THE KING’S BUSINESS
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words to young conyerts. There is no way in which the devil can more successfully trouble believers (and especially young converts), or more thoroughly unsettle (or subvert) their souls than by false words, words that oftentimes contain a certain modicum o f truth, but are mixed with so much error as to make the compound thor oughly poisonous. These false words must be met with words o f truth (Col. 4 :6 ), and above all by the W ord o f God (2 Tim. 3:13-15). The Apostles emphatically denied all responsibility for this pernicious subverting teaching, viz. that men must keep the law o f Moses in order to be saved (cf. v. 1). The Apostles and elders and the whole church gathered at Jerusalem (cf. v. 22) had come to absolute unanimity about the matter in question (v. 25, R. V .). So the question o f the subjection o f believ ers in Christ to the law o f Moses is set tled forever. The Seventh Day Advent ists have not discovered this fact even yet, though it was settled so many centuries ago. It is a great thing when brethren who differ can meet together, and study the Scriptures together under the Holy Spirit’s guidance as did these early Christians, and thus “come to one accord.” There is surely no need o f any difference on essential points among those who bow to the author ity o f the Bible and are honestly asking wisdom o f God (Jas. 1:5-7). The diffi culty is that so many go to the Bible, not to find out what it really teaches and seek wisdom o f God, not to really find'out what His mind is, but they go to the Bible simply to find confirmation o f the views which they Have already formed, and seek wisdom o f God only that God may tell them the thing they desire to be told. The Apostles and the whole church bestowed very lofty praise on Paul and Barnabas; thejf said that they had “hazarded their lives for the name o f the Lord Jesus Christ.” This praise was well deserved (2 Cor. 11:23-27). O f how many disciples today could it be justly said that they had “hazarded their lives for the name o f our Lord Jqsus Christ?” But any one who desires to be a
to Antioch by the legalizers. They knew the men they had to deal with and that if they did not take this precaution that they would take back a lying report, or a mis leading report. Evidently the Judaizers o f that day were given to misrepresentation o f facts just as the . Judaizers , o f today are. By their very carefully choosing men to send to Antioch to tell them by word o f mouth what the decision o f the council at Jerusalem was, Paul gained his chosen companion o f coming days. (cf. v. 40). Paul’s enemies had intended to destroy or limit his work, but their schemes had only resulted in good to Paul. The mode o f address used in the letter is full of sig nificance, they addressed them as “the brethren which are o f the Gentiles,” thus showing that faith in Jesus Christ makes all men kin : in Jesus Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile (Gal. 3:28). The breth ren which were o f the Jews and the breth ren which were o f the Gentiles were bound together by a very tender tie, that o f faith in a common Saviour. Many American and English Christians have not even yet reached the point where they regard every converted African, or converted China man or converted Hindoo as a brother. vs. 24-26. "Forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you) with words, subverting your Souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law, (omit, saying, Ye must bei circumcised, and keep the law;) to whom we gave 'no such commandment: It seemed good unto us, being assembled with (hav ing come to)' one accord, to send chosen men ( to choose out men and send them) unto you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’1 The description here given o f the Juda izers is very striking and suggestive, “cer tain which went out from us have troubled you with words.” This kind o f troublers are not all dead yet, men who go out from the body df believers and trouble young Christians with words, men who creep in unawares and whisper specious, but false
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