The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 112

the fact le that, to the end of their da7s, they voluntarily keep up their old habil8 and practices, preferring to set themselves within what they find to be well-ordered limitations, In such cases it is rather an over-severe consistency than anything liko inconsistency which we find. Modern evil rather goes in the direction of over-demand of personal liberty as new aspects of Divine truth gain prominence. There is too little of Pauline self-regulation on the Christian principles. Ill. A MAN'S PERSONAL LIMITATIONS NEED NOT CONFUTE HIB PUBLIC TEACHINGS, They may be matters of dispute, on which the Church is divided. He need not make his decisions, for the ordering of bis own private life, keep him from the public utterance of the great principles and duties. 'fhe readiest illustration of this point may be ta.ken from the use of fermented drinks. A Christian teacher may decide that it is necessary for hie well-being that he should use such drinks regularly and moderately. Now, such a man is not debarred by his own personal habit from publicly dealing with the great social evil of drunkenness. He can in no way be charged with inconsistency, since the matter is one of personal limitation, and not one of scriptural principle. St. Paul claimed the right to preach as a Gentile, and to limit himself by Jewish rules, if it pleased him to do so.-R. T. Ver. 23.-Btrengthening disciples. St. Paul's method of itinerating involved some- thing like a systematic revisitation of the Churches he founded, and the keeping up of a connection with them by letter, when he could not give his bodily presence. He seems only to have remained long enough in any one place to gain a number of disciples, and to start them fairly, with something like Church order, self-government, and adequate teaching force, from among themselves. His plan tended to develop the self-dependence of the early Christians; and it made very real St. Paul's doctrine of the actual presence and Divine leading of the Holy Ghost. But we cau also see that it placed the young Churches in grave peril, and there can be no reason for surprise if we find that in doctrine they yielded to the influence of bold but imperrect or false teachers; and in practical life felt the contaminating influence of surrounding immoralities. It is phin that occasional visits or letters from the older teachers were imperatively necessary, and the work done by such visits or letters is variously styled confirming, or strengthening, the disciples (eh. xiv. 22; xv. 32--41). The word "strengthening n seems, however, to suggest that St. Paul found some weakening of faith, and failure of character and conduct, which he knew would only too readily develop into doctrinal and practical heresies. We may take this t~rm "strengthening" and apply it to some of the forms of pastoral and ministerial service in our own times. Something is done in the way of visiting and confirming the Churches by our older and honoured chief pastors, but it may be urged that here is a sphere of hopeful service which may be much more fully occupied. I. "STRENGTH£NING" AS APPLIED TO THE RENEWALS OF MORAL l!'OBCB DJ TillEll OF PERSECUTION, Our Lord fairly forowarned his disciples that they must look for per:,e- cution. It came heavily upon the young Churches, not only in those open forms of which history has preserved the records, but also in those thousandfold more searching forms which belonged to family and social life. Power of resistance and steadfast endurance came indeed from the grace of God and the leadings of the Holy Ghost, but these ever fit in with, and work through, a due and careful culture of moral character. There are principles, considerations, and sentiments which strengtuen and steady men to endure persecution. And these still form one great theme of pastoral treatment, since, in subtler ways, it is found true to-day that" they who will live godly must suffer persecution." II. "STRENGTHENING" AS APPLIED TO ESTABLISHMENT IN CHRISTIANTBUTHB.. Three processes are ever going on which need careful watching and wise correction. 1. Men who at one time grasp truth strongly, and make it a power on heart and life, gradually get to loosen the grasp, and lose the practical influence of the truth on the conduct. 2.. Man who do not at first get a really clear hold of truth soon coma, unwittingly, to misrepresent it and injure it; not fram e.n intention of introducing freshness, or from any desire to encourage heresy, but simply from feebleness of mental grip and inability to apprehend truth clearly. The evils which Christian doctrine bas suffered from this cause have never bean duly estimatflrl. a. !,fan who ~ of inquisitive anJ 4P'f&-P, l  114 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES.