simple historical fact is that persons lent their rooms or their houses for the Christian, congregations to worship in, :rnd so the term "Church " is first used for the Christian fri?n~s w~o m~t for wo:ship in any place. It subsequently became used for (1) the· bu1ldmg m which the fnends met; and (2) for the entire body of persons who thonaht alike and worshipped alike. The "Church" became the "body of Christ." In the· treatment of this subject we only give suggestive lines alona which thoue1ht and illustration may run, because the associations of different Chri~tian bodies ;ith the term "Church" now differ so greatly that detailed treatment would involve the intro- duction of disputable points. . I. 'l'RE SIMPLEST_ CONCEPTION OF _A CHURCH. It is a meeting or assembly. As such 1t can only be apphe~ to an m:-gamzed ~ody or to a material building by a :figurative· use of the term. No ideas of size, quantity, or number seem necessary to its realization. Two or tb.ree agreeing to meet for worship or work may properly be called a Church. II. IT_s C_LOSE As_socIATIONWITH A ~OM!;: The "Church in the house" is here spoken of. It 1s mterestmg to note the h1stoncal fact that the Christian assemblies first ~anctified homes. They did not need at first to find any architectural expression or to fix architectural associations, or to use architectural aids. Home life found a sufficient sphere. HI. !Ts FUNDAMENTAL FEATURES. Really only this-family reliaion 0 extended to- embrace the family friends. However the growth of the Church may have overshaded its first idea, we must admit that it began with family worship, and developed on the lines of household religious requirements, not presuming at first to affect either the synagogue or the temple demands. This family origin of the Christian Church needs to be more fu II v studied. IV. THE LI;""ES OF ITS PROBABLE DEVELOPMENT. These were fixed by (1) increase of numbers; (2) growth of wealth, bringing with it artistic sentiment and desires; (3) securing of freedom from persecution, and admission of citizen rights and liberties; (4) rise of a distinction between priesthood and laity, and the consequent development of a ritual in which the distinct priesthood could be employed. Impress in what sense the older idea of a" Church in the house" can even now be maintained.-R. T. Ver. 2e.-The Christian anathema. "Let him be Anathema Maran-atha." These words have no very evident connection. .Anathema means "accursed." Maran-atha, appears to mean, " The Lord is at hand." It can only be regarded as an exclamation. On it see the Expository portion of the Commentary. ".Anathema is the Greek term representing the Hebrew cherem, or devoted to destruction, and indicates the excom- munication practised in the Christian Church. The early Christians exercised discipline, on offending members in lesser or greater forms. The greater is called .Anathema. They regarded themselves as distinctly warranted in cutting off members from their body by our Lord's words (Matt. xviii. li); and in using for such excision the term '..Anathema,' they appealed to Paul's employment of the word in Gal. i. 8. They regarded the anathema as cutting off a man from the way of salvation; so that unless he received the grace of repentance he would certainly perish. The word is uniformly used in the Septuagint Version as the equivalent of cherem; and it _se~ms reasonable to s~ppose that where it occurs in the New Testament Scriptures 1t 1s to be understood m the deeper sense as relating to the spiritual condition, and not merely to exclusion from Church privileges." Modern anathematizing is chi~fly_illustrated by the acts of t_he Homan Catholic Church; the sentiment of modern hfe 1s unfavour~hle to the exercise of Church discipline in any of the Protestant communities. I. THE PARTIES ST. PAUL ADDRESSED. 'l'he Church at Corinth; regarded as a com- pany who made ,,rofession of love to Christ, and pledg~d themselves to _live in ~ccord- ance with Christ's will and example. Those who did not love Christ, or failed to realize the Christly spirit and purity, were not merely inconsistent-they were unfaith~ ful and unworthy; they were even exerting a mischicvoUB influence, as do dead flies in pots of ointment. ll. 'l'HE CONDITION IN WHICH SOME PROFESSED MEMBERS MIGHT BE FOUND. A condition involving hypocri6y, the sin against which our Lord spoke m?Ht severely•. So impos- sible of rcctilying and correcting, because so often connected with self-deception. Show how such a condition can be. tested and discovered. The great test is the life, t~e on. xvr. 1-2·!.] 'l'IlE FlRS'l' EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 5ib
practical contluct. 'l'hc man who has lost the ruling motive of the "constraining love of Christ," will soon tone his conduct antl relations with mere self-pleasing, and there will be first the pleasurable, then the questionable, and only too possibly these will }cad on to the immoral, as in the case refeJTed to at Corinth. III. 'l'HE TilEATMENT WHICH UNWORTHY MEMBERS SHOULD RECEIVE. Not excision, as a mere act of judgment; this man can have no right to do to bis fellows. But excision as a matter of tender regard for the soul of the sinner; and as a discipline designed to effect his restoration. Final removal from Christian fellowship no Christian Church has power to aJTange. Temporary removal may be the best and most hopeful means of arousing conscience and securing penitence. St. Paul gives minute directions in 2 Thess. iii. 14, 15, "Note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Y'!t count him not as an enemy, bet admonish him as a brother" (see also 2 Cor. ii. 5- 7).-U. T. HOMILETICAL INDEX TO
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF
PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS.