THE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
685
Those who believe in th e Bible’s God and in man as God’s separate creation, placed here for a purpose and as a p art of God’s plan, can certainly do more if they are harmonious in th eir beliefs th a n they can if they are oc cupied defending th e Book of books from th e attack s of those w ithin th eir own organizations. The controversy need not be a heated one, bu t th e re is certainly need of light. Our position is known— th e Bible states it in clear and unm istakable language; now let our opponents sta te th e ir posi tion in language as clear and unm is takable, and th e discussion can pro ceed in an orderly way and be con ducted in a Christian spirit. th e re was no room for th e play of hu man emotions. The atten tive reading of th e chapter will, however, effectually disprove th is idea, showing, as it does, th e Apostle in a mood of mingled ten derness and indignation. Instead of letting loose the flood gates of denunciation against certain ap athetic and calloused members of th is Corinthian Church, he appeals first to th e fact th a t God in marvelous ways has set His seal upon his m inistry, then proceeds to vindicate th e self-effacing character of his service, and finally to w arn against the soul-destroying power of sinful indulgence. Notw ithstanding th e restrain ed language employed, the intelligent reader cannot fail to detect th e sense of injury, not to say indig nation, which leads th e Apostle to re buke th e suggestion th a t he or any of his co-laborers were moved by sordid motives. He calls upon God to witness th a t his passion was for th e edification of those to whom he m inistered; and
and anyone can believe what he pleases in religion or refuse to believe. No injustice is done to a preacher when he is excluded from th e m inistry of any church on th e ground th a t he does not believe in th e doctrines of th e church. Come, let us reason tog ether in calm ness and in friendliness, agreeing where we can and differing where we must. A church, is not strong if its members must employ th e ir energies in disputes w ith each other. Those who reject th e Bible as it is w ritten and sub stitu te th e guesses of science for th e tru th of th e Scriptures ought to be w illing to have a church of th e ir own where th e members can work in h ar mony for th a t which they believe.
N o t Tours, But Y O U (2 Cor. 12:14) By Hugh R. Munro, Vice-Pres Niagara Lithograph Co., New York
|N th is day of multiplied finan cial appeals th e mere sugges tion of discouraging gifts of money to a w orthy object
seems revolutionary; nevertheless this is th e manifest purpose of th e Apostle P aul in the words quoted. Weymouth’s tran slation gives added emphasis to th e point, for it reads, “ I desire not your money, b u t yourselves.” The man who feels th a t, having given liberally to church support or other benevolence, he has rendered his full measure of service, can find no encour agement here. He may “ give all his goods to feed th e poor” and yet be no more th an “ sounding brass and tin k ling cymbal.” There is a m istaken idea w ith many people th a t th e w riters of th e New Tes tam en t were men devoid of th e ordinary hum an qualities and passions. The Apostle Paul, for example, is regarded as so superlatively sp iritual and all- absorbed in heavenly concerns th a t
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