magnetic attractiveness of Jesus, in saying, "Jesus Christ came into the world-to
save sinners, of whom I am chief"? The language of love was His special net, and by
it publicans and sinners were drawn from a life of sin, and Israelites indeed, like
Nathanael, constrained to follow Him. By these things a Nicodemus and a Joseph of
Arimathea were made bold to befriend Him in the hour of ignominious death. His love drew
a publican from his questionable business, and so affected him that a fourfold refund
would gladly be made where wrong had, been done, and half of his remaining goods
distributed to the poor, just through a visit of Jesus in his home. How many others too
were lifted out of a life of shame into purity and honor, because He came not to condemn
the world, but to call to repentance by revealing God to men. This, His own sweet spirit
and manner of life He imparted to His chosen disciples, eradicating all their spirit of
self-seeking; and by helping them to discard all their own schemes, they were made fishers
of men by being made a perpetuation of Christ's personal influence among them. THE WORD OF CHRIST TO DWELL RICHLY IN THE HEARTJesus lived
in the closing days of the old dispensation wherein the Law was the schoolmaster. His
fan was in His hand wherewith to separate the wheat from the chaff of that time, and in
all of this His ministry was a perfect exemplification of the very text He used in
declaring the nature of this separating work. This text in its brevity contained it all,
and thus He read it, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me
to preach the Gospel to the poor; He-hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and recovering of, sight to the blind, to set at liberty them
that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And He began to say unto
them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears." - Luke 4:18, 19, 21. From fields
"white and ready to harvest" He gathered by this message the characters, He
sought. In the whitened fields of the present time the same message will accomplish the
same desired ends. Those upon whom His spirit has come in anointing power will be
similarly embued, and thereby be made Christ trained fishers of men. And what a blessed
privilege it is to bring men and women to this knowledge of Jesus Christ! How wonderful
that God should commit to imperfect men such a message of grace, when as we know, there
must be myriads of perfectly equipped angels ready to do His bidding. How this should
impress upon our minds the need of being apt students as Jesus teaches us the word to
speak, and the true spirit in which to work in His vineyard. There is a
most urgent need of this; instruction lest it be necessary for Him to say to us now as it
was said to others long before our time, "Whereas ye say, the Lord saith it; albeit I
have not spoken." (Ezek. 13:7.) Thus they did in the days when Israel's true Prophets
went unheeded, and the vitiating preaching of men was preferred. It is quite possible to
assume that the Lord has said something, when as a matter of fact it is just our own wish
that is father of the much preferred interpretation. We need to remember that God speaks
to us in a clear command in these words, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased; hear ye Him." (Matt. 17:5.) In
similar strain Jesus speaks, saying, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto
you." (John 15:3.) No wonder then that the Apostle entreats us as he does in this
admonition, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in
your hearts to the Lord." - Col. 3:16. "And I
will make you to become fishers of men" was
our Master's promise, and none can teach like Him. Who would not want to leave all and
follow Him in such a privilege? Realizing the greatness of the service, how much we need
to love like Him, and pray: "O! arm
me with the mind, Meek Lamb, that was in Thee; That so it
may be with us as we follow Christ for training in so great a task, our constant prayer
may well be, My Lord, in the midst of life's discords make me an influence for the
promotion of Thy spirit of peace. Help me to faithfully hold up Thy redeeming sacrifice as
the way back to God, and unto eternal life. Where there is bitterness of spirit, let me
sow Thy words of love, and radiate the beauty of Thy forgiving spirit. Where hearts are
growing impatient and doubting Thy loving care, may my steadfast faith in Thy power and
unchanging character, encourage unwavering trust. Where- the darkening shadows seem to
grow deeper across a fellow-traveler's pathway, let me be the bringer of Thy word,
"Be of good cheer." Where the warfare seems beyond strength to endure, make me a
Barnabas-comforter of the brethren. Lord, so let me be henceforth an instrument to
spread the benediction of Thy peace, a vessel filled with Thy joy, and overflowing, and in
all the relations which go to make up the round' of life's experience, let me be an
example of Thy gentleness, that it may be seen that I have been with Thee, learning the
perfect ways of God. - J. J. Blackburn. The Letter to the Colossians"Blotting out the handwriting
of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way,
nailing it to His cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of
them openly, triumphing over them in it." - Col. 2:14, 15. COMMENTATORS
IN general see in these verses an allusion to the two main errors that prevailed in
Colossae: subjection to ordinances, and reverence of principalities and powers. In the
previous verses the Apostle had referred to the dangers of "philosophy and vain
deceit, after the rudiments (A B C's), of the world and not after Christ," who,
according to verse 10 (Col. 2:10), is "the head of all principality and
power." The first
figure, "blotting out the handwriting of ordinances," is an undoubted reference
to the use of the Asiatic inks, made with burnt cork or ivory, which by the use merely of
sponge and water might be erased without leaving a trace. What consolation there must have
been in this allusion for those who for a lifetime had futilely labored to attain life by
keeping a covenant that was beyond the power of any imperfect creature. However closely
one might come to the keeping of it, it could be a source of life only if kept according
to the letter, which St. Paul tells us (2 Cor. 3:6) "killeth" -- evidently
because of man's weakness. According to the 7th, 11th, and 13th verses of this same
chapter, that Law Covenant "is done away." In the 13th verse the thought is
stressed by reiteration, not only speaking of its passing away, but also of its
"end," "the limit at which a thing ceases
to be." - Thayer. The reason
for the vanishing of the Mosaic Law is clearly stated in Heb. 7:18: "There is a
disannulling of a foregoing commandment because o£ its weakness and
unprofitableness"--unprofitable and weak so far as giving life is concerned, because
fallen flesh could not keep it. Nor. could -any imperfect human being by his death have
brought any measure of life to the human family. Even one who was so near the perfect
ancestor as Abel, could not bring salvation to any other. But we are come "to Jesus
the Mediator of the New Covenant; and to the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better
things than that of -Abel." In fact, it is just as impossible for one of us to give
life to others as "for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin." (Heb.
12:24; 10:4.) "Christ also once for all [time] was offered to bear the sins of many
... for the Law [Covenant], having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image
of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually
make the- comers thereunto perfect." (Heb. 9:28; 10:1.) Of this "shadow"
the Hebrew Christians were endeavoring to construct a door which should be the sole
entrance to the Church for Gentiles. "Certain men came down from Judea and taught the
brethren, saying, except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be
saved." "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." (Acts 15:1, 5.) In opposing, this view Peter confessed that no Jew had ever
been able to keep the Law Covenant, saving: "Now therefore why tempt ye God, that ye
should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were
able to bear?" Instead of giving life, the Law Covenant proved to be a crushing
burden, an impassable barrier. "AND TOOK IT OUT OF THE WAY"The Apostle,
in this expression, "Took it out of the way," is not giving us a new thought,
but by reiteration making more forceful his statement that Christ is the end of the Law
Covenant, and that it is so far removed from the pathway of those seeking life that no one
need give concern to the fact that at one time it had blocked the pathway. "NAILING IT TO HIS CROSS"There is
lacking any definite historic evidence- as to the symbolism in the phrase "nailing it
to His Cross," but we have no doubt that it tells the means by which there was a
complete setting aside of the Law Covenant. Note also that the "handwriting of
ordinances which was against us" is the thing nailed to the Cross. There is nothing
in this phraseology to indicate that the Apostle is making any distinction between the
moral and the ceremonial ordinances. Manifestly, one is just as much "against"
the. Jews as the other, since neither could' be perfectly performed. Thayer in his lexicon
has this note regarding "the handwriting": "A note of hand, or writing in
Which one acknowledges that money has either been deposited with him or lent to him by
another, to be returned at an appointed time; metaphorically applied in Col. 2:14 to the
Mosaic Law, which shows men to be chargeable with offenses for which they must pay the
penalty." The
statement that "nailing it to His Cross" is an allusion to an ancient custom of
cancelling legal documents by nailing them to a post in public view is denied by some. The
form of expression does surely give weight to that tradition. If there was such a custom,
it bore some resemblance to the present usage of banks, which return cancelled checks
after having, similarly pierced them. Since, however, the reality is the thing that is to
us of most importance, we need not particularly concern ourselves as to the figure. Our
assurance is that the same nails that hung our Lord on the cross fastened and cancelled
there, every obligation that might be against us. This is a blessed assurance for those
who have learned that though life was offered through the Law Covenant and would certainly
have been the reward of any who kept it, to weakened flesh it was only a taskmaster,
bidding them do but giving no ability for the performance- of its mandates. It was
therefore an accuser, revealing unfulfilled duty and unfaithfulness to the God whom it in
part revealed. The Law Covenant, nevertheless, was not a failure. One great and essential
purpose was accomplished by it. "What things soever the Law [Covenant] saith, it
saith to,them that are under the Law [Covenant]; that every mouth [of those under it and
those not under it] may be stopped, and all the; world [Jew and Gentile] may be brought
under the judgment of God" -- the Apostle's preceding argument having demonstrated
that all Gentiles were condemned "without the law." -Rom. 3:19. See R. V. THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE RANSOMAll who are
sons of Adam of necessity partake of his curse, but He who died, "the just for the
unjust," was "made a curse for us," "made sin for us," by taking
the place of the original sinner. Thus the perfect man, Jesus, could be a
"corresponding price (anti-lutron) for all who were in Adam at the time of his sin;
and the redemption of the original sinner would open the way for the giving of life to all
his descendants. A story
comes to us from an ancient battlefield of a soldier that opened the way to victory by
gathering to his breast as many enemy spear-points' as his arms could encircle, thus
clearing an opening through which his fellow-soldiers could 'pass to victory. Not a few
spear-points, but all "that was against us," Jesus "bare in His own body on
the tree." (1 Pet. 2:24.) It should always be borne in mind, however, that it is not
the understanding of this philosophy, .but faith in the blood, that, gives life. Having
secured for all, Jew and Gentile, a means of release from the penalty of the sin of Adam
and of the violation of the Law Covenant, Jesus has by the same act purchased for Himself
'the privilege of "bringing out the prisoners from the prison" -- the
prison-house of death. "I the Lord have called Thee in righteousness, and will hold
Thine hand, and will keep Thee, and give Thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of
the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them
that sit in darkness out of the prison-house." - Isa. 42:6, 7. There is a
similar passage in Isa. 49:8, 9, which, to our astonishment, the Apostle Paul, for we
presume he is the speaker, definitely applies to the Church, as recorded in Acts 13:47:
"For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the
Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth." He makes
a similar application of this passage in 2 Cor. 6:2. THE CEREMONIAL LAW ENDEDSince
sacrifice was the center of the Ceremonial Law, and since the Gospel Age introduced the
day of the "better sacrifices" (Heb. 9:23) , there is manifestly no advantage in
continuing the symbolic ceremonies. "When
that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part is, done away," is a
principle which is as much in force in this connection as in that in which it is used. (1
Cor. 13:10.) "The Law [Covenant] hath been our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we
might be justified by faith. But now that faith is
come, we are no longer under a tutor." (Gal. 3:24, 25, R. V.) While it is agreed
that the words "schoolmaster" and - "tutor" do not give the exact
thought of the' original, which rather refers to the slave who conducts the child to the
school, the Law has also actually been our schoolmaster, for "by the Law is the
knowledge of sin. - Rom. 3:20. THE NEW TEMPLEThe human,
the carnal mind, must have a visible temple and visible sacrifices in order to worship.
For some it may be a temple on Mt. Gerizim or Mt. Moriah (these are the sacred heights
where Abraham's sacrifice of his beloved son is by contradictory traditions said to have
been offered) or for more modern minds it may be merely a human organization, small or
large. For such, only faithfulness to something that the human senses can apprehend gives
satisfaction. Faith, in the Faith Age, can be satisfied with nothing less, however, than
the sacrifices and the temple of the Spirit. The typical temple, therefore, ended its mission when the greater temples were established. The first of these greater temples was Jesus. He said, "The Father is in Me." (John 10:38; 14:10.) But, "Ye [also] are the temple of God. "The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." How holy is evident from our Lord's promise that "the spirit of truth shall be in you." Yea, even these imperfect bodies, counted perfect by the reckoning to us of His righteousness, are accepted as sufficiently holy for His indwelling by that spirit. "Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit." To what a high plane the life of such an individual rises is intimated by the Apostle's statement in Rom. 8:19: "Ye are in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God dwelleth in you." - 1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19; John 14:17. A NEW PRIESTHOODJesus was
not only the temple, but also the High Priest, "merciful and faithful, "holy,
harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens,"
"a High Priest of good things to come," as well as "over 'the house of
God." - Heb. 2:17; 7:26; 9:11; 10:21. "The
priesthood being changed [from the Levitical to
the Melchisedec] there is made of necessity a change also of the law." (Heb. 7:12.)
The change is ag startling one, for, associated with our High Priest, there is a
priesthood a large percentage of whose numbers are being chosen from-among the Gentiles.
"Ye are a holy priesthood," "a royal priesthood." (1 Pet: 2:5, 9.)
That this is said of Gentiles is evident from the 10th verse which indicates it is
addressed to those "which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of
God." Jesus is
also the great antitypical Sacrifice, the Lamb of God of John 1:29. This Age of
"better; sacrifices" (Heb. 9:23) also associates with Him all who respond to
the entreaty of His "'tender compassions" (Rom. 12:1, Diaglott), and who gladly
share with Him in His suffering (Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:20; Col: 2:20; 2 Tim. 2:11, 12), though
they neither can add to, nor have any desire to add to, His fully efficacious sacrifice. -
Phil 4:18; Heb. 13:15, 16 1 Pet. 2:5. THE MORAL CODE ENDEDAs has been
noted, there is nothing in any of the texts pointing to the ending of the Law that gives'
warrant to the supposition often advanced that only the Ceremonial Law is meant. The
sponge that wiped clean for all, the condemnation of unobserved or imperfectly observed
ordinances, just as effectively obliterated the condemnation of the moral code "to
them that believe. Jesus as a
perfect man was able to, and as a Jew did, keep the entire Law. But it was not in this
respect that inspiration points to Him- as our example. He is "the author and the
prince-leader [Thayer] [not in 'the keeping of the Law, but] of our faith. "He that
saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked, might be
mistakenly supposed to indicate that Christians are expected to keep the Law as perfectly
as Jesus did; but we have the guidance of the Holy Spirit as to the true meaning of this
text. The Apostle in the same letter explains our walk. "If we walk in the light,
as He is in the light." Our walk is in the light of the new dispensation which He
began. (1 John 2:6; 1:7.) The "if" indicates that in the following phrases we
have other blessings which are sure to follow, if we so walk. The first is one which we
may safely use as a test as to whether we are walking in the light. It promises that
"if" we are so walking, "we have fellowship one with another. It is still
more startling to learn that "if we walk in the light,' as He is in the light . . .
the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. Evidently the benefits of
that blood will eventually be lost to those who do not walk in 'the light and manifest it
by having "fellowship one with another. The Apostle Paul in Eph. 5:2 defines the walk
as "in love as Christ also hath loved us." This can be only by the "laying
down of our lives for our brethren" in the most absolute sense. As [in the same
manner as] ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him," our
great High Priest, "who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but
after the Power o f an endless life." - Heb.
7:16. The
introducing of this higher Law does not bring condemnation upon those who observe to the
best of their ability any of the abrogated laws. On the contrary there is little in the
old Law that would not be desirable in those who are under the direction of the new
arrangement, but on a higher plane and from a higher motive. The old Law was taken
"out of the way" not that we might violate it, but that none should any longer look to-it as a hope of life. For the, new
creature, the main fault of the old' Law is in setting too low a standard. It was Jesus
Himself who stated the new Law and the high plane upon which it operates. - See Matt.
5:27, 28; John 13:34; also 2 John 5. The endeavor
of the Jews to keep the old Law was largely because of its offer of life; but Jesus
indirectly offers a higher motive for the keeping of, the new -- that we may prove our
love for Him; that we may abide in His love; that we may have His friendship; and above
all, that we may glorify our Father in the bearing of fruit. - John 14:15; 15:10, 14, 8. THE CROSS TRIUMPHANT OVER THE POWERS OF EVILIt will be
of no advantage to us to concern ourselves with the learned discussions of the
commentators as to just what limitations may be placed upon the phrase,
"principalities and powers," in the 15th verse. We see no need of, placing any
limitations. on the phrase, for our Lord has risen in might above every power in the
universe save that of God Himself. - 1 Cor. 15:27. There is
also much diversity of opinion as to whether Jesus "spoiled" (Gr.: stripped)
principalities and powers or whether He stripped these from Himself. We know that both are
true The former, many commentators infer, is a picture that comes from military life and
is that of a conqueror, whose first act is to strip from the conquered peoples every
implement of warfare. There are other Scriptures quite in harmony with this suggestion.
Jesus Himself said: "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the. prince of this
world be cast out." "And the prince of this world cometh: and hath nothing in
common with me." (Fenton.) "The prince of this world hath been judged."
(R.V.) "Thou hast led captivity captive." - John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11. Jesus, who
conquered the Prince of Darkness in the temptation in the wilderness, was victor on the
cross over all the powers of evil, and there
could say, "It is finished." (John 19:30.) There He forged the last' link of the
chain that would bind the "strong mall.'' (Matt. 12:28, 29; Luke 11:21, 22.) For His
crown of thorns He was given the imperishable laurel of "the Crown of Gold.
"More than conquerors," we,, His unworthy associates, may be sharers with Him in
the laurels. To some it may seem strange that these crowns should be promised on a basis
of love for "His appearing (Rom. 8:37; 2 Tim. 4:8), but surely he who does not look
for it with intense longing, loves neither his Lord nor the groaning creation He comes to
bless. The Prophet
assures us that the time of Jesus' treading of the winepress; is "the day of vengeance"; but there is a glorious
period following of greater length, "the year
of His redeemed." (Isa. 63:3.) This will be a triumphal procession, a conqueror's
chariot such as the world has never seen, one that will dispense the bounties of heaven
for the blessing of all the conquered. A Diaglott
footnote on the passage with which we close (2 Cor. 2:14) explains that it is "an
allusion to the custom of victorious generals, who, in their triumphal procession, carried
some of their relations with them in their chariot [though they had no part in gaining the
victory]. The streets through which the processions passed were strewn with flowers, and as Plutarch tells us, the streets
were full of incense." "Now,
thanks be to that God, who [thus] always leads us forth to triumph with the- Anointed One, and who diffuses by us the
fragrance of the knowledge o f Him, in every
place." - 2 Cor. 2:14. "Thanks
be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord, ' Jesus Christ." - 1 Cor.
15:57. - P. E. Thomson. "As Always, So Now"PART V - "I AM NOW READY""According to my earnest
expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness,
as always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by
death." - Phil. 1:20. FOR PAUL to
live was "Christ" -- on the one hand, contact and fellowship with his Lord; on
the other, deep care and concern for all who had received the "heavenly call."
Let us recall what advantages he surrendered to shoulder this charge; let us realize also
that he diligently pushed open the door of opportunity himself, and that apart from the
compelling urge that was in his soul, there was no reason why he should have taken such
risks or gone to such extremes of labor and
effort to reach' out to others' needs. His Master had come down from heaven under the
same compelling power, and out of His unfathomed love had brought redemption for Paul,
and the throb of the Master's heart had gripped and charged Paul's own with the same
wonderful dynamic power. "He loved. me and gave Himself for me," says Paul, and
in those few words he explains it all. How
enthralling this thought to Paul-"He gave Himself a ransom for all"! -- yes, a
wonderful thing, of universal application. Paul delighted to speak of that. "He
loved the Church, and gave Himself for it"! yes, just the thing for the Divine
Wooer to do, to win a Bride. Paul went into ecstasies over that. But "He loved me, and gave Himself -for me" touched the mainspring of all Paul's
affection, and won his heart, his life, his soul; his all. A full score years before, when
he was a persecutor,, and injurious, the Lord
had loved him, and saved him, and forgiven him, and sent him forth, his zealous heart
turned to a loftier service, and for all these
years the love that had bought him, had kept him, and charged that heart with its own
compassionate care, until the love of the Master had become the -- love of the slave --
the two hearts beat as one -- and that was just the secret of it all. Should the Master
now ask of him a testimony in Caesar's Court, could he do other than he had done
before?' and if that testimony should require to be sealed with blood, was it likely he
could do other than "as always"? Or if his presentiment of, freedom from chains
should come to pass, no earthly thing should check his loving allegiance and service to
the Master he adored, and to the brethren whom he loved more than life itself. Do we ask
the secret of such a life as this? Do we think the secret lies too deep to understand? Let
us ponder a moment upon the sublime devotion enshrined in our "four" brief
words, and ask how it was possible for the Apostle to rise to such heights of
self-sacrifice, and self-less devotion! Was it because he was the most conspicuous
theologian of his day? Was it because of his almost incomparable intellectual power? Theologian
he most certainly was-an unsurpassed knowledge of doctrine he most certainly had, and
the ability to reason out the truth was his precious gift, yet all this, notwithstanding, it was not in the power
of mere abstract truth to kindle such a flame, nor
create such an energy. Over and above such matchless understanding of the Word and
purposes of God, was the conviction that he
had received a Divine Commission -to preach the Gospel of God's Love; a persuasion that
he had been appointed to an Apostleship to proclaim the evangel of Redemption through
Christ Jesus his Lord. He had seen, and conversed with the Blessed One. He knew that Jesus
lived, and was alive forevermore. He knew that Jesus had sent him to testify to
"Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel." He knew that Jesus was with
him as he suffered great things for the sake of His Name. In his busy life there was room
for one thing only, nothing else shared his love with Christ. He had no place for leisure,
or pleasure, or relaxation, or vacations. Night and day he toiled to fulfill the
stewardship committed to him. He had but one short life to give, but he would give it all, every moment of it. To the Greek, he became a Greek, and spake as a
Greek. To the Jew, he became a Jew, if by that he could win some; and when words did not
win their way, then tears must. But the dynamic force behind all his life, behind all his
understanding and his labor, was the utter conviction that Christ was his Lord, and he was
Christ's slave. He delighted to call himself Christ's slave, and to have no thoughts but
His. He exulted in being Christ's ambassador, even though like his Master, he was despised
and rejected-a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. A LIVING CHRIST--THE MAINSPRING OF HIS LIFEHe believed
that the love of God was in his heart, and that the mind of Christ used his brain, and
that all his experiences were a "filling up of
that which was behind of the sufferings of Christ," even going so far as to say that
the wounds of the Master were being reproduced in his own scars. He said he was dying that others
might live, even as Christ had given Himself for him. It was the deep, unassailable,
unquenchable conviction that Jesus had done everything necessary to redeem him and set him free that had made him what he was. So utterly, completely, and unreservedly did he
live in Christ and Christ in him that he could say, "I am crucified with Christ,
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in
the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for
me." - Gal. 2:20. That was the
secret of everything. That and that alone was the mainspring of his life. Not doctrine,
not theology, not unmatched intellect, but a Living, Loving Christ, was the deep fountain
from which all else had flowed, and made his life fruitful and green as an oasis. Well
marked beliefs he had; clearly defined theology he had taught, but it was the indwelling
of the Living Lord which gave him power' to live a life of Christian constancy, and say at
all times, "As always, so now." Brethren,
beloved in the Lord, let us learn his secret and know 'that Fountain whence sprang all
Paul's comforts and delights. The same loving Jesus is our Lord and Master. He is
"the same yesterday, today, and forever." He changes not. 'But His promises do
not fructify in us if there is a lack of trust. Too many lives miss their purpose and
effectiveness because like waters which lose themselves in the stagnant marsh, they have
too many channels as conduits for their energy. Their lives are too broad-they have too
many interests. Other things beside Christ share their affections; and in this liberalism
they know not where to draw the line. ACQUITTED--REVISITS THE BRETHRENThe Acts of
the Apostles breaks off its story of the Apostle's life with a brief reference to his two
years' imprisonment in Rome. That "hired house" became a busy hive of spiritual
industry, for from it and to it went willing feet carrying the messages of comfort and
exhortation which Paul, unable himself to go, sent by proxy to all his scattered flock. But with the expiration of the
two years and the appearance of Paul before Nero, the narrative breaks off abruptly! Is
this because there is no more to tell? Was the verdict an unfavorable one, and did Paul
find' his "gain" through death? Or was he set free from prison to resume his
life for Christ, and collect other fruit by his labor? Luke does not say, but where the
sacred historian deserts us, there the
testimony of tradition comes to our aid. It tells us that he was acquitted, and let out of
prison, and that he went, forth again, revisiting his converts, and striking out into new
fields even "to the extreme bounds of the West. We are not
limited solely to the testimony of tradition, however, concerning these last days. We
have writings from Paul's pen of later date than his two years' imprisonment. These are
the Epistles to Timothy and Titus, called by commentators "the Pastoral
Epistles." Here we read of him revisiting old friends, and setting things in order,
so that the affairs of the churches should be carried on after his decease. We cannot
trace his footsteps with any certainty, but we do find him at Ephesus and Troas. We find
him in Crete, an island at which he had touched on his way to Rome. We find him at
Miletus, and at last intending to spend a winter at Nicopolis. This is as
far as Scripture record carries us. Tradition claims that he visited Spain, and probably
Britain, though these records are mainly legendary. But this freedom did not last long-no
more than five years at the very most. An event had happened in Rome, soon after his
release, which was to have far reaching effects upon Paul and many of his brethren.
The city of Rome was set on fire. This incendiary work was charged against the
Christians. Instantly the most atrocious persecution broke out against them. Many of the
Roman citizens charged this conflagration against the man who wore the Imperial purple;
but he found ways and means to attribute it to the Christians. They were punished in the
most revolting manner, some being burned alive, others thrown to wild beasts. IMPRISONED AND FORSAKENThe report
of this appalling disaster to the City soon spread over the Roman world, and it was not
likely that the chief exponent of Christian doctrine could long escape the hue and cry.
Every local governor knew that he could not please his Imperial, master in any better
way than by sending Paul again to Rome in chains. Apparently his arrest had been carried
out in a hurried manner, for he seems not to have had time to collect all his belongings
together. He had intended to winter at Nicopolis; but whether it was in that city he was
apprehended we know not. He was soon dispatched to Rome and put in close confinement
there. It was no mild imprisonment in his own hired house this time, but the worst and
severest known to the law. No hosts of friends came now to greet him-no message to his
converts left his cell. No greetings from, loved ones came to comfort him. A few words
from his pen show that those who found him did
so with difficulty. "Onesiphorous . . . oft refreshed me, and was., not ashamed of my chain . . . he. sought me out, very
diligently, and found me." - 2 Tim. 1:16, 17. But such
refreshment was very rare, for it was a dangerous
matter to be known as a Christian in Rome in
those days. All his friends from Asia Minor had forsaken him and fled. "Demas hash
forsaken me, having loved this present world." "Only Luke is with me," so
he writes to Timothy. "At my first answer [hearing], no man stood with me, but all
forsook me. (2 Tim. 4:10, 11, 16.) How pathetic to read of this "knight of the.
open road" caged and isolated thus, bereft of the counsel and comfort of nearly all
his friends. "Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me. . . . Do thy diligence to
come before winter," he pleads to Timothy. (Chap. 4:9, 20.) Dearest and best of all
his absent friends, oh, how he longed for a glimpse of "son Timothy's face,"
before he faced the executioner's sword. His letter
reveals also the miseries of his dungeon. He begs Timothy to bring his old cloak he had
left at Troas to protect him from the damp of his cell, and the cold of the winter. Was
the courageous spirit at last breaking down under the strain? Was the brave heart at last
fainting by the way? Nay indeed -read his words and see: ". . I suffer these things,
nevertheless; I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He
is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." How does' he
end his letter? "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at
hand. . Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous judge, shall give me at that day." Those are not the words of the broken
and the vanquished! They are the words of victory. Again, did
he forget his specific mission for Jesus, to, the nations, in this dire physical distress?
Listen again, "At my first answer [hearing] . . the Lord . . . ' strengthened' me,
that by me the preaching might be fully made known and that all the Gentiles might
hear." (2 Tim. 4:16, 17.) Paul had been charged on several counts, and it appears
that each count of the indictment was taken separately and, on different days. Since so
many of the already martyred Christians, for their alleged complicity in the burning of
Rome, had been thrown to wild beasts, it is thought that the count first taken against
Paul was for having: previously arranged for that conflagration to happen after he had
left the city following his release from the first captivity. Evidently he had
successfully disproved that charge, for he was spared "from the mouth of the
lion"-the fate reserved for those adjudged guilty of that incendiarism. But
concerning that hearing, he says, "The Lord strengthened my heart; that by me the
proclamation of the glad tidings might be accomplished in full measure; and that all the
Gentiles might hear." - Conybeare and Howson's
translation. "THE LORD STOOD WITH ME"The charge
was a criminal one; hence taken before the city's principal magistrate. With him was a
body of assessors, who interpreted the law in the case. So notorious a prisoner as Paul
(the principal leader of the Christians) would be sure to attract a full audience from
amongst all the nations ' then represented and living in Rome. Hence before such a
cosmopolitan audience, Paul spoke in self-defense. No advocate would venture to plead
for him; no lawyer would help him to arrange his evidence, for it, was a position of
greatest danger to appear in public as the friend or adviser of this detested and hated
leader of the Christians. Not, even his powerful friends, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia (who
by reason of royal associations had high standing in Imperial circles) dared to move to
his assistance. Paul says he proclaimed the Glad Message in full measure to this
inquisitive assembly. Thus, though speaking in defense of his own position, he told them
of Jesus-of His death and resurrection, and of His coming Kingdom; for nothing less than
this was the Gospel on the lips of Paul. "At my first answer [hearing] no man stood
with .me, but all forsook me," yet, "as always, so now" this valiant,
faithful heart quailed not, nor failed to bear the testimony for his Lord, which: he was
sent to bear. And why "now," "as always"? "The Lord stood with
me," is the answer. "The Lord stood with me, and strengthened me." In
fulfillment of the Lord's promise that it should be given them in that same hour what to
say, the Lord drew very close, and became, to him, almost visibly present with him -- a
Friend closer than a brother, an Advocate wiser than men, who would never leave him nor
forsake him even in the toils of mighty Rome. While the
other hearings were pending, Paul pens this urgent letter to Timothy, requesting; him to
come with all possible speed. Why had Paul sent-for Timothy'? Just to be a comfort to
him in his last crucial hours? Not a bit of it. Listen again, "I charge thee,
therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ watch thou in all things, endure
afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry, for I am now ready to be offered . . . " (2
Tim. 4:1, 5, 6.) Paul knew his days were all but numbered, and that soon, for him, the
warfare would be ended; but, his concern for his brethren was so great a power in his
heart, that he could not let the occasion pass without calling upon "Son
Timothy" to rise up and try to take his place. Like Moses just before his death,
blessing and installing Joshua as Israel's leader, so Paul passed on to his young
lieutenant, the post as generalissimo which he had so long and ably filled. In case
Timothy should not arrive in time, Paul had put into permanent form his last
instructions to "his son," so that he should know how to conduct himself in
the Church of God. And for that we may thank God today, for this letter is a very precious
one. For the rest we are dependent upon
the words of the historian. At his next hearing Paul was declared guilty as a disturber of
the Empire, and sentenced to death. As a Roman citizen he was accorded the honor of a
Roman's death. Tradition says he was beheaded by the lictor's sword or, axe, just outside
the city walls on the Ostian way. Thus faithful unto death, he possessed himself of that
"gain" which he knew would complete that Christlike treasure, which he had now
committed into the keeping of Him whom he had believed. "I am now ready," said
Paul -- the last of all those "so now" occasions, in which his faithfulness
"as always" had exhibited itself. So ended the life of that noble, exemplary
-follower of the Lord Jesus. - T. Holmes. A Suggestion to Our ReadersMany
brethren are evidently depriving themselves of the visits of "The Herald of Christ's
Kingdom" because too reticent to ask for it free. It is our desire to have the
"Herald" in the homes of all who would find any spiritual help in it, and we
hope the following suggestion may result in reaching a few additional brethren in the
communities where there are subscribers to handle the matter. The
proposal is that the subscribers ascertain about how many there are to whom they could
profitably arrange to deliver a copy of the "Herald" monthly. They will then
advise us as to the number and to what address to send them, notifying us when this number
proves too small or too large. This
suggestion should not change the arrangement for those already receiving the
"Herald" on the free; list. Except in territory outside the United States
there would be no great saving, to us by mailing copies in packages instead of singly as
at present. Where there would be any saving to us, it is not sufficient to compensate for
the delay of copies reaching individuals. |
