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<n OF aCe 
 FEB 17 1927 
 Me 
 
 ocichs sew 
 
 The New Testament Church 
 Its Teaching and 
 
 
 
 Its Scriptures 
 
 By PARK Hays’MILLER 
 
 Prepared as a Textbook for the 
 
 Standard Leadership Training Course 
 Covering Units 4 and 104 
 
 Philadelphia 
 The Westminster Press 
 1926 
 

 
 an - Copyright, 1926, by 
 ; F. M. BrasELMAN 
 
 : ; ; | , 
 Printed in the United States of Am 
 tae 4 of a 
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 ak ar 3 oe. 
 ' "eet RMD oe ; % Me rs * 
 ‘ ; at tae ae a “7 en ; 
 , ‘ O a uM } F ~ 3 a ra ; 3 “ 
 
To My WIFE 
 WHOSE SYMPATHETIC COOPERATION 
 MapbDE THE PREPARATION OF THE MANUSCRIPT 
 POSSIBLE 
 THis VoLuME Is AFFECTIONATELY 
 _ DEDICATED 
 

 
FOREWORD 
 
 The twenty-four chapters of this course are a study 
 of the development of the New Testament. They will 
 show how the New Testament grew out of the life of 
 the Christian Church, whose foundation was the life 
 and work of Jesus Christ. The course will deal with 
 the history of the New Testament Church as this 
 history is related to the development of the books of 
 the New Testament and explains them. The chapters 
 will also discuss the outstanding Christian truths 
 and principles which are revealed and recorded in 
 the New Testament. This study aims to enable 
 the student to teach in a Sunday-school class any 
 particular lesson from the New Testament on the 
 larger background of the whole New Testament and 
 of New Testament Christianity. 
 
 The books of the New Testament are vitally 
 related to the growth of the New Testament Church, 
 to its spread geographically, and to the developing 
 expression of the great Christian truths which Jesus 
 Christ himself revealed to his disciples and which he 
 said the Holy Spirit would more fully interpret to 
 them. The Acts will therefore be the basic book of 
 the study, because this book tells the story of the 
 New Testament Church and thus provides the his- 
 torical background of the New Testament books 
 and their teaching. The other books of the New 
 Testament will be considered as they fit into this 
 background of the New Testament Church as it 
 obeyed Christ’s own command to bear witness to 
 
 Vv 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 him and to teach all things whatsoever he had com- 
 manded. 
 
 These studies assume the correctness of the New 
 Testament narratives and are based upon the -New 
 Testament books as they now stand. It is not the 
 purpose to discuss critical questions but to make the 
 New Testament, as it stands, speak, for itself. The 
 purpose of the course is to consider the message of 
 the New Testament as we have it. 
 
 The course is not a course on Christianity or the 
 Church; it is a course on the Christianity and the 
 Church of the New Testament. This should be kept 
 clearly in mind. The New Testament text which is 
 used is that of the Standard American Edition of the 
 Revised Version of the Bible. 
 
 The plan of the chapters should be noted. Im- 
 mediately under the title of the chapter will be found 
 a series of New Testament references. These passages 
 are for reading and study, and much of the value of 
 the course will be lost unless the student does this 
 reading. The purpose of the course is to enable the 
 New Testament to speak for itself, and this end can 
 be achieved only if the student will read the passages 
 indicated. 
 
 The problem of the chapter is stated to set the 
 student to thinking. The problem should be read 
 -before the assigned Scripture passages are considered. 
 The student can then read these passages with the 
 purpose of finding for himself the solution of the 
 problem. 
 
 The discussion in the body of the chapter develops 
 ' the subject under consideration. This discussion is 
 
 vi 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 not for the purpose of imparting mere information, 
 but aims to encourage the student to think the 
 problem through for himself. AIl references should 
 be looked up by the student. 
 
 The last section of the chapter is “Questions for 
 Study and Assignment.” All students should read 
 every one of these questions and give them serious 
 thought. It is not to be expected, however, that any 
 one student can do the work necessary to enable him 
 to answer all the questions fully. The teacher should 
 assign questions to members of the class for study 
 or research’ and report. If the teacher does not 
 assign particular questions to a student, the student 
 should on his own initiative choose at least one of 
 the questions requiring special research, selecting the 
 question which he considers most important, or the 
 question in which he is most interested, or the question 
 for which he can secure the best sources of information, 
 or the question about which he feels that he knows 
 least. 
 
 As new chapters are taken up, previous chapters 
 should be reviewed so that the student will appre- 
 ciate the development of the New Testament Church 
 and its sacred Scriptures. 
 
 At the close of each chapter is a list of the books 
 of the New Testament. This list will help to keep 
 before the student the names of all the books of the 
 New Testament in their usual order. As these 
 books are discussed in the chapters they are printed 
 in bold-faced type. This will help the student to 
 follow the development of the New Testament with 
 greater ease. This, however, does not indicate the 
 
 Vu 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 exact order of the books according to their dates, 
 but their relation. to the story which the course tells. 
 
 It will be observed that the chapters can readily be 
 taken in pairs if teachers should desire to cover the 
 course in twelve lessons instead of twenty-four. The 
 chapters have been planned with this in view, in 
 case it should seem to be necessary. 
 
 Vill 
 
CHAPTER 
 
 XVI. 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 How Did the New Testament Church 
 TS GOIT Cero tema teen od icatie rie tA 1 
 The Message of the TWelVe..u....ccccssssss 10 
 The Ministry of the Church... 18 
 The Church Organizes for Its Ministry 26 
 The Conflict. with Judaism... 34 
 The Spread-of the: Church! acicias..onkans 45 
 
 Preparation for the Extension of the 
 Church to the Gemtiles...ccccccccccssccscbsisue 56 
 
 The Early Progress of the Church 
 AMON ULE ATEN Lileda cua caemncenee 66 
 The Conflict with the Judaizers.................. 75 
 Problems of the Gentile Church............... 86 
 The Gospel Tested in a Heathen City 99 
 
 The Gospel’s Conflict with Idolatry 
 
 BON fe OVE CISTI Nes a hind meee 111 
 Organization in the New Testament 
 
 9] TEC a Sectie) ( HE RONSG SeStOne SeotCE Ont tah A Aa 120 
 feo nirches Leaching 3. aS 132 
 
 The Church’s Leading Missionary Be- 
 comes Its Greatest Doctrinal Writer 143 
 
 Forming an Indigenous Church.................. 155 
 ix 
 
CHAPTER 
 SSVilbe 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 XIX. 
 DOG 
 XXI. 
 XXIT. 
 XXII. 
 XXIV. 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The New Testament Church and the 
 Old sTestamenti wes tens anne eee 166 
 
 The New ‘Testament Church and 
 Humane byosophy 2 museca Lea 
 The Church and Its Temptations........... 188 
 The Church and Persecution... 199 
 The Church’s Need of the Gospelas............ 209 
 The Synoptic Story Of Jesus... 219 
 The Testimony of John’s Gospoel............... 230 
 The Christ of the New Testament........... 241 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 HOW DID THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 BEGIN? 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Luke 1: 1-4; 
 Acts 1: 1 to 2: 42 
 
 The Problems of the Chapter. We live in the 
 twentieth century and are known as Christians. Our 
 Christianity and the Christian Church are inseparably 
 connected. We usually profess our faith in Christ by 
 uniting with the Church. We find Christian fellowship 
 and inspiration and instruction in the Church. Our 
 Christianity is also closely connected with the sacred 
 Scriptures, especially the New Testament Scriptures. 
 How did the Church begin? What was its character 
 at the beginning? What was its relation to Jesus and 
 to the New Testament Scriptures? In this chapter 
 we are to begin our search fo the answers to these 
 questions. 
 
 The Book of The Acts. The Acts, which is the 
 basic book of our study at the beginning, and the 
 book which records the early story of the Church, is 
 one of the finest pieces of historical writing which is 
 known to literature. The author, we know, is Luke, 
 the Gentile physician, traveler, and Christian, who 
 wrote the Third Gospel. This is evident from the 
 comparison of Luke 1: 1-4 and Acts 1: 1, 2, and is 
 confirmed by the tradition of the Church. 
 
 1 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 The author’s method in writing his history should 
 be noted. His method marks him as a true historian. 
 Luke undertook to write a book because there was 
 danger of confusion concerning the fundamental 
 facts of the Christian religion, owing to the unre- 
 liability of tradition and to the appearance of accounts 
 from unauthoritative sources. His purpose was to 
 write a book which would be thoroughly reliable and 
 trustworthy, so that conviction might be based upon 
 it. His historical materials were examined with the 
 utmost care before they were accepted. He has 
 noted three sources of his material: testimony, 
 records, and personal observation. It was his policy 
 to draw from the testimony of trustworthy witnesses. 
 See Luke 1: 2. He made it his business to trace 
 traditions to their source and prove them. Luke 1:3. 
 He demanded convincing historical evidence, Acts 1:3, 
 which would provide a firm ground of assurance 
 concerning the truth, Luke 1: 4. His account of 
 Paul’s conversion, Acts 9: 1-19, was no doubt based 
 upon Paul’s own account of the occurrence, which 
 Luke heard often from the apostle’s own lips. In 
 some cases he drew from authoritative records. 
 The genealogy of Jesus was no doubt based upon a 
 careful search of genealogical lists. In Acts 15: 23-29, 
 he quoted a letter which was preserved in the records 
 of the Church, and in Acts 23: 26-30, he quoted a 
 letter which may have been sent to Rome as part of 
 the official record when Paul’s case was referred to 
 the court of Cesar. He also wrote out of personal 
 experience, for he was an observer of much which he 
 describes and narrates. Certain sections of The Acts, 
 
 2 
 
THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH 
 
 by the use of ‘‘we”’ or ‘‘us” in the narrative, indicate 
 that the author was a member of the party of whose 
 experiences he tells. Acts 16: 10-17; 20: 5 to 21: 18; 
 27324 to 28:16. 
 
 f 
 
 ‘Historical Accuracy. The accuracy of Luke as a 
 historian has been wonderfully vindicated. Incidental 
 reference to titles of officials, to geographical locations, 
 and to historical settings have stood the test of the 
 most exhaustive investigation. Modern research has 
 established the historical exactness of The Acts. 
 In “Luke the Historian in the Light of Research,” 
 A. T. Robertson discusses the historical accuracy of 
 both the Gospel by Luke and The Acts. 
 
 Only a few instances of historical accuracy may be 
 mentioned here. In Acts 13: 7, the governor of 
 Cyprus is called ‘‘proconsul.”’ The accuracy of this 
 title was often doubted because of a statement of 
 Strabo, a Greek geographer and historian who lived 
 from about 63 B.c. to about A.D. 24. He was a 
 great traveler. His history is largely lost but his 
 “Geographica’”’? has come down to us in seventeen 
 volumes almost complete. Strabo described Cyprus 
 as an imperatorial province administered by a legate. 
 When the New Testament historian spoke of Sergius 
 Paulus as ‘‘proconsul,’’ Luke’s accuracy was doubted. 
 But in the latter part of the nineteenth century 
 General di Cesnola discovered at Soli, Cyprus, an 
 inscription in Greek, reading, ‘‘Under the proconsul 
 Paulus.” In Acts 17: 8, the city officials of Thessa- 
 lonica are called ‘‘polyarchs” in Greek, or “rulers of 
 the city.”” This designation was said to be found in 
 
 3 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 no ancient writing, but it has been found in an old 
 archway in the modern city of Salonika, with the names 
 of seven polyarchs. In Acts, ch. 19, Luke used a 
 number of technical titles in referring to officials of 
 Ephesus. Among them are “‘townclerk,”’ ‘“‘Asiarchs,” 
 “shrine maker.”’ In inscriptions unearthed between 
 1863 and 1874, these titles are found again and again. 
 An experienced sailor, Captain James Smith, followed 
 the course described by Luke in his account of the 
 shipwreck in Acts, ch. 27, and has shown that the 
 account is accurate in the most. minute details. 
 
 , The Date of The Acts. Of course ancient books 
 like those of the New Testament do not bear a date 
 of publication or copyright as do our modern printed 
 volumes. Usually the only way to determine when 
 these books were written is by judging their date by 
 their contents in relation to the background of 
 history. The story of The Acts ends with Paul’s 
 two years’ imprisonment in Rome. If these two 
 years were from A.D. 61 to A.D. 63, the book must 
 have been written some time not earlier than A.D. 63. 
 And from the fact that the book makes no reference 
 to the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place in 
 A.D. 70, the conclusion has been drawn that the 
 book must have been written before that time. It is 
 probably safe to say that The Acts was written some 
 time in the seventh decade of the first century A.D. 
 
 ~ The Contents of the Book. A good portion of 
 
 the story of The Acts will be considered somewhat 
 
 in detail in these studies. It is sufficient at this 
 aa 
 
THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH 
 
 point to indicate that the book tells the story of the 
 New Testament Church from its beginning on the 
 day of Pentecost until the arrival of Paul in Rome. 
 The spread of the Church is traced geographically 
 from Jerusalem through Syria, Asia Minor, and 
 Europe, to Rome; the growth of the Church or- 
 ganically from the disciples under the leadership of 
 the Twelve to the scattered self-governing individual 
 churches which recognized the authority of the 
 apostles and the leadership of the mother church in 
 Jerusalem; and the development of the Church 
 doctrinally from the testimony of the apostles to the 
 Jews at Pentecost to the proclamation of the same 
 gospel of salvation by faith in Christ to Jews and 
 Gentiles alike. 
 
 Christ in the Church. The outstanding fact 
 about the New Testament Church is that it was the 
 Church of Jesus Christ. Jesus spoke of it as “my 
 church,” Matt. 16:18. Without him there could have 
 been no New Testament Church. He was its Founder, 
 its Builder, its Head, its Center, its Life. The whole 
 story of The Acts is the story of what Jesus wrought 
 in and through those who were related to him through 
 living faith. 
 
 When Jesus was crucified, the disciples weré hope- 
 less, Luke 24: 21, but the reality of his resurrection, 
 which was proved beyond a doubt, Acts 1: 8, revived 
 the hopes of the apostles and their closest associates, 
 led them to plan the work which Jesus had given them, 
 Acts 1: 4, and to reorganize the Twelve to carry on 
 the work when the Spirit should come, Acts 1: 15-26. 
 
 5 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 The explanation of their faith, their loyalty, and their 
 zeal was Christ. Back of the Church lay the personal 
 experience of the apostles who had been with Jesus 
 and learned of him. They were guided and controlled 
 and impelled by the teaching and example of Jesus. 
 What they said was what Jesus had told them to say. 
 What they did was what Jesus had taught them to do. 
 Their great purpose was through their testimony to 
 ‘lead others to know Jesus as they knew him, to believe 
 in Jesus as they believed in him, to follow Jesus as 
 they tried to follow him. 
 
 The Day of Pentecost. The New Testament 
 Church began its work on the day of Pentecost, fifty 
 days after the resurrection of Jesus and ten days after 
 his ascension. For this day the disciples had been 
 waiting according to Jesus’ directions, Acts 1:4. On 
 this day the Spirit came upon the Church, Acts 2: 1-4, 
 and Jesus’ promise was fulfilled. The ‘‘other com- 
 forter’”? had come to empower and guide the Church. 
 The “Spirit of Jesus” was in their midst. 
 
 The Universality of the Gospel. Pentecost was 
 known as the “feast of weeks,” and the Jewish law 
 required the attendance of all males at the feast. 
 Jerusalem was therefore crowded with Jews not only 
 from Judea and Galilee but also from distant lands 
 whence the faithful had returned in obedience to the 
 law. This explains the presence of men from many 
 nations. Though born and brought up in foreign 
 lands, the Jews were taught to keep the law and 
 thousands had come to Jerusalem for the feast. What 
 
 6 
 
 
 
AS 
 
 THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH 
 
 happened that day, Acts 2: 5-11, was virtually a 
 prophecy, a forecast of the Church’s work. These 
 believers in God from many lands heard the apostles 
 speaking in the tongues of the countries from which 
 they had come. _ As forerunners of the Church they 
 were to go back to these lands again to tell the message 
 of Jesus, and some day, in all lands and in the lan- 
 guages of the people, in obedience to the command of 
 Christ, the Church was to proclaim the message of 
 salvation through faith in Christ crucified and risen 
 and ascended. 
 
 The Message of the Church. The day of 
 Pentecost was a prophecy of the world-wide ministry 
 of the Church, but it was also an illustration of the 
 method of the Church in the carrying out of its 
 mission. Peter was the spokesman for the Twelve. 
 He declared that the New Testament Church and its 
 message and its work were the fulfillment of the Old 
 Testament teaching. Acts 2: 16-31. Then he gave. 
 his personal testimony to Christ, in which the rest of 
 the disciples shared. Acts 2: 32-86. Then he pro- 
 claimed the great message of the Church, the message 
 of salvation through faith in Christ. Acts 2: 37-40. 
 So, throughout it its history, the true Church has been 
 a Church which bore witness to the Christ whom the 
 apostles knew. 
 
 ~ Requirements of Church Members. The day 
 
 of Pentecost also illustrated the requirements for 
 
 membership in the Church of Christ: acceptance of 
 
 the gospel, confession of faith, and baptism, Acts 2: 
 av 7 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 41. It also gave an example of loyal Church member- 
 ship, characterized by growth in knowledge, sharing 
 in the support of the work of the Church, the ob- 
 servance of the Lord’s Supper, and attendance upon 
 meetings for worship and prayer, Acts 2: 42. 
 
 Summary. Thus at the very beginning of The 
 Acts, the purpose of which is to tell the story of the 
 New Testament Church, we find a preliminary state- 
 ment of the place of Christ in the Church, the essential 
 work of the Holy Spirit, the great world-wide mission 
 of the Church, the importance of witnessing for 
 Christ, the gospel of salvation as the Church’s message, 
 the requirements for Church membership, and the 
 obligations and duties which Church membership 
 involves. All these points will be more fully developed 
 in the story which Luke has thus introduced. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT! 
 
 1. Why do we identify the author of The Acts with the author 
 of the Third Gospel? 
 
 2. How was Luke qualified to write a history of the Church 
 in the days of the apostles? 
 
 3. Make a list of evidences of the accuracy of Luke as a 
 historian. See A. T. Robertson’s “Luke the Historian in the 
 Light of Research.” 
 
 4. Study Acts 1: 1 to 2: 41 with a view to noting each incident 
 or reference that illustrates the Christ-centered character of 
 Christianity and of the Church at the time of Pentecost. 
 
 5. In the Apostolic Church what was the place of personal 
 testimony to the historical facts concerning Jesus? 
 
 6. What were the requirements for Church membership when 
 the Church began its work at Pentecost? Compare these re- 
 quirements with the requirements for Church membership to-day. 
 
 1See Foreword, 
 
 8 
 
THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH 
 
 fi 7. Prepare a map and locate the places represented by the 
 // multitude who heard the gospel on the day of Pentecost. What 
 is the significance of the results of this geographical study? 
 
 THE Books oF THE NEw TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel:— Romans James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians II John 
 
 The Acts Philippians Iii John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 I Timothy 
 II Timothy 
 Titus 
 Philemon 
 Hebrews 
 
CHAPTER I 
 THE MESSAGE OF THE TWELVE 
 Seripture Material to Be Read: Acts, chs. 2 to 4 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. Christianity is 
 a religion with a message. The commission of Jesus 
 to his Church was to “go” and “teach.” Matt. 28: 
 18-20; Acts 1:8. The Twelve whom Jesus appointed 
 to be leaders in the Church were called apostles, 
 which means ‘“‘sent out.” They had been especially 
 trained to go out to preach the gospel. Mark 3: 14. 
 The Church is primarily a teaching institution, Its 
 missionaries are sent out to declare the gospel, to 
 deliver a message, to teach truth. Christianity 
 appeals to the emotions and it influences character 
 and conduct, but these results are attained through 
 a message. Truth is in order to godliness, but truth 
 is the fundamental thing in Christianity because it is 
 the foundation of godliness. The apostles were 
 therefore primarily teachers. They were to make 
 something known. They were witnesses. 
 
 In this lesson we are to seek the answer to the 
 question, ‘‘What did the apostles teach?” In the 
 study of this course we shall find that the whole 
 New Testament is an elaboration of the teaching of 
 the Twelve, which was the message that Jesus gave 
 them to teach; but in this lesson we shall try to 
 discover what the message of the apostles was at the 
 very first. What can we learn about the teaching of 
 
 10 
 
THE MESSAGE OF THE TWELVE 
 
 the Twelve from the sermon of Peter on the day of 
 Pentecost and from the addresses of the apostles in 
 the Temple and before the sanhedrin? 
 
 The Religious and Historical Background of 
 the Apostles’ Teaching. The sermon of Peter on 
 the day of Pentecost was not an attempt to make 
 known to an audience religious and historical facts of 
 which they were entirely ignorant. Peter talked 
 mostly about things with which his audience was 
 rather familiar- He appealed to their knowledge of 
 the Old Testament Seriptures and of facts of common 
 experience in recent days, for, as Paul once said con- 
 cerning Jesus’ life and teaching, these things were not 
 done ‘“‘in a corner.”’ Jesus Christ was a well-known 
 figure, and his teaching -and the outstanding events 
 of his life were common knowledge. Back of what 
 Peter said, therefore, lay the Old Testament and the 
 life and teaching of Jesus. His chief concern was to 
 interpret facts. He wanted to show his hearers what 
 the Old Testament meant and what the life and 
 character and work of Jesus meant. The great 
 facts were more or less familiar to his audience; the 
 meaning of these facts would be new to them. 
 
 The Sermon at Pentecost. (1) Oxtp TESTAMENT 
 PropHEecy. The multitudes on the day of Pentecost 
 were amazed by the fact that, although they had come 
 from many lands where many languages were spoken, 
 each language group heard the apostles speaking in 
 the tongue of their native place. Some said that the 
 strange tongues were the babbling of drunken men. 
 
 11 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Peter therefore undertook to explain the meaning of 
 what the people saw and heard. He declared that 
 what they saw and heard was the fulfillment of Old 
 Testament prophecy. ‘This indicates that he knew 
 that his hearers were familiar with the Old Testament 
 Scriptures. Otherwise what he said would have had 
 no force for them. He declared that the great day to 
 which the prophets had looked forward had at last 
 come. He quoted Joel 2: 28-82, which in the Hebrew 
 Old Testament is a separate chapter of the book. 
 The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ 
 followers and the power to speak in strange tongues 
 was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, and now was the 
 time when, according to the prophet, salvation was 
 offered to those who would look to God for it. He 
 quoted also from Psalm 16: 8-11, and declared that 
 those words were not fulfilled in the experience of 
 David, but were fulfilled in Christ. Acts 2: 25-32. 
 He said also that the ascension of Jesus had fulfilled 
 the prophecy of Psalm 110. Acts 2: 34-36. The 
 apostles supported their testimony, therefore, by 
 appealing to the Old Testament Scriptures which the 
 Jews had been taught were the Word of God. The 
 New Testament Church, then, taught that the Old 
 Testament was the Word of God which was fulfilled 
 in the life and work of Jesus and was to be further | 
 fulfilled through the ministry of the Church in the 
 world. 
 
 (2) Tue Facts Anout Jesus. The references of 
 Peter to the Old Testament were intended to open 
 the minds of his hearers to accept his interpretation 
 of the facts about Jesus. The apostles were called 
 
 12 
 
THE MESSAGE OF THE TWELVE 
 
 to be Christ’s witnesses, to declare what they had 
 seen and heard. What, then, did the apostles think 
 were the most important facts about Jesus which they 
 were to declare? What were the great essentials 
 concerning Jesus which they proclaimed? No doubt 
 Peter’s sermon is given in The Acts in mere outline, 
 but the outline would certainly indicate the chief 
 points in his sermon. What are the facts about 
 Jesus which Peter declared in Acts 2: 14-40? Read 
 this passage and note the points in his teaching 
 for yourself. 
 
 (a) Jesus, Peter said, first of all, is “Jesus of 
 Nazareth.’ Acts. 2: 22. -This ieee the whole 
 background of Jesus’ life as a man. He was the Jesus 
 who was brought up in Nazareth and who became 
 known as the great Teacher. (6) Peter declared also 
 that Jesus was the great Miracle Worker, In Peter’s 
 day this did not need to be proved, “Everyone knew 
 Jesus as the one who had wrought mighty works and 
 ‘ wonders and signs. Acts 2: 22. (c) Then Peter em- 
 phasized the death of Jesus; he was Christ crucified. 
 (d) Then followed the resurrection, and the ascension. 
 (e) Jesus is therefore the Lord of Glory, and the Holy 
 Spirit is the gift. of Jesus. Acts 2: 33-36. Run 
 through this paragraph again and note once more the 
 outstanding facts concerning Jesus which Peter pro- 
 claimed in this first declaration of the gospel by 
 ‘the Church. 
 
 (8) Conctusions ABout Jesus. Thus far Peter 
 ‘had witnessed to facts about Jesus. Many of these 
 the multitude knew well enough. Of some of these 
 facts the apostles were witnesses and in support of 
 
 13 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 these, namely, the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, 
 they gave their testimony. But what conclusions 
 did Peter draw from these facts? Teaching is not 
 merely stating facts, however clearly they may be 
 stated. Teaching is helping the pupil to interpret 
 facts in a vital way. Now note Peter’s interpretation 
 of these facts about Jesus, Acts 2: 36-39. Observe 
 that Peter declared the Messiahship of Jesus: he is 
 both “‘Lord and Christ.” Jesus was exalted to the 
 place of supreme authority: he is Lord. Peter de- 
 clared also that Jesus is the Messiah, the Deliverer of 
 the Jews. To this Jesus—crucified, risen, exalted— 
 Peter’s hearers owed allegiance, for they were to be 
 baptized into his name, that is, publicly to declare their 
 faith in him and loyalty to him and their purpose to 
 follow him. Peter also exhorted his hearers to “save 
 themselves.” Join this with the quotation in Acts 2: 
 
 , “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord 
 shall be saved,” and v. 38, ‘“‘Unto the remission of your 
 sins,”’ and it is plain that Peter proclaimed Jesus as’ 
 the Deliverer from sin, or the Saviour. ‘With many 
 other words he testified, and exhorted them” so it is 
 evident that he explained more fully the significance 
 of what has been so briefly outlined here by Luke, 
 but these points are clearly the heart of Peter’s 
 message. He taught that Jesus, the story of whose 
 life and teaching we know through the Gospels, was 
 the great Miracle Worker, who died on the cross of 
 Calvary, rose again on the third day, ascended into 
 heaven and is seated at the right hand of God, and 
 is to be accepted as Saviour from sin and to be obeyed 
 and followed as Lord. 
 
 14 
 
THE MESSAGE OF THE TWELVE 
 
 In the Temple. The apostles had not only 
 listened to Jesus’ teaching; they had also caught his 
 spirit. So when Peter and John went into the Temple, 
 they were moved with sympathy for the lame man 
 at the gate and in Jesus’ name healed him. Acts 3: 
 1-10. The gathering of the crowd to see the man who 
 had been so miraculously healed gave Peter an 
 opportunity to preach to them. It was not yet 
 evident that the followers of Jesus were to be a 
 separate sect. They were Jews who believed that 
 Jesus was the Christ and the Saviour, and who wished 
 to persuade all the Jews to believe as they believed. 
 The Temple was still the disciples’ place of worship, 
 the house of God. So Peter preached Jesus to the 
 multitudes who gathered in the Temple. Study what 
 he said. Acts 3: 12-26. Note that what he taught at 
 Pentecost is now taught again, in a little different 
 way and with elaboration in places but with the same 
 ereat facts and conclusions. The God they preached 
 is the God the Jews knew, the God of the Old Testa- 
 ment, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. 
 Their God had glorified Jesus who was the Servant 
 referred to in the Old Testament. He had been 
 crucified, but God had raised him from the dead. 
 Of Jesus’ death his hearers knew; of his resurrection 
 the apostles were witnesses. It was this risen Jesus 
 who had made the lame man strong. Then Peter 
 proclaimed Jesus as the Saviour from sin. Again he 
 supported his claims by quoting the Old Testament 
 Scriptures which he declared Jesus had fulfilled. 
 Even Jesus’ suffering was a fulfillment of the Scrip- 
 tures. Jesus fulfilled the promises of Moses and of 
 
 15 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Samuel and the prophets who followed him. Through 
 Jesus, also, the promise to Abraham was to be 
 fulfilled. 
 
 Before the Council. Brought before the Jewish 
 council, or sanhedrin, the highest court of the Jews, 
 again Peter declared the chief facts concerning Jesus: 
 that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, that he rose 
 again, and that he is the living Lord whose power had 
 healed the lame man, that he is the One whose coming 
 had been prophesied in the Old Testament Scriptures, 
 and that in him, and in him alone, is salvation to be 
 found. Acts 4: 10-12. 
 
 --Summary. There can be no doubt concerning 
 what the apostles taught. They declared not only 
 that their teaching was in harmony with the Old 
 Testament Scriptures but that the life and ministry 
 of Jesus explained and fulfilled the Old Testament 
 Scriptures. In fulfillment of the Old Testament 
 Scriptures Jesus of Nazareth lived and taught and 
 wrought his signs; he was crucified but rose again 
 from the dead; he ascended into heaven; he sent his 
 Spirit into the world; and he is the only Saviour from 
 sin. 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 “1. Make an outline or syllabus of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost. 
 
 2. Indicate the parts of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost that 
 would not readily be understood by hearers who knew nothing 
 of the Old Testament or its religion, or who knew nothing of the 
 current reports about Jesus. 
 
 3. Where can present-day readers of Peter’s sermon at Pente- 
 cost find the information which the multitudes possessed and 
 which will make his sermon intelligible to them? 
 
 16 
 
THE MESSAGE OF THE TWELVE 
 
 4. Which of the four Gospels is generally said to give the 
 personal testimony of Peter concerning Jesus? Why? Consult 
 a Bible dictionary under ‘‘Gospels.”’ 
 
 5. Make a list of the main points concerning Jesus which 
 found a place in the preaching and teaching of the apostles at 
 Pentecost, in the Temple, and before the sanhedrin. 
 
 6. What truths or doctrines of the Christian religion did the 
 apostles teach? 
 
 7. Make a list of the most important teachings concerning 
 Jesus which you have heard taught in the Church and compare 
 the list with your answer to Question 5. 
 
 Tuer Books or THE NEW TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel :— Romans James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark II Corinthians IT Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians II John 
 
 The Acts Philippians III John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 17 
 
CHAPTER III 
 THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 2: 41 to 4: 37 
 
 The Problems of the Chapter. At Pentecost 
 the body of believersin Jesus, known as the Church, 
 took up its work. What was that work? What 
 different kinds of things did it do? Is the work of 
 the Church to-day a development of the work oegun 
 at Pentecost, or is it a departure from the work of 
 the Church at Pentecost? Is the Church doing less 
 or more to-day? Why? 
 
 The Ministry of Teaching. The _ preceding 
 chapter emphasized the thought that the Church, 
 as an organized body of believers, was an institution 
 ne a message. Jesus’ commission to the Church 
 
 , “Go, teach.”” The most important heritage of 
 ie (Ginn was its gospel, the message of salvation 
 through Christ. 
 
 Because the Church is a. teaching institution, 
 teachers have always been given an important place 
 in the Church. ‘Teaching’ is a word which may well 
 be underscored in reading the New Testament. So 
 we find that the believers who were won by the 
 preaching of Peter and of the rest of the Twelve, 
 “continued stedfastly in the apostles’ teaching,” 
 
 \ Acts 2: 42, 
 The teaching of the Church was primarily the 
 18 
 
THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH 
 
 gospel. This may readily be concluded from the 
 account of the early Church in The Acts, and also 
 from epistles of the New Testament which were 
 written to the various churches and Christian workers. 
 In teaching the gospel, the apostles assumed knowl- 
 edge previously acquired by those whom they taught. 
 The first members of the Church were Jews who had 
 been taught the sacred Scriptures of the Old Testa- 
 ment, who had been brought up in Jewish homes, and 
 who had been instructed in the synagogue schools. 
 Thus they had the religious instruction of the home 
 and the synagogue. The work of the Church was to 
 organize this knowledge about the central fact of 
 Christ and his work as Saviour. The recorded ex- 
 amples of the teaching of the apostles, as they went 
 from place to place and taught in the synagogues, 
 show this. 
 But what would the apostles and missionaries do 
 when they went to places where there was no in- 
 struction. in the true religion in the homes? What 
 would they do when they had to deal with people 
 who had not been taught the Old Testament Scrip- 
 tures and had not been instructed in the synagogue 
 schools? Because the great task of the Church was 
 the task of teaching, the Church would have to 
 provide the necessary instruction to carry out its 
 purpose. The Church must ground converts in the 
 faith. Like the apostles in dealing with the Jews, 
 the Church to-day assumes the education which the 
 young receive in home and school, but whenever 
 there is lack of this elementary education, the Church 
 must itself provide it. In mission lands, therefore, 
 19 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 we find the missionaries establishing schools for the 
 education of the people and particularly for the 
 education of its future leaders. In our own country 
 most of the colleges were established by the Church 
 for the education of its own leaders. 
 
 The Church in the days of the apostles made pro- 
 vision for ‘the education of its members and of its 
 leadership, and the modern educational work of the 
 Church is altogether in harmony with the apostolic 
 example. 
 
 The Ministry of Worship. Worship also had a 
 large place in the ministry of the Church. The early 
 converts of Pentecost continued stedfastly in ‘the 
 prayers.” Acts 2: 42. This has been explained as 
 “the prayers and Psalms of the old Jewish ritual, 
 together with new supplications in which Jesus was 
 invoked as Lord.”’ These were services of worship. 
 The believers also worshiped in the Temple. Acts 2: 
 46. There the apostles went at the hour of prayer. 
 Acts 3: 1. When the apostles were released from 
 prison, a meeting for prayer and praise was held. 
 Acts 4: 23-31. ; 
 
 As the New Testament Church availed itself of the 
 education of the Old Testament Judaism, so the 
 New Testament Church brought over also the Jewish 
 practices of worship. They worshiped God with 
 psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. They en- 
 gaged in prayer. Jesus himself had given the dis- 
 ciples a guide in prayer. Matt.6:9-15. The followers 
 of Jesus worshiped in the Temple and in the syna- 
 gogues and in private homes. When they were driven 
 
 20 
 
THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH 
 
 from the synagogues they began to provide their 
 own places of worship. 
 
 The custom of having a church building for services 
 of prayer and praise and the preaching of the Word is 
 the natural outgrowth of the practice of the Church 
 from the very first. 
 
 The Ministry of the Sacraments. From the 
 very beginning the Christian Church has observed 
 two special ceremonies, appointed by Christ himself. 
 These are the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s 
 Supper. Peter taught that baptism—which was the 
 sign of repentance, of cleansing from sin, of faith in 
 Christ, and of loyalty to him—was to be adminis- 
 tered to those who united with the Church. It was 
 the sacrament of initiation. Acts 2: 38, 41. So Saul 
 of Tarsus was baptized. Acts 9:18. So also was the 
 Ethiopian baptized when he wished to declare his 
 faith in Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. Acts 8: 38. 
 In harmony with this practice at the very beginning 
 of the New Testament Church, the sacrament of 
 baptism is still the initiatory rite of the Christian 
 Church. 
 
 A second sacrament was observed in the Church. 
 This was the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. This 
 sacrament had been established by Jesus himself. 
 Luke 22: 14-20. It was often referred to as “the 
 breaking of bread.’”? From the very first this sacra- 
 ment was observed in the New Testament Church as 
 a memorial of Christ’s death. Compare Acts 20: 7 
 and I Cor. 11: 17-34. 
 
 The Church’s observance of these two sacraments 
 
 21 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 to-day is a practice which has come down directly 
 from the Church of the apostles, and can be traced 
 back to the day of Pentecost and to the command of 
 Jesus. 
 
 The Ministry to Temporal Needs. Gratitude 
 to God for his unspeakable gift of Christ as Saviour 
 so filled the hearts of believers that their thankful- 
 ness and joy overflowed in thoughtful and unselfish 
 service to others. Spontaneously the believers brought 
 their possessions into a common treasury out of | 
 which the needs of all could be met. They fed the 
 hungry and clothed the naked and visited the sick, 
 thus fulfilling the teaching of Jesus. The Church 
 became known in Jerusalem as an organization which 
 ministered to the necessities of the poor. Acts 2: 
 44-47; 4: 32, 34-37. The New Testament Church 
 felt that it could not do otherwise. The love of God 
 prompted them to show their own love in sympathetic 
 and generous ministry to the temporal needs of others. 
 Compare I John 3: 17. 
 
 To-day the poor of the community are ministered 
 to largely through charitable societies... A good part 
 of the funds of these societies comes from givers 
 whose spirit of kindness is largely the fruit of the 
 ministry of the Church. But these funds are not 
 administered directly by the Church. The workers 
 also in these charitable organizations are largely 
 recruited from the Church. Is it a loss or a gain 
 when secular organizations instead of the Church 
 take charge of the ministry of relief to the poor of 
 the community? 
 
 22 
 
THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH 
 
 The Ministry of Healing. There were miracles 
 of healing in the New Testament Church at its very 
 beginning. Acts 2: 48; 3: 1-10. These miracles of 
 healing were prompted by sympathy, and they were 
 in accord with the example of Jesus, but they were 
 signs of God’s approval of the Church and its gospel 
 ‘message, and of the apostles as the authorized repre- 
 sentatives of Jesus. Not all the sick were healed. 
 Paul himself, who at times wrought miracles of 
 healing, did not heal some of his dearest friends, and 
 his own “thorn in the flesh’? was not removed. The 
 true conception is that the Church ministered to 
 the sick, sometimes healing disease, but always giving 
 comfort and sympathy and aid. 
 
 The medical-missionary work of the Church to-day 
 is parallel to this ministry of the Church in the days 
 of the apostles. To the people of non-Christian lands 
 the wonders wrought by physicians and surgeons in 
 their ministry in the name of Christ are as marvelous 
 as were the miracles of the apostles. Certainly the 
 medical missionaries are prompted by the same 
 motives as were the apostles, and their healing min- 
 istry in a similar way opens the door for the preaching 
 of the gospel. Following the example of the New 
 Testament Church, the Church to-day has its hospitals 
 and its nurses and its ministry to the sick. In non- 
 Christian lands the first hospitals are established by 
 the Christian missionary. The Christian. Church 
 becomes known for its ministry to the sick. 
 
 Summary. The Church, as it began its work at 
 Pentecost and carried it on immediately after Pen- 
 
 23 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 tecost, gave first place to its ministry of preaching and 
 teaching. It maintained its services of worship and 
 its observance of the sacraments of baptism and the 
 Lord’s Supper. It also ministered to temporal 
 needs, especially of its members, and carried on a 
 ministry of healing. We find, therefore, that the 
 Church, while putting the ministry of the Word and 
 of prayer first, sought to minister to every need of 
 man which was not met through some other agency. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. With what different educational situation would the 
 Church have to deal among the Jews of Jerusalem and among the 
 Gentiles of heathen lands? What corresponding difference would 
 there be in the Church’s educational ministry of teaching? 
 
 / \/2,. How far did the Apostolic Church use the worship facilities 
 
 and materials of the Jewish religion? When would it become 
 necessary for the Christian Church to make full provision for its 
 own ministry of worship? 
 
 3. What were the sacraments of the Apostolic Church? What 
 place do the sacraments have in the Church to-day? 
 
 4. Why would the New Testament Church have to provide 
 for its own poor? Is the Church’s obligation to the poor of the 
 community greater or less to-day? What is the relation of the 
 Church’s ministry to the temporal necessities of the community? 
 to the community’s attitude toward the Church? 
 
 5. Compare the apostles’ ministry of healing and the Church’s 
 ministry of healing to-day. What is the difference in the testi- 
 mony to Christ of community hospitals and dispensaries in 
 Christian lands and the distinctively missionary hospitals in non- 
 Christian lands? 
 
THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH 
 
 Tue Books oF THE New TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel:— 
 According to Matthew 
 According to Mark 
 According to Luke 
 According to John . 
 
 The Acts 
 
 Romans 
 
 I Corinthians 
 II Corinthians 
 Galatians 
 Ephesians 
 Philippians 
 Colossians 
 
 I Thessalonians 
 II Thessalonians 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 Hebrews 
 
 James 
 
 I Peter 
 
 II Peter 
 
 I John 
 
 II John 
 III John 
 Jude 
 Revelation 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 THE CHURCH ORGANIZES FOR ITS 
 MINISTRY 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 1: 15-26; 6: 1-6 
 
 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. It is significant 
 that the Church is often called in the New Testament 
 “the body of Christ.”” This means that Jesus is 
 the Church’s life, and that this life organizes about 
 it a body through which to express itself and do its 
 work. The Church, therefore, is to be viewed as 
 alive, much as a human -body is alive. We may 
 expect it to adapt itself to its task and to its environ- 
 ment. The Church as an organization grew in 
 numbers, but it also grew into its work. Jesus did 
 not hand over to the Church a completed organization 
 thoroughly worked out, any more than God gives to 
 the plant a complete organization. He gives the 
 seed and in that seed is the potential plant which 
 will be formed as the seed develops in its environ- 
 ment. The Holy Spirit was the controlling influence 
 in the organization of the New Testament Church 
 for its work. Thus the body of Christ, so far as its 
 external organization is concerned, was developed. 
 In this chapter we are to try to discover what were the 
 beginnings of organization in the Christian Church. 
 
 Jesus and Organization. That the apostles 
 brought organization into the Church is not sur- 
 26 
 
THE CHURCH ORGANIZES FOR ITS MINISTRY 
 
 prising, for as disciples of Jesus they must have 
 learned to lay emphasis upon organization. Jesus 
 was an organizer. When the Pharisees took counsel 
 with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus, 
 he appointed twelve that they might be with him 
 and that he might send them forth to preach. Mark 
 3: 6, 14. When the Pharisees and their allies or- 
 ganized their campaign against Jesus, Jesus organized 
 his own campaign for the achievement of his great 
 purpose. 
 
 When there were five thousand to be fed, Jesus 
 had them sit down on the ground in companies, thus 
 not only preventing the confusion which would be 
 caused by the people moving about, but also facilitat- 
 ing the orderly distribution of the food to the com- 
 panies or ranks. Then he made the twelve apostles 
 his directors in the distribution. In this way, by a 
 simple organization, at the time of the emergency, 
 he saw that the great undertaking was put through 
 with ease and dispatch. Again, when he sent out the 
 Seventy, he sent them out two by two. He planned 
 carefully to cover in a systematic way the territory 
 he wished to reach. So when he planned to have the 
 Church carry out his Great Commission, he made the 
 Twelve, whom he had taught and trained, the leaders 
 in the work of the Church, sent the Holy Spirit 
 to be the guide of the Church, and depended upon the 
 trained apostles, under the guidance of the Spirit, to 
 organize the Church to meet every emergency. This, 
 we find, is exactly what took place in the New Testa- 
 ment Church, as we follow its story as Luke tells it 
 in The Acts. 
 
 27 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 The Twelve. At the beginning the Church was 
 under the direction of the Twelve whom Jesus had 
 himself taught and trained. Mark 3: 138-19; Eph. 4: 
 11. That the Twelve were the nucleus of the Church’s 
 organization was recognized by the apostles: them- 
 selves. While they were waiting for the coming of the 
 Holy Spirit, according to the command and promise 
 of Jesus, they must have been thinking of the work 
 of the Church, and particularly of the organization 
 which was to carry on the work, for Peter called 
 attention to the fact that the disloyalty and death of 
 Judas had disrupted their organization. Jesus had 
 appointed twelve to be leaders and directors in the 
 Church, and now there were but eleven. Accordingly 
 he suggested that they should proceed with a plan 
 to secure a substitute for Judas, to complete the 
 organization Jesus had in mind. Matthias was 
 therefore chosen by lot. Acts 1: 15-26. 
 
 - That the apostleship was a temporary office in the 
 Church is evident from the requirements for this 
 office, Acts 1: 21, 22. An apostle must have been 
 with Jesus from the beginning, so that he could bea 
 first-hand witness of what Jesus had said and done. 
 It was necessary also that he should have continued 
 with Jesus until his death and resurrection, so that 
 he might witness to these two great facts in the life 
 and ministry of Jesus. The apostleship, therefore, 
 eould not be a permanent. office in the Church, but the 
 Twelve constituted the nucleus of the organization 
 at the beginning of the New Testament Church. 
 Paul was the special apostle to the Gentiles. While 
 he had not followed with Jesus from the beginning, 
 28 
 
THE CHURCH ORGANIZES FOR ITS MINISTRY 
 
 he received his gospel message directly from Christ, 
 and through his vision of Jesus on the way to Damas- 
 cus became a witness to his resurrection. I Cor. 9: 
 1; 15: 1-10; Acts 9: 1-9. The term ‘‘apostle” was 
 sometimes used in a less technical sense in the New 
 Testament, the word having in these instances the 
 ordinary sense of “one sent.”’ Thus it is applied to 
 Barnabas. Compare Acts 18: 3 and 14: 4, 14. 
 
 In Chapter III we saw that the great task of the 
 Church was the work of teaching. Accordingly the 
 apostles were primarily teachers, for they had been 
 with Jesus and learned of him, and they were wit- 
 nesses of the resurrection. They were able to pass 
 on to others the teaching of Jesus, to tell of his life 
 and ministry, and to witness to his resurrection. So 
 the Church, as it began its ministry, was organized 
 first for its primary task of teaching under the leader- 
 ship and direction and authority of the apostles. 
 
 The worship of the Church and the administering 
 of the sacraments were also under the direction of 
 the apostles. They called the people to repentance 
 and baptism. They led in the observance of the 
 Lord’s Supper. They had direction of the ministry 
 of the word and the prayers. Thus the very simple 
 organization of the Church under the spiritual leader- 
 ship of the Twelve met the needs immediately 
 following Pentecost. 
 
 Deacons. ‘The Church soon faced a new situ- 
 ation, however. As we saw in Chapter III, the 
 Church not only maintained its ministry of teaching 
 and worship and the sacraments, but it had its 
 
 29 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 ministry to the poor. With great unselfishness the 
 members of the Church called nothing their own, 
 but brought their possessions to the apostles and 
 deposited them in a common fund on which the 
 apostles could draw to meet the needs of the poor. 
 At this point the growing Church found its first need 
 for organization to meet a new element in its ministry. 
 Burdened with their responsibilities and duties in 
 connection with the ministry of teaching, worship, 
 and the sacraments, the apostles found that they 
 could not administer the poor funds with efficiency. 
 Yet the poor must be cared for, and the apostles 
 must not turn aside from the primary work of their 
 spiritual ministry. The solution of the difficulty was 
 found in organization. Provision was made in the 
 Church for a new office. Deacons were appointed to 
 have oversight of the material interests of the Church, 
 under the direction of the apostles. In the Christian 
 Church everything must be done decently and in 
 order, and organization must be planned to this end. 
 In the appointment of deacons, whose work it was to 
 administer the poor fund of the Church, we find in 
 operation the principle that the Church is to organize 
 itself for the efficient performance of its ministry. 
 
 Elders. In view of the fact that the apostleship 
 was not permanent, because the apostles must be 
 men who had been with Jesus and witnessed his 
 resurrection, the time was coming when the Church 
 must be under the direction of leaders who had re- 
 ceived the gospel from others and who believed in 
 the resurrection of Jesus on the testimony of others. 
 
 30 
 
THE CHURCH ORGANIZES FOR ITS MINISTRY 
 
 After the apostles there must be in the Church 
 officers who would have the oversight of the teaching, 
 worship, and sacramental ministry of the Church. 
 Provision was made for this in the appointment of 
 elders. The eldership in the New Testament Church 
 will be considered in Chapter XIII. 
 
 Particular Churches. The Church began its 
 work in Jerusalem with one hundred and twenty 
 disciples under the leadership of the Twelve.. On the 
 day of Pentecost three thousand members were 
 added to the Church. Acts 2:41. Soon the Church 
 had grown to such an extent that there were about 
 five thousand adult male members in the Church, if 
 we are to interpret the Greek word ‘“‘men”’ in its strict 
 sense. Five thousand could scarcely be accommodated 
 in any building which was available for Christian 
 worship. Smaller groups would have to be formed 
 for instruction in Christian doctrine. As Jews, the 
 believers in Jesus were accustomed to synagogues or 
 separate congregations for worship in Jerusalem. We 
 should naturally expect, therefore, that the believers 
 in Jerusalem would form a number of congregations, 
 meeting in homes or in other convenient places. 
 These congregations would be under the particular 
 oversight of elders, as the synagogues had been. As 
 the Church spread from Jerusalem to other places, 
 following the persecution in Jerusalem, groups of 
 Christians would be formed for instruction and 
 worship. These groups would need to be organized 
 into what have been called particular churches. We 
 know that when Paul and his companions were on 
 
 3l 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 their missionary journeys and won converts, they 
 organized congregations or churches and elders were 
 appointed and put in authority over the churches. 
 Acts 14: 23. If occasion demanded it, deacons also 
 might be appointed. 
 
 Summary. The Church is the body of Christ, 
 organized to perform its ministry, and its organiza- 
 tion is flexible enough to make it adaptable to changing 
 needs and conditions. The Church began with the 
 simple direction of the apostles, who had been trained 
 by Jesus himself for their ministry as witnesses. The . 
 apostles had the direction of the ministry of worship 
 and teaching and the sacraments. As the Church 
 took up its ministry of the temporal needs of its 
 members, deacons were appointed to have the over- 
 sight of this special ministry, that the apostles might 
 be free to give themselves to their special and more 
 important ministry of the word and of prayer. Pro- 
 vision was made for the oversight and direction of 
 the Church after the death of the apostles by the 
 election of elders who would, as far as this was possible, 
 carry on their ministry. As the Church grew, separate 
 congregations were organized, under the immediate 
 oversight of elders, but at first under the higher 
 authority of the apostles. Thus we find the Church 
 adapting its organization to its task and to its en- 
 vironment, but always keeping its organization 
 subservient to its ministry. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. What examples can you find in the Gospels of Jesus’ use 
 of system and organization? 
 
 32 
 
THE CHURCH ORGANIZES FOR ITS MINISTRY 
 
 2. How did the apostles, even before Pentecost, show their 
 recognition of the importance of organization in the Church? 
 
 3. Study the passages in the New Testament which refer to 
 the Church as the body of Christ and be prepared to show what 
 principles these passages teach concerning organization in the 
 Church. The passages can be found by consulting a good Bible 
 concordance under “‘body.”’ 
 
 4. Prepare to report to the class concerning the form of 
 organization in the Jewish synagogue and to compare this with 
 the organization in the Apostolic Church. See a good Bible 
 dictionary under “Synagogue,” or see ““The Life and Times of 
 Jesus the Messiah,” by Edersheim, Vol. I, Book III, Chapter X. 
 
 5. What does the incident of the Beeton of deacons show 
 concerning the apostles’ view of the primary function of the 
 Church? 
 
 6. What does the incident of the election of teas show 
 
 concerning the attitude of the apostles toward organization in 
 the Ch arch? 
 
 THE BooKS OF THE New TESTAMENT 7 
 
 The Gospel:— Romie oy; ames 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 _ According to Mark II Corinthians If Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I- John 
 According to John -: Ephesians Ii John 
 The Acts Philippians III John 
 _ Cologsians _Jude 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 I Timothy 
 II Timothy 
 Titus 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 33 
 
CHAPTER V 
 THE CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 3:1 to 8:1; 9:1,2 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. Why could not 
 believers in Jesus continue as a sect within Judaism? 
 
 The Church as a Jewish Sect. Jesus was born 
 of a Jewish mother, was brought up in a Jewish home 
 according to the Jewish customs, and was taught in 
 the Jewish synagogue school. The God Jesus re- 
 vealed was the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of 
 Jacob. Jesus worshiped in the Jewish Temple, 
 attended and taught in the synagogue, observed the 
 Jewish feasts, and knew and used the books of the 
 Old Testament, which were the sacred Scriptures of 
 the Jews. 
 
 The twelve apostles were Jews, brought up accord- 
 ing to the Jewish traditions. They also worshiped 
 in the Temple, attended the synagogue, and observed 
 the feasts. Even after the death and resurrection of 
 Jesus they continued to go to the Temple and to 
 observe many of the Jewish customs. At first, 
 therefore, the Church, which was composed of be- 
 lievers in Jesus, was a company within Judaism who 
 believed that the Messiah had come. 
 
 These believers were eager to persuade others of 
 their nation and religion to believe in Jesus as the 
 Messiah and Saviour. This sect within Judaism 
 
 34 
 
THE CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM 
 
 grew from one hundred and twenty believers to three 
 thousand and then to five thousand. Soon it became 
 evident that this sect of believers in Jesus could not 
 continue within the fold of Judaism. Jesus had 
 taught that a new patch of cloth cannot be sewed on 
 an old garment without rending it, Matt. 2: 21, and 
 so Christianity could not be made a part of the 
 fabric of traditional and legalistic Judaism. ‘There 
 were essential differences between Judaism and 
 Christianity which made inevitable the separation 
 of the two. What were these differences? This 
 chapter will attempt to answer this question by an 
 examination of the events which are described in 
 The Acts, in connection with the beginning of the 
 persecution of the Church of Judaism. 
 
 The Conflict of the Apostles. Jesus had been 
 crucified on the authority of Pilate, the Roman 
 governor, or procurator, through the pressure of 
 popular demand, which was in turn prompted and 
 guided by the Jewish leaders. After Pentecost the 
 Church was at first not unpopular in Jerusalem. 
 The joy of the disciples, the ministry of the Church 
 to the poor, and the healing miracles of the apostles 
 combined to make the Church popular with the 
 people. They felt toward the Church much as the 
 multitudes had at first felt toward Jesus. But the 
 same influences which had turned popular opinion 
 against Jesus now began to exert themselves against 
 the Church. } 
 
 When the apostles healed the lame man in the 
 Temple, Acts 3: 1-10, they took advantage of the 
 
 35 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 opportunity to teach the crowd which assembled. 
 Peter and John made plain that they preached the 
 God of the Jews, the God of Abraham and of Isaac 
 and of Jacob, the God of the Old Testament Scrip- 
 tures, but they proceeded to teach that Jesus of 
 Nazareth was the Servant promised in the Old 
 Testament Scriptures. Jesus was the Christ whose 
 coming had been foretold again and again through- 
 out the Jewish Scriptures by prophet after prophet, 
 and his suffering and death had been an essential 
 part of his work as the Saviour from sin. 
 
 It was at this point that the persecution began. 
 “The priests and. the captain of the temple and the 
 Sadducees came upon them, being sore troubled 
 because they taught the people, and proclaimed in 
 Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” Acts 4: 1, 2. 
 
 Two points are to be noted. The first point is 
 that the Sadducees, who were the most powerful 
 sect of the Jews politically, were what we would call 
 materialists. They did not believe in a spirit which 
 would survive death, and so they did not believe in 
 a resurrection of the dead. On this question of the 
 resurrection they had tried to trap Jesus. Mark 12: 
 18-27. On this question Paul later easily divided 
 the sanhedrin into two bitterly contending factions. 
 Because Peter and John proclaimed the resurrection 
 of the dead, and based their certainty concerning this 
 doctrine upon the fact of Jesus’ resurrection, they 
 would instantly array against them the powerful 
 Sadducees who were in control of the Jewish state. 
 
 The second point to keep in mind is that the apostles 
 proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ and the Saviour. 
 
 36 
 
THE CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM 
 
 But Jesus had been rejected by the Jewish authorities 
 and had been condemned to death and crucified. If 
 Jesus was risen again, and if Jesus was indeed the 
 Christ, then the official heads of the Jewish religion 
 were entirely discredited. Every mention of Jesus, 
 therefore, aroused the antagonism of the Jewish 
 authorities. See Acts 4:17, 18; 5: 28,40. The issue 
 was clearly drawn by Peter when he said to the council, 
 both Sadducees and Pharisees: ‘“‘He is the stone 
 which was set at nought of you the builders, which was 
 made the head of the corner. And in none other is 
 there salvation: for neither is there any other name 
 under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we 
 must be saved.” Acts 4: 11, 12. If the Christian 
 Church was right, the Jewish authorities were wrong. 
 The two could not continue together unless either 
 the Jewish authorities should confess their error or 
 the Church should renounce its faith in Jesus as the 
 risen Christ. 
 
 The Popular Issue. Persecution of the Church 
 could not be carried on by the Jewish council without 
 the support of the people, any more than Jesus could 
 have been crucified if the leaders had not won the 
 support of the populace. On many occasions they 
 had feared the people and so had kept hands off 
 Jesus. So now, because of the popularity of the 
 apostles, the authorities were afraid to do more than 
 threaten them. The authorities must carry out their 
 purpose through popular appeal. There must be 
 some reasons therefore why the Jews as a people 
 could be turned against the believers in Jesus. These 
 
 37 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 reasons were not lacking, for there were fundamental 
 teachings and practices of the Church on which 
 popular antipathy could be based... 
 
 The growth of the enmity against Jesus himself 
 during his ministry is traced with special clearness 
 and brevity by Mark. Ch. 2:1to3:6. The scribes 
 had become indignant because Jesus claimed divine 
 prerogatives, and because he set aside the righteous- 
 ness of the Pharisees, which was based upon the 
 scrupulous observance of the traditional interpreta- 
 tions of the law, and demanded righteousness of the 
 heart. F 
 
 There would be the same ground of opposition to 
 the Church on the part of the Jews who did not see 
 that Jesus was the Christ, for the apostles taught as 
 Jesus had taught. The Church worshiped Jesus as 
 Lord. They ascribed to him attributes and pre- 
 rogatives which were divine. He was the Son of 
 God. Unless the Jews could be led to accept the 
 doctrine of the Holy Trinity, they could think of the 
 teaching and practice of the Church only as blas- 
 phemy, as the deification of a man, or as belief in 
 more than one God. To them the Church -was 
 guilty of polytheism or idolatry, the sin which had 
 brought upon the Jewish nation all its troubles and 
 of which it had been thoroughly cured by the exile. 
 
 The Church also set aside the way of salvation 
 through the observance of the Mosaic law, and 
 preached the gospel of salvation by faith in Christ 
 in whom is to be found remission of sins and eternal 
 life. The Church likewise followed the teaching of 
 Jesus. when he said: ‘The hour cometh, when 
 
 38 
 
THE CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM 
 
 neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem shall ye 
 worship the Father. .. . But the hour cometh, and 
 now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the 
 Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father 
 seek to be his worshippers.” John 4: 21, 23. The 
 Church no longer felt its dependence upon the Temple 
 and its sacrifices. 
 
 A Church which taught the deity of Jesus while 
 Judaism declared that this was blasphemy, which 
 held to the doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ 
 while Judaism taught salvation by the works of the 
 law, and which put Christ crucified in the place of 
 the Temple and its sacrifices, could not remain within 
 the Jewish fold. Persécution was inevitable. It 
 was only a question of time until the Jewish authorities 
 would be able to convince the multitudes that the 
 believers in Jesus were the enemies of the true re- 
 ligion. The authorities could make the issue: “Shall 
 we accept the teaching of the apostles concerning 
 Jesus, or shall we hold to the religion of our fathers?” 
 
 The Martyrdom of Stephen. The open perse- 
 cution of the Church by Judaism began with the 
 martyrdom of Stephen. He was one of the seven 
 deacons chosen to “serve tables,” but he was more 
 than an administrator of the poor funds of the Church. 
 He ‘‘was full of grace and power” and “‘wrought great 
 wonders and signs among the people.” Thoroughly 
 versed in the Scriptures and possessing a clear view 
 of the meaning of the Old Testament in the light of 
 the ministry of Jesus, Stephen proclaimed with great 
 power that Jesus was the Christ. The violent 
 
 39 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 opposition began in certain synagogues of Jerusalem 
 in which worshiped Jews who had come from Gentile 
 countries. The sojourn in Gentile lands seems to 
 have made them the more intensely loyal to the 
 Jewish traditions. They looked upon Stephen as an 
 enemy of Judaism. The opposition now included 
 all classes: the people; the elders, or rulers; and the 
 scribes, or official teachers. Acts 6: 12. 
 
 Stephen was seized and brought before the council, 
 or sanhedrin, for a hearing. False witnesses were 
 brought against him, but, although their testimony 
 perverted Stephen’s teaching, their charges evidently 
 were based on what Stephen had said. They claimed 
 that Stephen had spoken against the Temple and the 
 law. In this we see reflected the teaching of Jesus 
 himself, who had told the woman of Samaria that 
 God could be worshiped anywhere, had foretold the 
 destruction of the Temple, and had denounced the 
 Pharisees who prided themselves upon their righteous- 
 ness because they had observed the details of the law 
 of Moses as it was interpreted in their traditions but 
 were not right with God in their hearts. 
 
 Stephen’s purpose in his defense before the council 
 has been variously interpreted. Some have expressed 
 the opinion that it is a rambling talk suddenly ending 
 in a bitter denunciation of the leaders of Judaism, 
 but it would be well for the student to read the 
 address with the two chief points in the accusation 
 against Stephen in mind, namely, that Stephen had 
 spoken against ‘‘this holy place,” or the Temple, and 
 against the law, or the customs which Moses had 
 delivered. 
 
 40 
 
THE CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM 
 
 As we read the defense in this way, a number of 
 points stand out. The first is that Stephen traced 
 the progressive way in which God had dealt with Israel 
 from the time of Abraham on. God’s promise was 
 fulfilled and his purpose worked out a step at a time, 
 each an advance over that which preceded. The 
 ‘plain implication is that the coming, the life, and the 
 teaching of Jesus marked a new step in God’s fulfill- 
 ment of his promise and purpose. We note, too, 
 that Stephen referred to the promised prophet, “‘like 
 -unto Moses,’’ who was to come, and his plain im- 
 plication, as his hearers would understand, was that 
 this great prophet like unto Moses was Jesus. The 
 witnesses had charged that Stephen had spoken 
 against the Temple, an accusation which had been 
 brought also against Jesus, but Stephen brought out 
 that the Temple came after years of God’s dealing 
 ‘with his chosen people, and even when it was built 
 and dedicated Solomon understood that God could 
 not dwell in temples made with hands. Compare 
 I Kings 8: 27 and Acts 7: 47-50: The true religion 
 had begun without the Temple and it could survive 
 the destruction of the Temple. Observe, also, the 
 charge of Stephen, which runs through the whole 
 address, that the Children of Israel had ever rejected 
 the prophets of God. Moses they had refused. In 
 ' the wilderness they turned from him and asked Aaron 
 to make them a calf to worship.’ The prophets they 
 had put to death. What they had done to Jests 
 was altogether in harmony with what the nation had 
 done to the messengers of God all through its history. 
 But Moses proved to be Israel’s deliverer and law- 
 
 41 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 giver, and so would Christ prove to be their Messiah. 
 “They had always been rebellious against God, and 
 now, in rejecting the teaching of the Church, they 
 were doing as their fathers had done before them. 
 
 When the members of the council were charged 
 with the murder of the Messiah, rage destroyed the 
 last remnant of their self-control. In a fury they 
 rushed upon Stephen, dragged him out of the city, 
 and stoned him to death. 
 
 The Persecution by Saul. The smoldering 
 embers of persecution now burst into flames. The 
 soul of young Saul of Tarsus, a devoted son of Judaism, 
 student of Gamaliel, and proud Pharisee, was set on 
 fire. With all the fury of his fanatic zeal he gave 
 himself to the task of rooting out from Judaism 
 believers in Jesus. ‘There would be no rest for the 
 Church of Christ within the fold of Judaism. Even 
 to foreign cities he pursued the disciples of Jesus in 
 his relentless campaign of threats and arrest and im- 
 prisonment and even death. 
 
 Summary. The New Testament Church.began 
 as a group of believers in Jesus within Judaism. 
 Faith in Jesus as Son of God and as the Christ, 
 however, was so contrary to the traditions of the 
 Jews that the Church could not long continue to be a 
 sect within the Jewish fold. The conflict began 
 with the Sadducees because the apostles preached 
 Jesus and the resurrection, but extended to the 
 other leaders of the Jews because the claim that 
 Jesus was the Christ discredited them and made 
 
 42 
 
THE CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM 
 
 them the murderers of the Messiah. The faith of 
 the disciples in Jesus as the Son of God and in the 
 doctrine of salvation by faith instead of salvation by 
 the law, and their neglect of the external forms of 
 the established religion for the great essentials of 
 religion of heart and life, gave additional ground for 
 antipathy. Soon the people joined in the opposition. 
 Stephen was stoned to death, and Saul of Tarsus 
 became the leader in the campaign to root out the 
 Church from the field of Judaism. This is the 
 beginning of that great movement, traced in The 
 Acts, by which the Church became primarily the 
 Church of the Gentiles 
 
 oA QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. Why would the Church at first be a sect within Judaism? 
 What did the Church and Judaism have in common? 
 
 2. Why would there be conflict between the Church and 
 Judaism? 
 
 3. What led to the conflict between the apostles and the 
 Jewish authorities? 
 
 4, About what did the authorities seem to be most concerned 
 when they warned and threatened the apostles after the healing 
 of the lame man? Compare Acts 4: 17, 18; 5: 28, 40. 
 
 5. How did the teaching and practices of the Church become 
 a/popular issue? 
 
 6. What was the immediate effect of Stephen’s martyrdom? 
 
 43 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 THe Books OF THE NEw TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel:— 
 According to Matthew 
 According to Mark 
 According to Luke 
 According to John 
 
 The Acts ~ 
 
 Romans 
 
 I Corinthians 
 
 II Corinthians 
 Galatians 
 Ephesians 
 Philippians 
 Colossians 
 
 I Thessalonians 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 Titus 
 Philemon 
 Hebrews 
 
 44 
 
 James 
 
 I Peter, _ 
 II Peter 
 
 IT John 
 
 II John 
 III John 
 Jude © 
 Revelation 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 THE SPREAD OF THE CHURCH 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 8: 1-40; 9: 32 
 to 11: 18; The Epistle of James 
 
 The Problems of the Chapter. What was the 
 result of the dispersion of the believers in Jesus and 
 what had this dispersion to do with the writing of 
 the New Testament? 
 
 The Scattered Disciples. On the day in which 
 Stephen suffered martyrdom there “arose . . . a great 
 persecution against the church which was in Jeru- 
 salem,” and the disciples “were all scattered abroad 
 throughout the regions of Judza and Samaria, 
 except the apostles.” Acts 8:1. Wherever the be- 
 lievers in Jesus went, they preached Christ. New 
 believers were won and churches began to be organized 
 throughout Judea and Samaria and in more distant 
 provinces. 
 
 A discerning reading of the story of the spread of 
 the Church reveals the fact that the Church was not 
 left to the vicissitudes of chance. Jesus had com- 
 manded his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the 
 Holy Spirit should come. Acts 1: 4-6. Previously 
 he had told them that the Holy Spirit would be their 
 Guide and Teacher; he would reveal the truth to 
 them and bring to their remembrance the things of 
 Christ. John 14: 26; 16: 12-14. So Jesus, through 
 
 45 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 his Spirit, was directing the spread of the Church. 
 This direction was sometimes through Christian 
 workers who scarcely understood the full import of 
 the steps they were taking; at other times it was 
 through the conscious and deliberate planning of 
 those who were charged with the oversight of the 
 Church. 
 
 The Leading of Circumstances. The persecu- 
 tion of the Church in Jerusalem led the members of 
 the Church to seek homes elsewhere. No doubt 
 many families were led by personal reasons to seek 
 homes in particular localities. Some sought refuge 
 in towns or villages in Judea. Others turned to 
 Samaria. Acts 8: 1. Others went to Lydda and 
 Joppa. Acts 9: 382, 36. Philip finally settled in 
 Cesarea. Still others went as far as Phoenicia and 
 Cyprus and Antioch. By this process, which looked 
 like an unguided dispersion of the disciples, under the 
 providential direction of God many centers of 
 Christian influence were established. 
 
 The Direction of the Apostles. The scattered 
 groups of believers were not without the oversight 
 and direction of the apostles. When Philip met 
 with great success in his evangelistic work in Samaria, 
 the apostles in Jerusalem sent Peter and John to 
 Samaria to see that the church there was being 
 properly conducted. Acts 8: 4-25. 
 
 We find also that Peter visited the churches of 
 Judea. Acts 9: 382. It was on one of these tours of 
 oversight that he came to Lydda and healed Aineas, 
 
 46 
 
-THE SPREAD OF THE CHURCH 
 
 and to Joppa and raised Dorcas. Acts 9: 32-43. 
 We are, therefore, to think of the Church at this 
 time as composed of a great number of scattered con- 
 gregations which were under the close supervision of 
 the apostles. 
 
 Preaching, Example, and Signs. The account 
 of Luke throws light upon the method by which new 
 disciples were won. The great agency was preaching. 
 Everywhere the believers went, they preached Christ. 
 No doubt following the example of Peter in his 
 sermon on the day of Pentecost and in his address in 
 the Temple, the believers in Jesus would tell the 
 story of Jesus’ life and teaching and show how he 
 fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament Serip- 
 tures concerning the Messiah. Then they would 
 proclaim the way of salvation through faith in Christ 
 crucified and would invite those who repented of 
 their sins, and wished to declare their faith in Christ, 
 to be baptized and unite with the Church. 
 
 The message of the believers in Jesus was made 
 more effective by their example. Their courage in 
 the face of danger, their peace in the midst of trouble 
 and trial, their gladness of heart in spite of persecu- 
 tion and hardship, would lead those to whom they 
 preached to believe that these disciples of Jesus had 
 something which satisfied the human heart. Their 
 unselfishness, shown in loving service, also was a 
 testimony to their Lord. Their coming into a com- 
 munity brought inspiration and hope and help. 
 
 The spread of the Church was aided, also, by the 
 miracle-working power of the apostles and certain 
 
 47 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 leaders chosen by the Spirit of God for this special 
 testimony. Philip’s miracles of healing won many 
 converts in Samaria; Peter’s healing of A‘neas gave 
 the gospel added power in the plain of Sharon; and 
 his raising of Dorcas helped to spread the gospel 
 throughout the city of Joppa. Acts 8:6, 7; 9: 82-43. 
 
 The Guiding of the Spirit. The progress of the 
 Church is not to be explained merely by the scattering 
 of the disciples and the wise direction of the Church 
 by the apostles. Throughout the story of the 
 Apostolic Church, as told by Luke, we see the guiding 
 mind of the Spirit of God. He was planning a 
 campaign, the full import of which even the apostles 
 did not see and understand at the time. 
 
 The Church began as a sect of Judaism, but 
 Christianity was destined to become the religion of 
 the world. The persecution of the Church by 
 Judaism was the first step toward making the Church 
 world-wide. In casting out the Church, Judaism 
 was preparing the way for the Church to carry on 
 its world-wide work unhampered by its relation to 
 Judaism. But the process by which the Church 
 was emancipated from the limitations of Judaism 
 was gradual, even in the minds of the apostles. 
 
 When the disciples went to new communities, 
 they went there as Jews and they preached to Jews. 
 It was a long time before they thought of preaching 
 to the Gentiles at all, Acts 11: 19. With their 
 Jewish views and habits of thought, the disciples 
 would have to be led out into a broader conception of 
 the Kingdom of God and of the Church. We can 
 
 48 
 
THE SPREAD OF THE CHURCH 
 
 trace the preparation for the Church among the 
 Gentiles, as it was directed by the Holy Spirit. 
 
 Philip preached in Samaria, but the way had no 
 doubt been prepared for him by the visit of Jesus 
 himself in Samaria. In the city of Sychar Jesus 
 had won many believers at the time of his conversa- 
 tion with the woman by the well. John 4:4-42. In 
 spite of the antipathy between the Jews and the 
 Samaritans they had much in common, for the 
 Samaritan Scriptures were the Pentateuch of the 
 Jews, and both claimed to worship the one true God 
 and looked for the Messiah, John 4: 25. Yet 
 Philip’s encounter with Simon the sorcerer would help 
 to suggest the problem of the Church’s dealing with 
 those who did not have the same views and ideals as 
 the disciples who had been brought up in Judaism. 
 
 When Philip was sent by the Holy Spirit down to 
 the desert road near Gaza to talk with the Ethiopian, 
 he dealt with one who had been a convert to Judaism, 
 and who had come to worship in the Temple -at 
 Jerusalem. ‘The departure of the Ethiopian to his 
 own country as a believer in Jesus and as a member 
 of the Church would help to give the leaders of the 
 Church a wider view of its mission and of the far- 
 reaching application of the gospel. 
 
 Under the guidance of the Spirit another step was 
 soon taken. A Roman centurion in Cesarea, who 
 was a worshiper of the true God, was directed by an 
 angel to send to Joppa for Simon Peter. Probably 
 Philip was in Cesarea, but this was a case where the 
 authority of an apostle would be needed. Peter by 
 a vision was prepared to answer the call. The descent 
 
 49 
 
~ 
 
 THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 of the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius and his friends 
 showed clearly that these Gentiles should receive the 
 rite of baptism and be welcomed into the Church. 
 This was an event of special significance. As the 
 Church thought upon it, its importance began to be 
 recognized. ‘The Church up to this time was com- 
 posed of those who had conformed to many of the 
 requirements of the Jewish religion, but here a man 
 was welcomed into the Church who was in no sense 
 a Jew, although he worshiped the God of the Jews. 
 Cornelius came directly from the Gentile fold into the 
 Church. But so clear had been the direction of the 
 Holy Spirit in this that the propriety of the course 
 taken could not be denied. See Acts 11: 1-18. The 
 Spirit was leading the Church to see that it was not 
 necessary for Gentiles to become Jews in order to 
 become Christians. The Church was not to be a 
 Jewish sect, although it sprang out of Judaism. 
 
 The Church had now grown into a great number of 
 scattered congregations, but. these congregations 
 were largely composed of Jewish believers in Jesus 
 who were still in relationship to the synagogue and 
 observed many of the Jewish customs. 
 
 A Letter to the Churches. At this point we 
 find our first example of the origin of the books of 
 the New Testament. We have noted that the Church 
 was under the supervision of the apostles whose 
 practice it was to visit the congregations and to 
 supervise and direct their worship and work. The 
 oversight of the churches, however, was not limited 
 to personal visitation. Frequently written com- 
 
 . 50 
 
THE SPREAD OF THE CHURCH 
 
 munications were sent to them. The very earliest 
 of these which we have is The Epistle of James. 
 This epistle is included among the New Testament 
 books called the ‘‘General Epistles,’ because it is 
 not addressed to a particular church. 
 
 The Marks of Time. Read through The Epistle 
 of James and see what marks of time you can discover. 
 Observe that it is addressed ‘“‘to the twelve tribes 
 which are of the Dispersion,’ ch.1:1. At first we 
 might think that this means that the letter is ad- 
 dressed to Jews scattered throughout the world, for 
 there were Jewish settlements all over the Roman 
 Empire. Strabo, about 63 B.c. to A.D. 24, says, 
 “Already a Jewish population has entered every city.” 
 The Jews occupied five wards of the great commercial 
 city of Alexandria in Africa. They had penetrated 
 to the banks of the Danube and to the remote cdasts 
 of Spain. There were seven synagogues in Rome. 
 See Uhlhorn, “Conflict of Christianity with Heathen- 
 ism,” pp. 83, 84. But this letter is addressed to 
 Jews who believed in Jesus. The fact that the 
 believers in Jesus are addressed as ‘“‘the twelve 
 tribes” shows that the Church was still a sect of 
 Judaism. There was no distinction between Jewish 
 and Gentile believers. Also we observe that the. 
 congregation of believers is called a synagogue, 
 James 2: 2, the word which was commonly used of 
 the Jews’ place of worship. The usual New Testa- 
 ment word for “church” is ekklesia. Many con- 
 gregations had been organized with elders. James 5: 
 14. Thus we find that The Epistle of James was 
 
 dl 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 written to meet needs in the Church during the days 
 when it was spreading among the Jews through the 
 testimony of those who were scattered abroad by the 
 persecution which followed the death of Stephen. 
 The Epistle of James is therefore generally believed 
 to be the oldest book of the New Testament and 1 is 
 dated about A.D. 45. 
 
 The Author of the Epistle. This letter to the 
 scattered churches was written by James, but what 
 James? Because the author does not call himself 
 an apostle, and James the apostle died in the perse- 
 cution of Herod in a.p. 44, it is generally believed 
 that the author was James the brother of our Lord, 
 who became the head of the church in Jerusalem and 
 presided at the councils of the Church there. 'Com- 
 pare Acts 12:1, 2 and 17; 15:13; 21:18. It was quite 
 appropriate therefore that he, as the presiding ‘officer 
 of the church in Jerusalem, should send this letter 
 to the churches. No doubt copies were made and 
 circulated and read to the various congregations » 
 
 Situations with Which the Epistle Deals. It 
 is not the purpose of this chapter to give an outline 
 of the book, or to present a study of its contents, but 
 to draw to the surface the situations with which the 
 epistle deals. 
 
 Many members of the churches had been compelled 
 to leave Jerusalem because of persecution. Even in 
 the various cities to which they fled they would still 
 be subject to some measure of persecution. At least 
 they would find it difficult to live up to their moral 
 
 52 
 
THE SPREAD OF THE CHURCH 
 
 and religious standards as disciples of Jesus. So 
 James spoke of the trials and temptations which they 
 were called upon to endure and urged patience and 
 steadfastness. James 1: 2-4, 12-18. 
 
 Because the Church was primarily a teaching in- 
 stitution, two problems would be raised concerning 
 the truth. One of these would be the attitude of 
 the members of the Church toward their teachers and 
 what they taught. James urged that they should 
 listen with humble and open minds and become doers 
 of what they heard. Ch. 1: 19-27. On.the other 
 hand, because every believer became a witness for 
 Christ, there would be danger that insufficiently in- 
 structed members of the Church might take upon 
 themselves the responsibilities of teachers. So James 
 warned against the improper assumption of this 
 office, and urged a very careful control of the power 
 of speech, prompted by right motives and accom- 
 panied by conduct in harmony with the truth. Ch. 8. 
 
 One of the weaknesses which James had to rebuke 
 was the tendency to cater to the rich and influential. . 
 This attitude was so unfitting in disciples of Jesus 
 that James condemned it with the utmost severity. 
 Ch, 2: 1-13. 
 
 .There was need also of dealing with the relation of 
 faith to life. —The Jews were prone to think they were 
 right with God on the basis of their knowledge and 
 acceptance of the truth. Jesus had said that they 
 thought they were saved by searching the Scriptures. 
 John 5: 39. Because the Church proclaimed salva- 
 tion by faith in Jesus, some seemed to think that 
 faith in Christ was all that was required of them. 
 
 ; 53 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 James therefore insisted that faith and works were 
 inseparable and that Christian living was the evidence 
 of real Christian faith. Ch. 2: 14-26. 
 
 James observed also the need of warning the mem- 
 bers of the Church against letting the cares of this 
 world choke the word in their lives. He warned his 
 readers against forgetting God in their business 
 plans, and against putting wealth and material 
 comfort above the needs of the soul and the service 
 of Christ. Worldliness and materialism had been 
 the very sins which led the Jews to crucify Jesus. 
 
 Summary. The disciples, scattered from Jérusa- 
 lem by the persecution which followed Stephen’s 
 death, preached Christ in Judea and Samaria and in 
 more distant places, and churches were formed. At 
 first the disciples preached only to Jews, and the 
 churches were groups of Jewish believers in Jesus 
 under the close supervision of the apostles. While 
 still composed largely of believing Jews, the Church 
 ‘ was being prepared for its world-wide mission by 
 such experiences as the successful work of Philip in 
 Samaria, the baptism of the Ethiopian proselyte, and 
 especially the baptism of the Gentile Cornelius. To 
 the scattered churches of this early period of New 
 Testament history, James, the brother of our Lord, 
 wrote his epistle, the earliest of the New Testament 
 books. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR Stupy AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. Locate on the map the various places mentioned in con- 
 nection with the spread of the Church in Acts 8: 1 to 11: 18. 
 
 o4 
 
THE SPREAD OF THE CHURCH 
 
 2. Find in Acts 8: 1 to 11: 18 as many references as you can 
 which show the careful supervision of the apostles over the 
 churches. 
 
 3. Trace the steps by which the Holy Spirit was leading the 
 Church into a wider view of its ministry. 
 
 4. What did the Samaritans and the Jews have in common? 
 What were their differences? See a dictionary of the Bible under 
 “Samaritans.” 
 
 5. Why would it be a comparatively simple matter to receive 
 a person like the Ethiopian eunuch into the Church? See a 
 dictionary of the Bible under ‘‘Proselyte.”’ 
 
 6. Why would the reception of Cornelius into the Church raise 
 a problem concerning the relation of the Church to Judaism? 
 
 7. Prepare to show how The Epistle of James fits into the 
 conditions described in Acts 8:1 to 11:19. See the introduction 
 to a good commentary on James or a dictionary of the Bible 
 under ‘James, Epistle of.” 
 
 8. Make an outline of The Epistle of James. 
 
 TueE Books oF THE NEw TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel :— Romans James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark IT Corinthians IT Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians II John 
 
 The Acts _ Philippians III John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 PREPARATION FOR THE EXTENSION OF 
 THE CHURCH TO THE GENTILES 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 9: 1-30; 11: 
 19-26; 22: 1-21; 26: 1-28:-Gal. Te 11-19 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. In Chapter VI 
 we traced the spread of the Church through the 
 disciples who were scattered from Jerusalem by 
 persecution. Wherever in the providence of God 
 they went they proclaimed the gospel, and converts 
 were won and churches were established. These 
 churches were under the supervision of the apostles. 
 The disciples were Jews and preached to the Jews, 
 so that when a letter was sent from Jerusalem by 
 James, who was the head of the church there, he 
 could naturally refer to the believers in Jesus as of 
 the Twelve Tribes of Israel. 
 
 At the same time we noted that the gospel was 
 preached to the Samaritans who were at enmity with 
 the Jews and yet who had much in common with 
 them. Philip baptized the Ethiopian proselyte into 
 the Church. The Apostle Peter also welcomed into 
 the Church Cornelius, of Ceesarea, who was a Gentile. 
 
 What preparation was made by the Spirit of God 
 for the progress of the Church among the Gentiles, 
 and how did the Church become primarily a Gentile 
 institution? 
 
 56 
 
PREPARATION FOR EXTENSION 
 
 Antioch Becomes a Missionary Center. The 
 conversions of the Ethiopian and of Cornelius were 
 significant, but they were special cases. The practice 
 of the disciples had been to speak “the word to none 
 save only to the Jews.” Acts 11:19. But some of 
 the disciples, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, came to 
 the city of Antioch and there they “spake unto the 
 Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.”  V. 20. 
 Many ancient manuscripts of The Acts read “Grecian 
 Jews” instead of “Greeks.” The evidence of the 
 manuscripts is pretty evenly divided, but com- 
 mentators generally are convinced that the Greeks, 
 or heathen people, are meant instead of Greek- 
 speaking Jews, for before this time there were already 
 many Greek-speaking Jews in the Church, Acts 6:1. 
 If Greeks, or Gentiles, are meant here, then a new 
 thing had happened in the history of the Church, for 
 the gospel was being proclaimed to those who were 
 in no sense adherents of the Jewish faith. | 
 
 Antioch in Syria was the most important city of 
 Roman Asia, and the third in rank among the cities 
 of the Roman world. It was peculiarly cosmopolitan. 
 The city was mostly Gentile, but a good many Jews 
 lived there. Less distinguished for general culture 
 than Alexandria, it was even more important than 
 Alexandria in a military way and politically. It 
 was situated where the Orontes passes between the 
 ranges of Lebanon and Taurus. ‘Its harbor, Seleucia, 
 brought Antioch in touch with the Mediterranean. 
 The city was conveniently approached by caravans 
 from Mesopotamia and Arabia. “It was almost an 
 Oriental Rome.’ Antioch was famous for its beauty 
 
 57 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 and its splendid buildings, and notorious for its 
 profligacy, fraud, and sorcery, and for the effeminacy 
 of its people. 
 
 In Antioch “a great number that believed turned 
 unto the Lord.” ‘The fidelity of the apostles in ex- 
 ercising oversight of the Church is seen here again, 
 for when word of the work in Antioch came _ to 
 Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to visit Antioch and 
 to study the situation, lend what help he could, and 
 report to the church in Jerusalem. 
 
 The Apostle to the Gentiles. Barnabas found 
 that the work was being well done in Antioch. The 
 conversions gave every evidence of being genuine. 
 After some experience in preaching and teaching in 
 Antioch Barnabas saw the wonderful opportunity 
 which the work there presented. He therefore went 
 to Tarsus to find the one man in the Church who 
 was fitted to make the most of this great oppor- 
 tunity for which the Holy Spirit had been pre- 
 paring the Church. The man whom the Holy Spirit 
 had been preparing to be the great apostle to the 
 Gentiles was Saul of Tarsus, whom we know better 
 by his Greek name, Paul. 
 
 Paul’s Early Training. Saul of Tarsus was a 
 Jew who was proud of his Jewish lineage and of his 
 Jewish training. He was of the sect of the Pharisees, 
 and both at home and in the synagogue school he 
 had been taught according to the best traditions of © 
 the Jews. He was a student under the famous 
 Gamaliel in Jerusalem. Acts 22: 3; 23: 6; II. Cor. 
 
 58 
 
PREPARATION FOR EXTENSION 
 
 11: 22; Phil. 3: 4-6. The most Jewish of the leaders 
 of the Church could make no claims beyond those of 
 Paul. He was prepared for leadership in the Church 
 among the Gentiles by the fact that he was also a 
 Roman. How his family had obtained its Roman 
 citizenship we do not know. It may have been by 
 some unusual service to the Roman state or by 
 purchase, but, however this citizenship was obtained, 
 Paul was a Roman citizen by birth. His citizenship 
 was of great value as he carried on his work throughout 
 the Roman world. In asense Paul was also a Greek, 
 for he spoke the Greek language and was familiar 
 with Greek learning. ‘Tarsus, where he was born, 
 was one of the intellectual centers of the East. In 
 that city was a famous school of learning in which 
 Stoicism was taught. Probably as a boy Paul did 
 not attend any of these schools, but he would not be 
 unfamiliar with Greek culture. 
 
 Paul, therefore, would be at home among the Jews, 
 among the Romans, and among the Greeks. 
 
 His Personal Equipment. In addition to his 
 heritage and training, Paul was peculiarly fitted by 
 his personal gifts for a place of leadership. He 
 possessed a keen and balanced mind. Capable of 
 abstract thinking, and able to organize a system of 
 thought, he was also practical-minded, and knew how 
 to adapt his teaching to people and to conditions 
 and how to apply the truth to actual situations in the 
 Church and in everyday life. In addition to his 
 fine and versatile mind, he possessed great enthusiasm. 
 His zeal for a cause which he espoused was never 
 
 59 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 lacking. Whatever he did, he did with concentration 
 and vigor. Paul’s experience also fitted him for his 
 place of leadership. Brought up as a Jew, he knew 
 the best that was in Judaism. As an enemy of 
 Christianity he knew the worst that could be said 
 of it even by its enemies. No argument could be 
 brought against the gospel which he had not faced 
 in his own experience, for he believed in Jesus in 
 spite of every force which had drawn him the other 
 way. His own experience provided him with un- 
 answerable arguments and reasons for the Christian 
 faith. 
 
 His Conversion. From the ranks of his enemies, 
 Jesus chose Paul to be his apostle to the Gentiles. 
 This is perfectly clear in the New Testament record. 
 Acts 9: $53):223 21s 26: 17),18;;Romi=13 5eniarein. 
 11513;°15:.15) 16; Gal! 15, 16; 2; 7-9: Hpheaseees 
 [E.. Tim... 2; 7; Il Tim. 4: 17; To aecomplishythis 
 purpose, Paul’s point of view must be changed com- 
 pletely. He shared all the antagonism of Judaism 
 for the Church. His whole nature revolted against 
 the attitude of the disciples of Jesus toward the law, 
 toward the Temple, toward the way of salvation, 
 and especially toward Jesus. 
 
 Two influences stand out in the New Testament 
 record of the conversion of Paul. The first of these 
 is the influence of Stephen. His masterly address 
 enraged Paul as it did the other members of the 
 council, for he gave his consent to Stephen’s death 
 and watched the garments of those who stoned him. 
 The scene set Paul’s zeal on fire and he became a 
 
 60 
 
- PREPARATION FOR EXTENSION 
 
 violent persecutor of the Church. But evidently the 
 death of Stephen made a deep impression upon Paul 
 which took time to make its influence felt. Luke 
 tells us that when Stephen was before the council 
 ‘all that sat in the council, fastening their eyes on 
 him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.”’ 
 Disciples of Jesus were not likely to be there. Through 
 whom else would Luke learn of this, than through 
 Paul who was there? And why did Paul remember 
 Stephen’s face so long? Luke tells us the words of the 
 dying Stephen. Who would hear those words save 
 some one very near? No doubt Paul himself told 
 Luke what Stephen had said. The words had burned 
 themselves into his memory. Paul must have asked 
 himself again and again, ‘Could that face of an angel, 
 that heroic loyalty, that forgiveness in suffering, 
 belong to an enemy of God?” 
 
 Whatever Stephen had done by his reasoning and 
 by his example to influence Paul, the one great event 
 which made Paul a believer in Jesus was the appear- 
 ance to him of Jesus himself. In The Acts we find 
 three accounts of Saul’s conversion. The first is 
 the account of Luke, based upon the facts he had 
 gathered no doubt from Paul himself. Acts 9: 1-19. 
 The second account is Paul’s own story of his con- 
 version as he tells it to the mob which threatened 
 his life in Jerusalem. Acts 22: 1-21. The third 
 account is given in Paul’s defense before King 
 Agrippa. Acts 26: 1-23. Paul refers to his con- 
 version also in Gal. 1: 15, 16; I Cor. 9:1. The out- 
 standing fact in each of these accounts and refer- 
 ences is the appearance of Jesus to Paul. What 
 
 61 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Paul needed was to see Jesus. Immediately his 
 views of the teaching of the Old Testament Scriptures 
 began to adjust themselves to his new view of the 
 Messiah. He saw his own religious experience in 
 the light of the gospel. After his vision of Jesus, it 
 no longer seemed to be blasphemy to call him Lord, 
 for “in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead 
 bodily,” Col. 2: 9. Jesus became the center of 
 Paul’s faith and life. Around Jesus he organized all 
 his thought about the Scriptures and religion and 
 philosophy. 
 
 His Early Ministry. After his vision of Jesus, 
 Paul was led into Damascus where he was welcomed 
 as a brother in Christ by Ananias and received the 
 sacrament of baptism which marked his entrance into 
 the Church. Immediately Paul began to preach 
 and teach Christ in the Jewish synagogues. Paul 
 had heard Stephen preach Christ, and he may have 
 used the Scriptures in a similar way, but his teaching 
 was based upon his vision of Jesus as the Son of God. 
 We should notice that Paul “proclaimed Jesus, that 
 he is the Son of God,” the very teaching which had 
 formerly enraged him and stirred his persecuting zeal. 
 
 The Jews of Damascus, prompted by the same 
 motives and reasons which had formerly led Paul to 
 persecute the disciples of Jesus, plotted to kill Paul, 
 but he made his escape. Luke, guided by his purpose 
 in writing The Acts, next tells of Paul in Jerusalem. 
 He thus passes over a period to which Paul himself 
 refers in Gal. 1: 17. The apostle spent some time 
 in Arabia, probably thinking through the problems 
 
 62 
 
PREPARATION FOR EXTENSION 
 
 of his Christian faith. Then he returned to Damas- 
 cus. Three years had now elapsed since his con- 
 version. In Jerusalem he was looked upon with 
 suspicion until Barnabas assured the apostles of his 
 conversion and loyalty to Christ. 
 
 The persecutor was now persecuted, so Paul left 
 Jerusalem and went to his boyhood home, Tarsus. 
 Of his ministry there we know nothing, but no doubt 
 he was engaged in Christian work, which would be 
 a preparation for his ministry as the apostle to the 
 Gentiles to which he had been appointed by Christ, 
 and into which he was now about to be providentially 
 led by Barnabas. In Tarsus he would now come in 
 contact with Greek learning, even if he had not done 
 so earlier in his career. 
 
 7 
 
 The Work in Antioch. For a year Paul and 
 Barnabas were associated in the leadership of the 
 church in Antioch. Their chief task was teaching 
 and preaching, but, following the practice of the 
 Church, they would see to the organization of the 
 church for its work in the city. One of the out- 
 standing evidences of the success of the work of Paul 
 and Barnabas in Antioch is the impression which 
 was made by the Church upon the city. In the 
 thought of the people, the disciples of Jesus were no 
 longer simply Jews, or a sect of the Jews. The 
 message of the Church was so definite, and the con- 
 duct of the members of the Church was so distinctive, 
 that the disciples became known as believers in 
 Jesus. They were distinctively ‘‘followers of Christ,”’ 
 and so the people of Antioch began to call them 
 
 63 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Christians, the name by which believers in Jesus 
 have become known the world over. 
 
 Summary. The Church was prepared for its 
 spread among the Gentiles by the welcome into the 
 Church of Samaritans, the Ethiopian proselyte, and 
 especially the Gentile Cornelius. Antioch, ‘the 
 strategic base for the campaign in Asia and Europe, 
 became a center for the spread of the gospel, by the 
 preaching of the gospel to the Greeks, or Gentiles, 
 and the organization of a strong church there. Into 
 leadership in the church in Antioch Paul, who had 
 been especially chosen, equipped, and trained to 
 be the apostle to the Gentiles, was called. The 
 church in Antioch was now ready to launch upon 
 its Missionary campaign among the Gentiles. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. What is the difference between Grecian Jews and Greeks? 
 Why are there two possible readings of Acts 11: 20? Which is 
 the more widely accepted and why? The article on “Antioch” 
 in Davis’ “Dictionary of the Bible” is based on the reading 
 “Grecians.’”’? See any good commentary on Acts 1: 19, 20. 
 
 2. Why would Antioch make a good base for a mission to the 
 Gentiles? See article in Davis’ ‘‘Dictionary of the Bible” on 
 “Antioch.” Also consult a good commentary on The Acts in 
 connection with ch. 11. 
 
 3. What kind of man would be needed to lead the Church in 
 its missionary work among the Gentiles? 
 
 4. How was Paul fitted by his early training to be the apostle 
 to the Gentiles? See article on ‘‘Paul” in a good Bible dictionary; 
 David Smith, ‘‘The Life and Letters of St. Paul,’ chapter on 
 “His Early Years’’; Machen’s ‘The Origin of Paul’s Religion,” 
 Chapter II; Conybeare and Howson’s “The Life and Epistles of 
 the Apostle Paul,’”’ Chapter IT. 
 
 5. What personal characteristics of Paul fitted him for his 
 place of leadership in the Church? 
 
 6. How was Paul fitted by his personal experience for his 
 work of leadership in the Church? See article on “Paul” in a 
 Bible dictionary. 
 
 64 
 
PREPARATION FOR EXTENSION 
 
 7. How would you explain the conversion of Paul? In 
 addition to the material under ‘‘His Conversion’ above, see 
 “Paul” in Davis’ “Dictionary of the Bible’; Farrar’s “the Life 
 and Work of St. Paul,’’ Book III, Ch. X; David Smith’s ‘The 
 Life and Letters of St. Paul,” chapter on ‘“The Conversion of 
 Saul”; Machen’s ‘‘The Origin of Paul’s Religion,” pages 58-68; 
 Conybeare and Howson’s “The Life and Epistles of the apostle 
 
 Paul,’”’ Chapter ITI. 
 
 THE Booxs oF THE NEw TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel :— Romans James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians II John 
 
 The Acts Philippians IIT John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 65 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 THE EARLY PROGRESS OF THE CHURCH 
 AMONG THE GENTILES 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 13: 1 to 14: 28 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. What were the 
 results of the first missionary efforts of the church in 
 Antioch? 
 
 Antioch Becomes a Missionary Base. The 
 preparation for the Church’s mission among the 
 Gentiles had been completed. Cornelius the Gentile 
 had been received into the Church by Peter, and the 
 apostle had successfully defended his course before 
 the authorities of the Church in Jerusalem. Men 
 of Cyprus and Cyrene had preached the Lord Jesus 
 to the Greeks. A church had been organized in 
 Antioch, and for a whole year Paul and Barnabas 
 had been engaged in establishing and extending the 
 church. Here was a strong church composed of 
 both Jews and Gentiles, in a strategic city which was 
 in touch with the East and the West. 
 
 The Holy Spirit had been preparing for the preach- 
 ing of the gospel among the Gentiles; now Luke tells 
 us that the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to 
 carry on the work for which he had been preparing 
 and which he had planned, Acts 18: 2. The mis- 
 sionary party consisted of Barnabas and Paul, with 
 John Mark as their attendant. This is the first 
 
 66 
 
EARLY PROGRESS AMONG THE GENTILES 
 
 instance recorded in the New Testament of a church 
 sending out a mission. The disciples had previously 
 been scattered by persecution, and the apostles had 
 sent out commissions to visit places where churches 
 were being organized; but this is a mission sent out 
 into new territory on a real foreign missionary enter- 
 prise. The date and duration of the mission is not 
 indicated, but it is generally put some time “‘beéween 
 A.D. 45-50, perhaps 46-48.” 
 
 The Missionaries on Familiar Ground. The 
 missionaries embarked at Seleucia, the port of 
 Antioch, and sailed to the island of Cyprus, forty- 
 eight miles away. Two facts would tend to make 
 their first missionary endeavors comparatively easy: 
 Barnabas was a native of Cyprus, and so would be 
 on familiar ground and would probably have many 
 friends and acquaintances in the island. Also Jews 
 constituted half of the population of Cyprus, so that 
 the missionaries could preach in the synagogues, 
 following the usual practice of the disciples. In a 
 systematic way the missionaries went from city to 
 city throughout the island, which was one hundred 
 and fifty miles long and in one part ey, miles wide. 
 Acts 13: 5, 6. 
 
 As they drew near to the end of their mission in 
 Cyprus, an event took place which would give them 
 courage, for in Paphos, the capital and the residence 
 of the proconsul, the missionaries after a conflict 
 with a Jewish sorcerer won the proconsul, Sergius 
 Paulus, to faith in the gospel, Acts 13: 6-12. 
 
 From this time on, the name Saul is dropped and 
 
 67 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 the Roman name Paul is used in The Acts. Acts 13: 
 9, 13. This is probably because at this point he 
 began his work among the Gentiles, and so his Roman 
 or Gentile name is used. 
 
 The Missionaries Turn to the Gentiles. From 
 Paphos the missionaries sailed to Pamphylia and 
 cameto Perga. Evidently they planned to press on 
 into the interior, a journey which would present 
 difficulties and dangers. Perhaps this is the reason 
 why John Mark, their attendant, turned back; but 
 Barnabas and Paul, undaunted by danger or hard- 
 ship, pressed on, Acts 13: 13, 14. Pisidian Antioch 
 was their first objective. There were many Jews 
 here and also proselytes. The missionaries were 
 welcomed into the synagogue and invited to preach. 
 From the brief account of the sermon we can learn 
 something of Paul’s method as he dealt with those 
 who had been taught the Old Testament Scriptures. 
 Read Acts 13: 16-41. Like Stephen, Paul gave a 
 brief summary of Old Testament history with the 
 purpose of showing the plan of God to provide salva- 
 tion for his people. Then he announced that Jesus 
 was the promised Saviour, who by his life and death 
 and resurrection had fulfilled the Scriptures. Then 
 he taught the great doctrine of salvatian from sin 
 through faith in Christ, and urged the people not to 
 reject the grace of God through unbelief. 
 
 The preaching of the missionaries created a great 
 stir in Antioch. Not only the Jews and the Gentile 
 proselytes who worshiped in the Jewish synagogue, 
 but also the Gentiles of the city, were eager to listen 
 
 68 
 
EARLY PROGRESS AMONG THE GENTILES 
 
 to the message of Paul and Barnabas. They crowded 
 the synagogue the next Sabbath. At this point 
 Paul encountered an obstacle which was to hamper 
 him in all his ministry. The Jews were not willing 
 to think of the Gentiles as recipients of the blessings 
 of the gospel without their first conforming to Jewish 
 requirements. The interest of the Gentile populace 
 roused their jealousy. When the Jews opposed Paul 
 and attempted to deny his message, Paul and Bar- 
 nabas took their stand on the great Christian principle 
 that the gospel was to be preached to the Jews first, 
 but that it was also to be proclaimed freely to the 
 Gentiles. They made the announcement which 
 marked a new step in the missionary enterprise of 
 the church, ‘‘We turn to the Gentiles,’ and quoted 
 from the Scriptures, Isa. 49: 6: 
 
 “Tl have set thee for a light of the Gentiles, 
 That thou shouldest be for salvation unto the 
 uttermost part of the earth.” 
 
 The Gentiles received the gospel with great rejoicing 
 and many converts were won throughout all the 
 region. But the Jews, with the help of influential 
 women connected with the synagogue and of leading 
 men of the city, succeeded in driving out the mis- 
 slonaries. 
 
 From Antioch Paul and Barnabas went to Iconium, 
 sixty miles away, where they reached both Jews and 
 Gentiles with the gospel, but here again the Jews 
 finally succeeded in stirring up such violent opposition, 
 in which the Gentiles and rulers joined, that the 
 missionaries fled to two other cities of Lycaonia. 
 
 Acts 14: 1-7. 
 69 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Preaching Christ in a Heathen Country. 
 Lycaonia has been described as “a bare and dreary 
 region, unwatered by streams, though in parts liable 
 to occasional inundations.”’ Strabo mentions one 
 place where water was even sold for money. 
 
 A systematic preaching tour was conducted through 
 this district. The cities of Lystra and Derbe are 
 especially mentioned. At Lystra we find the mission- 
 aries endeavoring to win to faith in Christ people 
 who were heathen in the full sense of the word. 
 Evidently no synagogue was to be found in Lystra, 
 
 _ for The Acts makes no mention of the apostles’ 
 
 following their custom of entering the synagogue. 
 There was a temple of Jupiter before the gates of the 
 city. In heathen Lystra, Paul and Barnabas had to 
 win the attention of the people and try to make 
 known to them the true God and Jesus Christ who 
 is Saviour and Lord. No doubt they resorted to 
 meetings in the streets and in the market place. 
 The healing of a cripple by Paul won the admiration 
 of the excitable people of Lystra. But the miracle 
 also resulted in a serious misunderstanding, for these 
 worshipers of the gods jumped to the conclusion that 
 Paul and Barnabas were Jupiter and Mercury who 
 had come down to earth. The missionaries who had 
 come to lead the people to worship the one true God 
 found themselves about to be made objects of wor- 
 ship. Acts 14: 8-13. 
 
 Here we have an illustration of the difference of 
 the method of the apostle in dealing with the Jews 
 who knew the one true God and with the heathen who 
 worshiped many gods. First the missionaries rent 
 
 70 
 
EARLY PROGRESS AMONG THE GENTILES 
 
 their garments, which would be a sign of consterna- 
 tion and disapproval of the conduct of the crowd 
 which all could understand, even if they were not 
 near enough to hear their words, or if they did not 
 understand the Greek language which the missionaries 
 spoke. Then Paul began his argument. Read 
 Acts 14: 15-17, and follow the efforts of the mission- 
 aries to enlighten these heathen worshipers. First 
 they denied all claims to be anything but mere men, 
 but declared that they were messengers of the one 
 true God. This God they tried to make known to 
 these Lystrians who thought of many gods who were 
 magnified mortals. The true God is the Creator of 
 all things. He is the God of all nations, but each 
 nation had followed after its own deities. But it was 
 ‘the one true God who had sent the rains and the 
 harvests and had made provision for all the joys 
 of life. 
 
 Evidently the missionaries remained in Lystra 
 long enough to lead many into a knowledge of the 
 true God and of the way of salvation through Christ. 
 For when the Jews came from Antioch and Iconium 
 and stirred up the people, especially against Paul, 
 and he was stoned and dragged from the city, there 
 remained about him a band of disciples, Acts 14: 20. 
 Probably ‘Timothy was one of these believers. Acts 
 162.1572. . 
 
 Paul was not dead, but was able to return to the 
 city for the night and the next day went with Bar- 
 nabas to Derbe, a city only a few hours distant. 
 Here they won many converts and ended for the time 
 their advance into Gentile territory. 
 
 71 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 The Results of the Mission Among the Gen- 
 tiles. That this was a truly constructive mission 
 with permanent results is indicated by the fact that 
 Paul and Barnabas retraced their steps, visiting in 
 Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. In each place were 
 churches. The missionaries strengthened the _ be- 
 lievers in their Christian convictions, urged them to 
 hold fast to their faith when the oversight of the 
 missionaries was withdrawn, warned them of the 
 temptations and trials which they must expect to 
 encounter as Christians living in the midst of heathen- 
 ism, and appointed elders for the churches. Thus 
 they left behind them organized churches. 
 
 On their way back they preached in Perga, then 
 embarked at Attalia, and returned to Antioch in 
 Syria, the home church which had sent them out on’ 
 their mission, possibly some two years before. When 
 they made their report to the church in Antioch, 
 the one fact which stood out in the minds of their 
 hearers was the fact that churches had been estab- 
 lished among the Gentiles. The Christian religion 
 was no longer the faith and practice of a sect of the 
 Jews. No longer was it dependent upon the Jews. 
 There were now churches among the Gentiles. 
 
 The missionaries resumed their ministry in the 
 church in Antioch and continued their labors there 
 ‘for some time. How long, we do not know, for 
 Luke does not give any indications of time. 
 
 Summary. When the Church had been prepared 
 for its extension among the Gentiles, and a church 
 with Gentile sympathies had been organized and 
 
 72 
 
EARLY PROGRESS AMONG THE GENTILES 
 
 thoroughly established in Antioch, and when Paul 
 had been called and specially fitted to be the apostle 
 to the Gentiles, under the direction of the Holy Spirit 
 the church in Antioch sent Barnabas and Paul, with 
 John Mark as their assistant, upon a mission. The 
 mission through Cyprus prepared for the more 
 difficult task on the mainland. In Paphos the 
 Gentile governor of Cyprus was converted, and then 
 in Antioch on the mainland the attitude of the Jews 
 led to a distinct mission to the Gentiles. Their 
 mission led the missionaries into distinctively Gentile 
 and heathen territory where converts from among the 
 worshipers of heathen gods were won to the one true 
 God and to Jesus Christ as Saviour. Vigorous 
 Gentile churches were established, instructed in 
 Christian doctrine, and organized. The Gentiles 
 now had their place in the Christian Church. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. Trace the preparation of the Church for its wider mission 
 among the Gentiles. 
 
 2. Why would the missionary work in Cyprus probably be 
 done with comparatively little difficulty? 
 
 3. What would be the effect upon the missionaries of the con- 
 version of Sergius Paulus? 
 
 4. Makean outline of the sermon of Paul in the synagogue in 
 Pisidian Antioch and tell why it was adapted to an audience of 
 Jews and proselytes. 
 
 5. Explain the reason for the antipathy of the Jews in Antioch 
 toward the missionaries. To what important result did their 
 opposition lead? 
 
 6. Describe the conditions which the missionaries would en- 
 counter in a city like Lystra. See a Bible dictionary, articles on 
 “Lystra” and on ‘‘Paul.’’ See also the appropriate sections of the 
 books suggested in connection with the questions of Chapter VII, 
 
 73 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 7. Compare the address of Paul in Lystra with his address in 
 Antioch and show how his address at Lystra was especially 
 adapted to a heathen audience. 
 
 8. What was the most outstanding fact which the church of 
 Antioch observed in regard to the mission of Paul and Barnabas? 
 
 9. On a map locate the various places visited by Paul and 
 Barnabas and indicate any distinctive step in the growth of the 
 church connected with any city. 
 
 THE Books OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel :— Romans James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians If John 
 
 The Acts Philippians III John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 74 
 
CHAPTER IX ~ 
 THE CONFLICT WITH THE JUDAIZERS 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 19: 1-35; 
 Galatians 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. The gospel had 
 been successfully preached to the Gentiles. This 
 was the outstanding feature of the mission of Bar- 
 nabas and Paul in the mind of the church in Antioch. 
 Worshipers of heathen gods had turned to the one 
 true God and had accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour 
 and Lord and had been baptized into the Christian 
 Church. But the same traditions which had led 
 Judaism to persecute the Church now led the Jews 
 within the Church to raise objections to this re- 
 ception of the Gentiles. Because the Jews had 
 thought of themselves as the covenant people of 
 God,: whose religion was the one true religion, and 
 because the Church had begun as a sect of Judaism, 
 the Jews felt that all the members of the Church 
 should enter the Church as they had entered it, 
 through the gate of Judaism. They had conformed to 
 the requirements of the Mosaic law before they be- 
 came Christians; why should not the Gentiles conform 
 to the same requirements? We are now to consider 
 this question. 
 
 The Issue. There were two views in the Church 
 about this problem. There was the view of those 
 
 75 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 ‘who thought that Gentiles should virtually become 
 Jews in order to become Christians, and there was 
 the view of those who believed that the Gentiles 
 should be received into the Church merely on the 
 basis of their profession of faith in Christ and should 
 not be required to conform to the practices of the 
 Jewish religion. The future of the Church depended 
 largely upon how this difference of opinion should be 
 settled. 
 
 How the Issue Was Raised. While Barnabas 
 and Paul were engaged in the work of the church in 
 Antioch, there came down from Jerusalem certain 
 men who insisted that the Gentiles of the church in 
 Antioch must conform to the requirements of the 
 law of Moses. These men were what are called 
 Judaizers; that is, they insisted that Gentiles should 
 virtually become Jews. We can readily under- 
 stand how they felt in view of their training. Blinded 
 by their devotion to the traditions of Judaism, they 
 had failed to see what the Church had been taught so 
 clearly. They had not caught the idea of universality 
 which was in the teaching of Jesus. See, for example, 
 Matt. 8: 5-18; 12: 15-21; 28: 19. They had missed 
 the significance of the baptism of Cornelius, which 
 had been fully discussed in the Church, Acts 10: 1 
 to 11: 18. They had not themselves learned the 
 lesson the Holy Spirit had taught those who worked 
 among the Gentiles as had Paul and Barnabas. 
 They therefore insisted that the practice of the church 
 of Antioch in welcoming Gentiles into membership 
 without requiring them to obey the Mosaic law was 
 
 76 
 
THE CONFLICT WITH THE JUDAIZERS 
 
 wrong, and they began to disturb the faith of the ~ 
 Gentile members of the Church by declaring that 
 they were not Christians at all and that they could 
 not be saved. 
 
 This position would undermine the work of Paul 
 and Barnabas. It denied the soundness of their 
 gospel message. If these Judaizers were right, then 
 the missionaries to the Gentiles were all wrong and 
 their gospel of salvation by faith was-untrue. The 
 issue could not be evaded. The future of the Church 
 depended upon this question’s being settled and 
 settled right. Paul and Barnabas were therefore 
 unyielding. They openly defended their course 
 against these Judaizing critics. 
 
 How the Issue Was Settled. To settle this 
 dispute a delegation was sent up to Jerusalem. Paul 
 and Barnabas were members of this commission. 
 When Paul and Barnabas told of their missionary 
 labors and success, certain of the Pharisees who had 
 joined the Church took the same position as the 
 Judaizers who had been in Antioch. A council of 
 the Church, consisting of apostles and elders, was 
 called together to consider the matter. Acts, ch. 15. 
 This council as a form of church organization will be 
 considered in Chapter XIII. For a time there was 
 heated debate, but the discussion began to take on a 
 more constructive character. Peter told how the 
 Holy Spirit had clearly guided him in opening the 
 doors of the Church to the Gentiles. God had made 
 perfectly plain that there should be no distinction 
 between Jews and Gentiles; there was one gospel of 
 
 “ye 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 salvation by faith for both alike. Then Paul and 
 Barnabas told of their experience in missionary work 
 among the Gentiles, and of how God had clearly 
 given his seal of approval to the welcoming of the 
 Gentiles into the Church without their conforming to 
 the requirements of the Mosaic law. 
 
 The discussion had now become so convincing that 
 the Judaizers were silenced, and James, who presided 
 at the council, reviewed the discussion and announced 
 the conclusion that the Gentiles should not be re- 
 quired to keep the Mosaic law. Four requirements, 
 however, were laid down. Acts 15:20. The Gentile 
 converts were to keep from those practices which 
 might indicate that they had not broken away com- 
 pletely from heathenism and its idolatry and im- 
 morality, and were to avoid those practices which, 
 while not wrong in themselves, would be especially 
 repulsive to the Jewish Christians with whom they 
 would be associated in the Christian Church. 
 
 The decision of the council was put in writing and 
 addressed to the Gentile churches of Antioch and 
 Syria and Cilicia. To make the understanding of 
 the decision more certain, a commission was ap- 
 pointed personally to deliver the message to the 
 churches. 
 
 The great question was now settled by the authority 
 of the apostles and elders, in harmony with the clear 
 leading and teaching of the Holy Spirit. The 
 Christian Church was not to be in any sense a part 
 of Judaism. It was to be free from the bondage of 
 the Mosaic law. Its requirements for membership 
 were to be repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as 
 
 78 
 
THE CONFLICT WITH THE JUDAIZERS 
 
 Saviour, baptism, and a life in harmony with this 
 profession. 
 
 The Epistle to the Galatians. Paul’s Epistle to 
 the Galatians deals with this question of the Judaizers 
 which was answered by the council at Jerusalem, and 
 the epistle will be appreciated if it is read with the 
 background of this discussion. 
 
 Two questions present themselves concerning this 
 epistle: What was the geographical location of the 
 churches to which it was written? What was the 
 date of its composition? The answer to the second 
 question depends upon the answer to the first. 
 
 _Ramsay has taken the position that the “Galatia” 
 in The Acts and in the Epistle to the Galatians, 
 Gal. 1: 2; 3: 1, refers to the same region and that it 
 is used of the Roman province of Galatia. This is 
 known as the South Galatian theory, and if this 
 conclusion is correct, then the Galatian churches 
 were the churches of Lystra, Iconium, and Derbe, and 
 possibly even Pisidian Antioch, and they were founded 
 by Paul on his First Missionary Journey, considered 
 in Chapter VIII. The epistle, then, was probably 
 written toward the latter part or at the close of his 
 Second Missionary Journey, about A.D..52 or 53: 
 But if by Galatia is meant the narrower region popu- 
 larly referred to by that name, the churches of 
 Galatia would be in such places as Pessinus and 
 Ancyra (Conybeare and Howson) and Tavium, and 
 perhaps Juliopolis (Lightfoot), and the epistle was 
 probably written a.p. 55 or 56, while Paul was on 
 his Third Missionary Journey. Whatever the geo- 
 
 79 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 graphical location of the churches to which the 
 epistle is addressed or the time of its writing, however, 
 it deals with the activity of Judaizers similar to that 
 which we have considered in this chapter. 
 
 References to His Readers. That those to 
 whom this epistle was written were former heathen 
 is evident from ch. 4: 8,9. They had been worshipers 
 of many gods and had not known the one true God. 
 The situation which is described in connection with 
 the visit of Paul and Barnabas to Lystra fairly repre- 
 sents the former condition of the Galatians to whom 
 Paul was writing. Paul had visited the ‘“Galatians’”’ 
 twice and on his first visit they had shown peculiar 
 love and devotion to him in his physical weakness. 
 Ch. 4: 12-16. 
 
 The Gospel at Issue. The question which Paul 
 faced in this letter is the very same issue which he 
 faced in Antioch and at the council in Jerusalem. It 
 was the question of the true message of the gospel. 
 Judaizers had come into the Galatian churches and 
 had taught, as they had taught in Antioch, Acts 15: 1, 
 that the members of the Galatian churches should 
 conform to the customs of Moses. Paul declared to 
 the Galatians that the teaching of the Judaizers was 
 not another interpretation of the same gospel which 
 he had preached to them, but was a different gospel 
 altogether. Gal. 1: 6-10. He insisted that they 
 had come under a perverting influence, Gal. 3: 1, 
 and were being led away from the true Christian 
 faith. If the Judaizers were right, Paul’s gospel was 
 
 80 
 
THE CONFLICT WITH THE JUDAIZERS 
 
 wrong. But if Paul’s gospel was right, then the 
 Judaizers were really enemies of Christ within the 
 fold of the Church. 
 
 Paul’s Apostleship and Authority. The Ju- 
 daizers had denied the apostolic authority of Paul. 
 He was not one of the original Twelve and had re- 
 ceived his gospel secondhand, and they tried to 
 persuade the Galatian Christians that they should 
 not listen to him. In his letter, therefore, Paul 
 declared that he was an apostle by God’s own appoint- 
 ment, ch. 1: 1, and that he received his gospel through 
 Jesus Christ. He went into detail concerning his 
 relationship to the apostles. Ch. 1:11 to 2:12. He 
 had not received his gospel from men. He had been 
 an out-and-out enemy of the Church until his con- 
 version. When he was converted by the personal 
 appearance of Jesus to him, he immediately began 
 to preach the gospel. For some time he was off in 
 Arabia. It was three years after his converston that 
 he met Peter (Cephas). After that he had gone into 
 Syria and Cilicia and the churches of Judea outside 
 of Jerusalem did not know him personally. Fourteen 
 years after his conversion he had gone again to 
 Jerusalem to attend the council. There he had first 
 talked with the ‘authorities’ and after that was 
 heard by the council. His gospel had been con- 
 firmed by the “authorities” and by the council of the 
 Church, and his practice of not requiring the Gentiles 
 to conform to Jewish customs was Officially approved. 
 
 No one could appeal to the authority of Peter 
 against him, for the fact was that on one occasion 
 
 $1 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Paul had openly convicted Peter of taking a course 
 contrary to the gospel. In authority Paul had no 
 superior in the Christian Church. 
 
 An Old Issue. In connection with his argument 
 for his apostolic authority and for his gospel to the 
 Gentiles, Paul showed that the Judaizers were raising 
 a question which the Church had already settled by 
 the council in Jerusalem. The Judaizers had shown 
 themselves to be ‘“‘false brethren,’’ who were really 
 enemies of gospel liberty. Titus, the well-known 
 Christian worker, was a proof of the falseness of the 
 claims of the Judaizers, for Titus was a Gentile who 
 had not conformed to the Jewish customs, and this 
 course was approved by the apostles. Ch. 2: 3-5. 
 
 The same argument which Paul made against 
 Peter in Antioch, ch. 2: 11-21, still held good. If 
 the Jews turned to Christ for salvation because they 
 could not be saved by conforming to Jewish laws and 
 customs, why did they ask the Gentiles to conform 
 to these laws and customs in order to be saved? If 
 salvation is through faith in Christ, then it is not to 
 be found through “‘works of the law.’” 
 
 Salvation by Faith. Paul therefore emphasized 
 again the great Christian doctrine of salvation by 
 faith. Ch. 3: 1-14. He appealed to the Galatians’ 
 own experience. The message which they had heard 
 was the message of Christ who died to save them. 
 They had received the Spirit of God in connection 
 with their acceptance of the message of salvation by 
 faith in Christ. This was before the Judaizers had 
 
 82 
 
THE CONFLICT WITH THE JUDAIZERS 
 
 come with their insistence upon conforming to the 
 Jewish law. The Spirit was therefore received by 
 faith in Christ, not by the works of the law. And if 
 they would be the true heirs of Abraham, they must 
 become his heirs by showing the same faith which 
 Abraham showed, and not by conforming to the laws 
 of Moses. Christians are Abraham’s heirs, rather 
 than Moses’ disciples. The law brings a curse 
 because of man’s disobedience; the gospel offers 
 salvation through faith in Christ, who by his death 
 on the cross redeemed us from the curse of the law. 
 
 The Covenant. The Judaizers would make much 
 of the Jew’s covenant relation to God. But Paul 
 pointed out that the covenant between Abraham and 
 God’ was made before there was any Mosaic law. 
 Therefore Gentiles could not be required to conform to 
 the laws of Moses in order to share in the covenant 
 between God and Abraham. Gal. 3: 15-29. Further- 
 more the law is not the way of salvation, for if it 
 were, there would have been no need of a Saviour. 
 In Christ there is no distinction between Jew and 
 Gentile. 
 
 Christian Liberty. To lead the Galatians to see 
 what it would mean for them to turn back to the law 
 after knowing the liberty of the gospel, Paul com- 
 pared those who sought salvation through the 
 Jewish laws to wards who are under a guardian, but 
 those who are redeemed by Christ are sons and heirs 
 of God who have entered into their inheritance. 
 Would the Galatians go back to the bondage of their 
 
 83 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 heatnen religion again? Of course they would not. 
 Then why should they go back to the bondage of 
 Judaism? Was Paul’s labor of love among them in 
 vain? Ch. 4: 8-31. 
 
 Paul therefore urged the Galatian Christians to 
 hold fast to their liberty in Christ. Ch. 5:1-12. 
 But the liberty of the gospel does not mean license. 
 In setting aside the ceremonial law of Moses, Chris- 
 tians are not to set aside the moral law of God. 
 Christian faith is to lead to Christian conduct. Ch. 
 5: 13-24. The spirit of Christ is to prompt and 
 contro! every relationship of the Christian’s life. 
 Chyte25-00.6.210. 
 
 Paul closed his letter with a last appeal to the 
 Gajatians to stand for the Christian liberty which 
 should be so precious to them. 
 
 Summary. The Jewish Christians’ loyalty to 
 their traditions led many of them to feel that Gentiles 
 ought virtually to become Jews in order to become 
 Christians. The question whether Christians were 
 to be a sect of the Jews or independent of Judaism 
 and its practices had to be settled. The liberty of 
 the Gentiles was confirmed by the council at Jerusa- 
 lem. Even then, however, zealous Jewish Christians 
 insisted upon the observance of the Mosaic law by 
 Christians and spread their propaganda through the 
 churches. The issue became acute, particularly in 
 the churches of Galatia, and so to the Galatians Paul 
 wrote an epistle denouncing the Judaizers as enemies 
 of the true gospel of Christ and teaching the doctrine 
 of salvation by faith, and Christian liberty. 
 
 84 
 
THE CONFLICT WITH THE JUDAIZERS 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR StuDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1.. What issue was raised within the Church by the successful 
 mission of Paul and Barnabas? Explain the reason for this issue. 
 
 2. What is meant by Judaizers? 
 3. Why was it important for the Church to settle this issue? 
 
 4. By what process was the issue settled and what was the 
 solution? ° 
 
 5. To what churches was the Epistle to the Galatians written, 
 and when? What are the two theories? See articles on “Galatia”’ 
 and “Epistle to the Galatians’ in Davis’ “Dictionary of the 
 Bible,” or some other good Bible dictionary; Ramsay’s “St. Paul 
 the Traveller”; Lightfoot on Galatians, Introduction; Conybeare 
 and Howson, “The Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul,” pp. 
 212-215, 2383-235, 473-475. 
 
 6. With what problem does the Epistle to the Galatians deal 
 irrespective of geography or date? See references under Ques- 
 tion 5. 
 
 7. Show how the Epistle to the Galatians meets the main 
 issues raised by the Judaizers. First read the epistle through for 
 yourself for the answer to the question. Consult any good com- 
 mentary on Galatians and article on the “Epistle to the Gala- 
 tians” in Davis’ or some other good Bible dictionary. 
 
 Tue Books or tHE New TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel :— Romans James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark IT Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians II John 
 
 The Acts Philippians III John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 85 
 
—_— 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 PROBLEMS OF THE GENTILE CHURCH 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 15: 30 to 18: 5; 
 I and IT Thessalonians 
 
 The Problems of the Chapter. To discover the 
 difficulties which the Christian missionaries en- 
 countered in their mission in Europe and how they 
 dealt with these difficulties, and to discover how the 
 Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians fit into the. 
 situation described in The Acts. 
 
 Paul and Barnabas Separate. Paul and Barna- 
 bas returned to Antioch from Jerusalem with the 
 letter from the church there announcing the decisions 
 which guarded the liberty of Gentile Christians. 
 This letter and the message of Judas and Silas, the 
 commissioners who accompanied Paul and Barnabas, 
 brought comfort and encouragement to the Christians 
 of Antioch. 
 
 The church in Antioch seems to have been well 
 supplied with ministers, for besides Paul and Barnabas 
 there were ‘‘many others also” who preached the 
 word. The missionary spirit prompted Paul and 
 Barnabas to go where their ministry was more needed. 
 Their first plan was to visit and strengthen the 
 churches which they had established on their First 
 Missionary Journey. Just here we discover in the 
 story of the New Testament Church a situation 
 
 86 
 
PROBLEMS OF THE GENTILE CHURCH 
 
 which has occurred often in the Church’s later 
 history: good men differed. Barnabas wished to 
 take John Mark along; Paul would not have as a 
 companion one who had shown lack of steadfastness, 
 Acts 13: 18. Barnabas was sure that Mark would 
 now prove his loyalty. The argument waxed hot 
 between these two great Christians and, because 
 neither felt justified in yielding what he thought was 
 the right course to take, they agreed to separate. 
 Barnabas set out with John Mark for Cyprus to visit 
 the churches there, and Paul, taking Silas as his 
 companion, went through Syria and Cilicia ‘“‘con- 
 firming the churches.” 
 
 The Growing Church. The secret of Christi- 
 anity’s progress lies in its ability to establish germinat- 
 ing centers. Each church became self-sustaining 
 and self-propagating. When Paul and Silas were 
 visiting Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium, they found a 
 young man who had developed so rapidly in his 
 Christian faith and life that he was fitted to become 
 a minister of Christ. This was Timothy, who 
 probably had been won to Christ when Paul and 
 Barnabas were in Lystra on the First Missionary 
 Journey. Timothy was known to the churches of 
 the whole region as a promising young man. 
 
 Paul’s Attitude Toward Gentile Liberty. Paul 
 and Silas were delivering to the Gentile churches the 
 decision of the council at Jerusalem that the Gentiles 
 should not be required to conform to the Mosaic law. 
 In Paul’s letter to the Galatians he insisted that to go 
 
 87 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 back to the law was virtually to give up the gospel. 
 And yet Paul circumcised Timothy. How is the 
 circumcision of Timothy to be explained in view of 
 Paul’s teaching? Observe that Paul refused to 
 circumcise Titus, who was a Gentile, Gal. 2: 3, but 
 he was willing to circumcise Timothy, whose mother 
 was a Jewess. Paul would not yield an inch to those 
 who insisted that the circumcision of Gentiles was 
 necessary, but, lest he should put a stumblingblock 
 in the way of the Jews or make the ministry of 
 Timothy, a half Jew, difficult, he circumcised Tim- 
 othy. Paul was willing to be “all things to all 
 men,” until principle was involved; then he was 
 unyielding. 
 
 The missionaries found the churches everywhere 
 increasing in numbers daily. Acts 16: 5. 
 
 The Church Enters Europe. The statesman- 
 ship of the Church was the statesmanship of the 
 Holy Spirit. Evidently Paul and Silas, left to their 
 own judgment or wishes, would have crossed over 
 into the province called Asia, of which Ephesus was 
 the capital. But the Holy Spirit had other plans, 
 so the missionaries went through the region of 
 Phrygia and Galatia. There is not space here to go 
 into any discussion of the exact geography of Galatia. 
 The student is referred to a Bible dictionary or a 
 commentary on The Acts, or to Ramsay’s ‘The 
 Church in the Roman Empire,” or Lightfoot on 
 Galatians. Reference was made to this problem 
 in Chapter IX. 
 
 Now the missionaries would have ventured into 
 
 88 
 
7 } € 
 aid 
 PROBLEMS OF THE GENTILE CHURCH 
 
 _ Bithynia, the region which lay to the north along the 
 Black Sea, but again the Holy Spirit. directed the 
 statesmanship of the Church, and the missionaries 
 were led to Troas, where Paul, in a vision in the 
 night, heard the call of Macedonia, ‘Come over... 
 and help us.”’ Acts 16: 6-10. 
 
 Note carefully the pronouns ‘‘we” and ‘‘ in 
 v. 10. Note also the “we” in v. 11. Here we have 
 the beginning of the first of the ‘“‘we’’ sections of 
 The Acts, indicating that the writer of the book was 
 an eyewitness of what he narrates. Compare Chapter 
 I. Evidently, then, Luke joined the missionary 
 party at Troas. This Christian physician was the 
 faithful attendant of Paul. 
 
 Landing at Neapolis, the missionaries made their 
 way to Phili pi, the “first city’? of Macedonia, 
 meaning either the first city of importance to be 
 reached by the traveler or the most important city. 
 Philippi was a Roman colony, virtually a Roman 
 city on foreign soil. 
 
 Here the missionaries conducted their first. work 
 
 in Europe. There was no Jewish synagogue to 
 provide a preaching place and a congregation, but 
 down by the river Paul and his companions found a 
 place of prayer such as the Jews were accustomed to 
 establish where there were not sufficient. worshipers 
 to build a synagogue. The only worshipers of the one 
 true God whom they found were women, one of them a 
 dye merchant from Thyatira named Lydia. Lydia 
 became a convert to the Christian faith and the first 
 Christian church of Philippi met in her house where 
 the missionaries became guests. 
 
 89 
 
 ra 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 The missionaries had become accustomed to 
 opposition stirred up by the Jews, but now they were 
 to encounter opposition from purely Gentile sources. 
 Some men in Philippi owned a slave girl who was a 
 demoniac, and they made great gain by using her as 
 a fortune teller. When on a number of days the 
 demoniac girl had cried out after the company of 
 Christians on their way to their place of worship, 
 Paul commanded the demon to come out of her. 
 When the girl was restored to her right mind, her 
 masters saw that their business was ruined, and 
 they sought revenge upon the men who had dared to 
 meddle with their affairs. Because Rome _ had 
 recently issued an edict against the Jews, it was an 
 easy matter to raise a riot in this Roman colony 
 against Paul and Silas on the ground that they were 
 Jews. With little ceremony the two missionaries 
 were beaten and cast into prison and placed in the 
 stocks. But providential events led to the con- 
 version of the jailer and he and his family were 
 baptized into the Church. The Roman officials 
 were greatly concerned when they discovered that 
 they had beaten Roman citizens, and became quite 
 apologetic, but they asked the missionaries to leave 
 the city to prevent further trouble. When Paul and 
 Silas were set at liberty, they returned to the home 
 of Lydia and then departed from the city. They left 
 behind them, however, under the temporary care of 
 Luke and Timothy, a Christian church which became 
 known for its thoughtful affection for the apostle 
 who had brought to its members the gospel of Jesus 
 Christ. | 
 
 90 
 
PROBLEMS OF THE GENTILE CHURCH 
 
 Thessalonica. Traveling thirty-three miles along 
 the Egnatian Way, the missionaries passed through 
 Amphipolis, an important military station, and thirty 
 miles farther along they passed Apollonia, a town of 
 little importance. Then they came to Thessalonica, 
 about a hundred miles southwest of Philippi. This 
 city was an important commercial center, and there 
 the missionaries found a synagogue. For three 
 Sabbaths they taught there. They argued from the 
 Scriptures that the Messiah was to suffer and die 
 and to rise again from the dead, and that Jesus ful- 
 filled these Scriptural requirements and so was the 
 Christ. There was a marked division in the attitude 
 of the congregation. A few of the Jews were per- 
 suaded and became disciples. A great number of 
 Gentiles who had been won to faith in the true God, 
 some of them women of influence, believed the 
 gospel. When the Gentiles in such large numbers 
 accepted the teaching of the missionaries, the Jewish 
 doubters became furious and gathered a riotous mob 
 and attacked the house in which the missionaries 
 were sheltered. Not finding Paul and Silas, they 
 dragged their host and other of the Christians before 
 the authorities of the city and brought charges against 
 them. 
 
 The charges against the missionaries in Thessa- 
 lonica should be noted with special care. Acts 17: 7. 
 Evidently one of the outstanding points in Paul’s 
 teaching had been the Kingdom of God. The 
 promised reign of Christ must have received special 
 emphasis. 
 
 Without delay Paul and Silas left Thessalonica 
 
 91 
 
THE. NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 under cover of darkness.. There must have been 
 some time, however, between the first interest of the 
 Gentiles in the gospel and the riot stirred up by the 
 Jews which led to the departure of the missionaries, 
 for when Paul and Silas departed from the city they 
 left behind them a strong Gentile church. 
 
 Berea, Athens, and Corinth. Paul and Silas 
 went to Berea. Acts 17: 10. Here the missionaries 
 found an attentive and open-minded audience in the 
 synagogue. Many Jews were won to the faith, and 
 not a few Gentiles, both men and women. The 
 favorable work, however, was soon interrupted by 
 Jews who followed the missionaries from Thessa- 
 lonica. Paul seems to have been the chief occasion 
 for Jewish opposition, so the Christians of Berea sent 
 him on to Athens, while Timothy, who had probably 
 joined Paul at Thessalonica, and Silas remained 
 behind to continue the work. 
 
 While Paul waited alone in Athens, his zeal would 
 not let him rest, but in this famous city of learning 
 he taught in the synagogue and even addressed the 
 Athenians in the market place. There he encountered 
 the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers and was taken 
 to the Areopagus, or Mars’ Hill, where he endeavored 
 to make known to the Athenians the gospel which he 
 preached, Acts 17: 22-31. The Athenians made. 
 light of Paul’s teaching of the resurrection, but there 
 were a few converts. 
 
 From Athens Paul went to Corinth. The char- 
 acter of this city and the difficulties which the gospel 
 would encounter there will be considered in a later 
 
 92 
 
PROBLEMS OF THE GENTILE CHURCH 
 
 chapter. It is sufficient for us to notice here that 
 Paul lodged with Aquila and Priscilla, Jewish tent- 
 makers who had fled from Rome on account of 
 persecution, and that Paul supported himself by 
 working at his trade and preaching in the synagogue 
 to both Jews and Gentiles. 
 
 Paul Writes to the Church in Thessalonica. 
 Paul had left Timothy and Silas (or Silvanus) in 
 Berea, with directions that they should join him in 
 Athens. For some reason they did not meet him 
 there, but came to him in Corinth. At one time 
 Timothy had been sent back to Thessalonica to visit 
 the church there, because Paul could not do so him- 
 self. I Thess. 3: 1, 2, 6. Now Timothy and Silas 
 had reached Corinth, I Thess. 1: 1; II Thess. 1: 1, 
 and Timothy told the apostle about the situation in 
 the Thessalonian church. On the background of 
 the story which has been so briefly sketched in this 
 chapter, read I and II Thessalonians, the earliest of 
 Paul’s epistles. With what problems did he have 
 to deal? On what particular points did the Christians 
 of Thessalonica need instruction? 
 
 A Gentile Church. The Thessalonian church 
 had been founded by Paul after his persecution in 
 Philippi, I Thess. 2: 1, 2, and this church was es- 
 pecially dear to him, ch. 2: 7-12, 17-20. There are 
 two reasons for believing that the Thessalonian 
 church was a Gentile church. Paul referred to the 
 Thessalonians as converts from heathenism with its 
 many gods and its idol worship, I Thess. 1: 9, and 
 attention has been called to the fact that there is 
 
 93 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 nowhere in these two epistles to the Thessalonians 
 a formal quotation from the Old Testament Scriptures, 
 an omission which would scarcely have occurred if 
 Paul had been writing to Jewish converts who were 
 familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures. The 
 Jews also are spoken to as outside the Church. I 
 Thess. 2: 14-16. 
 
 These former servants of many gods and wor- 
 shipers of idols had proved their Christian faith and | 
 love by their patience and labors. Their generosity | 
 was an example to other churches. I Thess. 1: 2-8. 
 
 Persecution. We discover that Paul was anxious 
 about these Christians because of the hardship and 
 persecution they would have to endure. I Thess. 3: 
 4,5. This Paul had expected, and when he was with 
 them he had told them plainly that they must suffer. 
 for Christ’s sake. The Christians in Jerusalem and 
 Judea had suffered persecution, and the Christians of 
 Thessalonica could not expect to escape a similar 
 experience. I Thess. 2: 13-16. But Paul was 
 comforted by word of the patient endurance of the 
 Christians of Thessalonica. I Thess. 3: 6-8; II 
 Thess. 1: 3-12. In addition to the persecution which 
 the Christians of Thessalonica would have to suffer 
 at the hands of their heathen neighbors because they 
 had forsaken their gods, they would have to endure 
 bitter persecution at the hands of the Jews who 
 were jealous because these Gentiles believed that 
 Jesus was the Christ, and rejoiced in the salvation 
 which the Jews thought belonged to Jews only and 
 came through the Mosaic law. 
 
 94 
 
PROBLEMS OF THE GENTILE CHURCH 
 
 The Return of Christ. In Thessalonica Paul 
 had spoken a good deal about the Kingdom of God 
 and about Jesus as the King. Acts 17: 7. The 
 return of Jesus to reign as King had become the 
 great hope of the Thessalonians. They looked for 
 his coming immediately. Associated with this ex- 
 pectation were certain practical errors which Paul 
 sought to correct. 
 
 Some of the Thessalonians were troubled because 
 they thought that the believers who died _ before 
 _ Jesus returned would miss the blessings of the 
 Kingdom. But Paul explained that when Jesus 
 returned, the dead in Christ would be raised up 
 before the living Christians were caught up to meet 
 him. All the consolation of the gospel belonged to 
 those who had died in Christ. I Thess. 4: 13-18. 
 
 The Thessalonians were also concerned about the 
 time when Jesus would return. Paul therefore re- 
 minded them that when he was with them he had 
 told them that the coming of Christ would take even 
 believers by surprise. I Thess. 5: 1, 2. Compare 
 Acts 1: 6-8; Matt. 24: 44. 
 
 Because some in Thessalonica thought that Paul’s 
 reference to the coming of Christ indicated that this 
 might take place soon, he wrote in his Second Epistle 
 that certain events must precede the return of 
 Christ. II Thess. 2: 1-12. 
 
 The expectation of the immediate return of Christ 
 had led some of the Thessalonian Christians to 
 become impractical. Ordinary daily duties seemed 
 to them unimportant. They gave up their work 
 and became a burden upon their fellow Christians. 
 
 95 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Paul had set the Thessalonian Christians an example 
 of self-support, I Thess. 2: 9, and now he insisted 
 that the members of the church must not let their 
 hope of Christ’s return make them impractical. 
 They must work to earn their living. I Thess. 4: 11. 
 The man who will not work has no right to eat. Il 
 Thess. 3: 7-15. 
 
 Heathen Immorality. The Thessalonian Chris- 
 tians would find it no easy task in heathen surround- 
 ings to hold fast to Christian standards of morality, 
 but they must “walk worthily of God” who called 
 them into his own Kingdom and glory, I Thess. 
 2: 12. They must not yield to the temptations of 
 lust and passion, but must practice self-control. 
 I Thess. 4: 1-8. They must have no share in 
 drunken revelings, but must be sober as becomes 
 followers of Christ. I Thess. 5: 6-8. It was not 
 easy for these Gentile Christians to submit to au- 
 thority, and Paul had to exhort them to esteem and 
 love those who were their ministers in the Church. 
 I Thess. 5: 12-22. i 
 
 The Christians of Thessalonica would be marked 
 people in Thessalonica. If the members of the 
 church, therefore, did not conduct themselves as 
 Christians ought, the loyal members of the church 
 must separate themselves from these disorderly 
 persons as if they were heathen. But this separation 
 was not to be in anger or pride but in love and in the 
 spirit of brotherliness. II Thess. 3: 6-15. 
 
 Summary. Paul and Silas went through Syria 
 and Cilicia, confirming the churches. They visited 
 96 
 
PROBLEMS OF THE GENTILE CHURCH 
 
 Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium, and were joined by 
 Timothy. At Troas, as they planned to enter 
 Europe, Luke became a member of the party. 
 Churches were established at Philippi, Thessalonica, 
 and Berea. After waiting alone in Athens for a 
 time, Paul went on to Corinth where he was soon 
 joined by Silas and Timothy, who had been sent back 
 to visit the church in Thessalonica. From Corinth 
 Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica his two 
 earliest epistles, in which he dealt with problems 
 which had arisen in this Gentile church. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. How do you explain the dispute between Paul and Barna- 
 bas? What are the arguments for the position of Paul? of 
 Barnabas? What was Paul’s final opinion of Mark? Col. 4: 10; 
 Philemon 24; II Tim. 4: 11. 
 
 2. What purpose did the separation of Paul and Barnabas 
 serve? Under what circumstances would this separation have 
 seriously hurt the Church? 
 
 _38. How do you reconcile Paul’s insistence upon Gentile 
 liberty and his circumcision of Timothy? See a commentary on 
 Acts 16: 1-38; and the article on “Timothy” in a good Bible 
 dictionary, or a life of Paul. 
 
 4. Prepare a report on the meaning of ‘Galatia’ in The Acts 
 and in the Epistle to the Galatians. See Lightfoot on Galatians, 
 Ramsay’s “The Church in the Roman Empire,” and the article 
 on ‘“‘Galatia’’ in a Bible dictionary. 
 
 5. Make a map which can be used for Paul’s Second Mission- 
 ary Journey (see a Bible dictionary or a Bible with maps), trace 
 on this map the journey of Paul as far as it is covered in the 
 lesson, and note on the map the significant events at each place. 
 
 6. What is meant by the ‘‘we” sections in The Acts, and what 
 is the significance of these? 
 
 7. Explain the occasion of the writing of Paul’s Epistles to 
 the Thessalonians. 
 
 8. Compare the stories in The Acts and in the Epistles to the 
 Thessalonians and show how they fit together. 
 
 97 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 9. Read through I and II Thessalonians and pick out the 
 chief problems with which these epistles deal. 
 
 10. Make brief outlines of I and II Thessalonians. Outlines 
 will be found in a commentary or a Bible dictionary, but the 
 student should prepare his own outline directly from the epistles 
 themselves. 
 
 Tur Books or THE NEW TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel :— Romans ; James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians IT John 
 
 The Acts Philippians It John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians’ Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 Ii Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 THE GOSPEL TESTED IN A HEATHEN CITY 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 18: 1 to 19: if 
 I and II Corinthians 
 
 The Problems of the Chapter. To discover the 
 difficulties which the gospel of Christ would have to 
 encounter in a heathen city like Corinth, and to find 
 what light is thrown upon these conflicts by Paul’s 
 Epistles to the Corinthians. 
 
 A Great Heathen City. After his adventures in 
 Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens, Paul 
 came to Corinth. The ancient city of Geen with 
 its history of fourteen hundred years, had fa in 
 ruins after its destruction by the Romans in 146 z. co 
 until Julius Caesar had rebuilt it Uapneeweven 
 years before Paul’s visit.” The growth of the new 
 city had been so rapid that it soon surpassed its 
 former wealth and magnificence. It boasted a 
 great temple of Venus with a thousand courtesans. 
 The very name of the city was associated with volup- 
 tuous living. Aristophanes, the Attic writer of 
 comedies (448-380 B.c.), used the word “Corin- 
 thianize” with the significance of profligate indulgence. 
 This was used of the old city, of course, but the new 
 Corinth carried over many of its traditions. To this 
 city, engulfed in the tides of business and caught in 
 
 : 99 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 the whirlpool of pleasure and indulgence, Paul came 
 with the gospel of Jesus with its exalted ideals of 
 character and its high standards of conduct. If the 
 gospel could conquer here, there was no place where 
 it could not be victorious. 
 
 The Beginning of Missionary Work. Alone 
 Paul came to this great heathen city. What could 
 one man do in Corinth? His approach to his task 
 was commonplace and practical. A tentmaker by 
 trade, he sought employment by means of which he 
 could support himself. He found a Jew, Aquila, and 
 his wife, Priscilla, who had fled from Italy because of 
 the edict of the Emperor Claudius commanding all 
 Jews to leave Rome. Acts 18: 1-3. Luke does not 
 tell us that they had previously been led to believe in 
 Jesus, but if they were not already disciples Paul soon 
 won them to the faith as he toiled with them at the 
 common trade. 
 
 It was a simple matter for Paul to find in Corinth 
 a congregation to listen to his teaching, for there 
 was at least one synagogue in this commercial city. 
 The congregation was composed not only of Jews but 
 also of Gentiles who were worshipers of the one God. 
 To this congregation Paul presented the message of 
 Jesus as the Christ. Acts 18: 4. After the arrival 
 ~ of Silas and Timothy from Macedonia, Paul preached 
 with new vigor, and when the Jews rejected the 
 gospel he left the synagogue and began a Gentile 
 mission in Corinth in the house of Titus Justus, a 
 worshiper of the true God, who lived next door to 
 the synagogue. This led to a clear division among 
 
 100 
 
THE GOSPEL TESTED IN A HEATHEN CITY 
 
 the Jews, for those who believed the gospel joined 
 the Church. Among these was Crispus, the ruler 
 of the synagogue. Acts 18: 5-8. 
 
 The Church in Corinth. Paul’s ministry in 
 Corinth lasted a year and a half. Acts 18:11. The 
 work at times must have been utterly disheartening, 
 for God gave him a special vision for his encourage- 
 ment, in which he assured Paul, “Be not afraid, but 
 speak and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, 
 and no man shall set on thee to harm thee: for I 
 have much people in this city.” 
 
 The Jews did all they could to hamper the work of 
 the church. They brought charges against Paul 
 before the proconsul of Achaia, but the proconsul, 
 Gallio, looked upon the case as one of difference of 
 opinion between sects of the Jews and refused to 
 have anything to do with the charges. The scene 
 ended in a riot in which Sosthenes, the ruler of the 
 synagogue, was beaten. 
 
 The difficulties of the work, however, were not 
 limited to persecution by the Jews, for Paul had the 
 laborious task of imparting to the heathen Corin- 
 thians the high ideals of the Christian religion, and 
 of developing in them Christian attitudes and habits. 
 To eradicate heathen ideas and substitute Christian 
 ideas for them, to persuade the believers in Jesus to 
 live as Christians ought to live, in the midst of the 
 temptations and allurements and low standards of 
 Corinth, was a gigantic undertaking. If there had 
 not been in the gospel a power of God unto salvation, 
 the task would have been impossible of achievement, 
 
 101 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 but the gospel offered the grace of God, the power of 
 the living Christ in the heart, and the work of the 
 Holy Spirit within the soul. Compare I Cor. 2: 1-5. 
 Paul saw many in Corinth turn from idol worship 
 and the immorality of heathenism to the worship of 
 the one true God and to holy living. But when, 
 after eighteen months of preaching and teaching, 
 the time came for him to leave Corinth, he knew that 
 only the grace of God could keep these converts true 
 and enable the church to go on in its work of evangel- 
 ization in that great city. 
 
 Paul’s Departure. No doubt with great sorrow 
 on the part of both Paul and the Christians of Corinth, 
 the apostle set sail with Priscilla and Aquila for 
 Ephesus, where he stayed for a short time only, 
 promising, however, to return later if he found this 
 possible. Leaving Priscilla and Aquila at Ephesus, 
 Paul sailed to Cesarea, and from there he went to 
 Jerusalem and then to Antioch, thus bringing to its 
 close his Second Missionary Journey. 
 
 Paul Begins His Third Missionary Journey. 
 After a stay of some time in Antioch, Paul visited 
 again the churches of Galatia and Phrygia, strength- 
 ening the faith of the believers. At this point Luke 
 introduces us to Apollos, a Jew of Alexandria, a student 
 of the Old Testament Scriptures, a scholar and an 
 orator, who was instructed in gospel doctrine by 
 Priscilla and Aquila. When Paul reached Ephesus 
 he found disciples there, and he began a ministry 
 which extended through three years. This ministry 
 will be considered in the next chapter. 
 
 102 
 
THE GOSPEL TESTED IN A HEATHEN CITY 
 
 Word from Corinth. At Ephesus word came to 
 Paul from the church in Corinth, and the news was 
 disquieting. It is thought that he then wrote a 
 letter to the church in Corinth, which has been lost, 
 I Cor. 5: 9, and that, when the trouble seemed even 
 more serious than he had thought, he wrote another 
 letter, I Corinthians. Many think that after writing 
 this epistle he made a hurried trip to Corinth. See 
 II Cor. 12: 14; 13: 1. Before leaving Ephesus at 
 the close of his ministry there, he sent Titus to 
 Corinth, expecting Titus to meet him at Troas, 
 (For New Testament references to Titus see Gal. 
 2. oslius 12411 Cor. 2:13; 7; 6, 13; 876,16; 12:18;) 
 When Titus failed to meet Paul there, the apostle in 
 great anxiety went on into Macedonia, where Titus 
 joined him with encouraging word from Corinth. 
 II Cor. 2: 12-14; 7: 6-16.. Then Paul. wrote his 
 Second Epistle to the Corinthians. From Mace- 
 donia he went to Corinth and spent the winter with 
 the church there, personally completing the qpepne 
 and BL aAD Zon of the church. 
 
 Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians. Read 
 through I Corinthians and see what you can discover 
 for yourself concerning Paul and concerning the 
 Corinthian church. 
 
 A number of. facts concerning Paul as the writer 
 of this epistle are readily discovered. Paul had 
 received word from Corinth through members of the 
 household of Chloe, a Christian woman, probably of 
 Corinth. Ch. 1: 11. Paul had laid the foundation 
 of the church in Corinth. Ch. 3: 10. He was 
 
 103 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 planning to come to Corinth. Ch. 4: 19. He had 
 written a previous epistle. Ch. 5: 9. He had sup- 
 ported himself while a missionary in Corinth. Ch. 9: 
 12, 18. He was now at Ephesus where he planned to 
 remain until Pentecost, but he was planning then to 
 go to Macedonia and after that to spend the winter 
 in Corinth. Ch. 16: 5-9. Stephanas, an early con- 
 vert in Greece, and Fortunatus and Achaicus had 
 reached Paul with their help for the apostle. Ch. 16: 
 15, 17. This much concerning Paul is evident from 
 the letter. 
 
 Now what can we discover concerning the Corin- 
 thian church? We find that there were factions in 
 the church. There was a Paul faction, an Apollos 
 faction, and a Cephas, or Peter, faction, and one 
 faction that called itself the Christ followers. This 
 condition Paul rebuked with the utmost severity, 
 insisting that he and other workers were not leaders 
 of parties but the messengers of Christ and fellow 
 workers with Christ in building up the Church. 
 Chol: 1041753 :1—-15,, 21-235; 
 
 We find that the work of Paul had been disparaged 
 in Corinth because he did not have the presence and 
 the rhetorical speech of certain other professed 
 Christian teachers who came to Corinth after Paul’s 
 departure. Paul frankly acknowledged that he had 
 been with them in weakness and fear and much 
 trembling. Ch. 2: 3. His preaching had not the 
 eloquence of the rhetorician. V. 4. But he pro- 
 claimed the true gospel of Christ with a power of 
 the Spirit of God. Vs. 4, 5. While he had not 
 attempted to win the people to Christ by worldly 
 
 104 
 
THE GOSPEL TESTED IN A HEATHEN CITY 
 
 wisdom, he had not lacked God’s wisdom; any lack 
 had been on the part of the Corinthians themselves 
 who had not been ready for strong spiritual food. 
 Ch. 2: 6 to 3: 2, 18-20. After all, the church in 
 Corinth was not made up of the worldly-wise and 
 influential; rather God had shown his wisdom and 
 his power by using commonplace people to establish 
 his Church in Corinth. Ch. 1: 26-31. 
 
 One of the most serious difficulties in the Corin- 
 thian church was the failure of some of its members 
 to break away completely from heathen immorality. 
 Formerly accustomed to impurity even in connection 
 with their heathen religious rites, they failed to realize 
 the absolute necessity of living pure lives as Christians. 
 The conduct of members of the church had brought 
 shame upon the church. Such a condition must be 
 remedied at once. Ch. 5: 1-13. Related to this 
 problem was the problem of Christian marriage. 
 The high standards of the Church concerning the — 
 sanctity of marriage raised questions. What should 
 be the Christian’s attitude toward marriage? Should 
 Christians marry at all? What was Christian duty 
 when a man was converted but his wife remained a 
 heathen, or when a wife was converted and her 
 husband remained a heathen? What should a 
 Christian father do about his unmarried daughters? 
 Under what conditions was divorce permissible? All 
 these and other questions must be decided, and con- 
 cerning these Paul wrote. Ch. 7. 
 
 _ There was another problem in the church in 
 
 Corinth. The Corinthians had left the worship of 
 
 heathen gods and idols to serve the one true God, but 
 105 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 because they lived in a heathen city, surrounded by 
 idolatry, it was difficult to keep from all the entangle- 
 ments of idolatry. Could a Christian, for example, 
 purchase meat in the market and eat it without 
 sharing in idolatry, if that meat had been related in 
 any way to idolatrous sacrifices? Paul’s reply is 
 interesting. Because Christians do not believe that 
 the gods of the heathen are realities, or that idols 
 are anything more than images, they need not be 
 concerned about whether meat has been offered to 
 idols or not. But if some one, not yet liberated from 
 the idea that the heathen gods are a reality, feels 
 that Christians who eat meat offered to idols are 
 sharing in idolatry, then Paul said that for the weak 
 brother’s sake the Christian to whom idols are 
 nothing should not eat, lest he lead his weak brother 
 back to idol worship. There must be no compromise 
 with idolatry, lest the Corinthians fall into the same 
 condemnation as the Israelites in the wilderness. 
 ‘Chs. 8; 10. 
 
 Evidently advantage was taken in Corinth of the 
 fact that Paul was so considerate of those with whom 
 he worked, and upon his self-denial was based the 
 argument that he felt that he did not have the same . 
 rights as the other apostles. With this question he 
 dealt in ch. 9, in which he insisted upon his right to 
 be. supported by the Church, but declared that he 
 chose to maintain himself by his own labors and 
 that he was willing to make any sacrifice to win 
 men to Christ. 
 
 A number of matters in connection with the con- 
 duct of the services of the church needed to be cor- 
 
 106 
 
THE GOSPEL TESTED IN A HEATHEN CITY 
 
 rected. One problem was the place of women in the 
 churches. Christianity has exalted womanhood. In 
 Christ there is no male or female. But evidently 
 some of the women in the church in Corinth had let 
 this great truth lead them to disregard certain pro- 
 prieties involved in the social relations of women in 
 the church, and to assert their rights and independ- 
 ence in a way that caused disturbance. This situa- 
 tion needed to be corrected and controlled. Ch. 11: 
 2-16. 
 
 The Lord’s Supper, the precious sacrament of the 
 Christian Church, was being perverted by the 
 Corinthians. The sacrament had deteriorated into 
 a mere feast. To correct this situation Paul made 
 his famous statement concerning the nature and 
 meaning of the sacrament. Ch. 11: 17-34. 
 
 In the Apostolic Church there was the gift of 
 tongues. This was not exactly the same as the gift 
 of tongues on the day of Pentecost when the apostles’ 
 message was understood by visitors from many lands. 
 _ Rather it was an ecstatic state in which a person 
 uttered words which sometimes neither he nor his 
 hearers understood. This ‘gift’? became a source of 
 disorder and confusion in the Church. Paul ex- 
 plained that the gift of tongues was only one of many 
 gifts, all of which were of the same Spirit, and urged 
 that the gift of tongues was a minor and not a major 
 gift. The gift of tongues should not therefore be a 
 reason for personal pride. There should be no 
 jealousy among the members of the Church. Ch. 12. - 
 To teach the supreme importance of love, he wrote 
 the famous thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians, and 
 
 107 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 then gave practical directions for the proper use of 
 the gift of tongues, and the conduct of the services 
 of the Church, ch. 14. 
 
 Evidently the church in Corinth was disturbed 
 about the doctrine of the resurrection, for Paul dealt 
 at length with this important question in the famous 
 fifteenth chapter of this epistle. 
 
 Paul concluded his letter with a statement con- 
 cerning the fund for the church in Jerusalem which 
 was being raised among the Gentile churches, with 
 statements concerning his plans, and with greetings 
 from his fellow workers in Ephesus. 
 
 The Second Epistle to the Corinthians. When 
 Titus reported to Paul in Macedonia that the Corin- 
 thians had been obedient to his letter and had dis- 
 ciplined those who had been guilty of immorality, 
 he wrote his Second Epistle, which he addressed to 
 all the Christians in Achaia.: II Cor. 1: 1. In this 
 letter Paul unburdened his heart to his Corinthian 
 friends who had now shown their loyalty. He told 
 the Corinthians of his terrible suffering in Ephesus, 
 ch. 1: 8-11, expressed his appreciation of the loyalty 
 of the Corinthians, ch. 1: 12-14, and referred to his 
 expected coming to Corinth, ch. 1: 15 to 2:4. Paul 
 commended the Corinthians for their loyal discipline 
 of the most serious offender in the church and urged 
 his restoration in the church in view of his repentance. 
 Ch. 2: 5-11. At considerable length Paul discussed 
 his ministry with its trials and its triumphs, ch. 2: 
 12 to 6: 138, and once more urged a complete break 
 with heathenism and idolatry, ch. 6:14 to 7:1. Great 
 
 108 
 
THE GOSPEL TESTED IN A HEATHEN CITY 
 
 comfort had come to Paul through the message of 
 Titus concerning their repentance. Ch. 7: 2-16. In 
 chapters 8 and 9 he discussed the collection which 
 was being taken for the church in Jerusalem. Then, 
 ch. 10: 1 to 12: 13, he vindicated his claims as an 
 apostle. by an appeal to his authority and his self- 
 sacrificing and heroic service. Through this char- 
 acterization of himself there runs a fine vein of humor, 
 for he imitated those teachers who had won the 
 admiration of the Corinthians by their boasting. 
 Again Paul referred to his plan to visit Corinth and 
 closed his epistle with a greeting and with the apostolic 
 benediction. 
 
 Summary. From Athens Paul went to the city 
 of Corinth, notorious for its heathen immorality. 
 In spite of Jewish opposition and heathen environ- 
 ment a strong church was established. After leaving 
 Corinth Paul completed his Second Missionary 
 Journey and set out on his Third Journey. At 
 Ephesus word came to him of divisions, immorality, 
 and doctrinal and practical problems in Corinth. To 
 deal with this situation he wrote I Corinthians. 
 Later, after Titus joined him in Macedonia, he wrote 
 II Corinthians. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. Describe the city of Corinth and conditions there in Paul’s 
 day. See article on “Corinth” in a Bible dictionary. See also a 
 good commentary. 
 
 2. Insert on your map places named in the lesson and indicate 
 any important events which took place there. 
 
 3. Prepare to tell vividly and accurately the story of Paul’s 
 mission of eighteen months in Corinth. See a commentary on 
 
 109 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 The Acts, ch. 18: 1-17, a good life of Paul, and articles on ‘‘Paul” 
 and ‘‘Corinthians” and ‘‘Corinth” in a Bible dictionary. 
 
 ' 4, Read through I Corinthians and note every reference which 
 gives information concerning Paul’s situation at the time he 
 wrote the epistle. 
 
 5. Read through I Corinthians and note the different probleme 
 which had arisen in the church in Corinth and how Paul dealt with 
 these problems. 
 
 6. Find out all you can about Apollos and about Titus. See 
 a Bible dictionary under ‘‘Apollos” and ‘“Titus.”’ 
 
 7. Make an outline of I Corinthians, 
 8. What was the occasion of the writing of II Conran? 
 
 9. What light does II Corinthians throw upon the life of 
 Paul? 
 
 10. Make an outline of II Grcntiiens 
 
 11. Write a comparison of the heathen customs which the 
 gospel encountered in Corinth and the customs which the gospel 
 must encounter to-day in some non-Christian land. 
 
 Tue Books OF THE NEw TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel :— Romans James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians J Peter 
 According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians IT John 
 
 The Acts Philippians IIT John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians’ Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 Il Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 110 
 
CHAPTER XII _ 
 
 THE GOSPEL’S CONFLICT WITH IDOLATRY 
 | AND POLYTHEISM 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts, chs. 19; 20 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. What was the 
 attitude of the Apostolic Church toward idolatry, as 
 illustrated especially in Paul’s experience at Ephesus? 
 
 Preparation for Paul’s Work in Ephesus. 
 Paul had stopped at Ephesus on his Second Missionary 
 Journey on his way back from Corinth. Acts 18: 19. 
 At this time he taught in the synagogue and created 
 considerable interest in the gospel, but he remained 
 only a short time. When Paul departed from 
 Ephesus he left Priscilla and Aquila there. These two 
 Christians were evidently of a retiring disposition, 
 but they were thoroughly instructed in the gospel 
 and in a quiet way would help along the work which 
 had been begun by Paul. At this time Apollos came 
 to Ephesus. He was a student of the Old Testament 
 Scriptures, trained in the school at Alexandria, and 
 was a brilliant speaker, so that he was able with 
 great power to prove to the Jews that Jesus was the 
 Christ. But Priscilla and Aquila, who had been 
 taught by Paul, readily saw that Apollos did not 
 understand fully the gospel of Christ. His knowl- 
 edge seemed to be based upon the teaching of John 
 
 111. 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 the Baptist rather than upon the teaching of those 
 who had been with Jesus to the end. When these 
 two quiet disciples explained to Apollos more accu- 
 rately concerning the gospel, he was quick to see the 
 truth. Before Paul reached Ephesus for the second 
 time Apollos had gone on to Corinth where he did a 
 splendid work in watering the seed which Paul had 
 already planted there. When Paul arrived in Ephesus 
 therefore he found a band of believers who had been 
 taught first by himself, then by Priscilla and Aquila 
 and Apollos. But even then Paul discovered a group 
 of the believers in Ephesus who had not got beyond 
 the baptism of John, which was the baptism of 
 repentance: they did not know of the gift and work 
 of the Holy Spirit. He explained therefore the baptism 
 which was not only a sign of repentance but 
 also a sign of faith in Jesus Christ, and when these 
 believers were baptized they received the Holy 
 Spirit and exhibited the gifts of tongues and of 
 prophecy which were common in the apostolic 
 churches. With the moral support of this band of 
 believers in Ephesus, Paul was ready for his great 
 campaign which lasted for three years. Acts 20: 31. 
 
 Conditions in Ephesus. Paul and Barnabas had 
 come in contact with idolatry and polytheism in 
 Lystra, where they were taken for Jupiter and 
 Mercury by the people, and the priest of Jupiter from 
 the temple before the city prepared to offer sacrifices 
 to them. Acts 14: 8-18. In Ephesus Paul would 
 encounter idolatry and polytheism in all their power. 
 
 Ephesus was the city of Diana, and the worship of 
 
 112 
 
CONFLICT WITH IDOLATRY AND POLYTHEISM 
 
 this goddess dominated not only the city itself but 
 also the surrounding country. The temple of Diana 
 was one of the wonders of the ancient world. “The 
 scale on which the temple was erected was mag- 
 nificently extensive. It was four hundred and 
 twenty-five feet in length and two hundred and 
 twenty in breadth, and the columns were sixty feet 
 high. The number of columns was one hundred and 
 twenty-seven, each of them a gift of a king; and 
 thirty-six of them were enriched with ornaments 
 and color... . The value and fame of the temple 
 were enhanced by its being the treasury in which a 
 large portion of the wealth of western Asia was 
 stored up. It is probable that there was no religious 
 building in the world on which was concentrated a 
 greater ancient admiration, enthusiasm, and super- 
 stition.” (Conybeare and Howson.) In this temple 
 was the image of Diana, primitive and rude, more 
 Oriental than Greek. This idol was an object of the 
 utmost veneration and was the model on which the 
 images for worship in other cities were formed. 
 When Paul came to Ephesus he came to the city 
 which was the throne of one of the most famous of 
 heathen goddesses. 
 
 Models of the image of Diana and of the shrine 
 in which the idol was kept within the temple were 
 made objects of devotion. These were used to bring 
 Success to military expeditions, to journeys, or to 
 homes. They were purchased by pilgrims to the 
 city and became idolatrous talismans or charms. 
 Ephesus, therefore, was a center for the spread of 
 this form of idolatry. 
 
 113 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Magic also was inseparably connected with the 
 worship of Diana. The ‘“‘Ephesian Letters’ were — 
 engraved on the crown, girdle, and feet of the god- 
 dess. ‘These letters were written and carried as 
 amulets, and they were pronounced as charms. The 
 study of these magic letters was a science and many 
 books were written by those who practiced this art. 
 
 Into this seat of idolatry and of charms and magic 
 Paul came with his message of the one true God and 
 the simple and spiritual worship of the Christian 
 religion. How did Paul meet the issues which were 
 involved in this situation? | 
 
 How Paul’s Work Began. When he began his 
 work, Paul had the moral support of a small band of 
 believers. The synagogue in Ephesus became the 
 scene of his labors, for here he preached the gospel, 
 proving from the Scriptures the claims concerning 
 Jesus as the Christ. Many were persuaded by 
 Paul. As was so often the case, however, a group of 
 Jews not only rejected his message but became his 
 bitter opponents. Not content with rejecting the 
 gospel, they undertook to stir up opposition against 
 Paul in the city. Acts 19: 9. Thus, after three 
 months of teaching in the synagogue, Paul followed 
 the same course which he had taken in Corinth. He 
 and those who believed the gospel withdrew from 
 the synagogue and established their headquarters in 
 the school of Tyrannus, who was probably a Gentile 
 convert to the faith. 
 
 Paul’s Ministry in Ephesus. Much light is - 
 thrown upon the ministry of Paul in Ephesus by his 
 114 
 
CONFLICT WITH IDOLATRY AND POLYTHEISM 
 
 address to the elders of Ephesus at Miletus as he was 
 returning from his Third Missionary Journey. Acts 
 20: 17-35. Luke tells us that for two years Paul 
 taught in the school of Tyrannus, which became a 
 center of Christian influence which was felt through- 
 out the whole province among both Jews and Gentiles. 
 If his stay in Ephesus lasted three years, Acts 20: 31, 
 and he spent three months in the synagogue and ten 
 years in the school of Tyrannus, we might conjecture 
 that a church was organized in Ephesus, with its 
 own place of meeting, which was the center of Paul’s 
 work for the rest of the time. Paul supported him- | 
 self by working at his trade, but probably at hours 
 which would not prevent his taking advantage of the 
 best time of the day for preaching and teaching. His 
 ministry was not limited to public meetings, but he 
 went from house to house to persuade and confirm 
 believers and to counsel with them concerning the 
 Christian life. Acts 20: 20. Every home which 
 became Christian was a new center of Christian in- 
 fluence. A strong church was established in Ephesus 
 and other congregations were organized in outlying 
 cities and towns, so that Christianity began to make 
 its influence felt in the life of Ephesus and of the 
 province of which it was the capital. 
 
 The Gospel and Idolatry. Evidently Paul was 
 careful not to arouse unnecessary antagonism by 
 attacks upon idolatry. In Lystra he had tried to 
 lead the people to a knowledge of the true God as 
 superior to the gods whom they worshiped, thus 
 seeking to eliminate idolatry and polytheism through 
 
 115 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 the knowledge of something better rather than by 
 denouncing the beliefs of heathenism. In Athens 
 he endeavored without unnecessary denunciation of 
 heathen gods to lead to faith in the one true God. 
 So in Ephesus his heathen opponents had to acknowl- 
 edge that he had not attacked or desecrated the 
 temple of Diana or blasphemed the goddess. Yet 
 Paul the Hebrew and Paul the Christian could not 
 yield any ground to the idea that there is any god 
 save the one true God. Paul’s ministry was positive 
 rather than negative, however. He revealed the 
 true God instead of attacking directly the worship 
 of Diana. But when the Ephesians were won to 
 faith in the one true God, he was clean-cut and 
 positive in his demand for a complete breaking away 
 from all idolatrous worship. In the light of this 
 statement read again what Paul wrote from Ephesus 
 to the church in Corinth, I Cor., ch. 8; 10: 14-33. 
 Certain things happened in Ephesus which must 
 have made a great appeal to the people. The 
 Ephesians practiced the use of charms and amulets. 
 The Holy Spirit saw fit to give Paul unusual mi- 
 raculous power in Ephesus, Acts 19: 11, which the 
 people of Ephesus accepted as convincing evidence 
 of Paul’s authority as a teacher and of the truth of 
 his message. In this city of magic and charms and 
 incantations, the sons of Sceva, Jews who claimed to 
 have power to cast out evil spirits, tried to use the 
 name of Jesus as a magical formula, but the demoniac 
 attacked them with the cry, “Jesus I know, and Paul 
 I know; but who are ye?” ‘The event, news of which 
 spread through the city, made a great impression, 
 116 
 
CONFLICT WITH IDOLATRY AND POLYTHEISM 
 
 and served to bring honor to the name of Jesus and 
 to lead to a renunciation of magic and incantations 
 by many who had been won to faith in Christ. 
 Former practicers of magic brought their books 
 containing their formulas of incantation and burnt 
 them, as a sign of complete renunciation. 
 
 Christianity’s influence became so great in Ephesus 
 and the surrounding region that there was a distinct 
 falling off in the worship of Diana and in the 
 sales of shrines and images. The disgruntled 
 silversmiths blamed their waning business upon Paul. 
 Acts 19: 23-41. A riot resulted and the mob assem- 
 bled in the theater where were dragged all the com- 
 panions of Paul upon whom the mob could lay hands. 
 When Paul, discovering the situation, desired to 
 protect his associates by appearing in the theater, he 
 was persuaded by influential friends not to venture 
 into the crowd. The town clerk, or “recorder,” a 
 magistrate of great authority, by his shrewd and 
 politic handling of the situation succeeded in dis- 
 persing the crowd. | 
 
 As soon as things quieted down after the riot, Paul 
 made his departure from Ephesus, but he left a 
 strong church there and in the surrounding country. 
 Thus the gospel met idolatry in its stronghold and 
 proved its power through the positive preaching of 
 faith in one true God who is a Spirit and in Jesus 
 Christ, his Son, as Saviour. 
 
 Paul’s Further Journey. From Ephesus, as we 
 learned, Paul wrote his First Epistle to the Corin- 
 thians. After leaving Ephesus he went to Mace- 
 
 bis 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 donia, where he was met by Titus who brought word 
 from Corinth. ‘Then he wrote his Second Epistle to 
 the Corinthians. He went on to Corinth where he 
 spent three months. A plot by the Jews led him to 
 leave Corinth and return by way of Macedonia. 
 Here Luke and others became his fellow travelers. 
 Acts 20: 4-6 (note the ‘‘we’’). On his journey Paul 
 preached at Troas, held a conference at Miletus with 
 the elders from the church in Ephesus, spent a week 
 at Tyre with disciples, a day with disciples in Ptole- 
 mais, some days in Cesarea in the home of Philip, 
 the deacon and evangelist, and then went on to Jeru- 
 salem. Again and again while on his way Paul was 
 warned that danger awaited him at Jerusalem, but 
 with unwavering purpose he pressed on, ready to die 
 if need be in that city to which he felt that duty was 
 
 calling him. 
 
 Summary. On his Third Missionary Journey 
 Paul came to Ephesus, the seat of the worship of 
 Diana. Here Paul demonstrated the power of the 
 gospel to win men from polytheism and idolatry to 
 the worship of the one true God, and proved Chris- 
 tianity’s power to permeate a heathen society through 
 the positive and constructive teaching of the religion 
 of Jesus rather than by negative attacks upon the 
 beliefs and practices of polytheism and idolatry. 
 Following his three years’ labors in Ephesus, Paul 
 completed his Third Missionary Journey and reached 
 the city of Jerusalem, after being warned again and 
 again by prophets and friends that danger threatened 
 him there. 
 
 118 
 
CONFLICT WITH IDOLATRY AND POLYTHEISM 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. On a map trace the movements of Paul in the chapter and, 
 in connection with each place named, indicate any events of 
 special interest. 
 
 2. Describe the religious condition of Ephesus before the 
 arrival of Paul. See a commentary on the portion of The Acts 
 dealing with the ministry of Paul in Ephesus, articles in a Bible 
 dictionary on “Ephesus” and ‘‘Diana,”’ and lives of Paul. 
 
 3. Based upon the account of Luke in The Acts and Paul’s 
 address at Miletus to the elders from the church in Ephesus, give 
 an account of the ministry of Paul in Ephesus. 
 
 4, On the basis of the account of the riot stirred up by 
 Demetrius prepare a statement concerning the progress of the 
 gospel in Ephesus. | 
 
 5. Assuming that Paul taught in Ephesus the same principles 
 which he laid down in his First Epistle to the Corinthians written 
 from Ephesus, tell what you believe Paul would have taught the 
 Ephesian converts concerning their relation to the practices of 
 idolatry. Would there be any difference in Paul’s attitude toward 
 idolatry in dealing with unconverted idolaters and with converted 
 idolaters? 
 
 6. Compare Paul’s method of approach to idolaters and 
 polytheists, as this is indicated in the chapter, with the attitude 
 of a modern missionary toward the religious faith and practices 
 of the people in some non-Christian land. For an example see 
 Henry C. Mabie’s “Method in Soul Winning,” Chapter V, on 
 “Tact in Personal Approach.” . He refers also to the last chapter 
 in Hume’s ‘‘Missions from the Modern View.” 
 
 THE Books or THE New TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel:— Romans James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark Il Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke ‘Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians IT John 
 
 The Acts Philippians III John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians. Revelation 
 iI Thessaloniaaik 
 
 IT Timothy 
 II Timothy 
 Titus 
 Philemon 
 Hebrews 
 
 119 
 
CHAPTER XIII’ 
 
 ORGANIZATION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 
 CHURCH 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: See references in the 
 body of the chapter 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. To discover 
 what the New Testament books themselves reveal 
 concerning organization as it was finally developed 
 in the New Testament Church. 
 
 A Group of Two Chapters. This is a good point 
 at which to pause in our study of the story of the 
 Church and of the books of the New Testament as 
 they were written to meet the needs which arose 
 from time to time in the Church, and to consider two 
 important questions which have always been of 
 interest in the Christian Church. These are the 
 questions of government and of doctrine. Can we 
 discover in the New Testament sufficient facts to 
 give us a fairly clear idea of how the Church in the 
 days of the apostles was organized to do its work in 
 the world, and can we find a brief statement of what 
 was included in the message of what we call “the 
 gospel”? which the Church proclaimed? The first 
 of these questions will be considered in this chapter; 
 the second will be considered in the following chapter. 
 Then we shall turn again to the story of Paul because 
 
 120 
 
ORGANIZATION IN THE CHURCH 
 
 it is related to other books which we should consider 
 in a study of the development of the New Testament. 
 
 The Purpose of Organization in the Church. 
 Evidently organization in the Church is secondary, 
 and the -Church’s task is primary, for Jesus clearly 
 gave the Church its task but there is no record of his 
 Saying anything about the form of organization 
 through which the task was to be performed. In 
 Chapter IV we noted that Jesus was an organizer. 
 He organized his disciples to meet situations which 
 he foresaw and he used organization to meet emer- 
 gencies as they arose. He was systematic and busi- 
 nesslike. The apostles were therefore also systematic 
 and businesslike. When a situation which needed 
 to be handled through organization presented itself 
 in the Church, the apostles were not disconcerted, 
 but proceeded to create organization to meet the 
 need. But always the task was primary and or- 
 ganization secondary. Jesus established a Church 
 with a mission; the Church organized for its mission 
 as the task grew and as the field broadened. The 
 life of the Church kept ahead of its organization; 
 organization was not. projected theoretically and 
 then put into operation; it grew as the Church grew. 
 Therefore we should not expect to find a form of 
 organization outlined in the New Testament; rather 
 we find how the living Church, doing its work, 
 growing in numbers, and spreading through wider 
 areas, built up an organization to meet the needs of 
 its growing work. The organization of the Church 
 on the day of Pentecost was not the same as the 
 
 AR 121 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 organization of the Church at the close of the New 
 Testament. We are therefore to attempt to trace in 
 a general way the development of the Church’s 
 organization at the time considered in Chapter IV 
 as it fitted itself for its growing mission. 
 
 The Church. At this point we should get clearly 
 in mind what is meant by the word “‘church” in the 
 New Testament. The word “church” is used by 
 Jesus himself in Matt. 16: 18 and 18: 17, and these 
 are the only instances of its use in the Gospels. But 
 we encounter the word early in The Acts. In the 
 Authorized Version it is found in Acts 2: 47, just 
 after the account of the day of Pentecost, but it 
 appears first in the Revised Version in Acts 5: 11, 
 just after the incident of the deceit of Ananias and 
 Sapphira. 
 
 The Greek word translated “church” is ekklesia, 
 which means “assembly” and corresponds to the 
 Latin word congregatio which has been taken over 
 into English as the word “congregation.” It cor- 
 responds also to the Greek word sunagoge, from 
 which we get our word “synagogue” and which 
 occurs throughout the Greek Old Testament trans- 
 lating the Hebrew words meaning ‘‘assembly” and 
 “meeting.”’ The ecclesia or church is, therefore, in 
 the Christian sense, “fan assembly of Christians 
 gathered for worship” or ‘‘a company of Christians, 
 or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through 
 Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold 
 their own religious meetings, and manage their own 
 affairs according to regulations prescribed for the 
 
 122 
 
ORGANIZATION IN THE CHURCH 
 body for order’s sake,” or ‘those who anywhere, in 
 city or village, constitute such a company and are 
 united into one body,” or “the whole body of Chris- 
 tians scattered throughout the earth; collectively, all 
 who worship and honor God and Christ in whatever 
 place they may be.”” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon 
 of the New Testament.) 
 
 In the New Testament the word “church” is not 
 used of a building. It means the group of people 
 who meet together in any place for the worship of 
 God, or the local body of believers in Jesus, or it may 
 be used in the sense of all the churches of an area 
 thought of as one body, or it may be used of all 
 believers taken together as the body of Christ. 
 When we speak of organization in the Church we 
 mean organization in a local church or in the wider 
 groups of churches. In this chapter we are to see 
 what the New Testament reveals concerning or- 
 ganization in the Church whether in local congre- 
 gations or in the Church in the larger sense. 
 
 The Apostles. On the day of Pentecost, when the 
 Church began its work after awaiting the coming of 
 the Holy Spirit as Jesus had directed, Acts 1: 4, 8, the 
 apostles, as pointed out in Chapter IV, were the 
 authorities in the Church. They were its teachers 
 and its disciplinarians. They admitted new members 
 and dealt with the unfaithful. Decisions rested with 
 them. Responsibility for the whole Church was 
 upon their shoulders. 
 
 The apostolic office was not transferable. See 
 Chapter IV. 
 
 123 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 In its special sense the title ‘‘apostle’ is applied 
 only to the Twelve and to Paul. The word is used 
 of others, however, in the sense of a person sent on 
 a mission by the.Church. It is so used of Barnabas 
 in association with Paul, when they were in Lystra. 
 Acts 14: 14. Epaphroditus is also spoken of as an 
 ‘apostle’ in the Greek in Phil. 2: 25, but the word is 
 translated “messenger.” 
 
 By its very nature, the apostolate was a temporary 
 office held only by those who were appointed by 
 Jesus himself to be his personal witnesses and under 
 whose supervision the Church was to be launched 
 upon its mission in the world. So even in the early 
 part of The Acts we find the apostles one by one 
 dropping out of the history as they went upon their 
 apostolic missions, and the local church under the 
 direct care of other officers. When Peter was present 
 in the council of the church in Jerusalem, he did not 
 exercise his apostolic authority in dictating the 
 policy of the Church. James, the brother of our 
 Lord, presided at the meeting, and Peter was only 
 one of the witnesses and speakers. The decision was 
 the council’s decision under the presidency of James, 
 but a decision in which the “apostles” concurred. 
 
 Deacons. In addition to the apostles, the first 
 officers of the Church named in The Acts are deacons. 
 As pointed out in Chapter IV, at the beginning these 
 officers were appointed by the congregation in Jerusa- — 
 lem, at the suggestion of the apostles, to have charge 
 of the relief of the poor of the church in order that the 
 apostles might be relieved of this burden which was 
 
 124 
 
ORGANIZATION IN THE CHURCH 
 
 interfering with their giving full time and energy to 
 the primary work of the ministry of the word and 
 prayer. Acts 6: 1-6. The work of the deacons was 
 to “‘superintend the public messes,” or to minister 
 to the poor. In the phrase “serve tables” the word 
 meaning ‘“‘to serve’ is diakonein. The noun is 
 diakonia. From this comes our word “‘deacon.”’ 
 Later in connection with many churches of the New 
 Testament there is no reference to deacons, so the 
 conclusion has been drawn that the diaconate was not 
 an essential office. There were deacons in the 
 church in Philippi, Phil. 1: 1, and deacons are re- 
 ferred to by Paul in his First Epistle to Timothy, 
 ch. 3: 8-18. Some have thought that the office of 
 deacon was not to be identified with the office of 
 those who were called to serve tables in the church 
 in Jerusalem, but Paul, “writing thirty years later, 
 and stating the requirements of the deaconate, lays 
 stress upon those qualifications which would be most 
 important in persons moving about from house to 
 house and intrusted with the distribution of alms.” 
 (Lightfoot.) In some countries women were secluded 
 and could not be ministered to by men, so there 
 were women deacons, or deaconesses, for this min- 
 istry. Paul said, I Tim. 3: 8, 9, that deacons must 
 be “grave, not double-tongued, not given to much 
 wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery 
 of the faith in a pure conscience.”’ Persons were not 
 ,to be hastily called into this office; they were first to 
 be proved and then allowed to serve as deacons, if 
 they were blameless. ‘‘Women in like manner must 
 be grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all 
 125 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 things.”” V. 11. Deacons were also to be “husbands 
 of one wife, ruling their children and their own 
 houses well.”’ V. 12. 
 
 Elders and Bishops. Very soon in The Acts, 
 we find references to elders. ‘The word is used of the 
 Jewish rulers frequently throughout the Gospels and 
 the first chapters of The Acts, but it is used first of 
 officers of the Christian Church in Acts 11: 30, after 
 the establishment of the church in Antioch, when the 
 offering for ‘the brethren that dwelt in Judza”’ was 
 sent from Antioch ‘to the elders by the hand of 
 Barnabas and Saul.’”’ When Paul and Barnabas 
 revisited Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, in returning 
 from their First Missionary Journey, they ‘‘appointed 
 for them elders in every church,” Acts 14: 28. 
 When Paul and Barnabas had their dispute with the 
 Judaizers in Antioch, it was decided to go up to 
 Jerusalem ‘unto the apostles and elders,” Acts 15: 2, 
 so there were elders in the Jerusalem church. In 
 Jerusalem there was ‘‘the church,’ or assembly, 
 and ‘‘the apostles” and “the elders.”’ Acts 15: 4; so 
 also vs. 6, 22, 23. The decrees of the council were 
 reported as the decrees of “‘the apostles and elders.” 
 Acts 16:4. ‘Toward the end of his Third Missionary 
 Journey, Paul summoned the elders of the church in 
 Ephesus to meet him at Miletus. Acts 20: 17. 
 “James” and “all the elders’ are referred to in 
 Acts 21: 18. n 
 | Lightfoot has called attention to the fact that when 
 deacons are first introduced into the story of the | 
 Christian Church Luke carefully describes the oc- 
 
 126 
 
ORGANIZATION IN THE CHURCH 
 
 easion for their appointment, but elders are referred 
 to without any special note. They are taken for 
 granted. This is readily explained. As was pointed 
 out in Chapter VI, the Christian Church began as a 
 Jewish sect. The Jews were accustomed to govern- 
 ment by elders, and the Jewish synagogue was under 
 the direction and authority of elders, so that in the 
 Christian group, whether called a synagogue or a 
 church, government by elders would be taken for 
 granted. So in the churches very naturally there 
 were elders chosen to have the direction of the work 
 of the church, and no special attention is called to 
 thefact. The eldership was not something new which 
 required any explanation or comment. 
 
 The English word “elder” is a translation of the 
 Greek word presbuteros, which has been taken over 
 into the English as the word “presbyter.” Elder 
 and presbyter have the same meaning. Presbytery, 
 Greek presbuterion, I Tim. 4: 14, is the body of 
 presbyters or elders of the church. 
 
 In the New Testament we find also the title of 
 “bishop.” Bishop and elder in the New Testament 
 are used interchangeably. Compare Acts 20: 17 
 and 28. Presbyter or elder, however, came from 
 Hebrew usage. Bishop, or episcopos, “overseer,” is 
 rather a Gentile word. “To the officers of Gentile 
 churches alone is the term applied, as a synonym for 
 presbyter.”” (Lightfoot.) 
 
 References in the New Testament throw consid- 
 erable light upon the work of the presbyters, or elders, 
 or bishops, in the New Testament Church. The 
 elders were responsible for the teaching of the Church. 
 
 127 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Acts 20: 28, 29. In I Tim. 3: 2, Paul says that an 
 elder must be ‘‘apt to teach,”’ and in Titus 1: 9 he says 
 that an elder must be one who holds ‘‘to the faithful 
 word which is according to the teaching, that he 
 may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine, 
 and to convict the gainsayers.”’ Besides being the 
 instructors of the congregation, the elders were its 
 rulers, responsible for direction and _ discipline. 
 These two phases of the work of elders are noted in 
 I Tim. 5: 17, where Paul says: ‘Let the elders that 
 rule well be counted worthy of double honor, es- 
 pecially those who labor in the word and in teaching.” 
 Upon this text Calvin based his system of two classes 
 of elders: teaching elders and ruling elders. Others 
 believe that there were not two classes of elders, but 
 that some elders, especially gifted in regard to over- 
 sight and discipline, may have made this their chief 
 function, while other elders, especially gifted as 
 teachers, made the teaching task their chief work 
 in the Church. 
 
 The qualifications for elders are given by Paul in 
 I Tim. 3: 1-7 and Titus 1: 5-9. That the ministry 
 of the church was supported by the church is evident 
 from I Cor. 9: 6-14; Gal. 6:6; I Tim. 5: 18. 
 
 One striking fact should not be overlooked in the 
 study of the ministry of the New Testament Church. 
 There is no mention of a priesthood, except the 
 priesthood of all believers. No bishop, elder, deacon, 
 or other officer is called a priest. All believers come 
 directly to God through Christ, and there is no 
 sacrifice for sin save the sacrifice of Christ, offered 
 once for all. 
 
 128 
 
ORGANIZATION IN THE CHURCH 
 
 The Larger Supervision of the Church. Each 
 congregation exercised a large measure of autonomy, 
 but there was provision in the New Testament Church 
 for oversight of the various congregations. When the 
 apostles in Jerusalem heard of the successful work of 
 Philip in Samaria, they sent Peter and John to observe 
 the situation and to give such instruction and assist- 
 ance and direction as might be necessary. Acts 8: 
 14-25. For a time at least Peter had the oversight 
 of the churches of a wide area. Acts 9: 32. When 
 a church was formed in Antioch, the church in 
 Jerusalem sent Barnabas to investigate and to take 
 such action as might be required. Acts 11: 22. 
 When Paul and Barnabas had organized the churches 
 on Paul’s First Missionary Journey, they not only 
 revisited the churches to complete their organization, 
 but they also planned later to visit the churches a 
 second time. Acts 15: 36. 
 
 The church in Jerusalem was looked upon as the 
 mother church from which the gospel had spread 
 abroad. To this church, with the apostles, the dis- 
 puted question about the observance of the Mosaic 
 law was referred, and from the council at Jerusalem 
 went forth the decree of ‘‘the apostles and elders, 
 with the whole church.” Acts 15: 1-29. Thus we 
 find in the New Testament Church the beginning of 
 that larger organization of the Church for the over- 
 sight and direction and control of its various con- 
 gregations which has developed into the episcopal 
 oversight and control by bishops in some Churches, 
 the representative oversight by presbytery in other 
 Churches, or the looser association of congregations 
 
 129 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 in other denominations. In the New Testament 
 one Christian Church under a bishop, or one Christian 
 Church under a general assembly, or one Christian 
 Church under a council had not developed; but the 
 foundations were laid for the unification in one 
 body of those believers in Jesus who hold to a com- 
 mon faith and purpose and desire to unite for spiritual 
 development and for Christian service. 
 
 Summary. There is no record of Jesus’ having 
 given the apostles any direction concerning the form 
 of government of the Church. The Church began 
 its ministry under the leadership of the apostles, but 
 local congregations were soon under the immediate 
 direction of elders (or presbyters, or bishops) who 
 were rulers and teachers. They were often assisted . 
 in certain temporal ministrations by deacons. The 
 different congregations or groups of congregations 
 were under the direction at first of the apostles or their 
 representatives. Later, councils of apostles, elders, 
 and Church members prepared the way for the 
 unification, direction, and control of the larger 
 Church. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. What is the meaning of the word “church” in the New 
 Testament? See a good Bible dictionary. Look up the word 
 ekklesia in a Greek lexicon. Look up every use of the word 
 “church” in the New Testament. Study the definition of 
 “church” in the constitution of your own denomination. Com- 
 pare the definitions of “church” in a good English dictionary. 
 
 2. What was the apostolic office? What in its character made 
 it necessarily temporary? See a Bible dictionary under ‘‘Apostle”’ 
 and the dissertation on ‘The Ministry of the Church” in Light- 
 foot’s commentary on Philippians. 
 
 130 
 
ORGANIZATION IN THE CHURCH 
 
 3. What was the office of deacon in the New Testament 
 Church? Consult a Bible dictionary under ‘‘Deacon.”? By means 
 of a complete concordance find and study every New Testament 
 reference to deacons. See also Lightfoot’s dissertation referred 
 to under ‘‘2.” ' 
 
 4. How would you explain Luke’s careful account of the 
 origin of deacons in the New Testament Church and his reference 
 to elders without any explanation? 
 
 5. Compare the meaning of the words “presbyter,’’ or 
 “elder,” and “bishop” in the New Testament. See a Bible 
 dictionary and Lightfoot’s dissertation referred to under “2.” 
 
 6. What were the duties of elders and bishops, and what 
 were the qualifications for this office in the New Testament? 
 Look up the references to elders and bishops in a concordance 
 of the New Testament; consult a Bible dictionary and Lightfoot’s 
 dissertation. | 
 
 7. What larger oversight of the Church was exercised accord- 
 ing to Luke’s account in The Acts? 
 
 8. What was the place, purpose, and importance of organiza- 
 tion in the New Testament Church? 
 
 Tue Books or tHe New TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel :— Romans James 
 According to Matthew + I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark If Corinthians IT Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John . Ephesians II John 
 
 The Acts | Philippians III John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 131 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 THE CHURCH’S TEACHING 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: The Epistle to the 
 Romans 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. To try to dis- 
 cover the outstanding points in the gospel taught. in 
 the New Testament Church. 
 
 The Epistles We Have Considered. We have 
 found that the epistles which we have considered in 
 this study were written to readers who already knew 
 the story of Jesus, to meet specific issues or needs. 
 The Epistle of James was written to the scattered 
 believers in Jesus to help them in their peculiar cir- 
 cumstances. I and II Thessalonians were written 
 by Paul to correct certain errors in the Thessalonian 
 church which were reported to him. I and II 
 Corinthians dealt with special problems-and difficulties 
 which had arisen in the Corinthian church. None of 
 these books of the New Testament gives a com- 
 prehensive and well-rounded presentation of the 
 great message which the New Testament Church 
 proclaimed. 
 
 The Epistle to the Romans. When we come to 
 the Epistle to the Romans, however, we find a different 
 kind of book. It was not written to meet some 
 
 132 
 
THE CHURCH’S TEACHING 
 
 specific need. It did not deal with issues which had 
 arisen in a church in which the writer was especially 
 interested because he had been its founder or its 
 teacher. The epistle was no doubt written from 
 
 Corinth during Paul’s stay there, mentioned in 7 
 
 Acts 20: 2, 3, “for, according to Rom. 15: 25, etc., at 
 the time of writing the apostle was about to go to 
 Jerusalem with the offering for the poor, made by the 
 churches of Macedonia and Achaia. At Corinth he 
 had directed collections to be made; it was the 
 largest city of Achaia; Phoebe, who took the letter, 
 was from Cenchreex, the seaport of Corinth, ch. 16: 
 1, 2; Gaius, ch. 16: 23, his host, was probably a 
 Corinthian, I Cor. 1: 14.” Paul had wanted to go 
 to Rome, the imperial capital, there to preach the 
 gospel, Rom. 15: 23, but up to this time he had not 
 been able to plan this journey. Now, however, he 
 hoped, after completing his errand to Jerusalem, to 
 realize his expectation, ch. 15: 24, and he wished at 
 this time to send a message to the church in Rome 
 which would prepare the way for his coming. 
 
 As we read this Epistle to the Romans we discover 
 therefore that the letter is different from the other 
 epistles which we have considered. It seems more 
 general, more comprehensive, its parts more logically 
 related. Aside from any special or critical issues in 
 the Roman church the apostle was setting forth his 
 gospel. He took advantage of the j journey of Phoebe, 
 of Cenchres, who evidently was going to Rome on 
 business, to carry this letter to his fellow believers in 
 the Roman capital. His message does not include 
 the story of Jesus which all believers had been taught 
 
 133 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 at the very beginning of their instruction, but deals 
 with those great gospel truths and principles which 
 grew out of Jesus’ person and life and teaching and 
 work. 
 
 The Roman Church. The origin of the church 
 in Rome is unknown. It may have been founded 
 by converts who had been won on the day of Pente- 
 cost, Acts 2: 10, or believers from Jerusalem or other 
 places may have gone to Rome and, like the scattered 
 disciples at the time of the martyrdom of Stephen, 
 preached the word. Among its members when Paul 
 wrote were Priscilla and Aquila. Rom. 16: 3. At 
 the beginning the church in Rome may have been 
 composed of Jewish believers, but its Jewish con- 
 stituency was no longer characteristic. The church 
 was now truly Gentile. Rom. 1: 18. 
 
 The relation of Peter to the church in Rome does 
 not concern us in this study, for if he was in Rome 
 at all, for which there is traditional support, this was 
 subsequent to the writing of this epistle. 
 
 Paul’s Gospel. With this brief introduction, let 
 us turn to the Epistle to the Romans and see what we 
 can discover concerning Paul’s gospel as a statement 
 of the message of the New Testament Church. In 
 this limited study, it is impossible to go into details, 
 or to attempt even a brief exegetical study. We 
 can try to consider only the outstanding points which 
 constitute Paul’s message. What are these out- 
 standing points? To discover these the student 
 should read the epistle for himself, and not depend 
 upon what is set forth here. 
 
 134 
 
THE CHURCH’S TEACHING 
 
 Jesus Christ. In Paul’s day it was the custom in 
 writing a letter to put the name of the writer at the 
 very beginning. Compare all the epistles of the New 
 Testament, noting that Hebrews is anonymous. Ob- 
 serve that every other epistle begins with the writer’s 
 name or identification. Paul, therefore, following 
 the rules of letter-writing at the time, puts his name 
 first. But immediately he follows it with the name 
 of Jesus Christ, which has first place in his message. 
 His message he calls “the gospel of God” and says that 
 the gospel was ‘‘promised . . . in the holy scriptures.” 
 The gospel is concerning God’s ‘Son,’ whom he 
 identifies as the human Jesus whose life and teaching, 
 as narrated in the Gospels, were proclaimed by the 
 Church. But he is also the risen Jesus who by his 
 resurrection was ‘‘declared to be the Son of God with 
 power.” Jesus is the Source of grace and authority 
 in the Church. Also he is associated in the closest 
 possible way with God the Father. 
 
 The message of the Church therefore is_primarily 
 a message about Jesus, the Jesus whom we know in 
 the Gospels, but whose nature and work are inter- 
 preted more fully in the epistles of the New Testament. 
 
 Paul’s Text or Thesis. After a statement of his 
 personal feeling and his’purpose to come to Rome, 
 and his obligation to preach the gospel in Rome, in 
 Gi. 410,17, he, gives what to-day would be called 
 his text, or moré technically might be called his thesis. 
 His message ig “the gospel’ The outstanding points 
 in this gospel are its “‘power,”’ its “salvation,” through 
 a “righteousness” which is received by “faith,” and | 
 
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 ‘ 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 its universality, being efficient for both Jew and 
 Gentile. We might expect these points to be de-- 
 veloped in his presentation of the gospel message, 
 and our expectation is not disappointed. 
 
 Sin. The gospel had much to say about sin. This 
 is not surprising. The word to Joseph concerning 
 Mary was: ‘‘And she shall bring forth a son; and 
 thou shalt call his name Jesus; for it is he that shall 
 save his people from their sins.” Matt. 1:21. John 
 the Baptist who came to prepare the way for Jesus 
 proclaimed the message of repentance. The gospel 
 of the Saviour was good news because of the fact of 
 sin, for which the gospel offered a remedy. A glance 
 at a concordance will soon show that the New Testa- 
 ment, as well as the Old, has much to say about sin. 
 Jesus himself said that he “came not to eall the 
 righteous, but sinners.”’ His three great parables of 
 the fifteenth chapter of Luke deal with sin, for they 
 are stories of The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and 
 The Lost Son who said, “‘I have sinned.” 
 
 The first point in Paul’s gospel, therefore, is man’s 
 sin and God’s wrath “against all ungodliness and 
 unrighteousness of men.” ~Rom. 1: 18. He then 
 proceeds to “shut up” all men “under sin.” He 
 describes the heathen who have rejected God. the 
 Creator and turned to the worship of the creature and 
 given themselves over to degrading immoral prac- 
 ‘tices. Ch. 1: 21-32. Then he proceeds to show that 
 those who are ready to condemn the heathen share 
 in their guilt. Both Jew and Gentile are guilty 
 before God. The Jew is guilty because he has broken 
 
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THE CHURCH’S TEACHING 
 
 the law; the Gentile, who does not have the law, is 
 a sinner because he has disobeyed conscience. Ch. 
 2: 1-16. But lest the Jew might think that he is 
 not a sinner in the sight of God, because of his Jewish 
 privileges, Paul shows how the Jews as a nation have 
 transgressed the law and brought shame upon the 
 name of God among the Gentiles. Rom. 2: 17-29. 
 As a Jew himself Paul says:.“‘Are we better than they? 
 No, in no wise: for we before laid to the charge both of 
 Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.” Ch. 
 3: 9. Again he insists, “For there is no distinction; 
 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of 
 Gon ot 22, 23. | 
 
 ._ Righteousness by Faith. Following his charge 
 that all men are sinners, Paul takes up the next point 
 in his thesis of ch. 1: 17,. and discusses ‘‘a righteous- 
 ness of God... through faith in Jesus Christ unto all 
 them that believe,” ch. 3: 21-30.. His teaching is 
 that there is a righteousness which God provides for 
 the sinner, a righteousness which the sinner cannot 
 provide for himself through his own obedience to the 
 law, but a righteousness which is secured from God 
 through faith in Jesus. Sinners are justified, that is, 
 declared righteous in the sight of God the Judge, 
 because they are redeemed by Christ. Sinners are 
 justified freely, that is, without payment on their 
 part. It is of grace; that is, God gives it out of the 
 goodness of his heart in spite of their unworthiness. 
 He says, ‘‘We reckon therefore that a man is justified 
 by faith apart from the works of the law.” This is 
 the element in the gospel message which led to the 
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THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 conversion of both Augustine, the Latin father, and 
 Luther, the leader of the Reformation. 
 
 Paul knew that this doctrine would not be welcomed 
 by the Jews, but Paul declares that in the ancient 
 Jewish Scriptures the great truth that men are 
 justified by faith was taught. ‘Abraham believed 
 God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.” 
 Rom. 4: 3; Gen. 15: 6. That the justification of 
 Abraham was not through the works of the law is 
 evident because this was before there was a Mosaic 
 law, and it was before Abraham had conformed to 
 the ancient Hebrew requirement of circumcision. 
 When he was declared righteous in God’s sight because 
 of his faith, Abraham was as uncircumcised as the 
 Gentiles. So, declares Paul, we are justified ‘‘who 
 believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the 
 dead, who was delivered up for our trespasses, and 
 was raised for our justification.”” Ch. 4: 9-25. 
 
 Justified by faith in Christ, we have peace with 
 God, and hope. We have the assurance of salvation 
 through faith in Christ who died for us. Paul gives 
 an important phase to the cross here. ‘‘While we 
 were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”” We are “‘justi- 
 fied by his blood.” We are “reconciled to God 
 through the death of his Son.” Ch. 5: 1-11. Paul 
 carries his argument farther by comparing and 
 contrasting the effect of Adam’s sin upon the human 
 race and the results of Christ’s perfect obedience in 
 the justification unto eternal life of all who believe in 
 him. 
 
 The doctrine of justification by faith is altogether 
 in harmony with the teaching of Jesus. In the 
 
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THE CHURCH’S TEACHING 
 
 parable of The Lost Son, he taught that the boy who 
 had wasted his substance in riotous living, and was 
 in want and rags and shame, was welcomed by his 
 father, restored to sonship, and given a place at his 
 father’s table where a great feast was spread. Jesus 
 himself taught that his blood was ‘‘poured’ out for 
 many unto remission of sins.” Matt. 26: 28. It is 
 in harmony with the words of Peter on the day of 
 Pentecost, Acts 2: 38, and with Paul’s reply to the 
 jailer in Philippi when he inquired concerning the 
 way of salvation: “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and 
 thou shalt be saved,” Acts 16: 31. 
 
 New Life in Christ. Well might those who did 
 not understand Paul’s whole gospel raise objections 
 to his doctrine of justification by faith. Justification 
 by faith, according to Paul, is not an abstract, book 
 transaction, unrelated to the life and character of the 
 person who is justified by faith, for faith is an act 
 which brings the believer into vital relation to Christ 
 in whom he believes. Jesus himself had said, “Ye 
 will not come to me, that ye may have life.” John 
 5:40. Saving faith, Paul says, is not the mere belief 
 in a transaction which is for the benefit of the sinner, 
 but is an identification of oneself with Christ. Christ’s 
 death on the cross was to enable us to die unto sin, 
 and Christ’s resurrection was to enable us to live in 
 newness of life. Rom. 6: 1-11. The person who 
 is justified by faith must give himself to the service 
 of God. He is no longer a servant of sin, but a 
 servant of Christ. Ch. 6: 15 to 7:6. Salvation by 
 faith includes not only the forgiveness of sin but new 
 
 139 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 power for victory over sin. ‘‘For the wages of sin is 
 death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ 
 Jesus our Lord.”’ Ch. 6: 28. 
 
 In this Paul teaches what Jesus himself had taught, 
 for even in his free forgiveness of sin Jesus insisted 
 upon the duty of overcoming sin. After he had healed 
 the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda he said to the 
 man, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a 
 worse thing befall thee.” John 5: 14. Again he 
 said, ‘“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, 
 shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that 
 doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.” 
 Matt. 7: 21. The gospel demands holiness of life. 
 
 But man cannot save himself from his sins. This 
 is the chief teaching of the famous seventh chapter of 
 Romans. Paul pictures the man who is trying to 
 overcome the power of sin through his own strength. 
 He knows that he should not do wrong, but he does 
 wrong. He knows that he ought to do right, but he 
 fails to do right. He experiences the terrible struggle 
 between right and wrong in his own nature. The 
 pathetic condition of the sinner is described in the 
 ery: ‘‘Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver 
 me out of the body of this death?” ‘Then he gives 
 the triumphant answer, “I thank God through Jesus 
 Christ our Lord,” and in the eighth chapter he 
 teaches that a new power comes into the life of the 
 believer in Jesus. The Spirit of God works in the 
 believer’s heart. Victory over sin is assured. 
 
 Thus justification (or being declared righteous) by 
 faith and sanctification (or becoming righteous in 
 life and character) by the Spirit of God are tied 
 
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THE CHURCH’S TEACHING 
 
 ’ together as inseparable in the gospel proclaimed by 
 the New Testament Church. 
 
 The Gospel and the Jews. Three chapters of 
 the Epistle to the Romans, chs. 9, 10, and 11, are 
 given to a discussion of the great mystery of the Jews’ 
 rejection of Christ and of their place in the plan of 
 God in view of their being the covenant people of 
 God, who will not break his promises. ‘These chapters 
 cannot be discussed in this brief study. 
 
 The Practicalness of the Gospel. In the New 
 Testament, truth is always “according to godliness.” 
 The teaching of Jesus must be put into practice in 
 everyday living and in all relationships of life. This 
 was an essential element in the message of the New 
 Testament Church. The epistles usually have their 
 “‘practical’”’ sections in which the application of the 
 gospel to everyday life is considered. Even the 
 content headings in the American Standard Bible, 
 brief as they are, sufficiently suggest this: ‘Divers 
 exhortations; against self-conceit; to mutual love; 
 to obedience to rulers. Love is the fulfillment of the 
 law. Mutual helpfulness enjoined.’’ 
 
 The epistle closes with personal matters and salu- 
 tations. 
 
 Summary. . The Epistle to the Romans, written 
 by Paul from Corinth, probably about A.p. 58, 
 gives us a rather comprehensive presentation of the 
 content of the gospel message apart from specific 
 local issues and problems. From this epistle we 
 learn that in preaching the gospel the New Testament 
 Church proclaimed the fact of man’s sin and con- 
 
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THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 sequently his need of salvation from sin; God’s 
 gracious offer to forgive sin and to accept sinners on 
 the ground of their faith in Jesus, crucified and risen, 
 as Saviour and Lord; the actual salvation from sin’s 
 power through the indwelling of the Spirit of God, and 
 the necessity of putting the teachings and ideals of 
 Jesus into practice in daily living. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. What was the time, place, and occasion of the writing of 
 Paul’s Epistle to the Romans? In addition to this chapter, see 
 a Bible dictionary and a commentary on Romans, especially 
 Sanday’s “Romans” in “The International Critical Com- 
 mentary.” 
 
 2. Why. would the Epistle to the Romans probably be a 
 good book in which to find a comprehensive and balanced state- 
 ment of Paul’s gospel? 
 
 3. What was Paul’s text or thesis for his epistle? 
 
 4, What are the chief points in Paul’s gospel as stated in 
 Romans? 
 
 5. Compare these points with the teaching of the New 
 Testament elsewhere. Include a comparison with the apostolic 
 teaching outlined in Chapter IT. 
 
 6. Make an outline of the Epistle to the Romans. After 
 making your own outline, check up with the outline in a Bible 
 dictionary or a good commentary. A complete and detailed 
 outline will be found in Sanday’s ‘‘Romans.”’ 
 
 THE Books or THE New TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel :— Romans James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians II John © 
 
 The Acts Philippians IIT John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 142 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 THE CHURCH’S LEADING MISSIONARY BE- 
 COMES ITS GREATEST DOCTRINAL 
 WRITER 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Acts 21: 17 to 28: 31; 
 Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. What was the 
 effect of the imprisonment of Paul upon the develop- 
 ment of the New Testament? 
 
 Paul the Missionary Becomes Paul the Pris- 
 oner. -In Chapter XII Paul reached the city of 
 Jerusalem. In Chapter XIV we noted that in the 
 Epistle to the Romans he told of his desire and plan 
 to go to Rome. The completion of his journey to 
 Jerusalem did, indeed, lead Paul to Rome but in an 
 unexpected, roundabout, and time-consuming way. 
 When Paul arrived in Jerusalem bearing the gifts of 
 the Gentile churches, Acts 21: 17, he was accom- 
 panied by Luke (note the “‘we’’) and representatives 
 of the Gentile churches. He was heartily welcomed 
 by the brethren of Jerusalem who heard with great 
 gratification of his gospel labors. At the same time 
 leaders in the church in Jerusalem acquainted Paul 
 with a problem. ‘There were thousands of Christians 
 in Jerusalem who had come out of Judaism. These 
 believers had been taught to observe the Mosaic law. 
 
 143 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 The Church had decided that Gentiles were not com- 
 pelled to observe the customs of the Jews, but these 
 Jews were not ready themselves to give up these 
 ancient practices. The report had been broadcast 
 that Paul had not only taught Gentile liberty from 
 ‘the Mosaic law, but had also opposed the practice of 
 Jewish customs by the Jews themselves. ‘The elders 
 of the church in Jerusalem thought that if Paul 
 would openly show his personal approval of the 
 observance of Old Testament customs by Jewish 
 believers, this accusation would be proved false. 
 This Paul was willing to do in the interest of his 
 weaker Jewish brethren. Acts 21: 17-26. 
 
 While he was taking part in the ceremony which he 
 had undertaken in the Temple, Jews who recognized 
 him as the apostle to the Gentiles gathered a mob 
 and attacked Paul. The Roman guard arrived on 
 the scene just in time to rescue the apostle from the 
 crowd. Paul secured the permission of the Roman 
 centurion to address the Jews who had attacked him 
 and gave the second account of his conversion which 
 is recorded in The Acts. When the mob became 
 infuriated he was led into the castle, and an imprison- 
 ment which was to last for at least five years began. 
 Acts 21: 27-36. 
 
 In Jerusalem and Cezsarea. Only by his 
 Roman citizenship was Paul saved from _ being 
 scourged. To find out the exact charges against 
 Paul, the Roman military tribune led Paul before 
 the sanhedrin, or Jewish council. Paul’s declaration 
 that he was a Pharisee and believed in the resurrection 
 
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THE CHURCH’S GREATEST DOCTRINAL WRITER 
 
 divided the council into two factions which became 
 so violent that the Roman officer removed Paul from 
 the council for his safety. 
 
 Again Paul was in the Roman prison. That night 
 in a vision he was given encouragement by the 
 promise that he was to bear witness for Christ in 
 Rome. A plot of the Jews to assassinate Paul led 
 the Roman officer to send him under the protection of 
 a heavy guard to Cesarea, the Roman capital of 
 Palestine. It was to this city that Peter had gone 
 to deal with Cornelius, the Roman centurion. Here 
 Philip the evangelist preached and lived for many 
 years. Here Paul had visited more than once. Now 
 he entered the city as a prisoner. Acts 21: 37 to 23: 35. 
 
 Paul’s accusers came from Jerusalem to make their 
 charges against him, but Felix, the procurator of 
 Judea, before whom they appeared, put off his 
 decision. He allowed Paul to be visited by his 
 friends, and himself, with his wife Drusilla, often 
 heard Paul, even though the apostle boldly preached 
 to them “righteousness, and self-control, and the 
 judgment to come.” In the hope of receiving a 
 bribe for Paul’s release, Felix held him in prison for 
 two years. Acts, ch. 24. 
 
 When Festus succeeded Felix, Paul’s enemies im- 
 mediately renewed their charges against him. When 
 Festus suggested handing the case over to the Jewish 
 courts, Paul, certain that he could not receive justice 
 at the hands of his own countrymen, stood upon his 
 rights as a Roman citizen, and appealed to Cesar. 
 Festus must therefore send Paul to Rome for trial 
 in Ceesar’s court. In order to clear the record of the 
 
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THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 case which he planned to send to Rome, Festus took 
 advantage of the presence of Herod Agrippa, a 
 neighboring Roman ruler who was expert in Jewish 
 matters, to have Agrippa hear Paul. The apostle’s 
 defense before King Agrippa is the third account in 
 The Acts of his life and conversion. Agrippa’s 
 opinion was altogether in Paul’s favor, and his report 
 would no doubt have helped Paul’s defense, but the 
 appeal of the apostle to Cesar made necessary his 
 being sent to Rome for trial. Acts 24: 27 to 26: 32. 
 
 Shipwrecked. The journey to Rome for trial 
 was begun with a number of companions besides Luke, 
 and other prisoners under the charge of Julius, a 
 Roman centurion. They embarked on a coast vessel 
 in which they reached Myra where they boarded 
 another vessel. The difficulty of the voyage led 
 the navigators to cast anchor in Fair Havens, on the 
 island of Crete. In spite of the season and of Paul’s 
 warning, the captain of the vessel ventured to try to 
 reach Phoenix, but the ship was caught in a storm 
 and driven to the island of Malta where it was 
 completely wrecked, although all on board reached 
 shore in safety. Acts, ch. 27. 
 
 A Prisoner in Rome. After three months on 
 the island, the voyage to Rome was resumed in a 
 ship from Alexandria, which bore them to Puteoli, 
 a port of Italy, from which the journey was made by 
 land to Rome. Paul must have thought of the 
 contrast between his expectation concerning his 
 coming to Rome when he wrote his letter from 
 
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THE CHURCH’S GREATEST DOCTRINAL WRITER 
 
 Corinth to the Roman church and his coming now 
 as a prisoner. But the Christians of Rome to whom 
 he had sent his letter were not uninterested in him. 
 Two separate companies of Christians came to meet 
 him on the way. When he saw these friends he 
 “thanked God, and took courage.’”’ Acts 28: 11-15. 
 
 While he was awaiting trial in Rome, Paul was 
 allowed to live in his own hired house, constantly 
 attended, however, by a Roman guard. Here again 
 he showed his eagerness to persuade his own people 
 to accept Jesus as their Messiah, for he sent for the 
 Jewish leaders of the city and tried to explain the 
 gospel to them. There was the usual division among 
 the Jews, for some believed and some disbelieved. 
 Acts 28: 17-28. 
 
 At this point the story of The Acts ends with the 
 statement, ‘‘He abode two whole years in his own 
 hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto 
 him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching 
 the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all 
 _boldness, none forbidding him.’’ The rest of Paul’s 
 story we must conjecture from Paul’s epistles. 
 
 For the Progress of the Gospel. For Paul the 
 missionary to become Paul the prisoner seemed to be 
 a great disaster to the cause of Christ. Paul himself, 
 however, wrote to the Philippians during this im- 
 prisonment, ‘“The things which happened unto me 
 have fallen out rather unto the progress of the gospel.”’ 
 In this chapter we are to observe how Paul’s imprison- 
 ment led to the writing of some of the books of the 
 New ‘Testament which are great storehouses of 
 
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THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Christian truth. Paul still preached, still directed 
 others in their work in the Church, but especially did 
 he put into writing for preservation through the 
 centuries the Christian messages of three great 
 epistles, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. 
 
 Paul’s Letter to Philemon. In the letters of 
 Paul which we have considered we have discovered 
 many sidelights upon his experience. So now we 
 shall find that a number of his letters help us to 
 understand what he was doing in Rome during the 
 two-year period to which Luke-refers at the close of 
 The Acts. One of these letters is the short personal 
 Epistle to Philemon. We must think of Paul as 
 a prisoner, v. 1, in his hired dwelling, advising Church 
 leaders who came to consult him and who carried on 
 their work under his direction. Travelers from 
 distant churches would be sure to visit him. With 
 him were Timothy, v. 1, Epaphras, Mark, Aris- 
 tarchus, Demas, and Luke, v. 23. Here no doubt 
 he preached to congregations which gathered to 
 listen to the gospel as it was preached by this apostle 
 in bonds. Among those who came under the in- 
 fluence of Paul was a man by the name of Onesimus. 
 He had run away from his master, Philemon, who was 
 a member of the church in Colossea. Compare 
 Philemon 2 and Col. 4: 9, 17. He had probably not 
 only run away but also stolen from his master. This 
 runaway thief was won to faith in Christ through the 
 teaching of Paul and became not only an earnest 
 Christian but also an efficient helper of the apostle. 
 Paul would have liked to keep Onesimus as a 
 
 148 
 
THE CHURCH’S GREATEST DOCTRINAL WRITER 
 
 helper, but he felt that it was the duty of this con- 
 verted slave to “make good” with his master, so he 
 sent him back to Philemon. As the converted slave 
 needed to prove his loyalty to Christ by his loyalty 
 to his master, so Philemon, who was a leader in the 
 Christian church, v. 2, needed to prove his.loyalty to 
 Christ by showing his Christian love for his servant. 
 Tactfully Paul pleaded for the reception of this 
 former and unprofitable slave as a Christian brother 
 and asked Philemon to charge to him any debt 
 which Philemon held against Onesimus. 
 
 The Epistle to the Colossians. Another letter 
 was written at this same time. With Onesimus Paul 
 planned to send Tychicus, Col. 4: 7, 9, to the church 
 in Colosse of which Philemon was ‘a prominent 
 member. Paul had learned a good deal concerning 
 the church in Colosse through Epaphras his ‘‘fellow- 
 servant,’ who probably had been the minister of 
 the church in Colosse, ch. 4: 12,13. The faith of the 
 Colossian Christians was in danger of being perverted 
 by false teachers. Conybeare and Howson suggest 
 that the most probable view seems to be that some 
 Alexandrian Jew had appeared at Colosse. He 
 professed a belief in Christianity and was imbued 
 with the Greek “‘philosophy”’ of the school of Philo. 
 With this he combined a rabbinical theosophy and 
 angelology, and an extravagant asceticism which also 
 afterward distinguished several sects of the Gnostics. 
 Paul undertook in this epistle to correct these errors 
 by setting forth the doctrines and ethics of Christi- 
 anity. He speaks of true knowledge and wisdom 
 
 149 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 and understanding over against so-called knowledge, 
 and teaches the preéminence of Christ and the 
 blessings which are to be found in him. He also 
 warns against ceremonial and ascetic rules of life 
 which are not a real expression of a truly religious 
 life and do not lead to Christian living. He summons 
 his readers to a life which conforms to the example 
 and teaching of Jesus, and gives some very practical 
 exhortations concerning the application of Christian 
 principles to the everyday experiences and relation- 
 ships of life. 
 
 The Epistle to the Ephesians. | Another epistle 
 was written from Rome at the same time. This is the 
 Epistle to the Ephesians. Some have thought that 
 the letter was written while Paul was a prisoner in 
 Cesarea, but this does not fit the facts so well. That 
 the letter was written at the same time as Colossians 
 is evident for a number of reasons. Paul was a 
 prisoner. Eph. 3: 1; 4: 1. This letter, like the 
 Epistle to the Colossians, was carried by Tychicus 
 who accompanied Philemon to Colosse and de- 
 livered the Colossian letter. Ch. 6: 21, 22. This 
 letter does not mention Timothy or other com- 
 panions referred to in the other two letters just 
 considered, but the epistle is remarkably parallel to 
 the letter to the Colossians. It develops more fully 
 most of the points made in the Epistle to the Colos- 
 slans, but does not deal with the points concerning 
 special errors which needed to be corrected in Co- 
 losse. ‘‘There is scarcely a single topic in the 
 Ephesian Epistle which is not to be found in the 
 
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THE CHURCH’S GREATEST DOCTRINAL WRITER 
 
 Epistle to the Colossians, but, on the other hand, 
 there is an important section of Colossians, ch. 2: 
 8-23, which has no parallel in Ephesians. Out of 
 one hundred and fifty-five verses contained in 
 Ephesians, seventy-eight verses contain expressions 
 identical with those in the Epistle to the Colossians. 
 This is just what we might expect to find in the work 
 of a man whose mind was thoroughly imbued with 
 the ideas and expressions of the Epistle to the Co- 
 lossians when he wrote the other epistle.’”’ (Cony- 
 beare and Howson.) : 
 
 The question has been raised as to whether this 
 epistle was written ‘‘to the Ephesians.’’ Paul spent 
 three years in Ephesus, but in this epistle there is 
 not a single greeting to any friend or acquaintance in 
 the church to which it is written. In the oldest 
 manuscripts the name ‘‘Ephesus’”’ does not occur, and 
 in some manuscripts other names, such as ‘‘Laodicea,” 
 appear. It is thought that this was a circular letter, 
 ~sent to a number of churches in Asia, and that 
 duplicates were provided, each of which Paul signed, 
 but the name of the church was left blank to be filled 
 in. Because Ephesus was the eapital of the territory 
 the name of Ephesus was readily associated with the 
 letter. 7 
 
 “The Epistle to the Romans, addressed from the 
 Kast to the West, was Paul’s complete statement of 
 the way of salvation. The Epistle to the Ephesians, 
 addressed from the West to the East, was his com- 
 plete statement of the whole purpose of God in human 
 history. It may be said to mark the climax of his 
 theological instruction.”” (Purves.) 
 
 151 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 The Epistle to the Philippians. A fourth epistle 
 was written by Paul as a prisoner in Rome and is 
 evidently to be placed during this same period, but 
 near its close, according to some. This is the Epistle 
 to the Philippians. Lightfoot in his “Philippians” 
 argues strongly for the earlier date. Paul was in 
 bonds, ch. 1: 1, 14, 17; he was under the Pretorian 
 Guard, ch. 1: 13, and had influenced Cesar’s house- 
 hold, ch. 4: 22. With him were Timothy, ch. 1: 1; 
 2: 19, and Epaphroditus, ch. 2: 25; 4: 18. Paul’s 
 trial seems to be at hand, ch. 1: 19-26. 
 
 The Philippian Christians had always been so- 
 licitous for Paul. Again and again they had sent 
 him help in time of need. Now they had learned of 
 his imprisonment, and they had sent Epaphroditus, 
 probably their minister, to Rome with their gifts for 
 his comfort. Epaphroditus had fallen sick and had 
 almost died, but now he had recovered and was 
 eager to return to the church in Philippi and relieve 
 their minds concerning him. Paul therefore wrote 
 this epistle to thank the Philippians for their love 
 and thoughtful ministry to him. The epistle is 
 peculiarly free from any rebuke, and overflows with 
 appreciation of their gift and of all that it signified. 
 
 In these epistles written from Rome are the loftiest 
 teachings of the New Testament, dealing with the 
 Church as the body of Christ and with the deepest 
 experiences of the Christian with Christ. 
 
 Summary. Almost immediately after his arrival 
 in Jerusalem, Paul the missionary became Paul the 
 prisoner. From Jerusalem he was taken to Cesarea, 
 
 152 
 
THE CHURCH’S GREATEST DOCTRINAL WRITER 
 
 where he was confined for two years. From Cesarea 
 he was sent to Rome for trial in the court of Cesar. 
 His journey was delayed by a shipwreck, but he 
 reached the imperial city, where he was kept under 
 guard in his own hired house for two years awaiting 
 trial. While a prisoner Paul was permitted to preach 
 in his house, and to direct leaders of the Church who 
 came to him. His ministry was now extended 
 through epistles. Four epistles which were written 
 during this imprisonment have been preserved: the 
 Epistles to Philemon, to the Colossians, to the Ephes- 
 ians, and to the Philippians. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. ‘Trace on a map the movements of Paul from his arrest in 
 Jerusalem to his arrival in Rome, indicating the events of in- 
 terest at each place. Secure the facts from the record in The 
 Acts. . 
 
 2. Describe as fully as possible Paul’s condition during his 
 Roman imprisonment. In addition to The Acts see the article 
 on “Paul” in a good Bible dictionary; consult a life of Paul or a 
 Sie eh on one or all of his epistles written during this 
 period. 
 
 3. Prepare to tell the story of the Epistle to Philemon. 
 
 4. Tell the occasion for the writing of the Epistle to the 
 Colossians and make an outline of its contents. 
 
 5. Compare the Epistle to the Colossians and the Epistle to 
 the Ephesians. See accounts of both epistles in a Bible dic- 
 tionary, a commentary on the epistles, or a life of Paul. See 
 especially the note on the contents of Colossians and Ephesians 
 in Conybeare and Howson. 
 
 6. Describe the occasion of the writing of the Epistle to the 
 Philippians and give a description of the epistle. 
 
 153 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Tuer Books or THE New TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel:— Romans James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John ~ Ephesians IT John 
 
 The Acts Philippians III John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians’ Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 154 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 FORMING AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: I Timothy, Titus, 
 and II Timothy 
 
 The Problems of the Chapter. What can we 
 learn from the later epistles of Paul concerning his 
 career after the close of The Acts, and what light is 
 thrown by these epistles upon his work of establishing 
 a self-sustaining and self-propagating Church? 
 
 An Indigenous Church. An indigenous plant is 
 one which is native to the place where it grows. The 
 task of the missionary enterprise has always been to 
 develop a church which will be native to the place 
 where it is to live and work and expand. The great 
 task of the apostles was to establish churches every- 
 where which would be able to teach Christian truth 
 in their own communities and reach out to neighboring 
 communities. In this chapter we are to see how Paul 
 in his last years had upon his heart the great work of 
 organizing the churches so that they would be self- 
 sustaining and self-perpetuating. 
 
 Paul’s Release and Second Imprisonment. 
 When as a prisoner in Rome Paul wrote to his friend 
 Philemon, he expected soon to be released. Philemon 
 22. When he wrote his letter to the Philippians his 
 trial was evidently approaching, but he expressed 
 
 ; 155 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 the conviction that he was to be given his liberty. 
 Phil. 1: 25. Luke’s narrative in The Acts, however, 
 leaves Paul still a prisoner in his hired dwelling for 
 a period of two years. Acts 28: 30, 31. In his 
 Second Epistle to Timothy Paul again speaks of 
 being in chains, II Tim. 1: 16, and indicates that he 
 is facing what he believes: to be certain death, ch. 
 4:6. We seem, therefore, to have a different prison 
 situation in Philemon and Philippians and in II 
 Timothy. But we have also the fact that there are 
 references to travels and incidents in the two Epistles 
 to Timothy and in the Epistle to Titus which cannot 
 be fitted into the story of Paul which is told in The 
 Acts. Scholars have come to the conclusion, there- 
 fore, that Paul was acquitted and released, that 
 he spent about five years in further ministry in the 
 Church, and that then he was rearrested, condemned 
 to death, and beheaded. ‘The story of this part of 
 Paul’s career, constructed from the references in the 
 Epistles to. Timothy and Titus, is about as follows: 
 
 The Story up to Paul’s First Epistle to Tim- 
 othy. It. is thought that upon his release Paul 
 carried out his expressed intention to visit Macedonia 
 and Asia. Phil. 2: 24; Philemon 22. He probably 
 went through Macedonia, stopping at Philippi, and 
 to Asia where he no doubt visited Ephesus, Colossus, 
 Laodicea, and other places readily accessible from 
 Ephesus. In his letter to the church in Rome he 
 had expressed his purpose to go to Spain, Rom. 15: 
 24, 28, and there is uncontroverted testimony that 
 he went to Spain (Clement of Rome, Muratori’s 
 
 156 
 
FORMING AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH 
 
 Canon, and Chrysostom), so it is thought that now 
 he made this journey, probably remaining in Spain 
 about two years, preaching, teaching, and establishing 
 churches. Again he returned to Ephesus. From 
 Ephesus as a base he made journeys to Macedonia 
 and Crete. Immediately upon his return to Ephesus 
 from Crete, he went to Macedonia, leaving the work 
 in Ephesus in charge of Timothy. From Mace- 
 donia he wrote to this young minister of Christ a 
 letter which would guide him in his difficult task of 
 correcting the doctrinal errors that had sprung up 
 in the Ephesian church and strengthen him for his 
 task of directing the work of the church. 
 
 The First Epistle to Timothy. As we read this 
 epistle we see how Paul is endeavoring through Tim- 
 othy to establish the church in Ephesus upon a sound 
 foundation of faith and practice, and we can see for 
 ourselves how the letter confirms the story briefly 
 outlined above. 
 
 Paul had left Timothy at Ephesus when he de- 
 parted to go into Macedonia, ch. 1: 3, and the apostle 
 had expected to return to Ephesus soon, but now 
 thought that he might be delayed, ch. 3: 14, 15, and 
 so he wrote to strengthen the hands of Timothy in 
 his difficult task of dealing with the situation in the 
 church in Ephesus. 
 
 In his effort to establish a strong, self-sustaining, 
 and self-perpetuating church in Ephesus, Paul in 
 this epistle is concerned about three things. First, 
 he is concerned about doctrine, for the church’s life 
 depended upon its loyalty to the truth of the gospel. 
 
 157 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 He is therefore anxious because men have been 
 teaching ‘‘a different doctrine.” Ch.1:38. This false 
 teaching seems to have been a mixture of Greek 
 philosophy, Persian theosophy, and Jewish tra- 
 ditions, which only led to strife and confusion. ‘The 
 simple gospel is the true doctrine of the Church. Ch. 
 1:11. One perversion of the gospel in Ephesus was 
 the substitution of asceticism for true holy living. 
 Ch. 4: 1-5. Because sound doctrine is so essential 
 to the life of the Church, Paul insists upon the im- 
 portance of pure motives and consistent living and 
 real courage and unselfishness on the part of teachers. 
 Ch. 4: 6-16; 6: 3-16, 20, 21. 
 
 Paul is concerned also about the practices of the 
 church. He indicates the necessity of the proper 
 conduct of the services of the church. He calls the 
 church to prayer, and especially urges prayer in 
 behalf of rulers. Ch. 2:1-4. But he does more than 
 exhort to prayer and to prayer for rulers; he urges 
 that the attitude and manner in prayer in the church 
 be proper. The dress of the women is to be such as 
 becomes the house of God, and the women are not to 
 pray in public or to be teachers in the church. I Tim. 
 2:8-12. Some interpret Paul as meaning that women 
 should not hold the office of minister in the church, 
 while others think that Paul was dealing with a 
 special situation in the church in Ephesus which 
 needed to be corrected. 
 
 Because the teaching and the practices of the 
 church need to be controlled and directed, Paul is 
 concerned also about government and _ discipline. 
 This letter was written to guide Timothy in his 
 
 158 
 
FORMING AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH 
 
 oversight of the church in Ephesus. Timothy’s 
 work, however, was temporary. Paul therefore is 
 concerned about the ordination of bishops or elders 
 who would be fitted for their office, ch. 3: 1-7, and 
 deacons, both men and women, ch. 3: 8-13. Elders 
 who are in office, as well as the members of the 
 church, must be subject to discipline, so Paul gives 
 direction concerning how discipline should be ex- 
 ercised in the church. Ch. 5: 1-25. 
 
 The Story up to Paul’s Epistle to Titus. Paul 
 probably came back from Macedonia sooner than he 
 had expected when he wrote to Timothy, I Tim. 3: 
 14, 15. Then he conducted a missionary campaign 
 in Crete, with Titus as his fellow worker. When 
 Paul returned to Ephesus, he left Titus in the island 
 to complete the work of organizing the Cretan 
 churches so that they might be self-directing, self- 
 sustaining, and self-propagating. As he was about 
 to set out from Ephesus for Nicopolis, he wrote to 
 Titus in Crete. Probably Nicopolis in Epirus is 
 meant, a city four miles from Actium. 
 
 Read the Epistle to Titus first for its references to 
 time, place, and historical background. Then read 
 it to discover, as far as you can, the chief matters 
 about which Paul was concerned as he planned for 
 the welfare of the churches in Crete. 
 
 The Epistle to Titus. At the close of the 
 Epistle to Titus Paul indicates that he was either at 
 or about to go to Nicopolis, where he expected to 
 spend the winter. With him were Artemas, who is 
 
 159 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 nowhere else mentioned in the New Testament, and 
 Tychicus, who had been the bearer of Paul’s Epistles 
 to the Ephesians and to the Colossians. Paul 
 planned to send one of these helpers to Crete, and 
 upon his arrival Titus was to come to Nicopolis 
 to join Paul. Ch. 3: 12. Zenas and Apollos were 
 either on their way to Crete or were on the island, 
 and Titus was expected to aid them on their journey. 
 Ch. 3: 13. 
 
 Paul is here concerned about much the same 
 things in regard to the churches in Crete as he had 
 been in regard to the church in Ephesus, except that 
 he deals with them differently in view of local con- 
 ditions. In writing to Titus, Paul shows that he is 
 concerned about faith, knowledge, and godliness. 
 Ch. 1:1. He insists that the teaching of the Church 
 must be kept sound and true. Ch. 1: 10-16. But 
 soundness in the faith is not merely an acceptance of 
 the truth of the gospel; soundness in faith is that 
 condition of moral and spiritual health which includes 
 right living. Truth is ‘‘according to godliness.” So 
 he writes urgently concerning consistent daily living 
 on the part of members of the church. Obedience 
 to God and obedience to state go together. Justi- 
 fication by faith in Christ must be associated with 
 good works. Conduct must “adorn the doctrine” 
 of Christ. Ch. 2: 1-14; 3: 1-9. To the end of 
 maintaining Christian conduct on the part of mem- 
 bers of the Church, Paul insists upon discipline. 
 Titus must be fearless in correcting error in faith 
 and conduct. Recalcitrant members of the church 
 must be removed. Ch. 2: 15; 3: 10, 11. Also the 
 
 160 
 
FORMING AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH 
 
 churches must be organized to control their own 
 teaching and direct their own discipline when the 
 temporary oversight of the apostle or his representa- 
 tive is withdrawn. To achieve this end bishops, 
 or elders, equipped by disposition, character, knowl- - 
 edge, and faith, are to be put in charge of the teaching, 
 worship, work, and discipline of the churches. Ch. 
 Fo-9. 
 
 The Story up to Paul’s Second Epistle to 
 Timothy. When Paul departed from Ephesus he 
 passed through Miletus, where he left his companion 
 Trophimus sick. II Tim. 4: 20. Passing through 
 Troas, II Tim. 4: 13, he went on to Corinth where he 
 left Erastus, and traveled on to Nicopolis, which 
 would be a good center from which to spread the 
 gospel in Illyricum. Here probably he was arrested 
 and sent to Rome as a prisoner. 
 
 Paul evidently found this imprisonment very 
 different from his former experience, for he is now 
 treated “‘as a malefactor,” or criminal. II Tim. 2: 9. 
 Great courage would be required on the part of any- 
 one who visited him, in view of the attitude toward 
 Christianity now in Rome. His friends in Asia, 
 with the exception of Onesiphorus, had therefore 
 deserted him. II Tim. 1: 15-18. Even Demas, who 
 had been with him in his first imprisonment, Col. 4: 
 14, had now forsaken him, II Tim. 4: 10. Other 
 faithful workers were on missions at Paul’s direction 
 and only Luke, the faithful physician, was with Paul. 
 Probably some of the Roman Christians kept in 
 touch with him. II Tim. 4: 21. In prison Paul 
 
 161 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 felt the need of his cloak, and wished also for the 
 books and papers which he had left at Troas, II 
 Tim. 4: 18. He asked Timothy to bring these 
 articles to Rome as quickly as possible, and also to 
 bring Mark with him. From his prison in Rome, 
 therefore, he sent, probably to Ephesus, the letter 
 which we know as Paul’s Second Epistle to Timothy. 
 Evidently Paul had had one hearing, at which he © 
 came out triumphant, ch. 4: 16, 17, but now he 
 believed that he was facing condemnation and ex- 
 ecution, ch. 4: 6. : 
 
 The Second Epistle to Timothy. In this 
 epistle, as in the other two epistles considered in 
 this chapter, Paul, apart from his personal desire 
 for the companionship of Timothy, is concerned 
 about the Church of Christ. He has been hoping 
 and praying and working for a Church which will 
 be self-sustaining and self-propagating. Again in 
 this epistle we see him emphasizing the things which 
 are essential to the life of the Church. 
 
 Paul indicates that the hope of the Church lies in 
 its leadership. He therefore appeals to Timothy, as 
 a leader in the Church, to be loyal to the truth, to be 
 true to Christ in his personal life, and to be faithful 
 and earnest in his work. Notice especially, ch. 1: 
 5-14; 2: 3-13; 4: 5. Paul is also concerned about 
 doctrine in the Church. The future of the Church 
 depends upon each generation’s passing the gospel — 
 on to the next generation, so he writes, ‘‘And the 
 things which thou hast heard from me among many 
 witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, 
 
 162 
 
FORMING AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH 
 
 who shall be able to teach others also.”? Ch. 2: 2. 
 He is concerned, also, about disputes and arguments 
 which are destructive rather than constructive, ch. 
 2: 14, 23, and about departures from the true gospel 
 of Christ, ch. 4: 1-5. Paul is likewise concerned 
 about the tendency in the Church to turn aside from 
 the ethical teaching of Jesus. Doctrine, he insists, 
 is according to godliness. Sound doctrine and 
 sound living are inseparable. Ch. 3. Paul also 
 lays emphasis upon the importance of discipline. 
 Timothy must not be afraid to withstand false 
 teachers and corrupters of morals in the Church and 
 to teach the truth and call to repentance. Ch. 2: 14, 
 24-26; 3: 16; 4: 1, 2. 
 
 Paul’s Martyrdom. The New Testament does 
 not tell the story of Paul’s death. We do not know 
 whether Timothy reached Rome in time to comfort 
 his father in the faith. The testimony of tradition 
 leaves no doubt that Paul was condemned to death 
 because he was a Christian, and was beheaded, 
 probably a.p. 67. We may take as his last words 
 the words which he wrote to Timothy: ‘For I am 
 already being offered, and the time of my departure 
 iscome. I have fought the good fight, I have finished 
 the course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is 
 laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the 
 Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; 
 and not to me only, but also to all them that have 
 loved his appearing.” 
 
 Summary. At his trial in Rome, Paul was 
 probably acquitted and took up once more his 
 163 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 apostolic labors. He preached and taught and 
 labored in Asia Minor, in Macedonia, and in Greece, 
 and even in Spain, but while engaged in the work, 
 probably at Nicopolis, he was arrested, and taken to 
 Rome. During the period of his travels and im- 
 prisonment he wrote the three pastoral epistles, 
 I Timothy, Titus, and II Timothy, to help these 
 assistants in the work of building up self-sustaining, 
 self-perpetuating, and _ self-propagating churches. 
 Soon after he wrote II Timothy he was executed 
 because of his faith in Jesus as his Saviour and Lord. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. What reason can you give for concluding that Paul was 
 acquitted in Rome, given his liberty, and later arrested again, 
 condemned, and executed? In addition to this chapter, see the 
 article on “Paul” in a Bible dictionary, lives of Paul, and in- 
 troductions to commentaries on his Pastoral Epistles. 
 
 2. Trace on a map the journeys of Paul as outlined in this 
 chapter. 
 
 3. What would be necessary in a church to make it self- 
 sustaining, self-perpetuating, and capable of extension into wider 
 fields? 
 
 4. Under what circumstances was Paul’s First Epistle to 
 Timothy written? 
 
 5. With what three essentials for an indigenous church did 
 Paul deal in I Timothy? 
 
 6. What led to the writing of The Epistle of Paul to Titus? 
 
 7. Name three essentials for an indigenous church with which 
 Paul deals in the Epistle to Titus. 
 
 8. What can you learn from II Timothy about Paul at the 
 time he wrote this epistle? 
 
 9. What does Paul indicate in II Timothy concerning leader- 
 ship in the Christian Church? 
 
 164 
 
FORMING AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH 
 
 THE Books or THE New TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel :— 
 According to Matthew 
 According to Mark 
 According to Luke 
 According to John 
 
 The Acts 
 
 Romans 
 
 I Corinthians 
 II Corinthians 
 Galatians 
 Ephesians 
 Philippians 
 Colossians 
 
 I Thessalonians 
 II Thessalonians 
 I Timothy . 
 II Timothy 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 Hebrews 
 
 165 
 
 James 
 
 I Peter 
 
 II Peter 
 
 I John 
 
 II John 
 III John 
 Jude 
 Revelation 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH AND THE 
 OLD TESTAMENT 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: The Epistle to the 
 Hebrews 
 
 The Problems of the Chapter. The Christian 
 Church developed out of Judaism, and yet was re- 
 jected by Judaism. See Chapter V. Repeated 
 efforts were made to carry Judaism over into the 
 Christian Church. See Chapter IX. Although 
 Christianity had its origin in Judaism, Judaism and 
 Christianity became separate and antagonistic. What, 
 then, ought to be the attitude of the Christian Church 
 toward the Old Testament, which was the Scriptures 
 of Judaism, and toward the Old Testament institu- 
 tions which were the institutions of Judaism? What 
 does the New Testament itself indicate concerning 
 the attitude of the New Testament Church toward 
 the Old Testament? 
 
 A Common Heritage. Judaism and Christi- 
 anity at the beginning had a common heritage. The 
 Old Testament Scriptures were accepted by Jesus 
 and by the apostles as the Word of God. And yet 
 we discover that the Christian Church approached 
 the Gentiles in a way which was different from its 
 approach to the Jews. In Lystra and in Athens 
 Paul did not appeal to the Old Testament Scriptures. 
 
 166 
 
THE CHURCH AND THE OLD TESTAMENT 
 
 Did the Christian Church use the Old Testament 
 Scriptures only in dealing with the Jews, and set it 
 aside in dealing with the Gentiles? Or did the 
 Christian Church recognize the Old Testament as 
 the sacred Scriptures of Christianity as well as of 
 Judaism? Is the Old Testament a common heritage 
 of Christianity and Judaism, or did Christianity 
 break entirely away from the Old Testament Scrip- 
 tures? 
 
 New Testament Quotations from the Old 
 Testament. The Christian Church did not begin 
 on an absolutely new foundation. It built upon the 
 foundation already laid in the Old Testament. The 
 history of the Jews was a preparation for the history 
 of the Church. There was a true revelation of God 
 in the Old Testament. Jesus himself said, ‘For 
 verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass 
 away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away 
 from the law, till all things be accomplished.” Matt. 
 5: 18. When he said this he was discussing the 
 Law and the Prophets, or the sacred Scriptures of 
 the Old Testament. The Scriptures of the Jews 
 permeate the New Testament of the Christian Church. 
 This will be seen very quickly if we examine a New 
 Testament with marginal references and observe 
 how many references there are to the Old Testament. 
 Much in the New Testament would be hard to under- 
 stand without the Old Testament. In Chapter X 
 the statement was made that in I and II Thessa- 
 lonians there is not a single formal quotation from the 
 Old Testament Scriptures, which is evidence that the 
 
 167 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 epistles were addressed to a*Gentile church, and yet in 
 Westcott and Hort’s Greek New Testament there 
 are seven words, phrases, or clauses in I Thessa- 
 lonians, and nine in JI Thessalonians which are 
 traced to the Old Testament Scriptures. In addition 
 to clear and complete quotations from the Old Testa- 
 ment in the New Testament, the thoughts, ideas, 
 words, and phrases of the Old Testament recur in the 
 New Testament like motifs in a musical composition. 
 Westcott and ‘Hort, with the codperation of Dr. 
 Moulton, noted in their Greek New Testament one 
 thousand and sixty-seven words, phrases, clauses, 
 or sentences which are quotations from the Old 
 Testament, and many of these come from more than 
 one Old Testament passage. In only four books are 
 there no quotations from the Old Testament: Phi- 
 lemon and the three Epistles of John. The Old 
 Testament quotations in the various New Testament 
 books are as follows: Matt., 101; Mark, 56; Luke, 
 86; John, 21; Acts, 108; Rom. 74; I Cor., 29; II Cor., 
 205) Gali; 13;-Bphiic21;: Phil:, 63:Coli,;4708 ‘piesa 
 II Thess., 9; Heb., 90; I Tim., 2; II Tim., 4; Titus, 3; 
 James, 18; I Peter, 31; II Peter, 5; Jude, 5; Rev., 354. 
 Evidently the New Testament has drawn much from 
 the Old, and the special Scriptures of the Christian 
 Church are not to be thought of as independent of 
 and apart from the Jewish Scriptures of the Old 
 Testament. 
 
 The Old Testament Fulfilled in the New. 
 Jesus said to the Jews concerning their Scriptures: 
 ‘“‘Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in 
 
 168 
 
THE CHURCH AND THE OLD TESTAMENT 
 
 them ye have eternal life; and these are they which 
 bear witness of me; and ye will not come to me, that 
 ye may have life.” John 5: 39, 40. So he said in 
 Luke 4: 21, ‘To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled 
 in your ears.” The Gospels again and again have 
 words like these: ‘‘Now all this is come to pass, that 
 it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord 
 through the prophet.” Luke 24: 27 suggests the 
 relation of the New Testament to the Old Testament: 
 “And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, 
 he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things 
 concerning himself.” 
 
 Old Testament Ideas in the New Testament. 
 Christ, teaching the Jews, used the words and ideas 
 which the Jews understood. Christianity, beginning 
 its work among the Jews, naturally used Jewish forms 
 of thought to convey Christian ideas. This would 
 be necessary even if the Old Testament had not been 
 a special preparation for the New Testament, and if 
 Judaism had not been a special preparation for 
 Christianity. But inasmuch as the Jews were the 
 people of God, whose whole history was a preparation 
 for the coming of Christ, we may well expect to find 
 that the ideas of the New Testament are expressed 
 in the forms and figures of Jewish religious thinking 
 and experience. So when John the Baptist, pointing 
 the disciples to Jesus, said, “Behold, the Lamb of 
 God, that taketh away the sin of the world!” he was 
 expressing in terms of the Jewish sacrifice the great 
 truth proclaimed in the gospel, that Jesus is the 
 Saviour from sin. 
 
 169 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 The Covenant. The people of Israel were the 
 covenant people of God. The prominent place which 
 the idea of the covenant between God and his chosen 
 people has in the Old Testament will be evident to 
 anyone who looks up the word ‘‘covenant”’ in a con- 
 cordance of the Bible. The Jews looked upon them- 
 selves as the covenant people of God and expected 
 the special promises of God to be fulfilled for them. 
 They were “the children of Abraham.” The idea 
 is carried over into the New Testament and into the 
 Christian Church, but the covenant is the covenant 
 between God and the true Israel, the Israel of faith, 
 not Israel by physical descent. So John the Baptist 
 said, ‘Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of re- 
 pentance: and’ think not to say within yourselves, 
 We have Abraham to our Father: for I say unto you, 
 that God is able of these stones to raise up children 
 unto Abraham.” Matt. 3: 8, 9. So Paul wrote, 
 “For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel,” 
 Rom. 9: 6, and, to the Galatians: ‘For neither is 
 circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a 
 new creature. And as many as shall walk by this 
 rule, peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon’ ‘the 
 Israel of God,” sete Gael DeLG: 
 
 Transition. We find therefore in the New Testa- 
 ment that there is a transition’ from Judaism to 
 Christianity, from the Old Testament to the New 
 Testament. We find this transition in government 
 and in law. The Mosaic law consisted in part of laws 
 of civil government. The Jewish national govern- 
 ment was a theocracy. God was Israel’s King. But 
 
 170 
 
THE CHURCH AND THE OLD TESTAMENT 
 
 in relation to government two changes were taking 
 place. The Christian Church was spreading through- 
 out the Roman Empire ruled by a heathen emperor 
 and the Jewish state was passing away. With the 
 fall of Jerusalem in A. D. 70, the Jewish nation would 
 cease to exist as a nation. We find also a second 
 transition. The Old Testament had its tabernacle 
 and then its Temple with their sacrifices and rites, 
 and the feasts which must be observed in Jerusalem. 
 But soon the Temple would be destroyed and these 
 rites and feasts which were bound to the Temple 
 and Jerusalem must cease. Jesus foretold the 
 destruction of the Temple. Mark 13:.1, :2. and 
 parallel passages. ‘These rites.and ceremonies, there- 
 fore, must pass away. But in the Old Testament also 
 are incorporated great moral and spiritual teachings 
 which are permanent. These would still’ be, binding 
 upon the hearts and lives of men. 7 : 
 
 An Epistle to the Jewish Christians. Judaism 
 had driven Christianity from its fold.. The Judaizers, 
 largely because of the clear teaching and unwavering 
 loyalty of Paul, failed to carry over the Jewish prac- 
 tices into the Christian Church. But there were 
 Jewish converts to Christianity who were not quite 
 happy over the loss of so much that they had learned 
 to value in the Jewish religion. “They were tempted 
 to turn back from the simple and spiritual faith and 
 practice of the Christian Church to the more elaborate 
 ceremonies of Judaism. ‘These Jewish believers: in 
 Jesus needed to see that all that was foreshadowed in 
 the Old Testament ritual was fulfilled and surpassed 
 
 171 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 in the life and work and person of Jesus. To show 
 that the believer in Jesus has all and more than the 
 truest Israelite of the Old Testament dispensation is 
 the purpose of the great Epistle to the Hebrews. 
 
 The Author. The Epistle to the Hebrews, sup- 
 posed to have been written just before the fall of 
 Jerusalem, is anonymous. The oldest manuscripts do 
 not bear the name of an author in the title, and the 
 epistle itself, contrary to the practice of Paul, does 
 not give the name of the author. Its authorship has 
 always been disputed. The early Eastern Church 
 ascribed it to Paul; the early Western Church denied 
 that he was its author. Added to its difference in 
 style as compared with the epistles which bear the 
 name of Paul, is the implication in ch. 2: 3, that the 
 writer, like his hearers, had heard the gospel second- 
 hand, while Paul was always careful to assert that he 
 had received the gospel direct from Christ himself. 
 The epistle was early ascribed to Barnabas. Some 
 thought that it was written or translated from Hebrew 
 by Luke. Luther and others have urged that it was 
 written by Apollos. Two points are generally agreed 
 upon, however: the author is not certainly known, 
 but the epistle certainly belongs among the books of 
 the New Testament. 
 
 Where and to Whom Written. We do not even 
 know where the epistle was written or to what locality 
 it was addressed. Some have argued that it was 
 written to Jewish Christians in Jerusalem; others 
 believe that it was sent to Jewish Christians in Pales- 
 
 172 
 
THE CHURCH AND THE OLD TESTAMENT 
 
 tine; others that it was intended for Jewish Christians 
 in Alexandria; and still others that it was sent to 
 Jewish Christians in Rome. We do not know. But 
 the fact is clear that the epistle was written-.to show 
 Jewish Christians that Christianity fulfills all that 
 was typified in the Old Testament religion; that 
 Christ is the reality of which the Old Testament rites _ 
 and ceremonies were but the shadows. 
 
 The Message of the Epistle. Throughout The 
 Epistle to the Hebrews we find an exhortation to 
 loyalty to-Christ. °Gh./'2:'1-4;, 6: 4-12.) To «urn 
 back from following Christ for the sake of the Jewish 
 religious rites would be like the Children of Israel 
 turning back from the promised liberty of Canaan 
 to the bondage of Egypt. Ch. 3: 7-19. The author 
 urges loyalty to Christ in spite of trial and persecu- 
 tion. Ch. 12: 1-13. And why should believers in 
 Jesus be disheartened if they are cast out of Judaism 
 and forfeit its privileges? They must be ready to 
 withdraw from the camp of Israel even as Jesus was 
 willing to go outside the city to be crucified, Ch. 13: 
 1 pa i 
 
 The whole argument of the epistle is that in Christ 
 the believer has all that Judaism offered, and more. 
 Christianity has a better message than Judaism. God 
 indeed spoke in the Old Testament through the 
 prophets, but in the New Testament he has spoken 
 through his Son. Ch. 1:1, 2. Christ is superior to 
 all other teachers. He is Heir of all things, the 
 Creator, the Image of God, the Upholder of all things, 
 superior to heavenly beings, exalted at the right hand 
 
 173 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 of God. Chs. 1: 2-14; 2: 5-9. Judaism gave 
 supreme place to Moses, but Jesus is as much greater 
 than Moses as a son is greater than a servant. Ch. 
 3: 3-6. Judaism made much of the priesthood: 
 “For every high priest, being taken from among men, 
 is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that 
 he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: who 
 can bear gently with the ignorant and erring, for that 
 he himself also is compassed with infirmity.”? Ch. 5: 
 1, 2. But Jesus is superior to Israel’s priesthood of 
 the house of Aaron. Heisa priest after the new order 
 of Melchizedek, “having neither beginning of days 
 nor end of life,’ ch. 7: 3. His sacrifice is better than 
 all the offerings of tabernacle or Temple, for “now 
 once at the end of the ages hath he been manifested 
 to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself,” ch. 9: 26. 
 “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who 
 through the eternal Spirit offered himself without 
 blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead 
 works to serve the living God?” Ch.9:14. The high 
 priest of Israel once a year went into the Holy Place 
 in the tabernacle and the Temple to offer the blood 
 of the sacrifice and make intercession for the people. 
 But in Christ we have a Mediator who can be ‘‘touched 
 with the feeling of our infirmities” because he was 
 “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin,” 
 ch. 4: 15. Believers in Jesus have not lost the 
 blessings of the covenant of Israel, but in Christ have 
 a Mediator of a better covenant. Chs. 8: 6; 9: 15; © 
 12: 24. Jewish Christians might feel that they had 
 lost much because Christianity replaces forms and 
 ceremonies, things which can be seen and felt, by 
 174 
 
THE CHURCH AND THE OLD TESTAMENT 
 
 things which are spiritual and which cannot be seen 
 with the eyes or felt with the fingers. But the great 
 realities after all are the unseen realities of faith. 
 Ch. 11: 1. The great heroes of the Old Testament, 
 the heroes of Judaism, were men and women of faith 
 in the unseen. Ch. 11. The Christian therefore 
 puts his faith not in forms or ceremonies which are 
 
 seen and felt, but in the great spiritual realities of 
 Christ. 
 
 Summary. Christianity grew out of Judaism 
 but is superior to Judaism because Christianity has 
 Christ, who is the fulfillment of all the hopes and 
 promises of Judaism as expressed in the Old Testament 
 Scriptures. The Christian Church shares with 
 Judaism the Old Testament Scriptures. The New 
 Testament quotes the Old Testament, carries over 
 many of the ideas and uses many of the forms and 
 figures of the Old Testament to express New Testa- 
 ment truth. The Christian Church, however, became 
 independent of the national laws of the Old Testa- 
 ment, and gave up the ceremonial rites of the Old 
 Testament, but held fast to the great moral, and 
 spiritual truths revealed through “the prophets.”’ 
 Believers in Christ inherit, the blessings of the cov- 
 enant of God’s people; they have a better high priest 
 and a better sacrifice. All that Judaism had to offer, 
 Christianity offers to believers as spiritual realities 
 laid hold upon by faith. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. Count and look up all the marginal references to Old 
 Testament books in connection with one of the books of the New 
 
 175 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Testament. Take, for example, Hebrews, Romans, or I Corin- 
 thians. 
 
 2. In a concordance look up every instance of the use of the 
 word ‘fulfilled’ in connection with the fulfillment of the Old 
 Testament in the New Testament. Make a list of these and by 
 means of the marginal references note the passages of the Old 
 Testament thus referred to. 
 
 3. Trace the influence of the Old Testament in giving form 
 to one prominent Christian idea, such as the meaning of ‘‘God,”’ 
 the meaning of “Christ,” the expression “Lamb of God,” the 
 words “sacrifice,” “high priest,” or “atonement.” 
 
 4. Trace the idea of covenant in the Scriptures, both Old 
 and New Testaments. See article on ‘covenant’ in a Bible 
 dictionary and also look up the texts in the Bible in which the 
 word occurs. 
 
 5. What change in attitude toward the Old Testament was 
 to be expected in the Christian Church: (a) in view of the com- 
 mission to the Church to proclaim the gospel to all nations; 
 (b) in view of the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies 
 and types in Christ; (c) in view of the destruction of Jerusalem 
 and the Temple? 
 
 6. What was the purpose of The Epistle to the Hebrews? 
 Consult a Bible dictionary or a commentary on the epistle. 
 
 7. Make an outline of The Epistle to the Hebrews. 
 
 Tue Books or THE NEw TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel:— Romans James 
 ' According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians - II John 
 The Acts Philippians IIT John 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 176 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH AND. 
 HUMAN PHILOSOPHY 
 
 Seripture Material to Be Read: Acts, ch. 17; I Cor., 
 chi. 2; Colsych::2 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. In the preceding 
 chapter we considered the attitude of the New 
 Testament Church toward the Scriptures and in- 
 stitutions of Judaism. The Christian Church, be- 
 cause of its world-wide mission to Gentiles as well 
 as to Jews, had to deal with nations which did not 
 have the teachings of the prophets of Israel and their 
 traditions, but which had the ideas and views that 
 had come to them through their own teachers. 
 What was the attitude of the New Testament Church 
 toward human reason and toward the learning and 
 philosophy of the Gentiles? 
 
 The New Testament Church and the Human 
 Mind. Jesus was the Master Teacher. He under- 
 stood that his task was to put truth into a form, and 
 present it by a method, adapted to his disciples or 
 learners. He said to his disciples, “I have yet many 
 things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them 
 now.” John 16: 12. He recognized the limitations 
 of the mental processes of men. He used the forms 
 of thought to which his hearers were accustomed and 
 
 177 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 expanded these forms to hold the new truth he wished 
 to teach. So clearly did Jesus use methods of 
 teaching which were adapted to the nature of the 
 mind that..almost every new theory of education 
 which has any, value can be illustrated from the 
 teaching of Jesus. So the New Testament Church, 
 led by men who had sat at the feet of the great 
 Teacher, recognized the limitations of the human 
 mind and employed sane and sound principles and 
 methods for the teaching ofthe truth which the 
 Church had for the world... .When Paul was at Lystra, 
 where, the people knew only heathen. gods, he. skill- 
 fully endeavored to make known to them the one 
 true God by taking advantage of those. general ideas 
 which they had acquired through their experience 
 and observation. Acts 14: 14-18.. Paul’s famous 
 address. at Athens’ is another illustration of the 
 adaptation of Christian truth to the mind of the 
 hearer... The various New ‘Testament books illus- 
 trate this practice of recognizing the natural opera- 
 tions of the human mind:. As we shall see in later 
 chapters, each of the gospels was written for a special 
 audience. . The various epistles are adapted to. the 
 thought and.environment: of their readers. .The 
 New Testament Church recognized the: necessity of 
 putting. truth in a way adapted to reach the minds 
 of learners. | 
 
 The New Testament Church Appealed to — 
 Reason. Jesus did not hesitate to say, “Verily, 
 verily, I say unto you,” and “he taught them as one 
 having authority,” but he also reasoned with them. 
 
 178 
 
THE CHURCH AND HUMAN PHILOSOPHY 
 
 From a premise he reasoned to a conclusion. He 
 matched wits with the intellectual men of his day. 
 When he was accused of casting out demons by the 
 power of the prince of demons, his reply was a pure 
 appeal to reason: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 
 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that 
 kingdom cannot stand,’ Mark 3: 23, 24. When 
 Jesus had cleansed the Temple the rulers of the 
 Temple asked him by what authority he did these 
 things. Jesus answered them by a question which 
 was an intellectual exposure of the insincerity and 
 incapacity of his critics. Mark 11: 27-33. So the 
 apostles also appealed. to reason. They reasoned 
 from the Scriptures, appealing to the judgment of 
 men as to whether their conclusions were sound. 
 They reasoned from accepted facts to logical con- 
 clusions ‘from those ‘accepted facts. The New 
 Testament Church did not dethrone reason. When 
 Paul addressed the Athenian Epicurean and Stoic 
 philosophers he showed that the Athenian religious 
 practices were illogical. Acts 17:24-29. The epistles 
 of the New Testament are in large part arguments 
 from accepted truths to other truths which follow 
 from them. Peter was not talking about the reason 
 alone when he wrote, “Girding up the loins of your 
 mind,” but certainly New Testament Christianity 
 called men to real thinking. . The “‘darkened”’ mind 
 was lamented. ‘Rom. 1: 21. Reason was given its 
 place. True Christianity has always been the 
 champion of education. In ‘history there has been a 
 vital connection between the things symbolized by the 
 church spire and by the little red:schoolhouse, ~ 
 179 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 The Limitations of Reason. While appealing 
 to reason, the New Testament recognized the limita- 
 tions of reason. To Nicodemus Jesus said, “Art 
 thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not 
 these things?” The truth Jesus taught had not been 
 discovered by this Jewish student. In his address at 
 Athens Paul gave a picture of man’s vain search after 
 a knowledge of God, when he spoke of men feeling 
 after God to find him, though he was not far from 
 each one of them, “for in him we live, and move, and 
 have our being,’”’? Acts 17: 27, 28. In his essay on 
 “Philosophy” in ““The Legacy of Greece,” J. Burnet 
 tells us that Plato, the great Greek philosopher, ‘“‘has 
 left us the first systematic defence of Theism we 
 know of, and it is based entirely on his doctrine of 
 soul as the selfmover. But the highest soul, or God, 
 is not only the ultimate source of motion, but also 
 supremely good.” And yet Plato, with all his 
 powers of reason, was not able to give to the world 
 the Christian conception of God. Writing to Corinth 
 Paul said, ‘‘The world through its wisdom knew not 
 God.”” This is the position of the New Testament 
 Church. It recognized the nature of the human 
 mind to which truth is to be made known; it appealed 
 to reason and made use of argument and logic; but 
 it declared that through human reason the truth 
 about Ged and the way of life could not be dis- 
 covered. Philosophy is man’s search for truth; 
 revelation is God’s making truth known to man. 
 
 A Message from God. The New Testament 
 Church therefore declared that it had a message 
 180 
 
THE CHURCH AND HUMAN PHILOSOPHY 
 
 from God which man by his reasoning could not 
 discover for himself. The message of the New 
 Testament is a message which came out of heaven. 
 “He that cometh from above is above all: he that is 
 of the earth is of the earth, and of the earth he 
 speaketh: he that cometh from heaven is above all. 
 What he hath seen and heard, of that he beareth 
 witness; and no man receiveth his witness. He that 
 hath received his witness hath set his seal to this, 
 that God is true. For he whom God hath sent 
 speaketh the words of God: for he- giveth not the 
 Spirit by measure.” John 3: 31-384. And Matthew 
 records: ‘At that season Jesus answered and said, 
 I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, 
 that thou didst hide these things from the wise and 
 understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes.” 
 Matt. 11: 25, 26. 
 
 We need not be surprised therefore to find this 
 same idea running through the whole New Testament 
 and dominating the Church as it proclaimed its 
 message. The Church had a message from God for 
 the world. In his earliest epistle Paul called his 
 message “the gospel of God,’ I Thess. 2: 8, and in v. 
 13 he said, “When ye received from us the word of 
 the message, even the word of God, ye accepted it 
 not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the 
 word of God, which also worketh in you that believe.” 
 In his Epistle to the Galatians he insisted that his 
 message did not come through human sources. Ch. 
 1: 11, 12. Paul’s point was that he was on an 
 equality with the other apostles who likewise had 
 received the gosnel direct from Jesus, who had come 
 
 181 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 out of heaven. The gospel was a message com- 
 mitted to men, not discovered or thought out by men. 
 Paul speaks of ‘‘the gospel of the glory of the blessed 
 God, which was committed” to his trust. I Tim. 1: 
 11. The Church’s Commission was “Go ye therefore, 
 and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them 
 into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the 
 Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things 
 whatsoever I commanded you.” Matt. 28: 19, 20. 
 
 _ The Conflict-Between the Church and Human 
 Philosophy. J. Burnet, in his essay referred to 
 above, defines the meaning of “philosophy” as used 
 by the Greeks, as ‘‘a serious endeavor to understand 
 the world and man, having for its chief aim the dis- 
 covery of the right way of life and the conversion of 
 people to it.” In delivering its message, concerning 
 the character of God, the nature of man, the 
 way of salvation in Christ, and the call to faith and 
 repentance and obedience, the Church was bound to 
 come into conflict with human philosophy. 
 
 In the account of Paul’s visit to Athens, The Acts 
 names two Greek schools of philosophy, the Epi- 
 cureans and the Stoics. We are not concerned here 
 with the teaching of these philosophers, but with 
 Paul’s attitude toward them. We observe that 
 Paul began his address in a way which would win 
 their sympathetic attention without in the least 
 yielding any Christian truth. He was ready to 
 avail himself of any truth which ‘he had found in 
 their systems. Indeed he quoted one of the Greek 
 poets. The quotation, ‘‘For we are also his off- 
 
 182 
 
THE CHURCH AND HUMAN PHILOSOPHY 
 
 spring,’ Acts 17: 28, is found, word for word, in the 
 poem of Aratus, a physician of Cilicia, Paul’s native 
 province, who lived about 270 s.c. This is an 
 astronomical poem entitled Phaenomena. The fol- 
 lowing translation of a part of this poem is taken from 
 the ‘‘People’s Commentary on Acts,’ by Edwin W. 
 Rice: 
 
 From Zeus begin we: Never let us leave 
 
 His name unloved.. With him, with Zeus, are filled 
 All paths we tread, and all the marts of men: 
 Filled too the sea, and every creek and bay: 
 
 And all in all things need we help of Zeus, 
 
 For we, too, are his offspring. 
 
 Similar words are found, however, in the ‘‘Hymn 
 to Zeus,” by Cleanthes, a stoic philosopher who 
 succeeded Zenos, the founder of Stoicism in Athens. 
 This is said to be one of the purest and noblest pieces 
 of poetry in the Greek language. We should expect 
 the Stoic philosophers of Athens to recall this poem 
 as Paul spoke. In “The Vitality of Platonism and 
 Other Essays,” James Adam, of Emmanuel College, 
 Cambridge, gives the following translation of part of 
 this hymn: 
 
 O God most glorious, called by many a name, 
 
 Nature’s great King, through endless years the same; 
 Omnipotence, who by thy just decree 
 
 Controllest all, hail, Zeus, for unto thee 
 
 Behoves thy creatures in all lands to call. 
 
 We are thy children, we alone, of all 
 
 On earth’s broad ways that wander to and fro, 
 
 Bearing thine image wheresoe’er we go. . 
 Wherefore with songs of praise thy power I will forth show. 
 
 183 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 A. R. Gordon in the article on “Quotations” in 
 the “Dictionary of the Apostolic Church” ealls 
 attention to Rendel Harris’ recent tracing of Paul’s 
 words, “For in him we live, and move, and have our 
 being,’’ to the “Minos” of Epimenides, an ancient 
 Greek poet of Crete, whom Paul quotes in Titus 1: 12. 
 The following translation of the text quoted there is 
 by W. D’Arcy Stephens: 
 
 A burial place they cunningly devised 
 
 For thee, O God most glorious, most high— 
 Those all-deceitful Cretans, those wild beasts, 
 With evil minds and stomachs sleek with food. 
 But thou art not to die; forevermore 
 
 Alive thou standest, and in thee we breathe 
 And move about and are alive ourselves. 
 
 But we should observe that in his encounter with 
 the philosophers of Athens, Paul, while ready to 
 quote their poets and teachers, declared that he had 
 a message which the seekers after truth could not 
 find for themselves. He had come to declare a 
 message from the God whom the Athenians worshiped 
 in ignorance, a message of repentance and of judg- 
 ment, the message of Jesus who died and rose again 
 from the dead—the ‘‘gospel.”’ 
 
 From Athens Paul went to Corinth,.another Greek 
 city, where he preached the gospel as “‘the testimony 
 of God.”’ In the second chapter of the First Epistle 
 to the Corinthians he discusses his attitude toward © 
 human wisdom as over against the wisdom of God 
 revealed in the gospel committed to the Church. 
 Read this chapter and study Paul’s teaching. Paul’s 
 message was the simple message of Jesus crucified. 
 
 184 
 
THE CHURCH AND HUMAN PHILOSOPHY 
 
 His aim was to lead the people to put their faith in 
 the power of God and not in the wisdom of men. 
 The wisdom which he offered was not man’s wisdom 
 but the wisdom which God revealed. He was eager 
 that his hearers and readers “might know the things 
 that were freely given to us of God. Which things 
 also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom 
 teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth.”’ 
 
 Various forms of “human” teaching were en- 
 countered from time to time in the churches. In his 
 letter to the Colossians he refers to ‘philosophy.’ 
 The word would indicate better what is meant if it 
 were translated ‘‘theosophy,” for what Paul referred 
 to was not a philosophy like that of the Greeks, but 
 a strange mixture of Jewish ceremonialism and 
 Oriental dreams which were taught as “secrets”? too 
 sacred to be committed to writing. This teaching 
 was probably a forerunner of what was later known 
 as Gnosticism. With this teaching of men Paul 
 deals in the second chapter of Colossians. The truth, 
 Paul declares, is revealed in Christ. Understanding 
 is found in knowing “the mystery of God, even Christ, 
 in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowl- 
 edge hidden.” ‘Take heed,” he urges, “lest there 
 shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his 
 philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men 
 after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ: 
 for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead 
 bodily, and in him ye are made full.”’ 
 
 In the New Testament all truth is summed up in 
 Christ, and the test of all teaching is its relation to the 
 revelation of Christ. 
 
 185 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Summary. The New Testament Church recog- 
 nized the place of human reason. Its message was 
 to be adapted to the minds which were to receive it. 
 The New Testament Church appealed to reason, 
 seeking to prove from accepted facts the soundness 
 of its message and the consistency of its teaching. 
 But the New Testament Church taught that man by 
 wisdom cannot find out God. Human reason had 
 failed as the source of truth concerning God and men 
 and the way of life. The “gospel’’ was the message 
 from God to men, supernaturally revealed in Christ. 
 The values in human philosophy were to be recog- 
 nized and accepted. Christianity availed itself of 
 all the assured products of human thought, but in 
 case of conflict the revealed gospel of Christ was the 
 final appeal. When the conclusions of human reason 
 denied the nature of God as revealed in the Scriptures, 
 or the nature and work of Christ, or the nature and 
 needs of man, or the way of life taught by Jesus, the 
 New Testament rejected this teaching as both de- 
 ficient and false. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. In the light of the attitude of the New Testament toward 
 the human mind what should be the Church’s attitude to-day 
 toward new teaching principles and methods? 
 
 2. What was the attitude of Christ and the apostles toward 
 the appeal to reason in teaching Christian truth? 
 
 3. What limitations of human reason as a source of truth did ° 
 the New Testament recognize? 
 
 4. What was thep,attitude of the New Testament Church 
 toward its ‘gospel’? 
 
 5. What was the attitude of the New Testament Church 
 toward human learning? 
 
 186 
 
THE CHURCH AND HUMAN PHILOSOPHY 
 
 6. What test must be met by any teaching before it could be 
 accepted by the New Testament Church? 
 
 For students who are ready for them, the following additional 
 questions are suggested: 
 
 7. What was the teaching of the Epicureans, and wherein did 
 it differ from the teaching of Paul? 
 
 8. What was the teaching of the Stoics, and wherein did it 
 differ from the teaching of Paul? 
 
 9. What was meant by “philosophy” in Col. 2: 8? 
 
 10. What was probably meant by “knowledge [Greek gnosis] 
 which 1s falsely so called’? I Tim. 6: 20. 
 
 For questions 7, 8, 9, and 10, see the article on ‘‘Philosophy”’ 
 in a good Bible bictionary and in the ‘‘Dictionary of the Apostolic 
 Church’’; also articles on ‘‘Epicureans,” “‘Stoics,” and ‘‘Gnostics,”’ 
 
 and the index of Conybeare and Howson’s ‘“‘Life and Epistles of 
 the Apostle Paul.” 
 
 Tue Books or THE New TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel :— Romans James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians II John 
 
 The Acts Philippians III John 
 
 ‘Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians’ Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 187 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 THE CHURCH AND ITS TEMPTATIONS 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: I and II ess I, Il, 
 and III John; Jude 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. What needs of 
 the New Testament Church were met by the books 
 which are known as the General Epistles? 
 
 The Epistles of the New Testament. We have 
 already considered The Epistle of James, which was 
 probably the earliest New Testament book and was 
 written to the scattered congregations of Jewish 
 Christians. We have considered also the epistles of 
 Paul, which were written from time to time during 
 his ministry largely to meet specific needs of which 
 he became aware in his oversight of the churches he 
 had established and in his interest in the Church at 
 large. I and II Thessalonians are the earliest. 
 Galatians was written to meet the issue raised by 
 the Judaizers. I and II Corinthians dealt with 
 questions and practical problems in the church in 
 Corinth. Romans presents in a systematic way © 
 Paul’s gospel. During his first imprisonment Paul 
 wrote Colossians and Ephesians, with their lofty 
 doctrinal teaching concerning Christ, Philippians 
 with its friendly message from the heart of the 
 apostle, and Philemon with its personal appeal to a 
 
 188 
 
THE CHURCH AND ITS TEMPTATIONS 
 
 friend. After his release and during his second im- 
 prisonment Paul wrote his Pastoral Epistles to 
 Timothy and to Titus, to guide these ministers in the 
 organization and teaching of the churches. The 
 Epistle to the Hebrews was written to show Jewish 
 Christians that in Christ and the gospel all that was 
 foreshadowed in the Old Testament was fulfilled. 
 But among the books of the New Testament we find 
 another group of epistles, different from these just 
 mentioned because of their general character both 
 in regard to their teaching and in regard to the 
 persons to whom they are addressed. ‘These are 
 known as the General Epistles. 
 
 The General Epistles. The General Epistles 
 belong in the same group with The Epistle of James 
 which was considered in Chapter VI. The epistles 
 are called “general” because they are not addressed 
 to individual churches or to particular people, but 
 to believers in general over a wide area. This is 
 true of all these epistles except II and III John. 
 These two short letters were early attached to I John, 
 and so grouped with the other epistles as ‘‘general.”’ 
 Concerning the time and place and circumstances of 
 the writing of the General Epistles there is wide 
 difference of opinion. Some scholars place them 
 early in the apostolic history, while others place them 
 late, and the problem of each must be studied sep- 
 arately. For our purpose there is little need of 
 attempting to locate each of these epistles in time, 
 as our aim is to see what light they throw upon the 
 general experience of the Church in New Testament 
 
 189 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 times, and particularly what they reveal concerning 
 the difficulties and temptations and trials with which 
 the New Testament Christians met. The General 
 Epistles are of special value because they are so 
 general and do not deal with particular situations or 
 problems in a single church or in a closely related 
 group of churches as did so many of the epistles of 
 the Apostle Paul. 
 
 The First Epistle of Peter. The writer of the 
 First Epistle of Peter characterizes himself as ‘‘Peter, 
 an apostle of Jesus Christ.” Ch.1:1. There can be 
 no doubt that the Apostle Peter is meant, and it is 
 significant that no claim is made to any authority 
 different from that of other apostles. He is merely 
 an apostle among apostles. The letter is written 
 from ‘‘Babylon,” ch. 5: 18. Some scholars are quite 
 positive that ‘‘Babylon” is used in a symbolic sense 
 and means Rome. Others are quite as sure that it 
 means the real Babylon, and that Peter wrote the 
 epistle from the East. The letter is addressed to the 
 “sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, 
 Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.’’ Clearly the mes- 
 sage is for Christians throughout what to-day we 
 would call Asia Minor. 
 
 The writer seems to indicate that Christians were 
 living in a very unsettled state. He calls his readers 
 “sojourners,”’ or ‘exiles.—_-Ch.. 11-145 23) ig 
 may mean that the Christians have been exiled from 
 their homes, or it may mean that conditions are such 
 that the Christians realize how temporary this world 
 is; they are pilgrims on the earth. Since they are of | 
 
 190 
 
THE CHURCH AND ITS TEMPTATIONS 
 
 “the Dispersion,” they are to be considered as 
 scattered from Jerusalem. 
 
 Whether those to whom this letter was addressed 
 were Jewish Christians or Gentiles has been debated. 
 The Dispersion would seem to indicate that they were 
 Jewish Christians, but ch. 2: 10—‘‘who in time past 
 were no people, but now are the people of God’— 
 would seem to indicate that they were Gentiles. No 
 doubt the churches included both Jews and Gentiles. 
 
 Paul had plainly told the Thessalonian Christians 
 that they must expect to experience suffering as 
 Christians. I Thess. 3: 4, 5. This was almost the 
 universal experience in the Apostolic Church. So 
 the scattered Christians to whom Peter wrote were 
 passing through “fire” for their faith. Ch. 1: 6, 7; 
 4: 12-16. 
 
 Christians would experience the conflict with 
 paganism. This conflict might be within the family. 
 Perhaps a husband would be won to Christ and have 
 to contend with a pagan wife, or a wife might become 
 a Christian and would have to endure opposition on 
 the part of her husband. Ch. 3: 1-7. Because a 
 person was a Christian he would meet with difficulty 
 in the community. Christians were watched with 
 jealous and critical eyes by their neighbors. Ch. 2:12. 
 The Christians’ beliefs and standards of conduct 
 would be different from those of their pagan neighbors. 
 Peter urges Christians to be faithful under such trying 
 circumstances. They are to be open in their testimony 
 for Christ, able to defend their beliefs and to give a 
 reason for their hope, and to endure opposition pa- 
 tiently. Ch. 3: 13-22. | 
 
 191 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Evidently it was not easy for the Christians to 
 yield to civil authority. Laws were proclaimed 
 against them, and their sense of liberty would make 
 these laws galling, but Peter insists that Christians 
 must endeavor to be law-abiding no matter how 
 difficult this may be. Ch. 2: 13-17; 4: 15, 16. 
 
 The members of the Christian Church would find 
 themselves in difficulty in their relations to society. 
 There were the relationships of servant and master. 
 A Christian slave might expect harsh treatment at 
 the hands of a heathen master. This is one of the 
 trials to which Peter refers as he urges Christian 
 servants, or slaves, to render faithful service even to 
 unreasonable and persecuting masters. 
 
 Besides these trials and temptations from without, 
 Christians would have to fight those temptations 
 which come from within. They were called to holy 
 living, ch. 1: 13-16, and so they would have to fight 
 evil thoughts and desires which are so natural to the 
 human heart, ch. 2: 1; they would have to fight the 
 passions and lusts which are natural to the human 
 body, ch. 4: 1-6; and they would have to overcome 
 the spirit of selfishness and be generous in their 
 hospitality, ch. 4: 7-11. 
 
 Amidst such conditions as these the Christian 
 churches were heroically endeavoring to maintain 
 themselves and to minister to their members and to 
 carry on their work in the community. Ch. 5: 1-4. 
 The ministers of the churches are urged to overcome 
 the natural temptations of their office, and the 
 members of the churches are urged to be submissive 
 to those who are in authority over them and to be 
 
 192 
 
THE CHURCH AND ITS TEMPTATIONS 
 
 faithful and earnest in their Christian living. Ch. 5: 
 5-9. 
 
 Are not many of these trials to which Peter refers 
 the same commonplace temptations and difficulties 
 which the Church encounters to-day? 
 
 The Second Epistle of Peter. A second epistle 
 bears as the name of the writer, “Simon Peter, a 
 servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.’”? This is one of 
 the epistles whose authorship has been debated. 
 Because of difference in style from I Peter, because 
 of references which some think imply conditions 
 which were later than the time of the Apostle Peter, 
 the argument has been made that the epistle did not 
 come from the pen of Peter. However, the epistle 
 elaims to have been written by him. The writer 
 refers to a previous epistle which he had written, 
 ch. 3: 1, and an analysis of the letter shows many 
 parallels between it and events in Peter’s experience, 
 and also parallels to other New Testament utter- 
 ances of this apostle. The writer of the epistle is 
 facing death. Ch. 1: 14. Assuming that the letter 
 was written by Peter, and that he died in Rome about 
 A.D. 68, the letter was probably written from Rome 
 about A.D. 68. 
 
 About what was the writer of this epistle con- 
 cerned? The greatest danger seems to have been 
 the danger of false teachers, as was the case when 
 Paul wrote his Epistle to the Colossians and _ his 
 Pastoral Epistles. ‘‘Wherefore I shall be ready 
 always to put you in remembrance of these things, 
 though ye know them, and are established in the 
 
 193 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 - truth which is with you.... Yea, I will give diligence 
 that at every time ye may be able after my decease to 
 call these things to remembrance.” II Peter 1: 12, 15. 
 
 Two chief errors in the teaching and practice of the 
 churches are indicated. The first of these is a denial 
 of Jesus as he was preached by the apostles and as he 
 is presented in the New Testament Scriptures. Ch. 
 2:1. Closely related to this error in faith is error in 
 practice. Error in doctrine led to error in living. 
 Ch. 2: 2. One of the errors was what has been 
 called ‘‘antinomianism,” or setting aside the law. 
 The gospel proclaimed the forgiveness of sin and 
 salvation by faith in Christ. Understanding only 
 one side of the. truth, the Antinomians interpreted 
 Christian liberty as a deliverance from all require- 
 ment of the moral law. Being under grace and 
 not under the law, they therefore set aside the 
 Christian standards of conduct and advocated sinful 
 license. This is what is referred to when the epistle 
 says that some ‘‘wrested”’ the writings of Paul from 
 their true meaning. 
 
 Another problem in the Church was raised by the 
 hope of the immediate return of Christ. The first 
 generation of Christians was passing away. Peter’s 
 death was at hand. The insinuation was made that 
 the expected return of Christ was a false hope. The 
 failure of Christ to appear was causing doubt and 
 concern on the part of Christians and ridicule on the 
 part of unbelievers. Instead of some expected 
 cataclysm, the world seemed to move on as it had 
 since its creation. Peter therefore insists that Christ 
 will return, that his warnings and his promises will 
 
 194 
 
THE CHURCH AND ITS TEMPTATIONS 
 
 be fulfilled, but that with the Lord one day is as a 
 thousand years and a thousand years as one day. 
 Ch. 3: 1-18. | 
 
 Quite appropriately the epistle closes with the 
 hortatory benediction: ‘‘But grow in the grace and 
 knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’ 
 
 The Epistle of Jude. Another epistle bears the 
 name of ‘‘Jude,’’ or Judas, ‘‘a servant of Jesus Christ, 
 and brother of James.” The most natural inter- 
 pretation is that this is Jude, the brother of our Lord, 
 mentioned in Matt. 18: 55; Mark 6: 3. “It is quite 
 possible that a younger brother of Jesus, whose 
 missionary labors had led him into Gentile-Christian 
 circles, may have written the letter about a.p. 80-90.” 
 Warfield has said that the epistle was intended 
 for Jewish Christians living in Palestine. The most 
 striking fact about the epistle is that verses 4-18, 
 with the exception of verses 14 and 15, are represented 
 in II Peter 2: 1 to 3: 8. Assuming the genuineness 
 of II Peter, we must conclude that Jude was familiar 
 with that letter and quoted from it, or that Peter 
 quoted from Jude. Two needs suggested by II Peter 
 are prominent in this epistle also—true faith in Jesus 
 Christ and holy living. Vs. 3, 4, 17-23. The book 
 ends with a benediction which is frequently used in 
 the Church to-day. 
 
 - The Epistles of John. Grouped with the General 
 
 Epistles are three Epistles of John. The Second and 
 
 Third Epistles are very short and personal. None 
 
 of the three epistles bears the name of John, but in 
 195 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 the Church from the very earliest times they have 
 been ascribed to him. The suggestion has been made 
 that because of persecution the name of the writer 
 was not given, but the recipients of the letters would 
 recognize him immediately. The First Epistle re- 
 sembles the Gospel by John in so many respects that 
 they seem to be by the same author. The letters 
 were probably written toward the end of the first 
 century, near the close of John’s life, and probably 
 from Ephesus. The first four verses of the epistle 
 resemble the beginning of the Fourth Gospel and fit 
 into the life of John. Outstanding words in the 
 epistle are “light,” “‘life,’’ “love,’”’ and ‘‘truth,” as 
 characteristics of God and of Christians. The 
 frequent use of the word “world” in the epistle in- 
 dicates that the apostle saw the conflict in the life of 
 the believer in Jesus who tried to be ‘“‘in the world, 
 but not of it.”” He is concerned about false teaching 
 in regard to Jesus, especially the denial that he is the 
 Son of God who came in the flesh. Ch. 2: 22; 4: 1-6. 
 He deals with such subjects as sin, worldliness, 
 purity, service, love, faith, and holy living. 
 
 The Second Epistle is addressed to ‘‘the elect lady 
 and her children,’’ which some interpret as being a 
 church and its members while others take this as a 
 personal letter to a Christian woman. In this letter 
 again we find anxiety about the truth, not merely as 
 something to be believed but as something to be 
 lived. A warning is sounded against false teachers 
 who are going about leading believers away from the 
 teaching of Christ. 
 
 The Third Epistle is addressed to Gaius, but who 
 
 196 
 
THE CHURCH AND ITS TEMPTATIONS 
 
 Gaius was we do not know. His Christian hospitality 
 is commended and the self-seeking of Diotrephes is 
 denounced. Demetrius, of whom also we know 
 nothing, is praised. 
 
 Summary. There are seven epistles which are 
 ‘grouped together in the New Testament as General 
 Hpistles, although two of these, II and III John, are 
 personal and local rather than general. The Epistle 
 of James belongs very early in the history of the 
 Church and was considered in an earlier chapter. 
 The rest of the epistles reveal the struggles and the 
 temptations and trials of the Christians in the later 
 days of the apostles. The Christians often endured 
 persecution, but always had to struggle against the 
 influence of non-Christian surroundings. Often in 
 their homes and nearly always in their communities 
 they found it difficult to live up to their ideals. They 
 had to struggle against the temptations from within 
 as well as with difficulties from without. They had 
 to guard against teachers of false doctrine and morals. 
 They were “in” the world, but as followers of Jesus 
 they were not to be “of” the world. To help be- 
 lievers amidst such conditions, Peter and John and 
 Jude wrote their letters of exhortation and encour- 
 agement and these letters have been preserved as 
 books of the New Testament. 
 
 QUESTIONS FoR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. Name the books of the New Testament usually included in 
 the group of “General Epistles.”” Which are not strictly “gen- 
 eral’? See a Bible dictionary under “Epistles” or ‘General 
 Epistles,” or “New Testament.” 
 
 197 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 2. What does The First Epistle of Peter itself indicate con- 
 cerning its author, the place of writing, and its destination? 
 Check up your own conclusions with the statements and inter- 
 pretations to be found in a commentary or in the article on the 
 epistle in a Bible dictionary. 
 
 3. What experiences of Christians in Asia Minor are indicated 
 in I Peter? Compare these experiences with the experiences of 
 Christians to-day. Which of these conflicts do Christians ex- 
 perience to-day? ; 
 
 4. What is meant by antinomianism and what has The 
 Second Epistle of Peter to say about this error? Read the epistle 
 and look up antinomianism in a dictionary or encyclopedia. 
 Information will be found also in a commentary on II Peter. 
 
 5. Find for yourself and write in parallel columns all the 
 passages which are common to both II Peter and Jude. Which 
 one would you think quoted the previously existing letter of the 
 other? Why? 
 
 6. State the reasons in favor of the Apostle John as the 
 author of The First Epistle of John. Seea Bible dictionary under 
 “First Epistle of John” or a commentary on the epistle. 
 
 7. Read through The First Epistle of John and note every 
 time the word ‘‘world” occurs. Gather these texts together and 
 on the basis of these texts write a statement concerning the 
 Christian’s relation to the world. 
 
 TueE Books oF THE NEw TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel:— Romans James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians II John 
 
 The Acts Philippians III John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 198 
 
CHAPTER XX 
 THE CHURCH AND PERSECUTION 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Revelation 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. What is the 
 purpose and message of the book of Revelation? 
 
 The Church a Persecuted Institution. Jesus 
 warned his disciples that they must expect to ex- 
 perience persecution. Those were not unique words 
 which he spoke in Matt. 10: 22, but words which 
 were characteristic of his teaching: ‘‘And ye shall 
 be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that 
 endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.” Paul 
 warned the Thessalonian Christians that they must 
 expect to experience persecution. I Thess. 3: 4, 5. 
 I Peter 4: 12-14, as we noted in the preceding chapter, 
 spoke of the “fiery trial” through which the believers 
 in Jesus were passing. The story of the Church has 
 been a story of persecutions. 
 
 The believers in Jesus were first persecuted by the 
 Jews, and Stephen, the first Christian martyr, died 
 at the hands of infuriated opponents without the 
 formality of a trial. The persecution which followed, 
 under the leadership of Saul of Tarsus, was a persecu- 
 tion by the Jewish authorities. Wherever the 
 missionaries went, the synagogues were hotbeds of 
 opposition. 
 
 The opposition to the Church seemed to take a new 
 
 199 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 turn when “Herod the king” laid hands upon leaders 
 of the Church and beheaded James the brother of 
 John, for this was the act of a Roman official. For 
 some time, however, the Christians were protected 
 from Jewish persecution by the Roman authorities. 
 Rome had long had on her statute books laws against 
 the introduction of new deities, and the worship of the 
 emperor was commanded, but the application of these 
 laws to the Christians was left largely to the discretion 
 of local officials. The time came, however, when the 
 Roman emperor assumed the role of persecutor of 
 the Christian Church. There were in the first 
 century two great periods of persecution under the 
 authority of Rome—the reign of Nero and the reign 
 of Domitian. In his “History of the Christian 
 Church,”’ George P. Fisher summarizes the situation 
 briefly. The withdrawal of Christians from employ- 
 ments and diversions which involved the countenance- 
 ing of heathen worship or immorality led to the charge 
 that Christians were unsocial. The absence of any 
 images in their worship led to the accusation that they 
 were atheists. The demand of repentance and holy 
 living aroused resentment. The attitude toward the 
 Christians, soon after the burning of Rome, in the 
 reign of Nero, who died A.D. 68, is indicated by the 
 Roman historian Tacitus: “A vast multitude were 
 convicted, not so much on the charge of making the 
 conflagration, as of hating the human race. And in 
 their deaths they were made the subjects of sport, 
 for they were covered with hides of wild beasts, and 
 worried to death by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or 
 set fire to, and when the day declined were burned to 
 200 ott 
 
THE CHURCH AND PERSECUTION 
 
 serve for nocturnal lights.” Under Domitian about 
 A.D. 95, Christians were subjected to savage perse- 
 cution. The charge against them was atheism, 
 because the followers of Christ denied the Roman 
 gods and rejected all images in their worship. 
 
 The Book of Revelation. One of the books of 
 the New Testament was written for the comfort and 
 encouragement of Christians in such times of perse- 
 cution. This is the book of Revelation. William 
 Milligan, in ‘‘The Expositor’s Bible,” says: ‘The 
 more Christians are compelled to feel that the world 
 hates them, and that they cannot be its friends, the 
 greater to them will be the power and beauty of this 
 book. Its revelations, like the stars of the sky, 
 shine brightly in the cold, dark night.’”’ The book 
 was intended to be read in the churches, especially 
 in times of persecution. Moffatt translates ch. 1: 3: 
 “Blessed is he who reads aloud, blessed they who bear 
 the words of this prophecy and lay to heart what is 
 written in it.” There is no book in the New Testa- 
 ment concerning which there is so much difference of 
 opinion, but amidst all these differences of opinion all 
 can agree upon one point, namely, that the book 
 was written to comfort and encourage Christians in 
 the time of persecution. 
 
 The book of Revelation represents persecution as 
 rampant in Asia. Conditions in Ephesus called for 
 patience. Ch. 2: 2. In Smyrna there was tribula- 
 tion. Ch. 2:10. Antipas had suffered as a martyr 
 in Pergamum. Ch. 2:13. If Revelation represents 
 conditions at the time, the saints were slain, ch. 6: 9, 
 
 201 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 and put to death with the ax, ch. 20: 4, and perse- 
 cutors were drunk with the martyrs’ blood, ch. 16: 6; 
 12639187 24519272; 
 
 A Different Kind of Book. No one can read very 
 far in the book of Revelation without discovering 
 that it is different from other books in the New 
 Testament. In the very first chapter is a description 
 of Jesus which is different from any description found 
 in the books thus far considered. This picture is 
 symbolic. The various details in the description 
 represent ideas instead of appearance. From the 
 fourth chapter on we find that the book presents 
 visions in which symbolic figures have a large place, 
 a very different method of teaching Christian truth 
 from that followed in the other books of the New 
 Testament. 
 
 The book is called a “prophecy.” Ch. 1: 3. A 
 prophet was one who delivered the message of God 
 to men; he was God’s spokesman. The prophet of 
 Old Testament times was a messenger of God who 
 told men what God would have them believe and do. 
 His message concerned largely the duty of the people 
 to whom he spoke, but he often spoke of the future. 
 Because there were predictions in the messages of the 
 prophets, too often we think of prophecy as being 
 exclusively prediction. However, the book of Revela- 
 tion was a prophecy concerning “things to come.” 
 At the same time it was and is a message for the 
 living, for their comfort and encouragement in their 
 own experiences. , 
 
 The Greek word for ‘“‘revelation” is apokalupsis, 
 
 202 
 
THE CHURCH AND PERSECUTION 
 
 from which we get our word “apocalypse.” The 
 word means revelation, but because of the resemblance 
 of Revelation to certain books of Jewish and Christian 
 literature, some of them in the Old Testament, the 
 word “apocalyptic”? is applied to books or writings 
 characterized by figurative or symbolic language, 
 which deal especially with the establishment of the 
 Kingdom of God in the earth in spite of opposition 
 and persecution on the part of the enemies of God. 
 The Book of Daniel is an apocalyptic book of the 
 Old Testament. Ezekiel also contains apocalyptic 
 portions. It is interesting to note that of the more 
 than one thousand quotations from the Old Testa- 
 ment which Westcott and Hort list in their Greek 
 New Testament, more than three hundred and fifty 
 are found in Revelation. Over fifty of these are 
 from Daniel, and almost fifty are from Ezekiel. 
 
 The Author of the Book. The author of the 
 book of Revelation is “John.” Ch. 1: 4, 9; 22: 8. 
 There has been difference of opinion in the Church 
 concerning what John this is. However, the most 
 widely accepted view is that the book was written 
 by the Apostle John, the brother of James and the 
 son of Zebedee. The last reference to John in The 
 Acts is in the statement of ch. 15: 6, in connection 
 with the council in Jerusalem, that ‘“‘the apostles and 
 the elders were gathered together to consider of this 
 matter.”” We know that John was one of these, for 
 in Gal. 2: 9, evidently referring to the same incident, 
 Paul says that he talked with James and Cephas and 
 John. Little more is known certainly about John, 
 
 203 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 but the testimony of the early Church seems to leave 
 little doubt that John lived and worked for some 
 time in Ephesus and had the oversight of the churches 
 of the territory of which Ephesus was the chief city. 
 He was banished because of his Christian testimony 
 and was exiled on the island of Patmos, one of the 
 Sporades, in the Grecian Archipelago. He lived to 
 be a very old man and probably died some time in 
 the last decade of the first century. The book of 
 Revelation was certainly written by a Jewish Chris- 
 tian familiar with both Jewish teaching and Christian 
 doctrine. The fact has been pointed out that there 
 is a difference of style between the Fourth Gospel 
 and Revelation, but, as Purves says, ‘‘examination, 
 as well as the steadfast tradition of the Church, 
 makes the division of authorship both improbable 
 and unnecessary.” 
 
 The Time of the Book. Concerning the time 
 when the book was written by John there are two 
 views. The book belongs to a period of bitter 
 persecution, and so is placed by some in the reign of 
 Nero, and therefore before the fall of Jerusalem, 
 while by others it is placed in the reign of Domitian, 
 about A.D. 95. In favor of the latter is the tra- 
 dition that John was exiled to Patmos during the 
 reign of Domitian. 
 
 The Interpretation of the Book. The book of 
 Revelation is difficult to interpret. The fact that it 
 uses symbols and figures so extensively accounts for 
 this. Interpreters who are quite sure of their own 
 
 204 
 
THE CHURCH AND PERSECUTION 
 
 interpretation of Revelation do not agree with one 
 another. In spite of the great variety of views con- 
 cerning the interpretation of the book, there is, 
 as has been pointed out, general agreement that 
 Revelation was written to encourage Christians ia 
 time of trial and persecution. 
 
 The various theories of interpretation are defined 
 differently by different writers. In general there are 
 four views, which for the student may be outlined in 
 very brief form: 
 
 1. Some interpreters hold that the book is a 
 description of what was taking place at the time when 
 it was written. This view, however, removes from 
 the book the element of prediction. 
 
 2. Another view is that the book deals entirely 
 with the future and predicts events which are to be 
 fulfilled. This would mean that the book did not 
 have a message for the people of the day in which it 
 was written and was to be read. 
 
 3. <A third view is that the book gives an outline 
 of Christian history and that various visions represent 
 periods of history in their order. But interpreters 
 do not seem to be able to agree concerning the periods 
 of time to which the visions apply. 
 
 4. Still other interpreters find in the book great 
 truths or principles which are symbolically repre- 
 sented. These truths had their application at the time 
 in which the book was written and have their applica- 
 tion in every age of Christian history. 
 
 There may be combinations of these various views 
 or theories, but the most practical use of the bouk 
 will be in finding what God would say to us for our 
 
 205 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 exhortation and encouragement in the midst of our 
 trials and conflicts as followers of Christ. 
 
 The Letters to the Churches. Revelation 
 begins. with an introduction, ch. 1:.1—8, followed by a 
 salutation, ch. 1: 4-8. The book is addressed to the 
 seven churches of Asia, the province of which Ephesus 
 was the capital. In ch. 1: 9-20, John tells of his 
 vision of Jesus and gives a symbolic description of the 
 risen Lord who appeared to him and wished to send 
 his messages to the seven churches. In chapters 2 
 and 3 he writes the seven letters to the seven churches 
 of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, 
 Philadelphia, and Laodicea. In these letters Christ 
 exposes and rebukes the weaknesses and failures of 
 the churches, recognizes the trials they are enduring 
 and the conflicts they: are waging, commends their 
 virtues, exhorts to steadfastness and devotion, and 
 offers a reward for endurance unto the end. These 
 letters are full of messages which apply to Christians 
 and to the Church to-day and can be used with great 
 benefit irrespective of any views concerning the 
 interpretation of the book. 
 
 A Book of Sevens. The sacred number seven is 
 given a prominent place in the book of Revelation. 
 There are seven main divisions of the book. There 
 are seven letters to the seven churches, the sealed 
 book with the seven decrees and the breaking of the 
 seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls 
 or vials. Probably the best known passage in Revela- 
 tion is the vision of ‘“‘the holy city, new Jerusalem, 
 
 206 
 
THE CHURCH AND PERSECUTION 
 
 coming down out of heaven from God,” ch, 21: 1 to 
 22:5. The structure of the book is so involved that 
 it is impracticable to attempt to give an outline in 
 this brief discussion. The student who is especially 
 interested in the book will find an outline in a Bible 
 dictionary, or in a commentary on Revelation. 
 
 Summary. The history of the Church confirmed 
 the warning of Jesus that his disciples would experi- 
 ence persecution. At first the persecution of the 
 Church was in the hands of the Jews; later the Roman 
 authorities began to persecute the Christians. There 
 were two periods of especially bitter persecution, the 
 first in the reign of Nero, and the second in the reign 
 of Domitian. In one of these periods of bitter 
 persecution the book of Revelation was written by 
 the Apostle John to comfort and encourage and 
 strengthen the suffering Christians. The book is 
 apocalyptic and difficult to interpret, but it has had 
 a message of comfort and encouragement for perse- 
 cuted Christians in every age. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. Prepare to give a brief survey of the persecutions through 
 which the Church passed in the first century. A long article 
 will be found under ‘“‘Persecutions” in the ‘‘Dictionary of the 
 Apostolic Church.”’ Consult also a Church history, and articles 
 on “‘Persecution’’ in some dictionaries of the Bible, or in an en- 
 cyclopedia, 
 
 2. Prepare to give an account of the persecution of the 
 Church under Nero or under Domitian. See references under 
 “1,” and articles on “Nero” and ‘‘Domitian”’ in a Bible dictionary 
 or encyclopedia. 
 
 3. What was the purpose of the book of Revelation? See a 
 Bible dictionary or a commentary on the book. 
 
 — 207 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 4, What is meant by “apocalyptic” literature? See a dic- 
 tionary or encyclopedia. 
 
 5. Who was the author of Revelation and when was the 
 book written? See references under ‘3.’ 
 
 6. Prepare a map of the province known in the New Testa- 
 ment as Asia and locate the seven churches named in the book 
 of Revelation. 
 
 7. Study the letters to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 
 3 of Revelation and prepare an analysis of the seven letters in 
 four parallel columns, noting: (a@) what trials are mentioned in 
 connection with each church; (6) what criticism is made of each 
 church; (c) what is commended in each church; and (d) what 
 reward for faithfulness is promised to each church. 
 
 8. Make a brief outline of the book of Revelation. See a 
 Bible dictionary or a commentary on the book. 
 
 THE Books oF THE NEW TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel:— Romans James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark I] Corinthians iI Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians II John 
 
 The Acts : Philippians Ill John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 Ii Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 Ii Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 208 
 
CHAPTER XXI 
 THE CHURCH’S NEED OF THE GOSPELS 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Matt., chs. 1 to 33 
 Mark, ch. 1; Luke, chs. 1 to 3; John, ch. 1 
 
 The Problems. of the Chapter. What led to 
 the writing of the four Gospels and why are there 
 four accounts in the New Testament of the life and 
 teaching of Jesus? 
 
 The Need of the Gospels. The books of the 
 New Testament which we have studied assumed that 
 their readers had a knowledge of Jesus Christ. With- 
 out the story of his character and life and teaching 
 there would have been no story of the Church such 
 as is narrated in The Acts. Likewise there would 
 have been no Pauline or General Epistles. These 
 books were written to people who knew of Jesus. 
 Without the life and work and personality of Jesus 
 there could have been no New Testament and no 
 New Testament Church. 
 
 When Peter made his address on the day of Pen- 
 tecost, he talked to an audience who knew Jesus as 
 a real character, as the Teacher who had been cru- 
 cified and whom the apostles testified had risen again 
 from the dead. When the missionaries went to places 
 where the story of Jesus was not known, they told of 
 Jesus and his life and teaching. Out of their personal 
 
 209 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 experience the apostles told what Jesus had said and 
 done. Others heard the apostles and repeated what 
 they had heard from the lips of these eyewitnesses. 
 There can be little doubt that the story of Jesus was 
 repeated in much the same words wherever the 
 missionaries went and churches were organized. 
 But the apostles and others who had known Jesus 
 personally and who had listened-to Jesus’ own words 
 were passing away and there was need of preserving 
 their testimony in accurate and permanent form. 
 Tradition is unreliable. The person who repeats a 
 story may omit something which does not appeal to 
 him or emphasize something which does appeal to 
 him. In this way the true proportions will be lost 
 as time passes, even if the narrative is not seriously 
 garbled. In the early Apostolic Church the need of 
 an authoritative account of the life and teaching of 
 Jesus was felt. Many undertook to write such 
 accounts, but these were unsatisfactory. Perhaps 
 the testimony of the apostles had been recorded, but 
 these records had not been brought together into 
 satisfactory documents. Luke tells us that many 
 had undertaken to draw up narratives concerning 
 Jesus and his teaching, but he felt constrained to 
 write an account, based upon careful investigation, 
 which would be authoritative. Luke 1: 1-4. 
 
 Four accounts of the life and teaching of Jesus 
 have come down to us in the New Testament. These 
 are the Gospels According to Matthew, According to 
 Mark, According to Luke, and According to John. 
 Gospel or, in Greek, ewaggelion, means “good news.” 
 These narratives are called Gospels because they tell — 
 
 210 
 
THE CHURCH’S NEED OF THE GOSPELS 
 
 the basic story of Jesus who is the Saviour proclaimed 
 in the good news of salvation. We may wonder why 
 there are so few accounts of the life and teaching of 
 Jesus. Surely there were many, many others which 
 have been lost. Evidently these four accounts were 
 so superior to all others that they were generally 
 recognized as authoritative and were preserved, 
 while the others ceased to be copied and circulated 
 and so were lost. 
 
 The Sources of the Gospels. Only one of the 
 authors of these four authoritative accounts of the 
 life and teaching of Jesus has told us anything about 
 his method in writing his book or the source of his 
 materials. Luke informs us, ch. 1: 1-4, that the 
 story of Jesus had been heard from the lips of eye- 
 witnesses. He therefore drew his information from 
 the testimony of those who had seen and heard Jesus. 
 But in assembling and arranging his material, he had 
 investigated and checked up to make sure that his 
 account was accurate. Without hesitation we may 
 say that the writers of the Gospels secured their 
 material from records which were available, from 
 persons who had been with Jesus, or they wrote out 
 of their own personal knowledge of the events and 
 conversations which they narrate or describe. 
 
 Matthew, who wrote the First Gospel, was a 
 disciple of Jesus, one of the twelve apostles. He was 
 known also as Levi. He could tell much concerning 
 Jesus from what he had himself seen and heard. 
 Through his constant association with the Twelve 
 he would also have heard from them much that may 
 
 211 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 have happened or have been said when he was not 
 present. Mark, who wrote the Second Gospel, was 
 a comparatively young man when the Christian 
 Church began. His mother was a prominent woman 
 in the Church, and he was a cousin of Barnabas, the 
 first missionary companion of Paul. Mark was a 
 companion of Barnabas and Paul on their First 
 Missionary Journey and heard the story of Jesus as 
 these missionaries told it. He heard the story also 
 from eyewitnesses in Jerusalem. Later he was the 
 companion and “interpreter” of Peter, and heard 
 again and again the vivid account of Jesus’ life and 
 teaching which Peter gave as he went about preach- 
 ing Jesus. Luke, who wrote the Third Gospel, 
 a Gentile convert, was the missionary companion of 
 Paul. He heard the story of Jesus again and again 
 as that story was told by Paul and others in the syna- 
 gogues and churches. There is little doubt that 
 during the two years Paul was in prison in Cesarea, 
 Luke improved the time by examining records, 
 talking with witnesses, and gathering the materials 
 and checking up on the facts for his Gospel. Paul, 
 as an opponent of the believers in Jesus, knew thor- 
 oughly the side of the story which the Jewish leaders 
 told, so Luke would know what facts he needed to 
 trace down to authoritative sources. Luke tells a 
 number of incidents which are not found in the 
 other Gospels. Among these are: the account of the 
 Annunciation; the presentation in the Temple; 
 Jesus’ boyhood in Nazareth and his visit to the Temple 
 as a boy; the miraculous draft of fishes; the sending 
 out of the Seventy; the parables of the Good Samar-~— 
 212 
 
THE CHURCH’S NEED OF THE GOSPELS 
 
 itan, the Barren Fig Tree, the Lost Sheep, the Prodigal 
 Son, the Unjust Steward, Dives and Lazarus, the 
 Importunate Widow, the Pharisee and the Publican, 
 the Ten Pounds; and the visit at the home of Zac- 
 cheeus. John, hh wrote the Fourth Gospel, was 
 peculiarly fitted to write an account of the life and 
 teaching of Jesus. He was one of the earliest of the 
 disciples. Moreover, he was one of the three who 
 were permitted to accompany Jesus where the rest 
 of the disciples were not permitted to go. Out of his 
 own rich experience he could write a very intimate 
 story of his Lord. 
 
 Each Gospel Had a Purpose. Similar as some 
 of the Gospels are, we find differences in the narra- 
 tives which indicate that they were written for 
 slightly different purposes. The account of Jesus’ 
 life and teaching which is found in Matthew was 
 evidently intended primarily for Jewish reatlers. 
 The material is arranged chronologically only in 
 general outline; the author’s primary aim was to 
 arrange the material topically. Matthew gives large 
 place to the discourses of Jesus. The Gospel aims 
 to present Jesus as the royal Messiah, and again and 
 again the fulfillment of prophecy by Jesus is pointed 
 out. In Matthew’s Gospel there are about a hundred 
 more or less formal quotations from the Old Testa- 
 ment Scriptures. 
 
 Mark, the shortest of the Gospels, and the most 
 vivid, is a Gospel of action. This Gospel seems more 
 chronological than either Matthew or Luke. There 
 is little doubt that it was intended for Roman readers, 
 
 213 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 “and is especially adapted to their mind, so easily 
 impressed by exhibitions of energy and power.” 
 This Gospel has several Latin terms and uses Roman 
 names of coins instead of the Greek names. For 
 example, see ch. 12: 42. 
 
 Luke’s Gospel was written primarily for Theophilus, 
 a Gentile Christian, ch. 1: 8. The narrative of the 
 Gospel was followed by the story of The Acts, ad- 
 dressed to the same Theophilus. Compare Acts 1: 1. 
 It has been suggested that Luke’s minute description 
 of places in Palestine indicates that Theophilus did 
 not live in that country, while the mention of small 
 places in Italy as familiarly known, Acts 27: 6-16, 
 makes it probable that his home was at Rome. The 
 Gospel was designed mainly for Gentile readers. 
 Words which Jews would understand readily are ex- 
 plained for Gentile readers. Hebrew names are 
 translated. In Luke 6:15 we find ‘Simon who was 
 called the Zealot,’? while Matthew, ch. 10: 4, says, 
 “Simon the Cananean.”’ In ch. 23: 33, Luke says, 
 “They came unto the place which is called The 
 skull,’ while Matthew, ch. 27: 33, uses the Hebrew 
 word, “‘Golgotha, that is to say, The place of a skull.” 
 Luke sought to provide the information and testi- 
 mony concerning Jesus which would lead Gentiles to 
 believe in Jesus with assurance. 
 
 John wrote his Gospel that those who read his 
 narrative might believe that “Jesus is the Christ, 
 the Son of God,” and believing might have “life in 
 his name.” Ch. 20: 31. His Gospel is an argument 
 from the life and teaching and character of Jesus for 
 the Deity of Jesus. 
 
 214 
 
THE CHURCH’S NEED OF THE GOSPELS 
 
 The Synoptic Gospels. Even a hasty exam- 
 ination of the four Gospels will show that three of 
 them are much alike, while the fourth is strikingly 
 different. Matthew, Mark, and Luke narrate largely 
 the same events. They have largely a common 
 outline and often use much the same language. For 
 this reason these three Gospels have been called the 
 Synoptic Gospels. The name “synoptic” comes from 
 the Greek word sunopsis which means “a seeing 
 together,” and is used because these three Gospels 
 give the same view of Jesus. They take for their 
 chief theme the Galilean ministry of Jesus. 
 
 An explanation has been sought of the similarity 
 
 of the material and language in the Synoptic Gospels. 
 Some have tried to explain the similarity by saying 
 that one Gospel borrowed from another. But the 
 difficulty with this explanation is that Mark, which is 
 the shortest, is not a shortened Luke or Matthew, for 
 Mark in describing an event or scene includes details 
 not mentioned by the others. Davis suggests: “It 
 seems to be more probable that all three were in- 
 dependent, but used largely the language of the 
 gospel narrative which had become current; while 
 at the same time they felt free to use their own words 
 because they were conscious of being fully acquainted 
 with the facts.” In addition to the oral tradition 
 of the Church there were written records of the life 
 and teaching of Jesus current in the Church. Luke 
 Lee}—4: 
 
 The Gospel According to John. John’s Gospel 
 tells of the Judean ministry of Jesus, which is omitted 
 215 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 in the Synoptic narratives, and its material is ar- 
 ranged to carry out its purpose of revealing Jesus as 
 the Son of God. But John assumed that his readers 
 knew what is told about Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels. 
 John’s Gospel is not a substitute for the three earlier 
 Gospels, but is a supplement to these Gospels and in 
 a sense an interpretation of them. 
 
 The Date of the Gospels. There is a divergence 
 of views concerning the time when the Gospels were 
 written. There is little doubt that the Synoptic 
 Gospels were written before the fall of Jerusalem, 
 that is, before a.p. 70. Matthew B. Riddle suggests 
 this interesting statement: “If a definite theory is 
 necessary, it may be surmised that Luke wrote 
 during the first imprisonment of Paul (4.p. 61-62), 
 that Mark penned his Gospel immediately after 
 Paul’s temporary release, while Matthew prepared 
 the Greek copy of his narrative about the same time, 
 to meet the wants of Greek-speaking Christians.’’ 
 John’s Gospel was the latest, and was written toward 
 the end of the first century. 
 
 Summary. The disciples who went about preach- 
 ing the gospel told the story of Jesus’ life and char- 
 acter and teaching. They preached Jesus. As 
 personal witnesses, or as those who had received the 
 gospel from witnesses who had been with Jesus and 
 learned of him, they told the story of their Lord 
 and Saviour. As time elapsed and the eyewitnesses 
 of these things were passing away, the importance of 
 putting this testimony concerning Jesus into perma- 
 
 216 < 
 
THE CHURCH’S NEED OF THE GOSPELS 
 
 nent and authoritative form was recognized, and this 
 testimony of the apostles and eyewitnesses was 
 recorded in the Gospels to be preserved for future 
 generations. Each Gospel was written for its own 
 special purpose, drawing from the common or current 
 testimony concerning Jesus, but shaped by its own 
 purpose and supplemented from its own sources. 
 Three of these narratives or Gospels have so much in 
 common that they are known as the Synoptic Gospels, 
 and are thus distinguished from John’s Gospel, which 
 is unique. These four Gospels have preserved for 
 the Church through the centuries the testimony 
 concerning the kind of man Jesus was, the kind of 
 deeds he did, and what he taught. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 . Why would the Christian Church need a written record of 
 the life and teaching of Jesus? 
 
 2. What written records of Jesus’ life and teaching have been 
 preserved in the New Testament? 
 
 3. From what sources did the writers of these New Testament 
 books draw their materials? See the article in a Bible dictionary 
 on “The Gospels,” or study the introduction to one of the Gospels 
 in a commentary. 
 
 4. State the purpose of each of the four Gospels. See the 
 
 article on the “Gospels” in a Bible dictionary, or articles on the 
 separate Gospels, or consult a commentary. 
 
 5. Which are the Synoptic Gospels and why are they so 
 called? 
 
 6. Find a passage describing an event or incident which is 
 common to two or more of the Synoptic Gospels, and note each 
 variation in the language in the different accounts. 
 
 7. By means of a harmony of the Gospels note the events 
 described in John’s Gospel which are not mentioned in the 
 Synoptic Gospels. 
 
 217 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Tue Books or THE New TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel:— 
 According to Matthew 
 According to Mark 
 According to Luke 
 According to John 
 
 The Acts 
 
 Romans 
 
 I Corinthians 
 II Corinthians 
 Galatians 
 Ephesians 
 Philippians 
 Colossians 
 
 I Thessalonians 
 II Thessalonians 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 Titus 
 Philemon 
 Hebrews 
 
 218 
 
 James 
 
 I Peter 
 
 II Peter 
 
 I John 
 
 II John 
 IiI John 
 Jude 
 Revelation 
 
CHAPTER XXII 
 THE SYNOPTIC STORY OF JESUS 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: Matt., chs. 1 to 4: 
 Luke, chs. 1 to 4; 10; 15: 16; The Gospel 
 According to Mark 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. Without attempt- 
 ing to arrange the events in exact chronological 
 order, and without trying to make a harmony of the 
 three Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, 
 what is, in brief, the story of Jesus which is told in 
 our three Synoptic Gospels? 
 
 The Birth and Boyhood of Jesus. Both 
 Matthew and Luke give the genealogy of Jesus. 
 Matthew traces Jesus’ ancestry back to Abraham 
 through David, because he was concerned about 
 Jesus’ being the son of David, and so the promised 
 King or Messiah, and about his being the son of 
 Abraham because he was the seed of Abraham accord- 
 ing to the covenant promise. Luke, on the other 
 hand, traces Jesus’ ancestry back to David, Abraham, 
 and Adam. These genealogies are different at many 
 points. We cannot here take up the problem of the 
 variations between the names in the two lists. 
 Matthew’s genealogy is that of royal succession, 
 about which he was concerned. The suggestion has 
 been made that the genealogy in Luke is that of 
 
 219 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Mary, the daughter of Heli, while that of Matthew 
 is the genealogy of Joseph. Thus Jesus was both 
 legal and actual ‘‘son of David’’ and son of Abraham. 
 
 The Gospels teach plainly the supernatural char- 
 acter of Jesus’ birth and mission. The forerunner of 
 Jesus, John the Baptist, was a child of promise 
 especially sent to prepare the way for him. Luke 1: 
 5-25. That Mary was to be the mother of the 
 Saviour was announced to her, Luke 1: 26-88, and 
 also to Joseph, who was to protect Mary until her 
 child was born and to be the foster father of her son, 
 Matt. 1: 18-25. 
 
 While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, where 
 they had gone for the enrollment commanded by 
 Cesar Augustus, Jesus was born. His birth was 
 supernaturally announced by an angel to shepherds 
 who were watching in the field, and they came and 
 worshiped him. Wise Men in the East saw a star 
 that told them of his birth and came from afar to 
 lay their gifts at his feet. When Herod the king 
 sought to destroy this heir to the throne of Israel, 
 Joseph, warned by an angel, sought refuge for his 
 wife and her child in Egypt, where they remained 
 until after Herod’s death. Instead of returning to 
 Bethlehem, Joseph and his family went back to their 
 home in Nazareth, where Jesus grew up. 
 
 Only Luke tells us anything of Jesus’ boyhood, 
 and what he tells is brief. Jesus was brought up as 
 a child in a godly Jewish home. At the age of 
 twelve he accompanied Mary and Joseph to Jerusa- 
 lem for the celebration of the feast of the passover. 
 While there Jesus indicated his recognition of his 
 
 220 
 
THE SYNOPTIC STORY OF JESUS 
 
 Father in heaven and a consciousness of a life mission. 
 But this sense of relationship to God did not interfere 
 with his return to Nazareth as an obedient son in 
 the home. Through the successive years of youth 
 Jesus developed physically, intellectually, socially, 
 and spiritually. Luke 2: 40-52. 
 
 Jesus’ Baptism and Temptation. The Gospels 
 tell us nothing further of the eighteen years which 
 followed the visit to the Temple at the age of twelve. 
 We next find him, at the age of thirty, presenting 
 himself for baptism at the hands of John, who was 
 his forerunner. His baptism expressed his purpose 
 “to fulfil all righteousness,”’ and marked his entrance 
 upon his public ministry as the Messiah and Saviour. 
 His baptism, or dedication to service, was followed 
 by the testing in the wilderness in which he showed his 
 unwavering purpose, his clearness of vision, and his 
 absolute devotion to the mission the Father had 
 given him. 
 
 The entire story of Jesus up to this point is passed 
 over in silence in the Gospel by John, clearly indicating 
 that John thought it unnecessary to repeat this part 
 of the story which had already been recorded and 
 which was known to all Christians. But at this 
 point we find also that the Synoptic Gospels pass over 
 a portion of Jesus’ life and ministry which John 
 describes. This is Jesus’ early Judean ministry 
 which covered nearly a year. 
 
 The Galilean Ministry of Jesus. When John 
 the Baptist was put into prison by Herod the tetrarch, 
 221 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Jesus left Judea and went into Galilee. Matt. 4: 12; 
 Mark, 1: 14; Luke 3: 19, 20; 4:14. He was rejected at 
 Nazareth and went to Capernaum, which he made his 
 home. Here he called his disciples who were to be 
 his companions, listening to his teaching, learning to 
 know his character, studying his example, in pre- 
 paration for their work as witnesses and heralds of 
 the gospel. 
 
 Jesus became known as the great Miracle Worker. 
 He healed the sick, thus showing his power over 
 disease. He even cleansed the leper, who suffered 
 from the most hopeless disease of his day. He not 
 only healed the sick who were brought to him, but 
 he spoke the word which at a distance brought 
 restoration to health. His authority over nature was 
 shown by his stilling the storm; his power over evil 
 spirits, by casting out demons; and his power even 
 over death, by the restoration of the son of the 
 woman at Nain and the raising of the daughter of 
 Jairus. His mighty works led his disciples to say, 
 “What manner of man is this, that even the winds 
 and the sea obey hm?” The multitudes marveled, 
 saying, “It was never so seen in Israel.”” The people 
 flocked after him in such multitudes that he was 
 thronged by them. He could not come near a village 
 without word of his arrival being spread abroad and 
 a great multitude assembling. 
 
 Jesus was also known as the Teacher. Matthew’s 
 account of the Sermon on the Mount, chs. 5; 6; 7, 
 gives us a comprehensive view of Jesus’ teaching. 
 Here we find the wonderful statement of spiritual 
 truth in the Beatitudes, the analogies of the salt and ~— 
 
 222 
 
THE SYNOPTIC STORY OF JESUS 
 
 the light; the application of the Commandments to 
 motives and feelings, the call to sincerity and sim- 
 plicity, the substitution of forbearance and forgive- 
 ness and generosity for the law of retaliation of the 
 fathers, an argument for God’s care for men on the 
 ground that God cares even for the birds and flowers, 
 the call to disciples to put first things first—the body 
 before raiment, the soul before the body, the Kingdom 
 of God before material possessions and worldly 
 honor, the demand for works: that express righteous- 
 ness of heart, insistence upon conduct rather than 
 upon profession, and exposure of the folly of hearing 
 without doing. The multitudes were amazed at his 
 teaching, “for he taught them as one having authority, 
 and not as their scribes.” 
 
 The Opposition to Jesus and the Training of 
 the Twelve. Beneath the tide of Jesus’ wonderful 
 popularity as Healer and Teacher, there was an under- 
 current of opposition. This is brought out in the 
 Synoptic Gospels, but Mark develops it with the 
 greatest clearness and directness, chs. 2 OME LO 
 meet the opposition organized against him, Jesus 
 began the training of the Twelve, who were to carry 
 on his work after his death and resurrection. While 
 he still taught the people, his chief work was the 
 training of the Twelve, whom he not only taught 
 but also sent out on practice missions, so that under 
 his direction they might have that experience which 
 would fit them for their work after his departure. 
 
 The feeding of the five thousand, recorded in all 
 the Gospels, marks the turning of the tide in the 
 
 223 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 popularity of Jesus. The multitudes began to leave 
 him because he would not satisfy their material ideas 
 concerning his Kingdom. ‘The censoriousness of 
 Jesus’ enemies and their eagerness to find in his 
 teaching the ground for accusing him, led him to use 
 parables in his teaching so that only the disciples 
 who were ready for the truth would really understand 
 what he meant. Thus he taught with a special view 
 to the training of the Twelve and to avoiding un- 
 necessary friction with his opponents. 
 
 Growing opposition and the fickleness of the mul- 
 titudes led Jesus to withdraw from time to time from 
 the region which had been the chief scene of his 
 ministry. He went to the borders of Tyre and Sidon 
 where he healed the daughter of the Syrophoenician 
 woman because of her faith. He visited the region 
 of Decapolis, that district beyond the Jordan in 
 which was to be found Greek culture, for these cities 
 had been founded by followers of Alexander the 
 Great. Here Jesus wrought many miracles of 
 healing, and taught. 
 
 Through their association with Jesus, the discipies 
 were gradually led to a clear realization of the great- 
 ness of their Master. Amidst the discussion and 
 debate and difference of opinion concerning Jesus, 
 the disciples, through Peter as their spokesman, 
 confessed, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living 
 God.” Matt. 16: 16. 
 
 The Shadow of the Cross. When the disciples 
 were led to declare their faith in Jesus as the Messiah, 
 Jesus began to break to them the disconcerting news” 
 
 224 
 
THE SYNOPTIC STORY OF JESUS 
 
 that he was to be rejected by the nation, arrested and 
 brought to trial by the Jewish leaders, and put to 
 death. His ministry was carried on under the shadow 
 of the cross. Both Jesus and his disciples had need 
 of light in the shadow. Peter and James and John 
 were permitted to behold the glory of Jesus on the 
 Mount of Transfiguration, while Jesus talked with 
 Moses and Elijah concerning his approaching suffer- 
 ing and death. 
 
 The plain teaching of Jesus concerning his suffering 
 and death did not impress his disciples as it should 
 have; they were still thinking of an earthly kingdom 
 and were quarreling among themselves concerning 
 their relative positions in the Kingdom. Jesus there- 
 fore not only taught the truth they needed to know as 
 the basis for their message later but also sought to de- 
 velop in his disciples those attitudes and motives and 
 ideals and standards of conduct which would make 
 them truly his representatives in the world. 
 
 In Perea. Jesus knew that the end was drawing 
 near. He made his final departure from Galilee and 
 set his face toward Jerusalem. Luke 9: 51. His 
 journey led by way of the region beyond Jordan and 
 south of Decapolis, which is known as Perea, and this 
 period of Jesus’ life is often called his Perean ministry. 
 In Perea he taught the parables of the Great Supper, 
 the Lost Sheep, the Lost Piece of Silver, the Prodigal 
 Son, the Unjust Steward, the Pharisee and the 
 Publican. Here he blessed the little children and 
 talked with the rich young ruler. Ag he approached 
 Jerusalem he talked with his disciples again about 
 
 225 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 his suffering and death, although they could not and 
 would not understand. He passed through the city 
 of Jericho, where he was the guest of Zaccheus, and 
 near which he healed the blind men. 
 
 The Last Week. Jesus came to Bethany, which 
 he made his headquarters during the week of his 
 death. Great crowds had followed him as he drew 
 near to Jerusalem, and on Sunday he rode into the 
 city as King, the multitudes shouting their hosannas. 
 On Monday he showed his authority by cleansing 
 the Temple. Tuesday was spent in conflict with the 
 Jewish leaders and in the instruction of his disciples. 
 Then he taught the great parables of the Ten Virgins, 
 the Talents, and the Last Judgment. While the 
 Jewish leaders were desperately seeking a way to 
 arrest and condemn Jesus to death, he spent Wednes- 
 day in retirement in Bethany. On Thursday evening 
 he kept the passover with his disciples, in connection 
 with which he established the Lord’s Supper. Then 
 he retired with the Eleven to the Garden of Geth- 
 semane, where he went through that terrible struggle 
 which involved sorrow beyond description. In the 
 night Judas led Jesus’ enemies to the Garden, where 
 Jesus voluntarily gave himself up, for his hour had 
 come. His arrest and trial followed. He was con- 
 demned by the Jewish sanhedrin, handed over to the 
 soldiers by Pontius Pilate, led forth to Calvary, and 
 crucified. 
 
 His Resurrection and Ascension. In spite of 
 all that Jesus had said, the disciples seemed unpre- 
 226 
 
THE SYNOPTIC STORY OF JESUS 
 
 pared for the terrible disappointment of his death. 
 With him their hopes were buried; their great ex- 
 pectations seemed now like idle dreams. The sorrow 
 of the disciples, however, did not last long. After a 
 day spent in hopeless melancholy, on the third day 
 word came that the tomb of Jesus was empty. Jesus 
 had arisen from the dead as he had told the disciples. 
 He appeared from time to time to a few, to the 
 Twelve, or to larger groups, until he had given con- 
 vincing evidence of the reality of his resurrection. 
 
 At the time of his appearance to a multitude of 
 disciples in Galilee he gave them the Great Com- 
 mission, Matt. 28: 16-20; Mark 16: 15-18, which 
 has been called the “marching orders of the Church,” 
 Luke’s conclusion to his Gospel brings the Synoptic 
 story to an end: “And he led them out until they 
 were over against Bethany: and he lifted up his 
 hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, 
 while he blessed them, he parted from them, and was 
 carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, 
 and returned to Jerusalem with great Joy: and were 
 continually in the temple, blessing God.” Luke 
 24: 50-53. 
 
 Summary. According to the Synoptic Gospels, 
 Jesus was a supernatural son of Mary, and the foster 
 son of Joseph, of the royal and covenant line of Israel. 
 He was brought up as a boy in Nazareth. At the 
 age of thirty he began his public ministry with his 
 baptism and temptation. He became & popular 
 teacher who impressed the people by his miracles. 
 When the tide of popularity turned he gave his 
 
 227 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 attention primarily to the training of the Twelve, 
 whom he prepared to carry on his work after his 
 departure. He foretold his suffering and death and 
 bravely went to Jerusalem where he knew the cross 
 awaited him. There he was arrested, condemned, 
 and crucified. He rose the third day, proved the 
 reality of his resurrection to his disciples, gave them 
 the Great Commission, and ascended into heaven, 
 leaving his work in the world to be carried on by his 
 
 disciples under his direction through the Holy Spirit. 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. Which of the Synoptic Gospels tell of Jesus’ birth? Find 
 out by examining the Gospels themselves. 
 
 2. Name the supernatural elements in the Synoptic story of 
 Jesus’ birth. Base your statement upon the records of the 
 Synoptic Gospels. 
 
 3. Which Gospel tells of Jesus’ boyhood? Find the answer 
 by examining the Synoptic Gospels themselves. What attitude 
 toward God on the part of Jesus is shown in the account of his 
 boyhood? Consult a life of Christ or a commentary for an inter- 
 pretation of the passage. 
 
 4, What important period of Jesus’ early ministry is not 
 mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels? Consult a harmony of the 
 Gospels, the outline harmony in Andrews’ “The Life of Our 
 Lord,” or ‘“‘A Harmony of the Gospels,” by Stevens and Burton. 
 
 5. Prepare a brief statement concerning Jesus the Teacher as 
 he is presented in the Synoptic Gospels. 
 
 6. Prepare a brief story of Jesus the Worker of Miracles as 
 his story is told in the Synoptic Gospels. 
 
 7. What was the effect of the waning of Jesus’ popularity 
 upon his ministry? 
 
 8. What would you say was Jesus’ greatest achievement as a 
 teacher? Tell why. 
 
 9. From a harmony of the Gospels, tell the important events 
 in the last week of Jesus’ ministry as narrated in the Synoptic 
 Gospels, 
 
 228 
 
THE SYNOPTIC STORY OF JESUS 
 
 10. Make a list of the appearances of the risen Jesus recorded 
 in the Synoptic Gospels. See a harmony of the Gospels. 
 
 11. What is the Great Commission and where is it found? 
 
 12. Compare the number of chapters in the Synoptic Gospels 
 given to the last week of Jesus’ ministry with the total number 
 of chapters in the Synoptic Gospels. What conclusion do you 
 draw from these figures concerning the importance of the suffering 
 and death of Jesus in the minds of the writers of the Gospels? 
 
 Tue Booxs or tos New TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel:— Romans James 
 According to Matthew I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians II John 
 The Acts Philippians III John 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 229 
 
CHAPTER XXIII 
 THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN’S GOSPEL 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: The Gospel 
 According to John 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. What is the 
 testimony of John’s Gospel concerning Jesus? 
 
 A Testimony. John’s Gospel is well called a 
 testimony to Christ, for the Gospel was written to 
 bear witness to Jesus as the Son of God. This fact 
 will be impressed upon any student who will read 
 the Gospel through at one sitting. After reading 
 the story of Jesus as recorded in the Synoptic Gospels, 
 the testimony of John makes a deep impression. 
 This Gospel explains the significance of much which 
 is merely narrated in the other Gospels. The Fourth 
 Gospel is an interpretation. John seems to go back 
 over the life of Jesus as he remembers his Lord’s 
 earthly ministry and summons witness after witness to 
 tell the impression which Jesus made upon them. 
 It is this testimony which we are to consider in this 
 Gospel. 
 
 The Prologue. Chapter 1: 1-18 is usually called 
 the prologue to John’s Gospel. The other Gospels 
 begin with the annunciation or the birth or the 
 beginning of Jesus’ ministry, but John goes back to — 
 
 230 
 
THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN’S GOSPEL 
 
 eternity. “In the beginning was the Word,” or in 
 the Greek the logos. This word has been used by 
 Greek philosophers in special senses, but it will be 
 sufficient here to say that by the logos or Word, 
 John means the Son of God before the incarnation. 
 The Word was divine, for ‘the Word was God.” 
 The Word was Creator, Life, and Light, and this 
 eternal Word, which “was in the beginning with 
 God” and was God, became flesh and dwelt among 
 men. ‘Those who had eyes to see beheld his divine 
 glory, but others disbelieved and rejected him. To 
 those who received him he offered eternal life and 
 divine sonship. He is the Revealer of God. This 
 eternal Son of God is the Jesus who was introduced 
 to the world by John the Baptist. 
 
 Thus the Gospel according to John assumes the 
 story of the incarnation which is told in the Gospels 
 by Matthew and Luke, the story of how the Word 
 became flesh and dwelt among men. 
 
 The Testimony of John the Baptist. The 
 first witness to Jesus which John summons is John 
 the Baptist, who was the God-appointed forerunner 
 of Jesus. John 1: 19-85. Read also ch. 3: 22-30. 
 All classes of Jews recognized John as one of the 
 greatest of the prophets, but John declared that he 
 was only a voice announcing the coming of the 
 Christ; compared with Jesus, he was the lowest of 
 servants, unworthy to loose the strings of Jesus’ 
 sandals. He bore witness that he knew that Jesus 
 was the Christ and the Son of God because he had 
 seen the Spirit of God descend upon him. He also 
 
 231 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 pointed Jesus out to some of his disciples as the 
 Lamb of God who was to take away the sins of the 
 world. 
 
 The Testimony of the First Disciples. John 
 pointed two of his disciples to Jesus. One of these 
 was Andrew, and supposedly the other was John, the 
 writer of the Gospel. An evening’s association with 
 Jesus convinced them that he was the Christ, and 
 Andrew found his brother Simon and brought him to 
 the Messiah. John 1: 35-42. Nathanael, another 
 disciple, was led to confess his faith in Jesus as the 
 Christ, the Son of God. Ch. 1: 48-51. At Cana of 
 Galilee Jesus wrought the miracle of turning the water 
 into wine, and as a result, “‘his disciples believed on 
 hing yea Ghee ae 1y 
 
 The Testimony of Jesus’ Authority and 
 Knowledge. John’s Gospel testifies that Jesus him- 
 self claimed divine authority and possessed a knowl- 
 edge which was superhuman. He assumed authority 
 in the Temple and drove out those who desecrated 
 it by turning the house of God into a house of mer- 
 chancise. And he did not hesitate to call the Temple 
 “my Father’s house.” Ch. 2: 13-17. He also 
 claimed to be the incarnation of God, by referring to 
 his body as the Temple of God, foretelling his death 
 as a destruction of God’s Temple, and his resurrection 
 as the rebuilding of the Temple. Ch. 2: 18-23. His 
 knowledge of the human heart was revealed in his 
 not trusting himself to the people who professed to 
 believe in him, for ‘‘he knew all men” and ‘‘needed~ 
 
 232 
 
THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN’S GOSPEL 
 
 not that any one should bear witness concerning 
 man; for he himself knew what was in man.” 
 
 The Testimony of Nicodemus. John next 
 summons Nicodemus as a witness. This prominent 
 Pharisee declared that Jesus must be a teacher who 
 had come from God. John 3:1, 2. In connection 
 with the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, 
 John tells of Jesus’ teaching concerning himself, that 
 Jesus was the only begotten Son of God, God’s 
 gift to a lost world for the salvation of all those who 
 would believe on him. In his conversation with 
 Nicodemus, Jesus declared his authority as a teacher 
 on the ground that he bore witness of heavenly 
 things, which he had seen, and that he had° come 
 down from heaven and was going back to heaven. 
 John therefore declares that in Jesus is to be found 
 eternal life. ‘“‘He that believeth on the Son 
 hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the 
 Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth 
 on him.” | 
 
 The Testimony of the Samaritans. Next John 
 tells of Jesus’ journey to Galilee through Samaria and 
 his interview with the woman by Jacob’s well. She 
 was convinced that he was the Christ, and many in 
 Samaria believed, not only because of her word, but 
 because they had heard for themselves. In this 
 conversation with the woman Jesus declared that he 
 was the source of the spiritual life: ‘“‘Whosoever 
 drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall 
 never thirst.”’ Ch. 4: 1-42. 
 
 233 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 The Testimony of Jesus’ Mighty Works. Next 
 John tells of some of these mighty works which bore 
 witness to the character and mission of Jesus. He 
 tells of the healing of the nobleman’s son in Ca- 
 pernaum by the mere word spoken in Cana. This 
 father and his family became believers in Jesus. 
 Ch. 4: 46-54. 
 
 In Jerusalem by the pool of Bethesda Jesus healed 
 the man who had been helpless for thirty-eight years. 
 Ch: 5: 1-9. When this miracle of healing led to an 
 encounter with the Jewish teachers Jesus appealed 
 to his mighty works as evidence of his divine nature 
 and authority. Ch. 5: 10-47. 
 
 Another mighty work was the feeding of the five 
 thousand, the miracle which is recorded by all four 
 Gospels. ‘‘When therefore the people saw the sign 
 which he did, they said, This is of a truth the prophet 
 that cometh into the world,’ and they wanted to 
 make him their king. Ch. 6: 1-15. But the next 
 day it was evident that the faith in Jesus which 
 resulted from this miracle was not a real conviction 
 concerning Jesus and his mission. A conversation 
 followed in which Jesus declared that he was ‘‘the 
 bread of life.”” He had come down from heaven as 
 living manna. 
 
 Varying Opinions. This teaching about him- 
 self as the “‘bread of life’? drew more clearly the line 
 of division between those who truly believed in Jesus 
 and those who disbelieved. His followers began to 
 desert him until he turned to the Twelve and said, 
 “Would ye also go away?” Peter, speaking for the 
 
 234 
 
THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN’S GOSPEL 
 
 Twelve, as he so often did, gave their testimony 
 concerning Jesus: ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? 
 thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have 
 believed and know that thou art the Holy One of 
 God.”’ Ch. 6: 66-69. 
 
 The unbelief and opposition in Judea was so great 
 that Jesus avoided that region, for they sought to 
 kill him. Even his own brothers did not believe in 
 him. Ch. 7: 5. Thus John brings out the conflict 
 between faith and unbelief which was characteristic 
 of Jesus’ ministry. 
 
 Jesus’ Testimony to Himself. In connection 
 with the testimony of his witnesses, John throughout 
 his Gospel gives the testimony of Jesus to himself.’ 
 In the seventh and eighth chapters of his Gospel 
 particularly, John records the testimony of Jesus 
 concerning himself. Jesus declared, ‘“My teaching is 
 not mine, but his that sent me.” Ch. 7:16. “Jesus 
 therefore cried in the temple, teaching and saying, 
 Ye both know me, and know whence I am; and J 
 am not come of myself, but he that sent me is 
 true, whom ye know not.” Ch. 7: 28. He came 
 from God to give God’s message to the world, 
 and something about Jesus revealed his authority. 
 When officers were sent to arrest him, they came 
 back empty-handed. They could not lay hands on 
 him for ‘‘never man so spake.” Ch. 7: 32-46. 
 Jesus taught that he was the Water of Life. Ch. 7: 
 37. He called himself the Light of the World. Ch. 
 8-12, 
 
 Jesus’ testimony to himself was rejected by the 
 
 235 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Pharisees, ch. 8: 13, but in support of his own testi- 
 mony to himself, Jesus claimed oneness with the 
 Father: ‘TI am not alone, but I and the Father that 
 sent me,” ch. 8:16. ‘‘When ye have lifted up the 
 Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and 
 that I do nothing of myself, but as the Father taught 
 me, I speak these things.” Ch. 8: 28. In the dis- 
 cussion which followed Jesus made one of the greatest 
 statements concerning himself: “‘ Your father Abraham 
 rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad. 
 The Jews therefore said unto him, Thou art not yet 
 fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus 
 said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
 Before Abraham was born, I am.”’ Ch. 8: 56-58. 
 
 _ The Testimony of the Man Born Blind. The 
 ninth chapter of John tells the story of the man who 
 was born blind and to whom Jesus gave sight. To 
 the blind man who had the courage to stand up for 
 Jesus even though he was for this deprived of all 
 his rights as a Jew, Jesus made himself known as 
 “the Son of God,” ch. 9: 35. 
 
 Jesus the Good Shepherd. Looking forward to 
 his death, Jesus taught that he was the Good Shep- 
 herd, who would voluntarily lay down his life for the 
 sheep. Ch. 10. ‘‘Therefore doth the Father love 
 me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it 
 again. No one taketh it away from me, but I lay 
 it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and 
 I have power to take it again.” He claimed the 
 power to give eternal life to those who believed in 
 
 236 
 
THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN’S GOSPEL 
 
 him, v. 28, and announced, “I and the Father are 
 one,’ v. 30. That the Jews understood that he 
 claimed to be divine is clear, because they took up 
 stones to kill him for blasphemy. Then Jesus 
 appealed to his works as evidence for his claims. 
 
 Jesus the Resurrection and the Life. Again 
 John combines the testimony of Jesus’ works and 
 Jesus’ words concerning himself. Answering the 
 call of Mary and Martha, Jesus went to Bethany, 
 ch. 11, and raised Lazarus from the dead. This 
 mighty work bore witness to Jesus, for at the grave 
 Jesus prayed: ‘‘Father, I thank thee that thou 
 heardest me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: 
 but because of the multitude that standeth around I 
 said it, that they may believe that thou didst send 
 me.” But in connection with this incident Jesus 
 bore testimony to himself by declaring to Martha, 
 “T am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth 
 on me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whosoever 
 liveth and believeth on me shall never die.” 
 
 Jesus’ Approach to Death. Jesus withdrew to 
 a retreat, ch. 11: 54, but he was not avoiding the 
 issue, for when the time of the passover came, he 
 went up to Jerusalem, although he knew that his 
 life was being sought. He made Bethany his head- 
 quarters and there was anointed in preparation for 
 his death. Ch. 12: 1-8. On Sunday he entered the 
 city amidst the hosannas of the people. In spite of 
 the acclaim of the multitudes and the interest shown 
 in him by Greeks who had come to Jerusalem, Jesus 
 
 237 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 proclaimed his coming death as the Saviour, and the 
 voice of God was heard, bearing the witness of the 
 Father to Jesus, ch. 12: 28-30. 
 
 When Jesus celebrated the feast of the passover 
 with his disciples, he knew that his hour had come. 
 Ch. 13: 1. Although he was their Lord, he took 
 the place of a servant and washed his disciples’ feet. 
 Then in great sorrow of heart he announced the 
 betrayer, and spoke of his coming death. After this 
 he uttered the wonderful teaching of the fourteenth, 
 fifteenth, and sixteenth chapters of John and offered 
 the prayer of the seventeenth chapter. Then he 
 made his way to Gethsemane with the Eleven where 
 he gave himself over to his enemies and was led 
 away to trial. John quotes the testimony of Pilate 
 who, after examining Jesus, declared, “‘I find no crime 
 ins him’ ae Ch ais: 
 
 The Death of Jesus. After being scourged, 
 Jesus was led to Calvary where he was crucified. 
 John describes Jesus’ death as an eyewitness. Ch. 
 19: 25-27. His actual death was testified to by the 
 soldiers, and his body was cared for by Joseph of 
 Arimathzea and Nicodemus and was laid in the tomb. 
 
 The Living Christ. John gives the testimony of 
 many to the resurrection of Jesus: Mary Magdalene, 
 Simon Peter, John himself, and the disciples. The 
 testimony of doubting Thomas is cited as of special 
 value. Ch. 20: 24-29. And John adds that Jesus 
 did many other signs in the presence of his disciples _ 
 which he does not mention. 
 
 238 
 
THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN’S GOSPEL 
 
 The last chapter of John’s Gospel tells of Jesus’ 
 appearance to some of the disciples by the Sea of 
 Galilee, when Jesus restored Peter to his place because 
 of his threefold profession of his love. John reports 
 Jesus’ foretelling the death of Peter and corrects a 
 misimpression, that Jesus had intimated that John 
 was to live until the return of Jesus. 
 
 Thus John, omitting the story of the ascension 
 which is told in the other Gospels and in The Acts, 
 leaves us in the presence of the living Christ speaking 
 of his return to the world. And the Gospel ends 
 with the attestation that John’s testimony is true. 
 Ch, 21; 24, 
 
 Summary. John’s Gospel was written as a testi- 
 mony, to show that Jesus is the Son of God and the 
 Saviour. John summons as his witnesses John the 
 Baptist, the first disciples, Nicodemus, the Samaritans, 
 the man who was born blind, the multitudes, and even 
 Jesus’ enemies. He appeals also to Jesus’ mighty 
 works and Jesus’ testimony concerning himself. He 
 presents Jesus as the Lamb of God who died on the 
 cross, rose again, and is the living Lord and Saviour, 
 sustaining a vital relationship to the believer now, 
 and waiting to welcome the believers to be with him 
 forever in the Father’s house. 
 
 QUESTIONS FoR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1, What is the prologue of John’s Gospel, and what does it 
 say about Jesus? Read the prologue, and consult a commentary 
 and a dictionary of the Bible. 
 
 2. What does John mean by the “Word”? 
 239 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 3. Go through the Gospel of John and make a list of the wit- 
 nesses whose testimony concerning Jesus he quotes. 
 
 4. Go through the Gospel of John and collect instances of 
 Jesus’ testimony to himself. 
 
 5. How does John’s Gospel bear witness to the actual death 
 of Jesus? 
 
 6.. How does the Gospel of John bear witness to the resurrec- 
 tion of Jesus? 
 
 7. What is the last view of Jesus which is given in John’s 
 Gospel? 
 
 8. What is the Gospel’s own statement concerning its purpose 
 and where is this statement found? 
 
 THE Books oF THE NEw TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel :— Romans James 
 According to Matthew _ I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians _ [John 
 According to John Ephesians II John 
 
 The Acts Philippians III John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
CHAPTER XXIV 
 THE CHRIST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 
 
 Scripture Material to Be Read: John 1: Let S Loe 
 1-8; I Cor. 15: 1-58; Eph. 1: 15-23; Phil. 2: 1-11; 
 Col. 1: 9-23 
 
 The Problem of the Chapter. We have con- 
 sidered various books and groups of books of the 
 New Testament. We have found that Jesus is the 
 heart of all these books. The Gospels give the 
 Church’s testimony concerning Jesus. The Acts 
 describes clearly the development of the Church as it 
 carried on its work of telling men the story of Jesus 
 and the way of salvation through faith in him. The 
 Epistles give us the teaching of the Apostolic Church 
 _ concerning Jesus and the Christian way of life. But 
 what view of Jesus does the New Testament as a 
 whole give us? Who and what is the Jesus of the 
 New Testament? This is the question which we are 
 to consider in this chapter. 
 
 The Preexistent Son of God. According to the 
 New Testament, the story of Jesus does not begin with 
 his birth in Bethlehem. John begins his testimony to 
 Jesus with the statement: “In the beginning was the 
 Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word 
 was God. The same was in the beginning with God. 
 All things were made through him; and without him 
 
 241 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 was not anything made that hath been made. In 
 him was life; and the life was the light of men. And 
 the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness 
 apprehended it not.”? John 1: 1-5. Paul says that 
 Christ Jesus ‘‘existing in the form of God, counted 
 not the being on an equality with God a thing to 
 be grasped.” Phil. 2:6. In his discussion with the 
 Jewish leaders Jesus himself said, ‘‘Verily, verily, I 
 say unto you, Before Abraham was born, I am.” 
 John 8: 58. Jesus “‘is the.image of God.’’ II Cor. 
 4: 4. He “is the image of the invisible God, the 
 firstborn of all creation; for in him were all things 
 created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things 
 visible and things invisible, whether thrones or 
 dominions or principalities or powers; all things have 
 been created through him, and unto him; and he is 
 before all things, and in him all things consist.” 
 Col. 1: 15-17. The Epistle to the Hebrews presents 
 the eternal Christ “the same yesterday and to-day, 
 yea and for ever.”” Ch. 13: 8. 
 
 The Incarnation. The eternal Son of God, the 
 Word who “‘was in the beginning with God,” ‘‘became 
 flesh, and dwelt among us,” John 1:14. He “who 
 existing in the form of God, counted not the being on 
 an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but 
 emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being 
 made in the likeness of men; and being found in 
 fashion as a man, he humbled himself.”’ Phil. 2: 6-8. 
 He “‘was born of the seed of David according to the 
 flesh” and was ‘declared to be the Son of God with- 
 power, according to the spirit of holiness.’”?’ Rom. 1: 
 
 242 
 
THE CHRIST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 
 
 3,4. Jesus called God his Father, and in a unique 
 sense. The story of the coming of the Son of God in 
 the flesh is told in Matt. 1: 18-25 and Luke 1: 5 to 
 2: 7, narratives which are marked for their simplicity, 
 Sweetness, and delicacy. The New Testament de- 
 clares that “God was in Christ.”” II Cor. 5:19. And 
 Jesus said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the 
 Father,” John 14: 9, and “I and the Father are one,”’ 
 John 10: 30. 
 
 Jesus the Man. Jesus, who was born in Beth- 
 lehem, lived the normal life of a Jewish boy brought 
 up in a reverent and godly home. His boyhood of 
 which we have but one glimpse, Luke 2: 40-52, and 
 his youth, eighteen “silent years,” were spent in 
 getting ready for his intensive ministry of three years. 
 His baptism and his temptation finished this period of 
 preparation and he was ready for his ministry. He 
 was a true “son of man.” ‘For we have not a high 
 priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our 
 infirmities; but one that hath been in all points 
 tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” “For in 
 that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is 
 able to succor them that are tempted.” Heb. 4: 
 1322218, 
 
 Jesus the Teacher and Wonder Worker. The 
 New Testament presents Jesus as the great Teacher 
 of whom it was said, “Never man so spake,” John 
 7: 46. He was the great Miracle Worker who led 
 men to ask in amazement, “What manner of man is 
 this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” 
 Matt. 8: 27. 
 
 243 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 The Character of Jesus. The New Testament 
 presents Jesus as the perfect Man. He was the ex- 
 emplification of every virtue without its natural 
 defects. His love was balanced by justice and 
 wisdom. His indignation was guided by justice and 
 love. His gentleness was balanced by his strength, 
 and his strength by his gentleness. His character 
 was free from negative defects. He could look even 
 his bitterest enemies in the face and challenge them, 
 “Which of you convicteth me of sin?” John 8: 46. 
 In human experience the holiest men are the most 
 sensitive to their own defects, and yet the most careful 
 students of the New Testament account of Jesus 
 declare that they cannot find in Jesus’ words or acts 
 the least indication of any consciousness of sin in 
 himself. Everywhere in the New Testament he is 
 pointed to as the supreme example. “Have this 
 mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,” is 
 Paul’s exhortation in Phil. 2:5. In his First Epistle, 
 John writes, ‘‘He that saith he abideth in him ought 
 himself also to walk even as he walked.”’ Ch. 2: 6. 
 Jesus said, “I have given you an example, that ye 
 also should do as [ have done to you.” John 13: 15. 
 
 Jesus Crucified. The Jesus whose hands and 
 feet were pierced with the nails and whose side was 
 thrust through with the spear is the Jesus of the New 
 Testament. Paul declared that among the Corin- 
 thians he ‘‘determined not to know anything... save 
 Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”” I Cor. 2:2. The 
 four Gospels lay stress upon the death of Jesus by 
 the space which they give to the story of the events 
 
 244 
 
ae ee oo ee 
 
 THE CHRIST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 
 
 connected with his crucifixion. Jesus laid stress 
 upon his death in the establishment of the Lord’s 
 Supper and the New Testament Church emphasized 
 it by its celebration of the communion of the Lord’s 
 
 Supper. Jesus is ever the Jesus of Calvary. “Greater 
 
 love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his 
 life for his friends.” John 15: 13. “But God com- 
 mendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we 
 were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’”? Rom. 5: 8. 
 “Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled him- 
 self, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the 
 death of the cross.” Phil. 2: 8. Jesus said: “The 
 hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 
 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of 
 wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself 
 alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit.” John 12: 
 23, 24. Jesus was he who “endured the cross, de- 
 spising shame.”’ Heb. 12: 2. To the Corinthians 
 Paul wrote “For I delivered unto you first of all 
 that which also I received: that Christ died for our 
 sins according to the scriptures.” I Cor. 15:3. In 
 I Peter 2: 21-24 we read, “Christ also suffered for 
 you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow 
 his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his 
 mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; 
 when he suffered, threatened not; but committed 
 himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own 
 self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, 
 having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; 
 by whose stripes ye were healed.”’ The Jesus who 
 appeared to John in Revelation was ‘‘the Living one” 
 who ‘‘was dead.” Rev. 1:18. Thus throughout the 
 245 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 New Testament Jesus is the One who died, and whose 
 death had special significance. 
 
 The Risen Jesus. The Gospels tell the story of 
 Jesus’ resurrection, and Luke in The Acts says that 
 “he also showed himself alive after his passion by 
 many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of 
 forty days,” Acts1:3. The whole New Testament 
 proclaims a risen Jesus. He ‘‘was declared to be the 
 Son of God with power... by the resurrection from 
 the dead.”” Rom. 1: 4. In the fifteenth chapter of 
 First Corinthians, Paul teaches that the resurrection 
 of Jesus is the pivot of the gospel. “If Christ hath 
 not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your 
 faith also is vain... . But now hath Christ been 
 raised from the dead.” [I Cor. 15: 14, 20. The 
 Jesus who sent his messages to the seven churches 
 said, ‘“‘Fear not; I am the first and the last, and the 
 Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive 
 for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of 
 Hades.” Rev. 1: 17, 18. In I Peter we read, 
 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, who according to his great merey begat us 
 again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus 
 Christ from the dead.” Ch. 1: 3. Paul writes, 
 “That ye may know what is the hope of his calling, 
 what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the 
 saints, and what the exceeding greatness of his 
 power to us-ward who believe, according to that 
 working of the strength of his might which he wrought 
 in Christ, when he raised him from the dead.”’ Eph. 
 1: 18-20. The apostles declared, ‘““This Jesus did ~ 
 
 246 
 
THE CHRIST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 
 
 God raise up, whereof we all are witnesses.” Acts 2: 
 32. The outstanding point in the teaching of the 
 apostles was that they “proclaimed in Jesus the 
 resurrection from the dead,” Acts 4: 2. 
 
 The Ascended and Exalted Christ. ‘So then 
 the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken unto them, was 
 received up into heaven, and sat down at the right 
 hand of God.” Mark 16:19. ‘And he led them out 
 until they were over against Bethany: and he lifted 
 up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to 
 pass, while ne blessed them, he parted from them, 
 and was carried up into heaven. And they wor- 
 shipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great 
 joy: and were continually in the temple, blessing 
 God.” Luke 24:50-53. In The Acts, Luke adds, ‘“‘And 
 while they were looking stedfastly into heaven as he 
 went, behold two men stood by them in white 
 apparel; who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand 
 ye looking into heaven? this Jesus, who was received 
 up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner 
 as ye beheld him going into heaven.” Acts 1: Oe te 
 Yet the Jesus who left the world is also in the world, 
 for he said to his disciples: ‘All authority hath 
 been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye 
 therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, 
 baptizing them into the name of the Father and of 
 the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to 
 observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and 
 lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the 
 world.” Matt. 28: 18-20. Dying, Stephen said, 
 “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of 
 
 247 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 man standing on the right hand of God.” Acts 7: 
 56. Paul writes, ‘‘Wherefore also God highly ex- 
 alted him, and gave unto him the name which is 
 above every name; that in the name of Jesus every 
 knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on 
 earth and things under the earth, and that every 
 tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to 
 the glory of God the Father.” Phil. 2:9-11. “And 
 he is the head of the body, the church: who is the 
 beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all 
 things he might have the preéminence. For it was 
 the good pleasure of the Father that in him should 
 all the fulness dwell; and through him to reconcile 
 all things unto himself, having made peace through 
 the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether 
 things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.” 
 Col. 1: 18-20. Of Jesus Paul says again, “He 
 raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his 
 right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, 
 and authority, and power, and dominion, and every 
 name that is named, not only in this world, but also 
 in that which is to come: and he put all things in 
 subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head 
 over all things to the church, which is his body, the 
 fulness of him that filleth all in all.”’ Eph. 1: 20-23. 
 
 Believers and the Living Christ. The relation 
 of the believer to the living Christ is represented in 
 the fifteenth chapter of John in the words of Jesus: 
 “T am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth 
 in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: 
 for apart from me ye can do nothing.” V.5. Jesus 
 
 248 
 
THE CHRIST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 
 
 does his work in the world largely through those who 
 believe in him and abide in him. ‘For to me to live 
 is Christ,” writes Paul. In Gal. 2: 20 he says, “I 
 have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I 
 that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which 
 I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which 
 is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself 
 up for me.” 2 
 
 So exalted is the place of Jesus in the New Testa- 
 ment that baptism is to be ‘‘into the name of the 
 Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” And 
 the New Testament benediction is, “The grace of 
 the Lord Jesus Christ be with you,” I Cor. 16: 23, or 
 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love 
 of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be 
 with you all,” II Cor. 13: 14, or ‘Peace be to the 
 brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father 
 and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them 
 that love our Lord Jesus Christ,’’ Eph. 6: 23, 24. 
 
 Summary. The Jesus of the New Testament is 
 the preéxistent Son of God, who was born in Beth- 
 lehem as the child of Mary, lived the life of a true 
 child and boy and man, became the great Teacher 
 and Miracle Worker, the perfect Example of man- 
 hood and the Revelation of God, died as the Saviour 
 of men, rose again from the dead, ascended into 
 heaven, and sits on the right hand of God in glory, 
 but is also in a true sense present with believers in 
 this world, and works through them and abides in 
 them and they in him, the living Christ who was 
 dead, but is alive forevermore, and will come again, 
 
 249 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND ASSIGNMENT 
 
 1. Why do we say that the New Testament teaches the pre- 
 éxistence of Jesus? See John 1: 1-18; Phil. 2: 1-11. 
 
 2. What is meant by the incarnation? See Hastings’ ‘‘Dic- 
 tionary of the Bible,” article on “Incarnation.” 
 
 3. What reasons, based upon the teaching of the New Testa- 
 ment, can you give for the believing in the deity of Jesus? For 
 a popular discussion of this question see ‘“The Deity of Christ,” 
 by Robert E. Speer. 
 
 4, Prepare to describe briefly the character of Jesus. See 
 “The Character of Jesus,” by Charles E. Jefferson. 
 
 5. What place does the New Testament give to the death of 
 Jesus? By means of a concordance look up every New Testament 
 reference to the ‘‘cross” of Christ, to his “death,” and to the 
 fact t at he “died.” 
 
 6. What place does the New Testament give to the resur- 
 rection of Jesus? Look up the New Testament references to 
 Jesus’ resurrection. They can be found by means of a con- 
 cordance. 
 
 7. Prepare to report on the question, ‘‘What place does the 
 New Testament give to Jesus ascended and exalted?” Study 
 Phil. 2: 1-11 and Col. 1: 9-23, with the aid of commentaries on 
 these passages. 
 
 8. What is the Christian’s relation to the living Christ as 
 taught in John 15: 1-8? Consult a commentary on the passage. 
 See also Andrew Murray’s “Abide in Christ,’ especially the 
 comment for the ‘Fourth Day.” 
 
 THE Books oF THE NEw TESTAMENT 
 
 The Gospel:— Romans James 
 According to Matthew _ I Corinthians I Peter 
 According to Mark II Corinthians II Peter 
 According to Luke Galatians I John 
 According to John Ephesians II John 
 
 The Acts Philippians III John 
 
 Colossians Jude 
 
 I Thessalonians Revelation 
 II Thessalonians 
 
 I Timothy 
 
 II Timothy 
 
 Titus 
 
 Philemon 
 
 Hebrews 
 
 250 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 No attempt can be made to give a complete list of 
 reference books dealing with the questions which are 
 discussed in the chapters of this book. Many books 
 would probably not be available for students using 
 this course, unless they were in touch with a special 
 library. A limited list of volumes dealing with 
 different phases of the subject may prove helpful, 
 however. : 
 
 The books which are listed represent somewhat 
 different views. Some are more conservative than 
 others. 
 
 Bible Dictionaries 
 
 A Bible dictionary will be found helpful in the 
 study of many particular subjects or special questions 
 referred to in the various chapters of this book. The 
 following is a short list of Bible dictionaries which 
 might be consulted: 
 
 “A Dictionary of the Bible,” Davis. In one 
 volume, and conservative. Westminster Press. 
 
 “A Dictionary of the Bible.” Edited by Hastings. 
 Five volumes. Signed articles by various specialists. 
 Views vary according to the author. Scribners. 
 
 “International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia.” Five 
 volumes. Conservative. Howard-Severance Co. 
 
 “Dictionary of the Apostolic Church.” Edited 
 by Hastings. Twovolumes. Views presented depend 
 upon authors. Scribners. 
 
 251 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 General Commentaries 
 
 ‘‘A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the 
 Whole Bible,” by Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown. 
 Conservative. Doran. 
 
 ‘The One Volume Bible Commentary,’? Dummelow. 
 Not so conservative, but widely used. Macmillan. 
 
 “The Expositor’s Bible.” Edited by Nicoll. A 
 series of volumes on various books of the Bible or 
 groups of books. Its quality varies with the author 
 of the particular book. Doran. 
 
 “The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges.” 
 A much-used series of commentaries on the books 
 of the Bible. Brief, compact. Putnam. 
 
 Commentaries on Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, 
 Acts, Romans, The Pastoral Epistles, and The General 
 Epistles, by Erdman. Very readable, practical, and 
 plain. Good to give ordinary students a knowledge 
 of the books of the New Testament. Westminster 
 Press. 
 
 “The Expositor’s Greek Testament.” A very 
 
 valuable commentary for those who know some 
 Greek. Five volumes. Dodd, Mead and Co. 
 
 Special Commentaries 
 
 The following commentaries are of especial value 
 not only because of their critical discussion of the 
 text and its interpretation, but also for the special 
 essays dealing with problems considered in this course: 
 
 “Romans,” by Sanday, in “The International 
 Critical Commentary” series. Comments are on the 
 
 252 
 
BIBLIOGRAPITY 
 
 Greek text, but the ‘“‘Detached Notes” are of great 
 value to the student who does not know any Greek. 
 Scribners. 
 
 “St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians,’ by Light- 
 foot. Comments are on the Greek text, but the 
 _ Introductions and Dissertations are not beyond the 
 serious student who does not know any Greek. 
 Macmillan. 
 
 “St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians,’’ by Light- 
 foot. Comments are on the Greek text, but as in the 
 case of Galatians, the Introduction and Dissertations 
 are wonderful sources of information for students. 
 Macmillan. 
 
 Historical 
 
 “Luke the Historian in the Light of Research,’’ by 
 Robertson. Very valuable in connection with Chap- 
 ter I, and for all historical references in The Acts. 
 Subject and text indexes make this a practical refer- 
 ence book. Scribners. 
 
 “The Conflict of Christianity with Heathenism,”’ 
 by Uhlhorn. This is a classic and will be found 
 especially valuable. It is out of print but available 
 in libraries. Scribners. 
 
 “The Church in the Roman Empire,” by Ramsay, 
 gives the results of research by a great scholar. His 
 arguments are dominated by his “South Galatian”’ 
 theory. The book is interesting reading, but is not 
 easy to use as a reference book. Putnam. 
 
 “St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen,’ by 
 Ramsay, has the same characteristics as the preceding 
 volume. Putnam. 
 
 253 
 
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 
 
 Lives of Paul 
 
 “The Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul,” by 
 Conybeare and Howson. A wonderful book for in- 
 formation and perhaps the best book for students of 
 this course. Crowell. 
 
 “The Life and Work of St. Paul,” by Farrar. 
 Dutton. 
 
 “The Life and Letters of St. Paul,’? by Smith. 
 Doran. 
 
 “The Life of St. Paul,’ by Stalker. T. and T. 
 Clark. 
 
 “The Origin of Paul’s Religion,’ by Machen. A 
 scholarly book dealing with special problems in 
 connection with Paul’s life and letters. Macmillan. 
 
 ‘Paul of Tarsus,’”’ by Glover. Doran. 
 
 The Life of Christ 
 
 “The Life of Our Lord Upon the Earth,” by 
 Andrews. A standard life of Christ with an outline 
 harmony of the Gospels. Scribners. 
 
 ‘The Days of His Flesh,’’ by Smith. Doran. 
 
 “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah,” by 
 Edersheim. Longmans, Green. 
 
 “The Life of Jesus Christ,” by Stalker. Revell. 
 
 ‘“‘“A Harmony of the Gospels,’ by Stevens and 
 Burton. Scribners. 
 
 The Person and Character of Jesus 
 
 “The Character of Jesus,” by Jefferson. An in- 
 teresting study of the traits in Jesus’ character. 
 Crowell. 
 
 254 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 “The Deity of Christ,” by Speer. A helpful argu- 
 - ment for the deity of Jesus. Revell. 
 
 “The Divinity of Christ in the Gospel of John,” 
 by Robertson. A study of the light which the 
 Fourth Gospel throws upon the deity of Jesus. 
 Revell. 
 
 “The Jesus of History,” by Glover. Associated 
 Press. 
 
 Doctrine on the New Testament 
 
 “The Theology of the New Testament,’ by Stevens. 
 The Table of Contents and the Index will indicate 
 where material related to this course of study will be 
 found. Scribners. 
 
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