A.T. Robertson - The Glory of the Ministry

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The Glory of the

Ministry

Other Books by

PROF.

A. T.

Notes

Critical

ROBERTSON

to Broadus's

Harmony of

the Gospels.
Life

and Letters of John A. Broadus.

Teaching of Jesus Concerning

God

the

Father.

Keywords

in the

Syllabus for

New

Teaching of Jesus.
Testament Study.

Students' Chronological

Epochs

in the Life

Epochs

in the Life

Jonn the Loyal.

New Testament.

of Jesus.
of Paul.
Studies in the Minis-

try of the Baptist.

A

Short

Grammar of

the

Greek

New

Testament.

A

Commentary on the Gospel According to Matthew.

The Glory of the

Ministry

Paul's Exultation in

Preaching

By
A. T.

ROBERTSON,

Professor of
in

New

M.

A.,

D. D.

Testament Interpretation

The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary, Louisville, Ky.

NOV 20

New York

Fleming
London

Chicago

H.

Toronto

Revell Company
Edinburgh
and

1990

Copyright, 191 1, by

FLEMING

New

H.

York:

REVELL COMPANY

158

Fifth

Avenue

Chicago: 123 North Wabash Ave.
Toronto: 25 Richmond Street, W.

London:

21

Edinburgh:

Paternoster

100

Princes

Square
Street

To
The Rev. James Stalker, M. A,, D. D,
Professor in the United Free

Church

College,

Aberdeen,

Teacher,
Preacher,
Inspirer of Preachers

Preface
is

IT

now

a good

many

years since the beauty of

Paul's apologetic for preaching in 2 Corinthians
i2-vi. 10

ii.

with

much

made

first

its

that has entered

my

study of the Greek text with a
that

gripped

first

my

appeal to me.
life, it

was the close

Greek exegesis

class in

heart with

As

noble pane-

this

gyric on the ministry of the servants of Jesus Christ.

not mere rhapsody on Paul's part, but a magnificent exposition of the preacher's task from every

It

is

point of view.

I

have made

it

my

duty and joy to

present this lofty spiritual interpretation of the minsucceeding classes of theological
ster's work to

Last

students.

November

in

South Carolina

I

made

" as pre-

an address on " The Glory of the Ministry
cheer
sented by Paul in this passage. It brought

and hope to the hearts of some of the toilers for
Christ to the extent that a number of them privately
asked

me

to write a

little

book on the

subject.

I

appeal.

have not been able to get away from

this

My

know much

life

is

constantly with ministers.

I

disapof the struggles, ambitions, hopes, joys, and

pointments of preachers of the Gospel, both young
7

PREFACE

8
old.

for

all

The

and

critical, if

have not

They

fallen in pleasant places

are subject to

not always easy in an unsympathetic atmosphere

really are.

I

have written

and to see things
this

and

his mission

whom

as they

book out of love

Some one may

preachers of the Gospel of Jesus.
tonic and ozone, as he

may

distinctly-

not at times harsh, towards the minister.

to preserve the right spirit

for

much misun-

Modern and pubUc opinion is

derstanding.

It is

lines

of them.

find

comes close to the heart of

Hfe, in Paul's

Some,

bracing words.

the ministry no longer has the old charm,

recover their

love.

first

Some, who have been

disposed to speak unkindly of ministers as a

may

for

class,

Some young

be led to revise their judgment.

men, who look out on the wonderful modern world,

may
as

catch a glimpse of the light in the face of Jesus,

did Paul on the road to Damascus, and yield to

the appeal in that Face for a world lost in sin, a

world that

calls

that the Spirit of Christ

and take
not
in

a
the

where

it

ministry,

of our

of

by

is

pray

little

book

The volume

Paul's

though that

conception

of the ministry

writers

with this

needed.

is

exposition

grand

Paul's

ideas

it

mere

may go

I

of Jesus.

for interpreters

is

own

the heart of

related

sufficient

to

is

glorying
it.

modern

use of the great

time on the preacher's problems.

These are shown to share Paul's enthusiasm.

The

PREFACE

9

flame of the Lord that burned in Paul's breast blazes
yet.

Many

swer the

call

of the noblest spirits of our time anof Christ with joy and gladness of heart.

The substance
dresses

before

of this

the

book was delivered

Tabernacle

Bible

(Atlanta, Ga., March, 191 1), but the

in ad-

Conference

book has been

written independently of that occasion.

A. T. Robertson.
Louisville^

Ky,





———

1

Contents
I

The

Joy—

Disheartened Preacher's

The New

Standpoint

.

13

.

51

II

The Glory

that

Faded

The Modern Problem
III

The

Light in the Face of Jesus—

The

Attraction of Christ

83

.

IV

With Open Face

The

Preacher's Privilege

113

.

V
This Treasure

in

Earthen Vessels

The Human

Limitations

141

.

VI

The Weight of Glory—
The

.

10

Invisible Consolation

VII
Well Pleasing Unto Him

The

Preacher's

Passion

.

Master




^79

.

207

VIII
In Glory and Dishonour

Taking Life
II

as It Is

I

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

—THE NEW STANDPOINT
(2 Cor, a. i2-iii. 6)

.
.
« I had no relief for my spirit
But thanks be unto God, who always
leadeth us in triumph in Christ."
.

—5

Cor. a. 13 f*

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY—
THE NEW STANDPOINT
The Ground of Paul's Discouragement

I.

IT

was chiefly the situation

that Paul

He

had founded.*

very greatly.

seemed

It

in Corinth, a

church

loved this church

to have the greatest

opportunity for usefulness and power of any of the

European churches.

It

The

wealth and progress.

by

Julius

in a

new atmosphere

city

had been restored

Mummius

destroyed

to the Gospel than

It

it.

was more

Athens where a fondness

for philosophical speculation
foothold.'^

of

Caesar after being in ruins for a hundred

years since

open

was

made

Corinth had been

it

more

hard to win a
fertile

ground.

Indeed, Paul had succeeded only too well there, for

Two

the Jews soon grew jealous of his power.^

years

*

Paul had lived and laboured in this great and

wicked metropolis.

had seen the

become a
* Acts
*Acts

It

had not been

ruler of the Jewish

Christian.^

xviii.

I-20.

xviii.

II, 18.

He

'Acts

xvii.

15

in vain.

He

synagogue, Crispus,

had received from
16-34.

^

Gallio,

Acts xviii. 5-17.
6 Acts xviii. yf.

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

l6

new

the

proconsul, the

first

Roman Empire

preach the Gospel in the

"

heart.

have ye not many fathers

One

had followed another

disaster

Paul feared the very worst.

away

modern

of the

the

in
*'

that

Few

work

after

left it.

The

^

He could
upon me daily,

Corinth.

which presseth

weighed upon him unceasingly.

ate

into

how

to preach:

soul

upon

pressed

Almost

anxiety for

like

corroding

" In nothing

Paul's

'

2 Cor.

*

xi.

rwv

28 ^

rust.

No

But

iv.

it

church

heart quite so heavily as did

iT:i<JTaai<s

fiot

ij

kad^

i][iipav^

i)

Epochs

[xipijiva

ikkX-qniibv,

iizi-ffzaaiq standing upon.
Phil.

'^

knew

Paul

be anxious." ^

^

fxipi/iva.

6 /jLTjdkv fisptfivare.
Present imperative with
implies that they were anxious.
"Quit being anxious."


all

The anxiety

» Ramsay, "St. Paul the Traveller,"
pp. 257 f.; Robertson, "
in the Life of Paul," pp. 165 f.; Acts xviii. 12-17.
2 I Cor. iv. 15.

Tzaatbv

all

not shake off

preach than to practice.

to

easier

is

his

pressure^ was like a nightmare

that

his

work of

preacher's difficulties confronted Paul

at

the churches."

he has

till

sadder experiences

to the preacher than to see the

heart crumble

for

had come to the work

of mishaps

series

in Corinth.

;

begat you through the Gospel."^

in Christ Jesus I

come

Province of

the

For though ye have ten thousand

tutors in Christ, yet

But a

in

that gave

Paul loved the church in Corinth with his

Achaia.'

whole

new standing

a

Christianity

permission to

official

fx-/j

7

THE NEW STANDPOINT
that in Corinth.

with

great

these very

1

was a richly endowed church

It

spiritual

and

gifts

But

possibilities.*

endowments of grace had become the oc-

The

casion of envy and faction.

showed

divisions

themselves even at the Lord's Supper in unseemly

and

scramble

There was schism

wait for one another.
of Christ and the

members were

The very

another.^

of disorder and

confusion.^

ApoUos and

sides

for

against ApolIt

was so bad

would not stay nor would he return to

Some

Corinth, though Paul urged him.^

praised the

oratory of Apollos, others probably thought

Some thought

" flowery."

one

were scenes

They took

Cephas and against Cephas.^

that Apollos

body

in the

hostile towards

services in church

Paul and against Paul, for
los, for

They would not even

selfishness.^

him too

that Paul's speech

no account,^ while others stoutly defended Paul

was of
as the

founder of the Church and the gifted Apostle of the

The household

Gentiles.

of Chloe^ in particular re-

ported to Paul in Ephesus the sad situation.

had probably not been

Peter

to Corinth, but there

had

been a momentary breach between Paul and Peter at

Antioch over the question of
1 I

3 I
^ 1
^

Cor.
Cor.
Cor.

Acts

'2

i.

4-9, 12-14.

xii.
i.

3 I

4

25.

10-13;

social affiliation with

i"'

xviii. 27-xix.
Cor. X. 10.

I

21
;

i

ff.

;

I

Cor. xi, 18
Cor. xiv.

iv. 6ff.

Cor. xvi. 12.

81 Cor.

iv.

II.

ff.,

33.

1

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

8

the Gentile Christians/ and the Judaizers had been
swift to
as

on

make

the most of

it

and had claimed Peter

As

their side in the controversy with Paul.

a

matter of fact Peter was really with Paul and he had

shown merely momentary weakness when the Judaizers,

under the unwarranted use of the name of James,

refused to recognize the Gentiles as Christians unless

they became Jews
the

silenced for
ence,^ but

These Judaizers had been

also.

moment

at the

Jerusalem confer-

had reopened the controversy on a more

extensive scale than

They had come

before.

Corinth and had used the

name

of their campaign against Paul.
partisan use of the

name

to

of Peter in support

There was

also a

of Christ by one faction in

the Church.

Doctrinal issues thus became mixed

with

personahties

intense

and

Few

jealousies.

modern churches have had a more deplorable schism
than was a reality in Corinth.
morality was winked at

by the

ing was so intense that the

Besides, gross im-

The

majority.^

members would go

against one another before heathen judges.'*

were abuses concerning marriage.^

feel-

to law

There

There was

a

breach between the enlightened and the unenlight-

ened elements of the Church on the subject of meats
offered
1

to

idols.^

Acts XV. 1-35; Gal.

' I

Cor.

V.

4 I

Cor.

The

liberal
«

ii.

vi.

i-ii.

and the reactionary

Acts xv. 1-30; Gal.

^ i

Cor.

vii.

« i

ii. i-io.
Cor. viii.-x.

THE NEW STANDPOINT
were

parties

daggers'

at

to

deny the

poor

saints

with each other.

points

Some of them had gone so

far in doctrinal error as

The

resurrection.^

19

collection for the

Jerusalem, which Paul had pushed

in

with energy elsewhere, had sadly fallen behind in
Corinth,^

and no wonder, with

fusion rampant there.

preacher's heart.

He

wrote them a

he sent Timothy,
see

letter

his

which

Corinth, but had

this is

situation

to

come

He

in

It is

possible that

Corinth because Paul

Paul had indeed intended to

meanwhile sent Timothy.

soon, but did not wish to

come

did later speak of a " third time,"

probably intention, not

fact.

^

Indeed the

was so bad that Paul did not wish to go to

Corinth.
case.^

Then

to the Church,^ seems not to have been

with a rod.^

but

lost to us.^

is

Timothy, though warmly

do.^

himself was expected.^

He hoped

and con-

beloved son in the gospel, to

Timothy was mistreated

to

strife

was enough to break any

very successful in his mission.

go

the

Paul rose to the occasion grandly.

what he could

commended

It

all

He

He must

needs come with sorrow in that

remained away on purpose and allowed

8 I Cor. xvi. I f.; 2 Cor. viii. and ix.
Cor. XV.
4 I Cor. iv. 17.
^ I Cor. xvi. 10.
Cor. V. 9, II.
6Cf. Findlay, "Paul" in Hastings's B. D.; Robertson, "Epochs
in the Life of Paul," p. 191.
' I Cor. iv. 17-21.
82 Cor. xii. 14; xiii. I.
9 2 Cor. i. 15, 23; ii. i ; xii. 21.
* I

3 I

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

20

himself to be charged with fickleness

come while

rather than

and cowardice ^

*

his indignation

was

such

at

Meanwhile, the Church sent a special deputa-

heat.

(Stephanus,

tion

Fortunatus, Achaicus)^ to

Paul.

Paul wrote the powerful Epistle called First Corinthians in

which he poured out

his heart to

them. After

Timothy Paul

sent Titus,

who seemed

the return of
to be

made

of sterner stuff than Timothy.

sible

that

Paul sent another letter with Titus, de-

manding an apology
so, that

If

letter is

for the treatment of

lost

to

pos-

It is

Timothy.

The plan was

us.^

for

Titus to

come back via Macedonia and meet Paul

Troas.^

Paul was to leave Ephesus about Pentecost

for

Corinth

through

at

At Troas he

Macedonia.^

would thus meet Titus and learn how things went

in

Corinth.

But our best

laid plans " aft

gang agley."

seems to have had a well-nigh

Ephesus soon
ourselves

Paul

sickness

after writing First Corinthians.

"

in

We

have had the sentence of death within

ourselves."^

seemed

fatal

Death came so

to get the "

answer

"

close to Paul that he
^

in speech.

The

peril

^ 1 Cor. xvi. 17.
2 2 Cor. x. 8-1 1.
i. 15-20.
scholars hold that 2 Corinthians x.-xiii. is this lost letter
which has been put in the wrong place in 2 Corinthians. I do not
accept that view.
See Robertson, " Epochs in the Life of Paul,"
»

2 Cor.

*

Some

p. 196.
6

2 Cor.

ii.

'

2 Cor.

i.

I2f.; vii. 5-7.
9.

^ i

8

Cor. xvi. 5-8.
'« sentence."

The

THE NEW STANDPOINT
was so great that
he

it

is still

So he seemed

writes.'

21

a vivid reality to Paul as

Thus

be dying.^

to

it

was out of his experience that Paul could write so
sympathetically about death.'

weakness the daily duties of

In his great physical
life

were a burden to

him, not to mention the serious situation in Corinth.

His weakened nerves would make the troubles seem
magnified a hundredfold.

But

this

wrought
trius

was not

While Paul was

state a riot occurred in

The whole

in the theatre.^

city

was soon

mob

an uproar

in

Paul, probably because of his sick-

was not found, though

difficulty

his

companions

in travel,

Paul could with

be restrained from rushing into the theatre.

The Asiarchs helped
Paul's hfe

the disciples restrain Paul.^

was saved, but

to remain in Ephesus.

Macedonia.^

who

Deme-

Ephesus.

Gaius and Aristarchus, were seized.

for

in this over-

had organized the silversmiths into a

against Paul.

ness,

all.

it

He

was not prudent
left in

him

rather short order

Paul was somewhat like the preacher

has resigned without a call to another

departure from

for

So

field.

His

Ephesus was sudden and uncere-

monious, but he had the world before him.
used to moving on

when he was no

Will he be more welcome in Corinth
*

Historical present perfect.

<

Acts xix. 23-28.

5

2 2 Cor, vi. 9.
Acts xix. 29-31.

He was

longer welcome.
?

^

and

v.

«Acts xx.

I.

2 Cor,

iv.

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

22

PauVs

2.

He

Restless Spirit at Troas

was apparently alone

It

was not yet time

was

at

for Titus to arrive at Troas.

go to Macedonia.^

call to

God's providence he

the hand of

God

ward

in

is

gospel of Christ."

it

had

in Troas.

had come

" for the

Paul had evidently looked for-

^

to this opportunity to be a blessing to Troas.

Besides, " a door was opened unto
It

It

Perhaps

here again.

is

He

it.

Then

much work

not been possible for Paul to do
in

to Macedonia.*

Troas that Paul had met Luke and had re-

ceived the

Now

Timothy

at Troas, for

and Erastus had already been sent on

was not a mere general

me in

the Lord."

^

situation, but apparently

Paul means to say that direct appeals came to him to

speak a word for Jesus.

had no rehef

for

my

brother."

^

he

writes, " I

The

spirit."

my

spirit,

It is

it off.

tension

of any kind.

because

1

had become
it

was chronic.

He

12.

" I

found not Titus

acute.

He

It

my
had

could not

needed Luke, who was probably
hold of him and bring him back

Many a preacher has

Acts xix. 29-41.
ii.

I

use.

a vivid reality to Paul now, as

found himself caught

in the coil of circumstances, as

*2Cor.

was of no

In truth, he was incapacitated for work

in Philippi, to take

to health.

it

have not had any release for

gone on so long that
throw

But

2 Acts
62 Cor. ii.

was Paul, when he

^2 Cor. ii. 12.
Historical present perfect

xvi, 8-10.

13.

THE NEW STANDPOINT
cannot respond to the

23

calls for service that

come

to

him, cannot enter the doors that open to him. This
His heart is
is a dangerous hour for the preacher.
in

Then when

danger of rebellion.

closed, the door that
ness, resentment

no happiness
zest

it

He had

was

idleness

lost his

He was
He knew that

despair.

otherwise.

more miserable alone than

is

There was

the heart.

Paul in Troas.

for

door

to large fields of useful-

may harden

work and

for

opened

the

was not yet time for Titus to come, for Paul had
But, none

the

less, his

spirit chafed at the limitations of his plight.

Every-

come on ahead

of time.

thing seemed to have gone wrong.

joy any more
charges

made

against some ministers to-day

shown by

is

seized with a feverish desire to

a

call to

more hopeful

field,

move on

to pastures new.

drudgery

in the tasks of

at the

toil

temptation

life.

humdrum

The

real

One

is

The gold

is

only steady,

ministry.

The

to give up the ministry

calling.

oversensitive and imagines
insults.

just

There comes a sense of

may even come

and enter some other

is

to resign this field, to

every-day

in a rather

Paul.

of the

go elsewhere, to get

end of the rainbow, and here

plodding

One

for Paul's restless spirit.

this restlessness of spirit here

a

There was no

all

difficulties

ministry are magnified out of

At such

a time one

is

kinds of slights and

and problems of the
all

proportion to the

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

24

In such a case a minister

facts.
is

in

danger of becoming

bitter

is

He

in jeopardy.

towards the world,

own

jealous of other ministers, disgusted with his

Thus he

task.

will lose his

compass and

drift

out to

sea.

The Standard (Chicago) for January

In

there

is

printed the following letter

"My Dear

Jim:

I

am

191

1,

Yesterday

I

7,

:

through.

handed in my resignation, to take effect at once, and
this morning I began work for the
Land
Company. I shall not return to the pastorate. I
think I can see into your heart as you read these
words and behold not a little disappointment, if not
disgust.
I don't blame you at all, for I am somewhat disgusted with myself. Do you recall the days
in the seminary when we talked of the future and
painted pictures of what we were to do for the kingdom of God ? We saw the boundless need for unselfish Christian service and longed to be out among

men doing
I shall

our part towards the world's redemption.
never forget that last talk on the night before

our graduation. You were to go to the foreign field
and I to the First Church, of
We had brave
dreams of usefulness, and you have realized them.
As I look back across twenty-five years I can see some
lives that I have helped, and some things which I
have been permitted to do that are worth while but,
sitting here to-night, I am more than half convinced
.

;

God never

intended me to be a minister.
If He
not big enough and brave enough to pay
the price.
Even if it leads you to write me down a
coward, I'm going to tell you why I've quit.
" To be perfectly honest with you, money has had
that

did, I

am

THE NEW STANDPOINT

25

do with my decision. I think you will not
with being mercenary in those days when
you knew me well, and I am not conscious of caring
any more for money now than I did then. I have
never desired to be rich I do not now desire to be.
I have not gone into business with any expectation
of making a fortune, but I do want to have something for the years when I can no longer work, and
I do
for my family, if I should be taken from them.
want to be able to meet my bills as they fall due.
month ago in our ministers' meeting an old minister,
shabby almost to raggedness, arose and told us that
he and his wife were on the verge of starvation. He
had no money, his credit was exhausted, they had no
food, no coal, and were about to be put upon the
We
street because they could not pay the rent.
raised some thirty dollars among us and gave it to
him, and I suppose he will go to the home for aged
I saw myself in him.
ministers but it scared me.
What reason have I to expect that I shall not be
where he is twenty years from now ?
" Frugality ?
Well, I have not been thriftless.
Wife and I have tried hard to lay by a little each
year.
We did get $500 saved up, and then Edna
was taken with tuberculosis and it all went, and much
more, before God took her home. I had ^1,000 per
They paid it
year from the church at B
promptly, and possibly some men would have been
We tried
able to save something out of it each year.
Once the church thought of inour best, and failed.

much

charge

to

me

;

A

;

.

creasing the pastor's salary, but Deacon Edmunds
argued that the minister should trust God said that
when he began hfe he only had an income of ^200
spoke of the joys of Christian
for the first year
sacrifice
pointed to the Saviour of the world and
His self-abnegation, and the salary was not increased.
I may say that the deacon is supposed to be worth
;

;

;

26

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY
Then

I was called to this
have been here seven
years, and there has never been a month since the
beginning when my salary has been paid promptly.
At times the church has owed me ^600 and ^700.
I have borrowed and paid interest, have
stood off
my creditors until I was ashamed to go upon the
street, have scrimped and twisted and wiggled until
my soul was raw. I've had enough.
Other things have contributed to my decision.
In these years I have found not a few earnest, unselfish, consecrated Christians.
I do not believe that
I am specially morbid or unfair in my estimate.
So
far as I know my own heart, I am not bitter.
But
through all these years a conviction has been growing within me that the average church-member cares
precious little about the kingdom of God and its advancement, or the welfare of his fellow men. He is
a Christian in order that he may save his soul from
hell, and for no other reason.
He does as little as he
can, lives as indifferently as he dares.
If he thought
he could gain heaven without even lifting his finger
for others, he would jump at the chance.
Never
have I known more than a small minority of any
church which I have served to be really interested in
and unselfishly devoted to God's work. It took my
whole time to pull and push and urge and persuade
the reluctant members of my church to undertake a
little something for their fellow men.
They took a
covenant to be faithful in attendance upon the services of the church, and not one out of ten ever
thought of attending prayer-meeting.
large percentage seldom attended church in the morning, and

not

field

less

at

than ^200,000.

;^i,200 per year.

I

'

'

••

,.

A

number
mean anything

a pitifully small

seem

in the evening.

It

did not

to them that they had dedicated themselves to the service of Christ.
" I am tired; tired of being the only one iathe
to

THE NEW STANDPOINT
whom

church from

real sacrifice

27

expected; tired

is

of straining and tugging to get Christian people to
Hve Hke Christians tired of planning work for my
;

people and then being compelled to do
see

when

it

myself or

undone tired of dodging my creditors
would not need to if I had what is due me;

left

it

I

;

tired of the affrighting vision of a penniless old age.
I love Him.
I am not leaving Christ.
I shall still
try to serve Him.
" Judge me leniently, old man, for I cannot bear

your

to lose

friendship.
" Yours as of old,
'*

The
ter.

William."

editor vouches for the genuineness of this let-

It is

probably an actual experience, an extreme

instance of a broken-hearted preacher of to-day.

But a most notable instance of struggle and

umph

is

revealed in the " Early Letters of Marcus

In his Diary for March

Dods."

8,

i860, p. 382,

read this confession of his experience as a
tioner "

:

No

"

tion to give
to

me on

work
me,

;

up

this

work

writing sermons
is

we

proba-

this

am

temptation appeals

not

fitted for pastoral

often the hardest labour to

is

terrible.



I

I

often stand before a door

unable to ring or knock

—sometimes

away without

A

me

'•

day passes without strong tempta-

the ground that

visiting

costs

tri-

entering.

lowness of

a great deal to throw off

is

of this, and a real doubt whether
better for myself

and

all

I

whom

it

have gone
spirit that it

the consequence
it

would not be

may

concern that

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

28

should at once look for some work that

I

this, that

is

when

I

have hitherto had so

work only because

He

was, in

fact,

my

me

Dods came

in the best of

comfort in the

little

habitual state

unspiritual."

is

a probationer for six years, a really

young

terrible experience for a

cus

am

I

work go from me, and

spirit these disinclinations to

fear

could

However, the one thing that has kept

overtake.

going hitherto

I

I

to

But Mar-

minister.

New

be the principal of

College

and one of the chief Biblical scholars and preachers
of the world.

But
gone,

He

it

may be

noticed that deep

did not occur to

it

down

as Paul

had

to quit the ministry.

was entitled to pay which he did not receive

from the Church

at Corinth.*

pay

to receive a man's

not receive

it

He had

apostle.^

was

He

for his

proved

for not taking

pay

at

Corinth

like a regular

seen days in Corinth when he

but he had kept his

in want,"

his right

work, but he would

from a church hke that

which taunted him

"

him

manhood and

independence and " was not a burden on any man."

He had
of

even " robbed other churches, taking wages

them

made

that

I

might minister unto you."

tents with

living while

Aquila and

he preached

He

had

Priscilla so as to get

in Corinth.^

But he would

have none of the money of the narrow element
» I

Cor.

ix.

6-18,

»

2 Cor.

xi.

5-12.

a



Acts

xviii. 3f.

in

THE NEW STANDPOINT
On

Corinth.*

the other hand,

some

29

of the Church in

Corinth accused Paul of sending Titus to raise the
collection

chief

He

standpoint.

they said, was

impugned from every

But, while

this

all

work

ened, too discouraged to

due to the very intensity of

we know, Paul

He

give up the ministry.

not

the

the collection was de-

was called a worldly man ^ and an

interloper* also.

did

whom

for

motives were

His

signed.

Paul,

himself.^

for

"poor saint"

was disheart-

at Troas, but

it

of Christ, not to his indifference nor selfishness.

he could not stay

If

he could go on elsewhere.

The Gloomy Journey

3.

It

at Troas,

was

his interest in the cause

to

Macedonia

was with a heavy heart that Paul turned away

from the open door in Troas to push on into the un"

certain future.

But taking leave of them

forth into Macedonia."

Troas.

at

It

^

There were, then,

I

Avent

disciples

was probably a journey alone.

He

could take ship at Troas for Neapolis and then go

on

to Philippi.

hood.
the

It is

At

possible,

Philippi

brother of Luke.^

conjured up

all

was Luke

in all likeli-

even probable, that Titus was

But

Paul's

mind doubtless

the evil contingencies at Corinth.

2 Cor. xii. 16 ff.
2 Cor. x. 14 f.
He made an orderly and courteous departure.
ii. 13,
62 Cor. viii. 16, 18; xii, 18. Titus is not mentioned in Acts.
Cf. Souter. «' Luke," in Hastings's D. C. G.
1

2 Cor.

xi.

3

2 Cor.
2 Cor.

X. 3.

5

10.

2

4

30

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

The

ship went

when we were come
no

but

relief,

"

too slowly for him.

all

into

we were

Macedonia our

For even

on every side

afflicted

out were fightings, within were fears."

had

flesh
;

with-

Much

*

as

Paul longed to see Titus, he yet dreaded to hear his
report.

Suppose the Church has refused

from

position

its

rowed down

The

?

to recede

matters at Corinth had nar-

to a Pauline

and an anti-Pauline con-

His whole position and influence as an apostle

test.

How

were involved.
sharp

2

letter

He went on
about

his

had they taken the rather

which he had

felt

head and premonition

time he speaks of his flesh
the way.

compelled to write ?

Philippi with the clouds of doubt

to

He had

^

as

This

in his heart.

having no

found that unrest of

spirit

rest

on

brought

unrest to the flesh in sleepless nights, and miserable
days.

He knew what

this restlessness

truth the

of

insomnia^ was.

mind and body

voyage was one of

all

He

has had

the way.*^

In

affliction in everything.^

had reached the stage when nothing agreed with

He
him.

All the world seemed awry and he could not

set

right.

it

He

was out of tune with everything.

What he means by
>

*
8

«
'

2 Cor.
2 Cor.
2 Cor.

" fightings without,"

« 2 Cor. vii. 8.
2 Cor. xi. 27.
Present perfect tense.
Note the anacoluthon due to Paul's passion.
2 Cor. vii. 5.

vii. 5.

vi. 5 ;
vii. 5.

cf.

^

* 2

we do not
Cor.

vii. 5.

THE NEW STANDPOINT
The words suggest

know.

He had

sort.

actual conflicts of

These were

apprehensions.
the mind.

It

is,

in truth, a

new enemies

old or

(Jews, Gentiles, or Judaizers), for he
" fears within "

*

Perhaps on board

some

the ship Paul encountered

The

some

with " wild beasts at Ephesus,"

fights

probably referring to his enemies.

of foes.2

31

had many kinds

were the ever present

his worst foes, those of

mournful picture that the

great apostle has drawn of himself at this crisis in

We

his Hfe.

not a just picture of himself which

It is
it

see Paul here in his hour of weakness.

There

between

by the world

dark side

There

is.

off the light.

boast of his
Judaizers

at

in

is

Jesus and

able to look on the

life,

he knows what the

when Paul

Indeed,

work

at

sympathy

plenty of cloud in his

is

but

who may be thrown down

Paul

If

spirit.

bright side of the preacher's

trials

of

this greatest of all the ministers of

the humblest one to-day

set

bond

thus a

is

get,

on the world

a true portrayal of his outlook

is

this juncture.

we

is

life

to

driven to

comparison with that of the

Corinth

it

which he counts.^

is

the

He

catalogue

of his

has his " prisons," his

"stripes," his "shipwreck," his "perils" of various

kinds,
thirst."

his

" watchings

" If I

must needs glory,

things that concern
1 1

Cor. XV. 32.

often,"

2

my
2 Cor.

"

hunger and

I will

glory of the

his

But

weakness."
xi. 26.

^

2 Cor.

just
xi.

now

23-33.

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

32

He

Paul cannot glory even in his weakness.

He

glory in anything.
spirit

This

and

in

body.

cannot

a broken man, broken in

is

Who

can help Paul now?'

not the time for Paul to take stock of his

is

ministry.

The Rebound of Heart at Philippi

4.

Without a word of explanation Paul leaps out of
the Slough of

Despond and

heights of joy.^

He

springs like a bird to the

soars aloft like an eagle with
"

proud scorn of the valley beneath him.
be unto God who always
Christ."

A

^

But thanks

leadeth us in triumph in

high-strung nature like that of Paul

capable of such extremes of emotion.
tears lie close to each other.

Joy

Laughter and

lives

next door to

Many

sorrow, ay, in the same house and heart.

preacher can bear glad

from night to day.

We

sudden, even violent, digressions

and the matter,
>

2

S.

2 Cor.

in

a

testimony to the psycho-

logical correctness of Paul's description of his

transition

is

^

sudden

are accustomed to
in Paul's writings,

the light of his relations with

xi. 29,

Bachmann, Der Zweiie Brief des Pauliis an
" Aus der Tiefe in die Hohe."
124, says

die

Korinther.

:

3

4

2 Cor.

ii.

14.

Instead of giving details of the information which Titus brought
to him in Macedonia (vii. 6), he bursts out into a characteristic
doxology, which leads him into a long digression, the main topic of
the epistle not coming into view again until vi. II."
Bernard,
" Expositor's Greek Testament," in loco.


THE NEW STANDPOINT

33

Corinth, would be sufficiently clear from the knowl-

edge that Titus met Paul

in Philippi with better

At once

from Corinth than he had anticipated.

clouds had lifted and the sky was clear again.

at the

the

But,

is

completely carried

coming of

Titus, too entirely

at this point in the Epistle,

away with joy

news

Paul

swept off into rhapsody to make any explanation of

He

emotions.

his

in the Epistle

just this

is

'

make

does

the explanation later

come back

after he has

rhapsody with which

to earth.

book

this

cerned, but, before proceeding with that,

it

will

is

It

con-

be well

to notice Paul's explanation of his state of exaltation.

" Nevertheless

He

that comforteth the lowly,

even God, comforted us by the coming of Titus."

The word

"

comfort

in this Epistle.

tion

and consolation.

child after a

coming only, but

®

one, particularly

son in the gospel, his " true

faith,"

^

also

but he was even more

in you, while

^

The

"

"

:

And

not by

by the comfort wherewith

your mourning, your zeal

joiced yet more."

*

common

news which he bore

he was comforted

4

a

Paul was glad to see Titus,

this

common

rejoiced at the

ing,

^ is

combines the notions of exhorta-

he dearly loved

for

his

It

"

^

he told us your longfor

longing

^ 2 Cor. vii. 6.
2 Cor. vii. 5-16.
Titus i. 4.
Eager longing in the Greek. Cf. Phil.

i.

me
"

^

;

so that

I re-

was to see Paul

^

Call to one's side.

5

2 Cor.

8.

vii. 7.

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

34
and

that from Corinth after

made

Paul
tails,

Titus

tell

that had passed.

all
it

over again

^

with

the names, what they said, etc.

ing story to recount, as

many

It

ing

of the

result

" zeal "

rebuke and the

was a charm-

mourn-

"

Titus.

sorrow

had

As

a

come

and the cause that Paul stood

for Paul

^

the de-

all

The
by

was due to the rebuke sent

2

like

Possibly

a true pastor knows,

especially after troubles have come.
"

message

his ears to hear a

was music to

it

for.

known that the sharp tone of the Epistle
would wound many of them. It had cost him bitter
The pang of those sharp words
tears ^ to write it.
Paul had

that

had to be spoken was part of

/ Indeed, he had
after

it

sorrow

regretted

was gone and
is

it

turned into joy.

^

that he

was too
" I

ye were made sorry, but that
unto repentance."
sort since

it

bore

Hence Paul had

^

had written

late.

fruit in

it

not that

ye were made

a change of

it,

But Paul's

rejoice,

The sorrow was

really

was comforted and

now

Paul's misery.

sorry

of a godly

mind and

done them no harm.

^

life.

So Paul

did his soul good to see " the

joy of Titus,^ because his spirit hath been refreshed
Present participle, possibly repetition.
2Cf. Matt. ii. 1 8.
3 The same word has a bad sense in 2 Cor. xii. 20.
4 2 Cor. ii. 4.
He wrote with " tightness of heart."
6 2 Cor. vii. 8.
6 2 Cor, vii. 9.
Note the difference between " sorrow " and " repentance."
' According to God's standard.
8 2 Cor. vii. 13.
1

THE NEW STANDPOINT
by you

for " refreshed "

The word

all."

35
*

is

the one

used by Jesus in His gracious invitation to the weary

and

heavy-laden

the

" I

:

you

give

will

rest."

^

Paul joys in the joy of Titus, the happiness of an old

preacher in a young preacher

a most

and dehcate

difficult

who

task.

has accomplished

Paul had not in-

deed wholly given the cause up when he sent Titus

and had gloried

now

that

and

is

Paul's

inthians."

them

of

to him.

" heart

mouth

"I

He

is

glad

justified.^

So

mood towards the Corinthians

in a tender

own

Indeed, " our
^

some

words are more than

his

then Titus

in

enlarged " towards them.

is

open unto you,

is

rejoice that in

good courage concerning you."

everything
^

O
I

Cor-

am

of

Heart and hope

have come back to Paul about Corinth and so about

The word for " courage " is the same
one used by Luke of Paul when the brethren from

all

things.

Rome, having heard
the party " as far as

Three Taverns

;

of Paul's arrival,

The Market

whom when

God, and took courage."
than

human

to

things are sweeter

The

life

is

peculiarly rich in the love of the brethren.

fellowship.

a large part of his reward.

inner hfe of a
1

*

Rest again.
2 Cor. vii. II.

man and rare
2

5

The

of Appius and

in

is

meet

Paul saw, he thanked

Few

^

came

preacher's

He comes

life

This

close to the

Christian love knits heart

Matt, ii, 28.
2 Cor. vii. 13.

^2 Cor.
^

vii, 14 f.
Acts xxviii. 15.

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

36

For the moment Paul forgets that there

to heart.
is

a stubborn minority

who have

was only the majority

and

Church

at

had come over

that

*

But

view of things.

his

in the

left

Corinth

resisted every appeal for conciliation.

was evidently such

it

Church

a strong majority that the

It

to Paul

is

saved from

schism and the obstinate faction can be handled.
Paul will
led

by

come

his

latter part

to

pay

his respects to this minority

malignant enemies, the Judaizers, in the
of the Epistle.'*

It is this

double aspect

of the report of Titus that explains the twofold char-

But we are not here concerned

acter of the Epistle.

with Paul's treatment of this pugnacious element
save to express the hope that they came over to his
side before he

came

they must have

to Corinth.

left,

tion in Acts XX. 2

f.

for Paul

though

full

will write

of joy and

master of the situa-

it is

interesting to note

happy once before when

The

in prison.^

which he

they did not,

Before leaving the discussion

of Paul's situation in Philippi,
that Paul was

is

If

from

Epistle to the Philippians,

Rome some

commands

to rejoice,

that time will again be a prisoner.

longer a prisoner in

here, even

spirit.

He

years hence,

is

though Paul

at

But he
is

is

now no

free as a bird as

he shakes off the depression which had chained
spirit to

es Cor.

ii.

the earth.
5

f.

We

owe

22 Cor.

his

this matchless discus-

x-xiii.

'Acts xvi. 25.

THE NEW STANDPOINT
sion

of the Christian ministry to the very dejection

*

The rebound was

of heart in Paul.

The

depression had been.
the

reaction was

from the

of this glory shines

precedes
Paul's

in

He

imaginary.

more

the

all

is

It

treatise

The

on

brightness

brilliantly against

of doubt and disaster which im-

black cloud

troubles

equal to
noted,^

rest of the Epistle.

the glory of the Christian ministry.

mediately

high as the

and purposes, a separate

for all intents

the

as

This digression, as already

action.

really quite distinct
is,

37

outburst

this

of

were

ministry

real,

was a manly man,

if

joy.

The

not merely

ever there was

one.

His

real

still

after

he meets

Titus,

though greatly lessened.

He

has a

new Hght

on the problems
over his

new

life

That

at Corinth.

and forth

light flashes

He

the future.

into

mood

to estimate his

and that of others.

preacher to reach a
of despondency.

It is

final

own

back
has a

Now

sense of the relative values of things.

in the right

is

life

are

difficulties

he

ministerial

a great mistake for any

conclusion in his

moments

One can see better in the light
The light will come if one press
The young man who is struggling

than in the dark.

on towards

it.

with the sense of duty that
of the

Gospel

chance to get
*

2 Cor.

ii.

will

this

i2-vi. 10.

him

calls

be wise

if

to be a preacher

he gives himself a

high view of the ministry as set
*

See beginning of

this section.

38

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

forth

by Paul

is

in his

moment

The

of ecstasy.

the truest as well as the best.

highest

The temptation

is

easy to settle the question of being a preacher on
the dead-level of business,
venience.
will

I

expediency, and

con-

do not believe that many young men

be led into the ministry by mathematical com-

putations on the cost of living and the salary nor on

modern thought

the relations of
real " Sky-pilot "
spirit.

as

It

is

is

No

the spiritual view of the eternal values

seen by Paul in this prophetic passage that will

win and hold the noblest type of
of Christ.

him.
at

to the Bible.

ever found with that calculating

Nothing

man

to the service

else will really get

Get into close grip with Christ,

if

its

your heart to put you into the ministry.

puts
sorry,

you

in,

you

but count

will stay in
it

grip on

He is tugging

and you

If Christ

will

not be

your chief glory to have been

counted worthy of that high dignity.'

It is

probably

true that the ministry to-day does not stand as high

men as it once did. This
may be due partly to the presence of some unworthy
men in the ministry. There v^^as a J^das among the
apostles.
There have always been unworthy men
relatively in the eyes of

in

every calling.

than anywhere

But
else.

it

hurts

more

But, after

all,

tn ^he ministry

P&u\ does not

here speak of the appeal that the ministry makes to
*3Tim.

i.

12.

THE NEW STANDPOINT
He

the world.
If

one has

man

that,

gives God's view

of the ministry.

nothing else really matters.

" Let a

so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, and

stewards of the mysteries of God.

me

39

of you, or

judgeth

But with

.

a very small thing that I should be judged

is

it

.

.

man's judgment

of

me is

the Lord."

.

So Paul

^

is

He

.

.

that

going to sing

Hear what he

a paean of praise for the ministry.

has to say of the appeal that this noblest of earth's

What is it in the ministry
man so gifted as Paul ?

vocations makes to him.
that gripped

The

5.

He
on
Paul

and

and held a

New

has a

Interpretation of Paul's Ministry

new

is

The sun

standpoint.

the mountain

when

He

here sheer above the clouds.

near,

up and down,

obstacles that

in the clear

seemed so large

often shines

dark in the valley.

is

it

can see

empyrean.

in his

path have

far

The
now

disappeared wholly from view or have assumed their
true proportion

fresh

in this

world-view.

Let us

stand upon the mountain with Paul and catch his view
of the worth and dignity of service to Christ.

begins with the interpretation of his

own

Paul

ministry in

view of the new light and outlook, but he soon
widens his horizon to include the ministry as a
calling

and

he

treats
1 1

it

Cor.

in
iv.

its

1-4.

fundamental and

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

40

way

eternal relations in a

to cheer every preacher's

heart.

Triumph After

(a)

Paul

Paul's.

march through the
in

triumph

captive in God's triumphal

God

ages.

in Christ."

meaning of

But God's triumph, not

All.

Christ's

is

'

There

is

bold image.

this

it.

No

no doubt
does

been found, and

Col.

in

ii.

them

15

in

as to the

not

Paul uses

it,"

it

word has
of Jesus

His victory on the
"

over the principalities and powers.^

the captive

who

is

mean

King James' Version

instance of this sense of the

" triumphing over
cross

always leadeth us

It

" causeth us to triumph " as the

has

"

led in the Conqueror's train,

He

is

and in

whom men see the trophy of the Conqueror's power." ^
It is

the splendid image of a

Roman

triumphal pro-

cession, and,

though Paul had not seen one, he had

yet heard of

its glories.^

sometimes kept

at

Distinguished captives were

Rome

the conqueror's procession

for years in order to grace

when

it

took place.

Thus

JuHus Caesar held Vercingetorix, the famous chief
Gaul

who came

near plucking victory out of Caesar's

hands, a prisoner in
great triumph.
1

2

Rome

for six years

Then he had him slain.

2 Cor. ii. 14.
For the examples in

Greek

literature

see

Denney, " Expositor's Bible," 2 Corinthians,
4 Bernard, " Expositor's Greek Testament," in
» Denney, p. 88.

until his

So Claudius ^

Bachmann, 2 Kor.,

S. 129.
3

in

p. 87.
loco,

THE NEW STANDPOINT
Paul

triumphed over Caractacus.

But

very occasion in mind.

**

of

that

to

parallel

When God

4I

may have had this

Paul's case

is

not quite

Vercingetorix or Caractacus.

wins a victory over man, and leads His

captive in triumph, the captive too has an interest in

what happens

;

any true sense,

it is

the beginning of

him."

for

Even

'

tions

and disappointments God

It

easier to see the

is

passed through a
in a

New

crisis.

all

in Paul's

tribula-

has been victorious.

hand of God
Prof.

triumphs, in

after

we have

David Smith, D. D.,

Year's article in The British Weekly

tures a captain looking

one morning

^

pic-

at the terrible

crags on each side of the narrow pass through which

the ship had passed in the storm at night into the
"

harbour.
ness ? "

he

His glory

now.

— did we pass through

in the dark-

God was using Paul for
"
Indeed, he dares say " always

falteringly asked.
in

it

all.

What seemed

to be defeat

he now knows

is

The good news brought by Titus has thrown

victory.

an

Did we

electric flashlight across

has revealed

God

the stormy billows and



" Standeth God within the shadows
Keeping watch above His own."

The

sense of the nearness of

ministry
1

is

Denney,

God

in his

own

life

the overmastering conviction of Paul.

p. 88.

and

He

*Dec. 29, 1910.

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

42

probably means to include Timothy
the " us."

and Titus ^

'

Indeed, he seems to have a vision of the

whole long

God through
who have been instruments

line of willing captives of

the ages, past and present,

pushing on the work of the kingdom.^

in

in

If

Paul

is

able to find joy in the midst of his misfortunes, he has

way

pointed the
secret

lies

But

point.

for

this

is

The

every preacher of Christ.

looking at one's

in

from God's stand-

life

only possible

" Christ

" in Christ."

the element in which that constant triumph of

is

takes place."

F.

^

W.

Robertson

feat of the true-hearted
full

is

is

victory."

right: "

^

It

surrender to Christ that Paul here

God

The

de-

the joy of

is

He

feels.

has

cut loose from the entanglement of things of sense

and has swung back to the old joy
The Incense Bearer.

{b)

the

Roman triumph

tions."

"

^

says that at

full

of fumiga-

a very

is

He now

victor's

natural

one,

thinks of himself, and

ministers of Christ, as incense bearers in God's

march of
^

^

burned before the

transition

therefore, for Paul.
all

the temples were"

Incense was

The

chariot."^

in Jesus.

Plutarch

2 Cor.

i.

victory.

He maketh
**

manifest through us
2

I.

Meyer, 2 Corinthians, in loco.
6" Life and Letters and Addresses,"
8

2 Cor.

ii.

13

;

vii.

5

fF.

* Ibid.

p.

618.

''Aemil. Paul., C. 32.
'

" Incense smoked on every altar as the victor passed through the

streets of
8

Rome."

Denney, in

loco.

Gould, American Comm., in

loco.

THE NEW STANDPOINT

43

The

the savour of His knowledge in every place."
" savour "

the "

and

The knowledge

knowledge

God

of

" are in opposition.*

in Christ

sweet perfume along the triumphal
the wonder of

it

" through us."

This

in

way of God.

fragrance

due to no merit

is

but to the fact that he

ister,
is

that the

is

thus diffused like

is

is

near to

But

spread

is

in the

min-

God because he
But

the procession so rich in the grace of God.

there

a sense of humble gratitude on Paul's part

is

he contemplates the great honour thus placed

as

upon him and other preachers of the Gospel,

God along

spreading the knowledge of

Preaching

^

that of

the way.

the thing most immediately in Paul's

is

mind, but he quickly turns the image round.

we

that the incense bearer

with the perfume that he himself

preacher

so

is

The

figure

ment.^

The

life

common

is

really leading in

*

Genitive of apposition.

*

" In every place," also
Cf. Lev.

15.
i.

9, 13, etc.

odour

triumph

persuasively for Him."

ii.

*•

But " the

refreshes the heart.

'2 Cor.

The

perfume.

is

in

the Old Testa-

of the true minister of Christ

thus redolent with that

•*

He
filled

with Christ^ that he exhales

filled

Christ.

is

For

so

are a sweet savour of Christ unto God."

doubtless means

is

**

^

;

^

lowliest

will

This

of sanctity "

is

life

speak

is

which

which God

infallibly

and

true of every follower

at Corinth as at

Ephesus.
Meyer, in
•*

®

loco.

Denney, in

loco.

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

44

of Jesus

who

bears witness to Christ in his hfe.

usually true that

men

influence of holy living

But

it is

found
it

all

clear testimony to Jesus.

The

and Pharisees

scribes

with John and with Jesus.

impossible to please

to be "

and

not always true.

fault

things to

save some."

all

all

Paul found

men, though he laboured

men, that

I

may by

all

He now

he was misunderstood on every hand.

knows

He

better.

Paul

careful

is

any

slip

on

his part to his

"to cut off occasion from them

that desire an occasion."

am

who

has plenty of enemies

still

are only too glad to turn
hurt.

means

had recently seemed to Paul that

It

^

It is

are responsive to the pervasive

As

^

I

write these words,

I

concerned about the complete misapprehension

of the conduct of one of the noblest of ministers.

One

brother writes

me

that

lose faith in the ministry!

writes

is

minister

make one
This very brother who so
it is

enough

largely responsible for the conduct of the

whom

he so severely

criticizes.

has one supreme consolation that
It is

to

found

in the

words

"

is

But Paul

open to us

unto God."

God, whatever men think, when a

It is
life

all.

a joy to

manifests

God of Christ.
(c)
The Peril of Preaching. The joy is mixed
with sadness, for all are not saved. God is, however,
Christ.

That

glorified " in
* I

Cor.

ix, 22.

life is

them

redolent to

that are saved,

and

in
2

them

2 Cor.

that

xi. 12.

;

THE NEW STANDPOINT
perish

death
to the one a savour from death unto

;

Hfe."
to the other a savour of Hfe unto

that was resisted.

knew

effect of

preaching
perishing ^

and

right before his eyes Paul
like a " savour

Paul

'

Among those who were

by sad experience the hardening

is

45

his ministry

from death unto death."

a bit obscure, but

is

like "

seemed

The idiom

^

The

This odour arises from death and causes death.^

Law

rabbis " called the

but an aroma

an aroma

mortis to the evil."

vitcE to the good,

The

^

thus one familiar to Paul in his old

who

hear his message

because they reject
penalty of
there

human

it.

will

But that

"

There

progress out of

is

Paul

is

life

into

it

the other hand,

them

" a savour from hfe unto

are saved

by

in sin

"
a bright side to the picture, for in

is

sad

men

that

the inevitable

is

On

freedom.

It is a

know

be hardened

was

figure

life.

to every faithful minister to

thought

^

faith to faith."

from

more

life.

that

life."

^

There

the
joy comparable to that of witnessing
This
conversion of souls under one's own ministry.

no

is

to have
was the joy of Jesus « and it is possible for us
A ministry in which souls are not saved misses
it.
It is small wonder that, in
the chief joy of service.

a ministry,
view of the solemn responsibility of such
1

2 Cor

8

Here not " sweet odour."

6

Meyer, in

'

ii

15

f.

-

^

Present participle in the Greek.
i. 17 ; cf. 2 Cor. iii. 18.

Rom.

^ Bernard, in
loco.
Present participle in the Greek.

loco.
«

John

iv.

32.

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

46

Paul asks

"

:

The Greek

And who

order

these things

sufficient for these things ?

even more emphatic

is

who

is

sufficient

is

in the bold contrast of hfe

The word

Many a

" sufficient "

preacher has

The

for his task.

enough

cult

make

means

fit

of unreasonable

One can become

" or " quahfied."

may

is

well sink be-

minister.

It

The

difficulties.

call for

no one

life

sufficient for

often surprises us

such a

question of

as this fraught with

we

by the bold turn of

But Paul

He

does

not

"

Word

mean

that

of God.

the

He
*

By

" the

many

"

who
Paul

majority were like the

They were many,

tree.

For

many, corrupting the Word of

the majority held with Paul.
the juniper

dares to
!

probably has in mind the Judaizers

did corrupt the

Judaizers.

He

" sufficient for these things "

are not as the

God."

his thought.

Paul's Courage in Pre aching.
is

com-

the answer that

such awful consequences for weal or woe.^

(d)

diffi-

is

demands of preachers.

Paul seems rhetorical and to

say that he

meet

not ready

a sort of packhorse for the

munity's burdens and

is

has sketched

" these things."

has arrived, but he

stoutest heart

for

the nature of the case, but people

in

all sorts

"

"And

:

utter inadequacy to

work of the modern

fore the

?

and death

felt his

He

such a situation.

He

"

"

as a matter of fact, but

Paul

does not

Bernard, in

loco.

is

not

feel that

now under
he alone

is

THE NEW STANDPOINT
He

loyal to Christ.

47

not bringing an indictment

is

He

against the ministers of Christ as a class.

who had crept
alas
The word

istry, as

they

ing "

used either for a

is

comes

still

mean

to

do,

is

ex-

into the min-

posing the hypocrites

for " corrupt-

!

retailer or a huckster.

It

" adulterate," for the temptation

was

often yielded to then as now, to put the best apples

on top of the

The

the basket.

and show.

barrel, the best strawberries

good

One

at the

afraid to face

men

sound to the

core.

will

be

made a

plausible plea

Paul, in contrast, grounds his confidence

on two reasons.
are as

Judaizers

on top of

is

His berries

his sincerity.

bottom

He

is

not

with the gospel message, for

it is

He

found out

is

as at the top.

not afraid that something

He

make him ashamed.

to

preaches a whole gospel with no mental reservations

and a pure gospel with no
visions of Ezekiel

of the betrayal of

saw a hole

(viii.

7-13) there

God by His

in the wall

found a door.

He went

In one of the

flaws.
is

a vivid picture

ministers.

Ezekiel

and he went through and
in

and he found " every form

of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and
idols of the

round about.

men

house of

And

Israel

there stood before

:

the

portrayed upon the wall

them seventy

of the elders of the house of Israel."

Jehovah said unto Ezekiel

all

"

Then

Son of man, hast thou

seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the

THE DISHEARTENED PREACHER'S JOY

48

man

dark, every

in

chambers of imagery?

his

they say, Jehovah seeth us not
Alas, and alas

saken the land."
of Paul

;

The

!

In

not appoint himself to this task.
seized in spite of himself

was doing

in the sight of

He

looks at

it

God, speak we

from various

He

of his authority.

He

him.

like a

God

He

He

Gentiles.

one with

also

this
*'

made

nant;

is
is

God on

He

never

the unsearchable riches

He,

«

less

He can

never

than the least

not sufficient of himself to face any
is

any one

sufficient in

from

God who
new cove-

But our sufficiency

is

us sufficient as ministers of a

the

letter,

brought Paul and the

equipped them

diamond.

the source

not worthy to bear that story to the

message, nor

not of

multi-

has not yet exhausted the

news often enough.

of the saints,

himself.

is

speaks with the eye of

of Christ " that forever challenge him.
that

did
vi^as

of God,

He

in Christ."

sides.

It is just "

riches of Christ.

tell

As

*'

speaks in the sphere of Christ.

goes beyond Christ.

he

and turned round when he

words and turns the idea over

plies

He

fact,

utmost against Christ.

his

for-

other reason

that he bears God's commission.

is

for

Jehovah hath

but of the

rest

into the

for the service.

"

God

spirit."

God

ministry and

Such confidence

have we through Christ to Godward."
complacency, but trust in

;

that

It is
fills

not

self-

Paul with

holy courage to face a hostile and unbelieving world

THE NEW STANDPOINT

49

with the story of redemption in Christ Jesus.

The

Corinthians ought not to misunderstand him.

He

is

He

not praising himself.

troduction to

when he went

them

needs no letter of in-

ApoUos had,

as

for instance,

His work in Corinth

open

all

letter to

duction

is

be read of

after all a

implies that one

with

all

their

very heart.

may

to see them, or as the Judaizers

have claimed to have.

is

men.

very cold and

a stranger.

A

is

an

letter of intro-

lifeless

thing.

It

But the Corinthians,

shortcomings, are written in Paul's

The

pastor

to the truth of Paul's

who

words

reads this bears witness
as

he

calls

up the

faces

of friends tried and true in this church or in that

who have been bound
" in Christ."

to

him with hooks of

steel

II

THE GLORY THAT FADED—THE
MODERN PROBLEM
{2 Cor.

**

ill.

Moses,

6-16)

who

put a veil upon his face."

—2 Cor.

in. ij.

II

THE GLORY THAT FADED— THE MODERN
PROBLEM

PAUL

reminded of the ministry of Moses

is

representative of the

as

Old Covenant, probably

because of the activity of the Judaizers in
Corinth

who

Mosaism.

It

claimed
is

Jewish propagandists.'

method

gorizing,^ a
casion.^

be

to

But

more than mere

it is

that Paul

knew how

to use

alle-

on oc-

Exodus xxiv.-xxxiv. and

draws a wonderful

parallel in the

The whole system

of Judaism

Judaism of

is

This passage

is

worthy of the

beclouded

monialism.

It

Paul's bold

ness of a

Covenant.

closest study

by the

by

sacerdotalism

and

cere-

pathetic to think that, in spite of

and unanswerable exposure of the weak-

mere sacerdotal

the Greek and
Meyer, in

is

New

vision of the spiritual min-

preacher of to-day whose
is

his day.

set in the boldest

contrast to the ideal ministry of the

1

of

But, in the present instance, Paul keeps close

to the historical situation in

istry

exponents

the

thus an indirect polemic against the

ecclesiasticism, to-day in

Roman Churches

are to be found just
2

loco, foot-note.
3 I

Cor. X, 2

;

Gal.

53

iv. 25.

Bernard, in

loco,

THE GLORY THAT FADED

54

the Jewish conception of the ministry which Paul
is

condemning.

It is

undoubtedly true also that the

wide-spread influence of these two great Churches has

measure shaped popular opinion of the min-

in large

ister as priest

and

cleric rather

than as prophet, herald,

The

downfall, the inevitable

servant, teacher, pastor.

downfall, of this Jewish conception has brought untold

harm

to the ministry

Paul places the preacher

any

sense.

tive

and

He

the

is

God and comes

man

intensely

is

modern

ministry to-day has lost

looks in the face of

The problem

in

many

which to some

dearest
others

hope

all

in

is

now

before

The

phases.

its

many

people.

calling of the

lost.

It

min-

was once the

every Scottish home, as in

many

over the world, that the boy would become

a minister of Jesus Christ.

with tender pathos
criticism

of

glory for

its

There was once a halo about the
ister

of ecclesiastical

to talk with the people as prophet,

not as priest nor ecclesiastic.

Paul

not easy for

of high spiritual preroga-

the

man who

the

It is

se.

pinnacle upon which

not one of officialism in

is

man

not

privilege,

He

station.

is

per

The

people to distinguish.

how

the cold blast of

has smitten this

Bonnie Scotland.*
to justify the
1

Ian Maclaren has told

fair

flower

Numerous modern

modern

denial of Jesus in

« Beside the Bonnie Briar Bush."

modern

of faith

in

novels seek
its

appeal to

THE MODERN PROBLEM

Paul graphically seizes upon

the youth of to-day/

Moses on Mount Sinai and uses

the picture of

with powerful

Paul does not at

A

Real Glory

all

mean

to

law was with glory

"

Sinai,

The

and the seventh day

He

called unto

left

Moses.
divine glory was on the face of
with

wonderful

came

to pass,

Sinai with the

Moses

a

on the face of Moses.

radiance

simplicity

it

forty days

These

^

communion with God

forty nights of

of external

glory of Jehovah

and the cloud covered

out of the midst of the cloud."

and

of the

The coming

Indeed, the ministry of the

^

Old Covenant was glory .^
abode upon Mount

fact of the

deny the

glory that belonged to Moses.

;

it

effect.

I.

six days

55

and power.

mark

The

It is told

"And

it

when Moses came down from Mount
two

tables of the testimony in Moses'

hand, when he came

Moses knew not

down from

the mount, that

that the skin of his face shone

reason of his speaking with Him."^

The charm

by
Hes

The "God

of
the unconsciousness of Moses.
"« had appeared unto Abraham as He did to
glory
an angeF as
Stephen whose face shone like that of

in

he began to speak.
.

Cf. "

Robert Elsmere."

c

Acts

vii.

2

;

Gen.

It

xii. I.

has sometimes happened that
»

2 Cor.

iii.

'

7-

'

Acts

vi.

^ Cor.
15

J

iii.

9-

vii. i f.

THE GLORY THAT FADED

56

the modern minister comes to the pulpit from the

God on

throne of grace with the glory of

He

himself

is

unconscious of his heavenly radi-

all

ance as he breaks the bread of

But they know

it

in their hearts.

"

his face.

life

and thank God

to the people.

for the testimony

And when Aaron

and

the chil-

all

dren of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face

shone

and they were

;

They

felt

afraid to

awe

a solemn

come nigh him."

They

in his presence.

The

manifest power and glory.

rabbis

felt

God

in truth the other Presence, the Presence of

had a

*

in

fiction

that this glory was from the hght of creation,^ but
that

mere

is

trifling.

was the

It

which Jehovah dwells that
Moses.

he

is

called so often into the closest fellowship with

ministerial

There

A

lege, but
this

the

^

»

of course, no special

may

not live up to his rich privi-

there for him.

it is

of God."

He

his

draws him to communion with

radiant glory, no

Presence

his side

itself

preacher

with God.

is,

approach to the Throne of God, but

very work of

on

ineffable glory in

the countenance of

the highest crown of the minister that

It is

the Eternal God.

God.

filled

had to

There

way but

is

no way to put

the " Practice of

Moses had actually been
call

Aaron and

the rest to

and they gradually drew nigh and

Ex. xxxiv. 30.
Meyer, in loco ; Eisenmenger, Entdeckt. Judenth.,

listened

I., S.

369

f.

THE MODERN PROBLEM
to his message from God.^

when

speakable responsibility
with the

is

a

moment

a man's soul

is

of un-

ablaze

God and his audience are - in
Then the deepest mark is
infinite."

Word

tune with the

It

57

of

There are mountain peaks in
when the tongue is
the experience of most men
Then
of God.touched by the coal from the altar

made upon

one

is

the soul.

able to

power.^

-cry" with

It

is

at

such

into the kingsupreme moments that souls are born
John
ministry.
dom, that men are called into the
physician and was
A. Broadus had expected to be a
A. M.
towards that end, but he heard

studying

- Parable of the
Poindexter preach one day on the
get away from that
Talents," and he could never

sermon.

It

questioned

if

useful service

sermon.
istry

the

him

sent

It

may be

a more
Dr. Poindexter ever performed
preaching of this
in his life than the

There

is

under God.

work

into the ministry.^

still

glory and power in the min-

One way

of the ministry

is

to enlist

to pray for

more men

in

more labourers

Another way is to live close
demonstraGod and preach with the power and
Paul gathered many young minSpirit.

as Jesus

to

commanded.^

tion of the
isters

a joy
1

4
6

Titus, who were
about him, like Timothy and
But the man wins more men to
to his heart.

^ Isa. xl.
' Isa. vi. 6 ff.
f
xxxiv
A. Broadus," p. 52 fRobertson, " Life and Letters of John
Matt. ix. 38 ; Luke x. 2.

Ex

M

6.

THE GLORY THAT FADED

58

the ministry

on

own

his

unconscious of any special halo

is

He

head.

sees only the face of Jesus his

Syria was once " the Cradle of the Prophets."

Lord.

That

who

is

case, but

no longer the

it is

*

an honour to a

church or a land to be a " hot-bed for preachers."

2.

"

A

Hidden Glory

And when Moses had done

he put a

veil

on

his face."

^

speaking with them

Paul interprets

it

thus

:

" so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly

face."

upon the
^

They

face of

felt as if

Moses

for the glory of his

they were looking right at the

sun and they could not stand the

brilliant light.

who

deed, the sun will put out the eyes of those

We

to gaze directly at his light for long.

smoked

resort to

glasses or take advantage of an eclipse to

look steadfastly in the face of the sun.

took the

In-

dare

veil off

only

when he went

in to

So Moses
speak with

on when he came out to speak

the Lord and put

it

with the people.^

There was a great gulf between

the people and Moses.
giver

who

beheld

God

Christianity leads us
lets

'

Judaism had the one law-

while the people tarried below.
all

to the

mount

of vision,

and

the lowliest pass through the fences, and go up

where the blazing glory
*

"

is

seen.

The Intercollegian f Jan., 1911, p. 86.
2 Cor, iii. 7.

Moses
2

4

veiled the

Ex. xxxiv. 33.
Ex. xxxiv. 34 f.

THE MODERN PROBLEM

with unveiled face are to shine
is

We

shone with the irradiation of Deity.

face that

laren^

59

among men."

Mac-

*

right also in saying that Paul's habit of

" going off at a word," as illustrated in this passage

about Moses and the
but

veil, is

not a mark of confusion,

of the fervid richness of the apostle's mind,

'*

which acquires force by motion, and,
wheel, catches

Old

Dispensation

So, he continues,

revolves."

fire as it

in this scene on the mount, "

—a

we have a picture of the

partial

through a

veil, flashing

here in a

rite,

like a chariot-

revelation,

gleaming

through symbols, expressed

there in a type, there again in an ob-

scure prophecy, but never or scarcely ever fronting

the world with an unveiled face and the light of

shining clear from

it.

Christianity

teachers ought to be, the opposite of

and they are to have, no
where plain speech

is

is,

God

and Christian

all this.

It has,

esoteric doctrines,

no hints

possible,

no

reserve,

no use of

symbols and ceremonies to overlay truth, but an
telligible

in-

revelation in words and deeds, to men's

understandings.

It

clare the thing as

and they are
it

is."

plentifully to de-

Paul means to cast no

reproach upon Moses or the Old Covenant by this
contrast.
fullness

*

The people simply could not stand the
Even if it was
of light which Moses had.

Maclaren, " Expositions of Holy Scripture," 2 Corinthians, in

^Ibid.

loco,

THE GLORY THAT FADED

60

merely the skin of his face that shone with external
glory,

not

was too bright

it

enjoy the

charge

modern

inner light

of

they did

The

Christianity.

sometimes made to-day against the min-

is

istry that

for their eyes since

it is

the profession of obscurantists.

Either

ministers are dishonest in not being true to

what they know and pander to the ignorance of the
people or they have closed their minds to

and progress.
in

some

Both of these charges are

quarters

given to

newspaper sensation.
the preacher

As

a result

who

made

is

is

made

a

Notoriety always comes to

betrays his Lord or his gospel.

some young men

that the ministry

man who

freely

light

and occasionally some colour

by a minister whose defection

it

all

is

are

made

to

an unworthy calling

does not wish to wear shackles.

beheve

for a free

Hear Lord

Morley, for instance, in his famous essay on Compro-

mise

:

"

These cases only show the

essential

and

profound immorality of the priestly profession, which

makes a man's
using his

living

will

his abstaining

from

mind, or concealing the conclusions to

which the use of
time

depend on

his

come when

mind has brought him.

The

society will look back on the

doctrine that they that serve the altar shall live

by

the altar as a doctrine of barbarism and degradation."

Lord Morley
nostic,

and

is

an outspoken free-thinker and ag-

his indictment of the ministry

can thus

THE MODERN PROBLEM
be discounted.
ously

But the matter

is

6l

taken very

seri-

by Rev. Canon Danks/ of the Church of Eng-

who calls them "words of very serious import to
men who have entered or who wish to enter the min-

land,

He

istry."

says

"

:

They

more than any other
for ordination.

by the

Nor

express the thought which,

cause, deters able candidates

has their force been lessened

and the popular theology
five

gap between the

lapse of time, for the

years ago.

tween

.

.

the theological

is

wider

There

.

is

student

now than

and the untaught

dent that such a situation exists in

dents

for

gerated

may be

influence, but

replies in behalf of the

Hooker and

evi-

number

of stu-

partly due

now

to

this

it

is

He

a real problem.

Church of England

"

:

Were

Butler emissaries of intellectual dark-

ness, slaves themselves

Thirlwall,

is

quarters

Danks has probably somewhat exag-

Dr.
its

in the

It

many

the ministry, once so serious and

happily disappearing,
cause.

thirty-

a greater gulf be-

believer or unbeliever than ever before."

and the wide-spread decrease

critics

and enslaving others

?

Were

Lightfoot, Westcott, Creighton, Robert-

son of Brighton, Maurice, Kingsley, Stanley, Jowett

— were

all

these obscurantists, stunting the mental

growth of their time

?

On

the contrary, they were

1 Article,
" The Clergy, Conscience, and
Hibbert Journal^ Jan., 191 1.

Free Inquiry,"

The

THE GLORY THAT FADED

62

among

most

the

profound, and free

alert,

intelli-

gences of their time, teaching and emancipating
their

own and

so far as

I

Nor

succeeding generations.

is

there,

know, any reason to suppose that they were

in the least conscious of thinking in fetters, or acting

This

a part."

is

found to-day with
are "

that they

Indeed, the fault

a pertinent reply.

many men

in the ministry

is

hidebound reactionaries," but that

But

they are entirely too advanced and radical.
their very presence

to

Lord

and work constitute an answer

Moses was

IMorley's charge.

scious of the glory

the people

not

on

at first

his face, but the

made him aware

uncon-

conduct of

of the radiance.

not acting a part to hide his face with the
delivered his message with covered face.

It

veil.

It is

was

He
no

deception for the minister to-day to keep his inmost
self to himself.

new

light

is

He

does not claim omniscience.

coming, more

may come.

becoming to the herald of the
called

upon

He

God.

wait and learn like other men.
his beliefs, not his doubts.

has

But,

come between him and

upon

to act the hypocrite

Modesty

He

Cross.

to parade his doubts nor

ecstasies of his life with

If

all

is

is

not

the hidden

must be wiUing to

One should preach
when a real breach

Christ,

he

is

not called

and to go on mumbling

phrases and words that have no meaning to him.

The door

is still

open

for

him

to

go out of the minis-

THE MODERN PROBLEM
try of Christ

He must

when

there

63

no freedom within

is

be his own judge when to keep

still

on

it.

less

important matters and when to speak his mind on

But there

vital issues.

is

never reason for whimper-

ings

on the limitations of the ministry

one

is

much

in

Lord Morley says

of what

movement

in the

Modernism."

It

to-day a
called "

Pope Pius

X

to such

is

Roman

is

this, that it will

true.

Then,

There

tell,

Catholic Church

its

but " what

destruction.'

we can

fore-

be one of the most momentous

recorded in history."

^

it is

chiefly because

Romanism has sought to put clamps upon
human spirit, as the later Judaism of Paul's day
that this crisis has come.

against medieval

is

an extent that he has turned

The outcome no one can
crises

never, unless

has aroused the wrath of

the whole power of the Vatican to

see

;

the grip of a priestly hierarchy.

Romanism

the
did,

Protestantism stands out
as Paul's interpretation

of a free Christianity rises above the fettered Judaism
of his time which he once proclaimed and sought to
force

upon the

Christians themselves.

Roman CathoHc

priests in Italy

A

group of

have addressed a

He has issued a Syllabus, two Encyclicals (1907, 1909), and
September, 19 10, used the Motu propria to compel every professor, every new confessor, priest, and canon to take the oath of
orthodoxy.
2 Prof, Giovanni Luzzi, D. D., Florence, in the January, 191 1,
Hibbert Journal, article, " The Roman Catholic Church in Italy at
1

in

the Present

Hour."

1HE GLORY THAT FADED

64

letter to Pius

they say

"

:

X

entitled "

Our

society

What zue zvaiit," in which
has now for many years
*

held entirely aloof from the Church, which
as

siders

an ancient and inexorable

The Church

it

foe.

con-

.

.

.

considered an obstacle to the happi-

is

ness of nations

the priest

;

common, ignorant

is

insulted in public as a

and Chris-

parasite; the Gospel

expressions

of a decayed

tianity are

regarded as

civilization,

because they are entirely insufficient to

answer to the

freedom, justice, and science

ideals of

which are shaking the masses."
not

come from Lord Morley, but

cry of

The

This portrayal does

Roman

trouble

is

Catholic

priests

just here that

tinguish between

priest

in his noble panegyric

is

men do

not always dis-

and preacher.

Paul

on the ministry

calling

is

not

men

decayed Judaism nor to the corrupt and cor-

to the

Romanism of the future, but
Gospel of the Son of God which

rupting

Men

the despairing

about Romanism.

could bind

kingdom.

to the glorious

not bound.^

is

Paul, but not the gospel of the

He was bound in the spirit with allegiance

to Christ, but

had no

that the truth

would make men

fear of man.^
free.

Jesus had said
It

was God's

purpose to give the world a message which would be

1 Quel che vogliano.
Journal article.
» 2 Tim. ii. 9.

Quoted by Professor Luzzi

in the Hibbert
»

Acts xx. 23.

THE MODERN PROBLEM
delivered boldly and openly without
"

the face.

65

any

veil

upon

Having therefore such a hope, we use

who

great boldness of speech, and are not as Moses,

put a

veil

means

**

upon

telling

his face."

^

" boldness "

The word

Paul glories in his freedom

it all." ^

God

as a minister of Christ.

has

come

in Christ

and

the Light has been tempered to the eye of man.

A

3.

expressly

Paul

Temporary Glory

calls

attention

to

the transient

aspect of the glory on the face of Moses as a symbol
of the passing glory of the Mosaic ministry and so
of Judaism



who put

" Moses,

a veil upon his face,

that the children of Israel should not look steadfastly

So

on the end of that which was passing away."^
verse seven he says

Moses

:

Meyer ^ takes

away."

'*

Which

glory was passing

Paul's language to

mean

that

practiced " dissembling " with the people since

he did not wish the people to see the glory on
face die away, else they

and

in

his

work.

would

lose respect for

his

him

However, he does not think that

Paul regarded this act as immoral on the part of

Moses.

he said

Paul

is

in verse

not in verse thirteen denying what

seven about the hght being too

I2 Cor. iii. 12.
'Cf. John vii. 13 where
®

2 Cor.

iii.

13.

it is

bril-

translated " openly."
*



loco^

THE GLORY THAT FADED

66

liant for the

The language

people to look upon.*

verse thirteen undoubtedly

in

a purpose to

presents

prevent the people of Israel from seeing the departure of the glory on the countenance of Moses.^

Some have even supposed

that Christ

meant by

is

" the end of that which was passing away."
that

is

There

quite beside the mark.

is

But

^

no direct

statement in Exodus concerning this second point

made by

Paul,

though the transient nature of the

glory on the face of Moses
It

is

is

kept^ putting the veil on and
far

plain in the context.

clear in the consciousness of

beyond

Paul's

off.

Moses since he

But one

remarks on the story

accuse Moses of dissembling.

He

in

is

going

Exodus

probably

first

to

put

the veil on because the brightness he found " was so

Then he

resplendent as to dazzle the beholders."^
realized that,

when he

out the

the people would note that the glory

veil,

did speak to the people with-

was no longer on

his

countenance.

kept up that plan

not

made

is

How

plain, but the

long he

day came,

probably soon, when he had to speak without the
1 Bernard,
in loco, notes that in Ex. xxxiv. 33 " till " in the
Authorized Version has been changed to " when " in the Revised
Version.
But, even so, that does not affect the two points made by

Paul.
2

" That "

8

Cf.

is

Rom.

design, not result.

X. 4.

*

2 Cor.

iii,

13.

Denny, 2 Corinthians, in loco. For a discussion of the interpretation of the Targums, the Septuagint, and Philo, see Bachmann,
Der Zweite Brief des Faulus an die Korinther, S. 156
5

THE MODERN PROBLEM
What Moses

veil.

67

avoided was the people seeing

away each

the glory slowly vanish

There

time.

real parallel here in the experience of

when he has spoken with power concerning
things of God.

there
action

is

dissipate at

A

pression produced.

lest

a violent nervous re-

once the
story

preacher to the effect that,

is

real spiritual

told about a

when he was

when he was out
glory
If

we

is

it.

of

it,

it

;

but,

they wished that he would

The only way

permanent

to have

to continue beholding the glory of the Lord.

Him, we cease

to reflect His

Moses may not have thought

at all (almost

cease looking at

glory.

im-

famous

in the pulpit,

the church wished he would never leave

never enter

the

he steps down among the people,

need of caution

may

a

In the pulpit he has seemed like one

When

inspired.

is

every minister

certainly did not) of his conduct being a type of the

nor was he think-

temporary nature of

his ministry,

ing of the difference

between what he was and what

he had to
hide his

A

teach.'

preacher

is

often tempted to

own person and weaknesses

out of sight in

order to concentrate attention on what he

To

a certain extent this

is

justifiable,

is

saying.

but people will

not allow a clear divorce between preaching and
practice

on the part of the minister.

momentary gleam,
^

"

Moses had a

a transient brightness
Cf.

Meyer, in

loco.

;

we have

a

THE GLORY THAT FADED

68

Moses' face shone, but the lustre

perpetual light.

But the

was but skin deep.

ness."

There

*

Gospel which
greatness of

revealed,

is

all,

maineth

is

and with

in the Gospel."

this surpassing difference

glory,

in glory."

:

**

For

if

New

Paul exults in

which passeth

message to man.

will

shall

demand

for ministers of the
it

ing lost

was

its

in the

takes on

first

continue because there

new

in

phases.

man

is

Gospel to-day

century.

each

The

than

the fullness of God's

new

continue to get

Nor

is

The

just the

That

Human

generation.

light

it.^

has preach-

power over the hearts of men.

cry that comes

re-

The

in Christ.

never get beyond

same

as

which

redemption of

Jesus

We shall

on that message, but

that

Paul boldly champions the

for the

the Gospel of Christ.

His true

it

that

much more

^

Testament ministry

no higher word

true

^

permanence of the glory and service

is

The

"

not true of Judaism.

God

away was with

its

a finality in the revelation of the

is
is

glory, once for

we have is
own like-

light that

inward, and works transformation into

is

a

life

printing press brings the

newspaper, the magazine, and the novel.

The

tele-

phone, the automobile, the electric car revolutionize the habits of

men.

But no printed page can per-

^

Maclaren, « Expositions of Holy Scripture," in

loco.

'

Denney, in

3

Works

loco.

2 Cor.

iii.

II.

G. B. Foster's " Finality of the Christian Religion
are mere passing leaves.
*

like

THE MODERN PROBLEM
manently

supply

looked into the face of
face of sinful

men and

words the sense of

The

Christ.

of the

the place

man who

has

God and now looks into the
presses home with burning
and the redemption

sin

who

minister

69

in Jesus

does this has a great

hearing to-day and will always be greeted by glad

This

hearts.

is

the eternal call for preachers, the

heart-hunger^ of sinful

men

God

unveihng of their

for

Christ, for the

in

all

upon

the touch of heart

moving of the

Spirit of

for the

God.

Roman

so.

A

The

to speak for

call of

God and

will

may

human sympathy,

But even so God

God.

system or to

to this

who can

that.

hear His voice and see His

He

is

will find

not

men

face.^

A71 Overshadowed Glory

4.

The

greatest spirits of

Catholic hierarchy, a Jewish scribism

power

bound

mighty

Protestant scholasticism,^ a

lose the gift of spiritual insight, of

of

real selves,

heart, for the

time have responded to this

continue to do

knowledge of

glory on the face of Moses passed away, but

there was a real glory in the Old Covenant.

was and there

still is.

the less to the greater.
»

Cf. Stalker, «

'

Denney, in

It is

an argument

There

at first

from

" If the ministration of death

The Preacher and His Models,"

p,

25

f.

loco.

Commenting on the coming of the Rev. J. H. Jowett from
Birmingham to New York, The British Weekly, Jan. 26, 1 891,
speaks of " The Call for Preachers " and quotes from a saying of
3

.

THE GLORY THAT FADED

70
.

.

came with

.

ministration

how

glory,

shall not rather the

of the spirit be with glory

?

"

The

'

condition admits the glory of the Old Dispensation

and by a

rhetorical question argues the greater glory

New

of the

"

Dispensation.

For

of condemnation hath glory,

if

the ministration

much

rather doth the

ministration of righteousness exceed in glory."

*

Paul

admits the glory of the Old, but claims the

much

richer glory of the

New.

In

itself this

paragement of the true Judaism.
passeth

away was with

remaineth

is

in glory."

glory,
^

^

if

much more
less to

a self-evident proposition.

is

For

no

is

which

that

which

the greater.

New

"

For

is

Covenant that

the glory of the Old seems to disappear entirely
less.

It

But, in truth, there

of glory in the

greater glory dims the

dis-

that

Three times Paul has thus

used the argument from the

such an overplus

"

verily that

;

the

which

hath been made glorious hath not been made glorious

by reason

of the glory that surpass-

in this

respect,

eth."

In one point at least the old seems to have no

^

glory at
the

all,

New

because of the superabundant glory of

Covenant.^

"

The

veiled

Moses represents

*' In
Luther in Dr. Kawerau's tribute to Spurgeon
the
is not enough that books should be written and read, but
it is necessary that there should be speaking and hearing.
Therefore Christ wrote nothing, but spoke everything.
The apostles
wrote little, but spoke a great deal."

Martin

Church

^

*

:

it

2 Cor.
2 Cor.

iii.

7 f

^

2 Cor.

iii.

9.

»

2 Cor.

iii.

il.

iii.

9.

62 Cor.

iii.

10.

^

2 Cor.

iii.

10.

1

THE MODERN PROBLEM

The vanishing gleam

the clouded revelation of old.

on

7

his face recalls the fading glories of that

abolished."

The

moon

the

rises;

"

*

are bright

stars

herself reigns

sky.

moon

the

till

heaven

in

till

when

splendour pales before the sun; but
shines in his strength, there

which was

the sun

no other glory

is

her

in the

All the glories of the Old Covenant have van-

ished for Paul in the light which shines from the

Cross and from the Throne of Christ."

Paul had

^

already caught the vision of the conquest of Christianity and of the vanishing of Judaism

The Jews
God's

still

Word

till

Israel Zangwill

the times of the Gentiles be
^

even

now

laments

ens the existence of the race

But with Paul there

ism."

Christianity

outdistance

is

John saw

crease."

What

threat-

no

rivalry, so far

does

There was no

:

"

He must

light

increase, but I

The

true Judaism finds

Sometimes a preacher

Christ.^

was to fade before

must de-

John was the herald of the dawn

^

sun arose.

he sees another minister go
*

Maclaren,

'

Luke
John

fulfilled.^

the decay of Juda-

is

Judaism.

clearly that his

that of Jesus

*

:

*'

between John the Baptist and Jesus because

rivalry

4 77^-?

by comparison.

linger in the world as a witness of

<'

Expositions," in

is

far

loco.

its

as the

fulfillment in

sorely tested

beyond him
2

when

in use-

Denney, in

loco.

Rom.

x. 4.

24 ; Rom. xi. 25.
Jezuish Review^ Jan., 1911, p. 391.
xxi.

iii.

30.

^

THE GLORY THAT FADED

72

His light

and popular favour.

fulness

Happy

that of a greater personality.

rejoice in the greater light, " that

may

he that reapeth

dimmed by

is

he

is

he can

if

he that soweth and

rejoice together."

An

'

old

minister will do well to watch his spirit and to find

God

joy in the young ministers about him.

will

keep our going out into activity and our coming in
to the inner shrine.^

there

sits

*'

In that inner

eyes.
in.

It is

of

life

face,

and Shame with

Memory

with tears in her

Regret with her pale

dust on her forehead, and

room

a pitiable thing sometimes, this coming

More than one man has consumed

his life in a

flame of activity because he could not abide the

coming
ing in

'

in.

But,

*

The Lord

—that means help

inward hour of

life."

^

for

keep thy com-

shall

every lonely, impotent,

But Paul stands

in the full

He

glory of Christianity with naught to conceal.

is

not afraid that people will find out something about
the Gospel.

**

at full length,

and

the minister.

St.

own

Paul has painted his
in

every line of

There

is

more

touches the very quick of our

it is

in his writings
life as

in all other writings in existence."

»

*

John

iv.

36.

which

ministers than

Paul speaks out

^

of his heart for the Christian ministry of

»

portrait

the portrait of

«

Cf.

Psalm

Percy C. Ainsworth, " The Threshold Grace."
Stalker, « The Preacher and His Models," p. 18.

all

ages

cxxi. 8.

;

THE MODERN PROBLEM
when he

73

above Judaism and

exalts Christianity

all

other religions in the world and places the Christian
ministry at the summit of

life's

Nothing

callings.

can ever overshadow the true glory of the ministry
of Jesus Christ.

Him whose

message to deliver about

ground of

all

an authentic

" If the pulpit has

existence,

and whose

thought

is

the

will of love

is

the

explanation of the pain and mystery of

life,

the

more

and eager the mind of man becomes, then

cultivated

the more indispensable will the voice of the pulpit be
felt

and a

to be;

pulpit can only be

real

decay of the power of the

due either to preachers themselves,

when, losing touch with the mysteries of revelation,
they

passing
general

down

themselves

let

opinion,

mind

or to

to the level of vendors of

such a shallowing of the

as will render

it

incapable of taking an

earnest interest in the profounder problems of exist-

ence."
5.

At

its

best the

A

Defective Glory

Old Covenant had drawbacks of a

serious nature in spite of

its

istry of the " letter " as

opposed to

"

made

**

letter,

but the

but of the

spirit

giveth

spirit

life."

"^

^

Stalker, "

The Preacher and His Models,"

»

2 Cor.

6.

iii.

It is

spirit."

a min-

God

new covenant

us sufficient as ministers of a

not of the
killeth,

real glory.

:

for the letter

It is

p. 27.

not entirely

THE GLORY THAT FADED

74

what Paul means by these words.

clear

takes

mean

to

it

why God

" the reaso7t

Certainly the scribes had

made

the law

a matter of letter and form, not of spiritual

But

power.

more

it

probable that Paul

is

among

making a

is

cision

Romans

newness of the

in oldness of the letter,"

Jew who

scribes the "

In

the rabbis.

speaks of serving " in

^

is

as in

spirit,

Romans

He

is

deemed

;

a contrast between the

drawn between the law
spirit in

literalism,

by

Paul.^

but

The conand the

as letter

spirituaUife

is

strangled

meant by

is

" letter "

and works

are under the curse of the law

when we
redeemed

Christ has

us from under the curse of the law,^ having

a curse for

us.

The

re-

not the point aimed at here

it is

The law

We

The

man.^

seek to be saved by the law.^

spirits

and not

one inwardly and circum-

mean

does not

by

death.

6 he

29 he de-

ii.

of the law and the spirit of the law.

letter

trast

vii.

that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the

is

letter."

Spirit of Christ

makes

become

alive

our

held in the grip of the law which was death.

law, then,

4

In loco.
Denney, in

'

Cf.

>

and

life

serious charge than the patent misuse of the

law current

The

made

hath

of ministering not to the letter, but to

them capable
the spirit."

Meyer'

Rom.

'

loco.

vii.

while

kills,^

7-24.

Cf.

Rom.
^

the

^

vi. 4.

Gal.

iii.

Spirit

»

Cf.

Bernard, in
«

10.

Rom.

quickens.^

Gal.

iii.

loco.

13.

vii. 25-viii. 11.

.

THE MODERN PROBLEM
**

When

tences

with

the apostle has written these two Httle sen-

—when
kill

'

'

he has supplied

and

make

*

mentions

plainly

written, ajid engraved
**

" the

^

'

dition in Philo

Paul takes up the

to the tables of law

it

life,

the death-chill of the law in his

felt

though the law was good

Old Covenant had merely a
demnation

in itself, yet

^

Paul

not of the law, but of
gel of light

" ministration of con-

that righteousness

insists

and puts forward
^

his ministers as "

*

2 Cor.

iii.

*Ex. xxxiv.

*2

Cor.

iii.

7 f

and

Cor.

lii.

9.

'

7.
5

29.

'Gal.

iii.

21.

Rom.

v.

It is all

There

" thou shalt not."

^2

min-

But the thunders of Sinai

brought only the voice of condemnation.
shalt "

is

Satan poses as an an-

faith.^

isters of righteousness."

" thou

it

The

sin.^

contrast with " the ministration of

in

righteousness."

tra-

Exodus ^ does not say

in

only brought a keener consciousness of

"

The

Sinai.

was that the words were graven on

though the narrative

Paul had

own

^

contrast with

in

"

brought down by Moses on Mount

so.

as far

an effective

ministration of death,

on stones

and applies

" letter "

stone,

*

spirit

'

—he has gone

in stating

the ministration of the spirit."

word

and

But Paul turns the idea over a few times.

contrast."

He

'

the sense which they

alive,' in

mind of man can go

letter

*

bear in the Christian revelation
as the

75

Vita Mos,

20

f.

;

vii,

^2 Cor.

iii.

is

2.

7-12.
xi. 15.

a

THE GLORY THAT FADED

76

majesty more transcendent about the
tion/ but the dominant note

New

ministers of the

New

Dispensa-

The

grace, not law.

is

Covenant have hope and

cer-

They bear a message of cheer, not of mere

tainty.

condemnation.

It

still

is

a terrible thing to

fall

into

God after having trodden
God and having done despite

the hands of the Hving

under foot the Son of

unto the Spirit of His grace, more terrible than

ter of Christ

not a mere denouncer of

is

he has to cry aloud and spare not

He

of old.

This

How

who

will

Old Covenant and those of the New.

good things

!

"

^

to see a minister of Christ

them

Paul

true in a sense not understood

is still

like the prophets

respond to the grace of

beautiful are the feet of

tidings of

though

the greatest difference between the

is

ministers of the
"

evil,

the herald of the Gospel, the bearer of

is

pardon to sinners
God.

it

But the minis-

was under the Mosaic dispensation.^

by

that bring glad

knew

to be

this

Isaiah.^

It is

sad

who is still at Sinai, who
who is still proclaimwho has not caught the

under the Old Covenant,

ing the message of death,
vision of love
nant.

and grace and hope

Paul's appeal

is

for

in the

men who

message of the Cross, not of

Sinai.

Jesus the emancipation of the

human

^

Heb.

ii.

8

Rom.

X. 15.

1-4

;

xii.

will carry

spirit

2
lii.

7

Covethe

Paul sees in

25-29.
4 Isa.

New

;

Heb.

cf.

from the
x.

26-31.

Nahum

i.

15.

THE MODERN PROBLEM
The

bondage of the law.

had frozen the
the real

There
Paul

life

chill

of mere formalism

out of Judaism as

it

has destroyed

power of many expressions of
to-day the same

is

peril in

Christianity.

sacerdotahsm that

The emptiness

in Judaism.

feared

77

spirit.

He

bitter experience the dry-rot of

mere

negative rules was abhorrent to his free

had known by

and

religiosity

sanctity

of mere

sanctimoniousness.

Professional

He saw

was repellent to Paul's nature.

in

the Christian ministry the exponents of God's love

and of personal

No

piety.

greater peril confronts

the minister to-day than the one Paul found in the

Judaism of
priest.

his day.

The

priest

The prophet disappeared
dried

scribe split hairs over

meant.
vital

up

in the

the scribe.

in

what prophet and

The
had

priest

Traditional interpretation took the place of

Love

experience of God.

the inner

life

and

of the external killed

crucified Jesus of

emphasis on the spiritual

life

Nazareth

His

for

and rebuke of the mere

ceremonialism of the scribes and Pharisees.

Stephen

went the way of Jesus when he rebuked the Pharisees
for their perversion of real religion

the spiritual interpretation of the
as

expounded by

Jesus.

and sought to give

kingdom

of

God

Paul turned from persecut-

ing Pharisee to spiritual interpreter of Jesus and

took the place of Stephen
joiced.

in

whose death he had

Jesus and Stephen fought

official

re-

Pharisaism

THE GLORY THAT FADED

78

Paul took up the battle

Judaism.

in the current

with Pharisaism within the Christian fold which was
seeking to put the

upon the

soul was stirred to
all

The one hope

Christianity of Jesus.

rescue for the soul of

with

perverted Judaism

fetters of their

man was

in

jeopardy.

depths and he met the issue

its

the force of his nature.

He

in the thick

is

of the fight with these Judaizing Christians,

were attempting to destroy

when he draws
and
of

The

and

legalism

very

battle

spiritual

Romans.

afterwards.
difficulties of

to enter the
tianity

Christianity,

spiritual

between the bondage
has never

Christianity

Paul set up his standard in 2 Corinthians,

Galatians,

years

who

the contrast here between Judaism

Christianity.

ceased.

of

Paul's

and

lists.

failure

Luther took

The

peril

is

it

up hundreds of

always

real.

The

the struggle challenge great spirits

The
of

evident perversions of Chris-

some

ministers to be apostles

of freedom in Christ should not repel the best spirits
of our time.

They should

to fight for the soul of

man

bind him whether king or
traditionahst

or

the rather hear the call
against

all

who

priest, state or

innovationist.

The

need to keep himself close to God

if

seek to
church,

minister

he

is

will

to fight

against the mighty forces of reaction and radicalism.

Paul had to beat off the Judaizers with their narrowness on the one

hand and the Gnostics with

their

THE MODERN PROBLEM

79

and philosophic looseness on the other.

false liberality

of Christ to-day needs constant re-

The preacher

newal of his spiritual

life

to avoid this

empty

sionalism into which Judaism had sunk.

an

as

call

initial

may

be,

it

will

A

long on such a memory.

Valuable

''

not do to trade too

ministry of growing

The soul

power must be one of growing experience.
must be

God and enjoy golden hours
The truth must come to the

touch with

in

of fresh revelation.

minister as the satisfaction of his

answer

profes-

to

his

perplexities."

'

own needs and

the

Religiosity

not

is

religion.

6.

The

Ineffective

of the people.

its

failure to

The

work the

story of Israel

that of desertion of God.

after the idols of the nations

letter of the

the Captivity

around them

in spite of

Elisha, Isaiah,

Jere-

:

'•

law and missed

But

their

God

again.

Hear Paul ^

minds were hardened

;

for until

very day at the reading of the Old Covenant the

same
»

till

renewal

After the Restoration the Jews stuck to the

miah.

this

spiritual

The people kept going

prophets like Samuel, Elijah,

again

Glory

saddest thing about the history of the Old

Covenant was

is

An

veil

Stalker, "

*2 Cor.

iii.

remaineth,

it

not being revealed to them

The Preacher and His Models,"
14

f.

p. 53.

THE GLORY THAT FADED

8o
that

it

done away

is

whensoever Moses

ple

day."

Oh,

and

see,

you a heart

to

ears to hear, unto this

knew when he

people have sinned a great

this

day,

to see the bhndness of his peo-

Indeed, at Sinai Moses

*

this

heth upon the

veil

" But Jehovah hath not given

:

know, and eyes to
"

a

read,

is

Moses hved

heart."

But unto

Christ.

in

cried

:

and have

sin

But even so Moses

made them gods

of gold."^

loved his people so

much that he wished to be blotted
if God could not forgive them.^

out of God's book

So Paul

felt

about the Jews

:

" I could wish that I

myself were anathema from Christ for
sake,

my

Paul

knew only too

kinsmen according to the

my

brethren's

But

flesh."*

well the tragedy^ of Judaism,

Jesus came unto His own and His own received
Him not.^ He had himself tried to lift the veil that

how

rested

on the heart of the Jews, but had found

hard to do.^

They had

bitter

it

its

analogue in a

had
*

Deut. xxix. 4.

Rom. ix. 3.
•John i. II.

s

The

2 Cor.

iii.

14.

veil

on

^

the face of

like

tough

Moses had

on the heart of the people.

veil

to hide the glory

4

Paul

to the Gentiles.

was to preach to an unresponsive

audience, whose thoughts were hardened
gristle or leather.

very

them

thrust the Gospel from

and compelled Paul to turn

knew how

it

on

*Ex.
«

Cf.

'Cf. Acts

his face

from them and they
'Ex.

xxxii. 31.

Conder, " The
xiii.

44 ff.;

He

xxxii. 32.

Hebrew Tragedy."

xvii.

5;

xviii. 14, etc.

1

THE MODERN PROBLEM
became unable

to see the glory after the other veil

The message

gone.

Covenant

*

of Moses

is

written in the

may know

the " riches of the

glory of his inheritance in the saints."

he

Old

eyes of their heart ^ have not been en-

lightened that they

Israel

was

(Testament), but the people have no eyes

The

to see.

8

saith, All the

day long did

**

But

as to

spread out

I

my

hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people."^
Paul found hope in the fact that the Gentiles will

Good may come

hear.^

remain.*
veil

see

on

in the

end to the Jews who

But, meanwhile, the Jews

Some

their hearts.

some beauty

of

them

Others

in Jesus.^

ish liberalism as treason to

Moses.

are beginning to
^

resent this Jew-

The breach

tween the current Judaism and Christianity
But, that

is

not

all.

Some

Some,

modern

alas,

find

Gospel of Christ no longer charms their
that they have an unresponsive people

are dead to the spiritual appeal,

mammon
fear

man.

The

*

Heb. ix. i6 f.
Acts xxviii, 28.
Cf. Montefiore, "

'

Cf.

1

be-

exists.

who

life

and

that

the

own

souls,

whose hearts
are slaves to

and greed and who do not love God nor

faded from the

*

still

ministers find a wider

breach between the currents of
the message of Christ.

have the

still

light has

God

hills.

Cf.

gone out and the glory has

2

Eph.

pity that preacher and
i.

18.

»

Rom. x. 21.
5 Rom. xi.

The Religious Teaching of Jesus " (1910).
The Jewish Review October, 19 10.
y

THE GLORY THAT FADED

82

"

turn his face towards Jesus.

But whensoever

[the heart] shall turn to the Lord, the veil

away."

*

By

"

Christ can hft

"

Lord
the

it

taken

Paul means the Lord Jesus.

veil

of spiritual ignorance and

from the heart of Jew and Gentile,

indifference

preacher and people.

What

is

No

one

the world to-day needs

is

else

can do that.

the look at Christ,

the look of trust with the heart, the turning from

Moses and

rabbi,

of philosophy
that
will

is

in the

from

and

mammon

and

self,

from pride

self-righteousness, to the Light

Face of

There and there alone

Christ.

be found spiritual rejuvenation.
1

2 Cor.

iii.

1

6.

Ill

THE LIGHT IN THE FACE OF JESUSTHE ATTRACTION OF CHRIST
(2 Cor. iv.

The

light

glory

of

Christ."

4-6)
of the

God

in

knowledge of the
the face

of Jesus

—2

Cor. iv. o.

Ill

THE LIGHT IN THE FACE OF JESUS-THE
ATTRACTION OF CHRIST
The Face of Jesus Christ

I.

PAUL

not probably

did

He

flesh.

once knew

know

Him

Jesus in the

" after the flesh,"

^

means
but that expression almost certainly
once looked upon Christ as men of the
persecuted
world still do. He had once hated and

that he

Jesus.

It

sometimes objected that Paul discounted

is

the earthly
places,

more

"

of Jesus.

life

He

especially in the

tells

us in several

opening chapters of

he does not regard the searching out
evidence as of any importance." ^ That is

Galatians, that

of historic
surely

Gardner again
fixion

much

reading

we

"

:

into

Paul.

Hear Professor

Within a generation of the Cruci-

find St. Paul placing the

Master between two periods of

human

life

of his

celestial exaltation.

That was the beginning of Christology." Paul did
do that, but so did John's GospeP and Epistles^ and

2

" {Hibbert Journal Supple^
Percy Gardner, in « Jesus or Christ

ment
*

for 1909), p. 48.

John

i.

1-4

;

cf.

"

The Face

of Jesus," by

85

David Smith.

THE LIGHT

86

IN

THE FACE OF JESUS

Synoptic Gospels and Acts.'

the

more about the

cared

Paul

It

right

Jesus and the proper attitude towards
did about the
of Jesus.

life

and

Him

than he

mere

historical events of the earthly-

But a

careful study of Paul's Epistles

his addresses

Acts

in

show

will

the crucial points of that

all

true that

is

interpretation of

that he

Many

life.

knew

of these

were matters of public knowledge which Paul would
have learned during

his leadership of the persecution

of the Christians in Jerusalem.

After his conversion

Paul had fifteen days in Jerusalem with Simon Peter
right in the midst of the closing scenes of Christ's
"

life.2

No

one has the right to say that Saul had

no knowledge of the

historical Jesus.

Sanday ^

learn, so could Paul.

the allusions in Paul's Epistles
XV.

3-8) must

Luke could

(cf.

i

Cor.

xi.

23-25

;

be regarded as samples of Paul's

knowledge of the

details

of the

appeals to the words of Jesus
character of Jesus

mission of Jesus

If

rightly argues that

;

;

life

He

of Jesus.

he understands the

he knows what the message and

is."

^

The

qualifications of Paul as

an interpreter of Jesus challenge us at once in the
verses

1

this
3

*
^

^

before us.

I

venture to say that he

is

the

« The Lord of Glory," for a full development of
argument.
2 Gal. i. 18.
Art. " Paul " in Hastings's D. C. G.
Robertson, " Epochs in the Life of Paul," p. 89.
Cf. Warfield,

2 Cor.

iv.

4-6.

THE ATTRACTION OF CHRIST
supreme interpreter of Jesus
Apostle.

It

is

Christ,

87

he and John the

had

true that Paul's spiritual eyes

been blinded before the great light shone around

him

day on the road to Damascus.*

that

blinded the eyes of his
" I

his soul.

could not see for the glory of that

nothing

When

"

of Jesus.
"

his

but Jesus.

^

lowed him through

from

his

eyes were opened, he saw

That voice and that

life.

face fol-

In Damascus the scales

eyes and the Holy Spirit came upon

him and he was

baptized, but he

That was

Jesus in the way.^
that

light

Yes, but he had seen the glory in the face

light."

fell

That

body, but opened the eyes of

his

had already seen

unbroken testimony

he had seen the Lord Jesus on the way to
" I

Damascus.^

was not disobedient to the heavenly

That

vision."^

transcendent

crux upon which
never doubted

all

its

experience

was the

He
Many

of Paul's testimony turned.

reality for

one moment.

persons had looked on the face of Jesus while in the
flesh

who

did not understand

yond doubt a wondrous

Him.

There was be-

fascination in the face of

Jesus that no artist has succeeded in putting upon
canvas.

The

pictures of Christ are either too effemi-

nate or too crude.^

face has ever so haunted

and

' Acts ix. 8.
^ Acts ix. 17 f.
6 ; xxvi, 13.
^ Acts xxvi. 19.
Cor. xv. 8.
6 Cf. Tissot, " The Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ " (1900), which
well done as a whole.
See also " The Christ Face in Art."
1

^

is

No

Acts
Acts

ix.

3

ix.

27

;

xxii.

;

I

THE LIGHT

88

THE FACE OF JESUS

IN

baffled the greatest artists.

man, but

free

This face was really hu-

No
No

from the taint of sin and disease.

spectres of the past looked through those eyes.

shadows of forbidden secrets

Pity, un-

flitted past.

utterable compassion, looked out of the depths of

purity and

unsullied

strength.

looked out on a world of
of

man met

Untarnished truth

The

lies.

noblest impulses

The

the shock of hate and envy.

light of heaven's love

and the sinning.

Those eyes could

flash

power upon hypocrites who used the

rific

heaven to serve the devil
slunk

away

like

clear

gazed longingly at the suffering

cowed

in.

with

livery of

Before His wrath

beasts, guilty

ter-

men

and condemned.

But the penitent and the contrite saw a new hope
as

they looked in the face of Jesus.

some who could never
came

to their hearts

forget the thrill of joy

emotions in His countenance.

not

The

which

as they gazed into His face.

At moments they could be amazed

who

There were

at the struggling

There were three

beheld His majestic glory on the mount.
all

men

could see

all

this in the face of Jesus.

rabbis were angered to desperation as they

that calm

and powerful

raged them.
fellows.

Its

saw

very innocence en-

But Paul was a man gifted above

When

his

once he did see Jesus Christ, he was

in a position to see
spirits.

face.

But

more than many other

less gifted

His soul was keyed to the highest tension

THE ATTRACTION OF CHRIST
as

In his after

he looked into the face of Jesus.

study of that face he had the

He

artist.

of a supreme

skill

At

never ceased looking.

89

Paul had

first

studied the picture of Jesus that he might see the
" But, as he looked, there hap-

secret of His power.

pened a strange thing

He had

soul.

—the

sought to find the secret of

with the view of refuting
of

power but

its

picture crept into his

it

;

He

it.

The gaze

refuted him.

was transmuted into a gaze of rapture."
calls

its

power

did find the secret

Paul " the Illuminated " and

it

*

of anger

Matheson

aptly describes

the qualifications of Paul for his interpretation of
Christ.

"

Remember, the

was the Christ

Man

heaven.

in

His

of Galilee.

meet him

;

heavenly splendour.

of power, a Christ

He came
What

to

was the vision of

his inner

in

eye beheld was

—a Christ of majesty, a Christ

who came

clothed in the lightning

in the conqueror's robe.

Christian image in Paul's soul.

that

it

should have been the
^

saw

him panoplied

first

his writings ? "

first

never gazed upon the

earliest vision

the Christ of the future

and wreathed

He

Paul

Not on the road to the Cross did

a Jesus glorified.
Christ

whom

Christ

The famous

first

Matheson, "Representative

2

Ibid., p. 343.

Men

wonderful

Christian image in

blind preacher has seen

into the secret of Paul's soul.^
»

That was the
Is it

It is interesting

of the

New

Testament,"

*Cf. also Matheson, " Spiritual Development of St. Paul."

how

p. 335.

THE LIGHT

90

IN

THE FACE OF JESUS

fond Matheson was of pictures that he carried

memory from

He

the days before he lost his eyesight.

has seen with the eye of the soul more than

many who had

Moses had

the sight of the eye/

once asked to look upon the glory of God.

me,

pray thee,

I

Thy

thou canst not see

and

And

live.

come

shall

thee with

back

My

;

.

cleft

face

Me

a place

is

upon the rock, and

it

glory passeth by, that

have passed by

:

and

shall

not be seen."
it

This

^

marks the

ence between the Old Covenant and the New.

when Moses

said

:

"

I

My

hand, and thou shalt see

anthropomorphic, to be sure, but

poetic imagery

said,

shall not see

Behold there

My

Show

And He

.

man

'•

of the rock, and will cover

until I

My

.

for

said.

shalt stand

hand

away

but

;

face

to pass, while

My

take

will

My

put thee in a

will

glory.

Jehovah

by Me, and thou

I

in his

is

differIt

is

For Thou, Je-

hovah, art seen face to face,"^ though a great spir-

God

itual reality.

did manifest Himself in wonderful

measure to Moses, but not
of Christ.

as Paul

The Greek word

saw God

"
for " face

idea of " person " as in 2 Corinthians

''

in the face

has also the
viii.

24.

Christ.*^

It

1 1

i.

Paul several times speaks of the face of

;

was more than a mere image to Paul, but he longed
^

Cf.

Matheson,



Studies of the Portrait of Christ."

umes.
8

2

Num.

« I

Cor.

xiv. 14.
xiii.

12; 2 Cor.

4
ii.

10

;

2 Thess.

i.

9.

Two

vol-

Ex. XXX wi. 18-23.
2 Cor.

iv. 6.

QI

THE ATTRACTION OF CHRIST
for the

mirror

through a
time when he would no longer see
baffling enigma,
as through a puzzUng and

Christ in the eye
but would be able to look Jesus
again, " face to face."

'

The Image of

2.

God

"
who is the image
Paul expressly speaks of Christ,
2
By this term Paul means much more than
of God."
God^ Man in his power bears

moral likeness to

It is the destiny of
the image and glory of God.^
the Son of God.« But
believers to bear the image of

in this passage Paul

means a great deal more.

similarity
here presents not the idea of mere



He

but the

It is the
of God7
representation and manifestation
moral excellence of Jesus
divine nature and absolute
as in Colossians i. 15*.
that Paul has here in mind
invisible God, the first"
is the image of the
evidently come
born of all creation." « Paul had
was worthy to be called
to see that Jesus Christ
Acts xx. 28, in
God. Indeed, the correct text of
elders, has - Church
Paul's address to the Ephesian
with His own blood."
of God which He purchased
punctuaRomans ix. 5 the most natural

Who

So

in

"
tion has

,

1 I

3

...

Cor.

Col.

4 T
«

^

xiii,

iii.

Tor

Or

God

xi

blessed

forever " in

apposition to
22

,^

12.

10;

1

^,

Cor. xv. 49;

^

7

likenesl'

'

Cor.

iv. 4.

•••

.,

P^iil- "i-

2^' ...
^
I^O"^' ^"^' ^9

Cf. Thayer's Lexicon.

;

«

, ^r.. \\\ 18.
iS
2 Cor. 11.
Cf. Heb. i. 3.

THE LIGHT

92
**

concerning

Christ

THE FACE OF JESUS

IN

the

who

flesh,

is

over

all."

Paul clearly taught the preexistent state and glory
of Jesus Christ in heaven/

Christ existed

form of God and on an equality with God
His birth and humiliation.^

before

in

in

the

heaven

Whatever the

Kenosis " means or does not mean, Paul

is

clear

as to the essential deity of Christ in heaven.

He

*'

had the form of God
of a servant

He

on

in

earth.^

heaven as

He

If

was true God there.

not the " how," but the

case of Paul as of
•*

If

we ask how

all

whose

believers to-day

human

a psychological sketch."
is

Lodge
indeed

8

when he

we do

says

make

:

the

we must

not know.

^

finds

how

no objection on

through

scientific

—that

grounds to the

the Deity Himself,

this process in order to

make

in order fully to

^ phU.
« Phil. ii. 6.
2 Cor. viii. 9.
" Person and Place of Jesus Christ," p. 320.
"Jesus or Christ" {Hibbert Journal Supplement for

p. 119.

it,

It is reassuring at

a great scientist like Sir Ohver

a Divine Spirit

—went

Nor does Paul attempt

Himself known to man, and also



he looked.

nature His own,

certain of the fact.

rate to see

fact " that

»

here.

cannot follow the steps of the process, or make

though he

any

face

Eternal Godhead could

actual condition of

the form

man

Forsyth ^ puts the

fact.

answer, as I have already said, that

We

real

Paul grasped strongly the

true deity of Jesus Christ into
It is

He had

was a

ii.

7.

1909),

THE ATTRACTION OF CHRIST
the conditions and limitations

realize

93

of the free

beings which, through evolution, had gradually been

permitted to exist.

and human

know

.

.

And

.

this individualized

we

aspect of the eternally Divine Spirit

man hke

as Jesus of Nazareth, a

ourselves,

save that the glory of that lofty Spirit shone through
the fleshly covering and preserved

from the load

it

of sin which follows from inadequate knowledge, im-

and

perfect insight, animal ancestry,

the face of this sure

word from a

In

alien will."

really great scientist

one need not be dismayed by the weak surrender of
the deity of Jesus by

modern theologians out
"

dread of " the category of supernaturalism."

may

question whether the

first

finality

interpreters' specula-

than

can

their

cosmology."

*

makes merry with the theologians who
that "

God impinged upon

projected

Sir Oliver

made

human

Lodge, unlike Dr. Case,
of Jesus
is

Dr.
still

Case

believe

the universe from without,

Himself into

God in the face
know how Christ
has

One

about Jesus can lay any stronger claim to

tions

He

of

Christ.

history."
is

a bold suggestion.

He

not afraid of

We may

the image of God.

But

never

Dr. Sanday

takes advantage

of the

new

self to

suggest the possibility that the divine nature

discussions concerning the subconscious

1 Prof.
S. J. Case, of the Divinity School of the University of
Chicago, Biblical World, Jan., 191 1, p. 8.

THE LIGHT

94

of Jesus has

human

its

calls this

Christology."

Natures, but

It is

notion "

A

Tentative

most assuredly

attractive

Chalcedonian conception of the

as over against the

Two

THE FACE OF JESUS

locus in this subhminal region of

He

nature.'

Modern

IN

doubtful

is

it

if

after all

it

would

not be a denial of the actual deity of Christ in spite
of Dr. Sanday's express avowal of his

the deity of Jesus Christ.^
that after

all

one

will

But

it is

faith in

more than

likely

be merely playing with phrases

which do not square with the actual
consciousness

own

may have no

The

facts.

" planes " at all

material sense and the conscious rational will

is

in a

more

important than the unconscious occasional impulses.^

We

shall

probably have to continue to confess our

ignorance of the ultimate facts concerning the Person

As
human

of Christ.
either

God.

in

It is

a matter of fact,

nature

we do not understand

in ourselves or divine nature

not surprising that

we

are

somewhat

helpless in grasping the idea of the combination of

the two.

Scientists like

Ramsay make no
mate

Lord Kelvin and

Sir

William

pretensions to expound the

qualities of matter.

Theologians

may

ulti-

well be

" Christologies Ancient and Modern," pp. 163 fF.
Cf. Warfield, Princeton Theological Review^ Jan., 1911, p. 172.
For a sympathetic review of Dr. Sanday's idea see The Interpreter
for Jan., 191 1 (editorial).
3 For an able critique of Dr. Sanday's position see " Theology and
the Subconscious," by the Right Rev, C. F. D'Arcy, D. D,, in the
/libber t Journal for Jan., 191 1.
*
^

THE ATTRACTION OF CHRIST
equally humble in the higher realm of
there

no doubt

is

" It

Jesus.

He had

at

all

not putting

is

where Paul placed

as to

too strongly to say that

it

suppose that Paul could have

Him

put

who have
race,
is

men

contributed to the spiritual elevation of the

Him

for

Him, and

classified

and

his passion."

just this conception of Jesus as

won

To

God.

along with the other great

to deride his sincerity

is

But

spirit.

for Paul the religious value of

in a series

95

God which

the adoration of men.

'*

We

suppose that such an idea

would grow

It

'

has

might

faint

and

shadowy, that such an image would fade and melt
away amid the rest of time's dreams. But as a
matter of practical experience,
<<

'

That one

face, far

from vanish, rather grows,

Or decomposes, but

to recompose.'

All generations of believers have proved
unearthly attraction,

its

There was
Christ."
1

2



^

The Glory of

" the glory of

its

^

God

God
in the face of Jesus

Others besides Jesus have manifested the

Denney, " Jesus and the Gospel," p. 27.
Sir W. Robertson Nicoll in The British Weekly.
2 Cor.

strange,

enduring permanence,

mighty and miraculous power."

3.

its

iv. 6.

THE LIGHT

96

glory of God.
*'

THE FACE OF JESUS

IN

Paul

*

has just spoken of the fact that

the children of Israel could not look steadfastly

upon the

Moses

face of

for the glory of his face."

This wonderful fact did not render Moses divine.

For a

argument showing the superiority of

careful

Jesus over Moses, as the Son
see

Hebrews

He

i-6.

iii.

above the servant,

is

merely reflected the tran-

At

scendent glory which he had been beholding.

came

the death of Elijah there

and horses of

fire

" a chariot of

which parted them asunder

Elijah

went up by a whirlwind into heaven."

Elijah

was not

looked

like the face of

I

The

divine.

face of

see the heavens opened,

Jesus

is still

Son

" Behold,

part of His

is

in the Incarnation

way

Paul in a marvellous

of Christ.

:

In his exaltation

That

of man."

There was a humiliation

glory .^

But

and the Son of man stand-

ing on the right hand of God."^
" the

and

;

^

Stephen had

He said

an angel.

fire,

pictures the

descent of Christ from the throne of God to the death
of the Cross.^

way.

Jesus

in

^2
2 Cor. iii. 7.
*C{. Heb. iii. i-io.

1

John

He was

of Abraham ^ and

munion with God.

xiv. 6.

just to

stair-

open up the way

His humanity was the way to

In His humanity

the seed

6

coming down the long

But the descent was

to God.

God.^

It is like

Jesus
Kings

ii.

to
is

11.

able to give help to

make

possible free

com-

the real Jacob's Ladder
^

Acts vi 15

;

Phil.

"
">

vii.
ii.

Heb.

56.

5-9.

ii.

16.

THE ATTRACTION OF CHRIST
between heaven and earth

Men

.^

97

can thus ascend

upon the Son of man to heaven as angels descend
But we behold Him who hath been
upon Him.
«'

made

a

lower than the angels, even Jesus, be-

little

glory
cause of the suffering of death crowned with
honour, that by the grace of God He should

and

taste of death for every

man."

There was a glory

^

Peter

Jesus in the days of His flesh.

Second Epistle (which
of
ful

am

I

glad to

if

in

he wrote the

know

the view

is

Bigg^) has a vivid recollection of that wonder" But we
night on the Mount of Transfiguration
:

For

were eye-witnesses of His majesty.

He received

there
from God the Father honour and glory, when

Him by the Majestic
Son, in whom I am well

was borne such a voice to
Glory, This

pleased

and

:

My

is

this voice

out of heaven,

mount."

beloved

This transfiguration

^

before

the

borne

ourselves heard

when we were with

revelation of the glory

Father

we

Him

in the

holy

was a temporary

^

which Jesus had with the

Incarnation.^

when

Jesus longed for a final

glory

by His return

restoration of that

to the Father.

testimony to that of Peter

"

:

The time came
John adds

We beheld

his

His glory,

glory as of the only begotten from the Father."

This took place after " the

Word became
"^

1

John

3

" International and Crit. Commentary."

*

Mark

i

t;

I

ix. 2.

«

John

xvii. 5.

^

flesh

^^^*

2 Pet
'

i.

and

"• ^*

i6-i8.

John

1.

^

14.

:

98

THE LIGHT

dwelt

among

John

IN

THE FACE OF JESUS

us " (tabernacled with us).

Whether

referring only to the Transfiguration of Jesus

is

He

we do not know.
this witness.

seems to include others in

There were other times when there

was a strange glory

As

look of Jesus.

in the

went up to Jerusalem the last time,

of His death (as at the Transfiguration),
"

And

Jesus was going before them

amazed
it

;

glory "

His

fested

glory of

if

No man

It

He

who

God

God

and

is

But

*

He

mani-

the grave
I

not unto

bosom

The

^

as

it

was not

the glory of God,

any time

at

the

in

is

hath declared Him."

here read "

Said

was true of Jesus,

He was

hath seen

gotten Son,

*'

:

read

thou believedst, thou shouldst see the

God ? " ^

true of Moses, that

"

By

miracles.

of Lazarus Jesus said to Martha

thee that,

afraid."

of Jesus that "

life

by His

^

we

and they were

:

and they that followed were

was true of the whole

Jesus

of thoughts

full

;

the only be-

of the

Father,

manuscripts

best

In His humanity

only begotten."

Jesus has revealed the Father.

The one who

really

sees Jesus has seen the Father.^

Jesus

God's

Word

about Himself to men.

He

of

God

final

interpretation

^

has
to

1

Mark

*

John

x. 32.
i.

18.

2
6

I,

for

John
John

ii.

my
8

"

flf.

full

He

is

and
the

gives the vision

part, believe that,
^

11.

xiv.

the

men.

only window which opens out and
of that far-off land.

is

made

if I

John xi. 40.
e
John i. 18.

THE ATTRACTION OF CHRIST
might use such a metaphor,

New

the

World."

God

glory of

This

'

He

is

99

the Columbus of

Paul's conception of the

is

in the face of Jesus Christ.

on the throne was,

if

one

may

«'

Christ

say so, a more im-

mediate certainty to Paul, than Jesus on the banks
of the lake, or even Jesus on the cross."

4.

This

the

is

carefully chosen.

Lord

Christ Jesus as

way Paul
It is

^

preached.^

The words

are

may have

possible that Paul

heard thus early of the incipient Gnosticism which
Asia and
later appeared in the Lycus Valley in

which

combated

is

But that

is

in Colossians^

and Ephesians.

hardly probable, though Paul had recently

These Gnostics were of two

come from Ephesus.

types in their attitude towards the Person of Christ.
The Docetic Gnostics denied the actual humanity of

seemed to be a man. The
Cerinthian Gnostics made a sharp distinction between

Christ.

the
of
left

He

merely

man Jesus and the Christ (an cBon or emanation
God which came upon Jesus at His baptism and

Him

The

before His death on the Cross).

guage of Paul here

at

any

rate contravenes both of

He

these theories, especially the Cerinthian.
iMaclaren,
^'

"Expositions

of

Holy

^Denney, 2 Corinthians, p. 154.
* So Lightfoot.
Hort, " Judaistic

ference to Gnosticism.

lan-

Scripture," 2

.

.



^

.'

identi-

Corinthians,

^ Cor.

Christianity," fails to see

iv. 5.

any

re-

;:

THE LIGHT

lOO

THE FACE OF JESUS

IN

whom he
He was

the one personality

fies

Jesus

"

as also " Lord."

designates " Christ

man

the

Messiah (Christ), the Lord of glory.

Jesus, the

There has been

a curious swinging of the pendulum

among

certain

theologians through the ages concerning the person

The

of Christ.

The

Docetic

Ebionites denied the deity of Jesus.

Gnostics

His

rejected

humanity.

Paul recognized both as true of Christ Jesus.
to

Paul

the

God- man.

interpretation?

Paul's

The

interpretation.

stood Jesus.
" Let

hath made

ye

known

reality

other apostles

Him

know

of Pentecost

assuredly that

both Lord and Christ,

crucified."

or merely

had so under-

Hear Peter on the Day

sources

modern

this

If

*

of the

criticism, either

The

God

this Jesus

one begin with the earHest

life

Q

of Christ according to
(the

Logia of Matthew)

or Mark's Gospel, he will find Jesus Christ the
of glory there.2

is

Paul did not originate this

the house of Israel

all

whom

Is

He

Lord

Christ of the Synoptic Gospels,

of Paul, of John, of Hebrews, of Peter, of James, of

the Apocalypse

is

one and the same; Jesus Christ

the same yesterday and to-day and forever.^
various writers of the
*

Acts

'

Cf.

ii.

New

The

Testament approach the

36.

MuUins, " The Modern Issue as

to

the Person of Christ,"

Review and Expositor, Jan., 1911, pp. i4fF.
8 See this argument worked out with great ability and detail by
Warfield, " The Lord of Glory " Denney, " Jesus and the Gospel "
;

Selbie,

«'

Aspects of Christ."

Biblical

Theology, accenting the

THE ATTRACTION OF CHRIST

lOI

Study of Jesus from different angles, but each comes
to the

same point

It is

a lame conclusion to

in his "

Quest of the Histor-

in fact.

which Schweitzer comes

After long rambles through the mazes

ical Jesus."

of conflicting critical theories he says
to us as

One unknown, without a name,

the lake-side,
not."

He came

None

*

Men come

He

*'

:

comes

by

as of old,

men who knew Him
those who will not see.

to those

are so blind as

of old, with their

to Christ to-day, as

prejudices and their philosophy

and cannot see His

own heads.
who can get out of

glory because of the fog around their

The sun
the fog.

shines brightly for

The very

It is

of Christ "^

" greatness

critical interpretation
sible.

all

difficult

and

in a sense

makes
impos-

hard to look straight at the sun.

But

the sun shines on regardless of the changing theories

about light and the spots

in the sun.

Christ in Recent Research "
as

is

We
light

"

The

"

Place of Christ in

must use

freely

We

The

Life of

an interesting topic,

Modern Theology."

and frankly our reason and

from every source

Jesus Christ.

^ is

"

for the

have nothing to

has set Christ in a

new

hght.

^

all

interpretation

of

Evolution

fear.

Confined within

New

variations in the
Testament, and criticism of the sources have
thus combined greatly to strengthen the argument for the truth of

Paul's view of Jesus.
1 P. 401.
« Forsyth, " Person
>

Sanday.

and Place of Jesus Christ," pp. 63
*

ff.

Fairbairn.

I02

THE LIGHT

human
tions

limits,

He

THE FACE OF JESUS

IN
is

the stultification of the calcula-

of evolutionists, viewed as our moral natures

view Him,

direct us to

He

is

the goal and crown of

the evolutionary process in the history of man."

*

It

a curious controversy that has arisen around the

is

phrase " Jesus or Christ " and that appears in The

Hibbert Journal Supplement?
can get here

all

But

sides of the problem.

with Rev. R. Roberts,

who

Christ of tradition quite another.

has

Some

deny the

Germany

there

is

one thing, the

It is

assumed that

historicity of Jesus
is

the reality of Jesus, and

a controversy over

Other

the historical reality of Jesus.^

make

critics

admit

Christ a matter of

Others reject the Christ entirely and see only

faith.

a good
day.

is

Criticism has done nothing of the

critics

In

altogether.

one

point

disposed of the connection between

Jesus and Christ.
kind.

rate

The

started the discussion,

that Jesus as an historical character

criticism

any

at

man named

Jesus

who

is

our example to-

Others admit the existence of Jesus, and, like

Him

curse of the race

by

reason of the limitations on self-indulgence which

He

Nietzsche,

rail

at

as the

has imposed on the " super-man."
ablest critics
1

in the

world

still

But most of the

joyfully see in Jesus

G. A. Johnston Ross, " Religionist and Scientist " in " Religion

and the Modern W^orld,"

s For
p, 14.
1909.
3Cf. Biblische Zeitschrift, 1910, S. 415-17, for bibliography of
this discussion; also American Journal of Theology, Jan., 191 1.

THE ATTRACTION OF CHRIST
Christ what Paul saw, the

Lord

glory.

of

" Therefore, not

*

103

man Christ Jesus as the
God and Son of Man.

Son of
away from Paul and back

but rather as one

'

to Jesus,'

of his recent apologists puts

it,

Back through Paul to Jesus and to God.' " ^ To
Paul Jesus was and is Lord of life, the very power

*

God

of

first

at

work among men.^

many

appeared

brilliant

picture

When

Ecce

Homo

feared to look at this bold

of the earthly hfe of Jesus.

now we can come back from

the

fuller

and

But

study of

"the days of His flesh" to a richer knowledge
We see no conflict beof His heavenly glory.
^
tween the " Christ of History and Experience."
But one must have the experience before he

qualified

really

is

to

study

the

history.

The

alternative " Jesus or Christ " exists only for those

who have

never learned by experience "what

the riches of the glory of this mystery
Gentiles,

glory."

which

To

^

" for in

Him

head bodily."

is

Christ

in

is

among

the

hope

of

you, the

the mystery of God,«

Paul Christ

is

dwelleth

the fullness of the God-

all

7

A. Meyer, Jesus oder Paulus, S. 104,
George Milligan, " Paulinism and the Religion of Jesus " in
« Religion and the Modern World," p. 253.
8 Col. i. 15-17; cf. Selbie, « Aspects of Christ," p. 88.
1

«

* Forrest.
J

Col.

ii.

9.

«

The

the Christ of Paul.

« Col. ii. 2.
^ Col. i. 27.
Christ of To-day " (G. Campbell Morgan)

is

THE LIGHT

I04

The Gospel of the Glory of Christ

5.

This

THE FACE OF JESUS

IN

Paul's Christology

is

Romans ^

"

of

My

The hght

"

:

pel of the glory of Christ."

of the Gos-

He speaks twice in
He means by that

*

Gospel."

phrase his interpretation of Christ, " the Gospel of
Christ."

Paul had a definite message about Jesus

^

to preach to men.

It is

seen in

its fullest

in the Epistle to the

Romans, but

more or

in all his writings.

little

less

fullness

There

is

excuse for any man, minister or not, to take the

time and attention of others,
his

found with

is

it

expression

mind about Jesus

if

he has not made up

No

Christ.

message of doubt

or negation will benefit the soul sick with sin and
that

he had the

right to speak just because of his actual

knowledge

Paul

battling with temptation.

of Jesus Christ

who had

felt

revealed Himself in him.^

He knew

the Gospel of Christ.^

and holy

trust

Paul

felt

He

was given to him.

told

of " the Gospel of the glory of the blessed

was committed to

my

trust."

passing vision of the glory of
afterwards with a zeal to

"

^

God

make

it

that a high

To

catch but a

to

burn forever

is

known."

^

could deceive him with a different message.

only irony for those
*

2 Cor.

"Rom,

iv.

4

;

who

'

4

Gal.

i.

2 Tim.

'

Greenough, " The Mind of Christ in

II

;

cf.

Gal.

ii.

Rom.

ii.

»

16,

«

i.

No one
He has

put up with " another

cf. iv. 6.

XV. 19.

Timothy

God which

16 ; xvi, 25.
Gal. i. 6-10.

7.

St.

Paul," p. 14.

THE ATTRACTION OF CHRIST

I05

Jesus," " a different spirit," " a different Gospel."

only about the most tremendous things

fs

He

Paul has such a strong word.

is

It

'

in life that

the exponent of

freedom for the Gentile Christians from the bondage
of Judaism.

But

liberty

*'

is

For freedom did Christ
not license.

To

set us free."

give up Christ

is

^

to

give up liberty and have either the slavery of license

bondage of the

or the

ample

for the

modern

Paul

letter.

is

here an ex-

minister in the firm grasp of

the essential truth in Christ with the utmost liberality

The preacher to-day has

in all other matters.

to sail

between the Scylla of traditionalism and the Charybdis of radicalism.

There

is

Paul.^

But Paul kept

his

eye on Christ.

no better interpreter of Jesus Christ than

He grew

in

apprehension of Christ,^ as

his

can be seen by reading his Epistles in probable
chronological order.^

But he never got away from

his early conception of Jesus as the

of salvation
tinct "

1

2 Cor.

by grace through

mental growth

"

^

faith.^

Redeemer and
There

is

a dis-

perceptible in Paul as he
3

xi. 4.

Gal. v.

i.

Bruce,
See DuBose, " The Gospel According to St. Paul "
" St. Paul's Conception of Christianity "
Somerville, " St. Paul's
"
Dykes,
Conception of Christ " ; Stevens, " Pauline Theology
«' The
Gospel According to St. Paul " Anonymous, " The Fifth
Gospel, The Pauline Interpretation."
^ See
Matheson, " Spiritual Development of St. Paul "; Sabatier,
«' The Apostle Paul."
5 Robertson, " Students' Chronological New Testament."
Acts xiii, 38 f.
' Fairbairn, " Studies in Religion and Theology," p.
535.
3

;

;

;

;

fi

THE LIGHT

Io6

THE FACE OF JESUS

IN

grapples with the greatest questions ever brought

He became

before the

human mind.

intellectual

expounder of Christ

He had

that to-day.

is

who

the glory of Christ,

the greatest

He

in all history.

" the light of the Gospel of

is

the image of God."

He

*

knowledge of the

was able

" to give the light of the

glory of

God

" light "

was an illumination of Paul's own inner

man.

^

The

in the face of Jesus Christ."^

It filled

the whole horizon of his Hfe.

W/io Shined in Our Hearts

6.

With Paul this was the beginning of everything

when God shone
*'

He

in his heart.

has in the words,

Light shall shine out of darkness,"

Genesis

Lux

i.

" It

3.^

is

^

a reference to

the proclamation of a second Fiat

in the hearts of

men."

Jesus was the Light of

^

the world in the cosmic creative sense in the begin"

ning.7

The

life

was the

light shineth in the darkness

came
Light

it

not."

the world

"

^

;

1

2 Cor.

'

The word

*

2 Cor.

">

John i. 3 f.
John xii. 46.

9

Cf.

to the darkness that they could not

light

" I

"

came.

am the light

I

am come

2

occurs nowhere else in the

iv. 6.

5

Col.

i.

New

cf, Ps. xcii. 4,

16

f.

8

a light into

of the world."

iv. 4.

;

the

But men

in the terrific conflict that ensued.

when the

the

and the darkness over-

The darkness could not put out

^

became so used
see

;

And

men.

light of

John

i.

4

'"

2 Cor.

iv. 6.

Testament.
« Bernard, in
f.

;

And

"

loco.

John xii.
w John viii.

cf.

35.
12.

THE ATTRACTION OF CHRIST
this

the judgment, that the hght

is

world, and

men

light, for their

is

107

come

into the

loved the darkness rather than the

works were

whether the light that

is

evil."

"

^

Look

therefore

in thee be not darkness."

had foreseen the glory of Christ and

Isaiah

that,

when He came, men's eyes would be blinded so
they could not see the

that

Paul has lived to see

light.^

the sad fulfillment of this prophecy,
this

^

**

The god

of

world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving,

that the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ,

who

them."

God

*

let

word

It

was

daybreak

like

^

in

of prophecy was well in

its

place.

only

**

your

hearts."

in our hearts.

The
It is

daybreak

John iii. 19.
John xii. 40 f. Isa.
« Cf. Rev. xxi. 21.
'

'

God

a squalid,^

It is
is

a blessing

special use
arise in

in

our souls.

We

;

no

" shined in our hearts."

" In that face

^

all

which flashed upon
2

>

8

like

the fundamental fact with Paul, as with

disciples of Jesus.

'

was

" light-bringing " star has arisen

longer need the lamp.
is

It

But the lamp was of

The

in.

day dawn, and the day-star

until the
^

^

In a dungeon a lamp

dark place.

of untold comfort.

This

any heart when

the Light in the face of Jesus shine

" a lamp shining in a dark place."
dirty,

dawn upon

the image of God, should not

is

Luke

8

xii.

2 Cor.
2 Peter

*

vi. lO.

Here only in the New Testament.
Day-star here only in the New Testament.
Cf. Lietzmann, Handbuch zum JV. 7",, 2 Kor., S. 182.

35.

iv. 4.
i.

19.

THE LIGHT

I08

THE FACE OF JESUS

IN

him by Damascus twenty years
and always saw,
God.

visible

It

all

that

man

had seen,

before, he

could see of the in-

represented for him, and

all

to

whom

he preached, the Sovereignty and the Redeeming

Love

of God, as completely as

them."

'

He

that light which
parison.2

man

could understand

could not indeed see for the glory of

made

the noonday sun

dim by com-

But henceforth he could see naught

else

This to him was

but the glory in the face of Jesus.

the sheet-anchor of his faith, hope, theology,
'*

I

know Him whom

I

have believed."

might or might not know Jesus
not affect Paul in the
with Christ.

"

And

it

Christ liveth in me."
is

" in Christ."

all

the content of his

^

is

now

is

no longer

I

crucified

that live, but

The key-word

of Paul's

life

Into this mystic phrase Paul pours
life

and thought about

Paul grounds his apologetic in his

That

That did

Christ.

He

least.
is

life.

Others

^

scientific

and modern

as

harmony with the evolutionary

own

Christ.*^

experience.
perfect

in

well,

principle.

It is

no

longer possible to ridicule Christian experience as

something abnormal and distorted.

William James *

did a great service to the world in showing the scien-

*

3

Denney, 2 Corinthians,
2 Tim. i. 12.

p. 153.

'

Acts

xxii, 11

«*

;

xxvi. 13.
ii. 20.

•iGal,

Cf. Campbell, " Paul the Mystic " ; Deissmann, "
menlliclie Forme) in Christo."
" Varieties in Religious Experience."
6

Die Neutesta

THE ATTRACTION OF CHRIST
tific

places of his heart

who

With Paul

aspect of religious experience.

was an illumination

gives

it

which shed hght into the secret

^

and

the

all

109

Those who had once

Christ

Hfe.

light that

real

is

the true light

any man

has.^

alP been enlightened could

for

never forget that experience and were ready to en-

dure

much

Jesus had brought to light Hfe

conflict.*

and immortality through the Gospel

had the eyes of

a favourite one in the

is

tures

heaven

the Lamb."

is

peculiar

He

if

no one need

in

John

Testament.

God

of the Cross

mean

respect.

is

central

that his

The

is

own

rather,

he

could save him through Christ,

despair.^

save the worst of

pic-

" for the

and the lamp thereof

it,

does not

this

who

The image

needing no sun nor moon,

The dynamic

^

argues that,

New

did lighten

mind.^

in Paul's

case

as

God

glory of

for all those

their hearts enlightened.^

just

because Jesus can

that the

preacher has the

It

men

is

heart and hope to go on with his work.

The

self-

when the
"
repent and put the " righteous

conscious religionist often rejects Christ
vilest sinners joyfully

to shame.^

Eph.

"

J

Cf.

*

Heb. vi. 32.
2 Tim. i. 10

5
'

8

^

i.

18.

The adequacy
2

John

of the Christian redemp-

i.

^

9.

Heb.

vi. 4.

Eph. i. 18.
Rev. xxi. 23; xxii. 5.
Clow, " The Cross and Christian Experience."
Tim. i. 14-16.
Luke V. 30 f. Cf. Begbie, " Twice-born Men," and " Souls in
Cf.

Cf. 2

Action."

;

^

;

no THE
tion lies in

LIGHT IN THE FACE OF JESUS
its

power

to

moving the misery and

meet

*

For we preach not ourselves." ^

"

poorest theme ever taken

bad homiletics

preacher
in

primal need by re-

For Jesus' Sake

7.

is

this

guilt of sin."

is

full

by a preacher,

Judaizers in Corinth

Paul

who

is

sure to reveal

is

It

it

ironical towards the

commend

"

the

is

himself.

bad religion when a

as well as

of himself, for he

numberless ways.

That

themselves

but they themselves, measuring themselves by them-

and comparing themselves with themselves,

selves,

are without understanding."

and are always
standard,

them

in

viz.,

right.

are the standard

They always come up

themselves.

mind.

They

^

to the

Paul here evidently has

They do preach

themselves.

It is

probably true that most ecclesiastical schisms have

had

their origin in personal jealousies

And

and bickerings.

yet while " Christ Jesus as Lord "

is

the theme

of Paul's preaching, he does in one sense preach

—" and

himself
sake."^

He

was the slave of Christ and the slave ^

of his brethren.

man

ourselves as your servants for Jesus'

It

was much

so to describe himself.

for this proud-spirited

But

this is the spirit of

»
" Final Christianity," by D. MacFadyen, in " Mansfield College
Essays," p, 211.
» 2 Cor. iv. 5.
3 2 Cor. x. 12.
*2 Cor. iv. 5.
^ Bond-slave.

«

THE ATTRACTION OF CHRIST
It

Jesus, service to others.'

come

the hght had

was

into his

for this

own

III

purpose that

heart " to give the

face
Ught of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
^
He had faced Christ and must reof Jesus Christ."
flect

was

He
darkness.
the glory of that Face to others in
for
pass on the light. Paul knew " The Passion

to

Souls"

3

"for

That

is

a

fit

The hunger

Men know

it

after

of the preacher

is

Christ.

inquiry

of the heart

He must
:

is

He

Christ.

for

The need

they have found Him.

just this.

vision to Christ.

pathetic

describes

characterization of ministers

of Christ.

Face of

Matheson

Sake."

Apostles of Jesus as " His league of

the Twelve
pity."*

Jesus'

has his vision of the

turn the

man

The Greeks came to
" Sir, we would

without the

Philip with a

see

Jesus."

to
Strange to say PhiHp did not introduce them
He went instead to Andrew. Together they
Jesus.

it to
could not unravel the problem and brought
centre.
the
It touched the heart of Christ in

Jesus.

The

Cross came before His

mind

alone would Gentiles be able to

at once.

come

to

Thus

Him,

for

between Jew
thus would the middle wall of partition
and Gentile and both and God be broken down.^

The modern

minister stands

portrait of Jesus Christ
1

4

beside the matchless

and hears the same cry from the

3 j.
« 2 Cor. iv. 6.
Matt. XX. 28.
« Studies of the Portrait of Christ," Vol. II, p. 83.

5Johnxii.2i.

H.

Jowett.
.

6Eph.ii.

112

THE LIGHT

masses

:

just to

Christ,"

" Sir,

IN

THE FACE OF JESUS

we would see
" to

be willing

though that

is

much.

interpret that Picture to

must himself
talk

is

Jesus."

It is

not enough

speak a gude word

One must be

modern men.

really see the

for Jesus

Face of

But

"

borrowed wings."
1

No

**

he

Paul

one ever soared so high on

*

Denney,

first

Christ, else his

sounding brass and tinkling cymbal.

has soared high.

able to

Jesus and the Gospel," p. 3S.

IV

WITH OPEN FACE—THE PREACHER'S
PRIVILEGE
{2 Cor. Hi. ly-iv. ^)
"

We

all,

with unveiled face, beholding

as in a glass the glory of the Lord,"

—2

Cor. Hi. 18.

IV

WITH OPEN FACE—THE PREACHER'S
PRIVILEGE

THE

It is in

*

face."

who
Paul means

really the " unveiled

is

sharp contrast with Moses

put a veil over his

all

Christians,

applied

specifically

"

open face

"

" Therefore seeing

we have

the privilege of

believers

all

we

"

''

all

though the argument

this
it is

;

is

the Gospel:

of

ministers

to

By

face.

ministry."

^

It is

preeminently true

of the preacher, not because of office or rank, but

because of necessity he
face

"

God

with

Holy

constantly brought face to

Christ.

in

The

has his

minister

of Holies " with Christ.

Where

I.

One

is

the Spirit of the

Lord Is

naturally thinks of a church

this phrase.

^

tionary, tied to
to have in

Some
mere

mind the

whose heart the

tradition.

But Paul seems here

minister himself.

Spirit of the

There

is

'

2 Cor.

iv. I.

thus a direct reference to

iii.

The man

will die

away

7, 13.


"5

into

Lord has come has

freedom from fear that the glory
1

by the use of

churches are narrow and reac-

2 Cor.

iii.

17.

as

WITH OPEN FACE

Il6

He

with Moses.

the people will

He

honour.

is

emancipated from anxiety that

is

not give him a proper degree of
not concerned about the amount

of recognition which

He

tions.

accorded him at public func-

is

has liberty, as Christ's freeman, from the

bondage of the

His

(condemnation, death).

letter

a ministry of the Spirit because the Spirit of the

is

Lord has command of
filled

minister

upon

his face.

is

his heart

empty

and

The

life.

There

of fear.

no

is

Hence he has uninterrupted

He

ship with Jesus and with the people.
see " the light of the

Spirit-

is

veil

fellow-

able to

knowledge of the glory of God

in the face of Jesus Christ " as well as to " give "

Dr. Sanday

to others.

type

of "

*

is

patient with the Ritschlian

reduced Christianity " since

mere negation.

positive gain over

it

proudly independent of historical

it is

that

much

Ritschlianism

facts

is

and professes

content with giving Jesus the " worth " of
practical matter.

God as a
He very probably was not God in

any metaphysical ontological sense according
view, but one

That

is

at

may

of the
*

9

comfort in treating

to this

Him

so.

bottom a make-believe doctrine and un-

worthy of the great
of Dr.

find

The concession

issue involved.^

Sanday about the subliminal
divine nature of Jesus

" Christologies, Ancient and Modern."
Cf. Orr. «' Ritschlianism."

is

self as

the locus

already urged as

THE PREACHER'S PRIVILEGE
making Dr. Sanday more
thinks/ since

it

the Virgin Birth.

But Paul does not here mean the Hcense of a

That

hearted Christianity.

and

of doubt
free

to

do

fear.

"

right.

Love makes the

is

bondage

makes

us really

Love makes the choice

service of goodness freedom."
ice

is

easy.

Love makes

face of duty beautiful.

sweet to keep up with Christ.

it

half-

after all the

love that

It is

he

of a Ritschlian than

demand

does not

II7

Love makes the

This hberty in serv-

^

to Paul the distinguishing feature of Christi-

anity.^

He

has no notion of giving

of the false brethren privily brought

up

it

" because

who came

in,

privily to spy out our liberty which we have

Jesus, that they

may

bring us into bondage."

hand some men who

are always on

in

in Christ

There

^

feel called to slip

a noose on the neck of God's freemen, but Paul

would wear no man's yoke but that of

Son

therefore the
free indeed."

know the
The only

shall

make you

Jesus put

it

real

glories in his

emancipation
Paul

is

is

free,

also thus

truth and the truth shall

the truth.

is

^

"

shall

Ye

make you

in the truth,

be

shall

free."

He

fetters of Pharisaism.
all fact

American Journal of Theology,

and

Jan., 1910,

p. 136.
2

Greenough, "The Mind of Christ in St. Paul,"
^ John viii. 36.
* Gal. ii. 4.
p. 39.

8 Ibid.t

^

and Jesus

no blind obscurantist.

freedom from the

Shailer Matthews,

ye

:

In Christ he faces the whole world and
1

" If

Christ.

p. 216.
«

John

viii.

32.

WITH OPEN FACE

Il8

open eye and eager

truth with

No

heart.

one has

man whose mind is
Some Christians,
Christ.

anything Hke the Hberty of the

opened by the

some

Spirit of

ministers, are in truth

mere

But that

scurantists afraid of the Hght.

should be nor what

is

meant

law, business, every calling

man who

in Christ

life

ble

refuses to face
is

where the

not

that.

It is

of

Spirit of

Certainly the

life.

the facts of the spiritual

Lord

means simple

is.

"

is

only possi-

The Lord

is

the

identification of Jesus

The thought

Spirit.

not what

in medicine, science,

Such freedom

free.

Spirit of the

Spirit " hardly

and the

all

is

by the

to be

There are reactionaries

Christ.

traditionahsts, ob-

is

not so simple as

rather Christ manifesting Himself through

His Spirit who

is

the great teacher and interpreter

The

of Christ to men.

who is Christ's slave
God and man full in
and upright purpose. The

minister

the real freeman, free to look

is

the face with open heart
Christian minister

There

rules.

and

is

to

expound

principles, not

mere

the utmost frankness in his attitude

The veil has been taken away from his
The people are not afraid to come close to

life.

face.

him
try

is

as
is

The Christian minis"
"
"
ministry, a " Hfe-giving
a spiritual

they were with Moses.^
thus

3

ministry, a " bold " ministry.

>

2 Cor.

3

F.

W.

iii.

"

Ours should be a

i6.

Robertson, « Life and Letters,"

etc., p.

' Ex. xxxiv. 30.
624 f.

THE PREACHER'S PRIVILEGE

II9

ministry whose words are not compacted of baldness,

but boldness

;

whose very

free fearlessness

because

it

is

a ministry

;

ment, no reserve

life

is

outspokenness, and

which has no conceal-

which scorns to take a via media

;

in the eyes of the

safe

shrinks from the weakness of

which exults even

in failure,

world

which

;

mere cautiousness, but
if

the truth has been

For a man who

spoken, with a joyful confidence.

sees into the heart of things speaks out not timidly,

nor superstitiously, but with a brow unveiled, and
with a speech as free as his

made him

free.' "

'

and jealousy that he

Paul

even though the motive
17

i.

f.)

or

is

rejoices

spirit

all

The

Christ

may be envy

is

Transformation

He

is

no mere theory

can proudly appeal to the experience

real disciples, preachers

with unveiled
image."
1

F.

worth

W.

preached

of Paul (Phil.

and

all,

in contrast to

the Jews under the Mosaic dispensation.
face, are

There

^

truth has

mere pretense.
2.

of

*

so free from narrowness

when

This freedom of the Christian
with Paul.

:

is

"

doubt whether here Paul means

Robertson, « Life and Letters,"

etc., p.

675.

Cf.

;

We
2 Cor.

iii.

18.

all,

transformed into the same

" While with an eye made quiet by the power
Of harmony and the deep power of joy
a

We

see into the life of things."

Words-

"

WITH OPEN FACE

I20

beholding in a mirror " or " reflecting as a mirror."

"

The analogy
we

of

i

Corinthians

see in a mirror, darkly

argues for " beholding."

^

when we
had no

shall see

veil

God and

it

on

Him

but then face to face

;

as

till

we meet Him

He

true,

*'

But even Moses

is.^

can hardly be a mere indirect look at

He

the face of Jesus Christ."

however, that

this

word

here, since Paul in this

mind.

in glory

he beheld the glory of

his face as

Christ that Paul has in mind.
tions

we shall not

true that

It is

look Christ fully in the face

"For now

12:

xiii.

^

is

expressly
It

men-

doubtless

is

to be thus translated

context has both ideas in

All believers have free access to the Face of

Jesus Christ, the Glory and

Image

of God.

It is

no

mere contemplation of the moral beauty of Jesus of
Nazareth that
torical

mere

his-

this transformation in the heart

Spirit of
in

No

work

life.

actual

There

the vision of Paul.

facts in the earthly life of Jesus

will suffice to

and

fills

study of the

is

The
God

transformation

is

wrought by the

in the heart that, free

from the

touch with Christ the Lord

veil, is

of glory.^

contemplation of the glory of Christ, trans-

formation into the glory of Christ,

final assimilation

Only here in the New Testament.
So in Philo, Le,s^. All. iii. 33, a comment on Ex. xxxiii. 18.
active means to mirror or reflect, while the middle voice, as
here, means to behold in a mirror,
Cf. Bernard, in loco; Meyer, in
loco ; Bachmann, in loco^ for discussion of the details.
» Denney, 2 Corinthians,
* I John iii. 2.
p. 140 f.
*

2

The

THE PREACHER'S PRIVILEGE
The word

into the glory of Christ.*
"

mation

^ is

a remarkable one.

It is

then a transfiguration which

we

The new

life

as the heart turns to

is

a mirror."
ishes

when we

also,

It

is

of righteous-

which beholds

an impossibility van-

it is

faith,

we now

the glory of

love and trust."

ception of Christ
all

many

^

is

in

the eye of the soul.^

"

is

Lord and me, when
of this spiritual per-

witnessed by millions of believers

is

Ibid.

^Ibid,

To

the most real person in the

The whole tendency

of

modern thought
Per-

the predominant factor in history and in

Maclaren, " Expositions of
'Cf. Matt. xvii. 2.
' Maclaren, " Expositions of
*

But

my

to emphasize the importance of personality.

sonality

"

The reahty

the ages since Paul wrote these words.
Jesus Christ

universe.

4

God

that the seeing

see through a mirror darkly.

nothing intervenes between

is

is

true that, as contrasted with the final vision of

Christ,

in

Sun

mind and

by the eye of

takes place

like

consider that

Christ that Paul has in

represented as a

grows by looking

Him.

What seems

^

is

It

look

" In spiritual sight, the soul

ness.

It

in Christ begins with a

steadily bathing in the glory of the

I

the word used of

are undergoing.

the present tense and the act

process.

It

for " transfor-

glory of Christ at the Transfiguration.

the

is

121

Holy

Scripture, " in loco.

Holy

Scripture, " in loco.

WITH OPEN FACE

122

had

Jesus

life."^

Henceforth

definitely

learn " the excellency of the

Jesus

my

Lord,"

consumed

Christ
to

is

figured

by the

Christ in him,^

by

his hfe

the

is

" eat "

which

qualified

must himself be trans-

Spirit of Christ,
if

have the Spirit of

he hopes to see others transfigured

and words.

This spiritual appropriation

result of contact with Christ.

first
^

He

Jesus.

"

experience of

this

unknown, cannot be considered

men about

tell

to

goal of his Hfe-am-

whom

minister, to

Paul.

know Him,"

was the " one thing

all this

^

knowledge of Christ

soul, the single

his

A

bition.3

hold on

laid

to " gain Christ," to "

Christ, to " see " the

This

is

to

Christ, to " be-

Face of

hold " His glory, to become like Him, even as Moses

had the glory of God upon him.
about

it.

There

mysticism.

by the
comes

It

is

is

is

no magic

mysticism, indeed, for religion

the vital touch of the

Thus the

of Christ.

Spirit

There

Thus the

to the soul.

human

is

spirit

vision of Christ

vision

is

continued.

The

Gospels, the Acts, the Epistles, the Apocalypse,

the

work of

Christ in the hearts of men, the

Christ in our

own

hearts

help us see the glory of
3.

As we have
«

are

all

of

mirrors to

Christ.*'

Reflection

already seen, there

is

no doubt that

Richard Brook, The Interpreter, Jan., 1911, art, " The Living

Christ
<

— these

work

and the Christian Life."
e John vi.
viii. 9.

Rom.

«

Phil.

57.

iii.
e

12.

cf.

3

Phil.

iii.

8-14.

Bachraann, in

loco.

THE preacher's PRIVILEGE
context

this

for " reflecting as

calls

glory of the Lord

" as

1

23

a mirror the

an implied idea however Paul

meant the precise word here employed.

Stanley^

holds that " Christians having, hke Moses, received
their

in

lives

Moses

are unlike
his,

of

its

the

reflected

Moses received

presence, as

glory

it

on

of the divine

his countenance,

they have no

in that

fear,

such as

vanishing away, but are confident of

its

continuing to shine in them with increasing lustre."

The

Christian puts

conceal.

His

life is

on no

veil for

does not, indeed, claim that his
that there
real spirit

no

is

is

he has nothing to

an open book to the world.

at least a reflection,

and power of

life

is

He

perfect, but

however dim, of the

Christ, his Lord.

"

There

reflection of the light without a previous re-

ception of the light.
mirror, and there

is

In bodily sight, the eye

is

thing perceived being formed in the perceiving eye."

Chrysostom compares the influence of the
Christ

on us

We

reflection

'

'

light of

strike

it.^

He says,

not only look upon the glory of God, but also

catch thence a kind of radiance."

1

^

to polished silver lying in the sunshine

and sending back the rays which
"

a

no sight without an image of the

is

^

But, at any rate,

an inevitable result of transformation.®

2 Corinthians, in loco.
Maclaren, " Expositions of Holy Scripture," in loco.
* Horn. VII on 2 C<K»
Denney, 2 Corinthians, in loco.

*Denney, in

loco.

WITH OPEN FACE

124

we behold

If

the glory of the Lord,

we

are trans-

formed into the image of what we behold.

we

are transformed,

is

there to be seen.

he abideth

saith

even as

He

in

walked."

have to submit.

Him

when he

it is

pel cannot refuse to be held

cerity

and steady going on

Even

"

ye which are

spiritual, restore

message^

if

a

in

after

» I

John

fault,

spirit

thou also be

lest

His resurrection and a special ap-

'•

It

when

is

It

Mark who had once

was part of Paul's

ii.

a critical

moment

«
;

to

in the history of

Everything de-

the eyes are opened.

6.

Acts XV. 38

call "

and to turn them from darkness to

pends on whether the next step

4

of frequent

spite

Paul was glad in the end to rejoice in the

their eyes,

the soul

de-

does require sin-

overtaken in a

looking to thyself

deserted the work.^

^

we

which

such an one in a

recovery of usefulness by John

hght."

that

Jesus singled out Peter for a special

pearance.

open

He

"

to the light

It

man be

stumblings.

;

:

The world does not

absolute perfection of us.

2

says

the test to which

up

mand

tempted."

only the

In particular, ministers of the Gos-

they hold forth to others.

of meekness

if

ought himself also to walk

But

'

no

a severe test to which

It is

the Apostle John calls us

we

is

There

prevent the glory from being seen,

veil to

glory

image.

reflect that

If

2 Tim.

Gal.

iv. 1 1.

is

taken.
3

vi. i.
6

Mark

Men's
xvi. 7.
18.

Acts xxvi.

THE PREACHER'S PRIVILEGE

125

eyes are often opened, and yet they do not turn from

Who among

darkness to light.

loathed himself,

and had the self-abasing cry on

yet has turned

and

lips,

to

for a

and

man

to describe

to
it

others to forsake

know

pos-

It is

the misery of wrong-doing,

with such a horror of
it,

his

darkness again and

plunged even more recklessly into evil?
sible

and has

of light, the error of his ways,

a flash

in

us has not seen, as

as to rouse

it

and yet because he loves dark-

ness better than light to continue to do the deeds of
evil."

There

*

is

much

to

humble any man who

stands in the white light of Christ's presence.

know that men will see Christ or
He is reflected in our own conduct

And

then to

not accord-

ing as

!

But here

just the appeal to the best and highest in us.

is

and John were both with Jesus

at

His

trial

;

John

the court room, Peter with the rabble denying

with oaths and curses.

Peter
in

Him

But both afterwards showed

courage and were recognized as having been with
Christ.^

John had the courage of consistency, Peter

that of recovery.

men His

impart to
has

done

it

momentum
does only

It

has not been easy for Christ to
passion for humanity,^ but

and His kingdom goes on with the

of His Spirit.

harm

One

thing

is

certain.

to affect likeness to Christ

It

which we

Clow, " The Cross in Christian Experience," pp. 259
2 Acts iv,
13, 20.
3 Carver, " Missions and Modern Thought," p. 283.
1

He

f.

WITH OPEN FACE

126

Hypocrisy

do not possess.

most

forth the

way

only

words uttered by

terrible

God

to reflect the glory of

be hke Him.

we

the sin which called

is

There

in Christ

no need of a

is

and glory, no

our

"

from men.

failure

"

world," says Jesus.

Ye

veil

to

is

long as

veil so

continue to behold the face of Christ.

lose sight of His face

The

Jesus.'

If

we

can hide

are the light of the

Even so

your

let

light shine

before men."

Perseverance

4.

"

We faint not,"

^

human

" the cry of

He still has before him

says Paul.

insufficiency "

He is

uttered in Corin-

^

answering

thians

ii.

tone.

The Greek manuscripts vary here

16.

The

for "faint."

still

best attested

verse sixteen and in Galatians

be weary in well-doing
reap^

if

we

with

9

:

"

And

let

difficulties

word

also in

us not

due season we

There are

faint not."

in a ministry

in the

word* occurs

vi.

for in

:

triumphant

in a

it

shall

enough

all this

transcendent glory to test

When

Paul

the stoutest heart.

is

a prisoner in

Rome

he actually has to cheer the Christians who have

grown
"

discouraged

Wherefore

I

tions for you."

by

reason

his

ask that you faint not at
5

troubles:

my

tribula-

Paul reminds Timothy that

*

Matt, xxiii.

'

Greenough, « The Mind of Christ

* Cf.

of

our " giving in " to

evil.

2

2 Cor.
293.

6

Eph,

in St. Paul," p.

God

iv. I.

jij,

i^.

"

THE PREACHER'S PRIVILEGE
had given

He

1 27

us a spirit of power, not of cowardly fear.*

did this

when he was an

old preacher in prison

and facing certain death while Timothy was young
and

at

Timothy was the one who needed

work.

to

be exhorted to endure hardship as a good soldier
of Christ."

could

Etymologically the word for " faint

^

mean

to "

abandon one's

no examples of just

hard to overcome.

first

at

but

used for

Perga the

and go on

flush of the

John Mark "went not

he faced

is

to the

is

the

romance
"^

work

perils of rivers

is

give up and

easy just to

It is

Just to stick to one's task

hard thing when the
over.

But it

Often the dead pull of things

cowardly surrender.

quit.

self to badness,"

this sense occur.

and

is

when

perils of

robbers that confronted Paul and Barnabas.

John

Mark went home to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas
conquered a kingdom for Christ. Courage in the
ministry comes from the clear vision of Christ and

the world's

have

this

spiritual

who

ministry,"

*

says

Paul

freedom and power.

does not see the angels.

afraid at

;

this

It is

ministry of

the muck-raker

Elisha's servant

grew

Dothan when he saw the host with horses

and chariots

And

"Therefore seeing we

need of Him.

:

'*

Alas,

my

master

he answered, Fear not

:

!

for

how

shall

we do ?

they that are with

^ Acts xv. 36.
* 2 Tim. ii. 1-13.
2 Tim. i. 7.
2 Cor. iv. I.
He applies here all the argument about the superiority of the ministry of the New Covenant to that of the Old.
1

*

:

WITH OPEN FACE

128

more than they

are

us

EHsha prayed, and
eyes, that he

eyes of the

may

full

round about Elisha."

power of Christ
this

vision,

And

see.

young man

the mountain was

"

I

pray Thee, open his

the Lord opened the

and he saw

;

and, behold,

:

of horses and chariots of

Oh,

*

for the

we

obtained

never ceases to rejoice in

that.^

Paul had

sounds the bugle note of victory

no

waver.

There

march.

The ground

is

if

mercy."

The

fire

of the

vision

in the midst of the battle.

even as

And

that be with them.

Lord,

said,

He

^

true leader

the lines begin to

retreat for Paul, but the

of Paul's cheer

onward

not in the

is

marks of appreciation which he received from men.
springs from the fresh gaze into the face of Jesus.

It

Look

and you

at Jesus

will

And

let

us not be

weary

season

we

shall reap,

if

"

In Chapter

I

we

go on with your

in well-doing

:

task.

for in

occurs a letter from a minister

gave up the ministry.

due

faint not."

Here

is

a reply in the

who
same

journal
" Dear William
I have not a doubt that all
your causes of discouragement are real, and hard to
:

but I am
You have been

sorry you are leaving the pastorate.
a long time on your present field.
Can you not try another one ? New people, and
different conditions, will doubtless cheer you and give

bear

you
»

'

;

a fresh grip.

2 Kings vii. 15-17.
2 Cor. vii. 25 ; i Tim.

*2 Cor.
i.

13, 16.

iv. I.

THE PREACHER'S PRIVILEGE

129

" Of course, if you have become convinced that
God never called you to the ministry, that is an end

of the matter, and ought to be.
But if it is a matter
of disappointment, suffering, and fear of the future,
you must remember that Christian ministers to-day
are the successors of the prophets.
The prophet is
the man of larger vision than the people, the man
who seeks to redeem the people to his own higher
standards, the man who pleads with God for the people and asks that He be patient with their dullness
and forgive their sins. The minister who stands in
this relation to the people must ever bear in his heart
something of disappointment and suffering.
" No Christian minister can be free from the redemptive principle, that the chastisement of the
people's peace is upon him, and with his stripes they
are healed.
In different centuries this principle finds
expression in different forms.
Of the ancient prophets, the Lord said,
Which of them did your fathers
not stone ?
Of the modern prophets it might with
equal pertinency be inquired, To which of them do
'

'

'

your churches pay

amount

?

salaries regularly,

I confess,

'

and

in sufficient

William, that for myself,

I

pre-

fer the latter alternative.
'* But
what is more, the minister of Christ must
not forget the experiences of his Lord, and must be
ready, when necessary, to undergo like experiences.
At Capernaum on one occasion, all but the twelve
left the Saviour, and to these He said,
Will ye also
go away ?
That is. He was left with a few faithful ones.'
But these few became the salt of the earth,
'

*

'

them the

remnant was the salt of
servant is not above his
master,' had scarcely fallen from the lips of Christ
ere He was crucified, and crucified by religious people.
For myself, William, I would rather endure any
modern crucifixion than the crucifixion that was

just as before
Israel.

The words,

'

*

The

'

WITH OPEN FACE

130

meted out to my Master. I would rather endure
any hardships which are incident to the modern ministry, than to have gone to prison and to death with
Paul and the long list of martyrs that stretches through
the centuries. The life of the prophet is much the same
The servant is not above his Master.
in every age.
So far, at least, the redemption of the world has been
achieved through self-sacrificing and suffering.
" The real questions which confront the Christian
minister of to-day are: (i) The question of his own
call to the ministry
(2) the question of his faith in
God's redemptive processes, and (3) the question of
his courage to endure those processes as he finds
;

them expressed in modern life.
" Our age is in danger of making redemptive

suffer-

ing a theory which found sufficient expression 2,000
years ago in Jesus Christ. Paul teaches that Christians
and it must be preeminently true of Christian minisare to fill up the measure of Christ's suffering.
ters
The redemptive suffering that starts people on the
way to Christ is suffering that comes upon us to-day,
and is brought upon us by present conditions, and





which we endure

for Christ's sake.

"

Do

"

But we have renounced the hidden things of

not think that I am unsympathetic with your
discouragement, old friend, but you know that you
are only one of many ministers at this time who are
leaving the ministry for secular work, though all may
not be as frank as you in stating the reasons. I am
only expressing to you what has occurred to me many
times before, viz., the conviction that a more heroic
note needs to be struck for the Christian ministry
to-day, a note which rings true to the spirit of the
prophets, the Christ, and the apostles."
5.

Renunciation

shame, not walking in

craftiness,

nor handling the

THE PREACHER'S PRIVILEGE
word of God

deceitfully."

This

^

heart and

Paul evidently has before him the

life.

at

Judaizers

bitter

a very remark-

is

deep into the minister's

passage and strikes

able

13I

Corinth

who had been

of

full

schemes and plots against Paul and the work of
Paul had bidden " the hidden things " of

Christ.

He had

shame be gone.

declined^ every suggestion
"

and impulse that would not bear the Hght.
hidden things of shame "
one's sense of

He

light.

^

are

all

The

preacher's heart

works

One who

"

*

"

come

If

to the

you

light.

receptacle

the

plots,

Renounce the

a

lift

from the

ecclesiastical

a good

is

flee

not to be

is

vengeance,

thoughts of any kind.
his

to

does not specify further.

private

of

those things which

honour does not allow

rock in the spring-time, the bugs

The

devil

impure

and

all

interpretation of Paul's idea.

looks constantly into the face of Christ will

not wish to revel in the hidden things of shame.

A

" business

and

preacher can overdo the

make
real

it

"

slumming

a satisfaction of morbid curiosity instead of

desire to help the erring.

Paul mentions two

particulars of the hidden things of shame.

"walking

in craftiness."

means being willing to
one's point.
» 2 Cor, iv.
3Cf. I Cor.

*

The word

resort to

The end does

any

for craftiness^

not justify the means
^

Renounced.

the hidden things of darkness.

The Prayer-Book.

is

practice to carry

2.
iv. 5,

One

^

Cf. 2 Cor. xi. 3.

WITH OPEN FACE

132

He

best

work

God

and to the people.

is

The

Paul nor with Christ.

with

in the open.

stronger without the

opens his own heart to

That

He

his strength.

is

The

veil.

word of God

" handling the

minister does his

other particular

deceitfully."

is

Both of

*

They had made a

these things the Judaizers did.

Word of God.
He is never hap-

misuse and a misapplication of the

The

devil could quote Scripture.

pier than
"

when he can

And no

into

marvel

of

The wreckers who wave

on the coast

to lure unsuspecting ships

God

own

to their

The Word

of

God

calls for

He

juggler of words.

serious

and sacred things

frankness of

argument
God.

It

is

very work

mind and

We

:

a

first

to spread

is

in life

of Christ

iii.

*'

«

2 Cor.

no

Observe

St. Paul's

Word
;

for

of

our

throw sunshine on

light, to

fearlessly to declare the

no consequences

lo.

is

and must speak with

heart.

way

essen-

dealing with the most

not concealed or darkened by us

truth, to dread
Pet.

is

is

do not tamper with the

every side, and in every

I

honesty

The prophet

a true preacher.

tial in

Cf.

schemes and pur-

honesty of interpretation

Intellectual

and exposition.

1

selfish

wilfully twist the

Paul had spoken of this matter once before.'

poses.

mere

even Satan fashioneth himself

no worse than men who

to ruin are

Word

for

;

light."

an angel of

false lights

get preachers to do his work.^

;

for

xi. 15.

no

real minister
»

2 Cor.

ii.

17.

THE PREACHER'S PRIVILEGE
of Christ can be afraid of illumination."

who

I33

The man

^

looks in the face of Christ looks up and not

He

down.

looks

all

men

in the eye.

Manifestation of the Truth

6.

But by the manifestation of the truth commend-

"

ing ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight
of God."^

This

is

pohcy

Paul's

a minister of

as

Christ, perfect candour, in contrast to the

They had accused him

the Judaizers.
tricks,

none of which were

of commendation,^

mended himself by
truth
all

^

may

see.

"

with truth.

The

The

We

all
is

any other realm.

kingdom

you

things to

of truth of which Jesus

^

goes well

in truth."

He

that of truth.
Pilate

for

removed that

" manifestation "

preacher's province

call to

The word

lid is

The word
spake

sorts of

He com-

truth.

full

telling the truth.

means unconcealed.

all

This was his letter

true.

the

viz.,

of

conduct of

has no

was ignorant of the
is

King and did not

see that such an abstract ideality interfered at

with the rule of Caesar.

who

is

the truth, while hospitable to
is

all

truth both

not directly concerned

with the pursuit of absolute theoretical truth.
*

F.

W.

Robertson, " Life and Letters,"
iv. 2.

<Cf. 2 Cor.
Cf. I Cor.

«

xi. 10,
xii. 7.

all

But the interpreter of Jesus,

speculative and concrete,

'2 Cor.

^

628.
^Cf. 2 Cor.

Scien-

etc., p.

iii.

i.

the truth of Christ.
«

2 Cor.

vii.

14.

WITH OPEN FACE

134
tific

research per se and as an end in

itself is

not the

Certainly philosophy as

function of the preacher.

usually taught does not cross the path of the preacher.

The

minister

fest

a pragmatist in fact, whatever he

is

The

in theory.

truth which the preacher

is

is

to mani-

the realm of spiritual reality and practical

is

not

ethics,

ontology and cosmology.

speculative

The preacher

grips

the

mark when he appeals merely

misses the

He

of men.

conscience

to intel-

lectual curiosity, aesthetic interest, or the pleasures

of the imagination

and the

appeal to
safety,

or emotions.

The conscience

must be confronted with

will

'

conscience can

The

never be omitted with

and any presentation of Christianity which

neglectful of the verdict of conscience

is

"

Christ.

trines taught
like."^

It is

is

at

on the doc-

once un-apostolic and un-Christ-

only by placing his plea on this highest

plane that the minister has authority.

Clothed with

truth he has the right to storm the citadel of every

man's heart.

It is this

the master of men.

makes the

that

Men

are so

that they neglect themselves

God.

The

evil heart
all

— that

who can
*

Pros.

truth

comes



real preacher

busy with things

their best selves

as a rude shock.

which hides the

truth.

—and

" It

is

the

Light shines on

who are in a natural human state, all
all who have not deadened the spiritual

is, all

feel,

«

Bernard, in

loco.

THE PREACHER'S PRIVILEGE
sense.

.

.

The evidence

.

and not the shadow on the
to those
clearly,

who

of the sun

he has redemptive

So

dial.

are of the truth."

If

*

I35
is its

Christ

is

Hght

divine

one sees Christ

It is well also if

truth.

he can add speculative truth about the world, but
that

is

distinctly secondary.

philosophy and religion
James, of Harvard, has

is

The

old war between

Professor

disappearing.

won

for religion the right of

treatment from philosophy as a fact in

fair

worthy of study.
philosophy

It

will ever

is

by no means

understand

itself

certain that

We

religion.^

need

"
not seek to define more closely Paul's use of " truth

and " conscience."

He

is

no slave of words nor

does he set forth a developed and consistent formula
of psychological terms.

moral judgment of

He makes

man and

does

it

his appeal to the
in the fullness of

truth.3

A

7.
**

And

them

even

if

that perish

Veiled Gospel

our gospel
:

in

whom

is

veiled,

the

God

it

is

veiled in

of this world

hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the
light of the

Gospel of the glory of Christ,

who

image of God, should not dawn upon them." ^

is

the

Paul

W. Robertson, " Life and Letters," etc., p. 628,
" Religion and Philosophy," by T. M. Watt, in " Mansfield College Essays," p. 334.
' Cf. " Hebrew Psychology in Relation to Pauline Anthropology,"
by H. W, Robinson, in *« Mansfield College Essays," p. 267 fif.
* 2 Cor. iv. 3 f.
1

2

F.

WITH OPEN FACE

136

had manifested the

truth,

who heard

if

had declared

Gospel of

his

There was no excuse

the glory of Christ.

There

they did not understand.

over the face of Christ.

There

for those

no

is

no

veil

over

the face of Paul and the other ministers of the

New

veil

There

Covenant.

veil

no

is

preached by Paul.

But

over the hearts of

veil

it is

over the Gospel as

a sad fact that there

many who

and could not see the Messiah

he

ix.-xi.

will

true to His

which Paul

this

read Moses
It is

a sad

In Romans
how God is still

the great mass of the Jews

he interprets as the

The

Christ.

real Israel of

spiritual

promise and

The

both Gentiles and Jews.

Israel included

a

confronted.

is

have rejected the Gospel of
Israel

who

in Jesus.'

soon be explaining

Word though

is

hear as there was

a veil over the hearts of the Jews

situation with

is

children of faith are the heirs of the promise.

Every

minister of the Gospel meets a Hke situation in his

work.

"

The Gospel remains a

ineffective secret, to

again.

beyond doubt,

his full

*

The

it

again and

duty.

He

is

appalling."

^

It is

sometimes

that the minister has not

done

has not understood the problem

condition in 2 Cor. iv. 3 is of the first class (determined as
and assumes the statement as a fact. Cf. Robertson,
Grammar of the Greek New Testament," p. l6l.
Denney, 2 Corinthians, p. 148.

fulfilled)

" Short
'

hear

an impotent

Paul faces the difficulty without flinching,

though the answer
true,

many who

secret,

THE PREACHER'S PRIVILEGE
in this particular field or

137

he has not delivered the

message with sufficient clearness, ability or earnest-

Every preacher has

ness.

over such shortcomings.

made here by

He

Paul.

What he

for himself.

his

moments

But that

is

of sorrow

not the point

does not claim perfection

says

is

that

many have

wil-

fully shut their eyes to the light in the face of Jesus.

They have
minds

so

let

that

" the

they

god of

this

" blind their

world

who

using language like that of the rabbis
"

Sammael "

the " second god."

who was

spirit

He

cannot understand.

He was

considered the special foe of

some who made a god

This warning

mammon

is

called

the evil

Jesus called Satan " the prince of this world."
alluded to

is

Israel.'

Paul

^

of their belly .^

peculiarly pertinent just

now when
men as is

has such a hold on the hearts of

mad race for money at the cost of prinof men and women, law and order, love

seen in the
ciple, virtue

man and God. The Pharisees were lovers of
money
Paul found money to be a root of all kinds
of evil.^ But there is much more than money which
is here involved.
The spirit of worldliness opposes
of

.^

religion, resents
flesh,

the effort to check desires of the

opposes real Christianity though willing to com-

promise with the forms of public worship
1

Wetstein, in

2

John

*

Luke

xii,

loco.

31.
xvi. 14.

Cf.

Bernard, in

if

no

effort

loco.

'Phil.
^ I

Tim.

iii.

19.

vi. 10.

WITH OPEN FACE

138

made

is

make people

to

" the

by Paul

rightly called

really spiritual

god of

and good,

The

this age."

amazing success

time-spirit {Zeitgeist) has

is

in putting

out the eyes of the modern Samsons and making

them grind the

Denney

Hear

life.

treadmill of material things to the

and death of the

neglect

"

*

:

what moral mediocrity,

spiritual

What

itself

aspirations

and

sleepy conscience,

purblind, only dimly

conscious of the height of the Christian calling, and

vexed by no aspirations towards
say that

world

'

"

?

too

it is

them

As

much

already explained,

that perish

'•

in

"

by the perishing
by

is

it

it,

to call Satan

in

:

things

has any right to
'

it

the god of this
is

possible that

whom " may

be taken as

At any

by which." ^

rate

flaunting before the eyes of the unbelieving

the perishing toys of earth that the god of this world

men

blinds the hearts of

to the glory of Christ

the worth of the spiritual hfe.
in

all

the world

ness, excited

God

see

by

in

the

Isaiah's

its

pleasures, petrified

find their

its

its

busi-

maxims,

?

"

^

Jesus

^

and PauP both saw

hardness of men's hearts the fulfillment of

prophecy.

2 Corinthians,

*

The gender may be

<

by

and

His purity, or comprehend the calm

1

'

Men who

—how can they, fevered by

radiance of eternity
in

"

p. 156.

neuter in the Greek.
Robertson, " Life and Letters," etc., p. 629,
6 Acts xxviii. 25-28.
John xii. 37-41.

F.

W,

THE preacher's PRIVILEGE
From Glory

8.

The Apostle Paul was

By

phrase

this

velopment of

*

with the glory of

Glory

to

a firm believer in progress.

he aptly

all

sets forth the spiritual de-

who keep
Christ.
The joy
those

hope of making more

I39

in constant

of his

life

He had

progress.

touch

was the

a holy dis-

content with what he had already done and an eager

impetuosity to push on " towards the goal unto the

God

prize of the high calling of

The more Paul saw
became with
thinking of

The

himself.
is

to quote

this

progress that Paul

Spirit,

is

he

here

sentence from Dr.

J.

am

I

glad

Wilbur Chapman:

as this for the preacher."

contemplating a richer personality, one more

is

like Jesus,

God

dissatisfied

^

not increased reputation, power, influ-

Never was there such a day

Paul

more

Those are mere accidents, though

ence.

'•

of Jesus the

in Christ Jesus."

one more completely surrendered to the

one that more

to

men.

minister's

ground of
minister
rightly,

effectively reflects the glory of
in

It is

development

sooth a good thing
is

manifest to

The

rejoicing.

when a

That

is

a

God dehght in a
handle the Word of God

saints of

who knows how to
who is meet for the

unto every good work.^

all.^

Master's use, prepared

But Paul does not mean

for

the preacher himself to be marking notches in his
^2 Cor.

iii.

18.

«

Phil.

*

2 Tim.

iii.

14.

ii.

15, 21.

« i

Tim.

iv.

15.

WITH OPEN FACE

140

The man who has made most

progress.

development may be

least conscious of

it.

spiritual

Certainly

there can be no posing for effect nor attitudinizing

on the part of the man who has entered most
the heart of Jesus,
of Christ,

who

who

into

has gazed longest at the glory

has been most completely transfigured

That man

into the likeness of Christ.

will see

more

clearly the sins in his heart in the clear white light

There are higher heights of glory

of the Cross.

ahead and the Face of Christ beckons on.

day " we
even as

be

shall

He

is."

like

Him

;

for

'

1 1

John

iii.

2.

we

shall see

Some

Him

THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS
—THE HUMAN LIMITATIONS
{2 Cor. iv.

" But

7-1s)

we have

this treasure in

earthen

vessels, that the exceeding greatness

of the power

may be

of God, and not

from ourselves."

—2

Cor. iv. 7.

"

EARTHEN VESSELS—
THE HUMAN LIMITATIONS

THIS TREASURE IN

The Weaknesses of Preachers

I.
is

not clear whether the sudden contrast be-

ITtween

the precious " hght of the knowledge of

the glory of

God

in the face of Jesus Christ

and the feeble and imperfect medium through which
this "

men

Gospel of the glory of Christ

is

conveyed to

" is

suggested to Paul by the inherent facts in the

case or also

by taunts of

personal weaknesses/

his

enemies about his

Later

the

in

Epistle

own
Paul

does reveal knowledge of the sneers made against

him and

his

work

in

"

Corinth.

For

his

letters,

they say, are weighty and strong; but his bodily
presence

is

weak, and his speech

is

of no account."

*

This was a personal stab at the defects of his bodily
presence, otherwise

unknown

to us, for the traditions

about his being a hunchback and having weak eyes

have no support
are suggested

in Paul's Epistles unless

by Galatians

iv.

15

:

"

weak eyes

Ye would have

plucked out your eyes and given them to me."

he did once,
*

See Meyer, in

if

But

not always, have " a temptation to

loco,

and Bachmann, in

143

loco.

2

2 Cor.

x. 10.

THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS

144

you

my

in

flesh "

which the Galatians had not de-

'

In spite of this they had received him " as

spised.

an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus

been welcomed.

"

would have

Evidently Paul was conscious of

and

bodily imperfections

He had no

limitations.

disposition to pose as a martyr because of his de-

He

fects.

enemies had flung

had

"thorn

his

how

the flesh," whatever
to

bond

delicate

learned

union

of

pleasure in weaknesses,
persecutions,

for

when

I

am

in

He

with

in

injuries,

for

distresses,

weak, then

even

am

I

in

to

(a

thus

and

Paul),

burden,

was

it

who have

ministers

all

to bear his

in

because his

^

in his face, so to speak.

it

in

blessed ignorance
a

"

mentions his " weakness

had

**

take

necessities,

sake;

Christ's

strong."

To

^

his

prayer for the removal of the thorn, he had this

answer

power

:

is

"

My

grace

made

is

sufficient for thee

in weakness."

perfect

lesson Paul, like the rest of us,

experience.
his

Some

preaching.

had

:

for

My

That hard

to learn

by long

of the enemies of Paul criticized

" His

speech

is

of

no account."

This probably means that he will be afraid to say in

speech what he writes in

letters rather

tion of his style of utterance.
to great oratory
*

Gal.

iv. 14.

*

Paul

than deprecia-

made no

claim

and knew that he did not please
2

2 Cor.
Cor.

* I

xi.
ii.

30.
2.

s

2 Cor.

xii. 10.

THE HUMAN LIMITATIONS

and

in

was with you in weakness, and in

" I

men.

all

I45

much

And my

trembling.

fear,

speech and

my

preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom."
It

*

was a constant wonder ^ to Paul that Jesus could

have found any good in him as a minister of the

who had been

Gospel, one

and

persecutor,

injurious."

" a

blasphemer, and a

He

still

There may

be the chief of sinners.

himself to

felt

have been an

undertone of acknowledgment of the taunts of his

enemies in

this

The preacher is surely
when he becomes
criticism from people who are

comparison.

placed in an embarrassing position
the target of personal

themselves anything but perfect.
stand up and speak
of humility and
is

for himself, if

knows how

exquisite suffering in

He

is

he

frail after all

many

not able to

he has the
is.

spirit

There

a minister's heart as a

result of cutting, heartless criticisms of his person, his

One must

speech, and his hfe.

pretend to be perfect or above criticism.

least of all

The note

not be oversensitive,

that

Paul strikes here

"There

sympathy.

less of

is

is

the chord of

polemical argument,

and more of the natural outpouring of

his

own

feel-

ings in this section, than in most other parts of the

"We

Epistle/'^
sels."

1 I

^

Cor.

It

ii.

is,

3.

this treasure in earthen ves-

have

beyond
» I
4

all

doubt, a matter of surprise

Tim. i. I2ff.
Tim. ii. 20.

Cf. 2

'Stanley, in

loco.

146

THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS

that

God should

feeble instruments

"

destroy/

own

matchless treasure to

entrust this

The

whom

the axe and the lion can

disproportion between his [man's]

nature and powers, and the high calling to which

he has been

called, flashes across his

vessel of clay

destroyed.

very fragile and

^ is

is

mind."

easily

The

^

broken and

Yet to-day the ostraka, broken pieces of

pottery picked up in the sands of Egypt, are bearing

eloquent testimony to the

own

The

time.*

earthenware

silver

in

story

of Rabbi

life

jars.®

to

is

when

a rabbinical

contained her

She then placed the wine
it

He

mean appearance.

the earthen jars which

father's wines.

vessels

There

Joshua who was taunted by the

emperor's daughter on his
pointed

of the people in Paul's

Persian kings kept their gold and

whereon

turned sour,

in silver

the

rabbi

ventured to remind her that the humblest vessels

sometimes contained the highest wisdom.^
of " earthen vessel " as a figure for

compared with God's greatness
like the potter's clay.

ences in men.^

same

frailties

and

There

They do not

is

man's

use

littleness as

He

frequent.^

are, to
all

The

be sure,

is

differ-

have precisely the

limitations, but they

all

have them.

F. W. Robertson, " Life and Letters," etc., p. 629.
' Ostrakinos.
Denney, i?i loco.
*Cf. Deissmann, "Light from the Ancient East.'*
' Herodotus, Vol. Ill, p. 96.
« Cf. Stanley, h: loco, and Wetstein.
>
Cf. Job X. 9; Isa. XXX. 14; Jer. xix. ii
Rom,
2 Esdras iv. ii
« 2 Tim. ii. 20.
ix. 20 ff.; 2 Tim. ii. 20.
1

*

;

;

THE HUMAN LIMITATIONS.
The church

that

looking for perfection at a thou-

is

sand dollars a year or at ten thousand
vain.

a fearful mistake to expect or

It is

men

other

are not perfect, there

perfection in the ministry.

God

If

look in

demand an

men and

Ministers are

result dissatisfaction.

will

There can only

impossible standard in the preacher.

as

147

so long

no hope of

is

could not use

poor instruments and feeble voices,

He would make

no music.

title

and

Socrates disdained the

of teacher

There

called himself a fellow-inquirer.*

is,

of

course, small consolation in noting the defects of

other men, but in this view

it is

necessary to get the

Abraham was guilty of duplicity,
he became the man of faith and the friend

true perspective.

and yet

Moses had

of God.

halting speech and quick

his

temper, yet he was the

man chosen

and to commune with God.

to

make

adultery and murder, but he repented and

man

own

God's

after

Israel

still

heart and the sweet singer of

tree,

and defied Ahab and
heard the

1

Adam,

2Isa.
pp.

46 ff.

:

^

'*

Woe

is

all

5.

Cf.

God

at

Horeb.

Isaiah,

heavenly vision of God's holi-

me

Stalker,

sat

the prophets of Baal and he

!

for I

am undone

" Religious Teachers of Greece,"

vi.

and

but he had stood on Carmel

small voice of

in the presence of the

ness, said

became a

Elijah ran from Jezebel

for all time.

under the juniper

a nation

David was guilty of

"The

p.

;

because

339,

Preacher and

His Models,"

THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS

148
I

am

man

a

of unclean

lips,

of a people of unclean lips

King Jehovah

the

and
for

;

I

dwell in the midst

mine eyes have seen

Hosts."

of

Nevertheless, he

ventured to say, after one of the seraphim touched
his lips with a coal
lips

:

am

Here

"

I

from the

altar

send me."

;

and cleansed

And

Peter,

his

who,

though the leader and spokesman of the Twelve
Apostles, had
curses,

denied

Lord with

his

oaths

and

was restored by the compassion of Jesus and

was able to speak under the power of the Holy
Spirit with
It is

tremendous

effect

needless to go on.

who expected
allow a man
demons

in

on the Day of Pentecost.

There was John the Apostle,

by Jesus

to be praised

the

name
down

wanted to

call

Samaritan

village,

chief places in the

of Jesus,
fire

who

for refusing to

company

not of their

who

to

cast

out

with James

from heaven to burn up a

with James, also, wanted the

kingdom

of Jesus

—John became

the Beloved Disciple, the apostle of love, the eagle

who

soared to great heights,

who

into the mystery of Christ the

2.

pierced the deepest

Son of God.

The Exceeding Greatness of the Power of God

There

is

no doubt of the

tions of ministers of Christ.

plete shipwreck like Judas

completely.

Satan tempted

fact of the

human

limita-

Some even make com-

whom
all

the devil captured

the other apostles, as

THE HUMAN LIMITATIONS
The

he did Christ Himself.
Lord.

his

Every preacher

is

servant

is

not above

from the very nature
Satan wanted to

of the case a target of the devil.
sift all

I49

the apostles like wheat and Jesus

made

special

People sometimes forget that

prayer for Peter.'

preachers are subject to temptation and innocently

throw temptations

across

may

plainly, preachers

love of

money, and

O man

of

God,

God can do

that

to love of praise.

so

is

proof of the greatness of

remove the thorn

But now he had

of the visions given him.

petual reminder of his

power of Christ may
means

of Paul

"

He

is

upon me."

rest

Luke

xxii. 31

this per-

weakness, " that the
^

The word ®

shooting beyond the mark," beyond

measurement.

There

human

There

is

no

limit to the

thus no limit to the

preacher, though an earthen vessel
*

God had

in the flesh of Paul.

danger of being exalted overmuch by reason

in

God.

^

This was the reason

be God's purpose.^

all

to

But thou,

Indeed, Paul boldly interprets this to

God's power.

was

women,
"

The very fact
much with such frail men as

ministers of necessity are

refused to

victims to silly

fall

these things."

flee

To speak

path.

their

power

work

of

of the

People are often

f.

The false prophets in the Old Testament present
" The prophets prophesy falsely, and my people
love to have it so," Jeremiah laments. Cf especially Jer. xxiii. 9-40;
Ezek. xiii. See Stalker, " The Preacher and His Models," Lecture V.
2

I

Tim.

vi. II.

a terrible picture.

»2 Cor.

iv. 7.

*2 Cor.

xii. 5,

7

ft.

^

Cf. iv. 17.

THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS

I50

The

astonished at the results of a given ministry.

preaching

ways

is

not eloquent,

Men

attractive.

not learned,

is

is

not

al-

have been puzzled to analyze

Moody. God is the only exMoody had really great powers, but gave
wholly to God and God filled him with His

the power of D. L.
planation.

himself

own power.

Paul had

already

God worked

Corinthians that

explained to the

thus, " that

your

faith

should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the

power of God."
Preachers do

The

^

differ,

God and

a gift

bickering,

but

makest thee to

is

increase

came from God.

but each receives his

not an occasion for pride or

humble

of

differ ?

gratitude.

"

Spurgeon, Maclaren,

man,

Liddon,

Beecher,

Parker,

had

were the mighty

many
many

that

;

own

gift

"

God chose

He might

New-

Brooks, Broadus,

from God.

in the generation just

wise after the flesh, not
noble."

world, that

wise

his

who

and what hast thou that thou

not receive? "^

— each

selfish

For

didst

Moody,

from

gift

These

gone, " not

many mighty,

not

the foolish things of the

put to shame them that are

and God chose the weak things of the world,

He might

strong

;

put to shame the things that are

and the base things of the world, and the

Cor. ii. 5.
Cor. iv. 7.
I shall never forget a masterly address delivered
to the students of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary many
years ago by Archibald G. Brown from this text.
*

I

3 I

THE HUMAN LIMITATIONS
things that are despised, did

God

choose, yea and

He

might bring to

the things that are not, that

the things that are: that no flesh should

naught

glory before God."

*

This

is

the perennial lesson of

Look

the preacher, that of God's power.
stripHng in

his

all

awkward

See him years

call

afterwards

That

multitude to repentance.

as

is

of

God

this,

and looked

for serv-

he moves the

the power of God,
"

the exceeding greatness of His power.

who saw

at the

timidity, but full of a

deep earnestness to answer the
ice.

151

No

Not

could dream that the explanation lay in him.
in

an ugly

little

one

at a preacher like Paul,

Jew, without presence, without elo-

quence, without the means to bribe or to compel,
could the source of such courage, the cause of such
transformations, be found

him, but

in

it

;

must be sought, not

Hear Denney^ again:

God."^

*'

in

One

would sometimes think, from the tone of current
hterature, that
is

no person with

any longer

men, we are
less

still

identified
told,

with the

do they go to church.

make no

in the

use of

* I

own.

Cor.

i.

But

26-29.

Gospel.

Clever

.

.

.

There

world so clever that

them

;

al-

God

they could never do

His work, because they were so
their

above contempt

do not become preachers now,

ways have been men
could

gifts

lost in

admiration of

God's work never depended on
*

Denney, in

loco.

P. 160.

152

THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS

them, and
is

it

well said

does not depend on them now."

and

added that those " clever
greatness

they see

A

men do

it

may

unthinking and

it

know

not always

its

cheap jibes

pass as "literature" with the

will

easy to set up a

That

needs to be

say character, when

tenth-rate novel with

at the ministry

is

"

of intellect, not to
it.

But

to the point.

be forgotten to-morrow.

man

It

of straw and caricature the

Manhood is the first essential in the minOur first minister was a man, but he was not

preacher.
"

ister.

a minister

a

;

our second was a minister, but he was

man and the one we have at present is neither
man nor a minister."
The preacher must have

not a

;

^

"the blood-streak of experience." ^

He had
Tears."

^

But he was

tellectual gifts.

of

God

This Paul had.

sympathy, heart, and was the

It is

also a

man

"

Man

of transcendent in-

taking nothing from the power

to note that this chosen vessel to bear the

Gospel to the Gentiles was just the most gifted
of his time in
"

ness.

all

the real elements of

Every now and then,

through the argument
in

of

his

human

man

great-

thought bursts up
geyser and

falls

showers of sparks," and, like Shakespeare, he

will

" pause

like a flaming

and, spreading his wings, go soaring and

* Stalker, " The Preacher and His Models,"
The experip. 165.
" People do not now respect the
ence of a Scotch Highlander.
cloth, unless they find a man inside it."
a Ibid.,
3 Adolph Monod, " The Tears of Paul."
p. 166.

THE HUMAN LIMITATIONS

153

singing like a lark sheer up into the blue."

not

mouth

in the

lie

makes

Christ

but

The

student

any modern man to

appeal to the

its

God

gifts,

of

prowess of Paul.

the intellectual

It

*

The

men

does

ridicule

ministry of

of the noblest

not dependent on any set of men.

is

of our time will miss the

life

opportunity for usefulness

if

But

of the ministry of Christ.

by the claims

passes

it
it

supreme

must not be forgot-

ten that Jesus chose His apostles from the unschooled

fishermen and artisans

He

Judean.

thought had
to-day

if

warm

religious

impulse had died and

He will pass by the schools

crystallized.

the teachers and students close their minds

and hearts
the

Him.

to

Jesus seeks the open

He

heart.

The answer

more important

is

man

in the world.

to the student than

it

Jesus will go to the highways and find

to Christ.

others to heed His

another

mind and

knocks at the door of the heart

of every university and seminary

is

save Judas the

passed by the rabbinical theological

where

seminaries

of Galilee

Christ

to

call,

but the student will not find

serve.

At

best

earthen vessel that any one can

it

offer,

is

only an

wholly un-

worthy of the

priceless jewel

place therein.

Who

can ask for a higher service

of the

Light in the Face of Jesus

than to
Christ

tell

which Jesus

offers to

?
1

Stalker,

"The

Preacher and His Models,"

p. 158.

THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS

154

The

of success

secret

simple.

It is real

is

very

vital

union

thing to

difficult

strains of

pull

life

Dust gathers about our heads and

us away.

our

in

Clouds gather and the sun does not shine

eyes.

are

most

The

hfe.

is

ministry

the

in

just the

maintain in fullness of

upon

Hand

connection with God,

This

with Christ.

Guidi?ig

TJie

3.

God seems

us.

to sHp

away from

we

us and

with our weakness and the criticism of the

left

people.

It

not

is

of strength.

It

is

human weakness that is
only when the power

charges the empty vessel that

it

a source
of

God

becomes a dynamo.

Paul changes the figure from that of an earthen vessel

to a soldier, with

this Epistle

ened."

^

:

a corner.

had always come to

comes

philosophy

his

rescue.

here

in

:

" It

The

ness and God's

like a

in

power

He had

^

man going

*

2 Cor.

'

Meyer, in

*

2 Cor.

iv.

8

;

cf.

loco.

iv. 8.

:

lost his

ii.

9

;

human weak-

" perplexed, yet

viii.

not unto

way,^ he was bewildered

in a circle,

Rom.

old negro's

mout be wuss."

Paul carries on the contrast between

despair."

common

He was " hard pressed, but not driven into
He was not yet hemmed in, not put into
He could still go on with his work.^ God

'

straits."

an anacoluthon so

" Pressed on every side, yet not strait-

he was " put to

it,

yet

35.
»

Cf, 2 Cor. xii. lO.

6 Cf.

Gal.

iv.

20.

!

THE HUMAN LIMITATIONS
not utterly put out."

How

*

I55

these phrases parallel

We come

the experience of every minister of Jesus.

God

our wit's end and find

to

tremity

We

God's opportunity.

is

yet not forsaken."

^

He was

Man's ex-

there.

are "pursued,

hunted Uke a wild ani-

How

mal, yet not abandoned to the pursuing foe.
often,

We

when

persecuted, Paul had to

were " pursued

in

our

as a prey to our pursuers."

flee for his life

but not

flight,

left

behind

' smitten

Once more
The image may be

^

:

down, yet not destroyed."^

of

one smitten down with a dart or arrow or of one

He

overtaken in flight and thrown to the ground.

had himself been stoned and
did not perish, not yet.

left for

When

worst, he has been able to rise

go on proclaiming
life

Christ.

dead.

trouble has done

power

4.

This

is

in

life.

its

from the ground and

The hand

of

God

This

Paul here joyfully acknowledges.

sustaining

But he

in his

the

is

This he has always had.

The Lesson of Suffering

the climax of the series of contrasts.

Paul

not merely resigned to suffering and persecution.

is

Others, not Christians, have

more

or less success.

his sufferings as fiUing

*Denney, in
*

loco.

Stanley, in loco.

come

Paul has

to that state with

come

to rejoice in

up that which

is

lacking of

*Cf. Gal. i. 13.
Kataballo.

*

THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS

156

He

the afflictions of Christ.'
killed all the

is

day

"

So then Paul

is

Hke the experience of Jesus.

is

always bearing about in the body

the dying of Jesus."

on

This continual exposure

long.^

to the peril of death

He

^

has no complaint to

lower of Jesus, the soldier of the Cross

*'

:

who hve are always delivered unto death
The

^

sake."

make

of the business of the fol-

It is part

this score.

He

dying daily .^

is

soldier does not flinch

For we

for Jesus'

when

the bul-

whizz by his head nor when they strike his

lets

knows

Paul

Besides,

heart.

which come upon him daily

him

are gradually killing

of

his

work

the pains, the

dehverance,

and soon he must

strength,

in

sufferings
for Jesus
perils,

the

excitement of danger and the

spiritual pressure, the

excitement

;

" the

that

are
die."

wearing
^

He,

out

his

like Jesus,

was facing a certain death, hastened by the very

work

if

he had

said,

with us wherever
body.'

"

life

we

his

are living corpses.

we go
is

of Christ

hand was
" It

a purpose in
is

We

Col.

i.

24.

*2 Cor. iv. 10.
« Denney, in loco.

is

bear

the burden of the dead

Thus

it is

us, " that

the

it all.

reproduced in

may be manifested in our body." ^
that the man who lost his life would

also of Jesus

Jesus had said
»

*

But there

'

that the
life

But

plough and he would not turn back.

to the
as

which he was engaged.

in

9 1

Cor. XV. 31.

Rom.

3

viii.

62 Cor.
"^

Stanley, in loco.

^

2 Cor.

iv.

36.
Ii.

iv. 10.

THE HUMAN LIMITATIONS
find

Christian

peated

the mystic symbol

of

His death and resurrection are

re-

" Christ, then,

it.'

life

;

is

His people.

in

since Christ

had

when viewed

.

.

Pain was sacred,

.

Life

also suffered.

became grand

as a repetition of the life of Christ."

Besides, " death worketh in us, but

There

divine energy

is

^

who were

life

in death itself

dying before Paul was working out
the saints

157

by

benefited

in you."

^
^

and the slow

for the

good

of

Paul

his ministry.

does not look on suffering as an accident, but as a
matter of divine appointment that thus the fullness
of the
vin

^

life

of Christ

calls this

That
It is

is

may be

presented to men.^

Cal-

saying of Paul in verse twelve ironical.

true of

i

Corinthians

iv. 8,

but hardly here.

part of the equipment of every preacher that he

enter the valley of the

shadow of

Only thus

death.

he qualified to bind up broken hearts, to give a

is

who need

sympathetic heart to those

mere words.
rows

The Messiah was

and acquainted with

Paul's

intellect,

it

is

greater than his head.^

weak
1

9

'
*
'

8

?

Who

is

that

to be a

grief.

more than

man

of sor-

probable that his heart was
"

Who

is

weak and

caused to stumble and

I

I

am

2 Cor.

xi. 29.

not

burn not ? " ^

Matt, X. 39.
F. W. Robertson, " Life and Letters," etc., p. 631.
^ Denney, in
2 Cor. iv. 12.
Energeital.
In loco. Ironice dictum.
Stalker, " The Preacher and His Models," p. 159.
•*

was

Brilliant as

loco.

THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS

158
"

Our mouth

heart

is

open unto you,

is

enlarged.

believed,

I

The

also

spirit

of faith

God

is

God

of

is

useless for

"

;

we

also

Paul has ap-

^

his

own

case.

It

is

Dis-

and renders the

just this trust in Christ

Without

No

positive note

is

trust there

by the

struck

aesthetics of social service

believe,

and therefore we

one does not believe,

let

It is

away about the beauty

to chatter

of love for Christ does not burn in his

We also

not

speak

does not love and trust Christ.

him

duty and the
fire

^

the channel through which flows the power

who

minister

to us."

essential to the preacher.

into the earthen vessel.

no conviction.

is

speak."

cuts the nerve of faith

preacher powerless.

which

we

I

words of the Psalmist^ to

plied the

trust of

Open your hearts

.

and therefore did

and therefore

believe,

Corinthians, our

The Power of Conviction

5.
**

.

.

O

him

when the
own heart.

also speak."

be

at least

attempt to expound his doubts.

of

^

silent

If

and

People care

nothing for them and are not profited by them.

When

the doubter comes back to Christ, then he has

a message for men.^

"

The

in a firm

minister of Christ speaks

conviction of divine power

in faith

;

arising

from the Resurrection

that

is,

*

2 Cor.

3

Psa. cxvi. 10, but
Cf. George Romanes,

'



faith in the deliver-

vii. 2, II.

LXX
««

cxv.

i,

Thoughts on Religion."

22 Cor,

iv.

13.

2 Cor.

iv.

13.

•»

THE HUMAN LIMITATIONS
Observe the

ing or redeeming power of God.

ence between

itself to

but his

co7iviction,

Nothing gives

others.

Real flame alone kindles other flame."
that will speak and

be heard

will

So Paul

^

felt

"

:

preach not the Gospel."

^

For woe

A

much

so

man

Men
*'

life.

with

For we

unto me,

if I

in the service

with profound conviction will not

be hunting

for

something to say as be eager

Paul has a contempt

heart.

but

necessity was laid

The

an opportunity to say what

for

It is

which

we saw and

is

upon him which drove him forward
of Christ.

life

'

also.

cannot but speak the things which
heard."

differ-

and theological knowledge.

this

not a minister's wisdom,
imparts

I59

divorced from experience.^

for

fills

mere

mind and

his

intellectualism

The preacher should be

constantly engaged in " Great Reading," the reading
of great books, and not be frightened

by the bug-

bear of simplicity into making his sermons thin and

But no amount of reading nor

watery.^

brilliance will take the place of

and

thorough conviction

sincerity.
6.

"

intellectual

For

all

Thanksgiving

things are for your sakes, that the grace,

being multiplied through the many,

W.

Robertson, « Life and Letters,"

1

F.

3

Acts

4

Stalker,

&

Ibid., pp.

p.

' I

"The Preacher and His Models,"
f.

cause the

629.

iv. 20.

252

may

p. 253.

Cor.

IX.

16

THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS

l3o

thanksgiving to abound unto the glory of God."

God

Paul expects that

That

Christ Jesus.

be grateful
in them.

for

will

They

shortcomings.^
thanksgiving.
these

be a joyful scene.

will

for the ministry

earthen

is

and

God

posthese

all

merits

most cases conveyed

Suppose

we had no

Thought along

that line

abundant ground for thankfulness

them

as

they

are.

It

might

Let us then praise God for His grace

for His ministers of grace.

thanksgiving
*'

in

vessels.

for the ministers, taking

worse.

before

It is

with

Certainly the grace of

That grace

will surely afford

far

his

Paul will

thank God for Paul.

preachers of the Gospel.

be

him and

what God has wrought through him

be thankful

sible to

^

of heaven

together at the court

converts

in

will present

^

articulate,

We

must make our

not taciturn,^ that

it

may

abound unto the glory of God," may overflow^ and

bless others.

The

in the light of the

minister bathes his heart and

the face of Jesus Christ.

upon

others,

life

knowledge of the glory of God

As he

reflects that

in

glory

he adds to the praise of the glory of

God among men. " A minister is no true minister
who does not see wonder in the child in the cradle
and

in

the peasant in the

field."

Yes, and

*^

who

does not win the love of peasant and child.
1

*
'

2 Cor. iv. 15.
Cf. I Cor. iii. 22 ; Phil. i. 19.
« Stalker, " The Preacher
Perisseuo.

*

<

Parasthei.

Denney, in

loco.

and His Models," p. 283.

VI

THE WEIGHT OF GLORY—THE
BLE CONSOLATION

INVISI

{2 Cor. tv, 16-V. 8)

" While

we

look not at the things which

are seen, but at the things which are

not seen."

—2

Cor. iv. 18,

VI

THE WEIGHT OF GLORY—THE INVISIBLE
CONSOLATION
"

TE

'V "W"

%/%/

not," Paul

faint

He

one.

from verse

faces all the facts of

no ground

sees

repeats

for despair.

life

Paul

and

is

not

yet an old man, though probably the marks of care

and

and exposure were upon

toil

his face.

He was

discouraged before Titus came, but that was not his

He

normal mood.

Face of Christ and

wood

He

robin.

caught a fresh glimpse of the

his soul has

been singing

like the

has taken stock of his ministry in

He

comparison with that of the Old Covenant.
has looked afresh at his

looked death

Once more Paul

all

that

the most sacred

What

is

He

has

not dismayed.

brought face to face with the

is

life.

it

shortcomings.

but he

in the face,

eternal verities of

look and

own

He

does not shrink from the

He

means.

ventures to interpret

of the preacher's

realities

weighs most in the scales of

life,

heart.

in the minis-

ter's life ?
I

.

The Growth of the Inward

Though our outward man
inward man is renewed day by
"

*

2 Cor.

iv. 1 6.

163

is

Man

decaying, yet our

day."

*

There

is

no

THE WEIGHT OF GLORY

l64

and death.

rebellion in Paul's heart as he faces old age

One

of the most beautiful spectacles in

that of an old minister with a

is

has learned

how

benediction to

grow

to

Paul

the world

heart,

old gracefully

about him.

all

all

young

and be a
constantly

is

surrounded by a band of young preachers

'•

willing to

There
ister

follow

him through

no " dead-line

is

becomes the

richer he

is

and

spiritual

The

knowledge

at eighty years of
at fifty ,^

A man's

decay comes when he ceases

to study, to work, to exercise, to grow.
ister's

*

older a min-

in spiritual

age was a greater personality than
intellectual

and water."

fire

" for Paul.

Alexander Maclaren

and power.

fill

These young ministers are

him.

with

fight

who

joy as he sees them enter the thick of

his heart with

the

who

duty not to be prodigal of

to use his physical force with

It is a

min-

his physical strength,

wisdom and power

for

God, but a minister can be too particular with himself for

any use

in the world.

It

out than to rust out, though there
for

is
is

better to wear

no special

one to hurry up the process of decay.

" Paul

not mistake, and did not hide from

could

himself,

the

upon him.

call

But

effect

which

He saw

it

apostolic

was kiiUng him.

old long before his time.

"The

his

He

work had

He

was

was a sorely broken

Preacher and His Models," p. i6i.
are guilty of a crime in closing the door of usefulness in the face of the greatest men because old.
»

Stalker,

2

Some churches

INVISIBLE CONSOLATION

THE
man

The

strength.

their

crumbUng."

many

is

bound

become

enemies had

his

The end

ways.

visible

Decay ^ has

outward man."

in " the

man

"

mark^

their

left

to be death sooner or later.^

uses " the old

^

man

in

Paul has

^

" elsewhere, though-

the sense of the lower

Here he means the material nature,

fleshly nature.

physical abode

the

visibly

of this gradual dissolution

not spoken of " the outward

he

was

vessel

earthen

The exposures and hardships thrust

*

upon Paul by
in

are in the fullness of

many

an age when

at

165

of the spirit, the body.

The
The

minister has his physical trials as have others.
Paul's
missionaries in all ages give a vivid picture of
case, as, for instance,

But the consolation

Pen-La.
Paul

" sustained

is

Adoniram Judson

ward man

real

and

glorious hope."

by a

renewed day by

is

is

at

day.«

"

^

Oung-

glorious.

The m-

The more the

^
It is
marble wastes, the more the statue grows."
man decays.
true of all men that the outward

"

Time

tires

the stoutest runner, crumbles the com-

pactest wall."

there

This
1

*
'

^^

But

it

is

not, alas, true of all that

man."
a daily refreshment of " the inner
It is a
expression he uses twice elsewhere."
is

» Stanley, in loco.
« Gal. vi. 17.
Denney, in loco.
Diaphtheiretai.
The condition here assumes the reality of the decay.
Bernard, in loco, e 2 Cor. iv. lb.
Col. iii. 9.
''

Cf Eph. iv. 22
mjoco.
»Line attributed to Michael Angelo. Cf. Stanley,
" ^Ro"^- v". 2 Eph. lu.
»o Denney, in loco.

6

;

}

16.

THE WEIGHT OF GLORY

I66

most expressive figure

He

nature.

new man

uses " the
" as

man

and moral

for the spiritual
"

in contrast

'

with

new life in
One who is in Christ is a
new creature (creation).^ One puts off the old man
and puts on the new man like a new garment.^ He
does not here mean the new birth by " renewed " as
" the

old

a description of the

Christ after regeneration.

he does by another word

Ephesians

in

iv.

23/ nor

is

he exactly contemplating the progressive restoration

God by

of the image of
in Colossians

iii.

power

daily supply of spiritual

He

one whose youth

as

is

Each

the work of sanctification as

Here Paul

10.®

morning

is

apostoHc service."*

for

renewed

like the eagle.

fresh supply of grace like

brings

He

manna from heaven.

thinking of " the

is

is

ready for the new day

by reason of the new and

never-failing store of

energy which

spiritual

"

When

am

I

communicated

is

am

weak, then

strength not his own.

I

to

strong "

With Paul

it is

^

him.

with a

the triumph

of the moral and spiritual forces over the material

He

decay.

is

strengthened with might by the Spirit

The

in the inner man.^
vital

God

contact with

at disease, decay,

»

Cf, Col.

3

Eph.

^

Cf.

T

2 Cor.

iv.

iii.

24

Rom.

Col.

xii. 2.

xii. 10.

who

"

10.

can laugh

The Lord stood by
2

iii.

thus lives in

He

never old.

and death.

10.
;

is

minister

cf, 2 Cor.

iii.

17.

also Tit. iii. 5.
Denney, in loco.

< Cf.
^

8

Eph.

iii.

16.

THE

INVISIBLE CONSOLATION

me, and strengthened me,"

end

Paul will say at the

*

he looks death squarely

as

says Paul, "

eneth me."

can do

I

This

^

all

167

things in

Yea,

in the face.

Him

that strength-

who

the mighty preacher, he

is

puts the chief accent on the development of spiritual

muscle and

fibre for

the work of Christ.
|

The Work of Affliction

2.

"

For our

worketh

Paul soars above

all

notion of controversy

way

his

^

eternal

with the

on the

to a height

On

above cloud and storm.

far

moment,

With these wonderful words

and wings

mountain

for the

is

more and more exceedingly an

weight of glory." 3

Judaizers

which

light affliction,

for us

this glory-

crowned summit Paul stands serene and balances the
affliction of his earthly

He

his.

is

is

ministry with the glory which

Hke one rapt

dictates this sentence " fast

He

is

interpreting his

in vision

and probably

and with beating heart."

and ministry

life

^

hght

in the

of the Cross and the light of the Risen and Glorious
Christ.^

other.

He

Every word

The

affliction^

does not so

is

is

here weighed against an-

matched with the

much minimize

nify the glory.

It

by the way, now

that the end

*2Tim.

2

iv. 17.

<

Denney, in

'

Cf.

Rom.

loco.

viii.

matters

17.

the affliction as

mag-

and

stress

little,
is

the

toil

in sight.

Phil, iy, 1^.

^Dgnney, in

glory.^

loco.

3
«

* Cf.

Standpoint
2 Cor. iv. 17.
Cf. Rev. v. 5 f.

Rom.

viii.

18.

THE WEIGHT OF GLORY

1 68

much

determines

for us

our troubles
if

life's

values.

The words

" light "

He

ness of the affliction."^

word

view of

and " weight

*

It is really "

in the other.

The

heavy weight and glory

like a

The

glory seems to Paul actually

heavy burden, so great and gracious

The word

for

weight "

*'

is

Paul

The

drowns
notion

probably

is

with " future."

the

^

It will

moment

"

^

" present "

»

Cf. Matt. xi. 30.

Classic idiom, article
Matt. xi. 30.
Matt. XX. 12.
The

*

There

is

in

Aionion.

^

opposition

2

is

confined to

perpetual with

is

no way

to challenge

Burden.

Cf. Gal. vi. 2.

and neuter adjective

^
Hebrew word (Gen.
means both to be heavy and to be glorious.
• Here only in the New Testament.

'

" eternal."

seem short from the point

the " now-time," while the glory

8

who

Once more,

in

of view of eternity, but the affliction

the unending future.

it all is.

the one used of those

bore the heat and burden of the day.^
" for

al-

Jesus had said that His bur-

ways what they seem.
light.^

^

afflic-

seems intangible hke a cloud, but things are not

den was

"

the light-

seems to hold the

hand and the glory

for affliction suggests a

trifles

can use Paul's

difficulty in catching this

stand over against each other.

tion in one

We

!

turned

is

What

very astonishing.

seem then

will

we have

eyes

is

here looking at

is

If the telescope

earth with heaven's eyes.

round, the effect

Paul

all.

like a substantive.
xviii.

8

20; Job

vi.

Meyer, Bernard.

3)

INVISIBLE CONSOLATION

THE

the noble sentiment here expressed,

there

no glory

is

But even

all

Thus one

the most of the minister's reward

That

beyond,

in

that

lies in

sees that

the future,

the glory to be given by Jesus.

He

the consolation of the true preacher.

is

does not enter the ministry to

all

make money,

to get

Paul himself had turned his

honour, power, fame.

back on

it.

come

tribulation, the glory to

would more than make amends.

in the

mean

Far from

in the ministry here.

were

if it

one holds to

if

Paul does not

a belief in immortality.

169

the allurements of

way

dered to Christ on the

to

when he

life

He

Damascus.

He

in the least complaining now.

surrenis

not

does not admit

that the preacher should not have adequate remuneration.

He

often argued that he should.*

salary could offer

ministry

if

pay enough

that were

Men

all.

for the

But no

work

of the

to-day receive salaries

who are
character and worth as men for
the world with ministers who do

of a hundred thousand dollars a year

comparable

in

real welfare of

receive a twentieth of that sum.

dent gets

all

his

ceives most of

next world.

pay

in

minister

is

trust " presi-

The

minister re-

and most of that

man and

entitled to a decent
1

Cf.

I

Cor.

ix.

the

not

'*

just this difference

ence between the material

The

money.

his in glory,

But

A

not

is all

in the

the differ-

the spiritual

man.

competency and

THE WEIGHT OF GLORY

lyo

man who

a church should be ashamed to stint the
breaks to them

the bread of

money could pay Paul

He

did

it

of decay

**

The law



And

this

being worked out thereby."

"

trouble.

abideth alone

He

;

but

that loveth his

his life in

shall also

Me, him

has glory as

will the

its fruit

the Cross of Jesus.
to
"

fall

loseth

let

him

My

is

it

Paul's philosus.

and

die,

much

beareth
;

is

the glory for

into the earth

world shall keep

this

am, there

I

serve

This
out"^

is

afflic-

—the glory which

if it die, it

life

any man serve Me,

If

for-

Hfe out

is

the soother of

is

^

works

It

Except a grain of wheat

it

and Christ had not

of our humanity

one steadfast thought

this

ophy of

he had undergone.

the type and exemplification of which

;

the Cross of Christ.
tion

for all that

" for Christ's sake,"

gotten him.

But no amount of

life.

fruit.

and he that hateth
it

unto

Me

follow

servant be

Father honour."

and where
if

;

eternal.

life
;

^

any man
Affliction

only when borne in the

spirit of

Trouble drives many to despair,

shame, to sensual excess and stupor, to death.

But go and

He

tell

him

of the law in Christ ;

has borne the Cross

tell

him

and there

is

the pe-

culiar Christian feeling of comfort, with all

its

tender-

that

ness,

humanity,

;

zxvA personality y ^

But Paul has not

seen the whole of this mountain of glory

W.

Robertson,

»

F.

'

Katergazetai.

*

F.

W.

««

Life

and Letters,"

—to change

p. 633.
3

Robertson, " Life and Letters," p. 633.

John

xii.

24-26.

THE INVISIBLE CONSOLATION
The working goes on

his figure.

exceedingly."

*

He

Hterally piles

in store for

is

him and every

more and more

"

Ossa on Pelion

in

the glory which

effort to describe the vastness of

an

17I

He

toiler for Christ.

loves to pile adverbs on top of adverbs like one big

There

boulder on top of another in a riot of power.^
is

the failure of language to compass the greatness of

his conception.
rest.^

But the eye of

Paul has expounded this interpretation of

much

elsewhere also with

3.

"

can supply the

faith

power.^

The Vision of the Unseen

While we look not

at the things

but at the things which are not seen

which are seen are temporal
are not seen are eternal."^
distance like a

life

;

which are seen,
:

for the things

but the things which

Paul

is

watchman peering

looking^ into the
far

ahead.

It is

the calm triumphant contemplation of a conqueror.
«*

We

can well believe that the pressure was relaxed,

and that the pen moved more

steadily

and slowly

over the contemplative words that follow."^

more than a glimpse

or a

momentary rhapsody

of

means.

the

spiritual exaltation that Paul here

whole world-outlook^ that
>

«

is

Cf. Phil.

20.

^
6

;

iii.

14.

'

Denney, in

loco.

It is

under consideration.

2 cf_ Eph_ jii,
From excess to excess.
Rom. viii. 26-39 Eph, iii. 14-21.

4 Cf.

It is

^

i Cor. ii. 9
2 Cor. iv. 18.

cf.

f.

Welt-anschauung.

THE WEIGHT OF GLORY

172

No

move

other standpoint will

dergo the

which he

to

sacrifices

the preacher to uncalled.

is

Moses,

whose glory Paul has been considering, chose rather to
" share ill-treatment with the people of

God, than to

enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season

;

accounting

the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of

Egypt

;

By

of reward.

he looked unto the recompense

for

faith

the wrath of the king

who

is

invisible."

he forsook Egypt, not fearing
he endured

for

:

Moses, the greatest

Paul.

as seeing

Him

These words seem written about

*

man

in the

Jewish Dis-

pensation, as the Jews counted greatness, was great

when God appeared

just because,

to

him

at the

Burn-

ing Bush, he recognized the Invisible God, and placed
the Unseen above the seen.

So he stood

in

the

sands of Egypt and cast his lot with the people of

God

in their

poverty and weakness and led them out

and on through the wilderness towards the Land of

And

Promise.

what may, he

is

sacrifice of

you

2

for

that

»

is
is

^

true.

xi.

and

faith, I joy,

It is

and

am

offered

rejoice with

not merely the power to see
is

in Paul's

The preacher should be

whole, not
25-27.

if I

most gladly spend and be spent

in the distance that

in its

Heb.

your

I will

your souls."

what

life

«'

" Yea,

content.

upon the
all."

Come

Paul too followed the gleam.

in a
2

mind, though

able to look at

fragment or section.

Phil,

ii,

17.

^2 Cor.

It is

xii. 15.

THE INVISIBLE CONSOLATION
work

part, a large part, of the minister's

to a just view of

strife

But there

life.

to help peo-

away the cob-

ple to see things as they are, to brush

webs and the dust of business

is

more here than

Much

the future reward of eternal glory.

men back

to call

;

that

is

from the nature of the

case, in

material sense.^

The

duty

visible, principle

is

seen

invisible,

is

invisible,

is

any
in-

is

The

invisible.

is

un-

and best things are not seen nor handled.

greatest

They

soul

invisible, love

73

1

" Finally, brethren,

are the things of the spirit.

whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are
honourable, whatsoever things are

just,

whatsoever

things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatso-

ever things are of

;

if

there be any virtue,

there be any praise, think

and

if

It

just because

is

good report

it is

on these

things."

man

so hard for the average

catch and keep this spiritual interpretation of
that the call

so great to-day for

is

the ministry.

There

The

man who

seer

is

the

prophetic vision
to

grip

is

is

conflict of the

The

seen.

ministers wish

if

are temporary.*

is

triumphant.

Robertson, " Life and Letters,"

»

F.

»

Phil. iv. 8.

Out

The
of the

nineteenth century the spiritual in-

terpretation of the universe

W.

what he has

essential to-day

^

life

of vision in

and hold the consciences of men.

things that are seen

to

use for any other sort.

little

tells

men

^

>

Cf.

Rom.

i.

20.

p.

" In the

633.
* Cf.

Heb.

xi. 25.

THE WEIGHT OF GLORY

174

We

beginning God."

The

with God.

come back

universe which

merely the expression of God's

is

As

not see with our eyes.

We start

to that.

we

see with our eyes
will

which we do

a matter of fact the in-

visible things are clearly seen with the mind's

the eye
sees

is

Paul

open.*

He

is

sense.

He

is

if

He

gazing at the eternal.

is

beyond the things of

idealist.

eye

a practical

not, to be sure, using metaphysical

terms in a fine-spun distinction between nomnena and
phenofne7ia.

He

His eye

terms.

deeper

goes

on God and

is

out of sight, " looking
perfecter

" Distrust of the super-

^

on the present and the

and the pride of a

self-styled

common

done much to rob Christianity of
to blind

it

much

^

heavenly vision.

but

we should

We

need our

have

It is all

" other-worldHness "

part of impractical visionaries, but most
this

practical,

sense,

this vast horizon,

to this heavenly vision."

well to decry too

All else sinks

Christ.

unto Jesus the author and

of our faith."

natural, insistence

than philosophical

feet

see the heavens opened.

very

on the

men need

on the

earth,

We are

not

going to make earth an Eden without the vision of

Eden.

All social reform should be linked on to the

spiritual

impulse, else

pass away.

When

it

about time, the preacher
»

Rom.

i.

20.

»

too will be transitory and

other

all

Heb.

men clamour

may be
xii. 2.

allowed to
»

so

much

call

Denney, in

men
loco.

THE

INVISIBLE CONSOLATION

to the contemplation of eternity

and now

in

view of

and

175

to a

life

here

eternity.

The Earthly Tabernacle
For we know that if the earthly house of our
be dissolved, we have a building from
4.

*'

tabernacle

in the
God, a house not made with hands, eternal
face to face
heavens."^ These words bring Paul

struggles.
with death as the outcome of his
overtakes him.
Jesus may come before death
is

his sincere desire.

He

really groans

^

True,

That

with a pas-

upon^ with the habiat the Second
tation ^ from heaven which will be his
then.
Coming of Christ without death, if he lives till

sionate longing

This

is

to be clothed

3

of
the probable meaning of this mixture
which was natural to Paul since the tent

metaphors

cloth used

by him

As

garments.^

could express

body

at the

in

making

tents

was also used

for

a matter of fact no single metaphor
that Paul wishes to say.^

all

Second Coming

will

old without the decay of death.

The new

come upon« the

He

is

not anxious


Herodotus
new.^
to drop the old, but to have the
after death, appeared
tells of a Corinthian queen who,
burn dresses for
to her husband and asked him to
1

2 Cor. V.

'2 Cor.

I.

'

v. 2, 4.

4Cf.Johnxxi.7.
6

Stanley, in loco.

Cf. Psa. xciv. 2.

Ependusasthai.
10 Herodotus, V. 92.

Cf 2 Cor.

ix. 14.

,S^-J^^I^'
/.
' Bernard, xn loco.
»

^

,

,

Cf. Stanley, in loco.

2 Lor.

v. 4.

THE WEIGHT OF GLORY

176

her so that she

bodied
*'

spirit.

may have

clothing for her disem-

Paul has no such crude idea as that.

Knowledge and ignorance, doubt and

remarkably blended

what

apostle doubts as to
of."

He

'

may come
first,

not certain

is

He

first.

^

apostle

the

of;

certain

men now

all

are certain

that he will die, for Jesus

certain that,

is

he has already the

more

The

these words.

in

what many men are not

knows

certitude, are

if

death comes

body

to a heavenly

title

far

With measured

glorious than the earthly one.

words he balances the tent^ which contains

his spirit

here on earth with the house

be his in

*

which

will

His business as a tent-maker makes the

heaven.

metaphor very pertinent to

The wanderings

Paul.

of the Israelites in the wilderness

on

in tents

their

way

when they dwelt
Land

to the Promised

The

cur to one naturally.

tent

is

struck^ at the

breaking up of camp or by wind or storm.
therefore temporary while the house

is

The

eternal.

God

is

house

tent

is

of cloth.

not

on

is

in heaven.

The

made with hands

At every

is

earth,^ while the

tent

is

also oc-

The

tent

stable

and

house from

tangible while the

as Paul

made

the tents

point death brings a blessing in

Maclaren, " Expositions of Holy Scripture," in loco.
Third class condition. Cf. Robertson, «« Short Grammar of the
Greek New Testament," p. 163.
*

'

3

Skenos, not skene.

«

Torn down.

Cf. Gal.

ii.

18.

*

Oikia.

«

Cf. Phil.

ii.

10.

INVISIBLE CONSOLATION

THE

1 77

comparison with the earthly tabernacle of the

The note

know
Paul
him.2

of confidence rings in Paul's words, "

worst and

more than conqueror through Him

that loves

we

that

There

is

have."

Let death do

^

perhaps an echo in Paul's

body

the wonderful lyric of the spiritual

organism which he here

understands that
the eternal

memory
in

i

of

Corin-

Paul does not despise the wonder-

thians XV. 42-49.
ful

We

its

^

is

Spirit.

it

which

spirit

calls

a tent, but he justly

only the temporary abode of

is

to live with Christ in

is

heaven.

At Home With

5.

"

We

are of good courage,

say,

rather to be absent from the body,

with the Lord."
ness.^

He

is

He

feels in

content, that
1

^
6

New
'

home

^

wondrous
2

as are the

by the constant

He

is

won-

pres-

thinking of what

with the Lord, to

Him

and look

Clear conviction.
2 Cor. V. 8.
Ekdeineo.

at

home

Face of Christ which he has

ence with Jesus in heaven.

be to be

to be at

a sense absent^ from the Lord.

derful glimpses of the

will

and

away from home and, gracious

feet of Jesus

and are willing

Paul has a heavenly homesick-

^

here, they will be far surpassed

it

Lord

the

I

sit at

the

in the face^ to his heart's

face

which looked

Present tense.

^

at

Rom.

him on
viii.

37.

Bernard, in loco.
Greek word occurs only in this passage in the
5

The

Testament.

Endemeo.

^ Pros.

THE WEIGHT OF GLORY

178

Then what

the Damascus road.

swallowed up of

He

life.*

mortal will be

is

has even here and

now

the earnest^ of the Spirit as a precious foretaste of

what

is

God

the present and

His

own good
There

time.

is

He

has the conception of

John

in

foe.

It is

the absent one home.
rest,

meanwhile, he
of

folding

is

his

He

to depart

ready

'*

for

will

many

not a

and be with
work.

welcome

a time sigh for

He

Christ.

is

an inspiration

But,

has no notion

hands and doing nothing.^

" weight of glory "
full

at the

The

end of a

day's work, not an air-castle to take the place of

duty here and now.

Paul's

other-worldliness took

the form of making him more aggressive against
sin

»

is

rather the portal to heaven, and Jesus

stands at the door with outstretched hand to

home and

It

upon

row him over the dark

cold river with Charon to
It is

that.

that Paul looks

death as a friend rather than as a

waters.

1-3, that of

xiv.

no richer word than

good courage^

therefore with

the joy of

will bring the full fruition in

heaven that Jesus gives

home.

God wrought

in store for him.

and wrong
2 Cor.

«

V. 4.

* Cf. Phil.

i.

23.

all

in this world.
Cf. 2 Cor.

i.

^

22.
s

2 Cor.

Cf. Phil.

i.

v. 6, 8.

24^26.

VII

WELL PLEASING UNTO HIM—THE
PREACHER'S MASTER PASSION
{2 Cor. V. p-2i)

**

Wherefore we make

home or absent,
unto Him."
at

it

to

our aim, whether

be well pleasing

—2 Cor.

V. g.

VII

WELL PLEASING UNTO HIM—THE
PREACHER'S MASTER PASSION
Paul's Ambition

I.

TTE

«"m" "V"

\/\/

are ambitious to be well pleasing unto

Him."

'

Come

life,

come

death, Paul's

Am-

ambition was one and the same.
bition

is

a word in ill-repute.

umbo, both.
office,

It

The Roman

comes from the Latin

politicians, eager to get

could get on both sides of a proposition, to

They would face both
was applied to a man who would

curry favour with the people.

ways

at once.

It

go any lengths
a

is

good

to carry his selfish ends.

side to the word,

Enghsh word

is.

nobler origin.

It

bad

The Greek
means

^

But there

as the origin of the

word has a much

be fond of honour.

to

One

actuated by a love of honour to strive for noble

is

Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to be ambi-

ends.
tious

to

be

quiet.^

He

is

himself

preach the Gospel where other

ambitious to

men have

not been

so as not to build upon another man's foundation.^

With Paul
^

2 Cor. V.

4

Rom,

it is

9.

a matter of honour
^

Philo-th7ieomai.

XV. 20.

^

to please Christ.
3 i

6

i8z

Thess.

iv. ii.

Meyer, in

loco.

l82

WELL PLEASING UNTO HIM

Surely this

is

Since

a perfectly legitimate ambition.*

he surrendered to Christ that has been the master
motive of his

Hfe, to

be well pleasing to Him.

This

deep undertone comes to the surface often in his

He

Epistles.^

is

hke the musician who cares naught

applause of the audience

for the

who

eye of approval from the master

He

under orders and

is

his great taskmaster.

Lord."

his constant

He

«•

to the obedience of Christ."

aim

is

to please

me

the

is

thought into captivity

He

^

by the meekness and gentleness of
no comfort

taught him.

that judgeth

Paul brought " every

^

he can catch the

if

stands entranced

Christ.^

There

is

in Paul for the nerveless, spineless minis-

who is afraid of his shadow, who runs at a whisper, who lacks virility, who speaks peace when there
is no peace, who is satisfied with things as they are,
who watches for the praise of the groundlings, who
ter

trims his

sail

to every

to popular taste,

The

wind that blows, who

however maudlin and

caters

sensational.

minister without ambition will accomplish noth-

ing for

God

or man, only

let his

ambition not be the

feverish restlessness to get another man's place

an unwillingness to do a

full

Here

"He

>

a true word

is

:

^

man's work where he
will

make but

" HcBc una ambitio legitima,'' Bengel.
xii. i f.;
xiv. i8; Eph. v. lo ; Phil.

>Rom.
Tit.

ii.

3 I



and

iv.

l8;

is.

a poor

Col.

iii.

lo;

9.

Cor.

iv. 4.

Stalker,

««

4

2 Cor. x.

62 Cor.

5.

The Preacher and His Models,"

p. 207.

x. I.

THE preacher's MASTER PASSION
minister

who would

and man, even

if

not be an earnest worker for

who do
Christ.
The

not have a sporadic ambition
trouble

is

to hold one's self to

So many com-

high ideal year in and year out.

this

pHcations will

work, so

so

arise,

many
time

rapidly the

does not get the work that
are not

visits

made

highest.

The

of his toy.

who

The sermon
ought to have. The

slips
it

A

get on.

will

by.

fresh look at the

comes

to the father for approval

meet Christ

minister will one day

work.

will inspect his

Praise

is

praise from Christ will be sweetest of

"

Un-

spur one on to the best and the

child

The

interruptions to one's

that are clamouring for attention.

The work does not
wearied Christ

God

There are

he were not a minister."

few preachers
to please

1 83

Well done, good and

sweet, but the
all, if

faithful servant

;

He

says

:

enter thou

into the joy of thy Lord."

2.

"

The Judgment- Seat of Christ

For we must

all

be made manifest before the

judgment-seat of Christ."

*

not confined to preachers.
literary plural freely,

" all."

2

The

1

2 Cor. V. 10.

*

Cf. Stanley, in loco.

is

Paul has been using the

but here he

point to press

no wise exempt.

This solemn outlook

is

is

careful to include

that ministers are in

The Bema ^ was a
2

lofty seat at the

^^ both living and dead.

WELL PLEASING UNTO HLM

l84

The judge

end of the Basilica on a high platform.

The

could thus be seen towering above the crowd.

more common
But

this

claimed

Each one

firmation in sin.

receives

*

the con-

is

the things done

In this sense God's punishments are

body.

in the

Jesus had

Judge and Paul understands that

Part of the penalty for sin

fact clearly.

a throne.*

is

a most impressive picture.^

is

to be the

^

judgment

figure for the

not arbitrary, but are the inevitable development of
the man's real

**

self.^

that shall he also reap."

him be made
word

We

Whatsoever a man soweth,

filthy still."

2 Corinthians

in

"

^

'

v.

in the presence^ of Christ.

describes
ers

who

down upon

he that

is filthy, let

The key- word in Paul's
^
is " made manifest."

lo

must be made manifest,

truth will beat

And

like

an open book, right

The

white hght of eternal

us

and our works.

Paul

the pitiful phght of those religious teach-

^^

will

themselves be saved so as by

fire,

but

the whole fabric of their life-work and teaching will

be burned up

There

wood, hay, or stubble.

like

no reward to the preacher who builds with that
of material.

The

1

Cf. Matt. XXV. 31

'

Matt. XXV. 31

»

Cf. F.

8

Gal.

'

Rev.

thing."

W.

ft".

;

;

ordeal of

Rev. xx,

fire is

before the

ii.

xxvi. 64.

Robertson, " Life and Letters,"

is

sort

work of

Rom.

xiv. 10.

'

Cf.

*

Gets back in

full.

p. 639.

vi. 7.

xxii. 11,

«<

Denney, in

^YiQTo. phancros.

In

this

world we have not seen the

last

of any-

loco.
^

Etnprosthen,

>o I

Cor.

iii.

12-15.

THE PREACHER'S MASTER PASSION

185

Indeed, so solemn

every preacher and Christian.

is

Paul's sense of responsibility as a preacher of the

Gospel that he buffeted

his

He

^

rejected."

" lest

by any means,

myself should be

I

took no chances with his

own

Ministers of the Gospel have become Papists,

they once professed to

and

unto us

pungently said
to others

be sons of perdition.

life

No man

he doth not

if

sermon well

preaches his

first

preach

as with all

to his

it

men

is

^

There

is

truth in

deadliest Pharisaism

is

not hypocrisy

tremendous responsibility

man from

is

The

is

duty

is

Luke

At any

him

To

rate

and the lashing of con-

we must

all

stand beside ^ the

^ i

Cor. ix. 27.

1

Cf.

3

Spurgeon, " Lectures to Students," Second Series, p. 43.
Hoyt, " The Preacher," p. 24.
" Positive Preaching and the Modern Mind," p. 175.

4
6

* Cf.

Rom.

xviii. 5.

xiv. 10.

to

shirk

to incur the penalty of cowardice,

loss of self-respect

science.

the

result of

entering the ministry, but to incite

call of

which

it is

;

:

not to dissuade a

his noblest endeavour for Christ's sake.

the

own

" the pathos

what Forsyth^ says

unconscious Pharisaism of unreahty."
this

John Owen

^

the disproportion betwen the promise and

the reality."

The



be the case."

this

With preachers

heart."

of

if
:

infi-

We may be apostles,

prize.

yet, like Judas, turn out to

Woe

soul.

and plotted the destruction of what

dels, freethinkers,

"

body

have preached to others,

after I

*'

'

:
;

WELL PLEASING UNTO HIM

1 86

God

judgment-seat of
there

but

no creature that

is

Him

before

us

whom we

with

all

On

:

His work.

in

who

Epicurus wrote to

enough theatre one

is

to the other."

"And

The King

our Theatre.

audience, and His eye

how we comport

upon

is

ourselves

He

us.

upon the

is

stage,

His Face we dare not play an ignoble

commendation

is

Persuading

men."

try to persuade men."

but not with

all.

concerning Jesus.

One

observing

and before
part.

His

Men
we

Paul probably means, "

^

He

^

is

successful with some,

At Athens some mocked.^

Some

With

mind he seeks

generation.

*

Heb,

3

2 Cor. V. II.

^

Acts xxviii. 23

iv.

believed,

At

and some disbe-

incentive before Paul at this

fear of the Lord.

Christ in
his

the

in the

Paul spent a whole day persuading the Jews

lieved.^

the

is

enough."

3.

We persuade

Rome

our chief

is

Dr. David Smith ^ comments:

Presence of Jesus

"

The goal

'

" I tell this not to the world but to thee

are a great

this

have to do."

to please Jesus

is

Helper and Friend
his friend

we

And

not manifest in His sight

things are naked and laid open before the

all

eyes of

for

is

"

end of the day.

in the

He

is

the judgment-seat of

to be faithful to the

sure that

God

'"The Face

13.

*Conative present.
f.

moment is

men

of

understands

of Jesus," p. 46.
^

Acts

xvii. 32.

THE PREACHER'S MASTER PASSION
him and he hopes

that the consciences

thians approve the sincerity

made him

terror of the

zealous to persuade men.

rhetorical thunderer about

went home with

of the Corin-

faithfulness of his

and

knowledge of the

Paul's

ministry.

»

187

He

Lord

was no

who

the horrors of hell

"We

zest unimpaired.^

must

re-

gain our sense of soul greatness, and our sense of
eternal price."

there

an extract from

is

its

Memoirs of Dr. Chalmers "

In the "

^

which

his diary

is

^

a revela-

tion of his great spirit in his attitude towards the

work of the

"

ministry.

Prayed for knowledge, for

the understanding and impression and remembrance
of God's

Word;

for

growth

in grace, for

holiness, for that sanctification

undergo.

me

;

Thought

them

which the redeemed

of the sins that

most

easily beset

confessed them, and prayed for correction and

deliverance.
ters,

personal

They

when any

are

— anxiety about worldly mat-

suspicion or uncertainty attaches to

a disposition to brood over provocations

;

im-

;

patience at the irksome peculiarities of others; an
industriousness from a

without the glory of

tivity,

mankind lying
taste

mere principle of animal

at the

and an appetite

»2Cor.

God and

bottom of

for

human

it

;

and above

applause.

*

Vol.

W.

I, p.

288.

a

con-

V. II.

3

F.

all,

My

Robertson, " Life and Letters," p. 640.
Forsyth, " Positive Preaching and the Modern Mind," p.

2

ac-

the service of

1 74.

1

WELL PLEASING UNTO HIM

88

me on

science smote
I

my

ciple of

usefulness the grand prin-

appearances there.

annexed to

faithful ministers,

and

diligence,

the subject of pulpit exhibitions.

God may make

pray that

discharge of

ability in the

Prayed

terial office.

Read the promises

and prayed

for

my

zeal,

minis-

for the people, individually for

some, and generally for

of them.

descriptions

all

Prayed for friends individually, and

relations.

Read

the promises relative to the progress of the Gospel

and conversion of the Jews.
jects."

with this spirit that one

It is

things to

all

The aim

Prayed for those ob-

men

^

if

by

all

of one's ministry

and the training of their

is

able to be

is

souls.

the conversion of

The

evangelistic

There

teaching ministry need to be combined.

tendency to-day to underrate the sermon.

sermon

is

the

chmax

to the throne of

any other
within

God

of public worship.

a larger

act of worship.

to bless

all

means he may save some.

number
It calls

It

"

men
and
is

a

The

summons

of faculties than

upon everything

God's holy name."^

The sermon

needs to be magnified, not discounted.

But one

must remember also that one's " own tone, temper,
and

spirit in

preaching " ^ have a deal to do with the

conversion of sinners.
ter
1 I

is

how

Cor.

ix.

to

The problem

of every minis-

make both his preaching and

22.

"The

Building of the Church," p. 281.
•Spurgeon, " Lectures to Students," Second Series,
'Jefferson,

Hfe effect-

p. 277.

THE PREACHER'S MASTER PASSION
men

ive in winning

the same in

its

age have fresh

new

It

of every

which have to be met by a

not enough to

is

know

knowledge

and

in old sins

sores."

;

men who

way

It

and continues

will

put hindrances in the

help

little

to lose one's

Beside Ourselves

For whether we are beside ourselves,

Some

^

it

such case.

4.

God."

babe

first

In the work of persuasion

^

the minister will find
of his work.^

to persuade.*

where the

his destiny

began, in old sorrows and sadness

in

a sympathetic

of the

Each man begins

temper

the Bible and

The preacher must have
men whom he is

other books.

**

men

appropriation and application of the Gospel of

Christ.

"

89

The Gospel remains

to Christ.

essential content, but

difficulties

1

unto

it is

members

of the friends, possibly

of

own

household, had once thought Jesus beside

Himself.^

John the Baptist was accused of having a

His

demon ^ because he was
habits.

ascetic

and abstemious

Jesus was called gluttonous and a wine-bib-

ber because

He

was not ascetic/

The

plained the works of Jesus as wrought

Men and Books," p.
Armitage, " Preaching," p. 145.
"
Parker,
Ad Clerum," p. 207 f.

»Cf. Phelps, "
*

3

*
6
'

in his

2 Cor. V. 13.
Matt. xi. 18,
Matt. xi. 19.

Pharisees ex-

by the

devil.^

Mark

21.

3.

6

Cf. Robertson,

"John

iii.

the Loyal," p. 199.
8 Matt. xii. 24.

WELL PLEASING UNTO HIM

I90

In a frenzy of rage they say that

He

Paul probably

and has a demon.*

is

is

a Samaritan

thinking of his

who had apologized for him by sayThe very visions
had had may have been turned against

enemies in Corinth

ing that he was not responsible.^

which Paul

him

proof of his erratic mentality.^

as

he

ironically that

is

He

admits

playing the fool in boasting of

himself as they had compelled

him

to do.^

He may

be here alluding to the charge made against him that

he was a

fool.

The very

earnestness of Paul con-

cerning the cause of Christ in Corinth was used by

enemies as proof as

his

lack of balance.

his

could be passionate in speech as

loud voice

" Paul, thou art

:

turning thee mad."^

is

shown by the

is

who

address on Festus

effect of his

exclaims in a

mad thy much
;

It is

He

learning

one of the commonest

of charges against zealous ministers that they are a
little

" off."

devil with
"

power.
to those

It is

one of the keenest weapons of the

which to

The

who

clip the

disciple

wings of a preacher's

and the Master aHke seemed

did not understand

them

to be in an

overstrained, too highly- wrought condition of spirit."^

Paul does not care to deny that he had lost himself

He had
God-filled man

in his zeal for

him.

in
1

8



John

A

God.

48.
2 Cor. xii. 1-7.
Dt-nney, in loco.

a real enthusiasm,^

seems crazy to a dead
2

viii.

4

2 Cor.

xi.

God

word «

Cf. our

1-17.

ecstasy."

Acts xxvi. 24.
Enthousiastnos.
*

'

THE PREACHER'S MASTER PASSION
man

derangement

Life seems

of the world.

Paul could speak with tongues
also

*

have been used against him.

concerned, he did not care.
the glory of God,

for

may

fact

So

Paul was

in the cause of

have a holy abandon

to death.

and that

was

It

I9I

God than

far as

God,"

" to

God.

much

too

for

Better far
icy re-

Dr. A. C.

serve, " icily regular, splendidly

null."

Dixon says

the most dignified

that a graveyard

A

place on earth.

much

man and

and

follies

sins of

a worldling

minded.2

ing crafty

modern

He
I

He

that he

money

for his

dis-

in all the

damned

as

criti-

was too sober-

was too crafty and worldly-wise " be;

had sent Titus
that

is

is

Paul met the counter

caught you with guile,"

saints,

after their
If a

Paul.

is,

family,

nary by some.

he

what they

with the heart.^

is

^

they charged.

money

for the

minister saves

a

poor
little

sure to be called merce-

Probably different enemies brought

the different accusations.
lieve

society.

Some thought

also.

willing to be

is

he does not join

if

he does.

if

Paul

The preacher

beside himself.

counted as peculiar

He

a church can have too

dignity to be of any use.

considered

cism

is

say.
It is

But they do not

They

really be-

talk with the face, not

often the case that

men

ridicule

preachers just because they are public characters,
' I

'2 Cor.

v. 13.

3

*

2 Cor.

v. 12.

Cor, xiv. 14-18.
2 Cor. xii. 16.

;

WELL PLEASING UNTO HIM

192
just to see

if

they can be provoked into doing or say-

ing foolish things or just to provoke their friends to
anger.

The prophet
They

self.

is

often held to be beside him-

burn Savonarola

will

coming generations

monument.

build his

will

Florence and

in

In

Oxford the monument stands to Cranmer, Ridley

The

and Latimer.

Wychff may have gone

ashes of

to the sea in the waters of the Severn, but the
lish

people have the Bible in their vernacular.

EngPaul

challenges the Corinthians to take either horn of the

dilemma.

If

he was prudent,

he was beside himself,

if

it

it

was

was

" a continuous sense of the infinite."

a preacher to be
ideas.

or

a

will

leading article."

about Christ, and
ning to end."

^

it

Paul has

^

It is

easy for

of himself or of the current

full

The sermon

for their sakes

for God.'

^

be

" after all

"I went longing

was only

If the

only a lecture

Newman

to hear

from begin-

preacher allows the

critical

faculty to crucify spiritual passion, all the finesse of

overrefinement and exactitude will not atone for the

absence of soul and passion.
spirit

and not the words of the

thing which a great

man

" It

is

lips

which

the flash of the

has to give.

is

Catch that

and you have an imperishable possession.

upon
^

'

8

one's

life

the best

To

feel

the hot breath of a great heart, to

F. W. Robertson, " Life and Letters," p. 692.
Beecher, " Yale Lectures on Preaching," Third Series,
Moule, " To My Younger Brethren,*' p. 259.

p. 321.
•«

Ibid.

THE PREACHER'S MASTER PASSION
drink into one's being the
of

great moments,

its

come
and

often

of a great soul in one

life

a privilege which does not

is

and which should be valued above rubies

gold."

fine

'

Spirit

holy passion of that

is

fused with spirit in the

fire.

The Grip of Chris fs Love

5.

" For the love of Christ constraineth us."

may
him

him

think

He

to Paul.
as

crafty or crazy.

It is

shown by His death

for us

his

sakes and rose again

We

^

Christ,

That

in brief

Jesus.

is

He

There

all.^

He

to prove His

who have been

longer belong to ourselves.

relation to

a small matter

is

died for our

power

to save

saved by Christ no

We

are to Hve unto

Paul's conception of his
is

no

theology which Paul

here gives to the death of Christ.

sin.

They

^

has caught a vision of Christ's love for

denying the central place in

from

193

own

the bond-slave of Christ

purchased by the blood of Christ.

The

Christ as thus shown holds Paul captive
The word "constrain"^ is a bold one.

love of that
to the end.
It is

of those in the grip^ of various diseases.

used

Peter's

mother-in-law was held^ in the power of a fever.

The Gadarenes were
»

'

6
'

seized^ with great fear

when

'« The Building of the Church," p. 292.
3 2 Cor. v. 14.
< 2 Cor. v. 15.
2 Cor. V. 14,
e Matt.
Literally holds together.
iv. 24.
s Luke viii.
Luke iv. 38.
37.

Jefferson,

WELL PLEASING UNTO HIM

194

they saw what Christ had done to the demoniac.

The

multitudes press
Jesus

cation.

Jesus together almost to suffo-

*

the pressure

felt

in

^

His

spirit

till

His

When

Stephen told

of seeing Jesus standing at the right

hand of God,

baptism of blood be received.

held^

their

hands over their

When Timothy and

Silas

came

Sanhedrin

the

Thessalonica Paul held himself

word

Paul later

of preaching.

ears.

Corinth from

to

continuously to the

^

himself in a strait^

felt

betwixt two whether to stay or depart and be with

amples of
fast.

"

O

this

The

word.

by the love
ical

imperative of 4uty.

that

is

She cannot help
But

this

It

he

In a sense,
is

held fast

more than the categor-

is

It

the magnet of love

is

herself

is

the slave of her sick child.'

if

she have a mother's heart.

high pressure together^ creates a mighty

The

propulsion and energy.
straint.

go."

once you have yielded yourself to

The mother

power.

me

let

since, as in a vice,

of Christ.^

irresistible,

Testament ex-

love of Christ holds Paul

love that will not

Paul has no choice,

its

New

These are the chief

Christ.

It is

impulse.^

The

constraint

is

not re-

boiler that holds

the

steam makes possible the onward pressure that drives

The

the engine and pulls the train.
'

Luke

*

Acts

'

F.

*

Sun.

viii.

45.

xviii, 5.

W.

Robertson,

««



Luke

6

Phil.

Life

xii.
i.

50.

23,

and Letters,"

p.
9

««

love of Christ

^

Acts

6

Denney, in

vii.

57.
loco.

644.
l^ygei nos^' Vulgate.

THE PREACHER'S MASTER PASSION
me

presses

hard, harasses

^

me

so that I have no rest

save in pushing on for Christ.

have no peace.^

Christ's love lets

beyond

desire to get

him and ever

me

In this word, then, Paul has re-

He

vealed the master-passion of his ministry.

no

195

lures

Christ.

him on

Jesus

is

has

ever with

With

to higher heights.

unwearied tread Paul presses on towards the goal.
In his darkest hours he hears the footfall of Christ at

Be not

"

his side

:

peace

for I

:

thee to

harm

He

all.'*

afraid,

am

but speak and hold not thy

with thee, and no

thee."

To

^

Paul Christ was

all

beyond

that stage,

he

looks at everything from a

new motive

look.

The gold

him.

He

is

in

life,

and

in

new angle

new

has gone

The new

glad to say.

is

a

He

^

view of Christ has made a new world

has a

on

shall set

does not look on Christ as he once did, as

the Jews do now, " after the flesh."
far

man

for Paul.

of vision.

passion, a

new

He
He
out-

not at the end of the rainbow for

has found the secret of real

It

life.

is

Christ.

6.

" Wherefore

The

New

we henceforth know no man

The reason

flesh."

^

man ^

in Christ Jesus.

1

Ewald.

3

Acts xviii. 9f.
2 Cor. V. 16.

6

View of Man

is

that Paul himself

"

The

Cf. Acts xxiii. 11.
6

2 Cor.

v. 16.

after the
is

anew

old things are passed
t

Chrysostom.

4

Col.

'

2 Cor.

iii.

11.

v. 17.

WELL PLEASING UNTO HIM

196

away behold, they

become new."

are

;

The

*

order of prejudice and hate has gone.

come

has

the

new

Christ Jesus there

is

neither

In

place

its

of whatever race.

In

Greek nor Jew, circum-

uncircumcision, Barbarian nor Scythian,

cision nor

bond nor

man

love for

ancient

free.^

The middle

wall of partition between

Jew and Gentile was broken down, but it was done
only by the Cross of Christ.^ Paul feels himself
both to Greek and Barbarian.*

debtor

It

the

is

crowning glory of Paul's ministry that to him was
given the grace of telling the unsearchable riches of

The

Christ to the Gentiles.^

Jews

world.

point to get hold of

was a complete revolution

that this

and

Samaritans

hated

each

scorned

whom

those

There was an impassable

and
" a

The love
man's a man for
slave.

cient world.

that

of
a'

that,"

of

the
"

Christ.

between master

man, the notion that

as

was foreign to the an-

the

Paul

spirit.

real

first

made

Democracy was born

this

at

movement towards democracy

1

2 Cor. V. 17.

*

Rom.

i.

14.

«

Col.

iii.

II.

democracy,

discovery in

Bethlehem

as Carlyle declared, at Bunker's Hill.
itual

conquered.

Christ discovered the worth of the in-

man and formed

dividual

they

social gulf

man

other.

The proud

Greeks despised the barbarous outsiders.

Romans

is

in the ancient

is

And
very
»

»

—not,

the spir-

far

Eph.
Eph.

indeed

ii.

14

iii.

8.

f.

THE PREACHER'S MASTER PASSION
from complete."

Perpetua and Felicitos, though

1

slave, clasp

matron and

hands as Christian martyrs.

Christianity alone can break

Even the

of India.

197

down

Christian world

the caste system
is

very

far

from

having grasped clearly the significance of what Jesus
done for man. But Paul saw it. He was a new
has

man

Paul has

himself.

new eyes with which

to look

looked
upon the world, the eyes of Jesus which had
in pity

upon him.
Jesus has

men.

He

made

has a
a

new

heart of love for

new world

for Paul.

The y

to heroic
passion for souls that spurs the missionary
the love
in
to uplift the race is grounded

endeavour
of Christ.

The worth

of

man

is

recognized in

its

The world is
probmodern
There are always
in a state of flux.
mean
lems for the modern man, but this does not

fullness only in the light of the Cross.

view of man.
that Christians must drop the gospel

As

a matter of fact what

modern

come up

is

and apply

to the actual social

it

harmony with the love

in

most

man

to Christ's view of

needs to do

to

Christianity

problems of to-day

of Christ, but not with the

bald literalism of Tolstoi.^

Evolution has thrown

on our knowledge of man and the worldrevoluorder, but evolution has not wrought such a

new

1

W.

»

Cf.

light

ilRobertson Nicoll, Bri^is^ Weekly, Jan. 19, 19
Matthews, " The Church and the Changing Order

Gospel and the Modern Man."

;

"

Ihe

WELL PLEASING UNTO HIM

198

man

tion in man's view of

as has Christianity.*

own mind

to the revolution in Paul's

contrast

it is

As

just the

between Saul the Pharisee and Paul the

He

Apostle to the Gentiles.^
as a Christian,

does not

mean

^

that,

he once shared the narrow prejudices

of the Jews which he has since outgrown.

He grew

constantly in his apprehension of Christ's love and so

man, but

in appreciation of

made

turn

in

by

Hfe

his

was

it

A

new

a

the

new

human

"

race.

philosophy,

grow up from

it

not the existence

The

order has come.^

Had he

in the history

foreseen distinctly that

era would be dated from that time

society,

old Jewish

and of Jewish exclu-

new epoch

death of Christ marked a
iof

The

Jesus.

rabbinical views of the Messiah

siveness vanished.

along the new

all

;

that a

new

moral code, would

literature,

over continents of which he

knew

he could not have more strongly

;

expressed his sense of the greatness of the event than
in

what

is

here said."

He had

^

parently seen Jesus in the

flesh,

himself never ap-

but he knows

Him in

the spirit and he understands the moral and spiritual
revolution wrought
all

time, this

God,

this

new

new

by

Jesus.

It

man

love for

is

the greatest of

as the offspring of

sense of the brotherhood of the race

» Cf. Orr, « The Christian
ing in the Incarnation."
2 Bernard, in loco.
* Cf. Isa. xliii. 18 f.; Heb.

View

of

God and
8

viii.

13.

»

the

World

as Center-

B. Jowett, in loco.
Stanley, in loco.

;

THE PREACHER'S MASTER PASSION
that calls for the best that
freely as

this "

makes
all

an offering

men meet on

creatures.
in
in

new

I

world "^
a

in a

man

The

touch-stone that

is

for men.'
is

common

199

be given

to

" In Christ "^^

Christ.

and are made new

level

slides of life

have just seen the lantern

Burmah and India given by Dr. Vinton, missionary
Burmah. The most striking thing is the expresgrown men and

sion on the faces of children and

women

after

Positively

they become Christians.

looks like a miracle, so great

is

the transformation in

Indeed,

the eye and the whole countenance.^
the constant miracle of God's grace.
pressible

good

power and appeal

that

is left

in

man

it

There

is

it is

inex-

in Jesus Christ to find the

after the ruin of sin

and Hnk

the
on to that and transform the heart and life by
Holy Spirit. The old prophets dimly saw the glory
in the

Messiah of

whom

they spoke.^

A

painter

the
stood before a masterpiece of a genius and felt
" And I too am a
uplift of spirit as he humbly said
:

The power

painter."

of Christ

is

as great to-day as

when He looked upon Simon and threw
His

spirit

upon him.«

Instead of being crushed

by

we look

we

the sense of our unworthiness as
are lifted

up with the

ineffable

hope that

2 Denney, z« /^r^.
iPhilii. 17.
also Begbie's " Twice-Born Men."
this book is called " Broken Earthenware."

4 Cf.

M Peter

i.

II.

the spell of

at Jesus
this

what

is

En

The

Christo.
^
British edition of
.

«

John 1.42.

200

WELL PLEASING UNTO HIM

we ought

to be like,

We

what we

be

will try to

can never get away from Christ.

like.*

Intellectual

unrest will give place to spiritual aspiration.^

The Ministry of Reconciliation

7.

"
.

And

.

.

gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation
having committed unto us the word of reconThis

ciliation." ^

is

a great word that Paul uses here.

Nothing that can ever be

said of the ministry

lifts it

to a higher plane than the service of reconciliation.

But we are not to mistake our

calling.

Ministers are

not priests in the sense that

we have

to propitiate

God.

It

God's

part

true

is

that

towards

angry with

sin.

He

has

that

peace.

in

God

God

punishes

to punish willful sin

something

there was
sin.

estrangement on
is

sin.

represented as

God

against Himself.^

as

well

as

"

something

is

bound

There
in

be dealt with before there can

to

Nay, the something on God's

comparably more serious

in

side

is

comparison with

is

man
be

so init

that

the something on man's side simply passes out of
view.

It is

God's earnest dealing with the obstacle

W.

Robertson, " Life and Letters," p. 652.
Aspects of Christ," p. 270.
See also <* Religion and
the Modern Mind," and " Religion and the Modern World."
1

F.

»

Cf. Selbie, "

3

2 Cor. V. 18

* F.

work

we

W.
to

f.

Robertson, " Life and Letters,"
reconcile

God

to

man.

" It was Christ's
p. 656.
That is done, and done forever;
That is a priestly power and it is

cannot add anything to it.
we claim such a power."

at our peril that

;

20I

THE PREACHER'S MASTER PASSION
man which

on His own side to peace with
on man to believe

in the seriousness of

to lay aside distrust."

lem
a

in a

way by which

God's

He

justify the

and to

to remain just

has found

whole wonderful adjustment ^ is of
-All things are of God." ^ We may

-phe

sinner.2

His love, and

But God has met His prob-

'

satisfactory to Himself.

way

prevails

love.^

side of the matter,
leave with God, as Paul does, God's
we see God
except to accent the fact that in Christ

This

reconciling the world to Himself.^

lime spectacle in the
Cross

is

life

God's overture to

" not reckoning unto

and

man

them

the sub-

is

The

death of Christ.
for

pardon and peace,^

their trespasses."

«

We

to reconcile

have the picture of God endeavouring
The love of
the world to Himself through Christ.
^

God

prompts the whole

ator

between God and man.^«

Christ

effort.

It

is

is

precisely at this

point that the minister of Christ comes

in.

speak the word of reconciliation to those
wise will not

\

the Medi-[

He must
who other-

God's love and pardon in
they know, will not heed. It is a

know

of

Christ or who,

if

work worthy

of angels, yea, of the

Son of God

of
Himself who Himself was the greatest Preacher
own
Jesus best interpreted to men His
Gospel.

the
1

Denney, in

6 Cf.
8

«

loco.

Meyer and Bachmann.

2 Cor. V. 19.

^

Rom.

26.

iii.

.

,

Conalive participle.

'

^T^^T\9.

10%^*
c
Tim. ^ 5.
*« i

11.

'^'

:

WELL PLEASING UNTO HIM

202

The Holy

mission and work.

the teacher of those

who

of Christ to men.

He

shall take of

No

*•

Spirit

shall glorify

Mine, and shall declare

God without
whom God is anxious
to

Me

it

the help of the

He

for

:

unto you."

men

back to God, to make peace

There

is

no earthly task so

*

itself if it

in order to

for

winning

naught

sermon

men back

The sermon is noth-

the machinery of church

to

God.

This

All else

the

is

is

work

He

The

preacher gives his

pulpit
life

is

God

subsidiary to this.
"

A
A

spirit.

He lays down

preacher dies in the act of preaching.
his life for his brethren.

of

this great enterprise.^

the life-blood of a Christian

cannot save.

with God.

and fraught with

delicate

gifts,

God's coworkers in
is

win men

they do not help on the work of

if

in Christ in the world.

We are

is

does not contribute towards this end.

pastoral visits, the

go

Spirit

minister

in their hearts

such results in time and eternity.
ing in

Holy

The

to bestow.^

the interpreter of Christ to

The

work

are to set forth the

minister can present Christ as the World's Recon-

ciler

life

promised as

is

saves others, himself he

a Golgotha in which the

for the

The message of the preacher
" Be ye reconciled to God." ^

life
is

of the world."

that of his Master

Paul

is

a preacher of

God's peace and an exhorter of peace to men.
»

John

*

Jefferson, «

xvi.

*

» Luke xi. 13.
The Building of the Church," p.

3 ,

287.

«

Cor.

2 Cor.

iii.

9.

v. 20.

THE preacher's MASTER PASSION
Ambassadors for Christ

8.

"

We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ,

as

though God were entreating by

for

being an ambassador

common among

is

32 Jesus
yet

is

It

Luke

xiv.

of peace."

Paul

^

fully

is

he

commission which

great

from God on behalf of
ministers are,

In

while the other

**

Christ.

conbears

In a word Paul, as

He

God's spokesman to men.

is

is

sendeth an embassage, and

off,

conditions

The word

*

the ancient writers.

way

scious of the

us."

one of great dignity .^

of one king who,

tells

great

a

asketh

all

203

comes with authoritative word

as

the ambassador

from the Court of Heaven to plead the cause of

men whom God

Christ with

His Son to die

rebellious Corinthians

of Christ."

love that

^

It is

He

We

surely a remarkable proof of God's

utter sinfulness of

ministry

is

men to
The

human

makes

nature

sins.

revealed in the

is

this necessary.

An

earnest

one thoroughly convinced of the

Paul

gave

beseech you on behalf

sends forth ambassadors to beg ^

perversity that

sin.

"

He

has a word for the

His pardon in Christ for their

receive

of

:

so loved that

He

them.

for

feels his

own need

reality

of prayer with such

He asks
utterance may be

a task committed to him.

that prayer be

made

given unto

for

him

>

2 Cor.

V. 20.

4

a Cor.

V. 20.

" that

»

Meyer.

3

Cf. also

Luke
6

me

xix. 14.

Deometha.

WELL PLEASING UNTO HLM

204

my

opening

in

mouth,

to

make known

the mystery of the Gospel, for which

sador in chains
to speak."

;

He

*

No

The

chain.

The

A

I

ought

in

Rome wore

a

to feel towards

value of the individual preacher
^

no wonder that

It is

acutely the peril in his ow-n personality.

felt

effectiveness of the gospel

varies with the
"

an ambas-

ambassador though

ambassador

" truth plus personality."

Paul

am

I

boldly, as

more pride than Paul came

ring with

is

Christ's

still

is

wearing a chain.^

that

may speak

that I

with boldness

man's personality

not a fixed and unchanging

is

At any moment

element.

message inevitably

changing personality of the preacher.

it is

he has received and done."

^

the resultant of what

Dr.

Hoyt

considers

Phillips Brooks " the richest personality in the history

of the modern pulpit, the strongest teacher of the
fact

preaching

that

But the same point
great preachers.^

human

borne out by a study of other

The

" Fainting Fits " as

truth through personality."

is
is

best of ministers have their

Spurgeon

called them.

"

Poor

nature cannot bear such strains as heavenly

triumphs bring to

Excess of joy

as

it;

come

there must

a reaction.

excitement must be paid

for

by

Literally " in a chain."
Hoyt, "The Preacher," p. 27.
6 Cf.
Broadus, " History of Preaching "
Ker, " History of
Preaching "
Dargan, " History of Preaching " Brastow, " Representative Modern Preachers "
Wilkinson, " Modern Masters of
1

Eph.

«

Phillips Brooks.

vi.

19

f.

*

;

;

;

;

Pulpit Discourse."

THE PREACHER'S MASTER PASSION
subsequent depressions.
feet

by a

.

,

we should be

in soul- winning,

which the wind driveth away, were
gracious discipline

our

off

by popularity, exalted

revival, carried aloft

by success

Whirled

.

205

it

of mercy breaks the

as the chaff

not that the
ships of our

vainglory with a strong east wind, and casts us ship-

and

wrecked, naked

upon the Rock of

forlorn,

much else, Paul is a
model for the modern minister.^ The courage in
Paul is not due to a conviction of his own superior

Ages."

In

'

this respect, as

in

qualifications for his task, but rather to the fullness

work of

of the
offer to

men.

He

Christ.

"

has a

full

Him who knew no

be sin on our behalf."

^

This

this great truth gives

God's purpose

that

is

him

we

He made

Paul's clear grip

solidity

ourselves

and

positiveness.

may become

Christ the righteousness of God.

Thus there

come

our Hves.

to pass real righteousness in

deemed humanity
in Christ.

He

is

of Christ.

Christ.
1

2

'

become a

sanctified

in

shall

A

re-

humanity

Paul never gets out of sight of Christ.

Christ's

port to Christ.
seat

will

to

the heart of the

is

atoning death and work of Christ.

on

sin

salvation to

Ambassador.

He
He

is

He

must make

to appear at the

longs

to

his re-

judgment-

be well pleasing to

Meanwhile the love of Christ holds him

Spurgeon, " Lectures to Students," First Series, p. 257 f.
Cf. Wilkinson, " Modern Masters of Pulpit Discourse," p. 523.
2 Cor. V. 21.

WELL PLEASING UNTO HIM

206

steadily to his ministry of reconciliation

on the new order

in the world, the order of

towards God, of love, of the reign of
hearts

of men.

preacher

deadly

who

Moreover,

the

God

world

takes his calling seriously,

earnest.

This

does

not

mean

preacher must be out of touch with men.

mendous sense of
the worth of men.

were worth

bring

to

Christ's

our living for them.

his

high calling

They
dying

them.

the

loves

who

is

in

that

the

The

tre-

rests largely

are worth saving.

for

peace
in the

on

They

They are worth

VIII

IN

GLORY AND DISHONOUR—TAKING
LIFE AS IT
{2 Cor.
"

By

vi.

IS

i-io)

glory and dishonour, by evil re-

port

and good report."

—2 Cor.

vi. 8.

VIII

IN

GLORY AND DISHONOUR— TAKING
LIFE AS IT
I.

AND
is

Him

Working Together With

working together with Him."
coworker with God,

a

worker and Paul

workers."

fellow

God's

the coworker.

is

in their courses fight for the
in the world's

" for

God

2

That

is

man who

redemption.

is

Paul

*

we

are

is

the

his glory

The

in the ministry.

and the secret of success

God

IS

stars

partner with

Modern

science has

taught us the wisdom of following the ways of nature.
They are God's ways. But God has not revealed all

His heart

of Himself in nature.
Christ Jesus.

is

manifested in

Just as the scientist laboriously delves

processes
into the secrets of nature to learn her

God must

plans, so the minister of

God

in Christ as unfolded in

dealings with men.

His

learn the plan of

Word and

He must know

soul and of God's spirit.

and

in

His

the ways of the

In the work of rescuing

men we can only follow the lead of God in Christ.
God is a patient workman.^ " And it takes Him all
1

2 Cor.

3

Maclaren, " Expositions," in

* I

vi. I.

loco.

200

Cor.

iii.

9-

2IO

GLORY AND DISHONOUR

IN

His energies,

He

what

for

wants to make of him."

ambassador, but he

worker

also

is

only begun

the

first

with

But the

when he has

work

working

is first

minister's

an

work

led a soul to Christ.

Paul

is

If

God

speaking of him-

really

connection with God.

in

the

more because God

work of the kingdom.

There

is
is

God

It is

gives cheer and success, but the minister
all

an

the minister works, one must not over-

look the other side.

who

is

thought here seems to be the power of

whom

self as

Paul

'

a builder, a teacher, a

The preacher

in the Lord's field.

evangelist, then a teacher.^
is

prepare His child

for all a lifetime, to

must

his Partner in the

no blessing prom-

ised to the lazy or careless or self-satisfied preacher.
"

The higher

classes

withhold their
too good for

is

tlemanly,

or

it,

The

less resolutely

indolent

who

man who

and

power with anybody.

which has no standing ground down

the lowlands of society has none anywhere.
clusive ministry

is

always a weak ministry."

himself a noble example of

is

sensibilities

*

Maclaren,

*

Denney, in



The

weak.

too

has no power with the com-

people, has, in fact, no
pulpit

than the lower

obeisance from any

too refined, too scholarly, too gen-

too

preacher, therefore,

mon

no

spirit of

how

and culture can adapt
Expositions," in
loco.

3

a

man

An
^

ex-

Paul

of the finest

his ministry to all

loco.

Phelps, "

in

Men and

Books,"

p. 69.

TAKING LIFE AS

He

classes.

alive to

is

and

able to be intellectually alert

the pressing doctrinal issues of a vital

all

Christianity

in

grapple

its

knows how

man

to be a

the

vi^ith

and philosophy of the

vagaries

211

IT IS

theological

But Paul

time.*

work of

of affairs in the

leadership ^ in the churches without any diminution

He

of spiritual power.

is

practical to the last degree

in all the details of the collection for the

He

at Jerusalem.^

when he wins

cisive victory over the Judaizers.^

truth in his
that

in

Paul

There

" a

workman

to be ashamed, handling aright the
will

possible for a

a detaint

He is

anxious

that needeth not

word of

be approved unto God.

man

no

is

and he compromises no

championship of freedom.

Timothy may be

Thus he

saints

shows consummate generalship

in the conference at Jerusalem

of obscurantism

poor

truth."

^

It is entirely

to dull his spiritual sensibilities in

the mere details of church finance and church business and thus lose the richer results of his life-work.

" The quiet country minister

ander Duff into the

faith

trained an Alex-

and purpose of a missionary

may have done more for
many a man who has had
*

who

the

kingdom

of

God than

thousands hanging on his

with the Judaizers in 2 Corinthians and Galatians
incipient Gnosticism in Colossians and Ephesians.

Cf. his conflict

and with

2Cf. Mott, "The Future Leadership of the Church."
< Acts xv.
2 Cor. viii. and ix.

* Cf.

5

2 Tim.

ii.

15.

;

Gal.

ii.

We

word.

need a

of the truth."

spiritual vision of

There

^

of the popular idols

The measure

needs

name

when

the rewards are distributed.

work

of a minister's

not the noise

is

The

the rattle of the machinery.

"

oiling.

not

is

But he may outrank some

shows that the machinery

often

as well as

cheer in this contemplation

in the press.

prominent

made by

is

work

a devoted minister whose

many

for

GLORY AND DISHONOUR

IN

212

noise

out of order and

is

The Church's worship, which should

gather and greaten

its

soul,

is

sacrificed to

its

work.

You have bustle all the week and baldness on SunYou have energy everywhere except in the
day.
spirit."^

Paul was serene in the conviction of the

There

present power of the Risen Christ.^

offhand patent guarantee

men count
cessful

success.

brilliantly

antees of a Successful Ministry."
in this

failure unless

the

spirit of

"

:

we

Our work

'

8

on

"

He

The Guarhas a sane

be a

seek to discharge our obligations in
If that

we have only

to the witness stand to refute
»

^

in the ministry will

Jesus Christ."

pious platitude,

to us a highly suc-

quite otherwise in God's eye.

Joseph Parker discourses

word

to

it.

call

sounds like a
our

own

lives

Certainly the min-

Hoyt, " The Preacher," p. 26.
Forsyth, " Positive Preaching and the Modern Mind," p. 171.
Lock, " St. Paul the Master-Builder," p. 69 f.

4" Ad Clerum,"

no

for a successful ministry as

What seems

work may be

is

pp. 225-235.

TAKING LIFE AS
istry

is

213

IT IS

man who

the last place in the world for a

There

failure elsewhere.

been a

no magic

is

has

spell

men who will
"Fear God and

about the ministry to bring success to
not work with

Ms

work

"

with

God

a

all

their

good motto

We

God

for

one who

is

a coworker

in the highest of earth's callings.

Appeal

2.

"

souls.

entreat also that ye receive not the grace of

in vain."

He

^

is

really God's entreaty.

God's ambassador and
*'

The

entreaties of

Maclaren's expressive phrase.^

If

God

it is

"

is

God can beseech

man, surely God's ambassador should not be too
haughty to plead with men. The word^ here is
difficult to

entreaty,

It

translate.

exhortation,

has the triple meaning of

and consolation.

chief function of the ambassador

It

"as though God were entreating by

us."

that they will be

and purity that

is

It

is

Pan! has

^

given his whole heart to the Corinthians.

He

given them the real Gospel of Jesus.

the

is

for Christ.^

He
is

has

afraid

tempted away from the simplicity
towards Christ.^

stand idly by and see

the work

But he cannot

in Corinth

come

to

received the grace of God.

He

begs that they do not render the very grace of

God

naught.

1

8
B

They have

Broadus, « Sermons and Addresses," p. 347.
'« Expositions of Holy Scripture," in loco.
^ 2 Cor. v. 20.
Stanley, in loco.

'

*

2 Cor. vi.

I.

Parakaloumen.
>

2 Cor.

xi. 3.

GLORY AND DISHONOUR

IN

214

avail, " in vain."

of no

Paul does not pause to

*

who

parley over the abstract question whether those

have the grace of God can make

He

it

and void.

null

advises the Corinthians not to experiment with

He

their eternal souls.

He

self.2

limited.

deadly earnest because the time

in

is

It is

took no chances with himis

He heark-

always so with God's work.

ens and helps in the hour of opportunity, the accept-

As

able ^ time.
in the
is it

crisis in

to-day.

was in

it

As

Corinth.

Crisis

the preacher and

is

it

Isaiah's
it

time

was

*

so

the word forever on the

must be

"

so.

now

it is

in Paul's

day so
lips

of

For there can be

nothing worse, darker, arguing a nature more averse

God

or indifferent to the highest good, than that

should plead, and

I

should steel

mine ear against His
sin,

because

it

is

voice.

my

heart and deafen

The crown

of a man's

the disclosure of the secrets of his

deepest heart as loving darkness rather than light,
turning

away from the

love and to God."

divine voice that

The

^

the whirr of the spindles "
of God.

The sound

drown the

men come

^

To emptiness.

<

Isa. xlix. 8.

still

and

small voice

of the preacher's voice as God's

monplace, even repulsive.
world

us to

" clatter of the streets

spokesman becomes monotonous,

this

woos

is

' i

displeasing,

Immersed

com-

in the cares of

to resent as an impertinence

Cor. ix. 27.
5

^C{. 2 Cor.

Maclaren, " Expositions," in

vi. I.

loco.

S

TAKING LIFE AS
effort of

and an interference the

home
" The

to press

the hfe.
ness

a

is

life

to

21

the minister of Christ

true return for ministerial devoted-

fruit of

When

'

a redeemed

the minister's

he has ample

life

But,

reward for rebuff and discouragement.

end

is

it

only

failure,

he

may

if

preacher sows beside

all

of

all

will

believe in

the

in

bear

knows the

or that.

The

force

soul and the extent of

feeble appeal

any

lamity.
his

is

have

God

hope on

is

^

great

is

him

useless.

is

feeble and

" In

unsatis-

a positive ca-

is

minister of the Gospel

great question,

alone

often the decisive factor.

man

congregation, and for

first

faith

to disappointment."

But a vacillating leader

The

tell

undiscovered

its

builds his

from a feeble man

position, a vacillating

factory.

The

of the minister's character gives

weight to his appeal and

A

satis-

true.

is

average man.

The preacher who
resources.
brilliant people only is doomed

in the

have the

He must

nature.

capacity of the

if

He cannot
" He must

waters.

fruit, this

human

at least

so be that

faction of duty done,

which

God upon

an issue the claims of

given to God."

appeal bears the

IT IS

is

the leader of

to vacillate, in

any

army

to a

practically to bring the

standstill, almost to proclaim the reign of anarchy."^

At any
W.

rate the preacher

must make the appeal

Robertson, " Life and Letters,"

1

F.

2

Jefferson,

"Building of the Church,"

3

Blaikie, "

The Work

etc., p.

p. 171.

of the Ministry," p. 371.

66l.

in

2l6

GLORY AND DISHONOUR

IN

behalf of Christ even

if it fall

modern

of the saddest phases of

number

of

who do

men

upon deaf

in our cities

life

ears.
is

who never go

to church,

not allow themselves to be troubled by the

message of Christianity.

There

is,

surely, a differ-

ence between Christianity and Churchianity.*
are

of Jesus

disciples

churches.

But

it

is

still

true that the churches are

work

of the king-

of God.

3.
**

Giving

No

Occasion of Stumbling

Giving no occasion of stumbling in anything,

that our ministration be not blamed."

some

to think that

will actually

Paul seems

^

be glad of an excuse

They

not to listen to the message of the Gospel.
will

be glad

if

the ministers of Christ give

an excuse by glaring inconsistencies
It is true that Paul's

for

Real

to be found outside of the

the main agencies for pushing the

dom

One

the large

an occasion.

enemies

in

knew

in their lives.^

Corinth did not wait

They manufactured numerous un-

They

founded charges against Paul.
that he

them such

actually said

that he was not a genuine apostle else

he would have received pay

His

for his services.^

very independent manhood was misunderstood and

turned against him.
*

Cf. Phelps, "

3

Denney, in

Men and

loco.

But, none the
Books,"

p. 73.

less,

«

<

Paul will

2 Cor.
2 Cor.

vi. 3.

xi.

9 fF.

7

TAKING LIFE AS

He

not change his conduct.

from those who are eager

and the cause of

one

men

will find

an excuse to injure him
beast

real

anyhow

for

ready to

must see

to

it

in his

minister

true

that

life, if

perfect

is

stumbhng^ on the part of those always
Jesus

cavil.

men throwing

of

No

it.

It is

the best one can, there will be occasion

and, do

enough

far be-

accepting

for not

ground of complaint

be possible to avoid

it

not

is

in the fight.

falls

excuses

Christ as Saviour, but the minister

they have no

occasion

Wolves jump on and devour the

who

the pack

in

21

will cut off*

The

Christ.

neath the surface.

that

for

IT IS

felt

very keenly the tragedy

stumbling-blocks in the

those groping towards

Him

:

"

Woe

way

of

unto the world

because of occasions of stumbling, for

it

must needs

be that the occasions come; but woe to that

man

whom the occasion cometh." And Mark
has it " And whosoever shall cause one of these
little ones that believe on Me to stumble, it were betthrough

^

^

:

ter for

him

his neck,

one

is

if

a great millstone were hanged about

and he were

common

cast into the sea."

This peril

to all Christians, to all in fact, but

it

applies with peculiar force to ministers of the Gospel.

The

will

recall

1

2 Cor.

*

Mark

case of Judas Iscariot was in point.
a

xi. 12.
ix.

42.

sorrowful
2

list

Strike against.

of

those
*

who,

Matt,

Paul
like

xviii. 7.

2l8

GLORY AND DISHONOUR

IN

Hymeneus and Alexander, have made shipwreck
concerning the

upon the

It is

faith.*

careers of those

a sad business to dwell

who once

stood forth as

beacon hghts of truth, whose hght went out
ness and even in disgrace.

jected

make a

the press

if

It

feature in the

whose hves so

of those ministers

news columns

fearfully belie their

professions and their proclamations.

It

lover of Christ wince with pain and

hang

But better

shame.

makes every
head

his

the heart of love and confidence.

trust eating out

the

all

sober

may be

sense of the people

counted on to see the difference and to rejoice
the

more in the great body

Cross

who

work of

scious that he represents the

the world.

He

The word^ means
is

keep

to

Christ.

Paul

is

that,

if

possible,

no

shall attach to his ministry.

^

blemish, blot, or disgrace.
his

con-

honour of Christ before

determined

is

ground of blame

desire

all

of the faithful soldiers of the

with unostentatious piety go quietly and

steadily forward in the

real

in

such pubhc exposure of un-

far

preachers than concealment and secret dis-

faithful

After

in dark-

cannot be justly ob-

His

escutcheon clean, to wear an

untarnished sword, to stoop to no tricks, to use no
double-dealing, to live an open

men.

The tongues

keep busy, beyond a doubt.
» I

Tim.

i.

19

f.

life

before

God and

of the slanderers and tattlers will

«

2 Cor.

He
vi. 3.

was particularly
'

Momos.

TAKING LIFE AS

money

anxious to have clean hands in

do things honourable not only

minister cannot despise

merely because he

is

stand his motives.

The

know

that

all

all

confident that

may

A

man

lose his reputation

usefulness.

minister
again.

God

under-

will

that people do not

The

minister of Christ

reputation willfully or care-

soil his

reputation.

his

The

is

trouble

lessly since his influence for Christ

on

integrity.

the conventions of society

God knows.

has no right to

God,

Paul reveals thus a

acumen and

of business

matters and to

in the sight of

but also in the sight of men.^
fine sense

219

IT IS

depends largely

with a good character

and to a large extent

his

Paul does not, of course, affirm that a

who commits a sin can never be
The case of Peter was too obvious a

tion of that idea.

useful
refuta-

But, like other men, a minister

who

blights his reputation

It is

harder to rebuild than

it

look of pity on Peter had in

it

must build
is

up again.

it

to build.

Christ's

the elements of sym-

pathy, compassion, and forgiveness, but Peter's heart
in the valley

and the

shadow and slowly climb out of the Slough

of Des-

was broken and he had to walk

pond.

God can and

isters for

to

does use the very faults of min-

His glory, but there

commit an extra number

glory of

God

is

no special

in

call for us

order to give the

a fresh sphere of influence.
1

2 Cor.

viii.

20 f.

We are

220

GLORY AND DISHONOUR

IN

may

not to sin in order that grace
of the keenest regrets of

One

abound.

the thought that this

life is

or that unsaved soul might have been led to Christ

but for the
isters

faults that

So thus

of Christ.

men and min-

he saw in us as

behooves us

it

all,

as

PauP

urged, to walk circumspectly.

A. Johnston Ross has a

Prof. G.
istry in

News

The Yale

letter

which he has very severe

in

He

on the present-day ministry.

strictures

young

cating the placing of

on the min-

ministers for

is

advo-

some years

under the guidance of older ministers when the period
of training in school

sence of this custom.
to

any other

is

He

over.

" It

laments the ab-

due to

is

this

more than

single fact that the ministry of the non*

Episcopal churches

is

so largely

filled

with

men

of

immeasurable pompousness and uncontrollable petulance.

I

honestly believe that

is

it

in these

and

similar conditions that lies the origin of that some-

thing about the clerical character (including intellectual

insincerity

makes the
laymen."

and

personal

unmanliness) which

clerical

order so intolerably offensive to

W.

Robertson Nicoll makes a formal

Dr.

and very able protest against

this

British Weekly for April 20, 191

agreement with Dr. Nicoll so
perience goes.

indictment in The

1.

far

There are bad men
»

Eph.

V. 15.

I

must record

as

my own

my
ex-

in every calling,

TAKING LIFE AS
but

have seen fewer

I

else.

221

IT IS

than anywhere

in the ministry

have taught some three thousand young

I

and the proportion of unmanly,

ministers

men

petulant

ill-mannered,

insincere,

very small in that

is

number.
Prof.

Johnston Ross has had a more unfortunate

The laymen

experience.
ministers in

my

But Dr. Johnston Ross
says

*•

:

The

as a rule greatly love the

opinion.

ministry

is

strikes a true note

when he

unmitigated misery for the

man who may be described as constitutionally undevout who is not what the Hebrews call a man of
God his own relations with the ideal taking the
;

'

;

'

form of

interior colloquy

finely said.

on

The

"

in other

words, in some

he must be a man of prayer."

real sense

**



This

Christian

with the warning

Ministry "

no man should enter the ministry who can

that

possibly keep out of

it."

That depends on what

But

can and do violate their sense of duty, refuse to

hear the

Jonah
God's

is

Certainly no one should enter the ministry

meant.

without a strong sense of duty impelling him.

men

is

Dr. Johnston Ross concludes his letter

is

call

call.

ministers.

ministers

God

of

not the only

We

do

If the

or to heed

man who

not, indeed,

laymen

all

when they

has run

need a superfluity of

did their

would be required.

hear.

away from

full

But that

duty, fewer
is

an ideal

GLORY AND DISHONOUR

IN

222
State

ahead of

still far

mand

is

for

At present the crying deman the churches and to
fields at home and abroad.

us.

more men

to

push the work in mission

We

do need the best men by nature, grace and equip-

ment

;

but

we

also

need more men,

and decay.

to stagnate

of Dr. Johnston Ross

:

I
*'

if

the

work

is

quite agree with this

The

not

word

when

times in the past

the land was overrun by ecclesiastics have been times
of moral laxity and dissension."

The

fewer of such

" ecclesiastics " the world has the better.

the exit of

world

of them.

all

calls for

men

The work

God speed

of Christ in the

of prophetic spirit and power, not

who are professional parrots or
hypocrites.
The Roman Catholic clergy

priestly ecclesiastics

tyrannical

of the middle ages

is

not the standard for the modern

minister nor the type to which our world will give

heed.

Commending

4.
*'

But

isters of

in

Ourselves as Ministers of

God

everything commending ourselves as min-

God."

'

The merely

negative attitude

is

not

enough, though one has a hard time just to keep

from doing wrong.

That of

itself

task.

Exactly what Paul means

mend

ourselves as God's servants

selves.2
»

2 Cor.

The
vi. 4.

minister's letter of

is

a tremendous

is

this

:

We

com-

commend themcommendation
2

Meyer, in

to

loco.

TAKING LIFE AS
his flock

is

his

That

life.

IT IS

223

the one which they will

is

read in preference to the sermon or to the Bible.

The

minister's life

to the world.
says, not as
is

an open book to

is

him

vain for

It is

his

What Emerson
What the preacher

he does.

hterally true.

people and

men do

to bid

he

as

so pithily said
is

thunders so

loud into men's ears that they cannot hear what he
says.

This appeal to

must meet

life

as

life is

And

is.

it

These glowing verses

'

The preacher

inevitable.

Paul

form a

is

not afraid.

climax to Paul's

fit

sustained flight in praise of the Christian ministry.

He

has sought to interpret

He

and high purpose.

it

according to

has placed

it

in

its

with the glory of the Mosaic dispensation.

dared to look into the very Face of Christ.

probed

his

own

heart to the very bottom.

posed the hearts of the men of

his time.

conscious that he has not

fulfilled

of the Christian minister.

He makes

for

himself.

But he

is

meed

trial,

willing to face

all

still

is

has

has
ex-

fully

wholly the Ideal

no such claim

all

He

the world.

of suffering and sorrow, of disap-

pointment and

and can

He

He
He
He

not willing to give up his

ministry for any other calling in

has had his

ideal

bold contrast

of labour

and anguish.

He

is

the facts of his ministry thus far

God

praise

with a

full

heart.

He

in-

dulges in this spiritual dissection of his experiences
*

2 Cor.

vi.

4-6.

GLORY AND DISHONOUR

IN

224

closing contribution to the discussion of the

35 his

After

ministry.

all

it

is

not a matter of theory or

He

romantic idea with Paul.
ences of the grace of

God

them away from him.

take

had

his great experi-

No

in Christ.

one can

This richness of experi-

ence becomes the heritage of every servant of Christ.

He

can laugh at the doubts of tyros in rehgious

Many men

matters.

with great names are novices

The seasoned

in grace.

soldier of the Cross has

By

through the war with Christ.

been

the camp-fire of

hallowed experiences they can renew the great hours

when

God walked in the fiery furnace
These men cannot be shaken by the

Son

the

with them.
attacks of

all

of

men

of ignorance on the part of other
true the
their

life

(ci)

them according

is

make un-

he now reviews

his

is

an expansion of "

and

his

a rhetorical de-

experiences.

to three words

artificial as will

Environmerit

division

as

in

can enter

spirits

There

God.

grouping of

not wholly

section

this

sympathy with Paul

Paul's

in

divides
It is

These triumphant

as a minister of

vice

can

knowledge of Christ which they carry

hearts.

fully into

No amount

the infidels in the world.

be seen.

:

He

by^ as?

in^

The whole

in everything."

Conduct.

Bernard

*

calls

outward hardships and inward grace.

This sharp contrast between environment and inward
*

En,

«

Dia.

»

Hos,

«

In

loco.

TAKING LIFE AS
grace

is

manifest in the

opoly in

They

experiences

such

common

are the

frontier

many another minister
mean to claim any mon-

of

life

Paul does not

of Christ.

for

Christ.

as

lot of

he here recounts.

men who go

Missionaries

in

to the

ages can

all

of what Paul here

present detailed reproductions
gives in

225

IT IS

no sense of boasting, but rather with humble

gratitude for the goodness of

God

in

thus a " pattern " or sample preacher as he
tern sinner.

It

will

He

it all.

is

a pat-

be necessary to follow Paul's

words rather minutely to catch the richness of
ing with which his heart

is

filled.

"

The

is

at issue

;

he

feel-

fountains

him

as

he

is in all straits, as

he

of the great deep are broken up within

thinks of what

is

begins, and can speak only in disconnected words,

one at a time
liberty,

;

but before he stops he has

and pours out

his soul

Paul's ministry at Corinth

is

without

won

is

'

challenged and hence he

opens his heart as he would not otherwise do.

even so he

his

restraint."

But

speaking not merely for himself, but

who shall meet a like crisis.
His hardships had called for much patience.^ TribuOne may exlation had wrought patience ^ in Paul.
for all ministers of Christ

press a bit of surprise at this emphasis on patience in

an

epistle so full of turbulent

2

Denney, in loco.
Mentioned twice elsewhere in

3

Rom.

1

V. 3.

emotion

this Epistle,

i.

6;

as

xii.

is

12.

2 Cor-

GLORY AND DISHONOUR

226

IN

inthians.

But

Paul's notion of patience

The word

acquiescence.

With

not silent

is

means remaining under.

*

the vehement passion of a spirited horse

all

Paul remains in the traces and thus shows patience.

He

und Drang, but he

has Sturm

leash

and keeps to

tience

is

called for in all this

and

in verses four

sities," « distresses "

crush

necessities

^

And

The
The

reveal perplexity as in sickness,*^ loss of

Hemmed
endure.

" stripes "

in

on every

Paul

is

1

for a

Hypomone.

proud
five

That was the

spirit

Hke

times with
limit of the

Thrice Paul was beaten with rods," the

Roman method
prisonments "

particular.

Sometimes death resulted from such

law.^

scourging.'"

he learned pa-

now more

The Jews had beaten him

forty stripes save one.

Mosaic

side

he had received above measure,^ a

^

most humiHating experience
Paul.

yet they

suggest loss of liberty and confinement.

friends.^

The

" neces-

differ.

*

to

^

one hke a heavy weight.

Distresses

tiently

of outward hardships

" afflictions,"

are very general terms descrip-

tive of his experiences.
afflictions

list

The

five.

holds himself in

Indeed the grace of pa-

his task.

'2

He had

of scourging.

also.

They were
«

Cf.

*'

Rom.

« Cf. Rom.
'Cf. I Cor. ix. 7.
6 2 Cor. i. 6 ; xii.
« 2 Tim. iv. 10
7.
' 2 Cor. xi. 23.
8 2 Cor. xi. 23.
*" Josephus, Ant.,
14, 8, 21.
'« Acts xvi.
24, etc.

his

" im-

more abundant
v.
ii.
;

"

if.; 2 Cor. xii. lo.
9; 2 Cor. xii. 10.
cf. Bernard, in loco.
^ Deut. xxv.
3.
"2 Cor. xi. 25.
w 2 Cor. xi. 23.

"

;

TAKING LIFE AS
than the

Up

stripes.

IT IS

227

to this stage of Paul's

are told in Acts of only one imprisonment

life

we

so that

*

we must understand that the narrative in Acts is far
from complete. The " tumults " ^ were also numeractly, with weariness

They

are even

were

really

He knew

"

His " labours

ous and varied.

^

were

more ex-

toils

and exhaustion of body and mind.

" sleeplessnesses "

"

^

often."

^

His " watchings

more abundant.^

and were

*'

the nightmare of insomnia due to overwork

and overanxiety, the nervous racking of mind and

body

slow-moving hours of night when he

in the

could find no

many

diary of

" fastings "

of his

rest.

Paul's

words read

like the secret

He had

a minister of to-day.

also

not of a religious nature or for the sake

^

hunger and

knew what

Paul

health.

thirst,

in

fastings

The pangs

nakedness."^

it

was to be "

often,

in

in

and

cold

of hunger, the pinch of

poverty were no strangers to Paul,^ the most gifted
of

the ministers of Christ

all

:

"

we both hunger, and

ent hour

Even unto
thirst,

this pres-

and are naked,

and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place

and we

toil,

was not

as

^

Rom.

xix.
8
5

29

;

it

xvi. 7.

Acts

«Cf.

working with our own hands."

xiii.

This

should have been even in that early
For further stripes see Acts xxii. 24.
50; xiv. 5, 19; xvi. 22; xvii. 5;

xviii.

12;

xxi. 30.

Cf. 2 Cor. xi. 27.
Cf. 2 Cor. xi. 27.

'Cf. 2 Cor.

xi. 27.

4
6

8

2 Cor.

xi. 27.

»

2 Cor. xi. 23.
2 Cor. xi. 27.
i Cor. iv. 11.

228

GLORY AND DISHONOUR

IN

time

Christian

of

origins.

commended

Paul

the

Philippians for their frequent thoughtfulness of his

After the lapse of the centuries the

bodily needs.^

average minister of Jesus faces

lem of actual

good business

living

still

the serious prob-

He

expenses.

must possess

be able to make both ends

ability to

meet and keep out of debt, dress
priately, educate his children,

appro-

his family

and lead

his

church in

But Paul had no idea of giving up the

liberality.

ministry because of the shortcomings of the churches.

He had
speak

his

in

from Jesus Christ.

call

respect of v^ant:

whatsoever state

I

I

Not

when

that I

have learned

am, therein to be content."

a blessed secret

is

for

"

the preacher learns

^

in

That

how

to

carry a high head with a hungry stomach, an upright look with an

empty pocket, a happy

an unpaid salary, joy in
It

was

God when men

just in the midst of

heart with

are faithless.

such an untoward environ-

ment that Paul found that the graces of the heart
grew like orchids on the wild rocks. These outward
hardships proved to be the hot-bed for those flowers
of the

spirit.

heights " in the
list

He

is

Holy

borne
Spirit."

aloft

This

and walks on the
is

the key to the

of graces in verses six and seven.

found Jesus true to His word.
faithful to

him

»Phil. iv. i6.

The Holy

in all these trials.
2

Phil. iv. ii.

By

Paul had
Spirit

was

" pureness "

3Cf. 2 Cor.

vii.

11.

^

TAKING LIFE AS

Paul means not only chastity, which
cluded, but
sincerity

also

is

By

"

knowledge

knowledge of divine

to

certainly in-

purity of intention and thought,

of motive.'

particularly

229

IT IS

"

^

he

refers

His

things.^

very experiences gave him a keener perception of
spiritual

Longsuffering

realities.

attributed to God.^

It

^

is

divine attribute.^

other virtues,

The

an especial

called for in

is

Kindness

degree by a missionary like Paul.^
a

a grace often

^ is

due to the work of the Holy

is

also

love unfeigned,^ hke the
Spirit.

Nothing but the new heart and the new view of man

make

could

possible the deathless love for

animated the heart of Paul.

The Word

undying.
preaching.

It

The Gospel
power

of

itself to

is

of truth

God

be, " the

is

a description of

simple and unadulterated truth."

deals with
^^ is

was genuine and

It


man which

just

the

eternal

The

realities.

what Paul considers the Gospel

power of God unto salvation

every one that believeth."

^^

The

may be

cross

to

a

stumbling-block to the Jews, and to the Greeks foolishness, but in reahty

wisdom

of God.

random remarks.
>

Bernard, in

^Cf.

I

Tim.

i.

8

Bernard, in

8

Rom.

10

"

is

both the power and the

These words of Paul are not mere

They
2

loco.

16.

are golden truths out of his
Gnosis.

3
6

Rom.

loco.

ii.
4 ; ix. 22,
Eph. i. 13.
Cf. 2 Cor. xii. 9.

Cf.

it

etc.

9

n

Stanley, in loco.

w Rom.

i.

16.

Cf.

Cor.

I

xii. 8.

4 ; ix. 22, etc.
Cf. Gal. v. 22.

ii.
1

Cf.

Rom.

xii. 9.

Cf. 2 Cor.

Cf.

i

Cor.

ii.

17.

i.

18.

IN

230

They

very heart.
vital

GLORY AND DISHONOUR
characterize

not merely

Paul's

apprehension of Christ, but express the joy and

hope of every preacher of the Cross of
Mastery Over Circumstance.

(b)

"

Christ.

By

the armour

of righteousness on the right hand and on the

by glory and dishonour, by
report."

There

*

is

" through

2

Here the use of

in."

There

resignation.

is

power of God

by " or

spirit

of

"

The

use of the

had already given a tonic to

Paul had already ^ elsewhere applied the

his words.

figure of

"

the atmosphere of confidence,

the swing of victory in these words.
"

left,

good

suggests aggressive conflict rather than

endurance of hardships with the

passive

words

report and

progress in this group over the

preceding one with "
"

evil

armour to the

of the Spirit.

life

He had

urged the Thessalonians to put on " the breastplate
of faith and love
vation."

with the

make

He will
Roman

;

and
later,

helmet the hope of

for a

after

soldier

to

a careful study of the

He

weapons ^ of righteousness.
the righteousness which

is

there

»

is

2 Cor.

*Eph.

long personal contact

whom he is chained,
Roman armour as illus-

trating the Christian conflict.^

only a passing allusion.

sal-

Here, however,

it

is

holds in his hands the

Primarily, of course, this
is

the gift of God, but

also the other side of the truth, the actual

vi. 7f.

vi. I Iff.



Via.

» i Thess. v. 8.
eCf. 2Cor. X. 4.

1

TAKING LIFE AS

of an upright Hfe, the result of the

righteousness

grace of
offensive

23

IT IS

God

The conception

in the Hfe.'

The

and defensive.

in Christ's righteousness,

is

is

both

Christian minister, clad

ready for the

battle.

He

can swing the sword of truth in his right hand and

hold the shield of

faith in his left.

Nothing but

panoply of God can equip the soldier of Christ

this

for

the real war with the powers of evil in the world.

No

preacher can escape this battle save by compro-

mise with his conscience.

he shut

If

his eyes to the

grip of the devil on the actual Hfe of his community,

the saloon, the gambling den, the brothel and other
forces of corruption will let

the

watchman

sleeps

him

upon the

But, while

alone.

walls of Zion,

young

men and young women are swept on into the vortex
The white-slave traffic flourishes, the civic
of ruin.
life

is

debauched, manhood

is

corrupted, the church

becomes a respectable nonentity.

If the

refuses to fight the actual evil in his

forces

If

he does

of evil will fight him.

It

is

winks at that

preacher as

it

was with

the walls of Jerusalem

hands wrought
his

in the

weapon." ^

perience.
iCf.

community, he

evil.

in a sense

Rom.

:

fight,

the

often with the

Nehemiah's men
"

preacher

in building

Every one with one of

his

work, and with the other held

Not every preacher has

just this ex-

There are idyUic pastures where the shepvi.-viii.

'Neh.

iv. 17.

;

:

;

GLORY AND DISHONOUR

IN

232

;

herd leads his flock in peace and plenty.'

havens

of rest

world.

There

are

a

is

growing fewer

in

But these

modern

the

away from many churches

drift

and the minister has to go out into the highways and
hedges and compel them to come

now

used to come are

mobile

rides,

Happy Warrior "
**

on auto-

The preacher must make

busy men and

for

women

to

come

:

Whose high endeavours

are an inward light

That makes the path before him always bright

Who, with a natural instinct to discern
What knowledge can perform, is diligent
Abides by
But makes

to learn

and stops not there.
his moral being his prime care
Who, doomed to go in company with pain.
And fear, and bloodshed, miserable train
Turns his necessity to glorious gain ;
In face of these doth exercise a power
this resolve,

!

*******

Which

is

But who,

our

human

nature's highest dower.

he be called upon to face
moment to which heaven has joined
Great issues, good or bad for human kind.
Is happy as a lover
and attired
With sudden brightness, Uke a man inspired
And, through the heart of conflict, keeps the law
In calmness made, and sees what he foresaw."

Some

if

awful

;

»

Cf. Goldsmith's «

it

to the

He must be Wordsworth's

worship of the sanctuary.
"

parties,

not answer just to fuss and

It will

over the situation.

worth while

week-end

Those who

playing golf, or deep in the Sunday

paper at home.
fret

at

in.

Deserted Village."

TAKING LIFE AS
The outcome may be
honour."

He

2

'

or

which

may be

He

woe because

is

But

perilous.

of

the preacher to be

But

well of him.

often the excessive flattery of friends
if

" disfire

not hkely to suffer long from

men speak

all

the

^

opponents are con-

his

It is useless for

stantly kindling.

hyper-sensitive.

it

233

ready to pass through

is

criticism (dishonour)

the

" glory,"

IT IS

even more

is

one has a sense of integrity ^ (armour

of righteousness), he can pursue the even tenor of his

Some

way.

in Galatia

Paul does not

of his mind.

He

mean

we

to say that

does care very greatly.

sensitive soul to the very quick.
bless

"

entreat

we

;

offscouring of

become
men."

are

all

made

It

Being

being persecuted, we endure

;

Each man must

own

bear his

of his conduct and motives

^

among

brethren.

So he had learned how

®

He

cross.

has

and

all in

a day's journey.

1

2 Cor.

<

Denney, in

'

Stanley, in loco.

2

vi. 8.

loco.

2 Cor, x. 2.
Cor. iv. 12

» i

It

false

This

impu-

which he met

Jews, heathen, yea, and

complaisance " evil report "

was

we

being defamed,

;

things even until now."

every turn,

It

reviled,

as the filth of the world, the

was a large part of Paul's crucifixion, the

ward

he does

stung his

" a spectacle to the world, both to angels

^

tations

their

Others at Corinth thought he was out

eyes for Paul.

not care.

would have plucked out

among

at

the

to take with out-

and " good report." ^
was

all

a part of the

'2 Cor.

xii. 14 fF.
Cor. iv. 9.
Cf. I Cor. iv. 13.

« I

f.

8

IN

234

game

GLORY AND DISHONOUR
He

of war with evil in which he was engaged.

was not disposed to complain of the conditions of

Some personaHties have more edge
than others. Some men have more force and cut
deeper into other Hves. Some men cause more resistance to the Gospel than others who have the gift
Christ takes us as we are and uses
of persuasiveness.
service to Christ.

us with our varied

Christ " are "
says, to see

Those

gifts.

He

does, to learn what

to the Judaizing reactionaries.

(c)

lovers of spiritual truth

Paradoxes

is

in
all.

it

The same cloud

What

has

He

is

the inspiration

and freedom

its

bright and

in Christ.

Antithesis

is

its

dark

side.

true of every effective

was true of Jesus Himself.

all

man

has been a nonentity.

ministers of Christ have so

of tragedy as Paul experienced.
of us go on in a

'

He
and

can get a double report on almost any public

true that not

»

"

Paul was impossible

Paul's Ministry.

It

man's Hfe unless the
is

is

Light and shadow interplay.

here true of Paul

preacher of Christ.

One

He

Much of human power

'

in the ministry lies in personality.

runs through

school of

by the Master with a message, with a

program, with a personality."

all

**

chosen by the Master to hear what

what

" are sent forth

of

in the

The

lives of

more commonplace manner.^

McDowell, " In the School of
Denney, in loco.

It

much
most

But

Christ," the Cole lectures for 1910.

TAKING LIFE AS
men

there are

meet

He

of the ministry.

He

in Christ.^

now

is

began

this

wonderful "digres-

He

own secret heart
he comes down like the sky-

interprets to us his

As

deceivers and yet true,"

Clementine Homilies Paul
ceiver."

us in triumph

has soared with bold and steady wing

song before

in this last

"

God who always leads

with an eagle's sweep he swings a bit higher

than before.

The

^

is

^

In the

he says.

expressly termed " de-

Judaizers at Corinth had also applied

opprobious epithet to him.

this

who

on the Christian ministry with an outburst

*

of thanksgiving to

lark.

in the ministry

Paul rises to a paean of praise

not blazoned abroad.

till

235

with courage of heart whose fame

real crises

sion "

mould

of heroic

IT IS

But Jesus Himself

was charged with being a deceiver of the people.^
Paul

knew

of truth,

that he was true in heart

and was willing to

let

and

life,

time give

remembered

who
One needs

position to Paul

of his day.
ear

^

to

much

that

must have an

intellectual culture that

Stanley, in loco.

^So they had called Jesus "
4
6

Horn. II. 17, 18.
Spurgeon, " Lectures

Roman

world

the blind eye and the deaf

comes before him.

the respect of cultivated
»

chiefly because of their op-

the glory of the

is

an-

To-day the

swer to the calumnies of his enemies.
Judaizers are

a teacher

its final

The preacher
will command

men and women, but

it is

^ 2 Cor. ii. 12
that deceiver " (Matt, xxvii. 63).
^

to Students,"

Second

John

far

f.

vii. 12.

Series, pp. 241

flf.

GLORY AND DISHONOUR

IN

236

more important

have

to

Paul

one.

of

all

one must do.

It is

its

though that

aspects,

being true that

a much deeper and more profound
minister

the reserve

power

in his character

the minister has to do his

This

tion.

But,

^

if

in the
is

way

At bottom a
That
Often

a pitifully slender

of books and technical educa-

not to be endured

if it

can be remedied.

unavoidable, one can at least have a clean and

open mind, glad to learn and loyal

and high.

If one's

manhood

to

all

a cog here, they will not endure
gifts

he

may

have.^

him

Paul

known, and yet well known."

is

true

men

will

he

slips

that

rings true,

put up with a great deal in the preacher.

great

mind,

integrity.

and work.

work with

tell-

what

is

in Paul's

is

idea.

an incarnation of truth and

is

apparatus

much about

not here thinking so

is

ing the truth in

is

He

intellectual integrity.*

a moral force primarily rather than an intellectual

is

^

If

at

all,

proceeds

however
"

:

Un-

They accused Paul

of being " obscure," not having right credentials, a

nobody

in the ministry, not recognized in

clesiastical

circles.''

According

to this

high ec-

charge he

was guilty of the crime of not being famous.

body cared what Paul thought or
ignored as one not in the
1

'

3

*

said.

company

He

No-

could be

of the religious

*« My Note-Book,"
p. 90.
Spurgeon, " Lectures to Students," First Series, pp. 282 fF.
Beecher, " Yale Lectures on Preaching," Third Series, p. 293.
6 Cf. 2 Cor. lii. 2
2 Cor. vi. 9.
x. lO.

Phelps,

:

TAKING LIFE AS
So the

aristocrats.

he

is

" well

he were

IT IS

Paul easily retorts that

jibe ran.

known " among

the true believers.'

as insignificant as his

What

is

and behold we hve."

^

fame

If

enemies claimed, they

There

took a deal of trouble about him.
of irony here.

237

"

after all ?

He seemed

a touch

is

As

dying,

always on the

point of death, but death kept vanishing into the

Doubtless his enemies had heard of his

distance.

serious illness

^

Corinth and were congratulating

at

themselves that their troubles would soon be over
providential death of Paul.

with the

But,

comes back from the edge of the grave and
on

ally
virile

his

to

some men

lived to a

ably lived

He

way

!

It

is

he

actu-

amazing how

is

of delicate constitution are.

Paul

good old age and would have prob-

fairly

much

Corinth

lo,

longer but for his execution by Nero.

here makes merry over the anxiety of his ene-

No

mies about his health.
trifle

with his body.

It is

minister has a right to

a holy temple for the in-

The

dwelling of the Holy Spirit.
minister

is

abuse of the body.

body

Paul does not

make

in this raillery with his enemies.

need not count too

away

effectiveness of a

marred or ruined by neglect or

often

to

killed."^

oblige

His

*Cf. 2 Cor. xi. 6.

certainly

them.

enemies
2

2 Cor.

"

As

on

his

* i

dying right

chastened,

interpreted

vi. 9.

light of the

They simply

Cor.

i.

and not

his

troubles to

9.

*

2 Cor.

vi. 9.

mean
so.

GLORY AND DISHONOUR

IN

238

God was

that

He

the last

is

man

At any

chastening rod.

He

afflicting

can be thankful for

him
he

rate

it

need of the

his

not yet killed.

is

Meanwhile he

that.

Be

for his sins.

deny

to

will en-

deavour to learn his lesson of chastisement which

God may have

God can

for him.

use these very

enemies as a wholesome discipUne for Paul.
to see that the lesson

will try

is

not

He

There

lost.

is

banter in this play of words, but a note of utmost
earnestness in

it all.

Paul

imagination loose and

his

lets

In these climacteric sentences

"

hghtning on the clouds.
rejoicing."

His opponents

*

overmuch sorrow
Httle

As

tears

terwoven

perpetual

how

life,

but

it

cheerfulness.^

to be anxious in nothing

God

the time.

all

he close together in Paul's heart.

a real note in his

the peace of

He knew

mock sympathy.

The sorrow was
with

Paul in his

This was only too true, however

!

Paul cared for their

learned

like

sorrowful, yet always

affect pity for

what sorrow was, but he was happy
Laughter and

plays

it

was

in-

He had

and to have

as the garrison for his heart.^

So

Chrysostom, the golden-mouthed preacher of Antioch

and Constantinople, when banishment

fell

to his lot

and out on the hot sands he sank down, could say
" Glory to

God

» 2 Cor. vi. 10.
»Phil. iv. 6f.

for all things."

2Cf.

Paul,

Rom.

v.

:

hke Chrysos-

3: Phil.

iv. 4, 12.

TAKING LIFE AS

IT IS

torn,

knew what

and

the next to be taboo with

who

preacher

most

is

it

was to be a popular hero one day

some

popular applause

bitterness in the
"

of the cup before he has finished.
rich."

He

*

As

his ene-

The word

He had not entered the
He was entitled to supCorinth.
He had refused to

a pauper.

literally

make money.

ministry to

port from the ch irch at
receive

bottom

poor, yet

was taunted by

mies for not receiving pay for his work.^

means

The

the crowd.

tastes the sweets of

likely to find

making many

239

pay because he saw that he would be charged

with having come after their money.

Precisely this

situation to-day confronts the missionaries in heathen
lands,

who must be supported by

remove

to

With Paul

this

much

now

ment there threw every
and misconstrued

tioch was

in

interest in the

that the apostles are

selves scattered over the world.

brethren

churches

The church

worse.

had taken apparently no

missionary enterprise

the

home

charge against them by the heathen.

the case was

at Jerusalem

path

the

them-

The Judaizing

ele-

possible obstacle in Paul's
his

Jerusalem.^

motives and work to

The church

at

An-

Greek church and heartily approved

a

the missionary campaign of Paul, but, so far as any

information
1

2 Cor.

»

Cf. Acts xxi.

vi. 10.

is

available,

gave him no
' I

Cor.

xi.

financial aid

7

;

Phil. iv. 12.

GLORY AND DISHONOUR

240

IN

whatever.

The " home " churches

to

do

The

work unaided.

his

thus

left

Paul alone

older and

more en-

come

lightened mission fields Hke Philippi did
relief at

to his

left

But

sporadic intervals.

own

to his

main he was

in the

resources to do the most gigantic

mission work of the ages in the teeth of the com-

bined forces of Greek philosophy, Jewish prejudice,

Roman
the

human

antipathy, natural

forces

He

empire of the ancient world.
never had to beg.
starved.

depravity, and

and corruption

of sin

He

was poor, but he

was hungry, but he never

He worked with

his

own hands

of tent-making and earned his bread.
soul

at his trade

Thus he kept

and body together so that he could preach the

Gospel to a world that did not want to hear
that was doing
to

all

the greatest

in

its

utmost to thwart him

evangelize the

Roman

Empire.

would have quailed long before
if

calls for

men

difficulties.

this.

ever the world saw one.

a hero,

"

of the heroic spirit

And

others had

it

and

in his efforts

A

weak man

But Paul was

The

ministry

who can overcome

trial

of mockings and

scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprison-

ment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder
they were tempted, they were slain with the sword

they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins
destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (of

whom

;

:

being

the world was

not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and

TAKING LIFE AS
caves and the holes of the earth."

241

IT IS
This

'

is

the spirit

through all the ages
of the martyrs and missionaries
have carried the cross all over the world. They

who
did

it

to

Jesus.

make many

There

is

rich with the riches of Christ

no riches

like that in Christ.

wealth consisted in the souls

won

Paul's

to Christ

and

These had everything, for they
the
had Christ and God.^ Paul's last paradox about
and
preacher is the culmination, " as having nothing,
enriched in Him.^

yet possessing

all

things."

'

would give him a place

that

He had
in

nothing at

all

Wall Street to-day.

He had no bank account at Alexandria or Rome.
He had no grain ships on the Mediterranean. It has
Tarsus
been thought by some that Paul's father in
had some property which Paul may have inherited
later.

Be

store at this

but had
all

He

that
is

may, he certainly has no earthly
juncture. He had missed making money,

that as

won

it

the whole world.

was worth having,

the richest

man

all

He had

to the fulF

that was enduring.

in all the

world as he writes

on the
the last words of this matchless panegyric
Christian ministry.

they outweigh
its

all

He

counts up his treasures and

the sordid wealth of Corinth with

nouveaux riches and

crass

philosophy and material-

' 1 Cor. i. 5.
xi ^6-38.
ministry
2 Cor. vi. 10. So Jesus in His later
lay His head.
5 Katecho.
1

*

Heb

' i

Cor.

iii.

22.

had not where

to

IN

242

GLORY AND DISHONOUR
Paul had long ago

commercialism.

istic

choice.

him

made

his

was over twenty years ago that Jesus met

It

in the

way and

He made

halted his steps.

his

He

decision then and he has not recanted since.
deliberately cast his

and

He

material.

the

call

into the scale of the moral

He

has

all,

had seen the heavenly vision and heard

he has

for

There

him.

worldly and the

He

of Jesus to go far hence to the Gentiles.

running his race and there

still

is

life

spiritual values as against the

is

Christ.

wind

is

And

in

him

Christ has

yet.

all

of

the spring of eternal youth in Paul.

Him that strengtheneth me."
There is work in Paul yet. He has sung his song
about the preacher. He comes down from the moun-

" I can

do

all

*

things in

tain top with the face of Christ in his heart,

the work
his face.

in the valley.

He

will

But he

will

down

to

put no veil over

keep on looking

at the face

of

Jesus and telling of the light of the knowledge of the

glory of
lifts

to

God

Him

day Paul

in the face of Christ to

who
Some

every one

a face sin-stained and shadowed.

will

look Jesus

full in

the face again.

"

For

now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to
face: now I know in part; but then shall I know
fully

even as also

then he will

good
>

was

fully

Even

known." ^

feel sure of victory

fight, I

Phil. iv. 13.

I

:

"

I

before

have fought the

have finished the course,
« 1

I

have kept

Cor.

xiii. 12.

TAKING LIFE AS
the faith: henceforth there

is

IT IS
laid

up

243
for

me

crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
eous judge, shall give

me

only, but also to

appearing."

^

"

And

me
all

at that

them

the

right-

day; and not to

that have loved His

they that be wise shall shine as

the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn

many to
*

2 Tim.

righteousness as the stars forever and ever."
iv.

7

f.



Dan,

*

xii. 3.

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