THE KING’S BUSINESS
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o f faitK and practice. This is the position o f the Roman church. Called o f God, > divinely founded, with perpetual witnesses to the truth, with bishops and councils— surely the church is a sufficient guide. Yet what enormities have flourished under the banner o f the churchd So long as she is composed o f fallible human beings the church can never be final and authoritative in matters o f faith and practice. On every hand we hear the cry, “ Back to Christ,” he and he alone, is the final and ultimate authority in all these matters. We certainly have no desire to take any glory away from the church’s Lord and Master in order to give it to so sacred a book even as the Bible. W e are willing to go “back to Christ.” But where shall we find him? W ith' the exception o f a reference in Josephus and a line or two in Tacitus where, outside o f the Bible, shall we find Christ ? So we see that in order to “get back to Christ” we are in duty bound to fall back upon the Scriptures. .For our master himself the Scriptures were considered sufficient authority in mat ters o f faith and practice. It would repay anyone to look up all the passages in which these words o f the master occur, “ Is it not written?” “Have ye not read?” “What saith the Scriptures?” “It is written.” A careful study o f such Scripture references will reveal the fact that Christ referred to the Scriptures as the authority which set tled matters o f faith and practice for him. Should the Bible be less to the church than it was to the church’s master ? W e think not.
more than this one to describe that condi tion o f soul that brings a man to the king dom, and makes him almost a Christian. It is urged from this verse that the appeal o f Paul had made such a profound impres sion upon the mind o f the Roman official, Agrippa, that there remained but one step between him and Christ, that he was-almost persuaded to become a Christian. So many sermons have been preached along this line and based upon this text; so many sacred memories are so closely associated with it ; so many persons have been awakened to see the danger o f position o f mere near ness, o f being almost a Christian, and not yet completely out and out a follower o f Christ, that one is loathe tp say any word against the meaning so'often, and yet so erroneously put upon this verse, lest it should seem sacreligious. But the truth is what we should seek for, and the glory of God is not enhanced by putting a false interpretation upon Scripture even though such treatment may bring about certain results. We should not do evil that good may come from it. The Revised Version throws much light upon the meaning o f the passage under dis cussion. It translates the verse as follows: “And Agrippa said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.” These words seem to have been uttered under the breath and in a sneering way, as if to say, “Would you try to make a Christian out o f me with such meagre arguments as these.” No, Paul and those present, must not think that Agrippa is to be won over to the sect o f the despised Nazarene so easily as that. Agrippa is not here revealed as an honest inquirer, almost persuaded to accept the truth as Paul, the apostle, presented it, but as a sneering cynic, who would fain make light o f the famous prisoner o f Jesus Christ, and his splendid appeal.
A Misunderstood Passage
/trts —“ Then /taribba said unto thou persuadest me to he a Ch*-*e+icrn” Very few texts, if any, have been used P"‘" r
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