JUL -^-n922 A' mkv i^m BR 160 .M35 1921 McDaniel, George White, 187 -1927. The churches of the New Testament THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT BY V GEORGE W. McDANIEL, D.D., LL.D. Author of "The People Called Baptists" *'Our Boys in France," "A Memorial Wreath." NEW ^UflM YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY THE SUNDAY SCHOOL BOARD OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. II PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO MY BELOVED CHURCH THE FIRST BAPTIST OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA INTRODUCTION This book was conceived twenty years ago in my first pastorate, the First Baptist Church of Temple, Texas. It was in contemplation two years in my second pastorate, Gaston Avenue Baptist, Dallas, Texas, and has been waiting fifteen years longer in Eichmond, Virginia, for the time to clothe itself in written form. Denominational, civic, and pas- toral duties closed every door of opportunity for the proper preparation of the manuscript. Two smaller books, born of special providences, preceded this one. The summer of 1920 was solemnly set apart for the purpose of writing this book. Be- cause of unexpected and unavoidable interruptions it then became evident that the book would never be written if it awaited a time of leisure. All the while its message was sounding in my soul. One day the voice said, *^Let me speak amidst the dis- tracting voices of daily duties and in the quiet hours of the night while other voices are hushed in sleep.'' In this way the manuscript was finally prepared. *'The Church'' and ^^The New Testament Church," whatever those terms may mean, have been the subjects of treatment by several authors. These books, for the most part, leave me where Tacitus left his hero — in the middle of the bridge. The Seven Churches of Asia addressed by the Spirit in the book of Revelation are the theme of several interesting volumes. A discussion of the most im- vii viii INTRODUCTION portant churches of the New Testament, those which figured in the inauguration and propagation of Christianity, which occupied the major part of the history of the Acts, and w^hich called forth the great epistles of Paul, has never been presented in a sin- gle volume. The aim of this book is to show the origin, character, principles, and practices of the New Testament churches; to show the unity which existed in essentials amidst the variety of material and diversity of environment; to point morals and deduce lessons for twentieth century pastors, lay- men, and churches. Some difficulty was encountered in deciding the order of the last eight chapters. The first three, logically, chronologically, and geographically, came in the order arranged in the book. After canvass- ing, in turn, the doctrinal, historical, and geographi- cal plans, it was decided to follow the geographi- cal plan of arrangement, that is, beginning from Jerusalem, and taking them in order until we reach Rome. There were several possible geographical arrangements of Galatia, Ephesus, and Colosse, but the one adopted seems simplest. In the last chap- ter, on Miscellaneous Churches, it was, obviously, best to arrange them as they appear in that chapter. It would be too much to hope that this book is free from mistakes. Where so many dates and de- tails are involved error is humanly almost inevitable. However, it is believed that accuracy obtains in gen- eral, and attention to any error in particular will be gratefully received. Nor is it expected that all readers will agree with my interpretations. I have followed no author in particular, but have sought to set forth my views, founded upon my study of the New Testament and INTRODUCTION ix upon investigations of other authors upon the sub- ject. The American Bible Union Version of the New Testament, as revised by Hovey, Broadus, and Weston, is the basis, but not exclusively, of this study. Other versions, — King James, The Eevised, Weymouth's and MofPett's translations, — were used wherever it was thought they better conveyed the meaning. In so far as others may differ with me, I crave that same charity which I accord to all con- scientious students of God's Word. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I The Meaning of the Word "Church" . . 15 II Jerusalem — The Mother Church . . . 31 III Antioch — The Missionary Church ... 53 IV The Churches of Galatia — The Unstable Churches 76 V Ephesus — The Effective Church ... 98 VI CoLossE — The Heretical Church . . . 127 VII Philippi — The Joyful Church . . . .155 VIII Thessalonica — The Expectant Church . .181 IX Corinth — The Worldly Church . . . 203 X Rome — The Renowned Church . . . 230 XI Certain Other Churches 259 XII Table Showing Christian Meaning of Ec- CLESiA 296 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHAPTER I THE MEANING OF THE WORD ^' CHURCH " The original word ecclesia, translated ^^churcli," occurs three times in Matthew, twenty-three times in the Acts, sixty-two times in PauPs letters, twice in Hebrews, once in James, three times in the third epistle of John, and twenty times in Revelation. Jesns did not coin this word — ecclesia. He found it in common use, as John the Baptist did proselyte baptism, and employed what was at hand. Among the Greeks, ecclesia was the assembly of the citizens of a free city-state gathered by a herald blowing a horn through the streets of a town. In this sense, the word is used once in the New Testa- ment (Acts 19: 39). The town clerk advised Deme- trius and his fellow craftsmen to submit the case of Paul and his companions to the Greek ecclesia. Among the Hebrews, ecclesia was the congregation of Israel assembled before the Tabernacle in the wilderness by the blowing of a silver trumpet. In this sense the word is used twice in the New Testa- ment (Acts 7 : 38 ; Heb. 2:12). Stephen, rehearsing the history of Israel, says Christ was in the ecclesia in the wilderness. The writer to the Hebrews quotes a typico-prophetic Psalm by David where the sense 15 16 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT is *' congregation'' (Psalm 22:20). Israel in the land of Canaan is never called a church. Both with the Greeks and the Jews the word de- noted an assembly of the people, not of a committee or council. Among the early Christians ecclesia conveyed the same general idea of ** called out" and, in addition, ** collected unto Christ." As there were three gen- eral usages of the word, viz. : the Greek, the He- brew, and the Christian, so, in the Christian usage there were three ideas, viz. : an institution, a par- ticular congregation, and the redeemed of all time. For centuries controversy has raged around the meaning of ^* church" in the New Testament. The views of many Christians upon this subject are hazy and contradictory. That keen intellect, Fred- erick W. Robertson, was so warped by episcopal predilection, and was under such traditional bias that he said: *'When the Baptists or the Independ- ents, or any other sectarians, unite themselves with men holding the same faith and entertaining the same opinions, there may be a sect, a combination, a persuasion, but a church there cannot be." One may not dogmatize where there is such wide diver- gence among good and scholarly brethren. How- ever, a threefold meaning of ecclesia is the one which most commends itself to my thinking and to which, after much study and with the present light, I subscribe. The table in the appendix of this book contains every New Testament passage where ecclesia is used with a Christian meaning and indicates my inter- pretation of the three conceptions. The student is referred to that table. Be it noted that the Jewish congregation, or THE MEANING OF THE WORD ''CHURCH" 17 assembly, is referred to in Acts 7 : 38 and Heb. 2 : 12 ; an unlawful assembly, in Acts 19 : 32, 41 ; a lawful assembly, in Acts 19 : 39. Hence, those ^ve instances of ecclesia are omitted from the appended list. Acts 2 : 47 is omitted because the word ecclesia does not appear in the best texts. Ecclesia occurs, then, one hundred and fourteen times in the New Testa- ment and one hundred and nine times it has a Chris- tian significance. As to the classification : Acts 9: 31 is listed as local, meaning the Jerusalem church which had been scattered abroad by the persecution of Saul of Tarsus. The two-fold classification in Ephesians is not arbitrary but harmonizes with PauPs unmistakable practice in Colossians where he used ^^ church" both in a general and a particular sense. Our Lord set the precedent for such a style of writing by passing almost imperceptibly from a discussion of the destruction of Jerusalem to a dis- cussion of His second coming and the end of the world (Luke 21:20-28). The classified summary of Christian usages is (1) As an institution, fourteen. (2) As a local congregation, ninety-three. (3) As all the redeemed, two. Consider, somewhat in detail, the three Christiam significations of the term *^ church." First: an in- stitution, ^^Upon this rock I will build my church'^ (Matt. 16:18). Jesus never built but one thing after He quit the carpenter's shop in Nazareth.. That was His church. The emphatic word is the pronoun ^^my" which distinguishes Christ's church from the Greek and Hebrew assemblies. Adjectives are never used in the New Testament to define ^^ church." Universal, invisible, spiritual, catholic, are human, not inspired, appellatives. This divine institution depends in a very important sense upon 18 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT man confessing. Not merely upon the man Peter, as held by Eomanists, nor upon the confession alone, as held by some Protestants ; but upon the man who confessed the essential deity of Jesus. This con- fession was an exercise of the heart rather than of the intellect. As the Scripture saith: ^'With the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." We confess Christ; we profess a religion. It was not Peter's mere intellectual perception of the Christ which our Lord commended. What Peter did and what he said was under the illumination of the Holy Spirit. *' Flesh and blood did not reveal it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven,'' was Jesus' way of saying that divine power worked on Peter enabling him to make the good confession. **No man can say Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit" (I Cor. 12:3). The church as an institu- tion has always been composed of frail human material like Peter who, by the Holy Spirit, ac- knowledged Jesus to be the unique Son of God. To this institution and its representatives was com- mitted the authority to announce the terms, or con- ditions, upon which God would forgive sins. The same power conferred on Peter was conferred upon the ten apostles in John 20 : 23, and upon the whole church in Matt. 18:18. The Eomanist doctrine of a universal church en- dowed with the power of binding and loosing is absent from the scriptures. Indeed, the word catholikos is not found in the New Testament, nor in the Septuagint — the Greek Old Testament. In post apostolic times catholikos was inserted in the titles of certain books; for example, '*The First General Epistle of Peter. ' ' Peter would never have THE MEANING OF THE WORD ''CHURCH" 19 given that heading to his letter for in the first two verses he specifically confines his message to: (1) the Jews; (2) the elect Jews; (3) the elect Jews of the dispersion; (4) the elect Jews of the dis- persion in four provinces of Asia Minor. It is anything else than a catholic epistle. The error is of a similar nature as the man-made titles *^ Saint Matthew," etc. God providentially preserved the text against these Romanist errors. Those versed in New Testament nomenclature never speak of the apostles as saints, except as all believers are called to be saints. The ^'Catholic church" is not a bibli- cal term, nor does it appear in the earliest form of the Apostles' Creed. Jesus had in mind an institution when He said: **Tell it to the church . . . If he will not hear the church," (Matt. 18:17f). The presidency of the United States is an institution established in Article II, Section I of the Constitution before there was a president. There have been twenty-eight presi- dents but only one presidency, as an institution. Perhaps a more apt analogy is the jury system. Amendment VI to the Federal Constitution provides for trial by jury in all criminal prosecutions. The accused is guaranteed a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury. That is to say; this amendment established the jury system as an institution just as Jesus established His church as an institution. In practical application the jury as an institution finds expression in a local jury which tries the ac- cused. Likewise, the church as an institution takes concrete shape in a local congregation in a given community. The figure of a building was used for the church as an institution. A building is never called a local 20 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT church in the New Testament, though such usage is now current. Looked at as an institution figured by a building, the fundamentals are: (1) Christ is the designer. He designs it for Kingdom purposes ; (2) He is the architect. He specifies the material which goes into the building. (3) He is the builder. He selects the material which fits into the specifica- tions. (4) He is the foundation. Other foundation can no man lay. (5) He is the owner. *'My church'' is the title to ownership. (6) He is the occupant. He inhabits the building by the Holy Spirit. The figure of an organism was used for the church as an institution. Looked at as an institution, fig- ured by an organism, the thoughts are: (1) Christ is the head. His rulership is exercised through his only vicar, the Holy Spirit. The assumption by a mere man of this sovereignty is blasphemy. (2) The church is Christ's body. That body is vitally connected with the head and draws its life from that source. Cut off the head and the body is dead. (3) Christ is also ^^head over all things to the church." He exercises all power in the universe in behalf of the church. (4) The church expresses Christ's fullness. As Christ conveys the concep- tion of God's nature, so the church conveys the con- ception of Christ's love, authority, power, glory. We now pass on to the second significance of the term ^^ church": a particular congregation. This is the predominant use in the New Testament. It means the regenerate persons in a locality who unite themselves voluntarily together, in conform- ity with Christ's laws, for establishing His king- dom in the earth. Membership in a church is not hereditary, like membership in a family or state, but is optional. THE MEANING OF THE WOED '^ CHURCH" 21 The earliest churclies probably met in private homes. The Lord's Supper was observed in these house-churches (Acts 2:46). The primitive church met in the house of Mary, mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12); and in the house of James, brother of Jesus (Acts 21:18). Paul sent salutations to at least three house-churches : to the church meeting in the house of Aquila and Priscilla (Rom. 16:5); to that meeting in the house of Nymphas (Col. 4:15); to that meeting in the house of Philemon at Colosse (Phil. 2). Gains was ''host of the whole church.'' Possibly three other house-churches are referred to in Eom. 16 : 14, 15 and I Cor. 16 : 15. It was perfectly natural for congregations to meet in private houses. Many a church in modern times has begun in a private dwelling. The First Baptist Church of Richmond was constituted in 1780 with fourteen members who met ''in the house of one Franklin" at the northeast corner of Carrington and Pink Streets. Numerous other examples could be cited. Qualifications for member ship in the churches of the New Testament were well defined. Not all res- idents of a town could participate in the Greek assembly: the members must needs be freemen. Lineal requisites qualified for membership in the Jewish congregation: proselytes must needs be cir- cumcised. A Christian church required faith and baptism in order to membership. It has been stated succinctly as faith-baptism. A New Testament ecclesia was not identical with the Jewish ecclesia and the terms of admission were entirely diiferent. The question of open church membership was not raised for the very simple reason that different de- nominations did not exist. Departure from the early 22 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT inspired principles and polity is the source of that vexatious question. But one safe course is to be pursued — strict adherence to the divine order. This is not unbrotherly. A member of the Knights of Pythias is not eligible to membership among Ma- sons by virtue of his membership in the Pythians, and vice versa. Every secret order has its own initiation. This is not to say they do not esteem and love the other orders. Members of one lodge pass to other similar lodges without a new initia- tion. So, with Baptists to-day. The forjfi of government of these local churches was congregational. One church having authority over another church, or one man, or group of men, exercising jurisdiction over a church, or a terri- tory of several churches, is foreign to the New Tes- tament. Those nearest Christ interpreted him as placing authority in the membership of the churches. Witness the nomination of Matthias by the ^^one hundred and twenty" (Acts 1:15-22); the choosing of the seven by "the multitude of the disciples" (Acts 6:2); the appointment of Barnabas as a com- mittee by "the church which was in Jerusalem" (Acts 11:22); the setting apart of Barnabas and Saul by the church at Antioch (Acts 13:13); the election of the presbyters by the vote of the churches (Acts 14:23); the sending of Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem on the circumcision controversy by the church at Antioch (Acts 15:3); the sending of chosen men to Antioch "by the apostles and elders, mth the whole church" (Acts 15: 22) ; the taking of apostles even to task and passing judgment on their conduct and the recognition by apostles of the supremacy of the local assembly (Acts 11:1-18); the abundant proofs of the congregation's control THE MEANING OP THE WORD ''CHURCH" 23 of its own affairs in exercising discipline (I Cor. 5:4); and appointing a traveling representative with Paul (II Cor. 8:19). From these scriptures it is evident that a par- ticular assembly was self-governing. There was no apostolic hierarchy even when and where the in- spired apostles were present. Jesus safe-guarded his churches against the peril of the episcopal form of government, viz., autocracy ; and against the peril of the presbyterian form of government, viz., oli- garchy; by establishing a democratic form of gov- ernment in which the government was of the people, for the people, and by the people. The local church is fundamental in the propaga- tion of the gospel. A clear understanding of a gos- pel church is so important that I venture to consider the subject from a slightly different viewpoint than the one just presented. Take this definition: A gospel church is an organized body of baptized be- lievers equal in rank and privileges, administering its affairs under the headship of Christ, united in the belief of what He has taught, covenanting to do what He has commanded, and cooperating with other like bodies in Kingdom movements. Analyze this definition. 1. An organized body. A church is not a mob, or a mass meeting. It is more than a congregation John the Baptist preached to multitudes and many of them followed his teaching but they were not a church. They were unorganized. Jesus began the first Christian church with two of John^s disciples. He gathered others and worked the material into an organization. This organization He filled with power on Pentecost. Wherever in the course of his missions Paul planted the Gospel, he never 2-i THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT counted his work complete until lie had organized a church and ordained pastors by a democratic pro- cedure of election by ^ ' show of hands. ' ' ( See David Smith's Life and Letters of Paul, page 105.) A building is not essential to the existence of a church, but organization is. The building is useful, the organization, indispensable. Immediately after a group of people come together for the purpose of constituting a church, they adopt certain principles as their binding and controlling bonds. They then select their officers and perfect such organization as may promote efficiency. 2. A body of baptized believers. Baptism means baptism. The Greek word was not translated in the King James or Ee\dsed Versions; it was anglicized. Had the original been translated it must necessarily have been ^' immerse,'^ as in the Bible Union New Testament. The meaning of the word, the descrip- tion of the administration, the symbolism of the ordinance, the uniform practice of the early fathers, all unite in emphasizing immersion, and immersion only, as Christian baptism. This baptism is for be- lievers — those who have exercised saving faith in Jesus Christ. John the Baptist demanded a change of heart before he w^ould baptize those who came to him. Jesus commanded that discipling should precede baptism. Those who *' gladly received His word'' were baptized by Peter and his co-laborers. Philip ascertained that the Eunuch believed before he baptized him. Paul's converts, even the house- holds, are described as believers. Without a single exception, baptism in the New Testament was al- ways upon a profession of faith. In all the re- corded instances faith "^receded and baptism fol- lowed immediately/. THE MEANING OF THE WORD '* CHURCH" 25 This doctrine eliminates infants because they da not need baptism. It eliminates the unconverted because they are unfit for baptism. It includes every one who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour, and imposes upon every such one a solemn duty to obey. 3. A body equal in rank and privileges. Ruling classes are foreign to a gospel church. Jesus con- demned such custom of the Gentiles and said of his people, ^'it shall not be so among you.'' Officers are chosen for service not for dictation, for leadership not for lordship. Except as one's character and service may have given him the confidence of his brethren, one has no more influence than another in a New Testament church. His power with his fellow members is not official. Even the pastor, whom the Holy Spirit makes the overseer, cannot exclude the least significant member. As a member of the local church his rank is precisely that of any and every other member. ^^ Orders" in the ministry are unscriptural and ^* orders" from the pastor are unauthorized. So with the privileges of individuals, — they are equal. Only in a gospel church is this true. No other denomination, and no civil government, grants equal suffrage to young and old, rich and poor, male and female. Membership in a Baptist church entitles every member to a voice and to a vote. Hence, a Baptist church is a pure democracy; the only one in the world to-day. Of course these privileges are accompanied, as are all privileges, by penalty for their abuse. Democracies have their perils, though they are of a nature different from those to which other governments are subject. Enlightened con- sciences are the safeguards of Baptist churches. 26 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 4. A body administering its o^vn affairs under the headship of Christ. That is to say, a Baptist church governs itself. Its '* authority^' is limited, however, to the determination of its o\vii member- ship, che administration of its temporal affairs, and the direction of its own corporate spiritual activi- ties. The form of government is congregational as distinguished from papistical, episcopal, or pres- byterian. It has all needed administrative and ju- dicial power. From its decision there is no appeal, since it is both the trial court and the supreme court. It constitutes the judge and the jury. It has no legislative powers. The New Testament is the law and Christ is the law-maker. He is ^*head over all things to the church." The right for which the small nations, and the oppressed people of the larger nations, have fought, viz.: to determine for them- selves their government and officials, has been a fundamental principle in a Baptist church from the very beginning of Christian history. That principle was first expressed in the New Testament and has been recognized as a guiding rule of every Baptist church since that time. 5. A body united in the belief of what Christ has taught. This means the *^ common faith'' which is also the '* faith once for all delivered unto the saints." Embraced in it are such doctrines as man's sinful nature and his inability to save him- self; God's eternal love for his creatures; Christ's deity and Saviourhood — He was God-man and made atonement for sin; the office and work of the Holy Spirit; escape from the power and penalty of sin by the sinner's repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; Christ's ability and prom- ise to keep those who are saved ; the two ordinances THE MEANING OF THE WORD ''CHURCH" 27 in tlieir proper order and significance; the churcli as a single, spiritual, democratic group; a heaven of unending service and unalloyed bliss for the saved and a hell of eternal misery and unmitigated suffering for the impenitent. Baptists may fellowship as Christians those who do not hold to certain of these tenets, but they do not fellowship them as church members. They may be saved and not be in a church. We pass no judg- ment on their religion; we do adhere to the New Testament in our church fellowship. It follows that an intelligent church member of a Baptist church can never unite with a body that repudiates these doctrines without stultifying his conscience. It also follows that there can never be '* organic church union" or even the 'interchange of church mem- bership'* or ^'open communion'' until "all come into the unity of the faith." "How can two walk to- gether, except they be agreed!" 6. A body covenanting to do what He has com- manded. Here, in addition to doctrine, we come upon deeds. Jesus' repeated, emphatic, inescapable command was to "go," "evangelize," "baptize," and "teach." To omit the "make disciples of all nations" is to take the heart out of the commission. Whoever does so, breaks fellowship with real Baptists and disowns Christ. Therefore, a Baptist church is essentially missionary. Christ's command constitutes its marching orders ; His spiritual weap- ons make up its armor; the "ends of the earth" are its objective. This principle should be inculcated in all who unite with churches. Too often they are received and neglected until a shock is needed to awaken them to missionary endeavor, as persecution scat- 28 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT tered abroad the Jerusalem church. The pity is that some never awake. They live as missionary drones, die unwept by the church and go to wear a starless crown. If their souls are saved *' their works perish.*' They are ^^ saved yet so as by fire." Jesus is saying to some very ** orthodox" people: *'Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of the father which is in heaven." *^Why call ye me Lord and do not the things I have commanded?" 7. A body cooperating with other like bodies in Kingdom enterprises. The proverb runs: ^^ Birds of a feather will flock together." Like associates with like. This principle determines church mem- bership. It should also determine church coopera- tion. The principle also preserves and propagates birds, animals, and plants. Those that go or grow in groups crowd the others out and preempt the territory. Here is a lesson writ large. ^*He who runs may read." Paul commended the Macedonian churches for their readiness to help. He was accompanied by members of cooperating churches who participated in his beneficent work. The task of feeding thou- sands of poor saints in Jerusalem was too great for any one church, though that church were the gen- erous Gentile church at Antioch. The largeness of the undertaking constituted the challenge : the spirit of service met that challenge in a combined effort. They did *^team work." The third signification of the term ^^ church" is: the redeemed of all time, **But ye are to come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to THE MEANING OF THE WORD ''CHURCH'' 29 the general assembly and church of the first-born, who are enrolled in heaven/' (Heb. 12:22f.) All from Adam to Christ who were saved by faith in a coming Messiah, will be members of this church in glory. All from the days of John the Baptist to the second coming of Christ who are saved by faith in the Son of God will be members of this church in glory. All who have died in infancy, and all idiots, are saved by the merits of Christ's death and will be members of this church in glory. This church will have no ordinances, no officers, no or- ganization. The conditions of membership are re- generation, sanctification, glorification. It is future as distinguished from the present church, an insti- tution focalizing and functioning in particular con- gregations. This church is to be the Lamb 's Bride. The marriage will take place at the end of time. When Christ's redeeming work is finished, when all enemies are put under His feet, when death is destroyed, when the bodies of the saints are raised and re-inhabited by their justified spirits, then the glorious church as a beautiful bride, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but holy and without blemish, will be presented to Jesus, the Groom (Eph. 5:27). The church as an institution then and there merges into the church in glory. That is in the future. How far we do not know. As we contemplate the wrinkles and blemishes of the churches of the present, the church in glory seems remote. One other subject remains to be treated: the dis- tinction between kingdom and church. Here there is much vague and confused thinking. It will aid in clarifying the situation to bear in mind that the idea contained in basileia, kingdom, is different 30 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT from the idea contained in ecclesia. The kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of Christ are the same in the New Testament. They mean the domain over which Christ reigns and the sovereignty which He exercises in that domain. Sometimes kingdom means the territory, sometimes the reign, sometimes both. The kingdom is larger than the church as a local assembly or an institu- tion. It is in existence now while the church in glory is in the future. In eternity the two may become one. A church is visible, the kingdom is invisible. Churches are organizations the mission of which is to enlarge the kingdom. This they do, (1) by bearing witness to the historic truths , of the New Testament; (2) by the proclamation of the gospel among all nations; (3) by the exhibition and inculcation of the principles of Christianity. Not all members of local churches are in the kingdom. Only the really saved are under Christ's rulership. All members of the kingdom will ultimately be mem- bers of the church in glory. Not all members of the kingdom are members of local churches. All the saved are not affiliated with the churches, though they ought to be. ^'Be baptized '^ is a com- mand for the individual, an act which must be done both by an outward as well as an inward obedience. It is obligatory upon every believer. Jesus' way of saying converted people would unite with a church was that ''Men do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel, but on the lamp-stand; and it shines to all that are in the house." The lamp-stand is the church. "The seven lamp-stands are the seven churches. ' ' CHAPTER n JERUSALEM — THE MOTHER CHURCH Passover and Pentecost were the great days with the Jews. Precisely seven weeks intervened between the two. Jesus was crucified the day .before the Passover and the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost. The things which Jesus did and taught, in the flesh up to the Passover, He continued to do and teach, by the Spirit, through the church after Pentecost. There was an interruption of fifty days. During the first forty days He showed himself to be alive by many infallible proofs, appearing to Mary Magdalene ; to other women ; to Peter ; to the two on the way to Emmaus; to the disciples, with Thomas absent; to the disciples with Thomas pres- ent; to the seven beside the sea; to the eleven on a mountain in Galilee ; to James ; to above ^ve hun- dred brethren, and to those the day He ''was taken up.'' These appearances brought peace and reas- surance to His troubled followers and converted His unbelieving half-brothers. During the last ten days, one hundred and twenty disciples were wait- ing and preparing for the promise of the Father. They are not called a church until Acts 5 : 11, but were a church in essence. The institution which Jesus established first localized and expressed itself in the church at Jerusalem. 1. The membership was cosmopolitan. The small number included all classes and conditions. Esti- mable ladies like Joanna and Susannah from Herod's court were on an equality with Mary a 31 32 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT carpenter's widow. A distinguished lawyer, Joseph of Arimathea, and an erudite scholar, Nicodemus, fellowshiped and followed Galilean fishermen like Peter and John. Simon the zealot and Matthew the publican dwelt amicably in the same organiza- tion. The membership grew rapidly and soon that church enrolled a rich land owner, Joseph of Cyprus, and penniless Greek-speaking Jewish women. No Sadducees believed in Jesus while He lived, but probably Sadducees were among the ** great multi- tude of the priests (who) were obedient to the faith;'' if so, converted Pharisees and Sadducees were leveled and united by Christian bonds. A rich man's church or a poor man's church is anomalous. A church is for no class exclusively. In a local church, as nowhere else on earth, it ought to be true that **The rich and the poor meet to- gether. The Lord is the maker of them all." The brotherhood of man is an impractical dream apart from Christ. He is the only bond of union. In Him all fictitious standards disappear. The fierce lion of passion and anger, and the timid lamb of innocence and helplessness lie down together in Him. His early churches had in them more power for realizing human brotherhood than all the phi- losophies of the schools and all the governments of the nations. The clash between classes would be stilled by heeding the voice of Christ *'Ye are all brethren." How splendidly the first Christian church demon- strated the Master's teaching! How beautifully His true churches to-day manifest the same truth! On the Sunday evening of the first day of Victory week of the Baptist 75 Million Campaign, the church which had been asked for the largest quota in the JERUSALEM— THE MOTHER CHURCH 33 Convention had the amount over-subscribed. The spirit of thanksgiving ran high. The pastor aban- doned the regular sermon and called on any lay- men, who wished to speak, to do so. Six responded. Two were business men, one was a lawyer, one a professor, one a missionary, and one a laboring man. No speaker repeated what another had said and no one spoke more than six minutes. The last speaker, the laboring man, said: *'I should like to say to the new members^ and strangers that I am about the smallest pebble' on this beach. There are men in this church worth millions more than I am, for I am not worth anything; but they treat me as a brother." It was a lovely sentiment and lovelier because it was true. Macaulay, in his Lays of An- cient Rome, over-draws the picture: *^Then none was for a party; Then all were for the state; Then the great man helped the poor, And the poor man loved the great: Then lands were fairly portioned; Then spoils were fairly sold: The Romans were like brothers In the brave days of old.'' It would be impossible to overstate the equality of believers and the sense of brotherhood in the Jerusalem church. 2. The government was congregational and demo- cratic. Look at the first chapter of the Acts. The election of a successor to Judas is under consid- eration. Peter takes the initiative by citing the prophecy of David, applying it to the case in point and stating the qualifications for the office. Inci- 34 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT dentally, lie says Judas fell from an offlce, not from a state of salvation. Peter does not presume to nominate, much less to appoint the apostle. Eleven apostles are there, but the election is not their pre- rogative. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is there, but she is ranked no higher than the others. She is not even referred to hereafter in the New Testament. So much for Mariolatry! The record is clear and positive: (1) that the case was submitted to the entire company of men and women; (2) that they nominated Barsabas and Matthias; (3) that they prayed the Lord to show which of the two He did choose; (4) that they wrote *^ Barsabas" on one table or ball, and ^^ Matthias" on another and put these in an urn and shook them and *' Matthias" fell out first. The word for lot is Kleros, clergy. From that transaction comes the term ** clergy," for ministry. It was the last use of lots by the Chris- tians. The Holy Spirit comes immediately as their guide and they have better means of ascertaining the will of God. Unfortunately the designation ^^ clergy" has survived. After this church had grown to enormous pro- portions, the business was conducted in the same democratic way as when it numbered one hundred and twenty. **And the twelve called the midtitude of the disciples to them and said, It is not proper that we should leave the Word of God, and minister to tables. But, brethren, looTc ye out among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint over this business. And we will give ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word. And the saying pleased the whole r/iultitude. And they chose Stephen . . . whom they set tefore the apostles" (Acts 6:1-6). JERUSALEM— THE MOTHER CHURCH 35 Those six verses contain five unmistakable refer- ences to the whole congregation of believers and show plainly that the multitude of believers gov- erned themselves. Internal trouble arose and the apostles threw the whole matter upon the church. It was settled by creating an office to care for the temporalities of the church. The seven were not an order in the ministry, but another class of church officers intended to make it possible for the apostles and pastors to devote themselves wholly to prayer and preaching. James, half-brother of our Lord, became pastor of this first church. The remaining history in Acts is consistent with the record in the first two elec- tions; the church managed its own affairs. The fact of Peter and John going to Samaria does not contravene the doctrine of democracy. They were apostles with special gifts and power, and had no successors. ** Apostolic succession '' is a vagary; the *^ historic episcopate *' is an unhistoric vestige of Romanism. 3. A six-fold unity characterized the earliest Christian church. (1) A unity of place. *^They were all together in one place." A little later all that believed were together. Still later, they were all in Solomon ^s porch. The members of that con- gregation had the ^'church going habit." They continued in it steadfastly. A sadder day had dawTied when a writer found it necessary to exhort ; **Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves to- gether as the manner of some is." Church-going is a good habit in itself. Many blessings attend it. Deacon John C. Williams of Richmond was a regular attendant upon all the services of his church. He walked four-fifths the distance around the globe 36 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT going to and from the First Baptist Church. A son-in-law once asked him, as he started to prayer meeting on an inclement evening: ''Mr. Williams, do you always feel like going to church ?'' "No, not always, but I make it a rule to go always because I ought. Most of the time it is a delight; some- times, a duty.'^ (2) A unity of purpose. "They were all of one accord.^' Their minds were concentrated on one thing, — the coming of the promised Paraclete. Cu- riosity prompted them to ask: "Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?'* Jesus sternly rebuked their curiosity. It was not for them to know the clironoSj long period, nor the kairos, short period. The important thing for them was equipment for service. "But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.'' Bidden to tarry until the Comforter came, they obeyed implicitly and unitedly. They knew what they needed and agreed in that knowledge. Day after day passed without a sign of fulfillment ; but they stayed together. As far as I know, the Spirit comes not upon a divided church. Oh, for that oneness of purpose ! Better fewer members in harmony and singleness of heart than large num- bers rent by dissension and torn by discord. "Of one mind in the Lord," "keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace," are evidences of the strength of a church. (3) A unity of prayer. ' ' These all continued with one accord in prayer." It was a praying church. Ten days were well spent in a prayer service. Sixty times two were "agreed on earth as touching" one thing. God was more ready to bless than they were to receive. Prayer prepared them to receive. This JERUSALEM— THE MOTHER CHURCH 37 prayer-habit became fixed. They were constantly attending on the prayers (Acts 2:42). They live greatly who pray habitually. Troubles came. The Sanhedrin inhibited preaching. The disciples be- took themselves to prayer. They asked God to help them to do their part, knowing full well that He would do His part (Acts 4:23-31). By prayer the church triumphed over religious persecution. Trou- bles thicken. One apostle is contemptuously cut off and another is in prison. The church finds its re- course in unceasing prayer (Acts 12:5, 12). God delivered Peter from the prison and from the sol- diers. By prayer this church triumphed over state persecution. Good singing adds to the interest of a service. Good scripture reading is instructive. Good preach- ing is winning. Good praying is the most effective of all. It is the mightiest force a church can employ. Forget not Tennyson's lines: ^^More things are wrought by prayer Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice Eise like a fountain for me night and day. For what are men better than sheep or goats That nourish a blind life within the brain, If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer Both for themselves and those who call them friend r' Remember the five young Americans in the hay- stack prayer meeting. Eemember the prayers of Hudson Taylor's mother for her wayward son. (4) A unity of power. ^^ Tongues like as of fire sat upon each of them." Not tongues of fire. They could not have endured fire. Tongues like fire, 38 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT partin^^ asunder as flames of fire. "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues/' This experience was common to all. What was lost at Babel was regained at Pentecost. Jesus had kept His word, their prayers were answered. Evidences of the Spirit's presence were external, (a) There was the sound of a wind, indicative of the pervasive, life-bringing power of the Spirit. ' ' The wind blows where it will, and thou hearest the sound of it, but knowest not whence it comes and whither it goes. So is every one that is born of the Spirit." Their ears heard the sound. (b) There appeared lambent tongues like that on the head of young lulus in Virgil, indicative of puri- fying power. Their eyes beheld the phenomenon. (c) They all began to speak with other tongues so that the crowds from different parts of the world heard the gospel in their own language. The in- tent of the Spirit was that they should be Christ's witnesses. The multitudes '^wondered," were *^ amazed," "confounded." Evidences of the Spirit's presence were also internal, (a) A clear insight into the scriptures. The crowds thought the disciples were drunk. Peter quotes at length the prophecy that fits the situation exactly and declares its fulfillment. They were drunk, but theirs was a spiritual intoxication and the wine which they drank was the new wine of the kingdom. Peter preached a brief but con- vincing sermon, of twenty-two verses. Ten verses were quotations from Joel and David and the other twelve verses were interpretations and applications of those ten. (b) A holy boldness. All the apostles had fled when Jesus was arrested. Peter had denied Him thrice. Now, what a change ! Peter and John JERUSALEM— THE MOTHER CHURCH 39 are unawed in the presence of the Sanhedrin, un- intimidated by its contemptuous threats. Their fearlessness profoundly impressed the rulers, elders, scribes, high priests and others. The record reads : *'And beholding the boldness of Peter and John.'' The group in John Mark's home prayed, *' Grant to thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word." They so spake, (c) A burning zeal. A new passion and energy came with the Spirit. Fishing nets lost their charm. Persecution was but a wind which scattered the seed. They went everywhere preaching the word. Gibbon enumerates the inflexible zeal of the early believers as among the causes of the rapid spread of Christianity over the Eoman Empire, (d) Mar- velous results. Spiritual power is a thing within. It comes from above and dwells in and works through the believer. Under one sermon three thousand were converted. Two chapters later, five thousand men were believers. Two chapters still further on we are told, ' ' The disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly ; and a great multitude of the priests were obedient to the faith." These large results were achieved in the short time of three and one-half years. The relation of Spirit baptism to water baptism is a controverted question. Jesus did not repudiate water baptism when He said: ^^John indeed bap- tized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit, not many days hence." He simply, by comparison, prepared them for the higher realm they were soon to enter. The comparison shows a three-fold difference, (a) John baptized into an element, water. They were to be baptized into a person, the Holy Spirit. First that which is nat- 40 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT ural; then that which is spiritual, (b) John's bap- tism was administered once and the believers came up out of the water. They were to be baptized into a permanent element, or condition, in which they should abide, (c) John's baptism typified a break- ing with sin. The baptism of the Spirit typified a union with Christ. Certainly baptism in water was not superseded and abolished as the peace-loving Quakers teach. The converts on Pentecost were baptized just as converts were before Pentecost. *^They then that welcomed His word were bap- tized." The practice of baptism after Pentecost was uniform. ' ^ But when they believed Philip pub- lishing the good news concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were bap- tized, both men and women" (Acts 8:12). Saul was baptized after he received the Holy Spirit (Acts 9 : 18). Cornelius was baptized after the Holy Spirit came on him (Acts 10:44-48). Baptism and the work of the Holy Spirit went along together. The Samaritans were baptized and then endued. Saul and Cornelius were endued and then baptized. There is no authority in the New Testament for abolishing, or for changing, baptism. The Spirit did not enter the world at Pentecost. He moved upon the face of the waters in the first chapter of Genesis. He strove with wicked men in the sixth chapter of Genesis. David prayed, *^Take not thy Holy Spirit from me." The prophets *^ searched what time or what manner of time the spirit of Christ which was in them did signify" (I Peter 1:11). Zacharias and Elizabeth prophe- sied under the Spirit's power. Jesus, before the ascension, breathed on His disciples and said, ^'Re- ceive ye the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). JERUSALEM— THE MOTHER CHURCH 41 There is a difference, however, in the Spirit's office and work under the new dispensation. Under the old dispensation a bad man, Saul, had the spirit of prophecy ; under the new dispensation, the Spirit is given to none but good men and He keeps them good. He is in rather than on them. Simon Magus might have obtained the Spirit under the old dis- pensation, but not under the new. Again, in the Old Testament the Spirit was given only to official persons, judges, kings, prophets (Judges 15:14). In the New Testament, He is for all believers. **I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh,*' old men and young men, males and females, bond and free. Once more, in the Old Testament the Spirit in Judaism was not missionary. In the New Testa- ment He is bestowed for service. He illumines the mind of the Christian; He convicts the heart of the sinner; He thrusts forth laborers in the harvest field ; He seals the preached word unto salvation. Two things are true of every Spirit-guided worker in the Acts. (1) He was directed to the right per- son. The angel of the Lord told Philip to go to the desert road. He found an inquiring, receptive soul. Paul was providentially prohibited from preaching in Bithjmia and sent to Europe, (b) He had the right word to speak. Philip preached unto the Eunuch Jesus and he professed faith. The Lord opened the heart of Lydia and she gave heed to the things spoken by Paul. (5) A unity of practice. The Christian commu- nity accepted and observed two rites. Baptism was administered to those who received the preached word. The great command of Jesus was obeyed implicitly; baptize the disciples. Eepentance was a prerequisite: *^ Repent ye, and be baptized." 42 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT Faith was a prerequisite : * ' Then they that received His word were baptized. ' ' Repentance and faith are the human side and regeneration is the divine side. When a sinner repents and believes, he is regen- erated by the Spirit of God. When he is regen- erated, he is a proper subject for baptism and that is his immediate and imperative duty. Salvation precedes the ordinances. Abraham was justified by faith before he knew aught of the Mosaic ritual and ceremony. John the Baptist challenged the fruits of repentance of some who came to his baptism and refused to baptize them (Matt. 3:7-10). His first note was, *' Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'' He preached repentance first, and baptism on account of the remission of sins. Jesus and His apostles made disciples before they bap- tized them (John 4:1). The Jerusalem church ob- ser\^ed the same order. Members of that church were consistent in prac- tice in other fields of labor. A deacon became an evangelist. His first converts were baptized after they believed ^^the good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ'' (Acts 8:4). On the second occasion of his evan- gelistic effort the enquirer was guided by the preacher into the knowledge of Jesus and baptized after he received that saving knowledge (Acts 8:34-39). The minute description of the ordinance leaves no doubt as to the mode. As to the meaning, it was an expression of the Eunuch's faith and a pledge of his allegiance to Jesus. The mission of the evangelist was to preach Jesus and baptize those who believed in Him. Peter commanded his six companions to baptize the converted, spirit-endued Gentiles in Csesarea (Acts 10:47f). JERUSALEM— THE MOTHER CHURCH 43 Baptismal remission, as expomided by Mr. Alex- ander Campbell, makes a believer's salvation con- tingent upon an ordinance along with other things ; whereas, the scriptures teach that salvation is all of grace through faith. Two thoughts should fix themselves in our minds about Peter's meaning in Acts 2:38. (1) He would not contradict his Lord. The Master instructed *^that repentance and remis- sion of sins should be preached in His name unto all the nations" (Luke 24:47). He did not connect baptism with the remission of sin. He did say that His blood was ^'shed for many unto the remission of sins'' (Matt. 20:28). If it was His blood then it was not the water of baptism. The meaning of Peter was analogous to that of Jesus in Matt. 16 : 16 : ^^He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned" — not because he is not baptized, but because he does not believe. (2) He would not contradict himself. Three times in Acts, after Pentecost, Peter men- tions the remission of sins and in no instance does he associate it with baptism. ^* Repent, therefore, and turn that your sins may be blotted out" (3 : 19). ^'Him did God exalt as a Prince and a Saviour, with his right hand, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins" (5:31). *^To him all the prophets testify, that through his name every one who believes on him shall receive remission of sins" (10:43). The logic of baptismal regeneration applied to the Lord's Supper leads to transubstantiation. The belief in baptismal remission produced two opposite evil results, (a) The postponement of baptism as long as possible, to be sure all sins were washed away, (b) The baptism of infants, lest they die 44 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT unbaptized and be lost. The bitterest waters that ever flowed from a religious fountain are the union of church and state, and religious persecution. They both have their source in baptismal regen- eration. Mr. Campbell made too much of baptism; certain Pedobaptists mal^e too little of it; the first church practiced it as an act of obedience by the saved. The Lord's Supper was the other ordinance of this church. They were constantly attending ^'upon the breaking of bread." A new ordinance was in- stituted by Jesus the night of His betrayal. The Passover symbolized the theocracy of the past. The Supper s^rmbolized the vital relation of the be- liever with the invisible King. Jesus paid homage the last time to the past and gave a new symbol to be honored in the future. The Supper was an out- ward embodiment of the New Covenant, more spiritual than the old and equally as vivid. Its meaning to the saints was profound and precious. They saw in it: (1) An abiding memorial to their Lord; (2) an impressive enforcement of dependence on the merits of His death as a sacrifice for sin; (3) a constant reminder of their need of spiritual participation with Him as the bread of life; (4) the bond of a new brotherhood; (5) the token of His return. Baptism and the Lord's Supper were the only two outward forms in the new society. They were divinely created in their number and nature. Bap- tism was administered once for all. The Supper was administered frequently, probably weekly, or daily, in Jerusalem. No human authority can add another ordinance. These two, no more. No human authority can change the ordinances or their simple, JERUSALEM— THE MOTHER CHURCH 45 scriptural symbolism; this and nothing else. Bap- tism is a symbol that we are in Christ; the Lord's Supper is a symbol that Christ is in us. (6) A unity of possessions. A situation devel- oped in the Jerusalem church which has been the source of widespread controversy and misunder- standing. I refer to the community of property in Acts 2 : 44f and 4 : 32-37. On that passage and prac- tice some base the Christian authority for socialism. Such socialists advocate the nationalization of in- dustry and the abolition of private property. They contend that this scripture teaches that the rich and poor should put all their property in a common fund and have equal access to that treasury. They are not troubled by the well recognized fact that if equality of property were established to-day there would be inequality to-morrow, if men were allowed to trade. They stand firmly upon the righteousness and wisdom of a supposed apostolic precedent. Does this scripture teach socialism? Well, if it does it is voluntary socialism. What they did was not under the requirements of law or in obedience to a divine command. Jesus' instruction to the rich young ruler does not contravene this position. The young man's goods were impeding his development, circumscribing his horizon, dwarfing his spiritual capacity; and Jesus put his finger on the place of weakness and pain in his life. Elsewhere, Jesus gave different instructions to seekers after salva- tion. Always, He sought to remove the obstacle between the sinner and Christ. In the case of the young ruler the obstacle was his goods. Joseph of Arimathea was not required to sell his property and it was in his newly-hewn and costly tomb that Jesus' body found a decent burial. The owner of 46 THE CHURCHES OP THE NEW TESTAMENT the olive grove east of Jerusalem was not com- manded to sell his valuable suburban property. It was there Jesus found a quiet retreat from the noise and conflict of the city, and a trysting place for communion with the Father. A rich friend of Jesus in the Holy City owned a home sufficiently large to entertain thirteen guests on short notice. Jesus' parents were poor. He remained poor. He comforted and cheered the poor. He warned the rich. But He also saved the rich and accepted and enjoyed their friendship. The Bible is its own best interpreter. Chapter five of the Acts removes all doubt about the mean- ing of the community of goods and shows it to be purely voluntary. Peter said to Ananias, ^' While it (the land) remained, did it not remain thine own!" There is positive authority for the right of private property. **And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power*?" He was not under any command to give it all. He wanted credit for great liberality without in fact being very liberal, and God struck him dead, not because he did not give all, but because he acted and told a lie to God. He is more merciful now than He was then. If He should kill all the people in the churches to-day who tell stories about what they are able to give, and what they do give, the slain of the Lord would be many, and some churches might not have enough members left to hold a business meeting. If further proof be wanted, it ought to be suffi- cient to say that no other church in the New Testa- ment had a community of goods. Trusteeship was taught by Jesus and Paul, but not socialism. And, furthermore, this one experiment was a failure. Other churches by spontaneous outburst sent succor JERUSALEM— THE MOTHER CHURCH 47 to feed the poor saints in Jerusalem. Paul care- fully organized a host of independent churches in cooperative brotherly action, caused by the break- down of the community of goods in Jerusalem. This was not a shining example of an ideal social system. But we must not miss entirely the force of this community of goods. It speaks well for the faith, enthusiasm, and devotion of the members that they were willing to give all to finance the struggling cause. It was expected that Christ's return from heaven was imminent. In the paradisiacal joy of Pentecost **no one said that aught of the things which he had was his own, but they had all things common.'' The situation was unusual. A gracious revival was in progress. Some lost their means of support by becoming Christians. Thousands re- mained in Jerusalem longer than they expected. They were without places to sleep and without food. The church made common cause. Every one put all he had at the disposal of the church to meet an emergency. I have seen the same spirit manifested at a district association in Virginia. Thousands were fed by the whole church spreading their bas- kets in common on the long, hospitable, and sump- tuous table. I believe in that form of *^ social- ism. ' ' 4. The church triumphed over persecution. Our Saviour had foretold that persecution awaited His followers. He forearmed them by forewarning them. They need never fear. It should be given them what to speak. He would be with them in the hour of trial and all the way. His words as to persecution and preservation came true in short time. First, the Sadducees were enraged by the 48 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT doctrine of the resurrection. They were material- ists. No angel, no spirit, no resurrection, or gen- eral judgment was their negative creed. Peter habitually and persistently preached, as an eye witness, the resurrection of Christ. On Pentecost: **This Jesus God raised up, of which we are wit- nesses.'' Acts 2:31. In Solomon's porch: *'Whom God raised from the dead, of which we are wit- nesses." Acts 3:15. ''God, having raised up his Servant, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities." Acts 3 : 26. Before the Sanhedrin: "In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead. ' ' Acts 4 : 10. Throughout Jerusalem: "With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus." Acts 4: 32. Before the Sanhedrin the sec- ond time : "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew, hanging him on a tree . . . and we are witnesses of these things." Acts 5:30, 32. Six times in five chapters the resurrection is preached. That doctrine cut under the Sadducees' position, destroyed their influence, endangered their posi- tion, and imperiled their lives. They resolved to fight. Force, not argument, was the weapon which they wielded. Twice the apostles were imprisoned. Once they were released with a threat suspended over them. The second time, Gamaliel's counsel saved their lives, and they escaped with a beating. Threats and imprisonments did not stop the apostles nor destroy the truth. The number of believers be- came about five thousand men at the very time the apostles were first in prison. Miraculous manifes- tations were given the church, hypocrites were JERUSALEM— THE MOTHER CHURCH 49 killed, the people magnified the apostles, who re- joiced that they were accounted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name. Jesus told them, **Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.'' The cheerfulness and heroism with which they bore themselves promoted their cause and defeated the Sadducees. Convincing preaching, earnest living and mighty doing commended their cause to the people. The more they were persecuted, the more they grew. Second, the Pharisees were angered by Stephen's wonders and signs. He wounded their dearest prejudices by his preaching and conduct. The issue was not the resurrection. It was the value and per- manence of the old dispensation. Stephen proved the superiority of Christ's sacrifice, priesthood, and temple. His deeds confirmed and vindicated his doctrine. Discussion, not force, was the weapon his enemies employed. They disputed with him, **and were not able to resist the wisdom and spirit with which he spoke." Bested in debate, they suborned witnesses and accused him of profanity. His noble defense added fuel to the flames of their wrath. They gnashed their teeth. They stopped their ears that they might not hear the preacher's voice. They rushed upon him as dogs upon a beast. They cast him out of the city and stoned him. The light which shines on angels' faces beamed from his countenance. Heaven opened before his closing eyes. Jesus, represented elsewhere as seated by the throne of God, rose and stood in defense of his martyred disciple. A prayer for the persecutors ascended from his dying lips. The chief of his opponents never got away from the sight of the dying saint. 50 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT **Si Stephanus iion sic orasset, Ecclesia Paulum non habere!/ ' **If Stephen had not so prayed The church had not had Paul/' Persecution which had been confined to an indi- vidual spread into a storm that swept all the church from Jerusalem, except the apostles. They went preaching. Crowds gave heed with one accord. The ablest of the Pharisees was converted. The church won its greatest convert. Third, the Jewish state essayed to succeed where the Sadducees and Pharisees had failed. Herod Agrippa, the king, put forth his hand to harm some of the church. James, the apostle, he beheaded. Peter, he imprisoned. Prison bars could not hold the man whom God protected. Once before an angel freed him. '^The angel of the Lord en- campeth round about them that fear him, and de- livereth them." An angel of deliverance released Peter and an angel of judgment smote Herod. Worms ate his corrupt body. The word of God grew and multiplied. No weapon formed against a faithful and fearless church prospered. The Sad- ducean persecution was brought to a close by the considerate counsel of Gamaliel. The Pharisean persecution failed when its protagonist, Saul, was converted. The Jewish State persecution was in- terrupted when God struck Herod from the pinnacle of power and popular adulation. May it not be that there is too much concord be- tween the world and the churches due to the com- promising attitude of the churches? Are we not too timid about opposing errors of doctrine and the ways of wickedness? Every pastor in a city church JERUSALEM— THE MOTHER CHURCH 51 must choose between being a trimmer and a prophet. If he is a trimmer the wicked will praise him, toast him, crown him. If he is a prophet who preaches a strong, sound, pure gospel the liberals will call him narrow. Yet in this way is found the unfad- ing crown. **Woe unto you when all men speak well of you," was spoken by a gentle, peace-loving Saviour. A church and preacher must not be bel- ligerent; they must be courageous and true. The same God who cared for the Jerusalem church still lives and cares for His own. The struggle of Virginia Baptists for religious freedom is a case in point. They were the last denomination to enter the Colony. Persecution was rampant. They suffered most. Through those trying years they never dipped their colors. Others petitioned for toleration; they petitioned for lib- erty. Others would accept the *' Apportionment Bill"; they uniformly insisted upon complete sepa- ration of church and state. Baptists were mal- treated elsewhere, but nowhere else did they en- counter so many prohibiting laws as in Virginia. The history reads like the early chapters of Acts. Where they were persecuted the most severely for conscience' sake, they grew the fastest. In 1768 there were only four or five Baptist churches in Virginia. In 1788 there were about one hundred. They increased from no preachers to nearly one hundred. They took first place among the Baptists of all the colonies in twenty years. Within thirty- five years they out-numbered all Baptists in the United States outside of North Carolina. I have not meant to say that the first Christian church was perfect. That attribute belongs alone to the church in glory. The First church was lack- 52 THE CHURCHES OP THE NEW TESTAMENT ing in a comprehensive understanding of the scope of the gospel, but its horizon gradually widened. The oft-heard charge that it was anti-missionary is not substantiated by the records. Half heathen in Samaria and Gentiles in Caesarea were evan- gelized by members of this church. Assembled in solemn council, the church disclaimed responsibility for the trouble-making circumcisionists, and re- fused to lay upon the Gentile Christians any un- necessary burden. Acts 15 : 25-28. A church which preserved, in a large and cosmopolitan membership, a spirit of brotherhood and unity; a church which made wise selection of its officers and conducted its affairs in an orderly and judicious manner; a church under whose ministry thousands were con- verted in three years; a church which continually attended to public worship, contribution worship, the Lord's Supper worship, and the prayer meet- ing worship; a church whose philanthropy has not been surpassed in the history of man; a church whose scattered membership went everywhere preaching the word; a church which won against the lawless opposition of skeptical Sadducees, proud Pharisees and a stubborn state, is worthy of study, of commendation, and of emulation. Such was the mother church at Jerusalem. CHAPTER III ANTIOCH — THE MISSIONAEY CHUKCH Mythology played around Antioch and Syria more than around the site of any other New Testa- ment church. Six miles to the east was the ill- famed Valley of Daphne. Diana, the goddess of the chase, attended by a bevy of beautiful maidens frequented this valley. One day, the story goes, she was visited here by her brother, Apollo. He saw, loved and sought Diana's fairest nymph, Daphne. The nymph fled and Apollo pursued hotly. In her flight Daphne prayed to her mother, Earth, for protection and was immediately changed into a laurel. Thus, the laurel became sacred to Apollo and the emblem with which victors were crowned. Thus, this valley was named Daphne and became sacred to Apollo and Diana. It became such a center of worship and pleasure that Antioch is sometimes called ^^ Antioch near Daphne." The grossest excesses were practiced by heathen wor- shipers, vice promoters and Roman soldiers. ^^Daphnic morals" became a synonym for the worst. The satirist and reformer, Juvenal, charged that Rome was corrupted by the superstitions and indulgences from Daphne: ^*The waters of the Orontes overflowed into the Tiber." Typhon, a terrible dragon, who waged bitter war with Zeus, was killed, so the legend runs, by a thunderbolt and buried in the mountain near An- tioch. His writhing under the mountain was the mythological reason for the numerous earthquakes. 53 54 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT No city lias been so devastated by earthquakes as has Antioch. Another legend is to the effect that a gifted actress was once performing in the theater of Antioch while the Persians were besieging the city. The enraptured audience applauded a gesture and sentence as the actress outstretched her arm toward the mountain and exclaimed: ** Behold the Persians are come." They thought it a part of the play. Persian arrows pierced them through and left them dead in their seats. Disaster befell them, as it did the dwellers in Herculaneum, at a moment when the pleasures of the flesh had banished from their fickle and frivolous minds all thought of death. Another legend tells how the flight of a flock of birds guided Seleucus from his religious devotions on Mount Casius to the seaport which he founded on the Mediterranean and which became the gate to Antioch from the west. Still another legend re- lates that while Seleucus was sacrificing in Anti- gonia, the capital of his conquered rival, an eagle swooped down on the altar, seized a piece of meat and flew away to Mount Silpius at the southern edge of the plain, beside the Orontes. The victor interpreted the omen that the gods thus designated the site of his capital. Accordingly, he destroyed Antigonia and built Antioch on the rising ground between the river Orontes and the high slopes of Mount Silpius. Passing from legend to history : Seleucus Nicator was the favorite general of Alexander the Great. He commanded the Macedonian Horse. Two dec- ades of strife followed the death of Alexander. The battle of Ipsus, B. C. 301, thwarted the ambi- tions of Antigonus. After many divisions, there ANTIOCH— THE MISSIONARY CHIIRCH 55 grew out of the universal empire five monarcliies of decidedly Hellenistic character. One of these was Syria, over which Seleucus ruled. Mesopo- tamia belonged to his domain and Coele-Syria was added to the Kingdom of the Seleucidae by the battle of Paneas, B. C. 198, when Antiochus Epi- phanes defeated Scopas, the general of Ptolemy. The custom in ancient times was for conquerors to commemorate their victories by building cities. Seleucus excelled all others in this respect. He founded thirty-four cities, sixteen of which he named for his father's family, Antioch. The great- est of his cities was Antioch in Syria. For a thou- sand years it controlled the commerce of the Meso- potamian plain. It was the gateway to the east and the third largest city in the Roman empire. The first great white way was in Antioch. The Antiochians robbed the night of its pall and turned it into a perennial day of pleasure. Who has not walked with Ben Hur about the streets of Aoitioch, seen Messala gambling with his friends on the island in the river, and sat in the hippodrome where the Jew guided his four fleet Arab steeds through the mazes of the chariot race in the contest with the Roman ? In this capital city of the East, so full of mytho- logical lore, so sunken in moral turpitude, so poten- tial in commerce, so influential in politics, so rich in history, the first missionary church was consti- tuted. The plan of procedure in establishing Chris- tianity was to capture the cities for Christ. As go the cities, morally and religiously, so goes a country. Who saves his city saves all things. The city is the center from which radiate the forces that build up or pull down a civilization. Cities 56 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAIVfENT are the most difficult problems confronting Christian- ity in America. The gospel attacked the city prob- lem first. The church at Antioch had its origin as follows : Certain Syrian Jews were in Jerusalem and heard Peter's memorable sermon and were converted. Nicolaus of Antioch was one of the seven set apart to look after the tables. When persecution drove the brethren from Jerusalem some of them from Cyprus and Cyrene went as far as Antioch and preached to the Greeks also the good news of the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number turned to the Lord. The Jerusalem church, hearing of the happenings in Antioch, sent Barnabas to inspect this work among the Gentiles. Barnabas was a Hellenist and a man of high rank, distinguished presence, deep sympathy, open mind, broad vision, liberal spirit, and keen per- ception. He was a good man, not full of prejudice but full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, — faith in God and faith in his neighbors. He goes forth, a com- mittee of one, without instructions. Spurgeon said : ^^The best committee is a committee of three with two of them sick a-bed. ' ' Peter and John had inves- tigated the situation in Samaria and now Barnabas is sent on a somewhat similar mission. It was the longest continuous journey taken thus far in the interest of Christianity, farther from Jerusalem than Joppa, Caesarea, Samaria, or Galilee. His sole instruction was to go as far as Antioch. Arrived there, he heartily approves the work as being of the Lord. Not an alteration or amendment does he propose. Instead of returning to Jerusalem to report he stays in Antioch and carries on the work of grace begun by the men of Cyprus and Cyrene. ANTIOCH— THE MISSIONARY CHURCH 57 With earnest words he exhorts the brethren to cleave unto the Lord. Multitudes are converted. The meeting grows to such proportions as to require out- side help. Barnabas has that remarkable and much- to-be-coveted gift of recognizing merit, of estimating character, of selecting the right man for a given task. Not far away at Tarsus is a man, forty-four years old, named Saul. Ten years before, he had seen the Lord on the way, had abandoned his course of Pharisee-persecution, had been baptized and had re- ceived a commission to preach to the Gentiles. Three years of retirement, meditation, and prayer in Mt. Sinai taught him how to adjust the law and the gos- pel and fitted him for an unparalleled ministry. His ministry began in Damascus. A conspiracy against his life drove him to Jerusalem. Only one member of the church believed in him. That member was Barnabas who gave him the hand of fellowship and vouched for him before the brethren. The duration of his stay in Jerusalem was two weeks. His preach- ing stirred up opposition as it did at Damascus; another attempt was made on his life and the breth- ren sent him away to Tarsus for safety. The Da- mascus and the Jerusalem experiences were alike in four particulars: (1) Bold preaching. (2) Bitter opposition. (3) Plots to kill. (4) Rescue by friends. Saul remained in obscurity ^ve years but doubtless preached in Cilicia, his native province, endured suf- ferings (II Cor. 11), and was heartened by revela- tions (II Cor. 12:4). Barnabas was profoundly impressed by the striking personality and thrilling religious experi- ence of Saul. Outward appearance counted for little with this discriminating judge of human nature. SauPs physique was not imposing. Small stature, 58 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT bent form, affected eyes, bluntness of speech were his characteristics. Oh, but in that bosom beat a great heart; in that head functioned the clearest, most loc^ical brain that ever expounded the teachings of Christ! Seven years had intervened since Barnabas and Saul met and parted in Jerusalem. In need of a helper to carry on the meeting, Barnabas thought not of Peter, or John, or of any of the more experi- enced brethren in the mother church; his mind turned instantly and instinctively to Saul. He went for him and brought him to Antioch. Saul had worked, waited, and watched for the open door of opportunity. God was swinging it ajar by Philip's evangelism in Samaria, by the vision of the sheet on the housetop at Joppa, by the admission to the gos- pel of Gentiles at Caesarea, and by the conversion of Greeks at Antioch. The door is now flung wide open and the mightiest advocate Christianity has claimed enters. The man and the hour have met. For one year the soul-stirring meeting continued and the church at Antioch is firmly established. The rising sun of Antioch begins to eclipse the waning sun of Jerusalem. A new name is coined; **The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch." Nations, political parties, and religious denominations often call them- selves by one name and, by their opponents, are called another name. These names, by outsiders, are generally given as stigmas. Sometimes they aptly describe, and come to be accepted and worn as an honor. So it is with the name ^^ Christian." It occurs three times in the New Testament. A haughty king contemptuously remarks that Paul, with a little persuasion, would make him a Christian ANTIOCH— THE MISSIONARY CHURCH 59 (Acts 26:28). Peter admonishes that if any one suffers as a Christian, as if it had become an indict- able offense, let him not be ashamed but glorify God on this behalf (I Peter 4: 16). The heathen in An- tioch had no category to fit the new society among them. ^ ' Jews ^ ' did not describe them, nor did * * Gen- tiles. '^ They invented a name, ^'Christians" (Acts 11:26). The curiosity-hunting, pleasure-loving, sarcastic Antiochians were compelled to notice this new re- ligion. That church attracted the attention of the world by its deeds, not by its sensational advertise- ment. Jesus could not be hid. Peter lived his earnest, unostentatious life, crowds attended him and the sick were laid by the roadside in the hope that his shadow might fall on them. Paul became known everywhere he went. Merit will win. Every one, at last, brings in the market of the world about what he is worth and he ought to be too honest to want to bring more. The church and pastor who do things will compel the attention of the world by their very works. Leaven permeates, salt preserves, light shines. Haman observed of all captive Jews, * ' Their laws are diverse from all people.'' Study this new name. It did not stand for a political party like ^'Herodians." It did not stand for a philosophical school like '^ Aristotelians." It stood for the followers of Christ who were united by a principle which the worldlings did not under- stand. The Antiochians had no idea Christ was not a proper name, but the designation of an office. God overruled their mistake for Christ's glory. Had the disciples been called ** Jesuits," that would have signified followers of the mere man. Had they been called ** Galileans, " that would have localized and 60 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT provincialized them. Ignorant of the bond which united them, their enemies called them after the anointed Son of God. It was a happy, a providential, blunder to describe that blended church in which Jews and Gentiles first met and mingled as equals. It is a strange fact that the appellation of their foes is the one by which the followers of Jesus are now commonly designated, both by the world and by themselves. They called themselves ^* disciples,'' ^'believers,'' '^saints,'' and ^'brethren,'' in apostolic times. There were various elements of strength in the church at Antioch which are worthy of particular consideration and general emulation. To these we now direct our attention, taking them in chronolog- ical order. 1. Evangelistic in spirit. Evangelism is the proclamation of the gospel. Logically and chrono- logically it is the first duty of believers. Jesus set it first in the great command. Growth is essential to well-being. It is earnest, direct, personal, and aims to convey to the lost a saving knowledge of Christ. Jesus made his people responsible for con- tact with the unsaved, not for their conversion. The one is the Christian's work, the other is God's. God does His part when we do our part. Witness the beginning in Antioch. Directly after the gospel was preached there, it is recorded: **And the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number that believed turned to the Lord." Power from above attended the faithful preaching of the glad tidings. Barnabas' visit follows and similar results attend his labors, *^And a great multitude was added to the Lord." The revival waves rose high and rolled strong. They did not ebb. Saul came to assist. ANTIOCH— THE MISSIONARY CHURCH 61 For a whole year the church was in a continual state of revival. Multitudes were taught. The normal condition was one of spiritual awakening. Evangelism changed the morals of the city. Licen- tiousness was rebuked, extravagance was checked, Greek estheticism and oriental luxury were dis- counted, by the contrast with a soul-saving group who showed the people a more excellent way. The people saw the difference and abandoned the old for the new. Schaff says that at the time of Chrysostom half of the population were Christians. Evangelism changed the center of Christianity. Ten * ^ church councils ' ' met in Antioch 252-380. The patriarch took precedence over the patriarch of Jerusalem. Libanus, Marcellus, and Chrysostom came from Antioch. Ignatius started on his march to martyrdom in Eome from Antioch. Evangelism is the very life of a church, in doctrine and deeds. A church that is not evangelistic will not long continue evangelical. When the passion for souls is lost, God writes ^*Ichabod" over the church portals. Evangelism is the panacea for the maladies which afflict society. Every troublesome issue, political, economic, and religious, could be settled aright by a world-sweeping revival of the Antioch type. Other remedies deal with suffering. This remedy deals with sin, the source of suffering. Others lop off the diseased limbs of the tree. This one digs around and fertilizes the roots. Therefore, let us have the spirit of personal, pastoral, and perennial evan- gelism. * * Give us a watchword for the hour A Thrilling word, a word of power; 62 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT A battle cry, a flaming breath, That calls to conquest or to death ; A word to rouse the churches from their rest, To heed its Master's high behest. The call is given, Ye hosts arise ; Our watchword is Evangelize ! The glad evangel now proclaim, Through all the earth in Jesus' name, This word is ringing through the skies, Evangelize ! Evangelize ! To dying men, a fallen race, Make known the gift of gospel grace ; The world that now in darkness lies. Evangelize ! Evangelize ! " 2. Liberal in giving. Liberality thrives in an at- mosphere of evangelism. The heart that is warm with the grace of God is generous towards every human need. Money flows freely from Christians in a state of revival. The financial problem of any church is fundamentally a spiritual problem. The first act of the Antioch church was to take a collec- tion. Agabus predicted a dire and distressing famine. Barnabas has qualified as an authority in beneficence. He probably led in this offering. The man who gives money can induce others to give, anywhere, everywhere, for any object. The people know. They cannot be camouflaged by the preacher 's talk or pretensions to liberality. They measure him by what he is and does. When he leads unselfishly, heroically, they follow. A liberal preacher makes a liberal church. Antioch was not a rich church. The impending famine threatened them as well as Jerusalem. Nevertheless, they determined to send relief. The ANTIOCH— THE MISSIONARY CHURCH 63 essence of Christianity is a gift. ^^God gave his only begotten Son. ' ' Living is giving. Withholding is death. Small means and dread of poverty are no excuses. God cares for those who seek first His kingdom. The kingdom as represented by the saints in Jerusalem was in need. These Gentile Christians put that kingdom first above their own church, their family, or their individual needs. It is not recorded that Antioch starved or suffered; but it is recorded of them that they were the first body of Christians in the apostolic age to attempt to relieve the distress of the poor and needy outside of their own member- ship. The method of raising the funds is instructive. Ramsay says they apportioned to every one accord- ing to ability and gathered the funds in weekly offerings. *'The disciples, according to the means of the individual, arranged to send contributions for relief.'' This is different from the community of goods in Jerusalem. Yet, it is the same spirit and purpose. There was diversity but not disproportion in the giving. This is the solvent for socialism. Men resent the injustice of grasping, selfish capital. Old conditions of self -centered wealth and oppressed labor must go, never to return. What shall take their place? An unreasoning and lawless labor oligarchy? That were little less intolerable than the lordship of cap- ital. A dreamy and unpractical soviet? That were unthinkable. None of these : but the Antioch stand- ard that every man must serve according to his ability, that every man must help where help is needed, and that Christianity is a fraternity, a broth- erhood, in which one feels another's woe and lifts the load from another 's overburdened back. 64 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT Self-centered men of wealth in the churches are foes to the churches and to society. Did they but know it, they make it increasingly difficult for Chris- tian ethics to meet and master the ever growing un- rest of the proletariat. It is either Christian philan- thropy, liberality, brotherhood ; or socialism by law, or lawlessness. The future holds no other alterna- tive that I can see. Men know that God created the original sources of wealth for the race to develop and utilize. They know that a few cannot amass fortunes without the help of society. They know that capital is helpless and valueless without labor. They can be brought to see that there are no neces- sary conflicts; that their interests are mutually de- pendent. The spirit of liberality which abode and operated at Antioch will calm the turbulent waves of the social sea. The material help brought from Antioch was the first report Barnabas made of the work he was sent to inspect. The report seems to have been entirely satisfactory, at least for the time being. Poor people naturally are kindly disposed to their benefactors. The sense of brotherhood was promoted between the mother church of unnumbered members and scant support, and the young, increasing church of growing power and practical philanthropy. 3. Missionary in practice. Missions inevitably Hourish in the evangelistic and liberal church. They are three links in a chain. Wherever you find the first two you inevitably find the third. Jesus had given His missionary command three times after his resurrection. It is the Magna Charta of Christianity and the marching orders of Christ's churches. It is perennially fresh and inexhaustibly complete. It contains six '* alls ''—all power, all ye, all the world, ANTIOCH— THE MISSIONARY CHURCH 65 all nations, all things, all the days. Peter saw the opened door on the housetop. The mother church did not take the command seriously or enter the door fully. It remained for the first Gentile church to be the first foreign mission church. While they were leading a life of religious duties and fasts the Holy Spirit said: ^^ Separate unto me Barnabas and Saul to the work which I have called them.'' The movement originated with the Holy Spirit. Anti-missions is resistance to the Spirit of God. There had arrived what Mr. Gladstone called one of those ''golden moments, when life runs rhythmic as a balanced wheel, revolving swiftly yet silently on its axis. ' ' The brethren at Antioch were daily devoted to three exercises: (1) prayer, the yearning for better things, lofty idealism; (2) min- istering, the performing of immediate tasks, the do- ing of work; (3) fasting, the sacrifice of pleasure, the denying of self. Propitious, indeed, was the hour for the spirit to inaugurate the vast enter- prise of world-wide missions. The church responded to the impulse for the larger campaign. The commission of the Lord be- came effective through the Spirit. The Spirit's instruction was general. He did not say specifically where the missionaries were to go. "To the work to which I have called them" assigned no definite field. Obedience was particular. It reminds one somewhat of Isaiah's call and consecration. He heard a general call, "Whom shall I send?" He made a personal response, "Here am I, Lord, send me." Think of the character and qualifications of those first missionaries. In the church at Antioch were ^ve prophets and teachers. Prophets were inspired 66 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT men who wrote, or spoke, God's revelations. Teach- ers were Spirit-gnided interpreters of those revela- tions. Both gifts might be possessed by one man. One of the five, Niger, was probably a Negro, A sec- ond, Lucius, may have been an African. A third was the foster brother of the adulterous and mur- derous king who beheaded John the Baptist. What diverse destinies for Herod and Manean. One was a votary of pleasure, superstitious, cunning and de- bauched. He beheaded John, tried Jesus and was banished on the Rhone. The other was a member of a Christian church, a prophet of God, a teacher of the heathen, a devout worshiper and a genuine phil- anthropist. In the same environment grew up Jacob and Esau, the Elder Brother and the Prodigal. *^You may grind them in the self same mill, You may bind them, heart and brow ; But one will follow the rainbow still, And the other will follow the plow.'' Barnabas and Saul completed the list of ^ve. These two were more widely known, better trained, more experienced. Their success was conspicuous. They were the outstanding men. The ablest were sent as foreign missionaries. The church which emptied its pockets of the money for the poor emp- tied its pulpit of its strongest preachers for the re- gions beyond. The work of the church went on. Later, Barnabas settled in Cyprus and Antioch, in that same unselfishness in the gospel, released its most gifted young preacher, Silas, to accompany Paul. I have known a generosity in giving money and a selfishness in withholding men. Antioch was ANTIOCH— THE MISSIONARY CHUECH 67 not lacking in the readiness to send forth her most eloquent preachers. The progress of that mission- ary endeavor should remain to all time an impres- sive lesson to churches and mission boards in the selection of missionaries. The heathen need the best. The early history of Virginia Baptists fur- nishes an example somewhat analogous to the An- tioch precedent. David Thomas was the only degree man among the Baptist preachers, though his was an honorary degree. Daniel Marshall was the next best trained preacher. The lesser men pastored the churches while Thomas and Marshall went afield calling sinners to repentance, confirming the saints in the faith, establishing churches. The first two missionary evangelists sent out in 1823 by the Bap- tist General Association of Virginia were J. B. Jeter and Daniel Witt, two of the most gifted men Virginia Baptists ever had. It was a wise distribution of laborers as the increase of the Vir- ginia Baptists demonstrates. Centuries have passed since the missionary move- ment was set going at Antioch. All that is best in the subsequent uneven history of the world is trace- able to that movement. All that is highest and no- blest in modern civilization is related, directly or indirectly, to that movement. It was a real gospel movement, A few years were sufficient for it to cover the then known world. We want, in all our churches, the vision, the impulse, the effort of the church at Antioch. Our obstacles are nothing like so great, our numbers are larger, our resources are vaster, our gospel and orders are the same. The nations wait for the message, and we move so slowly! We must quicken our pace. 68 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT ** Sudden, before my inward open vision, Millions of faces crowded up to view, Sad eyes that said: ^For us is no provision, Give us your Saviour, tool' *Give us,' they cry, *your cup of consolation, Never to our outreaching hands 'tis passed ; We long for the Desire of every nation, And, oh, we die so fast!' " 4. Sound in doctrine. The distinguishing fea- ture of Christianity is its spirituality. It is not a religion of form and ceremony but a religion of heart and life. It is not a religion of systems but the religion of a person. This was something new under the sun. The Old Testament had forecast it, notably in Jer. 31:33: '* After those days, saith the Lord, I mil put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts." The Jews had missed the deeper meaning of their prophets. Even the breth- ren in Jerusalem did not clearly perceive the nature of their new religion. Not only is Christianity spiritual, it is the uni- versal religion. Other religions are territorial, na- tional, racial. Christianity claims the world and includes all nations. This was latent, even patent, in the Old Testament. Isaiah abounds in Messianic prophecies whose scope is world-wide and race-in- clusive. The Jews missed the meaning of their mis- sion and the character of their Messiah. Let us not depreciate Judaism. It had a noble history. Surrounded by nations that deified nature in the form of Polytheism, or of Pantheism, Juda- ism proclaimed the faith in one Almighty and Holy God, the absolutely free Creator and Governor of ANTIOCH— THE MISSIONARY CHURCH 69 the world. Necessarily connected with this faith in a Holy God, was the recognition of a holy law as a rule of life and the consciousness of the opposition between holiness and sin. From the Jews came the prophets and to the Jews were committed the ora- cles of God. But the Jews killed the spirit with the letter; encumbered and benumbed the law with traditions; failed to see that the Messiah who was to be the glory of Israel was also to be a light to lighten the Gentiles. They were, when Christ came, narrow, bigoted, selfish, self-centered formalists. The first converts were Jews. The mother church was composed exclusively of Jews. Naturally, the disciples brought much of their old customs and practices with them into the church. It is not easy to cut across the groove of centuries. Caste is hard to break and the Jews were bound by caste. The conservative element in the church at Jerusalem was strong. Upon hearing Peter's report of the conversion of the household of Cornelius they did join with the brethren in joyfully exclaiming, ^'Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life'' (Acts 11: 18). They were willing to give the gospel to the heathen. The vision of clean and unclean meats taught Peter another lesson, viz.: — fraternity. The grace of God cleanses from sin and creates brotherhood. The Jerusalem church did not see this far. The discussion after Peter's visit to Cornelius brought the admission that God saves the Gentiles. It did not touch the question of how He saves them. That was postponed fifteen years for settlement. The soundness of the faith of the church at Antioch saved the day for a spiritual, universal gospel. The most radical and stupendous change in the 70 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT history of man took place in the Antioch church from the time of its organization. Jews and Greeks, not Grecians, Hellenists — that is, Jews born outside of Palestine — but Greeks, Gentiles, heathen, mingled in social intercourse and merged into one religious group. There is no parallel in history to this wiping out of racial lines in so short a time. Peter later was afraid when his brethren learned he had con- formed to this liberalism (Gal. 2:llf). Some men from Judea visited Antioch and endeavored to sub- vert the Christians by teaching: ** Unless ye be cir- cumcized after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved." Paul and Barnabas joined issue with them. It was a crucial controversy. The principle in- volved was the most vital in the history of the New Testament churches. The Gentile church saw the issue, appreciated its gravity and refused to surrender or compromise. Paul was the protagonist of sound doctrine. Bar- nabas aided, but faltered once (Gal. 2:13). Paul never wavered. Both in Antioch and Jerusalem he contended for the salvation of the Gentiles without circumcision. He had received his gospel from the same source and in the same region that Moses received the law — from God in the Sinaitic Penin- sula. He did not repudiate Moses. He enlarged upon him. He won his case before the Jerusalem council and preserved a gospel of grace for all men. How much we owe to Paul's and this church's able contention for the faith, few appreciate. Jesus said, ^*Ye must be born again," not, ^^ye must be born alike." The believing Pharisees contended for con- formity; Paul insisted upon freedom — nonconform- ity. They made salvation contingent upon ordi- nances ; Paul hung it all upon grace through faith. ANTIOCH— THE MISSIONARY CHURCH 71 They confined it to the Jews; Paul preached for all men on the gospel terms. The spiritual blindness of the Jews in New Testa- ment times is one of the saddest tragedies of history. They did not understand their own scriptures. The Messiah was to be a Jew but the Saviour of all. The prophet of widest horizon prophesied: ^^And the Gentiles shall come to thy light. ' ' ^ ' That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zebulon, and the land of Neph- thalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles'' (Matt. 4; 14, 15; Isa. 9: 1). The broad spiritual prophecies and all the humility prophecies were misread in the predilection for a temporal ruler to overthrow the Roman government. One of the enigmas of history is how many of the converted Jews misunderstood Jesus ' relation to the Gentiles. The gospels afford ample data to show that Gen- tiles were included. For instance ; Four women are mentioned in Matthew's genealogy and all are Gen- tiles, Tamar, Eahab, Ruth, and Uriah's wife. Each became a mother in the Messianic line in an irregular and extraordinary way (Matt. 1:3, 5, 6). Gentile Magi recognized and honored Christ while rulers and theocratic guides passed him by in contempt (Matt. 2:11). Gentile Egypt provided refuge against Jewish malevolence (Matt. 2:14, 15). A Roman centurion displayed a faith not found in Israel (Matt. 8:10). The accursed race of the Canaanites evokes the exclamation, **0 woman, great is thy faith" (Matt. 15: 25). Jesus eulogized the faith of but two people and both were Gentiles. The mixed multitude fed by Him glorified the God of Israel before they were fed (Matt. 15 : 31) . Greeks 72 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT came to Jerusalem desiring to see Him (John 12: 20). The word is not hellemstae, Grecian Jews who spoke Greek. It is hellenes, Greeks, and always means Gentiles. Gentiles from the East came to His cradle and Gentiles from the West came to His cross. It was a token that the Gentiles were to be gathered in. Pilate's Gentile wife warned, "Have thou nothing to do with this just man'' (Matt. 24:14). The only recognition of Jesus' innocence at the crucifixion was by the Gentile guards (Matt. 27:54). The believing Jews should have known Jesus better. Paul was the one who had the deepest and truest knowledge of the Saviour. We are in- debted to the Antioch church and to him for turning the gospel stream into an ocean whose waters wash all shores. The Jews of the first century eschewed the Gen- tiles, but we of the twentieth century eschew the Jews. They were wrong and so are we. Forget not that Christ offered the gospel first to the Jews. He commanded his disciples to begin at Jerusalem. Paul's rule was to preach first to the Jew. Obsti- nacy, opposition, enmity, and persecution in one place did not cause him to vary his rule in the next place. The Jew was and is in spiritual blindness. Without Christ, he is lost. He is woefully neglected by Chris- tians to-day. His soul is precious and, if saved, must be saved through faith in Jesus, the Messiah of the Old Testament. God holds us responsible, not for the religious obstinacy of the Jew, but for our dereliction of duty in not employing the means at our command to lead him to the Christ. Paul's sub- lime faith looked forward to the time when Israel should be saved. We may hasten that time. 5. Sane in polity and policy. By polity is meant ANTIOCH— THE MISSIONARY CHURCH 73 the structure of government. By policy is meant the scheme of management. By correlating and ex- amining all the passages in Acts which refer to An- tioch we learn how that church was framed and how it functioned. As to polity; (1) It was autonomous. The rela- tions between Antioch and Jerusalem furnish an interesting and illuminating study in the develop- ment of local self-government. Antioch sent for Saul whom Jerusalem distrusted. There was inde- pendence that bordered on a breach of comity. Bar- nabas and Saul were ordained without even con- sulting the older church. Principal Linsday (Pres- byterian) of Glasgow College, in the Cunningham Lectures, describes a Christian church in the first century thus: ^'We see a little self-governing re- public — a tiny island in a sea of surrounding pa- ganism — ^with an active, eager enthusiastic life of its own." This is exactly what we see at Antioch. (2) It was also congregational. The church sent forth the missionaries. The English (Acts 13:3) is not very clear. So distinguished a Pedo-baptist scholar as Sir William Eamsay says the pronoun *^they'' refers to the congregation. The church un- doubtedly appointed the committee to go to Jerusa- lem. The record shows, then, that this church was not controlled by Jerusalem and that it governed it- self, though inspired prophets and teachers were in its membership. The only recognized authority over the church was the Holy Spirit w^ho spoke for the one head of the church, Christ. As to policy: (1) Care was exercised in handling the finances. Two men, not one, were entrusted with the funds for Jerusalem. Business methods obtained in raising and distributing the money, or 74 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT provisions. This experience at Antioch taught Paul valuable lessons in church finance. The culmination of his organization of churches in the four provinces of Galatia, Asia, Macedonia, and Achaia was the promotion of a general collection. It was arranged that representatives from the churches should convey the offerings to their destination and thus preserve all from suspicion. It is equally as important to be judicious in church expenditures as it is to be zealous in raising funds. The fact is, competent administra- tion facilitates collections. Honest men will not ob- ject to proper safeguards ; dishonest men's objections should not be considered. Competent men welcome them; incompetent men must have them. (2) Com- mon sense was used in dealing with perplexing prob- lems. A difference of opinion arose with the mother church. What an opportunity for a row! Antioch displayed a commendable discretion by deciding to confer. There must be no break between these two most influential churches. The Judaizers came from Jerusalem. To Jerusalem, the seat of the trouble, Antioch would go. Jesus said: '^Go right along, tell him of his faults. ' ' Observance of that scripture rule would adjust misunderstanding between genuine Christians and avert denominational discord. A wise committee was selected for the errand. They had that rare quality, tact. '*Tact, tact, for a fact, fact, fact, There's nothing in the world Like tact, tact, tact.'' "Wisdom was shown by consulting the older church. Also in the manner of approach. Paul laid his gos- pel privately before those of repute lest his errand ANTIOCH— THE MISSIONARY CHURCH 75 should be fruitless and his work a failure (Gal. 2: If). It has been called a caucus. Not exactly that. Nothing was ''framed up" to be *'put over'* on the brethren. The discreet apostle simply talked matters over with the ''pillars'' of the church before he presented his case to the congregation. It was Christian diplomacy. It settled the circumcision controversy harmoniously with the gospel; it de- fined the character of Christianity ; it determined the course of the centuries. It may be true, as certain scholars tell us, that *'the apostolic period was wholly exceptional alike in its nature, in its endowTnents and in its person- alities." But, when they proceed to draw the con- clusion that the primitive church was not an eccle- siastical model we ask, "Where can you find a better model than the church at Antioch?" What asset to a community would be comparable to a church in which antithetic personalities were one in the gospel, evangelistic fervor burned hot and went far, pecuniary liberality abounded unto the relief of the needy, missionary zeal parted with the most useful members for the sake of the heathen, sound doctrine stood four-square to every false wind, and self-government preserved order and promoted efficiency? CHAPTER IV THE CHUBCHES OF GALATIA — THE UNSTABLE CHURCHES It is a question of dispute whether the churches of Galatia were in political or ethnographical Ga- latia. Sir William Eamsay argnes from the adjec- tive Galatian (Acts 16:6) for the Eoman province, embracing Galatia proper and parts of Pisidia and Lycaonia. This territory was made a Eoman prov- ince by Augustus m B.C. 25. It extended diag- onally across Asia Minor from the shores of the Euxine in the northeast to the province of Pamphylia in the southwest. If Sir William Eam- say is correct in his position, then the churches of Galatia were Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch- and were evangelized during the first mis- sion and revisited in the course of the second and third. The older theory, maintained by Lightfoot, holds to a smafler tract of country about two hundred miles in length in the central district of Asia Minor. Early in the third century B.C. the Gauls came as invaders from France, occupied this central sec- tion and parceled it among three tribes. Caesar might have said of Galatia, as he did of Gaul: It is divided into three parts. The churches, according to this theory, were Ancyra, Pessinus, and Tavium, the central cities of the three tribes. Whichever theory of the territory one accepts, and this discus- sion is based on the older one, it is inescapable that they were the churches of Galatia, and not the church 76 THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA 77 of Galatia. The New Testament knows nothing of a provincial or territorial church. The only possible reference in the New Testament to a territorial church is in Acts 9 ; 31, and it is con- troverted whether that text should read ^'church'' or *^ churches.'* If ^'church'* be the correct text, then it is reasonable to suppose it means the local church of Jerusalem, whose members had been scat- tered abroad by the persecution which killed Stephen (Acts 8:3f). We read later of ^Hhe churches of God which are in Judea" (I Thess. 2: 14) ; and, **I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea" (Galatians 1:22). Upon what grounds of exegesis can one take a doubtful text which probably refers to the members of a local congregation and seek to support a theory which is antagonistic to the inev- itable teaching of other incontestable texts? The inhabitants of the ancient Kingdom of Galatia were a Celtic race, who lived originally in what is now northern and central France. In physique they resembled the Germans; men of large stature, fair skin, blue eyes, and light hair. In temperament they were the antitheses of the Germans : agile, volatile, restless, impulsive. They were the same people who settled Wales and Ireland and their traits persist in Ireland to-day. Mr. Lloyd George conclusively proved, to an impartial mind, the ^* uncertain tem- per" of the Irish by citing Ireland's record in the world war. In 1914 every Irish representative in Parliament approved the war. There were English and Scottish representatives who disapproved, but no such Irish representative. In 1916 they were shooting down in Dublin British soldiers not yet recovered from the wounds of the war. In 1917 and 1918 they were conspiring with Germany. In 1919 78 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT they declared Ireland to be an independent republic. Would there were a Paul to write a letter to the Irish. One must bear in mind their temperament if he would understand the nature of the Galatian churches. Luke makes brief mention of the missionary work in Galatia (Acts 16 : () ; 18 : 23), but Paul in his letter furnishes the other necessary data. A physical in- firmity caused Paul to preach in the Galatian coun- try. *^You know that in those early days it was on account of bodily infirmity that I proclaimed the good news to you." These words were written from Corinth on the third journey, about 58 A. D., and referred to events of his second journey, about 55 A. D. Though divinely chosen and inspired, the Apostle to the Gentiles was not exempt from disease. Neither were his companions. He left Trophimus *^at Miletus, sick.'' Epaphroditus was sick unto death at Eome. Jesus was never sick. He himself took our sicknesses; but, just as He bore our sins without becoming himself a sinner, so He bore our diseases without being diseased. Jesus was excep- tional, unique. Christian Science's denial of sick- ness is unchristian and unscientific. Denying a fact does not change the fact. Jesus healed the sick by miraculous power. He never denied the reality of sickness. The mind has power over the body. Faith is a mighty force. Some physical ills are imaginary. Yet, disease, sin, and death are terrible and ever-present facts. Christian Science contradicts Jesus and Paul. It contradicts human experience. In practical life it results in absurdity or tragedy. In a crowded auditorium in Chicago a large gentleman arose and, in stentorian tones and defiant manner, inquired, **Are there any THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA 79 Christian Scientists here?" A small, sallow-faced, meek-eyed, dreamy looking woman, who sat on the second seat from the front, thinking her faith was being challenged, arose and said in a falsetto voice : *^I have the honor, sir, of being a Christian Scien- tist." ^^Well," said the man, ** please exchange seats with me. I am sitting in a draught and don^t want to take a cold." This reminds us of Mark Twain's story of a Chris- tian Scientist in Switzerland. Mark imagined him- self climbing the Alps. He fell and rolled to the foot of the mountain. His flesh was lacerated and an arm broken in two places. They bore him to the hotel, where a surgeon set the arm and treated his bruises. A Christian Science healer came and regaled him with her theories. *'Mr. Clemens, you are not hurt at all. There is no such thing as pain. I am amazed that so intelligent a man as you should be under such a delusion." ^^ Madam," said Mark, *'I am in ex- cruciating agony. My arm is broken in two places. If you were suffering as I am you would have hys- teria." Day by day the ^^ Healer" came, but Mark kept his physician. In due time he was ready to leave the hotel. The ** Healer" sent him a bill for her professional services. ^'"Whereupon," said Mark, *^I paid her with an imaginary check." God who makes all things work together for good to them that love Him used Paul's providential affliction to plant churches in Galatia. The Apostle wished to preach in pro-consular Asia and Bithynia, but the Holy Spirit forbade him and shut him up hy illness to Galatia. Ministers cannot choose their fields of labor. The Holy Spirit, who inaugurated the missionary enterprise at Antioch and makes men overseers of the flock, directed Paul in a path which go THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT he did not choose and by means which he could not control. An inference from Galatians 4:15 is that Paul's thorn in the flesh was an infection of the eyes. *'Had it been possible you would have torn out your own eyes and have given them to me.^^ He never fully recovered from the effect of the dazzling light that shone upon him on the Damascus road. Thrice he prayed for the removal of his infirmity, but it re- mained. Dr. P. S. Henson had a glass-eye. A de- luded sister once asked him, '^Dr. Henson, why don't you pray God to give you another good eye?" He detected that the sister had false teeth. Quickly he retorted, **My good sister, why don't you pray God to give you another set of teeth! When He does that I may follow your advice. ' ' Paul and Henson were supplied with grace to bear their infirmities. An- other plausible theory is that Paul's thorn was his temper. (See Cambridge Bible for Schools and Col- leges, Corinthians II, pages 13-18.) Still another possible theory is that the thorn was malarial fever. (See The Life and Letters of Paul, David Smith, page 655.) Chrysostom thought the thorn referred to persecutions. One must reject as wholly without support the Eoman Catholic interpretation, put forth by the medieval monastics, who supposed the thorn of the flesh was the solicitation of carnal desire. Light- foot's approval of the theory that, like Julius Caesar, Mohammed, Cromwell, and Napoleon, Paul was an epileptic is a sample of the acceptance of rash specu- lation by a distinguished scholar. What the thorn was is problematical. All the valid evidence is con- tained in two references by the Apostle (Gal. 4: 13; II Cor. 12:7). From that evidence eight facts THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA 81 emerge: (1) It was a physical malady. (2) It was distressing to himself and a trial to others. (3) It affected his sight and evoked the sympathy of the ' Galatians. (4) It was more than a temporary afflic- tion and clung to him for several years. (5) It was designed for a beneficent use — to keep Paul humble. (6) Its annoying presence incited Paul to take it to the Lord in prayer. (7) Its apparent hindrance was overruled into a source of strength. (8) It furnished an occasion for the display of God's grace and power. Be it said to the credit of the Galatians, they re- garded not the outward man. Paul was received as if he had been an angel of God, or Christ himself. Modern churches are likely to make too much of the minister's appearance. They dote upon ministerial dress and fine physique. An enthusiastic church member remarked, concerning his handsome pastor, that it was worth his salary to see him walk down the street. Paul, of diminutive stature, sore eyes, and ungainly form, could not get a call from some fastidious modem churches. Socrates was known as the ugliest man in Athens : Paul was the homeliest of the apostles. Would that we, like God, looked not on the outward, but on the inward man, and esti- mated the preacher's worth by what he carries in his head and heart rather than by what he wears on his head and body! I once heard George Stuart preach a sermon in Louisville on ' ' Opportunity. ' ' He emphasized three points: (1) Breaking opportunity; (2) Taking op- portunity; (3) Making opportunity. By forceful illustration, he showed how Christians come in one of these three classes. Paul was a master in making opportunities. A prisoner in Rome, he preached the Gospel until it reached with convicting power those S2 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT •of Caesar 's household ( Philippians 1 : 13 ; 4 : 24) . Un- der the same circumstances, he wrote the letter to the Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians, and Philip- pians, and during the second imprisonment wrote II Timothy. Unable to travel from Galatia, he was, nevertheless, useful and won hundreds to the truth hy his fervent appeals. His message sounded the note of finality and carried conviction. *^But, if even we or an angel from heaven should bring you a gospel different from that which we have already brought you, let him be accursed.'' Some things w^ere settled in the thinking of Paul, and we would do well to accept his authoritative gospel and look with neither favor nor patience upon the fads and fancies of new theologians. Abounding grace saved these Galatians who were formerly slaves to false gods (Gal. 4:8). God thought of them before they thought of Him. Salva- tion always begins with God. From Him it flows through Christ to man. We are not sons of God by nature, but by faith in Jesus Christ. Thus, these Galatians became sons of God, *^and if a son, also an lieir through God.'' . . . *^God sent forth His Son that we might receive the adoption of sons." ^*He called us into the grace of Christ." Grace means free, unmerited favor and goodness, and is opposed to salvation by individual, national, or ceremonial righteousness. In Eomans 11 : 6, he pertinently says : * * If it be by grace, then it is no longer of works ; otherwise, grace ceases to be grace any longer." 'This grace was attested among them by miracles. '*'He who gives you His Spirit and works miracles among you, does He do so on the ground of your obedience to the law?" (3:5). The grace of God became available to them through THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA 83 faitli. Long ago Habakkuk (2:4) declared, '*Tlie righteous shall live by faith." Paul quotes that prophet to show how the Galatians were saved. Those words came to Luther as, in his blind supersti- tion, he was climbing on his knees the steps in Rome, doing penance for his sins. Acceptance of them cleansed his heart, revolutionized his theology, trans- formed his life, and made a new map for Europe. The law has its value. Its purpose is to define sin. By the law comes the knowledge of sin. The custom in those early times was for a tutor-slave to lead the child to school where the teacher instructed him. The law was the tutor-slave that led to Christ (3 : 22) . That church which had appropriated grace by faith was one in Christ. Superficial distinctions disappear where grace reigns. *' There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is no male and female." (3:28.) Grace also prompted obedience to the command of Jesus. With the ac- ceptance of salvation comes the disposition to follow Christ in the ordinance of baptism. **For all ye who were baptized into Christ did put on Christ." (3:27.) Some devout Christians insist that baptism is the substitute for circumcision. Baptism is both too broad and too narrow for circumcision. The Jews circumcised their servants, which would force us to baptize our servants whether they were Christians or not. The Jews could not circumcise their daugh- ters, which would compel us to deny baptism to our females, if it comes in the place of circumcision. It is passing strange that Paul did not settle the con- troversy about circumcision among the Galatians by saying, ** Baptism has taken its place." He does not hint at such a thought. It is incredible that he should 84 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT have failed to mention the connection to them, if there were any. The Galatian churches began their Christian career with deep enthusiasm and bright promise, but they soon cooled in their ardor and failed to realize their early prospects. They lent a facile ear to the Judaists and incontinently abjured the cause they had so rapturously espoused. Judaizers came among them who indicted Paul on three counts, to- wit: (1) His conduct in circumcising Timothy and refusing to circumcise Titus. (2) His gospel of Jus- tification by Faith apart from works issued in anti- nomianism. (3) Apostleship was received from others and his claim to equal authority with the original Apostles was an audacious usurpation. The chief attack was delivered on the third point. It was intensely personal. Like such campaigns through all history it was envenomed and unscrupu- lous. To this bitter charge he replied in that noble defense contained in chapters one and two. Four times in the New Testament we have ac- counts of Paul's conversion: (1) By Luke, in Acts the ninth chapter; (2) By Paul from the stairs in Jerusalem, in Acts the twenty-second chapter; (3) By Paul in his speech before Agrippa, in Acts the twenty-sixth chapter; (4) In vindication of his apos- tleship to the Galatians. The last contains history not otherwise recorded and is illuminating in show- ing the source of Paul 's authority, his relation to the other apostles, and the principles which governed his conduct. His gospel came by direct revelation from Jesus Christ ; his apostleship was founded upon the personal appearance of Jesus to him. He de- clared that he received nothing from the other apos- tles, withstood Peter in Jerusalem, and at Antioch THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA 85 rebuked him to his face. Think of a man being so disrespectful to the pope! If the Romanists had been looking for the most authoritative apostle, they would have done better to select Paul as the founder of the papacy. The vacillating conduct of Peter is irreconcilable with infallibility. Thus early James had obtained the preeminence over Peter at Jeru- salem, and the order is not Cephas, James, and John, but James, Cephas, and John (Gal. 2; 9). James is mentioned before Peter, and all three were ** re- puted to be pillars.'' How does this harmonize with Peter being '^the rock"! As to Paul's consistency: he circumcised Timothy as a matter of expediency where no principle was involved, but refused to cir- cumcise Titus when it would have meant the sacrifice of a principle. We marvel that in three short years the foolish Galatians were led astray. ^^Ye did run well, who hath hindered you ? ' ' David Harum says : ' ' There is a good many fast quarter bosses, but dem what can keep it up fur a whole mile is mighty skerse." *^ Fallen from grace" (5:4) in the context is pre- cisely the opposite of the meaning attached to it by the Methodists. They apply the doctrine to one who professed conversion and has gone back to sin. Paul used the expression to describe those who had aban- doned grace as a system of salvation and adopted works ; who ceased to rely upon the gracious favor of God and sought to conform their lives to the re- quirements of the law. The idea was abandoning pardon for sin through grace and seeking salvation through morality as expressed in ceremonialism. ^'Whosoever of you are justified by law, ye are fallen from grace." This is inevitable if salvation is by works, either in whole or in part. If a man is saved S6 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT by what he does he must keep on doing to continue saved. The moment he relents he falls from grace. There are two plans of being saved: the possible way, by grace; the impossible way, by law (Rom. 10; 3f). The way by law is impossible because one must keep the whole law. ^^For whosoever keeps the whole law, and yet sins in one point has become guilty of all.'^ The principle is that a chain is no stronger than its weakest link. We know that no one keeps the whole law. ^^ There is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not." *^A11 have sinned and come short of the glory of God. * ' ^ ^ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." Before one can establish the doctrine commonly called *' falling from grace," he must prove two im- possible propositions: (1) That the person in ques- tion was really saved. Only God and the individual know that. (2) That the person in question was finally lost. Only the disclosures of the judgment will reveal that. Furthermore, if our Methodist friends could prove these two propositions they would encounter the insuperable obstacle that one who has '^fallen away" once could never be renewed to repentance (Heb. 6:4-6). They would prove too much, for they would land the *^ fallen" where mercy could never reach him. Conversion is once and for all time. The writer to the Hebrews makes a hypo- thetical argument and concludes that one who fell away could never be saved. He does not say that any can or will fall away. On the contrary, he adds, "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things con- cerning you, and things that accompany salvation." The Christian is preserved by a double keeping. His inheritance is kept for him in heaven, **An in- THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA 87 heritance imperisliable and undefiled and unfading', kept in heaven for you.'' He on earth is preserved for that inheritance, ^'Who, by the power of God> are kept through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last day" (I Peter 1 : 4f ). Until that unfading inheritance in heaven is despoiled and the omnipotent power of God on earth is broken the saint will not fail of ultimate salvation. He is bound to grace by a chain of five links, and unless the devil severs one of those links, the believer will persevere. Those links are foreknowledge, predestination, calU ing, justification, and glorification (Rom. 8:29f). Change the figure to conversion as a seed. It is im- perishable and will never die. *^ Being born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the Word of God which lives and abides" (I Peter 1:23). Change the figure again to union with Christ. It is indissoluble. *'If we are faithless. He abides faithful, He cannot deny himself" (II Tim. 2:13). All the scriptures which seem to teach ^ ^falling from grace" are really God's means of preventing that very thing. As to examples like Judas and Simon Magus : they were never converted. The purpose of God begins in His foreknowledge and is consummated in the glorification of the be- liever. It is a glorious doctrine which should inspire confidence in the love of God, awaken gratitude in the heart of the sinner, and issue in a dedicated life. The believer is heartened to know that neither tribu- lation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril,, sword, death, life, angels, principalities, things pres- ent, things to come, powers, height, depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 88 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT The Apostle expressed no thankfulness for these fickle Galatians. To the churches at Philippi, Thes- salonica, Colosse, and Corinth, he sent messages of thankfulness. Even the corruptions in Corinth did not drown his note of joy; but there their error is one of doctrine and was fundamental. Tlie brethren who are debating the question of what is fundamen- tal and what is not, might profit by a careful study of Paul and the Galatians. The Apostle knew there were some differences that could not be treated lightly. There is a point of divergence beyond which people can not walk together. Paul contended for the faith once delivered to the saints. He voices no gratitude to the Galatians. They are reminded that the motives of their perverters were dishonorable. *^ These men pay court to you, but not with honora- ble motives'' (4:17). They professed the same teachings and w^ere animated by the same spirit as the false teachers on the Island of Crete. ''Men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake" (Titus 1 : 11). This is one of the severest indictments against the false teachers of modern times. Mrs. Eddy accu- mulated an enormous fortune on the vagaries of Christian Science; Spiritualism requires a medium which not only furnishes opportunity for fraud, but is a fruitful source of financial gain ; Eussellism was exploited upon a credulous public to the commercial advantage of its patron saint; Eomanism fills its coffers by money from its devotees paid for blessing their homes and forgiving their sins and reaches be- yond the grave, professing to obtain indulgences for the dead. How unlike Jesus who had not where to lay His head, and Paul who owned no foot of land, are these founders of false religions! Had they THE CHUECHES OF GALATIA 89 preached and lived unselfishly and died for their doctrine, they might have expected more favor from thinking people. Two men were discussing starting a new religion. One said to the other: *'I will tell you how to succeed. Launch your religion. Live it. Sacrifice for it. Die for it. Else from the dead. Then you will have succeeded." The peril in the doctrine of grace is that men will presume to sin because saved freely and finally. To safe-guard the doctrine and avoid the error, the New Testament invariably follows the doctrine of grace with exhortations to practical living. Witness how closely the twelfth chapter of Eomans follows the doctrinal discussion. Witness the close connection in Titus 2:11: ^'For the saving grace of God ap- peared to all men instructing us (that is the intention of the grace) that denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world.'' Witness the exhorta- tion to service and the instructions about giving which immediately follow the marvelous discussion in First Corinthians of the resurrection. So, hav- ing expounded the glorious doctrine of grace, the Apostle of Faith closes with three earnest exhorta- tions to work. ^^Let each one prove his own work." (6:4.) ^^Let us not be weary in well doing." (6:9.) ^'Let us work that which is good toward all men, especially toward them that are of the household of faith." (6:10.) There is no conflict between James and Paul. Both teach salvation by grace through faith, and both in- sist upon works as the proof of that faith. From the churches in Galatia we may learn, among others, four lessons. 90 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 1. The fickleness of human nature. Witness its extreme form in baseball lovers who idolize the team when it wins to-day and execrate it when it loses to-morrow. Witness the rise and ebb of the tide of popular applause for public leaders. Mr. Roosevelt understood this trait. Returning from Africa, Egypt, and Europe with rare specimens for the Smithsonian Institute and crowned with the highest academic honors of Great Britain and the continent, he was welcomed by a million shouting, cheering, waving enthusiasts in New York City. That same day he said to his sister, **And they soon will be throwing rotten apples at me.'' Csesar and Tacitus noticed and commented on the impulsiveness and changeableness of the Gallic tribes. The Galatians embraced Christianity eagerly, welcomed Paul en- thusiastically on his first visit, became jealous parti- sans, were exceedingly susceptible to personal influ- ence, ran readily after new teachers, adopted another doctrine on the score of its novelty, not its truth, and all this in three short years. It is to be feared that this Gallic temperament per- sists and thrives too much in modern churches. Con- verts from the evangelistic meetings enter the churches in large numbers. Attendance upon the regular services is perceptibly increased. A few months suffice to show a waning of enthusiasm, a lagging of energy, a drifting back to the world. Watch the new pastor enter a new field of labor. The members vie with each other to do him honor. He is dined and feted. His praises are sung by his people over the community. Time cools the ardor of some. There are other preachers they like better. He is a misfit. He should never have been called anyway. At first they loved him so they almost THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA 91 ^^ate him." Later, they wished they had eaten him. 2. The impossibility of permanent success on some fields of labor. Paul was the best educated man of his day. A precocious boy, a diligent stu- dent, he surpassed all his fellows in school. His teacher was the most renowned of that time. His scholarship was profound and broad. He mastered thoroughly what he studied. He studied many sub- jects, languages, philosophy, literature, and religion. His experience of grace was rich and rare. His training and practical experience fitted him, as well as man can be fitted, for the Lord's work. He gave diligent attention to the Galatians. After his first visit on the second missionary journey (Acts 16: 6) he made them a second visit on his third missionary journey (Acts 18:23). Timothy and Silas labored with him in Galatia. Surely it was not because of a lack of ability or diligence in the preachers that this work failed. The thought of having bestowed labor in vain has always been one of the trials of a faith- ful messenger of God. It was the case with Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus, and Paul. I am not trying to justify those failures where the preacher is at fault. It is admitted that this is often the case. Pastors who express a horror of being *^ door-bell ringers" should have a care lest they neglect the flock. However, the history of the Galatian churches proves conclusively that the best of preachers sometimes fail and through no fault of their own. There is an admonition here for the churches and a comfort for the preachers. 3. The persistency and insidiousness of false teachers. Those who were undermining the founda- tions laid by Paul in Galatia were not skeptics, but 92 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT religious teachers. They professed to be in fuller accord with the scriptures. They claimed to be the true people of God. The Adventists of our time are their successors — people who destroy churches, dis- rupt families, and distract minds by a deadly liter- alism. Spiritism now plagues some churches as Judaism did in the first century. Though Spiritism is of the highest antiquity, it has undergone a recrudescence amid the sorrows of the World War. Grave philo- sophical, mental, moral, and practical dangers lurk in Spiritism. Under the Law of Moses, the Israelites were forbidden to try to gather information from the dead through a wizard, if a man, or a witch, if a woman. ' ' Turn ye not unto them that have familiar spirits, nor unto the wizards; seek them not out, to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God" (Lev. 19:31). The prophets are equally explicit in their inhibitions upon witchcraft. *^And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto the wizards that chirp and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? On behalf of the living, should they seek unto the dead?'' (Isa. 8: 19). **I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers'' (Mai. 3:5). The reason for the Old Testament inhibition of divination is that it is discreditable to man and ab- horrent to God. What is proper to know God will make kno-^vn. The hidden things belong to Him. To pry into them is presumptuous and disloyal. Under the Mosaic Law Spiritism was punishable by death. Evocation of the dead, then, was forbidden under the Old Dispensation as wicked and unnecessary. It was wicked because it marked a turning away from God to the superstitious practices of the pagan na- THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA 93 tions. It was unnecessary, for God revealed to His people what it was permissible for them to know. "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deut. 29: 29). Man's duty is to leave the secrets with God and apply himself assiduously in studying and diligently in obeying the things re- vealed. Once a man in Hell prayed that a spirit might be sent to his father's house to warn his five living brothers of their impending doom. The peti- tion was refused, for, "H they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rise from the dead." It may be replied: "Yes, but Spiritism is true, for did not Saul converse with Samuel through the Witch of Endor!" On that supposed interview I make the following comments: (1) What Saul at- tempted was contradictory to his previously com- mendable action in suppressing witchcraft; (2) It was at a time when the Spirit of the Lord had de- parted from him and was done with serious misgiv- ings ; (3) The prophecy, supposed to come from Sam- uel, was not true, for it said Saul would die on the morrow and he did not die until three days later; (4) The semblance of Samuel complained that he was "disquieted" and that is contrary to Job 3: 17. When the righteous dies he goes where ^ ' The wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest." Upon this one questionable incident no sane theory of Spiritism can be founded. The defender of necromancy rejoins, "Did not Moses and Elijah return from the realm of the dead?" They did, but remember they spoke no mes- sage for living people, not even to the three Apostles 94 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT who were present with Jesus in the Mount. Of the six people raised from the dead in the Bible, not one word is recorded of their experiences in Sheol. Tennyson is true to the record when he says : *^Wlien Lazarus left his charnel-cave, And home to Mary's house returned Was this demanded — if he yearn 'd To hear her weeping by his grave? * Where wert thou, brother, those four days!' There lives no record of reply, Which telling what it is to die Had surely added praise to praise. From every house the neighbors met, The streets were fill'd with joyful sound, A solemn gladness even crown 'd The purple brows of Olivet. Behold a man raised up by Christ ! The rest remaineth unreveal'd; He told it not; or something seal'd The lips of that Evangelist. ' ' Jesus is the only traveler who ever returned from that silent bourne with messages to the living. It was necessary that He should return to establish His claims and confirm His promises. Because he came back makes it unnecessary that any one else should. We do not need to visit mysterious mediums in sequestered places to learn if our dear, departed live. The voice of our Lord is sufficient: ^'I am the Eesurrection and the Life ; he that believeth on me, although he die, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die." ** To- day thou shalt be with me in Paradise." '*In my THE CHURCHES OP GALATIA 95 Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you/* ^^This is eternal life to know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.'' '^He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life ; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.'' The final authority for a Christian is Christ. He has not left us desolate, orphans. He has come to us and demonstrated His identity by many infallible proofs. To seek assurance of immortality in the dubious and often puerile messages of, or through, seances is like forsaking the fountain of living waters for dry and cracked cisterns which will hold no water. In the hope of Christ's Gospel of immortality dying saints have fallen to sleep in the confidence of awakening on the morning in a fairer and better world ; sorrowing loved ones have watched the stars shine through the cypress tress and waited for the Master's summons when they shall join those whom they ^^have loved long since and lost awhile." 4. The occasional necessity for uncompromisingly contending for the truth. Denominational debates are not to be encouraged. They arouse partisanship and engender strife. Yet there may come a time to a community when loyalty to the truth demands debate with a teacher of false doctrine. The spirit of commendation is to be cultivated, rather than the spirit of blame. Yet, there are occasions when loy- alty to the truth demands condemnation of error. The heart of the Christian prompts praise of the true and good. Allegiance to Christ prompts con- demnation of the false and bad. Self-interest puts on the soft pedal or proclaims aloud the right to free- 96 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT dom of thought and speech, or avows the issue is not vital, or professes neutrality. Self-sacrifice takes its position bravely for the right, irrespective of the odds. Every tenet of our precious faith holds be- cause loyal souls fought and sacrificed for them when they were unpopular and imperiled. * ' Then to side with truth is noble, when we share its wretched crust. Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and 'tis pros- perous to be just ; Then it is the brave man chooses, while the coward stands aside, Doubting in his abject spirit, till his Lord is cru- cified.'^ Paul was severe on the Galatians, but not unneces- sarily so. Many were drifting without compunction from the truth on which their souls had anchored under his pilotage. The faith itself was in danger of being corrupted fatally. Men crept into the churches who were perverting the disciples by erro- neous doctrines. They were more dangerous because they were inside the churches. The truth of the gos- pel was at stake. It was no time to cry ^' peace, peace.'' ^'The wisdom which cometh down from above is first pnre, then peaceable." There is a peace whose sleep is death. There is a contention whose issue is life. Paul risked the enmity of the Galatians by telling them the truth. A surer test of orthodoxy and a severer rebuke of heresy was never heard than these words: *^But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach a gospel to you other than that which we preached to you, let him be accursed." There are some things worth standing for, worth THE CHURCHES OP GALATIA 97 living for, worth contending for, worth dying for. The '^gospel of Christ'' (Gal. 1:7) is first among those things. Eternal issues impinge upon it. When the gospel is lost all is lost which gives a church a right to exist. Seven crusades were launched, sev- eral hundred thousand lives were lost and two cen- turies were drenched in blood in an ill-advised effort to rescue the sepulcher of the Lord from the infidel Turk. The goal was not worth the long quest and bloody cost. Those Christian warriors were reli- giously consecrated ^^ knights" and the days in w^hich they flourished are known in history as the halcyon days of chivalry. A living faith is worth more than an empty tomb. Perverters of the most holy faith are more danger- ous to society and to true religion than the desecra- tors of an empty tomb. Contenders for the faith are the real knights, knight-errants of the cross. The chivalry that champions the gospel as it is in Christ is of a higher type and finer fiber than that which blossomed and withered in Western Europe in the Middle Ages. **Who would not brave champions be In this the lordliest chivalry I For there are hearts that ache to see The day-dawn of our chivalry. *' Fight, brothers, fight with tongue and pen. We'll win the golden day again, And love's millennial mom shall rise O'er waiting hearts and longing eyes." CHAPTER V EPHESUS — THE EFFECTIVE CHUECH The city of Ephesus was the capital of a province known as Proconsular Asia. Through the Sacred Port it had immediate access to the sea, with a better port at Miletus, thirty miles distant. Two architec- tural features adorned the city, the Temple of Diana and the Theatre. The Temple was of shining marble, 342 feet high by 164 feet wide; supported by one hundred and twenty pillars, each 56 feet high, and contained a rare collection of masterpieces of sculp- ture and painting. At the center of the Temple, con- cealed by curtains, stood the ancient wooden image of the ugly Goddess Diana, reputed to have fallen from the sky. A treasury, behind the shrine, was the safety vault of Asia, where kings and nations stored their most valued treasures. This Temple was 220 years in building. It burned the night Alex- ander the Great was bom and was rebuilt on the same magnificent plan. It is among the ''seven wonders of the world." The Temple of the Sun at Baelbeck is really more wonderful. Its stones are larger, its columns taller and were presumably trans- ported in some inexplicable way from Assuam in Egypt. Indeed, I think that building more wonder- ful than any of the ''seven wonders." The Theatre at Ephesus was carved in the western side of Mount Oreosus and, like all ancient theatres, was open to the sky. Its capacity was the largest in the Hellenic world. It could accommodate 50,000 people — ^more than the largest auditorum or base- 98 EPHESUS— THE EFFECTIVE CHURCH 99 ball park in the United States. Near the Theatre, on the north side of the city, was the Stadium where races were run and tights between beasts, and be- tween men and beasts were exhibited. In this The- atre the popular Assembly met for the transaction of business. It was into this arena that the wild mob rushed with the Macedonians, Gains and Aris- tarchus, and where Paul himself sought to enter to defend them and himself. The church at Ephesus occupies a prominent place in the Eevelation by John, the Epistles by Paul, and the Acts by Luke. In the Eevelation it is the first of the seven churches to be addressed by the Spirit and is commended for its deeds, toil, patience, dis- cipline, discernment, suffering, and hatred of Anti- nomianism; and is condemned for the loss of its first love, the love of espousal. In a generation its orthodoxy was unimpaired but its ardor for Christ had cooled, its evangelistic fires were quenched. In the Epistles it is the church to which is addressed the letter which discusses more Christian doctrines and duties than are treated in any other section of the New Testament. In the Acts the church is repre- sented completely organized, fully equipped and functioning for Christ. Devout Jews from Ephesus were present at Pente- cost. They may have carried back with them the seeds of Christianity. Paul wanted to preach there in the early stages of his second journey but was divinely forbidden (Acts 16:6). At the close of that journey, on the trip from Corinth to Jerusalem, he made a short visit to Ephesus. He reasoned with the Jews in their synagogue and evidently made a favorable impression, for he was urged to remain and, on leaving, promised to return (Acts 18 : 19-21). 100 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT That noble man and his wife, Aquila and Priscilla, his companions from Corinth, were left at Ephesus. They set up housekeeping and lived for Jesus. That learned and mighty expounder of the messianic scrip- tures, Apollos, from the University of Alexander, visited Ephesus and taught accurately his incom- plete knowledge about Jesus and thence crossed over to Corinth. On the third missionary tour, Paul, after passing through the inland districts, paid his promised visit to Ephesus. He did not expect to tarry, but events took an unexpected course and he remained longer than at any other place during his ministry. While here he wrote First Corinthians, in the year 57. The explanation of why he tarried at Ephesus is found in that letter. *^For a great and effectual door is open to me, and there are many adversaries'' (I Cor. 16:9). Opportunity and opposition! They deter- mined the duration of his stay. They usually coexist. The larger the opportunity the more perplexing the problems. Some preachers run away from them. Paul stayed with them. Adversaries! Ours seem small and insignificant when we read of the ten spe- cial adversaries that fought to close Paul's door of opportunity at Ephesus.* Since the letter to the Ephesians was circular, that is, it was also addressed to other churches, we may confine ourselves to the nineteenth chapter of Acts for the elements of strength in this church in action. 1. The doctrine of repentance was preached and practiced. Twelve men, recent converts, had re- ceived John's message of repentance. Eepentance was a theme of preaching with Old Testament proph- * See an interpretation of the English Bible, Carroll on Acts. EPHESUS— THE EFFECTIVE CHURCH 101 ets and New Testament Apostles. Enoch, the sev- enth generation from Adam, preached it in his day. Noah preached it to the wicked antediluvians who died impenitent and whose spirits, when Peter wrote, were reserved in prison. Jonah preached it to the Ninevites: ''Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed,^' and the greatest revival in historj^ fol- lowed. Jeremiah and Hosea preached it from the same text, "Break np your fallow ground.'' Isaiah and Malachi enforced it from the same figure of speech — the grading of a highway for the king. When the voice of John the Baptist broke the silence of four hundred years, the first note was: ''Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus took up this note of repentance in His ministry and began by saying: "Repent and believe the gospel." The twelve were sent forth and the first thing they did was to preach "that men should repent." Paul, in the most cultured city in the world, announced the universality of repentance: "God now charges men that all of them everywhere should repent." Before the Spirit closed the Revelation He preached repentance through John: "Repent, therefore; or else I am coming to thee quickly and will make war with thee with the sword of my mouth. ' ' Repentance is a change of mind towards God con- cerning sin. It is superinduced by the preached gospel which, applied by the Holy Spirit, produces a godly sorrow resulting in a change of mind. It philosophically and scripturally precedes saving faith. Bishop Wilberforce aptly says that to repent "is to take the first turn to the right." Genuine re- pentance, however, is always accompanied by such a saving faith. Wherever the two are mentioned to- gether the order is repentance and faith. See Mark 102 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 1:15; Acts 2:38-41; Acts 19:4; Acts 20:21; Heb. 6:1, 2; II Tim. 2:25. Repentance is the sharp needle piercing the hole through which the silken thread of the gospel may- be sewed. It is the hammer which breaks the heart of stone, by grace transmuted into a heart of flesh. It is the plow opening the furrow where the seed of the gospel are cast which sprout and spring up and bring forth an abundant harvest. It is the elemental and fundamental work in salvation. A gospel church is one which proclaims the nature and insists on the necessity of repentance for every one. It has no sub- stitute in culture, education, or good morals. *^ Ex- cept ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish,'' is the warning which every church must sound forth. The results of evangelism are more permanent where the Bible doctrine of repentance is preached in its proper place with scriptural meaning. Whatever a so-called church may or may not have, it is not a New Testament church unless its members, like the Ephesians, have heard and heeded the John-the- Baptist cry of repentance. 2. Faith in Christ was professed in the public and appointed way. The tw^elve men at Ephesus had been baptized ^^unto John's baptism" which, un- doubtedly, was immersion. They were not the con- verts of John the Baptist, for Jesus accepted John's baptism and his first followers were the disciples of John. They were not the converts of Apollos, for he would certainly have corrected their views about Jesus after Aquila and Priscilla had expounded to him the way of God more perfectly. They were, in all probability, converts made under the preaching of some converts made through the preaching of the disciples of John the Baptist. They evidently EPHESUS— THE EFFECTIVE CHURCH 103 knew nothing about Pentecost and the subsequent events. Paul amplified their views and they were so anxious to be right in their baptism that they sub- mitted to the rite a second time. In what contrast do they stand with those who refuse to obey the ex- plicit command of our Lord! This is the last bap- tism mentioned in the book of Acts and is so clear and impressive that it ought to suffice for all time. Baptism is the outward form by which a convert symbolizes his spiritual experience of putting on Christ. It is the uniform to be worn by all who have sworn allegiance to the Christ and who desire to follow the banner of the Lord. The uniform does not make one a soldier; nor does one wear it in order to become a soldier, but because he has already taken the oath of allegiance and become a soldier and in order that both friends and foes of his nation may know that he is a soldier. At the Jamestown expo- sition the different nations of the world were repre- sented on the drill ground by their soldiers. Every soldier wore the uniform of his country. I saw them drilling, and an impressive sight it was. How in- congruous and how shameful it would have seemed for some man, claiming to belong to the army of the United States, to have insisted on drilling with our troops in civilian clothes or with a uniform made according to his own choosing. No more incongru- ous, however, than those who call Jesus Master and Lord, but obey not His command to put on the one uniform of baptism which He has commanded. Baptism professes a change which has already taken place and pledges allegiance to the Master. It does not procure that change, but simply indicates that it has already taken place. Years ago a new- 104 THE CHUECHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT comer from 'the East, settling in Texas, called on a nearby neighbor, who was an old settler. A pecu- liar dipper was seen in the bucket of water which attracted the new-comer. He asked where it came from and expressed a desire to secure one for him- self. The old settler told him that it was a gourd and grew in abundance over the rear garden fence. He gave the visitor one of beautiful shape with the following instructions: ^^Cut the gourd, take out the seed and soak in water for several days and then you will have a dipper as good as mine.'' The new- comer took the gourd, tied a rock around it and sank it in the little stream that flowed hard by his house. Days afterwards he removed it from the water and instead of having a useful dipper he had a decom- posed gourd. He called again on his neighbor and said: ^'How about this? The gourd you gave me was not good. When I took it out of the water it was decaying and offensive and I had to throw it away." The old settler inquired what process he had followed in making the dipper, and, when told, replied: *^0h, you did not follow my instructions. I said first cut the gourd and take out the seed and then soak it in water. Unless you do this the water will do no good, but rather harm." So say we. Un- less the heart has been cut by contrition and cleansed by repentance and faith, baptism will do no good, but rather harm. 3. This church was endued with the Holy Spirit. After their second baptism Paul laid his hands upon these disciples who had known only John's baptism and the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. This is the last laying on of hands and the last enduement of the Holy Spirit in the Acts. The laying on of hands was simply a EPHESUS— THE EFFECTIVE CHURCH 105 form of accrediting, a witnessing and approving by the church of the work of grace already wrought by the Holy Spirit. It was practiced when Peter and John went down to Samaria, when Ananias put his hands on Saul in Damascus, when the presbytery ordained young Timothy, and when the church at Antioch sent forth the two first foreign missionaries. With the exception of the incidents in Samaria and Damascus and here, the laying on of hands did not accompany or precede the gift of the Holy Spirit. Several years ago an Episcopal bishop, in confer- ence with representatives of other denominations, in- cluding Baptists, was explaining his views of Chris- tian union. He insisted on Episcopal ordination. A Baptist replied that ^'any man called of God to preach, and accredited by a church, had a right to preach. ' ^ The bishop replied that he could not con- ceive of one being qualified unless he had had the hands of the bishop laid upon his head. The Bap- tist said the bishop's hands can confer no power. The bishop replied: *^If the Holy Spirit is not con- ferred through the hands of the bishop, pray tell me how He is conferred. ' ' The Baptist replied : ' ^ He is conferred directly by the Lord himself, as in the case; of Cornelius and his household where there is no mention of the laying on of hands." There are six spirit baptisms in the Acts of the Apostles and every one is significant. (1) In the second chapter of Acts the Spirit came upon the one hundred and twenty at Pentecost, — showing that God will give His spirit to earnest praying Jews. (2) In the fourth chapter of the Acts the company of disciples was praying and the place was shaken where they were gathered together and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, — a miniature reproduc- 106 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT tion of Pentecost. (3) In the eighth chapter of Acts, Peter and John visited Samaria and prayed for the new converts under Philip and laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit,— showing that God will give His spirit to the converted half heathen. (4) In the ninth chapter of Acts the con- victed, humbled and obedient Saul received the Holy Spirit,— showing that God will give His spirit to a convert who has resisted the Holy Spirit and per- secuted the church. (5) In the tenth chapter of Acts the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word in Cornelius' house,— showing that God will give His spirit to the believing Gentiles. (6) In the nineteenth chapter of Acts the Holy Spirit came on the twelve men at Ephesus, — showing that God will give His spirit to those who have held a half truth and come into the possession of the whole truth. It should be recalled here, however, that following these incidents no one ever received the baptism of the Holy Spirit or the gift of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands. Henceforth we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit, endued by the Spirit, guided by the Spirit, taught by the Spirit, etc. The baptism of the Spirit was the initiatory rite of the Holy Spirit in taking up His office work ; henceforth we are to recognize Him as the Vice-Gerent of Christ and the Director-General of all the life work of the Kingdom of God. Power for the churches now-a-days must come from Him. God is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him, than earthly parents are to give good gifts to their children. If a Christian limps and stumbles it is for lack of this power. If a church is joyless and barren it is for want of this power. A traveler in California looked out the train EPHESUS— THE EFFECTIVE CHURCH 1(77 window and saw a carpet of verdure covering the pastures, beautiful flowers blooming in profusion, and rich plumaged birds flitting and singing amid the leafy branches of the healthful trees. He looked out the window on the opposite side of the train and the earth was dry and barren. No life, no music, no joy. He inquired and was told that one side was irrigated and the other was not. So with individuals and churches. Some are prosperous and happy; their leaf does not wither, and joy never ceases, and they bring forth fruit even in old age. They are endued by the Spirit of God. Others are unhappy and fruitless; no soulful music, no joyful thanks- giving, no ripe fruits for the Master. They are not endued with the Holy Spirit's power. The Holy Spirit's office and work have been so interpreted and preached as to mystify many and repel some. It seems to me to be quite clear if we interpret it with common sense. Two illustrations will suffice. A worldly woman who had never given any serious thought to God was touring the world. In a heathen temple in China there suddenly came over her what she called **a sense of home-sickness" and a loss of interest in all the gorgeous beauty of the temple. She could find no rest or enjoyment until she found it in the far away church in America where her sainted mother and father had worshiped and had tried to lead her in the ways of the Lord. The Holy Spirit convicted her of sin while she was on pleasure bent in the heathen temple. Ten years ago Dr. Landrum came back to Rich- mond to hold a meeting with his old church. After the sermon, the preacher gave the invitation and two people raised their hands for prayer but no one went forward to accept Christ. One of the two was lOS THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT a young man who sat across the aisle from me to the left. I saw him lift his hand. When the bene- diction was pronounced something said to me, * * Speak to that young man. ' ^ Something else said, *'No, you do not know him. He might resent it. It may not be the custom here for Christians to speak to the unsaved." The impression was deep and inescapable, ^' Speak to that young man." By this time we had met in the aisle. Laying my hand on his shoulder, I said: '^ Young man, do you not wish to be a Christian!" He knew me and, calling my name, replied, with deep interest: "Yes, sir, that is why I lifted my hand." A few words led ta a public confession. The impression on my heart was begotten by the Spirit of God. He so guides His people to-day. We should not expect lambent flames and rushing w^inds and shaking houses and the gift to speak in many tongues, but we should expect those impressions in the heart which, though less spectacular, are no less divine. The personality of the Holy Spirit has been de- nied by that school of philosophy which over-em- phasizes the oneness of God. Wliatever the meta- physical difficulties, no one can successfully refute the statement that the New Testament conceives of God in three persons. The Trinity was present at the baptism. By the terms of the commission, baptism was to be administered in the name of the Trinity. One verse in Jesus' farewell discourse to his disciples contains reference to the three persons of the God-head: "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever" (John 14:16). Peter illustrates the work of the Trinity in the salvation of men (I Peter 1:2). EPHESUS— THE EFFECTIVE CHURCH 109 Analog-ies of this doctrine are found in nature. Napoleon saw water, snow and ice all in one and argued that three persons could be one in the spiritual realm. Take another illustration: ^^A sin- gle white ray of light, falling on a certain object, appears red; on another, blue; on another, yellow. That is, the red alone in one case is thrown out, the blue or yellow in another. So the different parts of one ray by turns become visible; each is a complete ray, yet the original white ray is but one. So we believe that in that unity of essence there are those living powers which we call persons distinct from each other." We know the Father when we know His Son; we honor the Father when we honor His Spirit. 4. This church had the right kind of preaching. Paul was the preacher and he spoke in the syna- gogue boldly for three months, reasoning and per- suading as to the things concerning the Kingdom of God. Notice four things in the preaching: (1) Its boldness. Paul w^as-a brave man morally and physically. Moral courage is of a higher type than physical courage and in this he excelled. He was diplomatic, becoming all things to all men that by all means he might save some, but he did not mince words when frankness was necessary. He never trimmed his sails to catch a popular breeze. He never lowered his flag when the battle for the truth was raging. He knew no man after the flesh and played no favorites. He afterwards said to the Ephesians: ^'I shrank not from announcing to you anything that was profitable.'' And again: '^I de- clared unto you the whole counsel of God." A young preacher in his first pastorate learned that a social club was being run wide open on Sun- 110 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT days and games of chance were going on at the very time service was being held in the house of God. He- was careful, to be sure of his facts, and on Sunday night he delivered his message and cleared his soul in a protest against such practices. Mon- day morning he was met on the street by the president of a bank and the following conversation ensued: ^^You made a serious mistake last night. You preached against the Club and I am a member of that club. You wounded me and I am the best friend you have in this town.'' The preacher said, '^If I stated anything that was not true I should like to know it and correct it. I did not know that you were a member of the club, but if I had known it would have made no difference. In the pulpit I can know no man after the flesh and must preach the truth though it condemn my dear- est friends and my nearest kin.'' ^^Ah," said the banker, *4s that sol I had never thought of it in that light." He was learning an important lesson about the responsibility of his pastor. (2) Its faithfulness. Three months Paul preached in the synagogue and two years and three months he remained in this great city. He had wanted to go there once and the Lord said ^^No." Now he wanted to go away and the Lord said *^No." Both times he obeyed God. God knows where He wants His preachers to labor and His preachers do not know, except as they learn from Him. When Dr. Moses Hoge had been two years at the Second Presbyterian Church of Eichmond he wrote Dr. Plummer in Baltimore that he felt his work was ended in Richmond and would like a change. God thought differently and knew better. Dr. Hoge EPHESUS— THE EFFECTIVE CHURCH 111 remained in Richmond fifty-three years after he wanted to leave and did a memorable work. Paul was faithfulness itself in Ephesus. He was a diligent pastor, teaching *' publicly and from house to house." A plurality of elders, appointed overseers by the Holy Spirit, were his able assist- ants. He knew his duty and did it well. They loved him, for they believed in him. There is nothing more touching than the parting of Paul with the elders of Ephesus at Miletus. A preacher's pulpit is his throne. He must rule there ; but if he would follow the example of Paul and achieve like results he must also go ^^from house to house." Dr. Cuyler said: ^*A house-going pastor makes a church-going people." Diligent and tactful pastoral work will produce results on any field. Preachers should beware lest they become so ab- sorbed in study, sermon preparation, social life, golf, or what not, that they neglect their people in the homes. The only way really to know a family is in the sacred precincts of the family circle. The preachers who can build churches on their pulpit work alone are very rare. Paul was a good pastor. He knew his people and they knew him. He knew them by name. Recall the names mentioned by Paul in one epistle : Phoebe, Priscilla, Aquila, Epenetus, Mary, Andronicus, Junias, Ampliatus, Urbanus, Stachys, Appelles, Aristobulus, Herodion, Narcis- sus, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, Philologus, Julia, Nereus, Olympas, Lucius, Jason, Sosipater, Tertius, Gains, Erastus, Quartus. The preacher who cannot remember the names of his people is at a serious disadvantage. Let him 112 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT practice the association of faces and names until he can readily recall the name of every one with whom he speaks. Let him do this when he is young, for it is almost impossible to acquire the habit when old. Let him guard against that carelessness which tricks the mind so that with increased age one has to be introduced many times before the preacher knows him. (3) Its reasoning. Paul was not a professional controversialist. He did not seek disputes. He was a logical, forceful, convincing preacher. He was equally at home in a Jewish synagogue, on Mars Hill, and in a philosopher's school. His stock of knowledge was so abundant and arranged so orderly that he could deliver a matchless impromptu ad- dress in Athens or reason daily for two years in the school of Tyrannus at Ephesus. The old Greek philosopher had a motto : * 'I carry all my goods with me." Paul was always ready to answer questions or meet any occasion. If you want a sample of the logic of Paul read the eighth chapter of Romans, where he piles Pelion on Ossa in proving the be- lievers' security in Christ. (4) Its persuasiveness. Paul was not a cold, intel- lectual preacher. There is no necessary incom- patibility between education and sympathy, between logic and pathos. Indeed, logic and education beget sympathy and pathos. If Paul reasoned he also persuaded. He served the Lord in Ephesus 'Svith all humility and with tears." Oh, the tears of Paul! How touching, how melting! Twice he refers to his tears for the Ephesians (Acts 20:19, 31) and once for the Philippians (Phil. 3 : 18). They evoked tears in others. It was on his neck that the elders fell and wept and kissed him, sorrowing especially EPHESUS— THE EFFECTIVE CHURCH 113 that they were to behold his face no more.* Like Goldsmith's pastor in the Deserted Village: **IIe watched and wept, he prayed and felt for all; And as a bird each fond endearment tries To tempt its new-fledged offspring to the skies, He tried each art, reproved each dull delay, Allured to brighter worlds and led the way.'' If some preachers are too lachrymose, others are too dry-eyed. In every congregation there are heavy hearts longing for sympathy. Preaching should reach the heart, and to do this it must come from the heart. The most appealing voice I ever heard in song was that of Frank W. Cunningham, known as Eichmond's ''sweet singer.'' A few years before he died he took me as his guest to hear a widely-advertised and well-known singer from New York. The auditorium was crowded and the singer sang masterpieces and popular airs in a wonderful natural voice which had been enriched by the best training. As we were leaving the con- cert I remarked : ' ' Captain, he had a well-modulated voice, with a wide range, but it did not touch my heart. What was the matter T' We had reached a brilliant electric light. He stopped and, pointing his finger to his heart, replied: ''He didn't have it in here. If you haven't got it in here you can't sing. ' ' And, pointing his finger to my heart, said : *'And you can't preach either." 5. This was a separated church. *'But when some were hardened and believed not, speaking evil of the way before the multitude, he departed from * In Moody's "Notes from My Bible" is a simple, suggestive analy- sis of the tears at Ephesus. ( 1 ) Tears of personal suffering, verse 19. (2) Tears of pastoral solicitude, verse 31. (3) Tears of friendly sympathy, verse 37. 114 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT them and separated the disciples. '^ There was a line of demarcation drawn between that church and the world. It had power in the community because it established a new social living as well as a re- ligion and demanded that all the relations between man and man be regulated on Christian principles. The worldly, unconverted element in the churches neutralizes or nullifies the efforts of the churches. The mixed multitudes from Egypt longed for the flesh-pots and spread treason in Moses' camp. If a church has too little influence over a community it is because the community has too much influence over that church. ^'Come ye out from among them and be ye separate from them, saith the Lord.'' The church that cannot discipline cannot live. You cut your finger. Blood poison sets in. An ampu- tation of the finger, or the hand, or the arm, is necessary to save your life. If you are not strong enough for that amputation you must die. The church which has in it a disorderly member, too rich or influential to be disciplined, is a decaying church. In the matter of church discipline we have often tithed the mint, anise and cummin and neglected the weightier matters of the law. Discipline is here used in the common acceptation of the term rather than in the etymological sense of training. Much has been made of the foibles and frivolities of the young and little of the common sins of the mature and well-to-do. Take dancing as an example. It is a form of worldliness which is to be discounte- nanced. Its chief dangers are that it first despirit- ualizes then demoralizes its devotees. It is perhaps the one big temptation of the young. It breaks out on them like measles in children, but if handled EPHESUS— THE EFFECTIVE CHURCH 115 tenderly and tactfully most of the sufferers can be saved to the cause. Comparatively speaking, covetonsness is a more common and far more harmful and egregious sin, though it is rarely dealt with as a ground of disci- pline per se. In a certain church years ago, about three months after the pastorate began, a deacon brought up before the deacons ' meeting the name of a young lady member who had danced the week be- fore in a private home. He wished her to be ex- cluded forthwith. The young pastor sat silent while the various deacons expressed their opinions. Some were for prompt action, some were for conciliation, and the wisest one suggested a proper committee to visit the young lady. The chairman of the board asked the young pastor his opinion. He replied: *^ Brethren, I have preferred to listen rather than to speak. It is a little disconcerting to have a question of discipline raised so early in my first pastorate. Since it has come up I would suggest that you go into the matter thoroughly. Do not make this young woman the only case. Covetonsness is denounced in the Scriptures far more than dancing. It is de- clared to be idolatry. God says the covetous will not be saved. Let us go over the treasurer's books and cite, to appear before this board, the members of this church who are guilty of covetonsness, as well as the young lady who is guilty of dancing. '* It was time for the deacons to be silent. The silence was painful. The pastor and others knew that the deacon who brought up the case of the young lady was a skinflint and, while very lavish in his criticisms of young people, was never known to give a dollar to missions. That young lady was visited by the pastor and led from worldliness to 116 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMExNT consecration and is now the president of the Woman's Missionary Society in a New Testament -church. 6. It was a missionary church. ^'All who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. ' ' This province included the w^hole western coast of our Asia Minor and a considerable interior region. That territory was evangelized in three years. Paul did not do it in person. He was in Ephesus the whole time (Acts 20: 17). He had not been seen by face in Laodicea (Col. 2:1). People from the surrounding territory heard him, were converted, and carried the good news back to their home communities. Christians from Ephesus went afield and preached to both Jews and Greeks. Na- tive visitors to Ephesus or deputed missionaries like Epaphras penetrated with the gospel every Asiatic town and district. Churches were consti- tuted in Troas, Assos, Adramyttium, Miletus, Trogylleum, Hierapolis, Colosse, Smyrna, Per- gamos, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The church started in Thyatira by Lydia doubtless re- ceived accessions and impetus from the missionary center at Ephesus. There is no parallel in the his- tory of Christian missions to the zeal and success of the* church at Ephesus in propagating the gospel and establishing churches. The purpose for which a church exists is missions. Take out of a church the missionary idea and you have a ship without a port, an athlete mthout a goal, a soldier without an order, a life without an objective. You have a barren tree that cumbers the ground, an empty house over whose door is written *'Ichabod." Limit the gospel in its scope or power and you cut its heart out. Charles Wesley was EPHESUS— THE EFFECTIVE CHURCH 117 right : ^ ' Take back my interest in thy blood unless it flows for all the race.'^ Christ lived and died for all men. The business of the church is to make Him known to all men. Our Christian religion re- volves around two foci : ' ' Come ' ' and ' ' Go. ' ' Every one who accepts the invitation "Come'^ must hear immediately the imperative command ^'Go.'' It was our Lord's most frequent, His perpetual, com- mand. It is the key to the parables. It is the be- ginning and the end of the model prayer: "Thy kingdom come . . . for thine is the kingdom." It is the driving wheel of the machinery of a church or denomination. Stop that wheel and the ma- chinery is motionless and useless. It is the au- thority for Christian education. Colleges and semi- naries were founded to fit men to "go." When they cease so to function they ought to be revitalized or buried. It was none other than President Harper who said, a short time before his death, when he appears to have made a revaluation of the verities and vitalities of our holy religion: "It would be a calamity if the educational institutions founded by our fathers to foster the Christian faith should come in time to destroy the very faith they were founded to foster," The church at Ephesus grew by giving out. A religion not worth giving away is not fit to keep at home. The charter of the American Board of Foreign Missions was under consideration by the Massachusetts legislature. A member spoke: "I am opposed to it; we haven't enough religion for home use, much less to give to the world, to export to foreign lands." A wise man rose and replied: * ^ Sir, I have this to say, when our religion is of this character the more we export of it the more we 118 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT have left of it; and the more we believe in this gospel and give it to all the world, the more do we believe in it and receive it as the bread of life at home." The same principle is in the couplet: ** There was a man, they called him mad, The more he gave away, the more he had.'' Some of our brethren, well meaning, to be sure, have allowed themselves to be thrown on the defen- sive. They speak mostly against error, they write numerous books against heresy, they guard zeal- ously the palladium of orthodoxy. Dryness, pessi- mism, and bitterness are the logical results. Ju- daism stood on the defensive and failed. Christ began an active, aggressive, world-conquering war. He founded the universal religion for all men over the whole earth ; the ultimate religion, not to be dis- placed by something better, but to last till time ends ; the complete religion, to be preserved by propaga- tion until it shall prevail among all nations. He leads His army. *^Lo, I go before you into Galilee." Who would have companionship with Him must march forward as He leads the way into all heathen lands. **The Son of God goes forth to war, A kingly crown to gain; His blood-red banner streams afar. Who follows in His train? Who best can drink his cup of woe Triumphant over pain. Who patient bears his cross below, He follows in His train." When the noble Bruce, hero of Bannockburn, died his heart was extracted and encased in a silver EPHESUS— THE EFFECTIVE CHURCH 119 casket by the Black Douglas and carried with the army. Douglas died fighting the Moors. Before he fell he threw the heart of Bruce into the thickest of the fray and urged his soldiers to follow that Jieart and conquer. Christ's heart is in the densest of heathenism and Christians must have their hearts there if they would feel His heart throb. A tender scene was witnessed in Boston the first Lord's day after the death of Pastor A. J. Gordon. Some of his devoted members met in the study and talked over their pastor's first Sabbath in heaven. They asked: ^^What would most gratify Dr. Gordon for us to do to-day?" The church was contributing twenty thousand dollars annually to foreign mis- sions. A brother spoke: ^*I know what would most gratify Dr. Gordon, and that is, if his congregation, on this the first Sabbath of his ascent into the pres- ence of his glorified Lord, would seek with all their hearts to carry out our Saviour's last words to men: * Go ye and preach the gospel to all the world. ' Let us give such a contribution to-day as this church has never given before." The heart of those lay- men responded to what was nearest the heart of their departed pastor for it was nearest to the heart of his risen Lord. 7. This was a church accredited by special mir- acles. God brought about remarkable miracles through Paul's instrumentality. His aprons and handkerchiefs were carried to the sick and they recovered from their ailments, or the evil spirits left them. ^* Superstition," yon say. The woman who touched the hem of Christ's garment may have been somewhat superstitious, but Christ healed her. Those who laid their sick where Peter's shadow might fall on them may have been tinged with 120 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT superstition, but every sick one was healed. Why- may not the true God bless a superstitious soul, provided he is honestly seeking God's power and provided his faith is directed towards Him? Is not every one superstitious to some extent? Miracles are recorded throughout the Bible. At critical periods they were more numerous than under normal conditions. For instance : the period of Moses, when Israel was being delivered and the law was being enacted; the period of Joshua, when Israel was being established in Palestine ; the period of Elijah and Elisha, when the worship of the true God was being vindicated; the period of Jesus, when God was revealing and declaring His Son. The reason for such special miracles is two-fold. (1) Satan's aggressiveness. (2) God's credentials. That was precisely the situation in Ephesus. De- monology was rampant. Demons were multitudi- nous, defiant, disastrous. They ran the business, ruled the politics, ruined the morals, and regulated the worship of the city. A miraculous display of God's power was necessary to counteract their in- fluence and to dethrone their power. Romanists cite this incident as a precedent for the use of relics. Against their gross superstition four things may be said: (1) The vital issue w^as whether behind the handkerchiefs and aprons there was a living man, and within that man, a living or a dead Christ. Christ was alive in Paul and it w^as the living Christ who wrought the unusual signs; (2) Paul built no fabric of ecclesiastical ceremony on this incident. It was not practiced elsewhere nor mentioned in any of his writings; (3) He eman- cipated the Ephesians from the thraldom of super- stition and after the burning of the books of incan- EPHESUS— THE EFFECTIVE CHURCH 121 tation, no more is heard of the use of handkerchiefs and aprons as charms against disease; (4) He sub- stitutes for such devices the Christian armor re- ceived directly from God, not acquired from some saint at some shrine. ^'The impotence which ap- plied aprons and napkins was transformed into the power which girds the loins with truth, bears proudly the shield of faith, carries aloft the saving helmet and wields, hither and thither, the two-edged sword of the Spirit." 8. This church exposed and overthrew a counter- feit Christianity. The extraordinary miracles of Paul incited some wandering Jewish exorcists to under- take to invoke the name of Jesus and thus cast out evil spirits. Seven sons of a priest made the futile attempt upon a certain demon-possessed man. This man detected their deception, sprang on two of them, overmastered them both, and treated them with such violence that they fled from the house naked and wounded. A scene ensued on the streets, two unclad, bleeding men exposed to public gaze. The report spread like a prairie fire. All the people of Ephesus came to know what happened. Terror was widespread and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor. The temptation to imitate a success is strong. The mistake of Sceva's sons was that they tried to reproduce PauPs results by imitation, when they did not have his power. They were not the last imitators. Every strong, successful, outstanding preacher has his imitators. They usually seize upon an eccentricity. Dr. Broadus had stooped shoul- ders. Some of his students bent their shoulders in ridiculous affectation. Dr. Carroll wore a long beard and spoke with slow deliberation and in deep 122 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT tones. Twenty years after college days I heard one of the Baylor ministerial students in a remote sec- tion. His beard had been sedulously grown until it reached almost to his belt. His manner was a ludicrous attempt to simulate Dr. Carroll. Had it not been in the house of God, we should have laughed at the miserable mimicry. Now it is the long hair or the earnest tones or the acrobatic stunts of some distinguished pastor or evangelist. How long will it take us to learn that preaching is truth coming to men through personality; that God never wanted one man to be some other man; that every man does his work best when he lets God use his individuality; that a second-hand gospel never was effective? Devils are the test of God. Aaron's rod ate up the rods of the magicians and thus proved that he was God's man. Jesus cast out devils and was thereby declared to be the Son of God with power. The demon-possessed man fell on the impostors and exposed them. The theology of the study is tested by the devils on the street. Do your mes- sages draw, win, and hold men? Do your doctrines cast out evil? If not, revise your messages, recon- struct your theology. Paul preached a first-hand gospel, an experimental religion, a personal ever- living Christ; and His other true preachers do the same. Never were so many religions seeking the sup- port of men as to-day. Russellism, Dowieism, Uni- tarianism, Mormonism, Christian Science, Theoso- phy, Adventism, and a score of other **isms." We need churches like that at Ephesus to expose and overthrow all counterfeits. Not so much by attack- ing them as by showing a better way; not so much EPHESUS— THE EFFECTIVE CHURCH 123 by doctrines as by deeds; not so much by fine or- ganization as by noble living; not so much by natural superiority as by supernatural power. The supernatural in Christianity validates and vitalizes it as the supreme religion. 9. Backsliders were reclaimed. Many of those who believed and indulged in the practice of mag- ical arts brought their books together and burned them to the value of fifty thousand silver coins. These "books," or "Ephesian Letters," were cer- tain magical incantations written on parchments and used as the negro wears a rabbit foot, for good luck, or as the fake doctor mumbles a jumble of nonsense to his credulous patient. The church at Ephesus won its members away from this vile and vicious literature. The account reads like the days of Savonarola in Florence when worldly women made a bonfire of their costliest jewels in their abandonment of pleasure to live the dedi<;ated life. The backslider is as omnipresent as the poor. He is a more trying problem. The pastor grieves as he sees the church members slowly, surely sliding back to the world. Despite his solicitude and care a few grow cold, indifferent, worldly. He covets the church atmosphere which will warm, enlist and consecrate them. A backslidden member of Phillips Brooks^ parish called at the study to request that his name be dropped from the roll. Dr. Brooks reminded him that the step he proposed was a serious one and appealed to him to reconsider. The man was insistent. Just then, a poorly clad lad entered the study bearing a note scribbled in lead pencil on soiled and crumpled paper. The minister read it. Addressing his caller. Dr. Brooks said: **My friend, this is an appeal from a poor, sick 124 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT woman for a visit and help. I must go to a funeral in a few minutes. Would you be good enough to go along Avith this lad to his home and learn what his mother needs and supply herT' ** Certainly, Dr. Brooks, I shall gladly do that for you and for her." The boy led the way from the imposing structure, down the wide street, to narrower streets and, finally, into an alley and to a shanty where the half-open door, held by one hinge, led into an un- lighted room. As the man stepped into that little haunt of squalor and disease the half-blinded woman began to speak : ^ ' Oh, Dr. Brooks, I knew you would come! You are God's man. You always come to the call of trouble. I am sick and hungry, but I want you first to pray for me. Please pray.'' The man had not prayed in years. What should he do I He hesitated, he thought to tell her who he was. She pleaded, ^ ' Oh, pray for me. ' ' His heart would not let him refuse any request from a case like this. He dropped on his knees. The first sen- tence was a petition for his poor backslidden soul. The woman knew it was not Dr. Brooks ; who it was she could not imagine. Soon, the ashes of indif- ference were blown from the altar of the prayer's heart and the fires of devotion burned again. He besought the Throne for this distressed woman and closed the prayer. Addressing her: ^'My dear woman, you have discovered that I am not Dr. Brooks. I am the most worthless Christian in Boston. Dr. Brooks is conducting a funeral and sent me to help you. Oh, how you have helped me ! What do you need?" She told him anything would be appreciated. There was no food, fuel or medi- cine. He asked the boy to accompany him. He went to a store, filled a basket with fruit and dainties, EPHESUS— THE EFFECTIVE CHURCH 125 and gave it to the boy for his mother. He ordered groceries, medicine and coal sent, and charged to himself. Then he hurried back to the pastor's study. Soon Dr. Brooks returned from the cemetery. The man stepped forward. His hand was extended, his eyes were tearful, his voice mellow: '^Oh, Dr. Brooks, I don't want to be dropped from the roll, I'm all right now, sir, I'm all right now." 10. Sinners were saved. ''So mightily did the Lord's message spread and triumph." The gospel was both extensive and intensive. The stages of its progress were: (1) The populace, brought face to face with the supernatural, magnified the name of Jesus (v. 17). (2) The magicians, frightened by the fate of the exorcists, and seeing the differ- ence between the power of Jesus and their own futile arts, abandoned their magic (v. 19). (3) The whole city was brought under the power of the gospel to such an extent that it ''prevailed" (v. 20). Men like Tychicus, Epaphras, Philemon, and Trophimus were converted. It was his friend- liness with Trophimus in Jerusalem that eventually cost Paul his life. Some of the Asiarchs, public officials Avho managed the community entertain- ments, were admirers of Paul and joined with his disciples in keeping him from jeopardizing his life before the mob in the theater. Literally thousands who were dominated by the world, the flesh and the devil, were saved (Eph. 2:2). Idolators turned from Diana to Christ. The temple was deserted of its worshipers, the craftsmen bereft of their gain, and the life of the entire city transformed by the saving grace of God preached in, and by this church. A church reforms a community by saving the 126 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT individuals in that community. It saves those in- dividuals by preaching ^^the redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, accord- ing to the riches of His grace, which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and understand- ing'' (Eph. l:7f). It teaches the saved to **put off, as concerns your former conduct, the old man who is being corrupted according to the desires of deceit, and be renewed in the Spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, who was created after God in righteousness and holiness of the truth" (Eph. 4:22f). These were the methods, moral and spiritual, by which was broken up the monopoly for making silver models of the great heathen temple and the images of the Ephesian Diana. These were the indirect, effective tactics by which the leading sin of the city was undermined and the Christless craftsmen, who commercialized religion, put out of business. This was the church which realized unity in Christ while its adversaries in a bedlam of voices shouted, some one thing and some another. This was the church which stood calm, collected, conquering, while the craftsmen's union rioted and went to pieces. This was the church which, though not meddling with the state, never- theless molded the state, while the religious fa- natics who united with the state suffered chagrin and the loss of prestige. CHAPTER VI COLOSSE THE HEKETICAL CHUKCH Colosse was a town church. It was about one hundred miles west of Ephesus, in the upper part of the valley of the Lycus river. Down the course of the stream ten miles, on the south bank, was Laodicea, and thirteen miles, on the north bank, was Hierapolis. Though never as large or rich as its sister communities it was of strategic value in the ages of the Persian and Greek empires. Xerxes' hordes halted here on their march to Thermopylae, where the Spartan guards were annihilated, and to Athens, which was laid in ruins, and to Salamis, where the Persian fleet was destroyed. Eighty years later Cyrus the younger, patron of Asia Minor, with his ten thousand Greeks and one hun- dred thousand barbarians, halted a week at Colosse on his ill-fated but anabasis-famed expedition against his brother Artaxerxes at Cunaxa. Strabo, the geographer for the Christian era, describes Colosse as a ^^ small town." The three communities, Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colosse, each had a Christian church. Laodicea has become the type of tepid religion for all time ; no characteristic of Hierapolis has survived; and Colosse was the object of attack by the most dan- gerous heresy of the Apostolic period. The three churches were constituted during Paul's three years' ministry in Ephesus, but not by Paul in per- son. He did not visit the communities and was not 127 128 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT knowTi by face to many of the members (2 ; 1). Yet lie addressed them in a fatherly manner as his spiritual children. The constituent members were converted under his preaching in Ephesus, or by the Christians who operated from Ephesus as a base in the evangelization of pro-consular Asia. The organizer of the church was probably Epaphras, a native evangelist. He seems to have preached regu- larly in the three communities which were in a day's walk of each other. As we would say to-day, his * Afield" consisted of three mission stations which grew into churches. One must admire evangelist-pastor, Epaphras, as he is depicted in Col. l:6f; 4:12f; Philemon 23. (1) He was the first to preach the gospel to his home town. (2) Through him his hearers came readily to know the grace of God. (3) He was hon- ored as a dearly beloved fellow bond-servant whose life of humble surrender to his Lord was associated with the similar life of Paul. (4) He was so sound and sane, so zealous and useful, so faithful and true, that Paul speaks of him as a sort of personal sub- stitute for himself with the Colossians. (5) He wears worthily the title ^^ minister of Christ,'' which is twice applied to him. He was an example of what Paul urged upon Timothy, ^'a good minister of Jesus Christ." (6) In a perplexing situation he had the good sense to seek the counsel of the most com- petent adviser he knew. (7) He was so magnani- mous, so just, and so truthful that he reported the admirable traits of his people, while informing Paul of their perils. (8) He maintained a deep personal interest in his people of the three churches, when separated from them by long distance and sojourn- ing in the capital of the world. (9) He ceased not COLOSSE— THE HERETICAL CHURCH 129 to wrestle in prayer for his wavering congregation, that they might stand firm. (10) He was not ashamed or afraid to become PanPs fellow prisoner, at a time when Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke were his only fellow-workers. Blessings on you, Brother Epaphras! Than thou, there is not a sweeter character in the New Testament! Our information about the church at Colosse is derived from two letters by Paul : one to the church and another to Philemon, a Christian of the com- munity, and we suppose a member of this church. Colosse was the least important of the churches in- cluded in these studies. The heresies discussed in the letter to the church are vague and difficult for the reader to understand or appreciate. This vol- ume is not intended to be abstruse. Justice to the plan of the book, however, requires us to deal here with mystical, philosophical subjects of little inter- est to practical Christians of our times. It is hoped that we may not get lost in the mazes and, further- more, that important lessons may be drawn for cur- rent thought and action. True it is that the myste- rious circumstances of the mystical philosophy in Colosse was the occasion which Paul used for un- folding the ** radiant mystery of the Person and Work of Christ.'' In the valley of the Lycus a terrible foe attacked Christianity from within. It was hoary with age, of oriental origin, of subtle approach, and of fear- ful force. Its incipient presence in Colosse explains Epaphras' visit to Paul in Eome to seek advice as how best to handle the heresy. Paul, Peter, John, and Jude all exposed the fallacies and dangers of this doctrine and presented its true antidote. Still it persisted. A council was held at Laodicea later 130 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT on in the fourth century. The livest question con- sidered was the very issue we discover insinuating itself into the church in these early years, six years after it was founded. 1. The doctrinal side of the heresy. It was two- fold. (1) Judaistic. The form was broader than that which turned back the changeable Galatians. It was Pharisaic in its ritualism and Essenic in its asceticism. Paul argues that Levitical food regu- lations and holy days were shadowy and typical (2:16f). In that one statement is a sufficient an- swer to the Seventh Day Adventists. He insists that their circumcision was not performed by hand but they threw off their sinful nature in true Chris- tian, spiritual circumcision (2:11). That should have settled whatever of Judaism survived the let- ter to the Galatians. He reminds them that they had been buried with Christ in baptism, in the river Lycus which flowed through the town, and raised with Him through the faith of the energy of God who raised Him from among the dead (2:12). If any one wants other proof than the sixth of Ro- mans of the mode and meaning of baptism, this one verse, added to that, should fully satisfy him that it was a putting under the water as a symbolic burial to past sins and a coming up out of the water as a portraiture of the new life to be lived. Paul reverts to his standard of doctrine, fully expounded in Ro- mans and Galatians, that we are saved not by law but by grace (2:14). The bond which we gave to keep the law was beyond our ability to pay. Christ cleared it out of the way by nailing it to his Cross. The bond was canceled by him on Calvary. (2) Gnostic. The gnostics were the ** knowing" ones. Gnosticism was an attempt to pervert Chris- COLOSSE— THE HERETICAL CHURCH 131 tianity by learning and speculation. It repudiated external revelation and assumed to reach knowledge subjectively. In fact, Gnosticism was rather a phi- losophy than a religion ; more interested in systems of the universe than in worship; concerned more about the deliverance of philosophers from matter than the redemption of mankind from sin. The later Gnostic schools attacked the gospel from three angles. They denied: (a) its historical basis; (b) its claims to authority; (c) its doctrine of the spiritual freedom and equality of men. In Colosse, Gnosticism was a tendency rather than a habit, (a) It was a disposition to deny the direct agency of God in creation, (b) It was a dis- position to inculcate the worship of angels and other mysterious powers of the universe. 2. The practical side of the heresy. Judaistic and Gnostic theories were so inextricably inter- woven in Colosse that it is impossible to be sure just where one ends and the other begins. Com- bined or separate they (1) Insisted upon rigorous asceticism; (2) Taught strict observance of Jewish ceremonial; (3) Arrogantly claimed special enlight- enment in spiritual things. Among the Gnostics we detect the first trace of Mariolatry, images, tran- substantiation and gorgeous ceremonialism. 3. The effects of the doctrine and practice. The general doctrinal effects were to obscure, if not to deny, the deity of Christ, the nature of sin, and re- demption through the Cross. The practical effects were: (1) Monasticism; (2) Antinomianism. These opposite results were the bitter fruits of the same tree. The extremes met in this philosophy. The process of reasoning which led to monasti- cism was as follows: Matter is evil. Sin resides 132 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT in the body. Therefore, to get rid of sin, be an ascetic. The process of reasoning which led to the license of Antinomianism was: Sin attaches to the body only. It cannot touch the soul. Therefore, live the Epicurean life. You will not be punished for indulgence because you will be freed from the body, the instrumentality of sin, at death. Gnos- ticism was contrasted by Paul (I Tim. 1:20) with the deposit of faith in four particulars. (1) It is irreligious and frivolous talk. (2) It is falsely called knowledge. (3) It is controversial and boast- ful. (4) It leads to apostasy from the faith. 4. The antidote for the heresy. The truth of the gospel is the counteractant to this dangerous tendency. That truth is the real nature, office, mis- sion and method of Christ. As to His nature: He is the visible representation of the invisible God; the First Born and Lord of all creation ; the creator, conserver, and consummation of all things; before all things and the power which preserves the har- mony of the universe; the abiding embodiment of the fullness of God^s nature; the source of Chris- tian excellence; superior to all ranks of heavenly beings and universally supreme. As to His office: He is head of the church as an institution, conceived of under the figure of an organism, giving to it life, unity and government; He is the mediator through whom every one may come into God's presence full- grown. As to His mission: It was to secure the release of the captives of sin; to reconcile the estranged to God; to convey a vast wealth of glory to those who received Him; to impart the full knowl- edge of God's truth, which is Himself; to give life with Himself; to triumph over all hostile powers and be reen throned at God's right hand. As to COLOSSE— THE HERETICAL CHURCH 133 His method: It was througli his blood which was shed upon the cross to effect reconciliation (1: 20) ; in His human body by death to bring them holy, faultless and irreproachable into His presence (1:22); by nailing the legal requirements to his cross (2:14); by a decisive and signal triumph by the cross (2:14). To sum up: God, incarnated in Christ, the mediator and head of the church, pro- cured the forgiveness of sins, and all consequent blessings, through the redemption wrought out by His death upon the cross. 5. The Gnostic dangers of our day. Think not that the heresy of the Lycus valley is dead. Chris- tianity has no foe more to be warned against. Col- leges and universities are its haunt and habitat. Would-be-wise professors undermine Christian monotheism with their gnostic cosmogony; they undermine Christian practice by separating knowl- edge from action, and they undermine the very basis of the gospel by explaining away its history. The emanations from God through endless aeons to man are no more sophistical than the ageless evo- lution by which certain scientists trace the develop- ment from amoeba to man, only the process is the reverse ; the ancient Gnostic reasoned on a descend- ing scale, the modern Gnostics reason on the ascend- ing scale. Both deny the deity of Christ, the su- preme authority of the inspired revelation and the vicarious atonement. Both are speculative, frigid, reptilian philosophies. They have no power to warm the cold heart, to reclaim the wayward life, to promote vast missionary enterprises, to impas- sion a soul with zeal for Christ. They produce dilettanti who are made tepid by over-culture, or intellectual cormorants made heavy by too much 134 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT undigested information, or swingeing skeptics made egotistical by ^^ science falsely so called/' *^Some doctor full of phrase and fame, To shake his sapient head, and give The ill he cannot cure a name." There are institutions founded and maintained by the money of earnest, unquestioning Christians where Christ's name is rarely mentioned, where his miraculous birth is scouted, where his bodily resurrection is rejected as absurd, and where his atoning sacrifice is mocked as an outrage on justice. There are others without the courage to express their heresy who compromise by silence on these doctrines and content themselves by talks on char- acter, Jesus being the ideal and God the Father of all men. The time has arrived when the first group, who are destroying the faith of the young, should be exposed as Paul and Jude exposed the heretics long ago; when they should be shunned in Christian or- ganizations as John shunned Cerinthus in the bath. The day is approaching when denominations ought to say to the second group : ' ' The only abiding char- acter is Christian; the only Jesus of the gospels was the unique Son of God; the only way respon- sible sinners become children of God is by faith in Jesus Christ. We do not ask'^jou to teach what you do not believe, but we do say if you do not believe, teach and practice these truths you do not fill the requirements for instructors or leaders of our young people.'' It were no "worse for a chemist to poison the food the students eat than to poison their minds with false science. Better destroy the human life COLOSSE— THE HERETICAL CHUECH 135 than wreck the immortal soul. It is not a question of *' moral freedom,'' of ^'intellectual liberty." Such pleas are nonsense. The question is far deeper. It is a question of personal honor. To illustrate my meaning: The night I was or- dained to the gospel ministry in the First Baptist Church of Waco, Texas, September, 1899, the Pres- bytery, consisting of B. H. Carroll, A. W. McGaha, J. Gr. Kendall and other brethren, asked what seemed to me to be every possible question on doc- trine, faith and practice. When the ordination was over and the congregation dismissed. Professor Schauss, Director of Music in Baylor University, who had known me through my college course from '94- '98, waited an opportunity to speak to me pri- vately. He was a cordial soul, highly educated in the arts and sciences, a devout believer and a friend of all the students. He had breathed, without con- tamination, the atmosphere of the universities of his native land. A hearty handshake and a **God bless you in your life work" from him abide with me now. Also, a remark he made has recurred a thousand times. It was this: ** George, had I been a member of that Presbytery there is one question I should like to have asked." **Why, Professor, I thought Dr. Carroll asked every question he could think of and that surely was enough for one night. What is your question!" Said he, *'My question is this: Should you ever find yourself out of harmony with the doctrines to which you have subscribed to-night, and in the confidence of which this church ordains you, what are you going to do? Are you going to try and reform your denomination, or are you going to have the honor, manhood and character to sur- render your credentials, as a Baptist minister, to 136 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT the denomination whose views you no longer repre- sent?" My instant reply was: ^^I'll be honest and surrender my credentials." Now, that Instructor in Music went to the very crux of the matter with his question. That is the principle which underlies the ministry and Chris- tian education. One has no moral right to undo what he is expected to do ; to pull down what he is ordained or elected to build up. The denomination does not fetter thought, it puts no limits on investi- gation ; but it ought to say : ^ ^ Should you find your- self out of harmony with our cherished and historic principles we shall expect you to have the honor to surrender your position." It is not honest to accept the financial support of a church or denomination and undermine the faith you are appointed to up- hold. It is like getting money ''under false pre- tenses," an indictable offense under the law of the land. It is fraudulent. It is the heresy of Simon Magus from the motive of Balaam. It is important to remember that the Gnostics were schools of thought inside the churches rather than sects outside them. They were, on that ac- count, the more harmful. On the outside, they could not have the approach they enjoyed as members of the churches; they would not be classed as of the Christians and thereby denied the opportunity to work insidiously from mthin. They were too smart for that. Simon Magus identified himself with the believers in Samaria. Jude says: ''I find myself constrained to write and cheer you on to the vig- orous defense of the faith delivered once for all to God^s people. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed; men spoken of in ancient writings as pre-destined to this condemnation, ungodly men, COLOSSE— THE HERETICAL CHURCH 137 who pervert the grace of our God into an excuse for immorality, and disown Jesus Christ, our only- Sovereign Lord." Paul warns against some one in the church at Colosse who leads astray by means of his philosophy and idle fancies, following human traditions and the world's crude notions instead of following Christ. Operation from the inside was the subtle way of the Gnostics. They were content with common Christianity for common people. That was well for the uneducated masses, but they themselves were enlightened and lived in a higher realm of intellect- uality. Ordinary Christians were the natural men; they themselves were the spiritual who possessed the true knowledge. The object was to avoid seces- sion and, by remaining in the churches, draw to themselves all who aspired to learning and culture. He who runs may read the same thing in the churches of the United States. A small group of ^^intellectuals'' in colleges, universities and theo- logical seminaries retain church membership; but by their thoughts, words and actions they belie the very nature and command of the Christ upon whom a church is founded. ^'Wise ones," they think them- selves to be. They are such only in their own con- ceit. Those who are doing the work of the King- dom know these **wise ones" have little evangelistic zeal, use the churches often for selfish purposes and congeal the fountains of spirituality with an arctic temperature. Well may lovers of our divine Lord and Saviour have a care for what is taught in our educational institutions, both denominational and state. The professor has our sons and daughters at a period of life under circumstances when they are peculiarly 138 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT susceptible to impressions. A godly teacher, like John A. Broadus or Noah K. Davis, can cast the young in the orthodox mold that will insure peace of mind, salvation of soul, and usefulness of life. A skeptical professor can shake by one stroke the structure of belief constructed by parents and pas- tors through the years antedating college. An edu- cator, indifferent to Christian activities, can by his very example, and without a word of criticism, paralyze the Christian energies of a student beyond the power of the churches to revitalize in all the succeeding years. Christianity is the patron of learning, but it claims all knowledge for Christ. It insists that knowledge bow to Him who is the fullness of knowl- edge. It won the Athenian philosopher Aristides whose eloquent apology impressed the emperor Hadrian ; it called to its defense Justin Martyr, who had vainly sought divine knowledge in the schools of Zeno, of Aristotle, of Pythagoras and of Plato; it received the homage of the Greek scholar, Clement of Alexandria; the Latin scholar, TertuUian; the learned Julius Africanus and Origen, and the public teachers of rhetoric, Cyprian and Lactantius; it was professed and supported by philosophers dis- tinguished for their genius and learning, such as Tatian, Athenagorae, Theophilus of Antioch, Hegesippus, Melito, Miltiades, Pontaenus, and Ana- monius. One cannot know too much for a Christian, provided that what he knows is real knowledge, not speculation. To the Agnostics Paul replies, **We know.'' To the Gnostics he replies, *^We know in part." Some day, in the clear light of heaven, **we shall know even also as we are known.'' A skeptical historian who made a careful and COLOSSE— THE HERETICAL CHURCH 139 critical study of early Christianity stated the case of philosophy and Christianity thus: ^^Even the study of philosophy was at length introduced among the Christians, but it was not always productive of the most salutary effects; knowledge was as often the parent of heresy as of devotion, and the descrip- tion which was designed for the followers of Arte- mon may, with equal propriety, be applied to the various sects which resisted the successors of the Apostles. ' ' '^ They presume to alter the Holy Scrip- tures, to abandon the ancient rule of faith, and to form their opinions according to the subtle precepts of logic. The science of the church is neglected for the study of geometry, and they lose sight of heaven while they are employed in measuring the earth. . . . Their errors are derived from the abuse of the arts and sciences of the infidels, and they corrupt the simplicity of the gospel by the refinements of human reason. '* The world may with equal pro- priety find application of this in the twentieth cen- tury. Certain deductions may be made from the church at Colosse. 1. The leaders belonged to the better social class of families. The humble and uneducated predomi- nated in the churches of Macedonia and Achaia. It was somewhat different in the churches of Asia Minor. Timothy belonged to the educated class at Lystra. His father was an Hellene, a wealthy man of the non-Koman population, a person of social standing whom an orthodox Jewess was proud to marry. Anatolia, the district in western Asia Minor, from Paul's time onward was noted for the excep- tional learning, wealth and rank of its leaders. See '* Pauline and Other Studies," by Kamsay, page 140 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 375f. NjTuplias lived in comfort, if not affluence, at Laodicea, and a church met in this house. Philemon, a prosperous land and slaveholder, was an outstanding Christian in Colosse. A church met in his commodious home. Though rich, his fer- vent faith and religious activities created an atmos- phere in his family in which his own son, Archip- pus, entered the gospel ministry. Richard Fuller, James P. Boyce, H. A. Tupper, Sr., and William D. Thomas heard the call to preach in homes like Philemon's. We have too few recruits for the ministry nowa- days and rarely one from the aristocratic families. Do these families look upon the ministry as the most exalted of vocations? Is the atmosphere of their homes so permeated with devotion that their sons come logically to think of preaching as their life work? I heard Lieut.-Gov. J. Taylor Ellyson say before a dozen district associations in Virginia, ^'I have only one child and she has one son. I would rather he would be a Baptist preacher than to win any honor or emolument men can bestow." When parents have such ambitions more sons of the well- to-do will enlist in the ranks of the preachers. The reproach that the Christians were invariably of low birth is not supported by facts. Tertullian threw down the challenge to the proconsul of Africa by assuring him that if he persisted in his cruel intentions he must decimate Carthage, and he would find among the guilty many persons of his own rank, ** senators and matrons of noblest extraction, and friends or relations of his most intimate friends." The elegant Pliny gave unsuspected testimony to the rank of Christians in his famous letter to the Emperor Trajan, in which he states that multitudes COLOSSE— THE HERETICAL CHURCH 141 of persons in Bithynia of every order had deserted the religion of their ancestors and avowed Christian- ity. By the way, there can be desired no stronger evidence for the scope and power of Christianity than the governor's letter. 2. The interchange of letters between churches. Paul wrote and sent two letters at the same time by Tychicus. One was to ^'the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse" and the other, possibly the epistle to the Ephesians, was sent to Laodicea. Instructions were given that when the letter to Colosse had been read publicly before the congregation, it was to be read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and Colosse in turn was to read the one sent to the Laodiceans. Letters are written to be read. The first letter Paul wrote contained this direction: ^*I solemnly charge you in the Lord's name to have this letter read to all the brethren'' (I Thess. 5: 27). The apostolic writings had divine authority. They contained a body of doctrine for all the churches then, since, now, and forever. The striking feature in the present instance is that the particular problem in each of these two churches was so similar that a letter to one was almost equally appropriate to the other. If the assumption is correct that the general epistle to the Ephesians is the letter referred to, as also to the Laodiceans, then an interesting sim- ilarity exists between Colossians and Ephesians. For example: (1) Christ the head of the church. Colossians: **He is the head of the body, the church." Ephe- sians: *^And gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body. ' ' This view of our Lord's position and function is confined to these 142 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT letters and there are two other parallels in them under the same figure. (2) Christ's supremacy over angelic powers. Colossians: **And ye are made full in Him, who is the head of every principality and authority." Ephesians: '^For above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion.'' Evidently angel wor- ship was derogating from the supremacy of Christ in several churches. (3) Reconciliation through the death of Christ. Colossians: ^^And through him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross." Ephesians: *^ And might rec- oncile both in one body to God through the cross." At least thirty other parallels can be collected, but these three suffice to show how fitting was the in- terchange of the letters. 3. A liberalizing doctrinal drift. The intellectual character of the church doubtless facilitated the liberalizing tendency. Churches of culture and wealth are more susceptible to ritualism and gnosti- cism. They are tempted to-day to appeal to the elite. By elaborate ceremonialism they appeal to the esthetic nature. Pastors of such churches need to be rooted and grounded in the faith lest they be carried along by the drift. He who yields to the spell loses his spiritual ardor and soul-saving power. The church which is inoculated with this virus be- comes a ^ ^family church," or a social club. Syncretists are as busy now as in the seventeenth century endeavoring to unite various systems and sects on the principle of liberalism. I am impelled to quote the timely words of the scholarly principal, P. T. Forsyth. Discussing the critical challenge to faith, he says : ** An ultra -liberalism in a historic COLOSSE— THE HERETICAL CHUECH 143 religion like Christianity has always this danger— r that it advance so far from its base as to be cut off from supplies, and spiritually starved into surren- der to the world. If it is not then exterminated it is interned in a region ruled entirely by the laws of the foreign country. Gradually it accommodates itself to the new population, and is slowly absorbed so as to forget the first principles of Christ." Some preachers and churches are already interned and the deadly process of absorption is going on. Fortu- nately, there is a healthful, positive reaction against such and a deploying of the faithful reserves who believe that Christ is central to a glorious God and that the development of the race is to flow from its reconciliation, redemption, and sanctification by Christ. ''At the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow, Every tongue confess Him King of glory now; 'Tis the Father's pleasure we should call Him Lord, Who from the beginning was the mighty Word. At His voice creation sprang at once to sight, All the Angel faces, all the Hosts of light. Thrones and Dominions, stars upon their way. All the heavenly Orders, in their great array. Humbled for a season, to receive a Name, From the lips of sinners unto whom He came, Faithfully He bore it spotless to the last. Brought it back victorious, when from death. He passed; Bore it up triumphant with its human light Through all ranks of creatures, to the central height ; 144 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT To the throne of Godhead, to the Father's breast; Fiird it with the glory of that perfect rest. Name Him, brothers, name Him, with love strong as death, But with awe and wonder, and with bated breath ; He is God the Saviour, He is Christ the Lord, Ever to be worshiped, trusted, and adored. In your hearts enthrone Him; there let Him subdue All that is not holy, and that is not true ; Crown Him as your Captain in temptation's hour; Let His will enfold you in its light and power. Brothers, this Lord Jesus shall return again, With His Father's glory, with His Angel train; For all wreaths of empire meet upon His brow. And our hearts confess Him King of glory now." 4. Neglect of practical Christianity. Prate as they will about social service and pragmatism, mod- em gnostics are not as efficient in the kingdom as the dogmatists. Men without deep convictions on the vitality of the gospel have no permanent, pun- gent power in kingdom enterprises. Liberalism in- evitably chills spiritual ardor. It theorizes and tells how things ought to be, but is wanting in the wisdom and energy to effect practical improvements. One result of the liberal tendency in Colosse was to ^^slow down" the preacher. Epaphras, seri- ously alarmed, hurried away to Eome to consult Paul. Archippus remained as pastor. The cold intellectualism affected him as malaria does physical vigor. His zeal abated, his energy relaxed, his serv- ice became perfunctory. He needed to be stirred up. Paul aimed at his conscience through his con- COLOSSE— THE HERETICAL CHURCH 145 gregation. A sidelight on those simple apostolic days before ^'lordship over God's heritage '' was the program of the pastorate and an appeal to the pas- tor through the people was easy: *'Say to Archip- pus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast re- ceived in the Lord, that thou fulfill iV (1) The ministry isnotawork which a man takes upon him- self. * ' The ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus" was Paul's conception of his high calling. *'Pray ye the Lord of the harvest that he will thrust forth laborers into his harvest,'' was Jesus' prescrip- tion for a dearth of preachers. (2) It is a work which requires complete dedication. **Give thyself wholly to it," was Paul's charge to a young preacher. Archippus should discharge carefully the duties de- volving upon him. More preachers fail on account of laziness and lack of consecration than fail for want of ability. (3) It is a work no detail and duty of which should be ignored. Compare Acts 20 : 28 ; I Timothy 4: 16 for the comprehensiveness of the du- ties. ^^Take heed" to himself, his teaching, his hearers. (4) It is a work which should be magni- fied. ' ' Fill it full. " * ^ I magnify mine office. ' ' The preacher who actually does this will be esteemed and trusted by his people and honored by his Lord. ^^If any man serve me him will my Father honor." * ^ 'Tis not a cause of small import The preacher's care demands; But what might fill an angel's heart And fill the Saviour's hands." ^^Like people like priests" is the converse truth of the proverb *4ike priests like people." The thought is that the preacher is shaped by his en- vironment. Doubtless Archippus was influenced by 146 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT the growing formalism in Colosse, for a few years before he was a brave and valiant *^ fellow-soldier*^ of Paul. A minor prophet said: **He shall receive of you his standing. '* The preacher's influence and usefulness in the conamunity are, to a very high de- gree, in the keeping of his people. They make or mar him. I once thought General Lee made the army of Virginia. My views have somewhat changed. Not about General Lee. I believe him to be the highest type of uninspired Christian man- hood in the annals of the race. But about the in- spiring effect of his army over him. They did as much to immortalize him as he did to mold them. Their unquestioning obedience, their unwavering loyalty, their unfaltering courage, their unswerving devotion from Mechanicsville to Appomattox evoked the noblest in their commander and raised him to a pedestal a little higher than any other commander of history. He was as fortunate in the army he led as were they in the general who led them. Among the every-day duties which the Colossians neglected and about which they needed to be ex- horted were : (1) The putting to death of the carnal nature from the new motive and in the power of the new life in Christ. (2) The putting on, as a garment, of the Christlike qualities of tender-heart- edness, kindness, humility, meekness, forbearance, forgiveness and over all these, as an enveloping robe, love which is the perfect bond of union. (3) The assiduous study and abundant appropriation of the gospel, both in information and precept, so that its power in their lives would be manifest by their emi- nent wisdom. (4) The wise use of religious service so that their psalms, hymns and spiritual songs would instruct and admonish and all be indicative of COLOSSE— THE HERETICAL CHURCH 147 the grace of God in their own hearts. (5) The ob- servance of Christian principles in the mutual rela- tions of husbands and wives, children and fathers, slaves and masters. (6) Perseverance and watch- fulness. 5. A new sample of the saving power of the gos- pel. A converted sinner is the strongest argument for Christianity. The conversion of Sanl. with all its implications, would, in itself, prove the claims of the four Gospels. As Christ's resurrection de- clared His deity with power, Paul's conversion con- firmed both His resurrection and deity. That con- version is an adequate explanation of the history from the year forty to the year sixty-five, the dates, respectively, of His change and His death. The fact is, Paul used his conversion as a sample of God's grace with the deduction that if God could save him, the worst sinner in all the tides of time, no other sinner need despair. Such is manifestly his mean- ing to Timothy. *' Faithful is the saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. But for this cause I obtained mercy that in me as chief Christ Jesus might show forth all His long-suffering for an example to those about to believe on Him to eternal life." A sample of saving grace was exhibited to the Colossians in the case of Onesimus. This man was Philemon's slave in Colosse. He stole from his master and ran away to Home. He went with the crowds to hear Paul in the rented house and was con- verted to Christ. He confided to Paul the wrong he had done his master and was sent back to Philemon with Paul's personally-written guarantee of his in- debtedness. How vivid is the whole incident! We 148 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT see, as if it were occurring before our very eyes, Onesimus' moral and social degradation, awakened conscience, spiritual regeneration, fruits of repen- tance, and resolute obedience to right, at the risk of heavy personal sacrifice. Oh, you heretics, revel- ing in nebulous theories, the answer to your false philosophy is this — a sunken slave saved by the death of Christ who died the death of a slave upon the cross! This is the fruit of our gospel. What have you to match it? Oh, you lukewarm church members, devoid of a passion for service, though chained to a guard, this is my employ- ment — winning converts to Jesus from your own absconding fugitives ! Are you not rebuked by the contrast? Oh, you untrustworthy slaves rendering unwilling eye service, you repressive masters, for- getting you have a Master in heaven, here is an ex- hibit of grace in the heart of a slave that prompts him to return and remain an honest and faithful slave and evokes in the heart of a Christian master the spirit that will prevent him from holding his fellow Christian as a slave ! This is my method of manumission ! Oh, you lost men, slaves to base pas- sions, running away from a just and merciful God, involved in debts you are unable to pay, here is a model conversion, a deliverance from sin and serv- itude and restoration to loving favor! *^If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed,'' not to depart, but to abide in the house forever as sons and heirs of God in Christ. * * Grace makes the slave a freeman. 'Tis a change That turns to ridicule the turgid speech And stately tones of moralists, who boast, As if, like him of fabulous renown. COLOSSE— THE HERETICAL CHURCH 149 They had indeed ability to smooth The shag of savage nature, and were each An Orpheus, and omnipotent in song: But transformation of apostate man From fool to wise, from earthly to Divine, Is work for Him that made him. He alone, And He, by means in philosophic eyes Trivial and worthy of disdain, achieves The wonder ; humanizing what is brute In the lost kind, extracting from the lips Of asps their venom, over-powering strength By weakness, and hostility by love. ' ' 6. An equitable, judicious and righteous adjust- ment of a perplexing financial, social and political issue. The statesmanship of Paul was nowhere more eminent than in his wise and masterly manner of dealing with the question of slavery, especially this acute case from Colosse. Now, slavery was universal among the ancients. Governments recog- nized its legality. Philosophers approved its justice. The New Testament churches were all constituted in an age and empire when and where the regime of slavery was recognized by law and endorsed by philosophy. Nothing more severely tested the prac- ticability of the gospel than the existence of the in- stitution of slavery. Had the religious movement become a political movement, the Roman government would have crushed it to extinction. Rivers of blood would have flowed and with the flow Christianity would have gone into the ocean of oblivion. But the gospel was free from the spirit of political revolu- tion. Neither Jesus nor His apostle raised a hand to strike the evil civil government. Their attitude was that of entire political submission and deep spiritual hostility. They never forbade slavery; 150 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT they subverted the principle and undermined the in- stitution by peacefully modifying the passions of men and implanting a spirit of Christian liberty, equality, fraternity. A little letter to a Colossian Christian, the shortest of PauPs writings, is a thesaurus on slavery. Uni- versal application of the principles in that epistle would have abolished human slavery without the loss of a dollar, or the estrangement of races, or the shedding of a drop of blood. (1) Property rights are inviolate. Primitive Christianity called all adherents to a surrender of life and to the acknowledgment of trusteeship as between man and God ; but it never condemned the right of property as between man and man and left the individual free to decide what proportion of his property should be disposed of and given away in the discharge of his duties as trustee. Philemon was the possessor of much property. He was commended for his hospitality and philanthropy, and encouraged in generosity, but he was not told to socialize his holdings. Onesimus was directed to go back to his owner and leave Philemon to decide whether or not he would free him. (2) Equality is in Christ alone. A gulf separated men every^^here into two classes — bond and free. Society could not bridge that gulf. Government could not. Only Christ could. A converted fugitive slave was no longer a slave to Paul, but a brother peculiarly dear, a part of Paul himself, useful to Paul and Philemon. The gospel changed Onesimus into something better than a slave, into one to be welcomed by his master as a servant and fellow- Christian and received as if he were the apostle himself. COLOSSE— THE HERETICAL CHURCH 151 The Lord's Supper in the New Testament churches continually kept before their minds their equality in Christ. Around the table of the Lord master and slave gathered and partook of bread and wine in remembrance of their Saviour, who was crucified as a criminal and slave and who had accompanied the institution of this recurrent rite by performing the servile office of washing His disciples' feet. That is the only table where two classes, so widely apart socially, have ever met or can ever meet on an equality. Slavery was not of the South 's seeking. From 1619 to 1772 Virginia passed thirty-three legislative acts, ranging from graduated taxes to discriminatory laws, designed to discourage slavery where the col- ony had not the authority to prohibit the importation of slaves. The king, in council, vetoed all these acts. Finally, free to exercise her own choice, Virginia, in 1778, enacted that ^^no slave or slaves shall here- after be imported into this commonwealth by sea or land, nor shall any slaves so imported be sold or bought by any person whatsoever. ' ' Unbiased his- torians of the future will chronicle the true story of the origin and practice of slavery in the United States. Our nation has a heritage of woe from the bun- gling and blundering Abolitionists. Misguided en- thusiasts, were they, aggravating a question which would have settled itself. General Lee said in 1856 : *^ While we see the course of the final abolition of slavery is onward, and we give it the aid of our prayers and all justifiable means in our power, we must leave the progress as well as the result in His hands, who sees the end and chooses to work by slow influences." The harshness of Southern slave- 152 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT liolders was greatly exaggerated. To the extent to which severity did exist, it was not palliated by the Scriptures, but was contrary to Paul's advice to Philemon. When the anti-slave states harbored run-away slaves from the South they violated the principle laid down by Paul in returning Onesimus to his master. Dred Scott, a negro slave in Mis- souri, sued his master, John F. A. Sanford, for his freedom. The Circuit Court of St. Louis rendered a verdict and judgment in his favor. The Supreme Court of the State reversed the judgment and re- manded the case to the Circuit Court. The case went to the Supreme Court of the United States on exceptions to the court's instruction. After be- ing twice argued. Chief Justice Taney delivered the opinion of the court, one of the longest and ablest on record. He reversed the judgment of the Circuit Court and remanded the case for a new trial. For that decision, which was clearly a correct interpre- tation of the constitution, the chief justice was hounded, denounced, slandered, and vilified. *'The Unjust Judge!" cried the Abolitionist, of one who had liberated his own slaves long before the war. John Brown's fanatical raid and base murders added fuel to the flames. Abolitionist orators fanned the flames by applauding and heroizing John Brown. The nation was plunged into war. Constitutional rights of States and individuals were violated; co- ercion was invoked; force was substituted for rea- son; the nation was torn with fratricidal strife; hasty and ill-advised amendments were added to the constitution; wounds were left which time is now healing ; but a chasm was opened between two races which seems to yawn wider with the passing years. The bad feeling between the sections is almost gone, COLOSSE— THE HERETICAL CHURCH 153 but in its stead has come a more deplorable feeling between the two races, both in the South and North. The most sagacious fear what the end may be. Dreadful apprehension drives sleep from the pillow of many a thoughtful Southerner. Northerners, too, are awaking with alarm. A fire was kindled by reck- less hands which a half a century has been unable to extinguish. Unless the waters of God's provi- dence and grace quench the raging flames of race animosity, then God show mercy to us and to our descendants ! All this came about because radicals were unwill- ing to trust the leaven of the gospel to permeate and purify our economic life. That leaven was working. George Washington, George Wythe, John Randolph, William H. Fitzhugh, Robert E. Lee, and hundreds of others voluntarily emancipated their slaves. To say the South fought to maintain slav- ery is to display prejudiced and superficial thinking. Slavery was an incident. The South fought for her rights under the constitution. The census of Vir- ginia in 1860 shows a white population of 1,047,299, and only 52,128 men, women, and children who were slave-holders and one-third of these owned only one or two slaves. Neither Joseph E. Johnston, A. P. Hill, nor Fitzhugh Lee, all gallant Confederate offi- cers, ever owned a slave. J. E. B. Stuart owned no slave for some time prior to the war. ^'Stonewall" Jackson owned only two slaves, both of whom he purchased upon their solicitation. Forthwith, he granted them the privilege of earning their freedom by devoting their wages, which he paid them, to re- imbursing him for the purchase price. The man accepted the offer and earned his freedom. The woman preferred to remain a servant in the Jack- 154 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT son family. Not one soldier in thirty in the * ' Stone- wall Brigade'' ever owned or expected to own a slave. The statesmanship of Paul in the North would have prevented war, preserved the union, and finally freed the slaves. The motive which induced the Quakers to liberate their slaves and to be the first consistently to labor for abolition in England and the United States would have accomplished emancipation in the South without the shedding of blood and the destruction of property. As surely as Philemon voluntarily freed Onesi- mus, the principles of Christianity would have peace- ably freed the slaves of the South. As Christian brotherhood followed Onesimus' freedom, fraternal bonds would bind the two races which stand *^ Aloof, the scars remaining — Like cliffs which had been rent asunder: A dreary sea now flows between.'' We were not Christians enough to settle the slav- ery question without war. Are we Christians enough to build a brotherhood out of the wreckage, suspi- cion, distrust, alienations, and strife of the years since the war I The problem is more complex than slavery. One race cannot work it out alone. The task demands cooperation, a mutual desire of the stronger to help and of the weaker to be helped. It requires a firm faith in the adequacy of the gos- pel for all conditions, a determination to do right at all hazards, a poise to be unbalanced by no cir- cumstances, a readiness to profit by the lessons of the past. **Lord God of hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget, lest we forgef CHAPTER VII PHILIPPI — THE JOYFUL CHUKCH We are on historic ground at Philippi. The feet of Philip of Macedon, Alexander the Great, and Aristotle, the philosopher, walked its streets. A memorable and decisive battle was fought there in 42 B.C. The assassination of Julius Caesar in the senate-house (March 15, 44) at the age of fifty-six did not restore the old government of the senate as the conspirators hoped it would. After several in- decisive battles the second triumvirate was formed. The world was divided into three parts. Octavius (Augustus), the grand-nephew of Julius Caesar, was to govern the West; Mark Antony, secretary of Caesar, was to govern the East; and Lepidus, one of Caesar's old lieutenants, was to govern Africa. Days like the reign of Lenine and Trotsky in Bol- shevik Russia ensued. The estates of the wealthy were confiscated. Three hundred senators and two thousand knights were murdered. Cicero, at the age of sixty-four, was among the victims. The friends of the old republic rallied in the East. Led by Brutus and Cassius, they met the forces of Octavius and Antony on the field of Philippi. In two successive engagements the new levies of the liberators were cut to pieces. In the first battle Cassius committed suicide ; in the second Brutus did the same ; and with them died the hope of a restora- tion of the republic. Legend tells how one night a specter appeared to Brutus and seemed to say, *'I 155 156 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT am the evil genius ; we will meet again at Philippi. ' ' This has passed into a proverb. ^'I will meet you at Philippi" means one will see and settle with an- other in a decisive contest. Eoman material power was founded upon two pillars, roads and colonies. Philippi derived an im- portance from both. She was on the national high- way between the Balkan Mountains and the Aegean Sea. Neapolis was the seaport corresponding to Selucia for Antioch, the Sacred Port for Ephesus, Cenchrea for Corinth, and Piraeus for Athens. The armies and the trade went over that road. Philippi was also a colony. A knowledge of Ro- man law and government is essential to appreciate the status of a colony. The colony was a devel- opment. The evolution may be described briefly. The struggle between the patricians and plebeians taught the Eomans * * political wisdom. ' ' Romans be- came fit to govern the world by giving way when they had to, and by adapting themselves wisely and slowly to changed conditions. Rome was never in a hurry to govern the countries she conquered and she was the first successful ruler of subject peoples. Macedonia was made a Roman province in 148 B.C. Magistrates were sent annually by the senate to govern the provinces. The people were every- where oppressed. The Gracchi, Tiberius and Caius, made several abortive efforts to eradicate the evils which afilicted the State. The provinces were looked upon as estates of the Roman nobles with which they made as much money as they could. It remained for Augustus (Octavius) to rearrange the scheme of government and to elevate the provinces to an equal- ity with Italy. Rome was no longer the mistress of all the conquered peoples. She was only their capital PHILIPPI— THE JOYFUL CHURCH 157 city. Men were no longer subjects ruled for selfish gain, but citizens ruled for their own good. *'Lo, Kome! Imperial Rome alone is she Who conquered foemen to her bosom took, And cherished mankind with her queenly name — No mistress she, but mother dear of all — And children called them all, in holy bonds Of kinship linking nations far and near." This statesmanlike course with the provinces was pursued with the colonies. A colony is a settlement made in a foreign country. A Roman colony was a miniature Rome. Augustus constituted Philippi a colony. As such, she enjoyed the protection of Roman law and her citizens were the equals of the citizens of Rome. The voting place was Rome and of course they could not go to the voting place often, if ever. Still, it was their right to vote at the one voting place for all citizens. They could understand the metaphor : ^ * Our citizenship is in heaven. ' ' We live on earth, but our names are enrolled in heaven. We are citizens of heaven in the three ways by which persons obtained Roman citizenship. By birth, we are free born in the second birth. By gift, ^ 4t is the gift of God." By purchase, ^^ redeemed not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ." We enjoy exalted privileges as citizens. (1) En- rolment on heaven's register. (2) A voice in the election of the earthly representatives of the heav- enly commonwealth. (3) Eligibility for the highest honors. (4) Immunity from the fear that hath tor- ment. (5) Security of soul — all the resources and powers of the emperor and commonwealth are 158 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT pledged to our preservation and safety. (6) The blessed assurance, not that we shall be but 7iow are *'no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citi- zens with the saints and of the household of God.'' (7) The right of personal access to the emperor. We are ^'obligated by the nobility" of this citizen- ship. (1) To be animated by spiritual motives and not to ^'mind earthly things.'' (2) To do common every-day tasks in an uncommon way. (3) To wear the badge of heavenly citizenship, holiness. (4) To subordinate private interests to kingdom interests. (5) To labor to extend the bounds of the Divine Kingdom. (6) To obey cheerfully its laws and de- light to learn more of its principles until God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven. (7) To give un- swerving allegiance to our ^ ' King eternal, immortal, invisible." Two chief magistrates for the colony were ap- pointed by the emperor, or senate, and were inde- pendent of the provincial governors. Eemember- ing the colonial character of Philippi adds vividness to Luke's narrative in Acts 16. One more historical comment. Philippi was **a chief city of the district." It was the most impor- tant city, commercially, politically, and historically, in Macedonia. See how Paul conducts his campaign by establishing Christian centers in the cities — An- tioch, Philippi, Corinth, Ephesus, Rome. There was wise strategy in his course. The beginnings of Christianity in Europe were quite simple. The account is in minute detail. A single verse summarizes Galatia which, we judge, was evangelized at this time. The historian hur- ries on to the evangelization of Europe. His pen moves slowly and no item of importance is unmen- PHILIPPI— THE JOYFUL CHURCH 159 tioned. Twice the Holy Spirit forbids further preaching in Asia. Paul follows Him as the Israel- ites in the wilderness followed the pillar of clond and fire. He is as sensitive to the Spirit's impressions as the compass is to the earth's magnetic axis. He is unerringly guided to the Dardanelles. On the far-famed fields of Troy, immortalized in Homer's Hiad and Virgil's Aeneid, Paul sees, in a vision, a man in white on the Macedonian shore beseeching him: ^'Come over into Macedonia and help us." It is Europe's cry for the gospel. Do you understand the import of that vision? Athens with gods innumerable, Philippi with crime licensed, Corinth with pleasure enthroned, all stand up in the figure of a man appealing for help. Do you catch the plaintiveness of that appeal! Diony- sius and Damaris, dissatisfied with the philosophy of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle ; Lydia longing for a glory more enduring than her purple ; the wretched girl the victim of a system she loathed, and from which she wished to be free; Jews looking for the consolation of Israel with God-fearing Greeks and women of high station in Thessalonica ; all these min- gle their needs in one piercing, heart-breaking cry which sounded across the Hellespont. Paul was always obedient to the heavenly vision. Straightway he sailed for Europe. Silas was with him from Antioch. Timothy joined them at Lystra, and Luke at Troy. This is the first appearance of Luke in the record. Illustrious Luke: (1) Paul's most scholarly convert. (2) Distinguished as phy- sician, poet, preacher. (3) Renowned as philologist, geographer, historian. (4) Noted as the only Gen- tile author of a Bible book. Beloved Luke: (1) Concealed by his modesty from the pages of his 160 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT gospel and acts, but trusted and praised among all the cliurclies. (2) Twenty years the personal phy- sician of the afflicted apostle and sharer of four of his imprisonments. (3) The one of all Paul's friends never to forsake him. (4) All in all, Paul's best and most useful friend. The four missionaries crossed from the Orient to the Occident to proclaim the good news. Xerxes' crossing the Hellespont to conquer Greece; Hanni- bal's scaling the Alps to conquer Italy; Caesar's crossing the Rubicon to defend the tribunes of the people against the senate, w^ere not so momentous events in human history as Paul's crossing the Hel- lespont with the gospel. Imagine the difference had the vision called him eastw^ard! India and China would walk in the gospel light which shines on Eng- land and America. England and America would sit in the shadow of the night which hangs like a pall over India and China. A little more than a mile west of Philippi flows the river Gangas. Thither Paul and his co-adjutors wended their way on Saturday morning. Judaism was too feeble to own a synagogue in Philippi. The men had lost faith and discontinued worship. The women, always the last to forsake a cause or a friend, maintained w^orship in a cheap prayer house out by the river. Paul sat down and preached to those women. In the group was Lydia, a business woman from Thyatira in Asia-Minor and a proselyte. The splendid jobbing market in Philippi accounts for her presence in the city. She and her servants had come to buy goods for her mercantile business in Thyatira. Grace operated on the heart of this com- petent and successful, sincere and reverent, woman and she was saved. PHILIPPI— THE JOYFUL CHURCH 161 What is salvation? It is that divine act by which God, through the merits of Christ's atoning death, saves from the guilt, penalty and power of sin, who- ever repents of his sin and believes on the Christ. The import of the plan is that God is in the right, and man is in the wrong; that man has transgressed against God without cause and is justly exposed to everlasting punishment; that the due honor of God's person and the moral order of His universe require the punishment of sin ; that mercy, originating purely in God, provided a way through the sacrifice of Christ for the sinner to receive pardon and peace consistently with the perfections of God's nature; and that any sinner, whatever he has done, may have that salvation upon the terms of turning from his sin and accepting the Saviour. What is a Christian? A Christian is one who has personally appropriated this salvation and is seek- ing to express in daily life all its principles and im- plications. Stated in another way: Whoever ac- cepts Jesus as his Saviour and submits to Him as his Lord and takes the New Testament as the law of his life, is a Christian. Who saved Lydia! Was it Paul? Luke does not say so. A preacher was met on the street by a man under the influence of liquor. ^'Say, preacher, don't you know me? I am one of your converts." ''You must be," rejoined the preacher, ''for I am satisfied the Lord never converted you." Paul and his preaching were the instruments through which God saved Lydia. The record removes all doubt. The preaching of Paul would have availed nothing had not the Lord opened Lydia 's heart. She was saved not so much by embracing a new faith as by experi- encing a new creation. Professor Stifler illustrates 162 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT the human and divine elements in conversion by pho- tography. The photographer arranges his plate and adjusts it to the object to be pictured. He can have no picture until he gains the sun's rays. When he takes a picture it is rightly called a photograph. The light made it, not the photographer. Paul can adjust the gospel and bring his hearer before the truth but there is no conversion until the Holy Spirit acts upon his heart. Every saved soul is a photograph made by the divine light shining upon the heart that looks into the word of truth. "But as many as received him, to them gave He the right to become children of God, to them that believe on His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God'' (John l:12f). ''That which is born of the flesh is flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit" (John 3:6). I planted, Apollos watered; but God made it grow" (I Cor. 3:6). ''As many as were ordained to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48). Salvation is primarily and preeminently God's work. This fact is made very clear in the first conversion in Europe. A sample was given of all conversions that were to follow. What is the first duty of a saved sinner? Lydia's next step answers that question. She was baptized and all her believing servants. (On the baptism of Lydia's household and the jailer see "The People Called Baptists," page 53.) Hospitality was a grace of Christianity. Matthew served a sumptuous ban- quet to his newly found Master and made it an oc- casion to introduce his old associates to Jesus. The new converts at Pentecost partook of food with gladness and singleness of heart and shared their provisions with bountiful hospitality. Peter violated PHILIPPI— THE JOYFUL CHURCH 163 long established and rigid religious and social cus- toms to accept the hospitality of Cornelius. The jailer brought the preachers into his home after his baptism and set meat before them. Lydia invited the missionaries to make her home their home and would take no excuse. Her constraint provided shelter and food for God's four messengers. It is to be feared that we are losing this charming grace of hospitality. Hotels, the servant problem, the high cost of food, all militate against apostolic and old time southern hospitality. Once, there was a ^'prophet's chamber'' in the well regulated Chris- tian home. Now, the plans for new houses seldom provide for such. Once, the Gaiuses were numerous in cities, towns, and country and they entertained and sent forward on their journey worthily the men of God. Now, the churches send the visiting preacher to the hotel; or leave him to find his o\\ai entertain- ment. In extenuation, it may truly be said that domestic conditions have changed. Grant all that: yet we shall be infinitely poorer in fellowship and grace when hospitality is dead. ^^Do not forget hospitality; for thereby some entertained angels unawares." Compare Gen. 18-19; Judges 13; Luke 24:28-30. The first event in Philippi was the conversion of a woman. The second was the rescue of a mai- den. A girl who was a sorceress, a fortune-teller, was owned by a syndicate of avaricious and unscru- pulous men who profited on her Spirit of divination. This girl followed after the missionaries as they went to worship and annoyed them. Paul was thor- oughly worn out by her. He pitied her and disre- garded her owners, who thought gain was more im- portant than a girl. Her soul was more valuable 164 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT in Paul's estimation than a big business. On the very spot where Perseus delivered Andromeda from the dragon, and where the knights of chivalry rode in the tournaments to crown their fair lady, Paul and Silas rescued a girl whom mythology and chiv- alry would have despised. In the name of Jesus Christ, by which Peter healed the 40-year-old cripple, Paul evicted the evil Spirit of the Pythian Apollo w^hich possessed her. Her masters, bereft of their illicit gain, were furious. Violent hands were laid on Paul and Silas and they were dragged into the market-place. False charges were trumped up under the guise of patriotism. A mob was incited to rage. The magistrates lost their dignity, forgot the duties of their office, violated their oath, broke their own law, snatched the clothes from the preachers and commanded the lictors to beat uncondemned Roman citizens and cast them into prison. Profit was preferred to purity, Barabbas to Christ, Mammon to God. Such was the moral standard in a city wherein were combined all the advantages of Greek culture and Roman law. That demoniacal girl and her owners represent the power of Satan. PauPs conflict with them at the inauguration of Christianity in Europe is typ- ical. Satan is jealous of God and always tries to destroy His work at the beginning. In the morning of the race Satan whispered distrust into the ears of our first parents and beguiled them into disobe- dience. He put murder into the heart of one of the two first worshipers. He went up with the sons of God to the first place of public worship and im- pugned the motives of the best man of those ancient times. He slew the babes of Bethlehem, attempting to kill Christianity in its cradle. He assailed Jesus PHILIPPI— THE JOYFUL CHURCH 165 in the mountain at the entrance of His public career. He cried out in the synagogue at Capernaum when Jesus began His ministry there. He sought to buy the Spirit of God with money when the gospel spread to Samaria. He withstood the missionaries when the gospel was planted in Cyprus. He resisted stub- bornly and fought fiercely the establishing of Chris- tianity in Europe. His agents were an unfortunate girl, a vested interest, the civil government, and a mad mob. His methods were slander, beating, im- prisonment, and bolshevism. How unreasoning is a mob! The wild waves of the tempest tossed sea are not more boisterous and uncontrollable. At such times Shakespeare's words apply: ^^0 judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason!" Paul was in frequent danger from the mob. Its venom first broke upon him at Antioch-in-Pisidia and was oft repeated until he was delivered the last time by Claudius Lysias in Jerusalem. Mob psychology is dangerous. Orderly processes and constitutional rights are swept away. Injustices are perpetrated. Justice is not vindicated. Crime is not deterred. The innocent are not protected. The whole moral tone of a community is affected injuriously. A generation will pass before the evil effects are overcome. No Christian can countenance mob law, which is no law. Paul has been beaten before. This time it is not with Jewish stripes but Roman rods. Perhaps young Timothy's soul was knit to Paul's as he looked down on his pale and bleeding face at Lystra and 166 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT folt a hero worship for the man who had courage so to suffer for his convictions. This is Paul's first ex- perience in prison. It will not be his last. Silas is his fellow-prisoner and sufferer. In a dark, un- ventilated, loathsome prison the two preachers, with bleeding backs and feet in the stocks, waited for the dawn. They passed the heavy hours in singing. A religion worthwhile sings in the dark. As the Bap- tist preachers, Waller, Craig, Childs, and others, were led through the streets of Fredericksburg, Vir- ginia, for the first imprisonment, June 1768, to the jail they sang: ^' Broad is the road that leads to death And thousands walk together there. But wisdom shows a better way With here and there a traveler.*' They were the successors of Paul and Silas. So was John Weatherford in Chesterfield jail. The jailer, a rather kind hearted man, allowed the pris- oner the privilege of the corridors. Persecutors complained to the judge. I have seen the original court record, with another entry a few pages after the commitment, ordering the sheriff to confine * ^ said Weatherford strictly to his cell. ' ' His Spirit was not bound. He preached to the rabble through the outer bars. They cut his hands with whips and knives. He sprinkled his blood on them in impres- sive and appealing gestures. A century passed. Dr. Hatcher was gathering funds for Eichmond College. He visited a country church. The pastor said: *'Dr. Hatcher, I want my people to do nobly but fear they will not. Our richest member is our stingiest member. Ten dol- PHILIPPI— THE JOYFUL CHURCH 167 lars is his maximum contribution to any object. Our members are kept from doing their full duty by waiting for him to lead/' It is a terrible responsi- bility to be the wealthiest member of a church. Dr. Hatcher rehearsed the struggle of Virginia Baptists for religious freedom. He told the story of John Weatherford and called for subscriptions as only he could. The rich man arose and began to speak, *'Dr. Hatcher, when I was a small boy my father took me to the funeral of Parson Weatherford at a country burying ground in Pittsylvania. As was the custom in those days and at that place the people passed by the open casket and viewed the remains. I was too small to look in the casket and my father lifted me up so I could see. Parson Weatherford 's hands were folded across his pulseless bosom. They were scarred with white marks. Those white marks were stamped indelibly upon my young mind. I have thought about them a thousand times and won- dered what caused them. You have explained it to- night. I will give five hundred dollars to endow the college of a denomination which produces men like Parson Weatherford." John Ireland had the spirit of Paul and Silas. When in the jail at Culpeper courthouse, where his death was attempted by the explosion of gunpowder, the burning of brimstone, and the use of poison, he began his letters, ^^From My Palace in Culpeper." Lovelace fathomed the secret of these men in ^'To Althea": ^* Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage ; Minds innocent and quiet take That for a hermitage." 168 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT At midnight, the prisoners were singing and pray- ing. The earth trembled. It trembled in Jerusalem when the company of believers prayed. Acts 4 : 31. It was an earthquake and more. The doors were opened, the chains unfettered. How is it to be ex- plained? A coincidence? No, it is explained as Victor Hugo explained Napoleon's defeat at Water- loo. God! The same God who locked the jaws of lions and Daniel felt no harm; who quenched the violence of flames and the three young Hebrews were unsinged ; who delivered Joseph from the envy of his brothers, the malice of Potiphar's wife, and the confinement of Pharaoh's prison; who struck the chains from Peter's hands and led him by the first and second watch and through the iron gate which opened of its own accord; that same God intervened in behalf of His servants and Christ won the first decisive battle with paganism. Mercy accompanied judgment. The jailer was on the verge of committing suicide. It was Eoman philosophy — the religion of suicide to end trouble and avoid disgrace. Yonder in Pangeus, to the south, ninety-five years before Cassius was slain at his own command by the hand of a comrade. Yon- der on the slopes to the north, two days later, Brutus died the same way. The jailer would do likewise. The sword point touched his breast when mercy in- tervened, spared his life and saved his soul. Suicide is the religion of despair. There are only two sui- cides in the Bible, King Saul in the Old and Judas Iscariot in the New. Human life is sacred. The Sixth commandment says, '^Thou shalt not kill." Suicide is worse than being murdered. One may be murdered. One has no right to take his own life. No Christian does when in his right mind. *^Do PHILIPPI— THE JOYFUL CHURCH 169 thyself no harm." You are a member of a family and of human society. When you harm yourself you wrong them. This is elemental ethics. *^To thine own self be true And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.'' The frightened jailer was sin-smitten, conscience- stricken. Hastily procuring lights and entering the prison, he led the preachers out and asked the most momentous question ever propounded to a preacher : ^ ^ What must I do to be saved T ' It is the only place in the Scriptures where that question is asked in so many words. It was asked by one deeply con- scious of his lost condition and earnestly desirous to be saved. If there is an explicit answer to this definite question surely it will .be given in unmis- takable terms. Paul and Silas did not say: (1) Be baptized. (2) Partake of the Lord's Supper. (3) Join the church. (4) Sell your property and give to the poor. (5) Keep the moral law. (6) Do pen- ance. (7) Confess to us as Peter's representatives. (8) Reform the prison. (9) Bind the wounds of the bleeding. (10) Do justly by the oppressed. They did say, ^'Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved." The jailer addressed the preachers as Lords, '^Sirs." They answered, there is but one ^ ' Lord ' ' and He is Jesus. Believe on Him, confide in Him, rely on Him, obey Him. Know Him as the man Jesus who shares your nature, as the Lord who rules the conscience. He saved devout men at Pentecost, upright men in Csesarea, Greeks in Antioch, a proselyte woman in your own city. He can save you, the representative of statesmanship, 170 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT officialdom, criminology. We are convicts but have Christ and we can instruct you, our custodian, who have Caesar. We speak to you and all your house the Word of the Lord. Believe understandingly and you are saved. The man was saved that very hour and all his house. Salvation is not a process ; it is an act. The mo- ment when the animal man becomes spiritual is the moment of regeneration. To those outstanding sin- ners like the jailer, this is a definite and indelible experience; to some under religious influences from childhood, like young Timothy, it may take place almost imperceptibly and unconsciously. It is not so important to know when as it is to know whether that spiritual change has taken place. Baptism was administered somewhere between the jail and the house. Joy and hospitality succeeded fear and mal- treatment. Day dawns. The magistrates have enough of these prisoners. They, too, heard the earthquake and are alarmed. They order them released and let go from the city. God^s providence, not the aegis of Roman citizenship, had preserved the prisoners and struck terror to their persecutors. But now, Paul asserts his rights, privileges, and immunities as a citizen. He will leave no pretext for the slander that he broke jail and was a fugitive. Neither will he neglect the civil rights to which he was entitled. He will stand on the guarantees of a free-born Roman citizen. He does so a second time on his last visit to Jerusalem (Acts 22 : 25-28). Twice his Master appealed to the law (John 10:34; 18:23). Paul will be protected by the Recorder's tactful speech in Ephesus in which the orderly processes of Roman law were insisted upon. He will finally appeal his case to Caesar. By PHILIPPI— THE JOYFUL CHURCH 171 invoking the Habeas Corpus Act, and this was its first use in history, he created an embarrassing pre- dicament for the magistrates. They assume the atti- tude of suppliants before their prisoners. But Paul has no vengeance. He will bring no charge of false imprisonment. He has suffered illegally but he is vindicated. The preacher will not be prosecutor. He has something more important to do. He visits the house of Lydia, exhorts the brethren there, and departs for other fields of endeavor. We have dwelt, somewhat in detail, on Luke's minute account of the establishment of the cause in Philippi. Combine with this Paul's letter to the Philippians and we have several striking features in that church. 1. "Prominence of women. Macedonian women generally held an exceptionally honored position. The inscriptions commonly record the mother's in- stead of the father's name. Too much importance is not to be attached to epitaphs ; but it is true that Macedonian husbands excelled in the terms of en- dearment carved as epitaphs to their deceased wives. Add to this the dignity which Christ conferred upon women and you have the New Testament church in which women ranked highest. This church began in a woman's prayer meeting. Its first member was a business woman. She car- ried the gospel to her home in Thyatira and started one of the seven churches of Asia. Sisters Euodia and Syntyche were influential members. They de- veloped considerable feeling over something and were exhorted to forget their differences and become reconciled in Christ. Jesus was woman's best friend. This is admitted. Paul's attitude towards women is friendly, though 172 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT I suppose he is more misunderstood in this respect than in any other. He credited Eunice and Lois with the superb training of his co-laborer Timothy. He entrusted Phoebe with a difficult mission to Rome. He admired and praised Priscilla, and never men- tioned her husband without her. He chose as his host in Caesarea a father whose four daughters prophe- sied. Bemice, the queen, attended his trial before Agrippa. He prefigured the gospePs work among and for women in the conversion of Lydia and in the dispossession of the girl. Wherever the Chris- tianity he propagated has prevailed woman has been elevated. Compare woman's state in Europe and America with her state in the lands of Islam, Bud- dha, Confucius. He recognized woman as man's equal in Christ. These words are written August 19, 1920, the day after the Legislature of Tennessee ratified the Nine- teenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and added the thirty-sixth state and com- pleted the necessary three-fourths for national woman's suffrage. (Connecticut afterwards rati- fied.) There never was any real argument against the justice of suffrage. Nor could it be truthfully said that women are not as intelligent as men. It was a long struggle. Sixty-six years ago Susan B. Anthony began her agitation for sex equality before the law. Forty-two years ago the amendment, now adopted just as she wrote it, was offered to a Con- gress that would not even consider it. The amend- ment forces suffrage upon the States which did not ratify. It says, * ' The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States, or by any state on account of sex." On the basis of the 1910 census the women of voting PHILIPPI— THE JOYFUL CHURCH 173 age preponderated in Massachusetts, Ehode Island, and the two Carolinas and numbered only 2,794,124 fewer than the men in the forty-eight states. A great victory has been won and opponents should acqui- esce gracefully. The long drawn out battle tested the mettle of the women and helped to prepare them for the intelli- gent exercise of the franchise. The best of them, suffragettes and antis, must qualify and vote lest the less intelligent or less moral make politics worse than before women had the ballot. The right to vote im- poses a duty to vote intelligently. The women must never forget that but for Christianity they had not received this recognition of their rights. Suffrage will not bring the political millennium. Women must be counseled by Paul's admonition to quietness, modesty, and abstinence from party-spirit and per- sonal spite. Women are prone to take differences of opinion on public issues as personal issues. They must learn that those who disagree with them are not their enemies. Sometimes Paul agreed with them and sometimes he did not. Why should he be maligned for his independent and well matured con- victions? Woman's suffrage brings a new, refining element into government. It must not be abused so as to weaken the foundation of the home, which is built mostly on woman's love and care, or to lessen woman's activities in the churches of Christ which have been their best benefactors. Woman's useful- ness in the homes and churches is unrivaled; her service there is indispensable. Much remains to be done for woman. The sisters of the Philippian girl walk the streets of modern cities as she did of old. Notwithstanding wholesome and stringent laws, they are exploited and mal- 174 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT treated. This problem is the open sore of city life. The churches dare not leave it unhealed. The balm is more in their possession than in the government's. They should stimulate the preventive measures of parental care and Christian social life to keep the girls from the wrong way. They should go after those who are floating on the swollen, sullen stream which sweeps through the city streets and rescue them. Well may we pause to read the startling handwriting on the Avail by Tennyson : * ^ Is it well that while w^e range with science glorying the time, City children soak and blacken soul and sense in city slime ? There, among the gloomy alleys, progress halts on palsied feet, Crime and hunger cast our maidens by the thou- sands on the street ; There the master scrimps his haggard seamstress of her daily bread. There a single, sordid attic holds the living and the dead.'' 2. Abounding joy. A note of joy rings through the letter to this church. Paul thanks God every time he thinks of them. They were the dearest of his churches. To what extent the women were re- sponsible for this happy condition is an interesting question. Probably their influence kept the foun- tains of joy flowing freely. Christianity should pro- duce happiness. It brings peace with God, good-will towards your fellow men, victory over adversity. It sets the heart right, and happiness is a state of the heart. Robert Burns knew and he said : PHILIPPI— THE JOYFUL CHURCH 175 **It's no' in titles nor in rank, It's no' in wealth like Lon'on bank, To purchase peace and rest. If happiness have not her seat And center in the breast, "We may be wise, or rich, or great, But never can be blest." Outward circumstances, in themselves, can neither give nor destroy happiness. The beatitudes teach that happiness in life depends on character rather than on circumstances. The bishops, deacons and saints of the church at Philippi were in a hostile and depressing atmosphere. Yet, they were joyful. ^'In much trial and affliction was the abundance of their joy." They learned the habit of happiness from Paul and Silas — ^men who could sing with bleeding backs and fastened feet in the dampness and darkness of the dungeon. If it be true that all things work together for good to them that love God ; that our light affliction, which is but for a mo- ment, is working out for us more and more exceed- ingly an eternal weight of glory; that our chastise- ment is evidence of our sonship and yields the peace- able fruit of righteousness ; that if we suffer we shall also reign with Him ; that tribulation works patience ; should we not rejoice in afflictions also? *^ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." The happy church is the attractive church. We discredit our holy religion by moroseness, despond- ency. Have we not colored and corrupted it with melancholy? Gloom is out of place on a believer's brow. There is infinitely more religion in a smile than in a frown. 3. Victorious over opposition. The missionaries ran counter to a wicked traffic. They did not side- 176 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT step. They faced the foe and defeated him. This was a token of the victories which the churches of Christ should win over licensed, organized and capi- talized vice. They have driven the lottery and open saloon out of the United States. They have out- lawed white slavery. They will march steadily on- ward until we have a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. The second foe encountered was the civil govern- ment. The church at Jerusalem won against reli- gious and Jewish state persecution. Now the Roman power is encountered for the first time. It was a mighty power. Its dominions were bounded on the west by the Atlantic ocean; on the north by the English Channel, the Rhine, the Danube, the Black Sea, and the mountains of Caucasus ; on the east by the Armenian mountains, the Tigris and the Ara- bian desert; and on the south by the African desert. Its Caesar was worshiped as God. The conflict and outcome in Philippi were indicative of the fortunes of Christianity in the Roman empire and in'the west- em world. Paul was no revolutionist. He tampered not with the system of government. He preached Christ; that was all. He put a new spirit in men. That spirit mastered the jailer, frightened the mag- istrate, permeated the people, and leavened the em- pire. His work was distinguished from other re- formers and conquerors in that he was not seeking anything for himself, whether position or power, fame or fortune; but he was seeking to give to others, to share with others, to make Christ known to others. He finally lost his life, but he won his cause. The world never so much needed the unselfish serenity of Paul as to-day. The times are out of joint. Unrest and discontent are everywhere. Bol- PHILIPPI— THE JOYFUL CHURCH 177 shevism, the tyrannical rule of 600,000 over 160,000,- 000 has wrecked Russia and threatens other coun- tries. The first outbreak of Bolshevism was in Phil- ippi. It superseded, for a day, constitutional citizen- ship. Paul supplanted it by calmness when the tu- mult was raging, by a dignified assertion of the rights of citizenship, by a counter-offense of instruc- tion. The instrument of Bolshevism, the jailer, was won to the truth and Bolshevism collapsed. Faith is the antidote for Bolshevism — intelligent faith in government, sympathetic faith in man, trusting faith in God. 4. Pecuniary liberality. Philippi is a shining example of a giving church. In four respects it is an example: (1) Liberality of the poor. ''Their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their lib- erality.'' Poor people are proportionately more liberal than rich people. A large giver in the Bap- tist 75 Million Compaign said: "I give ten thousand and never eat a biscuit less for breakfast. Our poor members give hundreds and scrimp to pay it. Rich people can hardly make a financial sacrifice. The poor make the sacrifices.'' The poor European brethren gave beyond their ability. (2) Unsolicited contributions. They gave of their "own accord." They saw the opportunity and seized it. They an- ticipated the collection. I know a few such. One is a deacon. You never have to appeal to him. He sends his contribution in advance and always for a larger amount than the pastor would have sug- gested. May his tribe increase! (3) Insistent lib- erality. "Beseeching of us the grace and partici- pation in the ministering of the saints." They wanted to be identified with the good work. They besought Paul to permit them to share in his labors ; 178 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT they thus became sharers in his rewards. That is precisely the point John made with the generous Gains who entertained, encouraged, and helped on their way the traveling preachers. '^We, therefore, ought to sustain such persons, that we may become fellow-workers for the truth.'' (4) Continuous giving. They kept up their contributions. Gifts were sent to support Paul in other towns and even in distant Eome. Money for charity in Jerusalem and money for missions in Europe kept coming from this church. They took the initiative. *'In the beginning of the gospel, when I went forth from Macedonia, no church communicated with me in the way of giving and receiving, but ye only'' (Phil. 4: 15). They practiced the precedent they set. *'In Thessalonica ye sent once and again to my need" (Phil. 4:16). The Philippian spirit is to be coveted and culti- vated by modern churches. We surpass them in wealth, but do not equal them in achievement. We allow our pastors to live on inadequate salaries while we revel in luxuries. We live in ceiled houses and the house of God lies waste. We live six days for self and one day for God. We make pretensions to piety, but show too little zeal. 5. Personal attachments. The Philippians gave themselves to the Lord and to the missionaries. Love and loyalty bound them to the preachers. Cooperation set forward the cause in a great way. Bishops and deacons dwelt in brotherly bonds. The apostle got into trouble. Distance could not weaken the ties that bound them to him. Adversity could not dampen their ardent attachment to him. They sent Epaphroditus all the way to Rome with succor. The things sent were as perfume in a foul atmos- PHILIPPI— THE JOYFUL CHURCH 179 phere, an acceptable gift and well pleasing to God. Epaphroditus hazarded his life for Paul. His ill- ness in the miasmal climate of Rome pained Paul and pained the church. Nowhere do we find more deft and beautiful touches of the close and intimate relations between brethren than in Philippi. They could sing with the spirit and the understanding : '* Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love, The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above. We share our mutual woes Our mutual burdens bear ; And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear.'^ I know a church like Philippi in the tender ties that bind. A former pastor, a veritable Apollos of the pulpit, was broken in health and impoverished in purse in old age. That church refreshed his spirit with affection, provided comforts with gen- erous hand, dissipated the clouds in his evening sky and his sun set in the resplendent glory of the anticipated better life. He preferred the hotel, and there he lived his last years. The best they could provide was his. The end came not unexpectedly. His pastor hurried to the hotel. Four laymen had preceded him. They sat on the bed in the adjoining room; tears flowed from their eyes; emotion choked their throats. They were arranging the funeral. He should have the lot in which he wished to await the resurrection. Every detail of the funeral should be arranged and every expense borne by those to 180 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT whom he had ministered in the days of his vigor and health. They laid his body to rest in beautiful Holly^vood. A stately monument marks his well- kept grave, while the murmur of the lordly James is his requiem. CHAPTER VIII THESSALONICA — THE EXPECTANT CHUKCH Salonika, the base of the allies' operations in Macedonia, and where Venezelos gathered his fol- lowers who opposed King Constantine's attitude on Greece's alleged neutrality, is the ancient Thes- salonica. It is one of the few of Paul's cities to retain its importance. During the world war it came into a new prominence. Situated at the head of the Aegean Sea on a sloping hill and guarded by mountains on both sides, and being the terminus of the railroad through the Balkans, the allies rightly estimated its superiority to any other base if they were to send a force into Macedonia. Be- yond the mountains to the north stretch the fertile plains of the Danube. The famous Ignation road from Rome to Constantinople passes through the city, and it is about midway between the Adriatic and the Hellespont. The original name of the place was Therma, de- rived from warm mineral springs in the vicinity. Alexander the Great died at Babylon, 323 B.C., from an overdose of ardent spirits. Believing he was a demigod, he accepted the challenge to drink to its brim the huge cup, Hercules, and paid the price with his life. Though only thirty- two years of age, he had established a world empire, larger than that of CaBsar, Charlemag*ne, Napoleon, the Czar, or the Kaiser. That empire was divided among his three generals. One of these, Cassandra, married Alexander's sister, Thessalonica, and renamed the 181 182 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT town of Therma, calling it Thessalonica in honor of his wife. It then became a city of size and prestige. Eome conquered Macedonia 116 B.C. and divided the country into four districts with Thessalonica the capital of one. Later the four districts were combined into one province mth Thessalonica as the capital. In 42 B.C. Augustus made it a free city, governed by men of its own selection. They were designated politarchs, city magistrates, a word which occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, nor probably in literature. The burgesses who gov- erned the Dutch towns were somewhat like these politarchs. The gospel was carried to Thessalonica on PauPs second missionary journey. Leaving Luke in Philippi, and accompanied by Silas, he passed through the smaller towns of Amphipolis and Apol- lonia and journeyed one hundred miles west to Thessalonica. The smaller places could be evan- gelized from the two larger cities to the east and west. It was the practice of Paul to plant churches in large cities, the centers of population and in- fluence, and to radiate from them through the sur- rounding country. As was his custom, he went to the synagogue. The infallible rule was * ' to the Jews first.'' Jesus was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and, though Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, he gave the Jews the first chance. There was an additional reason for going to the syna- gogue. It was surrounded by proselytes in various stages of passing from paganism to Judaism. They were sick of heathenism and were seeking the heal- ing balm. In their minds and hearts the gospel seed found fruitful soil. The Episcopal bishop to Brazil expressed the opinion that the missionaries would THESSALONICA— THE EXPECTANT CHURCH 183 do well not to devote much time to superstitious Bomanists, who may be compared to the Jews, but seek to win the unbelievers and skeptics who were dissatisfied with the old religion and seeking for the truth. For three weeks, at least, Paul preached in the synagogue. Some Jews, a number of God-fearing Greeks, and not a few noble women were converted. Aristarchus and Secundus are two whose names are preserved in Acts 20 : 4, and who attend him on his subsequent voyage to Jerusalem. Demas was probably another. His name occurs in the last ref- erence found in the second letter to Timothy, and it is an unhappy one. Having loved the present world and wishing to make a fortune, he deserted the apostle in time of need and returned to Thes- salonica, whose trade held more attractions for him than the company of a penniless prisoner in Rome. Those ^'gentlewomen" were an ornament to the gospel. Wherever Christianity went it found ready adherents among women. At Berea prominent ladies believed the gospel. Ajnong the two con- verts mentioned in cultured Athens was Damaris, a gentlewoman. How much Baptists owe to the love and loyalty of the women! When it was against the law in Virginia for Baptists to preach except in a licensed place, and only one license was issued for a county and that under much red tape, and they were required to pay taxes to support an established church; when they were a people despised and persecuted, a gentlewoman, Mrs. Herndon of Fredericksburg, Virginia, recognized the Baptists as the New Testament people. Her husband bitterly opposed her baptism, and she agreed to be immersed in a large tub provided in 184 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT the home. Wliile the ordinance was being admin- istered he paced the floor upstairs in a furious rage with their baby in his arms. Shortly afterwards he visited the Baptist ministers to confound them, affirming that they were ignorant and uncultured men. From the New Testament they reasoned with him concerning the Kingdom of God and convinced him. When he returned to his home he exclaimed, ^^Wife, theyVe got me, they've got me!'' The con- version of that one woman was the first of those large and honorable families which are to-day a source of pride to the Baptists — the Hemdons, Fifes and Willises. In Eichmond, there lived a highly respectable gentleman and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Archibald Thomas, both members of the ^^Established Church." She became convinced that the Baptists were the people of the New Testament and, despite her husband's opposition, united with them. He declared he would not see her baptized — that it was an indecent act. She lovingly, but firmly, adhered to her convictions. On the day for the baptism, the carriage drove to the front gate for the gentlelady. She left the house alone, and as she entered the carriage was surprised to find her husband. *^Why, I did not think you were going," she remarked. *^Well, I thought if you were determined to be im- mersed, I would go along and see that it was done with some decorum." She was baptized by Dr. John Kerr in the James Eiver, while her husband looked on with cynicism. The Spirit of God touched his heart, and the ordinance of baptism preached its message. Just as Dr. Kerr lifted his hand to pronounce the benediction, Mr. Thomas interrupted him, '^Dr. Kerr, is it permissible to make a profes- THESSALONICA— THE EXPECTANT CHURCH 185 sion of faith and be baptized forthwith T' ''Mr. Thomas, it is not only permissible, but eminently- scriptural. ' ' So the irate husband, whose heart was softened, was buried with Christ in baptism and returned to his home in his wet clothes. Thus again the Baptist faith began with a gentlewoman, to whom are related the Thomases, Williams, Worthams and Pattersons, who are among the best families that have ever represented the Baptist denomination. The success of Paul and his companions aroused the jealousy of the unbelieving Jews. They incited the rascals and idle fellows to mob violence. There were many ''lewd men of the baser sort'* loafing in the streets of the city. They readily joined in the cry against the missionaries and filled the whole city with an uproar. The house of Jason, a Jew of property and hospitality, who had been con- verted, was attacked. Failing to find the mission- aries, the rascals dragged Jason and other Chris- tians before the magistrates. Ah, the malice of the Jews! It was blacker than that of the heathen in Philippi. So it was from the beginning. Pilate the pagan was willing to release Jesus, but the cruel Jews were unrelenting. Charges like those brought against Jesus were lodged against the Christians, They were twofold: (1) Sedition — "They have raised a tumult through the empire.'' (2) Treason — "They have set Caesar's authority at defiance, declaring there is another emperor, one called Jesus." Eoman jurisprudence was often the aegis of Christianity, and under its protection there was some security. Jason was put under bond, and Paul and Silas were sent forty-five miles to Berea. Thence, Paul went to Athens and thence to Corinth, 186 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT from which, place he wrote two letters to the Thes- salonians. Paul was the author of thirteen letters, not count- ing Hebrews, whose authorship is doubtful. They may be classified in four groups: T ( I Tlicssalonians ) at Corinth. ) ^ ^ . •^•-InTbessalonians f 51 A.D. [Second journey. Iljll Corinthians — ^at Ephesus (.^7 a n 1 Corinthians — in Macedonia f ' ' i ut^r \-' Cori„th-58 A.D. j Jo-^ey j_ Third m. Colossians Philemon Ephesians Philippians at Rome— 62 A.D. or 63 A.D. r I Timothy /Pastoral letters— 63 A.D. or 66 IV. -I Titus \ A.D. Place unknown. [ II Timothy Seems to be last writing of Paul. All of these letters, except Romans, are to Jews and to churches he had founded, or to men converted under his ministry. It is interesting to note how w^e came to have these New Testament letters. He was unable to visit the churches as often as he de- sired, and instead of a visit sent a letter. Twice in a short time he was frustrated in the desire to visit the Thessalonians, and resorted to the pen to convey his affection and instructions. He visited Macedonia a second time on his way from Ephesus to Greece on the third missionary journey, but that was several years after these letters were written. A comparison of Acts 17 : 1-9 and I and II Thes- salonians furnishes the data for the character of this church. 1. The church born in a revival. PauPs most THESSALONICA— THE EXPECTANT CHURCH 187 successful preaching was done in Thessalonica. The word of the Lord ran and was glorified. The Thes- salonians received the word of the Lord, not as the word of men, but as it was in truth the word of God. From them the word of the Lord sounded out, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Paul spoke of their receptivity to the truth and how they turned from idols to serve the living and true God. Modern revivals are often under the disadvantage of short time. When the meeting gets well under way, the visiting minister must return to his local work and the largest results are not reaped. 2. The financial aspect was not to the fore in the Thessalonian revival. ^*For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail; for laboring night and day, for we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.'' The modern evangelist attaches too much importance to the com- pensation which he will receive and thus seriously cripples his influence before the church and the world. Paul could sincerely say he never wore a ** cloak of covetousness'' and called them and God to witness. A little later the Philippians sent a con- tribution and this supplemented his personal earn- ings. We can see the wisdom of Paul's course. A collection taken for his own support would have laid him open to the charge that he was greedy for filthy lucre and would have effectually closed the minds of the people to the gospel. The same principle holds in our foreign mission work and makes it necessary to practice economy and endure hardships and also for the churches at home, like the church at Philippi, to contribute to their support until Christianity has become so understood that the 188 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT people will not misjudge a collection. Self-support should follow; and it did at Tliessalonica, and even more. Those Christians materially aided mission- ary efforts and philanthropic enterprises elsewhere. A true analogy may be drawn between Paul's churches and the churches on foreign mission fields. 3. A church which secured the oversight of pas- tors. This we conclude from I Thessalonians 5:12, 13, ^^But we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you; and to esteem them ex- ceeding highly in love for their own works' sake." The words pastor, bishop and elder are used inter- changeably in the New Testament to designate the same officer. The elders at Ephesus were called bishops and were charged to feed the flock as pas- tors or shepherds. Evidently the New Testament churches enjoyed a plurality of pastors. The bad rule in country churches in the South is for the pastor to have a plurality of churches, the reverse of the New Testament practice. Pastors, by ap- pointment of the Holy Spirit and election of the congregation, are the God-appointed and humanly recognized leaders of the churches. The deacons are servants. Pastors are men who ^*labor" and are over the people in the Lord and admonish them. The members must esteem the pastors ^^exceedingly highly." A pastor may not be admirable in all his traits, but these Christians overlooked such defects in the light of ^' their works' sake." The president of Baylor University sent an appeal to the students of that institution for contributions toward a needed fund. He said: "I ask this, not for my sake, but THESSALONICA— THE EXPECTANT CHURCH 189 for Baylor and for Christ.'' When members get the right conception of the pastoral office they will render loyal support whether they like him or not. It should be done for his ^^ work's sake." 4. The trinity of graces was in this church. ** Re- membering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope." ^'Put on the breast-plate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation." Faith worked. It stood the test of James: ^'Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will prove to thee my faith by my works." Love burned brightly. '^Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it to all the brethren that are in all Mace- donia." This is a beautiful thought, that the love of one Christian for another is the result of going to school to God. If we do not love we have not been apt students in that divine school. One of John's remarks about a Christian was: ^'We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." Hope was present through all trials. ^'For your patience and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions which you endure." In the dark days of persecution their hope was so vivid that they thought the Lord's return was at hand. 5. The fellowship of the Thessalonian church was marred and its usefulness impaired by certain spiritual idlers. They are described as men who *^ worked not at all, but are busybodies." The two go together. One who has no employment finds ample opportunity and abundance of time to run the business of other people. Gossiping is the trade of those who have no trade. 190 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT ^'Have you ever heard of Gossip Town, On the shores of Falsehood Bay, Where old Dame Rumor, with rustling gown, Is going the livelong day? It isn't far to Gossip Town, For people who want to go; The Idleness Train will take you down In just an hour or so. The Thoughtless Eoad is a popular route, And most folks start that way. But it's steep down grade; if you don't watch out. You land in Falsehood Bay. You glide through the valley of Vicious Town,' And into the tunnel of Hate, Then crossing the Add-to bridge you walk Right into the City gate. The principal street is called *They Say,' and 'I've Heard' is the public well. And the breezes that blow from Falsehood Bay Are laden with * Don't you Tell.' In the midst of the town is 'Tell Tale Park'; You're never quite safe while there, For its owner is Madame 'Suspicious Remark,' Who lives on the street 'Don't Care.' Just back of the park is Slander's Row, 'Twas there that Good Name died, Pierced by a dart from Jealousy's bow. In the hands of Envious Pride. From Gossip Town peace long since fled. But envy and strife and woe, And sorrow and care you'll find instead, If ever you chance to go." THESSALONICA— THE EXPECTANT CHURCH 191 ^^We command and exhort in Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread.'' This is the gospel of honest toil. Idleness was a cause for non-fellowship. ^'If any obey not our word by this epistle, note that man that ye have no company with him to the end that he may be ashamed. ' ' Church charity is not for lazy members. *^If he will not work, neither let him eat." The rule of Christianity is for the relatives of a de- pendent member to support him, and the charity of the church is to be dispensed only to the indus- trious dependents who have no relatives able to pro- vide for their necessities. Jesus Christ dignified labor. He was the son of a carpenter and earned His own living and helped to support His mother and younger brothers and sisters by manual labor. The village of Nazareth knew Him as ^^the car- penter'' and ^^the carpenter's Son." *' Strong, with the strength of earth beneath their tread. Slow as the marching stars they gaze upon — Squadrons of living Men and living Dead — The legions of Democracy press on. As one they come. *And who in yonder van Hlumines all the path that men may see? *I think he is a fellow working-man — A Carpenter, they say, from Galilee.' " Paul, His most illustrious follower, was like unto his Lord. A French king worked in a carpenter's shop, and his queen taught her maids in a dairy. The secular papers report expressions from the son of a New York millionaire whose father discon- tinued his allowance because of the son's marriage. 192 THE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT The young man, who was well educated, gave this interview: ^'I have always wanted to earn my own living. I am glad that the time has arrived when I am obliged to do so. It makes one utilize what brains he possesses. The one great drawback to wealth, I believe, is that it is apt to make one neglect his own ability.'' The world war, as one of its beneficent by-products, forced America for the time being to discontinue her waste, taught the children of the rich to work and threw many upon their own resources who had been leaning upon others. 6. The Thessalonians believed vividly in the sec- ond coming. The Bible may be divided into three periods : Christ will come ; Christ has come ; Christ will come again. For four thousand years they looked for His coming. That hope was the bright- est star in the firmament of Messianic prophecy and the tallest peak in the ranges of Old Testament inspiration. In the fullness of time He came. For three and one-half years the message was: ^^He has come." John the Baptist sounded it from the banks of the Jordan: ^^ Behold the Lamb of God," and Jesus Himself declared, ^'I am He." Since the ascension, the eye of Christendom has been looking for the return of that same Jesus **Who was taken up from you into heaven." The letters to the Thessalonians contain more data upon the second coming of Christ than any other one source in the New Testament. There are nine distinct references: I Thess. 1:10: *^And to wait for his son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come." I Thess. 2: 19: *'For what is our hope, or joy, or THESSALONICA— THE EXPECTANT CHURCH 193 crown of rejoicings? Are not even ye in the pres- ence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming f" I Thess. 3 : 13 : '^To the end he may establish your hearts, unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus, with all his saints. '* I Thess. 4:14ff: ^'For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so also those which sleep w^th Jesus will God bring with him," etc. I Thess. 5:2: '^For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." I Thess. 5:23: ^^Your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ." II Thess. 1:7: *^And unto you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed in heaven with his mighty angels." II Thess. 2:1: *^Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together with him." II Thess. 2:8: ^^Then shall that wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." Coordinating these passages and arranging them, we have the following thoughts : 1. Paul taught the second coming so emphatically and vividly that they erroneously judged He would come in their day. Their religion was summed up in these two things: ^'We have a living God in truth and wait for His Son from the heavens." In the light of Christ's second coming they learned to look for that ^'Kingdom and glory of God, to which they were called and for which they were suffer- 194 TUE CHURCHES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT ing.^' It was a subject of intense desire and fervent expectation to the apostle himself, and he impressed his feelings upon the disciples to an uncommon degree. 2. Converts are the preacher's jewels at the sec- ond coming. When the First Baptist Church at Waco, Texas, celebrated the twenty-fifth anniver- sary of Dr. B. H. Carroll's pastorate, Dr. J. M. Frost, of Nashville, Tennessee, preached the ser- mon. It was a memorable occasion. That min- istry had been even more conspicuous for its wide- reaching influence and constructive leadership than for its length of time. The preacher selected as his text: *'What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?" The vast con- gregation was moved to tears and lifted toward heaven as the preacher described how, at the second coming of Christ, all the converts under that pas- torate of twenty-five years would be pointed to with pride by their father in the gospel and be held up to the Lord as His possession. <