THE PARABLES EXEMPLIFIED IN THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.
"To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His Kingdom still increasing,
A Kingdom without end."
We have seen that our Lord described in His Parables the general
character and nature of "The Kingdom of Heaven." Consequently, if the
Church established by the Apostles under the guidance of the Holy
Ghost is "The Kingdom of Heaven," it will necessarily be found to
agree with the description thus given. Let us therefore now consider
how far the history of the Church, in the Acts of the Apostles and the
Epistles, agrees with the picture of "The Kingdom of Heaven" drawn
beforehand by the King.
The Parable of the Sower admits of frequent illustration if we
understand the seed to refer, in a general sense, to the good news of
salvation through Jesus Christ, whether it is preached to men outside
the Kingdom or to those within it. The birds are continually carrying
off the seed from thoughtless and hardened hearers; opposition and
persecution and temptation still scorch up the seed in others; and
worldliness and love of money still choke that which was beginning to
grow well in many hearts. And we can see all these characters, in
those who were first called to be members of the Church of Christ. The
Jews, generally, in all places visited by S. Paul, from whom he was
forced to turn away in despair of producing any effect (Acts xiii.
46), were like the wayside on which the seed fell only to be devoured.
Such also was Felix, who "trembled" as he heard S. Paul reasoning "of
righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come," but went away and
"left Paul bound" (Acts xxiv. 25-27); and Agrippa "almost persuaded to
be a Christian" (Acts xxvi. 28). Of hearers in whom the seed is
scorched up by the fire of temptation or persecution, we may see
instances in Ananias and Sapphira, who fell under the temptation to
appear zealous whilst being really worldly (Acts v. 3); or in John
Mark, who was disheartened at the seeming difficulties before him,
and turned back from Pamphylia (Acts xiii. 13), leaving S. Paul and S.
Barnabas to go on without him. Of those in whom the seed is choked by
the weeds of worldliness and love of money, there were many examples.
Simon Magus, who after renouncing his sorcery and being baptised,
thought that the power of the Holy Ghost might "be purchased with
money" (Acts viii. 19, 20); Demas who "loved this present world" so
much that he forsook S. Paul in the hour of danger (2 Tim. iv. 10);
and the many of whom S. Paul spoke with tears, "whose God is their
belly, whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things" (Phil.
iii. 19). And, lastly, of those in whom the seed bears fruit an
hundredfold, it seems almost invidious to select examples. But such
were the martyr Stephen, who prayed for his murderers (Acts vii. 60);
Tabitha, "full of good works and almsdeeds" (Acts ix. 36); Cornelius,
upon whom the Holy Ghost fell even before he was baptized (Acts x.
46); S. Luke, "the beloved physician" (Col. iv. 14), "whose praise is
in the Gospel" (2 Cor. viii. 18).
The Parable of "The Tares," which described the sad outward appearance
of "The Kingdom of Heaven," was unhappily at once exemplified in the
early Church. Amongst the first members of the Church of Christ were
found Ananias and Sapphira "to lie unto the Holy Ghost" (Acts v. 3);
and Simon Magus to bring upon himself the rebuke "thy money perish
with thee" (Acts viii. 20). And, as years passed on, we find S. Paul
writing to the Church of God at Corinth to rebuke its members of
schism (1 Cor. i. 12); of being "carnal" and encouraging "envying and
strife and divisions" (1 Cor. iii. 3); of "fornication," and that not
merely in a single instance (1 Cor. v, vi); of tampering with
idolatrous feastings (1 Cor. viii); of disorders in their religious
assemblies, and especially of gross profanity in the celebration of
the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. xi); of strange misuse of the miraculous
gifts of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. xii, xiv); and of denying the great
doctrine of the Resurrection (1 Cor. xv. 12). All of these charges
show how strongly the tares began at once to grow amongst the wheat.
And, in later years, the same Apostle warns the Elders of Ephesus that
"grievous wolves" will enter in among them "not sparing the flock"
(Acts xx. 29); referring probably to the Gnostic heresies against
which the First Epistle of S. John is mainly directed.
Let us pass on to happier examples. The Parable of "The Mustard Seed,"
describing the outward spread of "The Kingdom of Heaven," is
illustrated by almost every chapter of the Acts. Beginning with the
little seed of an hundred and twenty members, the Church increased at
once to thousands on the Day of Pentecost (Acts ii. 41, 47). Then, as
the increasing numbers required that Deacons should be ordained to
assist the Apostles, we read that "the number of the disciples
multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of the Priests,"
recognising, we may suppose, the fulfilment of the sacrificial types
in the person and work of the Lord Jesus, "became obedient to the
Faith" (Acts vi. 7). Then by the Providence of God this multitude of
the believers was scattered through the persecution which arose about
Stephen, and they "went everywhere preaching the word" (Acts viii. 4).
So that next "Samaria received the word of God" (Acts viii. 14). Then
the good news spread to Damascus, and to Antioch in Syria (Acts ix,
xi. 19).
Such was the growth of the Church in the first ten or twelve years.
Then Antioch became a fresh starting-point, and within the next twenty
years, under the efforts of S. Paul and S. Barnabas and others, the
glad tidings spread from Antioch to Cyprus, and from Cyprus to the
coasts of Asia Minor (Acts xiii, xiv). Then after extending through
many provinces of Asia, the Gospel tree spread forth its branches to
Macedonia (Acts xvi. 11); and from Macedonia to the ancient cities of
Greece (Acts xvii, xviii); and from Greece to Italy and Rome, the
capital of the world. With this Parable of "The Mustard Seed," we may
connect that of "The Seed growing secretly" (S. Mark iv. 26, 27), and
we may think how little the rulers of the old world imagined, that
there was a power at work amongst them, which would change the moral
character of the whole Empire. The Church of Christ was extending her
influence secretly and unnoticed, or noticed only to be despised by
the ruling classes. Yet within three hundred years the faith of Christ
became the professed religion of the Roman Empire.
But the spread of the Church of Christ was not merely an outward
extension in the number of professed members. The Parable of "The
Leaven" had set forth the power which "The Kingdom of Heaven" would
exercise over the hearts of men. And of this also we may find examples
in almost every chapter of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles.
See the leaven working in the first members of the Church, who lived
together in such love and unity that "they had all things common, and
sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every
man had need" (Acts ii. 44, iv. 32). Think of the devoted lives led by
the Apostles, "rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer
shame" (Acts v. 41) for their Lord's sake. Other instances may be seen
in Stephen praying for his murderers (Acts vii. 60); in the character
of Barnabas, "a good man full of the Holy Ghost and of faith" (Acts
xi. 24); in the Elders, who were ordained by S. Paul in the different
cities which he visited, and who handed on the knowledge they had
gained to their more ignorant fellow-countrymen, "feeding the Church
of God" (Acts xiv. 23, xx. 28); in the case of Aquila and Priscilla
instructing Apollos (Acts xviii. 26); in the Ephesian converts burning
their books (Acts xix. 19); in Lydia taking care of S. Paul at
Philippi (Acts xvi. 15); and in the love shown to him afterwards by
the Philippians in general, his "dearly beloved and longed for," his
"joy and crown" (Phil. i. 3-8, iv. 1-10). Other signs of the leaven
working in the hearts of the faithful may be gathered from a variety
of expressions in the different Epistles, pointing to the changed
lives of the members of the Church (1 Cor. vi. 11); whilst the
Apostles were continually urging their converts to let the leaven work
more freely upon them, and become more apparent in the holiness of
their lives, in the putting off "the old man," and in the putting on
"the new man" (Ephes. iv. 22, 24).
The Parables of "The Treasure" and "The Pearl," which set forth the
priceless value of salvation, and the different ways in which it
becomes known to men, may be illustrated by several instances in the
early history of the Church. One finds the truth, as it were, by
chance, like some hidden treasure. Such was the man of Ethiopia
finding, as he crossed the desert, an apparently chance traveller able
to expound to him the prophecies of Messiah (Acts viii. 27); and such
was the jailor at Philippi, stopped in the act of committing suicide
to be baptized by his prisoners (Acts xvi. 27, 30). Another finds
"The Pearl" worth all the world besides, only after long search. Such
was S. Paul, who sought for it in intense zeal for God, and found it
in the Voice which said, "Why persecutest thou Me?" (Gal. i. 14, Acts
ix. 4). And such was Cornelius, whose prayers and alms called down the
blessing from above which brought to him the knowledge of His Saviour
(Acts x. 30-48). Whilst the value which men set upon the discovery was
shown by the joy with which all things were given up for the sake of
Christ, when men "did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of
heart, praising God and having favour with all the people" (Acts ii.
46, 47); when they rejoiced "that they were counted worthy to suffer
shame for His Name" (Acts v. 41); when being expelled with violence
from one city they went on to the next, and, instead of complaints,
"the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost" (Acts
xiii. 50-52); and when one could say, who had given up all his earthly
prospects and high position amongst his fellows, "what things were
gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ" (Phil. iii. 7, 8).
The last Parable of the series, "The Draw-net," referring as it does
to the final separation at the end of the world, cannot be illustrated
by example.
Of the other Parables of "The Kingdom of Heaven" describing special
circumstances which affect the subjects of the Kingdom, only one, "The
Marriage of the King's Son," seems to be capable of illustration by
examples. And this is abundantly illustrated throughout the Acts of
the Apostles in the history of the extension of the Church. As soon as
the Gospel spread to Gentile lands, we find the Jews in general
persistently refusing to accept the Lord Jesus as Messiah and to
become members of the Church. Thus at Antioch in Pisidia, after the
glad tidings had been so published that "almost the whole city came
together to hear the Word of God; when the Jews saw the multitudes
they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were
spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming." Then the literal
fulfilment of this prophetic Parable followed. "Paul and Barnabas
waxed bold and said, It was necessary that the word of God should
first have been spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you, and
judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the
Gentiles" (Acts xiii. 44-46). And, in a similar way, the last chapter
of the Acts of the Apostles records how the Jews in Rome brought upon
themselves the warning Words of S. Paul, "Be it known, therefore, unto
you; that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that
they will hear it" (Acts xxviii. 25-28).
Thus we find the Parables of "The Kingdom of Heaven" exemplified and
fulfilled in the history of the early Church. And any doubt still
lingering in the mind of the reader, about the Church of Christ being
"The Kingdom of Heaven," may be dispelled by the clear testimony of
the facts recorded in Holy Scripture.