The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 289

mind and heart from Christ. Nowadays it is worldliness, self-indulaence the beautiful in art, and the fascination of scientific knowledge. \Ve want nowt~ lov~ and serve so many things much and Christ a little, and still the old message sounds forth "If 11 man forsake not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." St. Paul count~d "all things loss for Chtist," and would have nothing-Mosaic rite, human philosophy or aught else---come between.him and his one Lord.-R. T. ' Ver. 4.-0ne Jesus, one Spirit, one gospel,, Evidently St. Paul recoanized a vital <listinction between the Christ whom he preached and the Christ pr;ached by the teachers of the Judaic party. The Christ whom he preached was the" Friend and Brother of mankind, who had died for all men that he might reconcile them to God." The Christ whom they preached was the "head of a Jewish kingdom, requiring circumcision and all the ordmances of the Law as a condition of admission to it." St. Paul could see no gospel, no good news, in such a Christ as that. By "another Jesus" we may understR.nd Jesus otherwise presented; "another spirit" is something opposed to the spirit of liberty in (:hrist from Mo!'ll.ic ordinances; and by" another gospel" the apostle means something different from the good news of God reconciled to faith. "His gospel was one of pardon through faith working by love; theirs was based on the old Pharisaic lines of works, ritual, ceremonial and moral precepts, standing in their teaching on the same footing." Here St.. Paul makes distinct claim to be the authorized teacher of the truth, a.nd we consider this claim. I. THE SENSE IN WHICH .APOSTOLIO TEAOHING w AS FINAL. In relation to this modern opinion differs from the older opinion, a.nd therefore the subject needs. to be treated with extreme care and prudence. When the genera.Uy received doctrine of inspiration wa.s that known a.s the verbal theory, which affirmed the direct communi- cation from God of every word of Scripture, the apostles were regarded a.s inspired for every detail of Gospels and Epistles, a.nd appeal to their expressions was regarded as final. We now more clearly see that they were inspired to guide men's thoughts, but not to fetter them, or force them into precise moulds. The apostles do fix the lines along which Christian tbonght ma.y safely run, but they leave full room for the diversities and idiosyncrasies of men to find free expression. 'l'hey make a. firm stand, a.nd plainly show the boundaries of Christian thinking, bat within the lines they leave us free. We properly use our own cultured Christian judgment-in the lea.dings of the Holy Ghost -upon the va.lne of their arguments, a.nd the precise applications of their counsels. And this appears to us quite consistent with a. becoming reverence for these divinely endowed men, and necessary to that persona.I lea.ding of the Holy Ghost, which we are permitted to realize as well as they. God's truth for the race ca.n be set within nc, permanent bonds, even though men may call them apostolic. II. THE LIMITS WITHIN WHICH DIVERSITY ·OAN JIE PERMITTED. 1. There can be no dispute with regard to the great Christian/acts. 2. There ca.n be no attempt to alter the supreme position of Christ in his Church a.nd relation to his Church. There is nothing so essentially Christian a.s the truth of the direct relation of the soul to Christ, a relation that is independent of doctrine, creed, ceremonial, or priesthood, though these all have their place. 3. There a.re great foundation truths and principles which ma.y be stated in simple and comprehensive terms, but ontside of which, or contrary to which, Christian thought cannot safely run. None may take from us our" liberty in Christ," but we may wisely "hold fast the form of sound words." III. THE WAYS IN WRICH APOSTOLIO TEACHING MIGHT BE lllPEllILLED. Unfold a.nd illustra.t.e the following ways. 1. By overloading it with the old, 2. By overstraining it to fit the new. 3. By applying it in a spirit that is out of harmony with its principles. 4. By the pressure of the peculiarities of men who are strongly self-willed. 5. By translating the claims into the things we should like to do, rather the.n into the things which we ooght to do. 6. By permitting the common philosophy e.nd sociology of men to give tone to the Christian revelation, rather than to make Christianity tone them. IV. THE TEBTB BY WHIOB SUOB PEBVEBBIONB OF APOBTOLIO TEACHINGS MIGHT BE DIBCOVERED. The all-sufficing te,tB of a.ny teaching, under the influence of which we may com&-wbether it be teachings of the pulpit or of the press-are these. 1. le it ill ha.l'UlOIIY with the first truth of the Christian revelation-the fatherhood of Go<!? on, XI, 1-33,] THE SEOOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS, 280