The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 240

they call a Feet, ao ,erve I the God of our fathers.'' St. Paul's teachings the Jewish J)l\rty certainly regarded as herel!y, and did not hesitate to call hcr11sy. St. Paul urges that he did no more th1m belong to a sect1 or section, of the Jews, who, while worship- ping Recording to the Mosaic system, had reccived, a.a they believed, some further light b~· the direct revelation of God. To some Jews St. Paul's doctrine of resurrection,' lmsed upon the faot of the resurrection of Christ, was a heresy. To others his free nnnouncemcnt of gospel blessings to the Gentiles was a heresy. But his chief offence in the eyes of the more bigoted Jews lay in this, that he freed his Jewish converts from the characteristic demands of the Jewish ritual. This was, in their eyes, heresy indeed. As indicating a wider use of the term sect than that with which we are familiar, it may be noticed that it was used of Jewish aeots by Josephus, of schools of philosophy by Greek writers generally, and of schools of medicine by Galen. There are four sidea from which lieray, aa a misrepresentation or perversion of accepted truth, may be viewed. I. HEREBY Al IXPERILLING THE TRUTH. The apostle speaks distinctly of false doctrine, which puts the Christian truth in peril. There are great first principles, great foundation truths, and for these we do well to be jealous. But we must clearly see that while heresy on these points is dangerous to the Christian faith and life, heresy on points which men have been pleased to elaborate-on mere details and accepted formulm -have never shaken the rock-built house of truth, and never will. God has given us two all-sufficient tests of moral and religious truth. No heresy ever yet bas stood the application of these two tests. L Is the statement in harmony with God's revealed Word? 2. Does it practically work out into that which is good-morally pure and good? We need never fear any presentation of so-called truth that is in accord with God's Word, and is manifestly "unto holiness." It is God's truth, whatever some may call it, if it helps to make men holy. IL HERESY AS A BYN01'"'YM FOR INDIVIDUALITY. This it very often is. A man expresses a well-established truth in some new form or new phraseology, and, without waiting to examine it, and see if it was only new clothing on the old body of truth, his follow-men raise the heresy shout, and create prejudice against bim. St. Paul's heresy was only individuality, and God gave him that individuality in order that it might make him a holy power. Jews called it heresy, but we have learned to glory in the gospel with the Pauline st.amp upon it. The lesson taught by the Christian records of nearly two thousand years, but which we are strangely unwilling to learn to-day, is that we must never crush individuality by the shout of heresy, but thank God for sending men who can clothe his old truth in adaptation to the thought and life of each succeeding age. III. HEnEBY AS BEQUIBING JUDICIAL INTERFERENCE. This men think it does. This it never does. God's truth never wants the bolstering of any human courts or judges, God's truth asks only one thing from the world's powers and potentates-to be lee alone. Truth wants the open air and the sunshine, that is all It can win its own way. It can carry its own conviction. It can take care of its own purity. It can cast off all unworthy additions. We greatly need an absolute and unquestioning confidence that God's truth is in no danger. It smiles at unbelief and over self-reliant science. much as the granite rocks seem to do at the wild careering waves. JV. HERESY All THE HEALTHY ASSERTION OF NEGLECTED SIDES OF TRUTH. Truth- revealed truth-is e great whole, but no one age seems able to take in the whole; some parts are al ways prominent and some ere al ways in the background; and there is this constant peril, that the truths in the foreground are treated as if they were the whole, and any one who brings up to view the neglected aspects is liable to the charge of heresy. Many a so-called heresy is only e missed truth or a half-truth ; and then, after men have do11.e "calling names," they are glad to accept the teaching. One rule is set before UB, "Prove all tbings, hold fast that which is good," whatever may be the name by which men call it."-R. T. Ver. 16.-Loyalty to God and men. "A conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." IlishopButler'sdefinitionof "conscience" can hardly be surpassed. He e;ays, "There is a principle of reflection in men, by which they distinguish between, a.pprove and disapprove, their owu actions. We are plainly constituted such sort of Ott, :t:llV. 1-27,] THE AC'fS or Tll:E APOSTLES. 247