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T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
care in o rder to distinguish th e spur ious Gospels from th e tru e “ Gospel of God.” Thus th e devil has w rought from th e very beginning of th e K ing dom of heaven “w ith all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them th a t per ish ” (2 Thes. 2 :9 -10 ). F rom th e ou t set th e apostles gave w arnings of these activities of th e enemy. P au l w arned the Corinthians of those who should come “ preaching ano th er Jesu s whom we have no t preached,” and w arned them also ag ain st receiving “ another sp irit whom we have n o t received, or ano th er gospel which ye have not accepted.” (2 Cor. 1 1 :4 ). Wherever th e “ Gospel of God concerning His Son” has been preached, th e re h as followed th e preaching of “ ano th er Jesu s,” one who is. no t “ God over all and blessed forever more” (Rom. 9:5) but a mere “ refo rm er,” “ a g reat teach er,” a “ leader and example among m e n ;” and “ ano th er sp irit," no t th e Holy Spirit of God who is “ given” to believers in Jesus Christ; and “ ano th er Gospel,” in which th e re is no redem ption by blood, no risen Saviour, no “ power of God unto salvation to every one th a t believeth.” Such were th e Arians, Sociuians and Gnostics of early days, and such are the p resen t day Mormons, Christadelphians and certain sects of Adventists who deny th e Deity of th e Lord Jesus Christ; also th e followers of Mrs. Eddy and of “ P asto r” Russell. These zeal ous devotees of , “ dam nable heresies” are th e fru it of th e positive preaching of erro r, th e industrious sowing of poi sonous seeds, and are no t th e resu lts merely of an indifferent hearing of the tru e Gospel. These deluded persons are so completely possessed by the "sp irit of e rro r” as to be u tte rly incap able of discerning th e tru th . The astonishing featu re of th e case is th a t th e doctrines they have received and which have made them w hat they are, are spread in th e name of Christ, and upon th e claim of Bible authority. Such are th e tares and they who receive them .
MODERN SOWERS OF TARES Phillip Mauro, w riting on th e p ar able of th e tares and w heat (Matt. 13) in his recent book “A fter This,” says: This prophetic parable has been m ar velously fulfilled. L et it be observed th a t th e ta re s are no t m ere “ profes sors,” th a t is to say, “ unconverted per sons” who are nom inally Christians and who are often found in company w ith believers. Mere form al professors are .never called in Scripture, “ children of th e devil.” T h at nam e is reserved for those who are active enem ies of the tru th , being energized in a direct way by th e sp irit of evil, even as th e chil dren of God are energized by th e Spirit of God (Acts 13:10). The children Of th e wicked one are men who receive,- believe in, and become anim ated by Satanic lies. They are th e direct and inevitable product of a sowing of Satanic doctrines, ju st as children of God are th e product of th e preaching of Christ. So we have, in th is p a rt of th e Lord’s parable a fore telling of the rem arkab le fact, th a t, in all p arts of th e world where th e Gospel has first been preached (and only in such p a rts), th e re have appeared ener getic,' zealous and en terp rising men, actively sowing doctrines from which have sprung up (no t masses of mere professors or indifferent h earers, bu t) multitudes of earnest devotees of false hood, persons who are most ardently attach ed to th e doctrines they have received, most zealous in defending and spreading them , and ready to suffer for them , if need be. The “ children of the wicked one,” begotten of satanic lies, are very different indeed from the o rd inary masses who make a m ere for m al profession of Christianity. And no t only so, b u t th e false and poisonous doctrines th u s introduced among believers bear a deceitful resem blance to th e “ doctrines of Christ.” Men in general are completely deceived; and even “ th e elect” need to exercise
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