(v.) Mt 25« 7r6re
ov 5ir]Kovri(ra/iiev aoi ; those
words supplement in a solemn way the sayings just commented upon. Ministering love is not only the path to true greatness, it is also the indispensable
* ' My idea of heaven is the perpetual ministrj- of one soul to another ' (Tennyson, Memoir by his Son, ii. 421)."
condition of future exaltation with Christ. He who ' for our sakes became poor,' who turned the light of His infinite pity upon the world of hunger, poverty, and mLserj-, still calls the hungry and jjoor and miserable ' His brethren,' and accounts their cause His own. !Not to have ministered to their needs is not to have ministered to His (cf. Lowell, ' The Vision of Sir Launfal ' ; and ' The Legend of St. ^lartin's Cloak,' Farrar, Lives of the Fathers, i. 630). At His coming in glorj-, Christ A\ill declare His love to those who have loved, and will admit them as ' joint-heirs with Himself ' ; but He will reject as unmeet for companionship v.ith Him those who have not taken the position among their fellow-men which He showed them how to take when He said, 'Eyui 8e eiut eV fjieaw vfiuiv ws 6 diaKovQv (Lk22'-^, cf. Jn 13^). — These saj'ing's of Jesus virtuall}' create a new standard of social ethics. They give to the prophetic teaching of the OT on considerate and brotherh" conduct CJ", see W. R. Smith, Proph.^ 160, 407 ; Driver, Sermons on OT, 221, 232) the breadth and completeness which it yet lacked. ' If we wish to feel the contrast of the Pagan and the Christian ideals of greatness, we have only to compare the Aristotelian picture of the ixeyaKo-^i'xos, the proud aristocrat who lives to prove his independence and superiority, with that other picture of a Life that poured itself out in the service of others ' (Seth, Eth. Principles, 264).
Later Stoicism ' sometimes expressed «"ith much warmth the recognition of the universal fellowship and natural mutual claims of human beings as such' (Sidgwick, Hist, of Ethics, 120), but this was really inconsistent with the hard isolation of the indi\idual that was the fundamental basis of Stoicism (Lightfoot on Ph2, 'St. Paul and Seneca,' 296), and the practical results of such teaching were small (Lecky, Europ. M orals ^^, ii. 78-79). Numerous coincidences are found between the teaching of Jesus and the humane sayings of Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus AureUus. But, as Lightfoot obser\es {I.e. 291), 'an expression or a maxim, which detached from its context offers a striking resemblance to the ethics of the Gospel, is found to have a wholly different bearing when considered in its proper relations.' Stoicism was wholly wanting in humility, which is the very foundation of ministering love as taught b.v Jesus (cf. Westc'ott in Smith's DB ii. So7'>, iii. 13S0). With Him, such love is not an occasional precept of benevolence, but, as Harnack says {What is Christianity > 98), it is 'the religious maxim.'
The following passages will show some of the results pro- duced by our Lord's teaching in Christian thought and hfe. There are differences of hixxet.ai (1 Co 12=), but the manifold faculties for ' the work of ministering ' are gifts from the Exalted Lord (Eph 4^-), and each disciple has received a gift of some kind to be laid out in Christian service (1 P 4i0- H). Some are called to the ministry of the word (Ac 6^, 2 Co 36 6\ Col -Ji", 1 Th 32, 2 Ti 45), to testify the gospel of the grace of God (Ac 20'-24) and win men to faith (1 Co 3=) ; God has committed to such 'the ministr>- of reconciliation' (2 Co 5i8). Some as attendants and comrades can strengthen the hands of those engaged in this work: St. Paul was thus helped bv Timothy and Erastus (Ac 1922), bv T\chicus (Eph 621, Col 4"), by Onesi- phorus (2 Ti liS), by Mark "(2 Ti 411), by Onesimus (PhilemiS). Some can render invaluable help in the local churches, as Stephanas and his household at Corinth (1 Co 1615), and Phcebe at Cenchres (Ro I6I). Ministering to the wants of the poor, the sick, the stranger, the prisoner, was constantly called for (Ac 61- ■-', Ro 12", He e'O, cf . 10*4, Rev 2W). A collection (two are mentioned) is a S.c^zey.a. (Ac 1129 1225, Ro 1531, 2 Co S-»- ^- 20 91. 12. 13), and St. Paul speaks of his journey in charge of the latter as itself a part of the ministration (Ro 15'-^ topv^ouuiu . . . ItoLxmii To'l; kyioi;, see Gifford's note). The above passages show that 'a faithful minister of Christ ' (Col 1", cf. 1 Ti 46) is one who combines with the stated ministry of the gospel the senice of his fellow-raen in things temporal and ext€mal. — Thus iixxtta, i.xxm'ii, in showing men the path to greatness, have themselves attained to greatness. It is true of words as well as of persons, that God as revealed in Christ 'hath exalted them of low degree ' (Lk 152).
Liter ATtTJE. — Stephanus, r^^.^awrt/.s (Hase and Pindorf's ed.) ; Hastings' and other Dictionaries of the Bible; Diet, of Anti- tptities ; Diet, of Christian Antiquities ; Hort, The Christian EecUsia; Lightfoot, Philippia)u; Deissmann, Bible Studies; Swete, St. itark; Menzies. ^fark; Trench. Synon. ix. xxxv ; F. \\'. Robertson, Human Race, 143 ; R. W. Dale, Fellotcship with Christ, 247 ; P. Brooks, MyMery of Iniquits/, 327 ; R. W. Church, Human Life, 125 ; \V. Sanday, Conception of Priest- hood, 35. James Donald.