was only one way to be saved. Such a belief did not originate with him for his Lord had said, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” Do not forget that Jesus said to the Samaritan wom an, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship; for salvation is of the Jews.” That is not tolerance at all. Paul said, “ Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” That is not tol erance either. Of course a popular modem writer says that when Paul wrote that, he was neither inspired nor inspiring! Paul kept the deposit commit ted to his trust. There are those who would have us believe that Jesus gave us a kindly Gospel but that Paul came along and built up a system of terrible theology. As a matter o f fact, the most terrible texts in the New Testament come from the lips o f Jesus. He gave us a picture of hell more awful than we get from any o f the apostles. There is noth ing elegant about the incarnation nor is there anything charming about One’s bleeding on a cross. The apostles were called the “ scum” of the earth. The very language of the New Testament is not classic Greek but the lingo of the common people. We have done the very thing Paul warned against. We have developed and preached “ another Gospel” to please comfortable sinners who want culture but not Calvary. We have not kept the faith. Paul was not only faithful to the faith; he was FAITHFUL TO THE FIGHT. “ I have fought
say that what matters is Whom we believe. But we cannot sep arate our Lord from the truths about Him. He said that we are witnesses not only to Him but “o f these things,” the truths about Him. We are suffering today from a strange variety o f Christianity that does not believe anything. Men are unable to give a reason for the hope within them. God has revealed Himself to men and there is a sacred deposit, a body of truth which we are to believe, guard and teach. Paul sets it forth at length in Romans. He declares it in condensed form when he writes, “ And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (I Tim. 3:16). Men have endeavored to sum it up in creeds through the centuries. Paul foresaw the day when men would turn from the faith and heap to themselves teachers having itching ears. We have arrived and some think it makes no difference what we be lieve so long as we are all pleas ant and amiably tolerant of every wind of doctrine. It is very popular nowadays to major on “ Judge not” and forget that we are to “try the spirits whether they are of God.” Paul kept the faith. He did not fall for that modem tolerance that says “ One way is as good as another.” His blasts against false teachers sound almost unchristian in this age when most people do not believe anything enough to contend for it. He believed there
“ ■ HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, ■ I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4 :7 ). We have here Paul’s three-fold victory. He was Faithful to the Faith, Faithful to the Fight and Faithful to the Finish. We live in a day of flashiness and fitfulness but the scarcest of articles is faithfulness. There is ability aplenty but not much de pendability. God requires of stew ards that men be found faithful. Paul was faithful unto death and therefore there awaited him the crown o f life. HE WAS FA ITH FU L TO THE FAITH: “ I have kept the faith.” When we speak o f a man’s faith, we mean the act and atti tude o f believing. Again, we may mean what he believes. Paul was faithful to the faith, he believed the revealed body o f truth once delivered to the saints. Our Lord said, “When the Son of man com- eth, shall He find faith on the earth?” Both sound doctrine and the belief in sound doctrine are scarce today. The time has come when men will not endure it but instead will turn from faith to fables. It has been fashionable for some time to make fun o f creeds. But a creed is what a man be lieves and we all believe some thing. Some say they need no creed but simply accept the New Testament as an all-sufficient rule of faith and practice. That is suf ficient if we really mean the New Testament and not our own pri vate versions o f the New Testa ment revised to suit our unbe lief. There are those who make light o f what we believe and who
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SEPTEMBER, 1967
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