PART IV:

The Apostolic Church and the

Church of To-Day

LESSON XL

THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD

The apostolic Church, as was observed in the Student's Text Book,

found itself from the beginning in the midst of an environment more

or less actively hostile. If we had been in Jerusalem at about the

year 30, we should have observed a small group of disciples of

Jesus, outwardly conforming to Jewish customs, but inwardly quite

different from their countrymen. In Corinth and in other pagan

cities of the Greco-Roman world, the contrast between the Church and

its environment was even more striking; these cities were sunk in

superstition and vice; the Church was leading, in the eyes of the

world, a very peculiar life.

The presence of a common enemy led in the apostolic age to a closer

union among the Christians themselves, and so it will always be.

When Christian people realize the power of the enemy against whom

they are all fighting, then they will have no time to fight among

themselves. The Christian life is a warfare against sin--sin in

a thousand deadly forms. In such a warfare, if we are to be good

soldiers, we must all stand shoulder to shoulder.

The apostolic Church was waging an audacious warfare against the

intrenched forces of heathenism and sin. Fortunately it had a

Leader; and by that Leader alone it won the victory. The Leader was

Christ. The primary relation of the soldier is the relation to the

commander; the relation of the individual soldiers to one another

is dependent upon that. So we shall study to-day the lordship

of Christ; by that study, the work of the whole quarter will be

introduced.

1. TERMS DESCRIPTIVE OF DISCIPLESHIP

The lordship of Christ may profitably be studied by an examination

of some of the various names which in the New Testament are applied

to the Church and its individual members. The individual titles

should be studied first. After all, the Church exists for the

individual believer rather than the individual believer for the

Church. The primary relation is the relation between Christ and

the individual soul. Brotherhood comes only through the union of

individuals with a common Lord.

(=1=) "=Christians.="--Probably the first title that occurs to us

to-day to designate the individual members of the Church is the

title "Christian"; yet as a matter of fact that title appears only

three times in the New Testament, and then only as it was taken from

the lips of unbelievers. In accordance with the explicit testimony

of Acts 11:26, the name was given for the first time at Antioch;

it had no place, therefore, in the early Jerusalem church. A

moment's thought will reveal the reason. The name "Christians" would

have meant to a Jew adherents of the "Christ," or the "Messiah."

Obviously no Jew would have applied such a name specifically to the

disciples of Jesus; for all the Jews, in one sense or another, were

adherents of the Messiah. The Jews were adherents of him by way of

anticipation; the disciples thought he had already appeared; but all

earnest Jews alike would have rejoiced to be called by his name.

Evidently the name was applied in Antioch by the pagan population.

The Church had become so clearly separate from Judaism that a

separate name for it was required. The name "Christian" suggested

itself very naturally. "Jesus Christ" was forever on the lips of

these strange enthusiasts! "The Christ" was indeed also spoken of

by the Jews, but only careful observers would necessarily be aware

of the fact. The Messianic hope was an internal concern of the

synagogues, with which outsiders would usually have little to do.

The new sect, on the other hand, brought the title "Christ" out from

its seclusion; "Christ" to these enthusiasts was something more than

a title, it was becoming almost a proper name; like "Jesus," it

was a designation of the Founder of the sect, and accordingly the

adjective derived from it could be used to designate the sect itself.

In Acts 26:28, the name appears as used by Agrippa; in I Peter

4:16, also, it is evidently taken from the lips of the opponents

of the faith. The Christians, however, Peter implies, need not be

ashamed of the name which has been fastened upon them. Rather let

them strive to be worthy of it! It is the highest honor to be called

by the name of Christ; and if they are true "Christians," their

confession will redound to the glory of God.

In modern times, the name is often misapplied; the use of it is

broadened and weakened. Nations are declared to be Christian

although only a very small percentage of their citizens really

deserve the name; teaching is called Christian though it is

only similar in some respects to the teaching of Christ. Such a

use of terms should be avoided wherever possible; the original

poignancy of the designation should be restored. Properly speaking,

"Christian" means not "like Christ" but "subject to Christ." A

Christian is not one who admires Christ or is impressed with

Christ's teaching or tries to imitate Christ, but one to whom Christ

is Saviour and Lord.

Are we willing to be known as "Christians" in that sense? At the

time of First Peter, it would have been a serious question; an

affirmative answer would have meant persecution and perhaps death.

But it is also a serious question to-day. Confession of Christ

involves solemn responsibilities; dishonor to the "Christian" means

dishonor to Christ; the unworthy servant is a dishonor to his

Master. But let us not fear; Christ is Helper as well as Lord.

(=2=) "=Disciples.="--The earliest designation of the followers of

Jesus was "disciples" or "learners"; during the earthly ministry

perhaps scarcely any other designation was commonly used. Jesus

appeared at first as a teacher; the form of his work was somewhat

like that of other teachers of the Jews. Nevertheless, although he

was a teacher from the beginning, he was also from the beginning

something more. He had not only authority, but also power; he was

not only Teacher, but also Saviour. His followers were not merely

instructed, but were received into fellowship; and that fellowship

made of them new men. "Disciples" in the Gospels is more than

"learners" or "students"; it is a fine, warm, rich word; the Teacher

was also Friend and Lord.

The same term was continued in the early Palestinian Church, and the

resurrection had brought an incalculable enrichment of its meaning.

The "disciples" were not merely those who remembered the words of

Jesus, but those who had been redeemed by his blood and were living

now in the power of his Holy Spirit. If we use the term, let it be

in the same lofty sense. Let us be learners, indeed; let us hear the

words of Jesus, as they are recorded in the Gospels; but let us hear

them not from a dead teacher, but ever anew from the living Lord.

(=3=) "=Saints.="--A third designation is "saints." This term is

used as a title of the Christians in Acts 9:13,32,41; 26:10, and

frequently in the epistles of Paul and in the Apocalypse. Its use

in the New Testament is very different from some uses of it that

appeared at a later time. The Roman Catholics, for example, employ

the term as a title of honor for a number of persons carefully

limited by the Church; Protestants often designate by it persons

of exceptional purity or goodness. In the New Testament, on the

contrary, the title "saints" is clearly applied to all Christians.

In the original Greek the word is exactly the same as a word meaning

"holy"; it is simply the adjective "holy" used as a noun. "Saints,"

therefore, really means "holy persons." Unfortunately, however, the

word "holy," as well as the word "saint" has undergone modifications

of usage. "Holy," in the Bible, is not simply another word for

"good" or "righteous," but expresses a somewhat different idea. It

has the idea of "sacred" or "separate"--separate from the world. God

is holy not merely because he is good, but because he is separate.

Undoubtedly his goodness is one attribute--perhaps the chief

attribute--that constitutes the separateness; but other attributes

also have their place. His omnipotence and his infinitude, as well

as his goodness, make him "holy."

The word "holy" or "saint" as applied to Christians has

fundamentally the same meaning. Believers are "holy" because they

are in communion with the holy God and therefore separate from the

world. Undoubtedly the most obvious element in their separateness

is their goodness; the moral implications of the term "holy" are

sometimes so prominent that the specific meaning of the word seems

obscured. But that specific meaning is probably never altogether

lost. Christians are called "saints" because they are citizens, not

of the present evil world, but of a heavenly kingdom.

The familiar word, thus interpreted, has a startling lesson for the

modern Church. Can modern Christians be called "saints," in the

New Testament sense? Are we really separate from the world? Are we

really "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,

a peculiar people" (A. V.)? Do we really feel ourselves to be

strangers and pilgrims in the earth? Or are we rather salt that has

lost its savor? Have we become merged in the life of the world?

(=4=) "=Brethren.="--A fourth designation is concerned, not with

the relation of the believer to Christ or to the world, but with

the relation of believers among themselves. That designation

is "brethren." It is a very simple word; it requires little

explanation; the rich meaning of it will be unfolded in the whole of

this quarter's study.

(=5=) "=Church.="--After studying the New Testament terms that

denote the disciples of Jesus individually, it will now be well to

turn for a moment to the chief designation of the body of disciples

considered as a unit. That designation is "church," or in the Greek

form, "ecclesia."

The word "ecclesia" is in itself a very simple term indeed. It

is derived from the verb "call" and the preposition "out." An

"ecclesia" is a body of persons called out from their houses to a

common meeting place, in short it is simply an "assembly," and an

assembly of any kind. This simple use of the word is found in Acts

19:32,39,41; the Greek word which is there translated "assembly" is

exactly the same word as that which is elsewhere translated "church."

Even before New Testament times, however, the word had begun to

be used in a special, religious sense. Here, as so often, the

Septuagint translation of the Old Testament prepared the way for New

Testament usage. In the Septuagint the word "ecclesia" was used to

denote the solemn assembly of the people of Israel. That assembly

was of course religious as well as political; for Israel was a

theocratic nation. Hence it was no abrupt transition from previous

usage when the New Testament writers selected the word "ecclesia" to

denote the Christian congregation.

In the New Testament, the word is used in various ways. In the

first place, it designates the body of Christians who lived in

any particular place. So, for example, the epistles of Paul are

addressed to individual "churches." In the second place, however,

the word designates the whole body of Christians throughout the

world. This usage is prominent in the Epistle to the Ephesians,

but it also appears even in the Gospels, in the memorable words of

Jesus at Cæsarea Philippi. Matt. 16:18. It is a wonderfully grand

conception which is thus disclosed by the familiar word. "The

Church" is a chosen people, ruled by the Lord himself, a mighty

army, engaged, not in earthly warfare, but in a spiritual campaign

of salvation and love.

(=6=) "=The Kingdom of God.="--One further conception requires at

least a word. What is meant by "the kingdom of God"? This conception

is evidently related to the conception of "the Church," but the

two are not identical. The kingdom of God is simply that place or

that condition where God rules. As the kingdom of Cæsar was the

territory over which Cæsar held sway, so the kingdom of God is the

realm where God's will is done. In one sense, of course, the kingdom

of God embraces the whole universe, for nothing is beyond the reach

of God's power. But in the New Testament the term is used in a far

deeper sense; it is used to denote the realm where God's will is

done, not of necessity, but by willing submission. Wherever human

hearts and wills are in true accord with the will of God, there the

"kingdom" has come.

In one sense the kingdom of God belongs to the future age. It is

never realized fully upon earth; there is here always some lurking

trace of sinful resistance. Nevertheless, in the New Testament the

kingdom is by no means always represented as future. Though it has

not yet been fully realized, it is already present in principle; it

is present especially in the Church. The Church gives clear, though

imperfect, expression to the idea of the kingdom; the Church is a

people whose ruler is God.

Entrance into the Church is not to be obtained by human effort; it

is the free gift of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. No other gift

is so glorious. If we are members of that chosen people, we need

fear nothing in heaven or on earth.

2. PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS

Two lessons should be conveyed by our study of to-day: in the first

place the lesson of separateness, and in the second place the lesson

of unity. Neither can be truly learned without the other. There can

be no true Christian unity if individual members of the Christian

body make common cause with the unbelieving world. A knowledge

of the common enemy will draw us all into closer fellowship.

That fellowship need not necessarily be expressed in a common

organization; but it will be expressed at least in a common service.

Separateness from the world will not mean leaving the world to its

fate; the Christian salvation will be offered freely to all. But

the gravity of the choice should never, by any false urbanity, be

disguised. It is no light difference whether a man is within the

people of God or without; there is a definite line of demarcation,

and the passing of it means the transition from death into life.

* * * * *

IN THE LIBRARY.--Davis, "Dictionary of the Bible": articles on

"Church," "Disciple," "Christian." Hastings, "Dictionary of

the Bible": Gayford, article on "Church." Hort, "The Christian

Ecclesia." Charteris, "The Church of Christ." Westcott, "The

Two Empires: The Church and the World," in "The Epistles of St.

John," pp. 250-282. "The Epistle to Diognetus," introduction and

translation in Lightfoot, "The Apostolic Fathers," pp. 487-489,

501-511. Erdman, "Coming to the Communion."

LESSON XLI

THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE

1. A PHILOSOPHY, OR A TESTIMONY?

In the Student's Text Book the Christian message has been

represented as primarily a piece of good news, a story of something

that happened. That representation does not pass unchallenged

to-day. Many suppose that the message of the apostles was concerned

simply with reflection upon eternal truths. For centuries, it is

said in effect, men had been reflecting upon the problems of God and

the world and sin; what the apostles did in Jerusalem and elsewhere

was simply to provide better instruction on these great themes;

Jesus had taught men that God is a Father, the apostles simply

continued his teaching.

Such a view, of course, can be held only by rejecting or distorting

the testimony of the New Testament. If the book of The Acts is

correct, if Paul is correct, then the preaching that founded the

apostolic Church was not better instruction about old facts, but

information about a new fact. Before Jesus came, the world was

lost under sin; but Jesus lived and died and rose again, and gave

salvation to all who would receive. According to the New Testament,

Jesus did not come to tell men that they were God's children; he

came to make them God's children. John 1:12; Gal. 4:3-5. Without

him they were under God's wrath and curse; but by faith in him, by

acceptance of his sacrifice of himself for them, by receiving from

his Spirit the power to believe, they could call God Father. On the

day of Pentecost Jesus was presented as more than a Teacher; he was

presented as a Saviour.

2. THE EFFECTS OF THE MESSAGE

=(1) In the Apostolic Age.=--The effects of that presentation have

been considered briefly in the Student's Text Book, and what was

said there might easily be supplemented. The conversion of the three

thousand was only a beginning. The new spirit of the Christian

community, the brotherly love and holy joy of the disciples, indeed

everything that will be treated in the lessons of the quarter,

were the result of a simple piece of news. By the wise men of the

world--then as now--the message was despised, but "the foolishness

of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than

men." I Cor. 1:25.

This lesson offers a singular opportunity to the teacher. The

Christian message in the apostolic Church was a message of power.

The story of its progress is full of dramatic vigor; it appeals

even to the non-Christian historian. The story of the apostolic age

is full of surprises--the sudden transformation of bitter Jewish

enemies into humble disciples; the triumphant spread of the faith

when everything seemed opposed; the establishment of Christian

churches in the very centers of pagan vice; the astonishingly

rapid preparation for the conquest of the empire; and all this

accomplished not by worldly wisdom, but by simple men who only had a

bit of news--a bit of news, and God!

=(2) In the History of the Church.=--The triumphs of the gospel,

however, were not confined to the age of the apostles. The apostolic

age was prophetic of the Christian centuries. There were many

days of darkness; but the Church always emerged again triumphant.

So it will be to-day. God has not deserted his people; he will

attest his truth with the power of his Spirit; there is no room

for discouragement. One thing, however, should be remembered; the

victories of the Church are victories, not of brilliant preachers,

not of human wisdom or human goodness, but of the cross of Christ.

Under that banner all true conquests move.

3. THE PRESENTATION OF THE MESSAGE

The Christian message was presented in the apostolic Church in many

different ways. The gospel was everywhere essentially the same,

but the presentation of it was adapted to the needs of particular

hearers, and the understanding of it became ever more complete under

the illumination of the Holy Spirit. It is interesting to collect

the various types of missionary speeches that are found in the New

Testament.

=(1) The Missionary Preaching of the Jerusalem Church.=--The early

chapters of The Acts preserve a number of speeches that were

addressed to Jews. As might have been expected, these speeches

are intended primarily to prove the Messiahship of Jesus. If that

could be proved, then--among the Jews--the rest would follow. The

Messiahship was proved first by an appeal to the Scriptures, and

second by the fact of the resurrection. Even the death of Jesus on

the cross, which was to the Jews a stumblingblock, was predicted by

the prophets, and so served to prove that Jesus was the promised

One. The resurrection was also predicted; and the resurrection was

established first by the simple testimony of eyewitnesses and second

by the wonderful works of the living Christ.

These early speeches contain only a little of the full truth of

the gospel. In them, for example, the significance of the death

of Christ as an atonement for sin is not fully explained. Such

omissions were due no doubt to two causes.

(a) Limitations Due to the Hearers.--In the first place, the

peculiar needs of the hearers had to be considered. The hearers were

Jews; to them the death of the Messiah was an unheard-of paradox;

to them the cross was a stumblingblock. Before the inner meaning of

the crucifixion could be explained, obviously the objections derived

from it needed to be overcome. The first task of the missionaries

was to show that Jesus, although he had been crucified, was the

Messiah. That was done by an appeal to prophecy and to the plain

fact of the resurrection. After conviction had thus been produced,

it would be time enough to show that what was at first regarded as a

stumblingblock was really the supreme act of divine grace.

(b) Limitations Due to an Early Stage of Revelation.--The omissions

in the early speeches were due, however, not merely to the peculiar

needs of the hearers, but also to limitations in the knowledge

of the apostles. Christian truth was not all revealed at once;

undoubtedly the full explanation of the cross, the full exposition

of the atonement, was revealed only when the disciples could bear

it. Such is the divine method, even in revelation. The disciples

were brought gradually, by the gracious leading of the Holy Spirit,

into ever richer knowledge of the truth.

(c) The Significance of the Cross.--Nevertheless, the meagerness

of the early teaching must not be exaggerated. In the very first

missionary speech of Peter, Jesus was represented as "delivered

up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God." Acts

2:23. What happened "by the determinate counsel ... of God" was

no meaningless chance; the crucifixion was not a victory of evil

over God, it must have had some beneficent purpose. Furthermore,

Jesus himself had explained what that purpose was. He had spoken

of giving his life a ransom for many, Mark 10:45; still more

plainly, on the last solemn passover evening, he had represented

his death as sacrificial. These words were certainly not forgotten

in the Jerusalem church; they were called to mind in the repeated

celebration of the Lord's Supper, and must have formed the subject

of meditation. The Jerusalem Christians knew that Jesus' death was a

death on their behalf.

(d) The Lordship of Jesus.--The lordship of Jesus, moreover, was

fully recognized from the very beginning. The risen Christ had

ascended into glory, and had poured forth his mighty Spirit. The

believer was no mere learner of the words of a dead teacher; he was

called into communion with a Lord and Saviour. Such communion meant

nothing less than an entirely new life, in which sin could have

no rightful place. It was a life of conflict, but also a life of

hope. The Saviour would come again in like manner as he had gone.

The spiritual victory, already won, would be perfected by a final

victory in every realm.

=(2) The Missionary Preaching of Paul.=--The gospel of the early

preachers was a glorious message. It was a piece of glad tidings,

such as the world had never known. Yet even greater things were in

store; even more wondrous mysteries were to be revealed. They were

revealed especially through the instrumentality of the apostle Paul.

The gospel had been preached from the beginning, but much of its

deeper meaning was reserved for Paul.

(a) Truth and Error.--In the teaching of Paul, truth became plainer

by being contrasted with error. The original apostles had really

been trusting in the atonement of Christ for salvation; but now

that trust became plainer and more explicit by being contrasted

with works of the law. The original apostles had really grasped the

inner significance of Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament;

but now that significance became still plainer by the contrast with

Pharisaic legality. Now at length the death and resurrection were

represented sharply and clearly as great representative acts in

which the believer shares through faith. The original apostles were

not overwhelmed and confused by the new revelation; they recognized

the grace of God. Their perfect agreement with Paul exhibited the

unity of the apostolic gospel.

Scarcely anything would be more interesting than a full collection

of the missionary speeches of Paul. Such a collection, however, has

not been preserved. The writings that we possess from the hand of

Paul are not missionary addresses, but letters written to those who

were already Christians. We should not, however, complain of the

providence of God. God has not thought good to give us everything,

but what he has given us is enough.

(b) Information Provided by The Acts.--The book of The Acts,

in the first place, affords valuable information. The author

was interested, indeed, chiefly in beginnings. The examples of

Paul's missionary preaching which Luke has preserved, are perhaps

preliminary to evangelism, rather than evangelism itself. The

speech at Pisidian Antioch shows how Paul proved the Messiahship

of Jesus. In winning the Jews, that proof was the first step. The

Pauline gospel indeed appears, but it appears only at the very

end of the speech. The speech at Athens is still more clearly of

preliminary character. Monotheism needed to be established before

the gospel of Christ could be understood. Despite their necessary

limitations however, these speeches are instructive. They show, in

the first place, that Paul adapted his preaching to the needs of his

hearers. He did not preach the same sermon mechanically to all. He

sought really to win men over, he began with what his hearers could

understand. They show, in the second place, that all preliminary

matters were kept strictly subordinate. These matters were not made

an end in themselves, as is often the case in the modern Church, but

were merely a means to an end. No matter where he began, Paul always

proceeded quickly to the center of the gospel. Both at Pisidian

Antioch and at Athens, he hastened on to the resurrection.

(c) Information Provided by the Epistles.--The Pauline Epistles, in

the second place, though they are addressed to Christians, really

afford sufficient information, at least in outline, about the

missionary preaching of Paul. Incidental references are sufficient

to show at least that the cross and the resurrection were the center

and core of it. The Thessalonians, for example, under the preaching

of Paul, "turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and true

God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the

dead, even Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath to come." This

little passage is worth pages of exposition. Preaching to Gentiles

is here reviewed in epitome, though of course not with studied

symmetry and completeness. The knowledge of the one true God formed

of course, for Gentiles, the starting point for all the rest, but

from that starting point the preacher at once proceeded to tell of

the work of Christ. Just as illuminating are passages like I Cor.

2:2; Gal. 3:1. In Corinth Paul knew nothing save "Jesus Christ,

and him crucified"; in Galatia the story of the cross was made so

plain that it was as though Jesus Christ crucified were held up

before the eyes of the Galatians on a great picture or placard.

The famous passage in First Corinthians, ch. 15:1-8, is, however,

perhaps clearest of all. At the very beginning Paul had spoken of

the death of Christ and the resurrection. The death, moreover, was

not presented as a mere inspiring story of a holy martyrdom, but

as a death "for our sins"; and the resurrection was supported not

primarily by an inward experience, but by simple testimony.

Apostolic preaching was everywhere essentially the same. The

apostles never began, like many modern preachers, with exhortation;

though they proceeded to exhortation, they always began with facts.

What was always fundamental was the simple story of the life and

death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ crucified and

risen was the subject of the good news that conquered the world.

When will the modern Church take up the message with new power? We

do not know. The times are in God's hand. But when the blessed day

comes, it will be a day of victory.

* * * * *

IN THE LIBRARY.--Bunyan, "The Pilgrim's Progress." Warfield, "The

Saviour of the World," and "The Power of God Unto Salvation" (the

latter in "The Presbyterian Pulpit"). Hodge, "The Way of Life."

LESSON XLII

THE WORD AND THE SACRAMENTS

This lesson and the two following are intended primarily to

encourage in the student the diligent use of "the means of grace."

The wise teacher will keep the practical purpose steadily in view.

That practical purpose may now be examined a little more in detail.

Why should the example of the apostolic Church be followed in the

matter of Bible-reading, of the sacraments, of prayer, of Christian

meetings? What was God's purpose in providing these simple exercises

of the Christian life--what benefit do we receive from them? Perhaps

the briefest and simplest answer is that we receive from them what

is often known as "reality" in religion.

1. REALITY IN RELIGION

Many Christians are puzzled by the lack of the sense of "reality"

in their Christian life. They have believed in Christ, but often

he seems far from them. It is not so much that positive doubts

have arisen, though certainly the lack of fervency gives doubt its

opportunity. Rather is it an inexplicable dulling of the spiritual

eye. The gospel still seems wonderful to the intellect, but to the

heart it has somehow lost its power.

=(1) The Need of Diligence.=--This condition is due very often to

a neglect of "the means of grace," which we shall study in this

lesson and the two lessons following. It is a great mistake to

suppose that the spiritual life is altogether beyond our control.

Undoubtedly it is instituted only by an immediate exercise of

the divine power, independent of the human will; undoubtedly the

maintenance of it would be impossible without the assistance of the

Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, in that work of maintenance, we have a

very definite part. Many Christians suppose that any performance

of religious exercises merely for duty's sake, without immediate

spiritual profit, is a mere form. This supposition is erroneous.

Not performance of religious exercises without spiritual profit,

but performance of them without the desire of spiritual profit, is

formalism. The appointed means of grace must continue to be used

even when no immediate benefit can be discerned. In the reading of

the Bible, in prayer, in public worship, the Christian should first

of all do his duty. The result may safely be left to God.

=(2) The Danger of Neglect.=--Without such attention to duty, the

Christian life becomes merely a matter of inclination. In times of

great spiritual distress we call upon God for comfort and help;

but in the long, level weeks of comparative prosperity we think we

can do without him. Such thoughts are the height of folly. God is

not our servant, he is not one who can safely be left out of our

thoughts except when we think we especially need him. If we neglect

God in time of prosperity, we may call in vain when adversity comes.

=(3) The Reward of Duty.=--The religious life is not merely a matter

of inclination; it must be diligently fostered. Such attention

to duty, however, will never be merely drudgery. It may begin

with drudgery, and it may become drudgery again at times, but if

persisted in, it will be an ever-widening avenue of joy and power.

2. THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE

The reading of the Bible is such a simple thing, and so obviously

necessary to the Christian life, that it requires comparatively

little discussion. Despite its indispensableness, however, it is

being sadly neglected to-day. Our fathers learned the Bible with

a thoroughness which to-day is almost unknown. The change is full

of danger. A Bible-reading Church is possessed of power; without

the Bible the Church loses its identity altogether and sinks back

into the life of the world. The process, unfortunately, has gone to

considerable lengths. How may it now be checked?

=(1) The Study Should Be Made Interesting.=--Something, no doubt,

may be done by making the study of the Bible more interesting.

Certainly the Bible does not yield in interest to any other branch

of knowledge. The Bible does not merely present spiritual truth; it

presents it in a wonderfully rich and varied way. If the study of

the Bible is stupid, the fault lies not in the subject matter, but

in the student or in the teacher.

=(2) The Motive of Duty.=--Nevertheless, a mere appeal to the

interest of the students is entirely insufficient. After all,

there is no royal road to learning--not to Biblical learning any

more than to the learning of the world. Solid education can never

be attained without hard work; education that is easy is pretty

sure to be worthless. Especially at the beginning the chief appeal

in education must be to a sense of duty. So it is in the case

of the Bible. The Bible is the word of God; obviously it may not

be neglected. Let us study it, then, primarily because the study

of it is an obvious duty. As a matter of fact the duty will soon

become a pleasure, but let not that be the motive. Let us read

the Bible regularly and persistently, in entire independence of

changing impulse. That is the kind of study that is blessed of God.

Superficial study, determined by mere inclination, may at first

sight seem just as good. But when adversity or temptation comes,

then the difference appears. It is the difference between a house

built upon the sand and a house built upon the rock. The two houses

look alike, but when the rains descend and the floods come, one

falls and the other stands. The Christian whose knowledge of the

Bible is obtained by old-fashioned, patient study, never interrupted

by changing inclination, has dug deep and founded his house upon the

rock.

=(3) The Example of the Apostolic Church.=--The example of the

apostolic Church in the matter of the means of grace is especially

significant. In the apostolic age, it might have seemed as though

these simple exercises might be dispensed with. What need of

regularly appointed forms when the Holy Spirit was so immediately

manifested? Yet as a matter of fact all of the essential forms

of Christian custom were present from the beginning. Regularity

and diligence were cherished even in the first exuberance of the

Jerusalem church. Enthusiasm of spiritual life did not lead to

the despising of ordinary helps; the early disciples "continued

stedfastly," "day by day," "with one accord in the temple, and

breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and

singleness of heart." Acts 2:46.

The use which the apostolic Church made of the Bible might seem

to some modern men particularly surprising. A book religion, men

say, is a stagnant religion; living faith is independent of dead

documents; it is only when the early enthusiasm is lost that

belief becomes crystallized in submission to venerable authority.

This sort of religious philosophy shatters on the plain facts of

the apostolic age. Admittedly that was an age of freshness and

independence. There never has been such an outburst of religious

enthusiasm as that which planted the faith in Jerusalem and carried

it like wildfire throughout the civilized world. Yet another fact

is equally plain--this wonderful enthusiasm was coupled with the

utmost reverence for a book. Nothing could exceed the unquestioning

submission which the early Christians paid to the Old Testament

Scriptures. The exuberance of apostolic Christianity was intertwined

with a book religion!

The explanation, of course, is simple. Submission to a human book

means stagnation; but genuine submission to the Word of God means

always what it meant in the apostolic age--heroism and victory and

life.

3. BAPTISM

=(1) Baptism and Circumcision.=--The sacrament of baptism had its

truest predecessor in circumcision, the Old Testament sign of union

with the covenant people. Baptism as well as circumcision is a sign

of the covenant, though the varied symbolism marks the advance of

the new covenant over the old.

=(2) Christian Baptism and the Baptism of John.=--In form, moreover,

and to a considerable extent also in meaning, Christian baptism

in the early Church was prepared for by the baptism of John the

Baptist, which had even been continued by the disciples of Jesus

during Jesus' earthly ministry. John 4:1,2. Both the baptism of John

and Christian baptism symbolized cleansing from sin. Compare Acts

2:38 with Matt. 3:6,11.

Christian baptism, however, differed from every rite that had

preceded it by its definite reference to Christ, and by its definite

connection with a new manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

=(3) Baptism "Into Christ."=--In the apostolic writings, baptism

is sometimes spoken of as a baptism "into Christ." Gal. 3:27; Rom.

6:3. The meaning of this phrase has often been obscured both in

translation and in interpretation. The phrase "into Christ" in this

connection means something more than "with reference to Christ";

it means rather "into a position within Christ." The Christian,

according to a common Pauline expression, is "in Christ"; he is in

such close union with Christ that the life of Christ might almost be

described as the atmosphere which he breathes. To be baptized "into

Christ" means to come by baptism into this state of blessed union

with the Saviour.

=(4) Baptism and Faith.=--At this point, however, a serious

question arises. How can baptism be described as the means by which

the Christian comes into union with Christ, when at other times

salvation is declared to be by faith? One solution of the difficulty

would be simply to say that baptism and faith are both necessary--a

man must believe if he is to be saved, but he must also be baptized.

Clearly, however, this view does not represent the meaning of the

New Testament. The passages where faith alone is represented as

the condition of salvation are too strong; especially the vigorous

contrast which Paul sets up between faith and works prevents

any inclusion of such a work as baptism along with faith as an

additional condition of acceptance with God. The true solution is

that baptism is related to faith, or rather to the regenerative work

of the Holy Spirit, as the sign is related to the thing signified.

Baptism represents the work of the Spirit; it is a means which the

Spirit uses. If it stood alone, it would be a meaningless form, but

when it is representative of spiritual facts it becomes a channel of

divine grace.

4. THE LORD'S SUPPER

The celebration of the Lord's Supper in the Jerusalem church was

probably connected in some way with "the breaking of bread," which

is mentioned in Acts 2:42. Every common meal was an expression of

Christian communion, but the solemn words of Christ at the Last

Supper could not have been forgotten. Here, as so often, the book of

The Acts affords little information about the internal affairs of

the Church.

Fortunately, Paul, in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, is far

more explicit, and inferences can be drawn from him with regard

even to Jerusalem. Paul represents the Lord's Supper, not as an

innovation, but as something that had been given to the Corinthians

as a matter of course, at the very beginning of their Christian

lives; evidently the sacrament was celebrated universally in the

churches; Paul had "received" the account of the institution of the

Supper from the Lord through the first Christians.

In Corinth, as was also probably the case in the early days in

Jerusalem, the Supper was celebrated in connection with the common

meals of the Christian community. Certain abuses had arisen; the

rich brought food and drink with them and feasted luxuriously in

the presence of their poorer brethren; the spiritual significance

of the Supper was profaned. Against such abuses Paul enunciates the

great principle that the Supper does not work a magical benefit; if

partaken of irreverently it brings condemnation rather than blessing.

In I Cor. 10:14-22, the Lord's Supper appears as a warning against

participation in heathen feasts. The pagan fellow citizens of the

Corinthian Christians, by their religious feasts, held communion

with idols; the Christians cannot remain with them and at the same

time commune with Christ. A man must take his choice--either

Christ or idols; he must choose either the Lord's Supper or heathen

feasts. Here the Lord's Supper appears especially as a sign of

communion with Christ, as in ch. 11:26 it appears especially as a

commemoration of his death. These two aspects of the Supper, and

their intimate connection with each other, should now be explained a

little more in detail.

=(1) A Representation of the Death of Christ.=--The Lord's Supper,

as is observed in the Student's Text Book, is representative of

the death of Christ on our behalf. In many passages of the New

Testament, the significance of that death is explained in words;

in the Lord's Supper it is represented in visible form. The Lord's

Supper is related to the story of the gospel, as the picture or the

acted representation is related to ordinary discourse. In the broken

bread and poured-out wine we not only apprehend with the mind, but

actually see the broken body and shed blood of the Lord. Of course

that does not mean, as the Roman Catholic Church teaches, that the

bread and wine are actually by a miracle, at every celebration of

the Supper, changed into the body and blood of Christ, but only

that they represent them. The very simplicity of the sacrament

should have guarded against misinterpretation. An actual image of

the dying Saviour might lead to idolatry, or to an overemphasis

upon the details of the scene on Calvary; the simple representation

that Christ ordained is enough to be vivid, without being enough to

become misleading.

=(2) A Representation of Our Union with Christ.=--The Supper

represents the death of Christ not as a mere drama, remote from us,

but as a death on our behalf. In the Supper we do not merely witness

the breaking of the bread and the pouring out of the wine; we

partake of the bread and wine ourselves. Plainly the symbolism means

that we who are disciples of Christ do not merely admire the holy

self-sacrifice of Christ, but rather receive the benefits of it. We

feed upon the body and blood of Christ in the high spiritual sense

that by faith we obtain from Christ's death pardon for our sins and

a fresh start in the full favor of God. These benefits we obtain not

by our own efforts, but by a free gift. It was Christ himself who

broke the bread and poured out the wine on the last evening before

the crucifixion; it is also Christ who, through his minister, at

every celebration of the sacrament, is represented as offering to us

his body and blood.

The Lord's Supper, therefore, is not merely a commemoration of an

event in the past; it is also the symbol of a present fact. It

symbolizes the blessed communion of believers with one another and

with Christ.

5. THE SACRAMENTS MORE THAN A PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL

So far we have considered the sacraments merely as one means of

proclaiming the gospel. The Bible proclaims the gospel in words;

the sacraments proclaim it in pictures. Even if that were all, the

sacraments would be of great value. By these symbolic actions the

gospel message attains a new vividness and definiteness.

As a matter of fact, however, baptism and the Lord's Supper are more

than peculiar ways of making a vivid presentation of the gospel.

They were instituted especially by Christ, and the Holy Spirit has

connected with them a special blessing. The Spirit can use what

means he will, and he has chosen to use these. In the Lord's Supper,

for example, the Lord is really present in the midst of his people.

He is not present, indeed, in "a corporal and carnal manner"; but

his spiritual presence is a blessed fact.

The sacraments, therefore, should not be neglected. In themselves,

when unaccompanied by faith, they are valueless; and they are not

necessary for salvation. Ordinarily, however, they are a chosen

means of blessing. When God wills, other means can take their place,

but under all ordinary circumstances they are used. Certainly they

should not be neglected without adequate cause. They have been

provided by God, and God is wiser than men.

The Lord's Supper should be received with solemnity; but sometimes

young Christians have perhaps an exaggerated dread of it. The error

of the Corinthian Christians should indeed be carefully avoided;

wanton carelessness in the solemn act will of course bring the

condemnation of God. But the Supper does not demand perfection,

even in faith; on the contrary it is intended to help to remove

imperfection. The Lord's Supper is not a dangerous bit of magic,

where any little mistake might break the charm. Let us partake of it

with a simple prayer, and leave the results to the goodness of God.

* * * * *

IN THE LIBRARY.--Davis, "Dictionary of the Bible": article on

"Lord's Supper"; Purves, article on "Baptism." W. W. Moore, "The

Indispensable Book." Candlish, "The Christian Sacraments" (In

"Handbooks for Bible Classes," edited by Dods and Whyte). Lilley,

"The Lord's Supper."

LESSON XLIII

PRAYER

1. THE ANSWERER OF PRAYER

The prayers of the apostolic age reveal with startling clearness the

apostolic conception of God; and one chief reason why our prayers

fall short of the apostolic standard is that our idea of God is

different.

=(1) God Is a Person.=--In the first place, true prayer always

conceives of God as a Person; whereas much of modern religious

thinking conceives of him as only another name for the world. Human

life, it is said, is a part of the life of God; every man, to

some degree, is divine. Such a philosophy makes prayer logically

impossible. It is impossible for us to speak to an impersonal

world-force of which we ourselves are merely an expression; the

personal distinction between man and God is absolutely essential to

prayer.

The transcendence of God as over against the world is grandly

expressed in the prayer of the Jerusalem church, which was studied

in the Student's Text Book; the Jerusalem Christians addressed God

as the Lord who made "the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all

that in them is." Acts 4:24. God, in other words, is not another

name for the world, but Creator of the world. He is indeed present

in the world; not a single thing that happens is independent of him;

the world would not continue for a moment without God's sustaining

hand. But that means, not that God is identical with the world, but

that he is Master of it. God pervades all things; he is present

everywhere; but he is also free.

That conception pervades all the prayers of the apostolic Church;

in all of them man comes to God as one person to another. God is

free; God can do what he will; through Christ he is our Father. He

is not bound by his own works; he is independent of nature; he will

overrule all things for the good of his children. Such is the God

that can answer prayer.

=(2) God Is an Infinite and Holy Person.=--If, however, the prayers

of the apostolic age conceive of God as a Person, they also conceive

of him as very different from men. Here, also, they provide a

salutary example for the modern Church. Many devout Christians of

to-day, in avoiding the error which has just been described, in

thinking of God plainly as a person, are inclined to fall into the

opposite mistake. In their clear realization of God as a person

they think of him as a person exactly like ourselves. They regard

the difference between God and man as a difference of degree

rather than a difference of kind; they think of God as merely a

greater man in the sky. The result of such thinking is disastrous

for prayer. Prayer, to be sure, is here not absolutely destroyed;

communion with God remains possible; but such communion is degraded.

Communion loses that sense of mystery and awe which properly belongs

to it. Man becomes too familiar with God; God takes merely the

leading place in a circle of friends; religion descends to the

plane of other relationships. Prayer to such a God is apt to become

irreverent. If our prayers are to lift us fully into the presence of

God they must never lie on the same plane with the communion that we

enjoy with our fellow men, but must be filled with a profound sense

of God's majesty and power.

The danger of permitting prayer, on account of its very privilege,

to become a commonplace thing is one that threatens us all. It may

be overcome, however, in the first place, by the contemplation of

nature. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament

showeth his handiwork"--and it is a terrible, mysterious God that

they reveal. The stupendous vastness of the universe and the

baffling mystery of the surrounding infinity oppress the thoughtful

mind with a profound sense of insignificance. And God is the Maker

and Ruler of it all, the One in whom all the mystery finds its

explanation! Such is the employment of nature in the prayer of the

Jerusalem church. Acts 4:24.

All the prayers of the apostolic Church illustrate the principle

which is now being emphasized. There is never anything trite or

vulgar about the prayers that are contained in the New Testament;

they are all characterized by a wonderful dignity and reverence.

If the infinity and omnipotence of God should prevent any

irreverence in our prayers, the thought of his holiness is perhaps

even more overwhelming. We are full of impurity. Who can stand

before the white light of God's awful judgment throne?

=(3) God Is a Gracious Person.=--Nevertheless, despite the majesty

and holiness of God, he invites us into his presence. It is a

stupendous wonder. No reasoning could have shown it to be probable;

only ignorance can regard it as a matter of course. If God were

only a somewhat greater man, there would have been comparatively

little mystery in prayer; but communion with the infinite and

eternal and holy One, the unfathomed cause of all things, is

the wonder of wonders. It is a wonder of God's grace. It is too

wonderful to be true; yet it has become true in Christ. True prayer

brings us not before some God of our own devising, before whom

we could stand in our own merit without fear, but into the dread

presence of Jehovah. Let us not hesitate to go; God has called us;

he loves us as a Father, far more than we can ever love him. Prayer

is full of joy; the joy is so great that it is akin to fear.

2. THE INFLUENCE OF JESUS' TEACHING UPON THE PRAYERS OF THE

APOSTOLIC CHURCH

In studying the prayers of the apostolic age, it must always be

remembered that they stood upon the foundation of Jesus' example and

precept.

=(1) The Example of Jesus.=--With all his power and holiness Jesus

was not above asking for strength to perform his gracious work;

after that long, wearying day in Capernaum he "departed into a

desert place, and there prayed." Mark 1:35. In the hour of agony in

Gethsemane, he prayed a truly human, though holy, prayer: "Abba,

Father, all things are possible unto thee; remove this cup from me:

howbeit not what I will, but what thou wilt." Ch. 14:36. Prayer,

moreover, was not something which Jesus reserved for himself;

clearly it was a privilege which he extended to all his disciples.

In the prayer that he taught his disciples, he summed up all that

our prayer should be. Matt. 6:9-15.

=(2) God as Father.=--One thing in particular was derived by the

apostolic Church from Jesus--the conception of God as Father. This

conception appears in the epistles of Paul as a matter of course;

evidently it was firmly established among the readers; it no longer

required defense or explanation. Yet it had not lost, through long

repetition, one whit of its freshness; in Paul it is never a mere

phrase, but always a profound spiritual fact.

Obviously this idea of the fatherhood of God was of particular

importance for prayer. It taught the disciples "to draw near to God

with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father,

able and ready to help" them. A characteristic way of addressing God

even in the Gentile churches of Paul was "Abba, Father." Gal. 4:6;

Rom. 8:15. The Aramaic word "Abba" is sufficient to show that this

hallowed usage was based ultimately upon the teaching and example of

Jesus; the word was the very one that Jesus had used both in his own

prayers, for example in Gethsemane, Mark 14:36, and in the "Lord's

Prayer" which he taught to his disciples.

=(3) The Right of Sonship.=--What needs to be observed especially,

however, is that the right of addressing God as "our Father" was

not in the apostolic Church extended to all men. Certainly no

justification for such an extension could have been found in the

teaching of Jesus; it was not the unbelieving multitude, but his own

disciples, to whom Jesus taught the Lord's Prayer. Matt. 5:1; 6:9;

Luke 11:1, 2. Paul is even more explicit; the cry "Abba, Father" was

to him a proof that a great change had taken place, that those who

had been formerly under bondage to the world had now become sons

of God. This change Paul represents especially under the figure of

adoption, Gal. 4:5; men have to be adopted by God before they can

call God Father; and adoption is accomplished only by the work of

Christ. Vs. 4,5.

=(4) The Intercession of the Spirit.=--The cry, "Abba, Father" can

never be uttered by sinful man alone, but only by the power of

Christ's Spirit. The prayers even of the redeemed are faulty. But

the Holy Spirit takes up their cry. "And in like manner the Spirit

also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought;

but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings

which cannot be uttered; and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth

what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for

the saints according to the will of God." Rom. 8:26, 27.

There lies the true ground of confidence in prayer. Prayer does not

derive its efficacy from any merit of its own, but only from the

goodness of God. Let us not worry too much as to whether our prayers

are good or bad; let them only be simple and sincere; God knows our

weakness; his Spirit will make intercession for us far better than

we can intercede for ourselves.

3. PUBLIC PRAYERS OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH

The few individual prayers that have been preserved from the

apostolic age are for the most part prayers of a more or less public

character. The spontaneous outpourings of the hearts of individual

saints before God would usually not be put into writing; the full

secrets of the prayer closet are known to God alone.

=(1) Spontaneity and Sincerity.=--Nevertheless, the public character

of the prayers of the New Testament does not mean that they are cold

and formal. On the contrary, at a time when set liturgies had not

yet been formed, public prayer possessed all the spontaneity of more

private devotions; the thought of the listening congregation or of a

circle of readers did not bring any hampering restraint. There is a

sterling sincerity about all the prayers or fragments of prayers in

the New Testament.

=(2) Dignity.=--The spontaneity and sincerity of the prayers,

however, did not involve any sacrifice of dignity. The prayer of

the Jerusalem congregation, Acts 4:24-30, is a marvel of exalted

speech; its employment of Scripture phrase is an admirable example

for public prayers of all ages. That prayer received a glorious

answer; indeed the true prayer of the congregation never remains

unheard. Christ's promise is always fulfilled; where two or three

are gathered together in his name there is he in the midst of them.

In the epistles, there is to be found here and there what may be

called, if not the beginning of liturgy, at any rate material of

which a magnificent liturgy can be formed. The benediction of Heb.

13:20,21, for example, is characterized by a splendid rhythm as well

as by true evangelical fervor. Such a prayer lifts the hearts of the

congregation up into the presence of God. There is use for beauty,

even in prayer; and the truest beauty is to be found in the prayers

of the Bible.

4. PRIVATE PRAYERS OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH

The apostolic guidance in prayer extends even to those private

prayers which no one hears except God. In this field, the epistles

of Paul are of special value. More fully than any other one man of

the apostolic age, Paul has revealed the very secrets of Christian

experience; and that experience is rooted in prayer. A glance at

the beginnings and endings of the epistles will be sufficient to

show how fundamental prayer was in Paul's life; news of the churches

was never received without issuing at once in thanksgiving or in

intercession, and Paul desires, not merely the good wishes, but the

prayers, of his beloved converts. Paul practiced what he preached

when he urged the Thessalonian Christians to "pray without ceasing."

I Thess. 5:17. Compare chs. 1:3; 2:13; Rom. 1:9; II Tim. 1:3.

Evidently, moreover, he regarded prayer as something far more than

an incidental expression of the Christian life; he believed in its

real efficacy with the Ruler of the world.

5. "MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS"

One passage, particularly, will repay special study. In II Cor.

12:8,9, we have information about the most intimate, the most

personal of the prayers of Paul. The apostle had been afflicted with

a persistent illness; it had apparently hampered him in his work,

and caused him acute distress. In his trouble he called upon the

Lord; and by that prayer Paul's affliction has been made to redound

to the lasting instruction and encouragement of the Church.

=(1) Prayer Concerning Physical Ills.=--In the first place, the

prayer concerns not spiritual matters, or the needs of the Church

at large, but a simple affair of the physical life. As life is

constituted here on earth, we are intimately connected with the

physical world; the body is necessary to the soul. But God is Master

of earth as well as of heaven; even the simplest needs of life may

be laid before him in prayer. To teach us that, we have here the

example of Paul, as well as the precept of the Saviour himself.

=(2) The Answer.=--In the second place, the prayer was answered, and

answered in a very instructive way. The illness was not removed;

but it was made an instrument of blessing. The purpose of it was

revealed: "My power," said Christ, "is made perfect in weakness."

Physical suffering is worth while if it leads to heroism and faith.

Such is often the Lord's will. He himself trod the path of suffering

before us, and in his case as in ours, the path led to glory.

=(3) The Prayer Addressed to Christ.=--In the third place, this

prayer was addressed, not to God the Father, but to Christ.

Compare Acts 7:59,60. Without doubt "the Lord" in II Cor. 12:8,

as practically always in the Pauline Epistles, refers to Christ.

Usually, in the New Testament, prayer is addressed, through Christ,

to God the Father; but there is no reason why it should not be

addressed to the Son. The Son as well as the Father is a living

Person; and the Son as well as the Father is God. It is well that

we have apostolic examples for prayer addressed directly to the

Saviour. Christ, to Paul, was no mere instrument in salvation,

that had served its purpose and was then removed; he was alive and

sovereign, and the relation to him was a relation of love. In a time

of acute physical distress, Paul turned to the Saviour. Three times

he called, and then the answer came. The answer will always come in

the Lord's way, not in ours; but the Lord's way is always best.

* * * * *

IN THE LIBRARY.--Hastings, "Dictionary of the Bible": Bernard,

article on "Prayer" (III). Thomas, "The Prayers of St. Paul."

LESSON XLIV

THE CONGREGATION

1. CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS IN PALESTINE

In studying the congregational meetings of the apostolic churches

it must be remembered that the Christian community in Jerusalem

continued for many years its participation in the worship of temple

and synagogue. Specially Christian meetings, therefore, were at

first not the sole expression of the collective worship of the

Jerusalem Christians. Nevertheless, such meetings were undoubtedly

held, even from the beginning. From the days when the one hundred

and twenty brethren were gathered together before Pentecost, the

Church was not without some outward expression of its distinctive

life.

=(1) As Indicated in The Acts.=--The circumstances of such early

meetings of the congregation are, however, obscure. The very

considerable numbers of the converts, Acts 2:41,47; 4:4; 5:14, would

perhaps sometimes make it difficult to gather the whole congregation

together in one place; if, however, that were done, it would perhaps

be usually in some part of the temple area. There seem to have been

general meetings--for example, Acts 15:1-29--but it is perhaps not

necessary to suppose that they included every individual member of

the Jerusalem church.

Certainly, however, no members of that first Christian community

neglected the assembling of themselves together. Evidently the sense

of brotherhood was strongly developed, and evidently it expressed

itself not only in the regular relief of the needy, Acts 6:1, but

also in meetings for instruction and worship and prayer. Ch. 2:42;

4:23-31. These meetings were only outward indications of a wonderful

unity of mind and heart. Ch. 4:32. The cause of that unity was the

common possession of the Spirit of God.

As might have been expected in a book which is interested chiefly

in the outward extension of the kingdom, the book of The Acts

gives us little detailed information about the conduct of these

earliest Christian meetings. Probably, however, the example of the

Jewish synagogue made itself strongly felt. There was no violent

break with Judaism; a new spirit was infused into ancient forms.

The resemblance between the synagogue service and even the fully

developed Christian meetings of to-day was noted in connection with

Lesson IV.

=(2) As Indicated in the Epistle of James.=--The Epistle of James

perhaps helps somewhat to supply the need of detailed information.

That epistle, as was observed in Lesson XXXII, was written by the

head of the Jerusalem Church, and probably to Jewish Christians

before A.D. 49. Apparently, therefore, we have in James 2:1-6 some

welcome information about Christian assemblies, if not in Jerusalem,

at least in other Jewish Christian churches. In v. 2, the word

"synagogue" is applied to the meeting which is described, but that

word in Greek means simply "gathering together"--almost the same

word is used in Heb. 10:25. The use of the word by James shows

simply that at that early time "synagogue" had not become purely a

technical designation of a non-Christian Jewish assembly.

So interpreted, the passage in James indicates--what might indeed

have been expected--that the early Christian meetings were not

always perfect. A Pharisaical habit of respect of persons and desire

for the chief seats had crept even into the Church. If similar

faults appear in modern times, we should not despair, but should

fight against them in the spirit of James.

2. CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS IN THE PAULINE CHURCHES

With regard to the Pauline churches information about the conduct

of religious services is far more abundant than it is with regard

to the churches of Palestine; for we have here the inestimable

assistance of the Pauline Epistles. The First Epistle to the

Corinthians, especially, is a mine of information; but much can also

be learned elsewhere.

=(1) The Place of Meeting.=--From The Acts it appears that Paul

regularly began his work in any city by preaching in the Jewish

synagogue, but that the opposition of the Jews soon made it

necessary to find another meeting place. Often, a private house,

belonging to one of the converts, served the purpose. Rom. 16:23;

I Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Philem. 2. Sometimes there seem to

have been a number of such house-churches in the same city; yet

common meetings of all the Christians of the city seem also to

be presupposed. In Ephesus Paul used for his evangelistic work

a building or a room belonging to a certain Tyrannus, who was

probably a rhetorician. The erection of buildings especially for

Christian use belongs of course to a considerably later time.

=(2) The Time of Meeting.=--The frequency of the meetings does not

appear, and may well have varied according to circumstances. There

is some indication, however, that the first day of the week, the

present Sunday, was especially singled out for religious services. I

Cor. 16:2; Acts 20:7. The same day is apparently called "the Lord's

day" in Rev. 1:10.

=(3) Temporary Gifts of the Spirit.=--In the actual conduct of the

meetings, some features appear which are not to be observed in the

modern Church. A number of the gifts discussed in I Cor., chs. 12 to

14--for example, miracles, speaking with tongues, the interpretation

of tongues, and prophecy in the strict sense--have become extinct.

The cessation of them need cause no wonder; the apostolic age was

a time of beginnings, when the Church was being established by the

immediate exercise of the power of God; it is no wonder that at

such a time the Spirit manifested himself as he did not in later

generations. There is a fundamental difference between the apostolic

age and all subsequent periods in the history of the Church.

Nevertheless, all the essential features of our modern church

services were present from the earliest time about which we have

detailed information. The example of the apostles is here very

explicit.

=(4) Scripture-Reading.=--In the first place, the Pauline churches

certainly practiced the reading of the Bible. That would be proved

sufficiently by the evident familiarity of the Christians with the

Old Testament Scriptures; for in those days such familiarity would

undoubtedly be received in large measure by having the Bible read

aloud. The example of the synagogue would also have its influence.

It must be remembered that some even of the Gentile converts were

familiar with the synagogue service before they became Christians.

But there is also the explicit testimony of I Thess. 5:27, Col.

4:16. There the reading of Pauline Epistles is specifically

enjoined. The Apocalypse also was clearly intended to be read aloud.

Rev. 1:3; 22:18.

=(5) Preaching.=--In the second place, there was preaching. No doubt

this part of the service often took a somewhat different form from

that which it assumes to-day. Prophecy, for example, was a kind of

preaching which has been discontinued. The exercise of the gift of

"teaching" perhaps corresponded more closely to the sermons of the

present day; certainly an exposition of the Scripture passages read

would have been according to the analogy of the Jewish synagogue. At

any rate, in some form or other, there was certainly instruction in

the Scriptures and in the gospel, and exhortation based upon that

instruction.

=(6) Prayer.=--In the third place, there was prayer; directions for

public prayer are given at some length in I Tim., ch. 2; and there

are indications that prayer was practiced also in the meetings of

the Corinthian church. See for example, I Cor. 11:4,5.

=(7) Singing.=--In the fourth place, there was probably singing,

though the direct information about this part of the service is

slight. See, for example, I Cor. 14:26. Certainly no elaborate

argument is necessary in order to exhibit the Scripture warrant for

singing in the worship of God. Psalms were sung in Old Testament

times to an instrumental accompaniment, and there is no evidence

that the customs of the Church were changed in this respect under

the new dispensation. Indeed, if singing is an expression of joy, it

would seem to be especially in place after the fulfillment of the

promises has come.

3. PAUL'S DIRECTIONS FOR CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS

Two features balance each other in Paul's directions for the public

worship of the Corinthian church.

=(1) The Principle of Freedom.=--In the first place he is in full

sympathy with the freedom and informality that prevailed. There seem

to have been no set speakers in Corinth; every man spoke as the

spirit gave him utterance; the service must have been characterized

by great variety. This variety, Paul says, is not disturbing,

because it finds its higher unity in the Holy Spirit. "There are

diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit." I Cor. 12:4.

=(2) The Principle of Dignity.=--In the second place, however,

Paul has a strong sense of dignity. The enthusiastic expression of

religious feeling must not degenerate into anything like a senseless

orgy; spiritual gifts, however exalted, are not independent of

reason. "The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets;

for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace." I Cor. 14:32,33.

"Let all things be done decently and in order." V. 40.

Dignity was to be preserved, moreover, not merely in the ordering of

the service itself, but also in the dress and behavior of those who

took part. So much at least is clear in the difficult passage, ch.

11:2-16. Apparently the full equality which was granted to women in

the Christian life led the women of the Corinthian congregation to

give a kind of expression to their freedom which at least at that

time was not seemly. Paul detected the danger and guarded against

it. The lesson always needs to be learned. However dignity may be

preserved in detail, in any particular country and at any particular

time, the principle itself should always be borne in mind exactly as

Paul enunciated it.

At a later period in the apostolic age, the sense of dignity seems

to have found expression in a quieter sort of religious service than

that which prevailed at the time of First Corinthians. The First

Epistle to Timothy lays great stress upon sobriety and gravity in

various departments of the life of the Church.

=(3) The Principle of Love.=--These two principles--the principle

of freedom and the principle of dignity--are kept each in its own

proper place only when they are submitted to the governance of a

higher principle. That higher principle is love. The ultimate aim of

congregational meetings, according to Paul, is not the benefit of

the individual, but the edification of the whole body, and of the

stranger who may come in. The man who has the principle of Christian

love in his heart, as it is grandly described in I Cor., ch. 13,

will never push himself forward in the congregation in such a way as

to display his own spiritual gifts at the expense of others. On the

other hand, he will not be inclined to check the operations of the

Spirit; it is the Spirit alone who can convert the stranger, it is

the Spirit alone who can build up Christian people in the life of

faith and hope and love.

The principle of love is often neglected in the modern Church.

People say they will not go to church because they get nothing out

of it. No doubt they are mistaken; no doubt if they did go, the

benefit would appear clearly in the long run in their own lives.

But at any rate they have ignored the highest motive altogether. We

should go to church not only to obtain benefit for ourselves, but

also, and especially, to benefit our brethren by joining with them

in worship, in prayer and in instruction.

* * * * *

IN THE LIBRARY.--Hastings, "Dictionary of the Bible"; Gayford,

article on "Church"; Adeney, article on "Worship (in N.T.)."

Charteris, "The Church of Christ," pp. 44-90.

LESSON XLV

THE RELIEF OF THE NEEDY

In the Student's Text Book, special emphasis was laid upon the

relief of the needy as it was practiced in the Jerusalem church.

Here it may be well to supplement what was there said by a somewhat

more detailed treatment of the great collection that was undertaken

by Paul. The exposition will serve to illustrate the apostolic

principles of Christian giving.

1. THE PAULINE COLLECTION ACCORDING TO FIRST CORINTHIANS

=(1) The Beginning in Galatia and in Corinth.=--Writing from Ephesus

during his long stay in that city, Acts 19:1 to 20:1, Paul tells

the Corinthians that he had already given directions about the

collection to the churches of Galatia, I Cor. 16:1; he had probably

done so either during the second visit to Galatia, Acts 18:23, or

by letter after his arrival at Ephesus. Now, at any rate, he asks

the Corinthians--very simply and briefly, and evidently presupposing

previous information on the part of his readers--to prosecute the

collection during his absence in order that when he should arrive at

Corinth everything might be ready.

_(2) Laying in Store on the First Day of the Week._--The manner in

which the collection was to be managed is exceedingly interesting.

"Upon the first day of the week," Paul says, "let each one of you

lay by him in store, as he may prosper." I Cor. 16:2. Apparently

no permanent church treasury was used for the reception of the

gifts, every man was to save his own money at home, very much as

private collection barrels are used to-day. The laying up of the

money, however, was to take place on the first day of the week; we

have here probably an early trace of the Christian Sabbath. Perhaps

we may conclude that the act of giving was regarded as a part of

religious worship. Such a conclusion is at any rate in thorough

harmony with all that Paul says about the collection. Some people

seem to feel that the taking of an offering rather mars the dignity

of a church service. In reality it has that effect only if it is

executed in the wrong spirit. Christian giving is treated by Paul as

a legitimate part of the worship of God.

=(3) The Delegates of the Corinthian Church.=--When Paul should

arrive at Corinth, he was to receive the collection and either

send or take it to Jerusalem by the help of delegates whom the

Corinthians themselves should choose. The purpose of choosing these

delegates appears more plainly in Second Corinthians.

2. THE PAULINE COLLECTION ACCORDING TO SECOND CORINTHIANS

=(1) The Situation.=--After the writing of the First Epistle to the

Corinthians, there had followed a period of serious estrangement

between Paul and the Corinthian church. Naturally enough the

collection suffered during this period, as did other Christian

activities. At the time of Second Corinthians, perhaps about a year

after the first letter had been written, Paul was obliged to remind

his readers that although they had begun the work the year before,

much remained still to be done. II Cor. 8:10; 9:2. Nevertheless,

Titus, during his recent visit to Corinth, when the repentance

of the church had become manifest, had apparently been able to

take the matter again in hand. Such seems to be the most probable

interpretation of ch. 8:6; 12:18. If Titus did take up the matter on

the very visit when the rebellion against Paul had been only with

difficulty quelled, that is a striking indication of the importance

which Paul and his associates attributed to the collection. It

was not a matter that could wait until some convenient season; it

had to be taken in hand vigorously, even perhaps at the risk of

misunderstanding and suspicion, the very moment when Paul's relation

to the church became again tolerably good.

=(2) Courtesy of Paul.=--Like all of Paul's management of money

matters, his treatment of the collection is characterized by

admirable delicacy and tact. Instead of berating the Corinthians

roundly for their delinquency, as so many modern organizers would

have done, he seeks to win them over by worthier methods. He points,

indeed, to the example of the Macedonian Christians, in order to

fire the zeal of the Corinthians; the poverty of the Macedonian

churches had not stood in the way of their liberality; they had

given up to their power and indeed beyond their power; they had

given, not of compulsion, but willingly, dedicating themselves as

well as their goods to the Lord. II Cor. 8:1-5. But the Corinthians

are allowed to draw their own conclusion; Paul does not force it

upon them. He does not press the matter home brutally; he does not

put the Corinthians to shame by expressly pointing out how much

more generously the poorer Macedonian Christians had contributed

than they. Indeed he gives his readers full credit; he courteously

calls their attention to the fact that it was they who had made the

beginning, v. 10, and that he had been able to boast of them to the

Macedonians, so that their zeal had stirred up their Macedonian

brethren. Ch. 9:1,2. He appeals especially to the pride that they

ought to feel in the boasting which Paul had ventured upon in their

behalf; Paul had boasted to the Macedonians that Achaia had been

prepared for a year; how sad an end it would be to such boasting if

Macedonians should go to Corinth with Paul and should find that the

collection was not ready after all! Paul urges the Corinthians not

to leave any part of the work until after his arrival; if they do,

they will put both him and themselves to shame. Vs. 1-5.

With equal delicacy Paul hints that the achievements of the

Corinthians in other directions ought to be supplemented by this

grace of giving. The Corinthians, according to the first epistle,

had been very proud of their power of "utterance" and their

"knowledge"; to these Paul can now add--after the loyalty of the

church has finally been established--earnestness and love, II Cor.

8:6-8; but all these excellences will be incomplete unless there

is also liberality. The Christian life must express itself in the

simpler graces, if the more conspicuous activities are to be of

genuine value.

=(3) No Unfair Burdens to Be Borne.=--The delicacy of Paul's

treatment of the matter is observed also in II Cor. 8:10-15; he

is careful to explain that the Corinthians are not asked to lay

unfair burdens upon themselves. There should be an equality among

Christians; it is now time for the Corinthians to give rather than

to receive, but if circumstances should change they might count on

the aid of their brethren. Furthermore, no one should be discouraged

if he can give only a little; "if the readiness is there, it is

acceptable according as a man hath, not according as he hath not."

=(4) Cheerful Giving.=--Paul urges his readers, indeed, to be

bountiful. "He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly;

and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." II

Cor. 9:6. But this bountifulness was to be secured, not by pressing

out the last cent, but by promoting real cheerfulness in giving.

"Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart: not

grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." The

Pauline method is wisest in the end. Men can seldom be bullied into

liberality; they will give liberally only when giving becomes, not a

mere duty, but a joy. Cheerfulness in giving, moreover, possesses a

value of its own, quite aside from the amount of the gift; it is a

true expression of Christian communion.

=(5) The Unity of the Church.=--Probably Paul desired to accomplish

by the collection something even more important than the relief of

the Jerusalem poor. Many Palestinian Christians--not only extreme

Judaizers, but also apparently considerable numbers among the rank

and file--had been suspicious of the Gentile mission. Acts 21:20,21.

Such suspicions would be allayed by deeds more effectively than by

words; a generous offering for the poor of the Jerusalem church

would show that Jews and Gentiles were really united in the bonds of

Christian love. II Cor. 9:12-14.

=(6) The Glory of God.=--Ultimately, however, the purpose of the

collection, as of all other Christian activities, is to be found,

according to Paul, in God. "For the ministration of this service

not only filleth up the measure of the wants of the saints, but

aboundeth also through many thanksgivings unto God." The unity of

the Church, inspiring though it is, is desired, not for its own

sake, but for the sake of the glory of God. By the simple means of

the collection, Paul hopes to present a united Church--united in

thanksgiving and in love--as some poor, human return to him who has

granted us all the "unspeakable gift" of salvation through his Son.

=(7) Sound Business Methods.=--The arrangements which Paul made for

the administration of the gifts are as instructive in their way as

are the lofty principles that he applied. In order to avoid base

suspicions, II Cor. 8:20; 12:16-18, he determined that delegates

approved by the Corinthians themselves should carry the gifts to

Jerusalem, I Cor. 16:3,4, and secured for the prosecution of the

work in Corinth men who had the full indorsement of the churches.

II Cor. 8:16-24. The lesson is worth learning. It will not do to be

careless about the money matters of the Church; it will not do to

say that the Church is above suspicion. Like Paul, "we take thought

for things honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also

in the sight of men." In other words, we must be not only honorable

in managing the money affairs of the Church, but also demonstrably

honorable. To that end sound business methods should always be used.

The accounts of the Church should be audited, not with less care,

but if anything with more care, than those of ordinary business

enterprises.

3. THE PAULINE COLLECTION ACCORDING TO ROMANS

In the Epistle to the Romans, written from Corinth a little after

the time of Second Corinthians, Paul speaks of the collection

again. Rom. 15:22-29,31. He is on the point of going with the

gifts to Jerusalem, and asks the Roman Christians to pray that

the ministration of the Gentiles may be "acceptable to the

saints." There is no reason to suppose that such prayers were

unanswered; Paul was cordially received by the Jerusalem Christians,

Acts 21:17-26; the trouble which caused his arrest came from

non-Christian Jews.

4. TO WHOM WAS RELIEF EXTENDED?

=(1) Breadth of Christian Sympathy.=--The relief of the needy

in the apostolic Church, as it has been studied in the present

lesson, concerned, not outsiders, but Christian brethren. This fact

certainly does not mean that the early Christians were narrow in

their sympathies; they had received from Jesus the command to love

their enemies, and the command was reiterated by the apostles. Rom.

12:20. They were commanded, furthermore, to "work that which is good

toward all men." Gal. 6:10.

=(2) Special Attention to Christian Brethren.=--There were reasons,

however, why such good works should be directed "especially toward

them that are of the household of the faith."

(a) The Special Rights of Brethren.--In the first place, there was

a general reason, which applies to all ages. Though the Church has

a duty to all men, it has a special duty to its own members; for

Christian people to allow their brethren to starve is as unnatural

as for a father to neglect a son, or a husband a wife. Community in

the faith does create a special bond, which should make itself felt

in all departments of life.

It should be observed that in the matter of the collection Paul

takes altogether for granted the right of the poor saints to the

support of the Church. He does not think it worth while to go into

details about the suffering of the Jerusalem poor; he does not

attempt to play upon the sympathies of his readers; he does not

patronizingly represent the recipients of the bounty as paupers.

Indeed, the Jerusalem Christians, he tells the Romans, though they

are receiving material aid, are not really debtors, but rather

creditors. "If the Gentiles have been made partakers of their

spiritual things, they owe it to them also to minister unto them in

carnal things." Rom. 15:27. This attitude toward poorer Christians

is worthy of all emulation. Aid to the brethren is not "charity," in

the degraded sense which that fine word has unfortunately assumed,

but a solemn and yet joyful duty. It should never be undertaken in

a patronizing spirit, but in a spirit of love that multiplies the

value of the gift.