2. The Acts. — In Ac 20^ we have the expediency
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EXPEDIENCY
EXPEIJIEXCY
of discrimination in teaching. Here St. Paul re- minds tlie elders of Ephesus that he had kept back nothing that was proHtable (tu>v (rv/M(pep6vTwi') unto them. As in the case of the Corinthians (1 Co 3"-) the Apostle confined his statement to the things that were prolitable or expedient. In each case he considered what was required by the capacity of his disciples. It is the question of expediency in the matter of truth to be declared. The teacher must discriminate. He must, on the one hand, not cast his pearls before swine, must not give to men what they are incapable of appreciating (Pr 9'*', ^It 7®) ; nor must he, on tlie other hand, give strong food to the weak (He 5-*''-). He must consider what is expedient, profitable.
3. The Epistles. — (1) St. PauVs general attitude in 1 Corint/iuins. — Here we shall have to deal chiefly with the Epistles to the Corinthians, more especially 1 Corinthians. These Epistles represent the cam- paign and slow victory of the new Christian spirit over the debasing influence of the Corinthian ideal, which was the relentless pursuit of his own life by each individual. In 1 Cor. the question of expedi- ency is treated in connexion with several matters relating to Christian conduct. This Epistle has been aptly called ' the Epistle of the doctrine of the cross in application' (Findlay, The Epistles of Paid the Apostle, p. S3). Social and other questions are discussed in tlieir bearing on the relationship of men to Christ, and upon principles deduced from the word of the Cross. And so the keynote of the Epistle is found in 16^* ' Let all you do be done in love.' The first direct reference to expediency is found in 6'- 'AH things are lawful Tinto me, but all things are not expedient ' (aXK ov irdvTa (TVfx<p€p€i). It is probable that St. Paul here refers to some saying of his, which was subsequentlj' drawn out of its limiting context by some members of the Corinthian Church who were inclined to exaggerate Christian liberty, so that they could please them- selves in the matter of food, drink, etc. ; or, still worse, that with an easy conscience they might satisfy tlieir own sinful lusts. Consequently, the Apostle shows that, while he still held to what he had said, the words have by no means an unlimited application. It was necessary to show the Cor- inthians that there is an essential contrast between things in themselves indifferent and things in their very nature evil. The latter can be neither lawful nor expedient to the Christian, since they are grossly inconsistent with his union with Christ.
It must be remembered that pagan sentiment viewed ordinary sexual laxity in anything but a serious lisrht : in fact, it was a prevalent belief anion<r the heathen in apostolic times that for- nication was no sin. Hence the need for its prohibition by the Council of Jerusalem (Ac 15).
On the other hand, there are many things lawful which are not always expedient. Meyer {ad loc.) describes expediency as 'moral profitableness generally/ in eveiy respect, as conditioned by the special circumstances of each case as it arises.' In all things must the Christian ask not only, Is it lawful ? or Does it lie within the range of my liberty? but also, Is it calculated to promote the general welfare of those around me? There is no place for individualism in tlie Christian life. One must ask not merely, What does my liberty permit ? but. How will my conduct help or hinder my brotlier? While all tilings that are in themselves inditlerent (d5td</>opa), i.e. not anti-Christian, are lawful, still it must be remembered tliat tliis liberty is the minister of love. For example, although in itself one kind of meat is neither better nor worse than another, the law of Christian love imposes restraint where indulgence would cause offence or lead to a violation of conscience. Tliis love enables the Christian to take tlie right attitude to what is
allowed ; he will solve the questionable (casuistic) cases and collisions, not by rules which only lead into endless reflexions about their applicability or inapplicability, but by immediate tact, and by' the power of the jjersonality.
Again, this limited freedom is also in truth the highest freedom. ' All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any' (6^-). St. Paul's was not a freedom to destroy freedom. That some at Corinth exposed them- selves to this danger is quite evident. By indul- ging in imjjurity of life, as though that were as legitimate as eating and drinking, they tended to alienate their liberty, and bring their soul into bondage to sin. It is when one recognizes those limits within which freedom is to be exercised that one enjoys that perfect freedom which knows no subjection save to Christ alone.
Christian freedom, then, is a freedom which must not be applied to the injury of others or of oneself. In the exercise of liberty one must have regard to expediency ; one must consider what course is the most likely to promote the best interests of oneself and others. In this section (chs. 6-10) in 1 Cor. St. Paul tells us again and again how in all things indifl'erent he thought of others. All his actions were founded on the ground of the higher expediency. Being free from all men, yet he made himself servant unto all, that he might gain the more (9^^). He became all things to all men (9"). He pleased all men in all things, not seeking his own profit {rb i/j-avrov cxvfKpipov), but the profit of many (10^^).