The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 386

and discussion, certainly implied that the normal condition of the Church should be one of concord, and not one of countless variations and opposing views. 2. To keep the Lord's Supper as the apostle instructed them. The Corinthians were charged not to partake of the sacred supper as of a common meal, lest they should "come together to judgment." They were to keep the feast with reverence, and with discernment of the Lord's body. They were also to show brotherly kindness, not as partisans, but as brethren, coming together and waiting for one another at the festival of love. 3. To bear in mind the doctrine of the mystical body, and, as members therein, to have the same care one for another. To have schisms or alienations would be to separate limbs that had need of each other, and so to vex and impede the whole body of Christ. At the present day, wherever parties are formed in a particular Church with hostile feelings and a desire to weaken one another, there is schism, in the New Testament sense of the word. And wherever, within the Church general, or communion of saints there is an ele"<"ation of party names, and a setting up of party or denominational com~unions making the Lord's Supper "their own supper," there is schism. ' II. A HERESY IS AN AGGRAVATED FORM OF A SCHISM, AND DENOTES A SEPARATIST PARTY orr A SECT. We read of" the heresy of the Sadducees" (Acts v. 17), and "the heresy of the Pharisees" (Acts xv. 5). The Christians were charged with forming a new heresy or sect-" the heresy of the Nazarenes." It was in this sense, and not at all in the sense of heterodoxy, that St. Paul admitted that be worshipped the God of bis fathers, "after the manner which they called heresy." 'l'he Jews at Rome, agreeing to hear the qJOstle on the faith or the Nazarenes, remarked, "As concerning this heresy, we know that it is everywhere spoken against." Thus the term undoubtedly denoted a faclion, not a mode of thought or form of doctrine, true or false; but in the Church it took from the beginning an unfavourable meaning. A heresy was a faction which carried out a schism to actual separation, and was animated in doing so by a proud, unruly spirit. Accordingly, here.~ies are classed with variances, strifes, and seditions, among " the works of the flesh" (Gal. v. 20). "A man that is a heretic," therefore, means, not an errorist, but a separa\ist. We do, indeed, read in 2 Pet. ii. 1 of "heresies of doctrine;" but the reference is to the conduct of introducers of strange dcctrine as forming a separate party. "Many shall follow their pernicious ways." We have seen that direction was given for the prevention of schism. It was also given for the correction and removal of heretics. Titus was instructed to admonish u heretic once and again. If admonition failed, 'l'itus was to reject or shun him as a mischief-maker among brethren. \Ve live in a time of great confusion. Church unity is misunderstood; Church liberty is abused; and Church discipline is relaxed-is, in some quarters, almost obsolete. Let every one lool, to his own spirit and conduct. As a Christian, you are a Churchman. Never join a sect or faction. Never lift the mere banner of a party. Belong to the Church of God, which was born of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost. For actual instruction and united worship, you must be in some oue particular part of that Church; abide in that which is in your judgment the best constituted and administered; but never take your chamber for the whole house, or anv particuiar Church for the Church univenal. Bear a brotherly heart and count~nance towards all who love the Lord, that, so far as your influence extends, there may be no schism in the b01ly. Deplore the existence of splits and divisions as an evil; yet reu;em ber that it evolves some good-" t~at they who are approv:e? may be made manifest amona you." Oh to be approved of him who knows what spmt we are of, and to be manir;sted as no heretics, but faithful members of Christ and loving children of God !-F. Ver. 1.-The limitation set on the following of good men. " Of me, even as I also am of Christ." The apostle calls to the same personal following, without the qualification, in eh. iv. lG. This first verse of eh. x.i. should be the closing verse of eh. x., as it really completes the exhortation which is there given. "The apostle refers to his own example, but only to lead his readers up to Christ as the great example of One who 'pleased not himself' (Rom. xv. 3). His own example is valuable inasmuch ns it is the example of one who is striving to conform to the image of his Lord." Hecall David's very striking e:,:pression in I's. xvi. 2, 3, "My goodness exteucleth not to thee [O God]; only to the saiuts that are in the earth." \Ve consider- oH. XL 1-34.] 'l'HE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 391