Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19

scriptares-Time Well Spent.
Lesson for August 20.
Golden Text.-"And now abideth faith,
hope, charity, these three; but the greatest
Of these is charity."-1 Cor. 10; ID.
Subject: The Excellence of Christian
Love.-1 Cor. 10: 1-13. The occasion of
writing this epistie was fully discussed
last week. One of the disputes In the
church at Corinth which the letter was
written to rectify was that concerning
the relative Importance Of spiritual
gifts" that is, prophecy, speaking with
tongues, etc. In chapter II Paul sets the
matter right in his usual common-sense
fashion, but Is not satisfied to leave the
question there. He wishes to put the
whole matter of Christian living on u
higher plane, that his readers may see
how far below the true level they are in
their petty disputes, and may be stimu-
lated to strive for better things. The fol-
lowing chapter Is 'the more excellent
way" 1t Is complete in itself, and is the
most finished literary gem in all Paul's
epistles, and indeed in the New Tesla
ment with the exception Of few Of the
parallels of Jesus and the last two chap
tiers of Revelation. Considered merely
in this light, as literature, it is worth care
full study. In everything but metre 1t Is
poetry, lyric poetry. II 1t were in He
brew instead of Greek, we should call 1T
poetry, for 1t has the parallelism and
rhythm that characterize Hebrew poetry.
Some literary critics might inquire why
Paul, who was master of the Greek
language, and undoubtedly familiar with
it's poetic metres, did not in such a pas
sage cast his thought in strict metrical
form-sQme lyric metre suited to the sub
ject. We are inclined to be glad that he
did not, for it is hard to see how it could
be improved upon. Some of the lines in
Greek are in fact capable Of sort of
scansion, and roll along with the same ex-
quisite melody that a sensitive ear hears
in our noble English version. The chap
ter should be learned by heart by every
body-preferably with "love" in place of
charity" though it is pity that the
latter word cannot be retained in its fine
old English meaning.
Explanatory.
1.-THE tongues of men and Of angels:
not the physical tongues, but the lam
guages of men and angels, are meant. The
idea Of this verse is not precisely that
which is commonly understood. Paul does
not say, Though / speak in language Of
the highest human eloquence, and even
of angelic beauty, and have not love-"
etc. He says, Though have the most
remarkable outward sign of the endow-
ment Of the Spirit, namely, an unparal-
leled gift Of tongues including the very
language Of the angels, yet IL l have not
love, the imposing sound is no sign of in
ward power; 1t is false and hollow; 1t is
sounding brass or changing cymbal."
Other spiritual gifts follow in order
prophecy, which in this connection means
the utterance while in a more or less &C.
static state of divine oracles, not merely
prediction of the future; the understand
ing Of mysteries; all knowledge; miracu-
lous faith; none Of them is a sure sign of
true piety. Paul assumes that one MAY
show any Of these outer Indications of
possessing the power Of the Spirit, and
yet, If without love, may be simply moth
ing" Alms-giving is no sure sign of love;
neither is voluntary martyrdom, for either
may proceed from love Of admiration, or
some other unworthy motive. Charity
suffereth long: or, more literally, love is
large-hearted; 'magnanimous" expresses
it; love does not allow little annoyances
to ruffie it's kind: not merely kind
disposition, but active in kind deeds. us
not easily provoked: the original has the
idea of bitterness, sourness; docs not
show bitterness, sourness; docs not be-
come sharp-tempered."
Prophecies shall fail, i. e., they shall no
longer be needed as a sign, when men
learn more of this Christian love which
is infinitely higher. The gift of tongues
shall be, done away with for the same rea-
son. In the last words, whether there be
knowledge, it shall vanish away" Paul
spoke more truly than he knew; and
teacher (of older pupils) who is familiar
with early church history can strikingly
illustrate the prediction by a sketch of
what is known as Gnosticism. The Greek
word for knowledge is gnosis; and the
Gnostics were men who held that the true
end of the Christian life was to attain
perfect knowledge of the mysteries Of the
world. They held that God was too ex-
hausted to communicate truth directly to
men, or indeed to deal directly with men
in any way; so they imagined an elaborate
system Of intermediate spiritual beings, or
existences, not separate gods, but forms
of manifestation Of the one God. 1t is
perhaps to these that Paul refers when
he speaks of municipalities and powers"
Some Gnostics went so far that they
could not by any possibility be called
Christians; but for hundreds Of years the
Gnostic speculations, combined with
echoes of the Platonic philosophy, held
sway over many Christian writer's. ORR
gen, of Alexandria, one Of the fathers of
the Greek church, and one Of the most
brilliant men that ever lived, held strong
ly to this doctrine that ghosts, or com
plete, ultimate knowledge of Christian
truth, was the most important thing in
life; though 1t could be attained only by
the cultured few, while the common peo-
pie" must be content with ordinary unin-
teIligent faith, which he placed on much
lower level. See how all this gnosis, all
this knowledge, has vanished away II
anything is settled to-day it is that theo-
logical speculation is distinctly subordi-
nate to Christian living; that knowledge
without love is worse than vain. So
strong is the tendency to exalt conduct
above belief that we are in danger Of GO
ing too far in that direction; but the fact
remains, proved not only by Paurs state.
ment but by all Christian history, by BIZ
n