The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1902-07-04

ing place. So the Temple was called
the house Of God. But God did not
dwell in the Temple. He dwelt among
His people, living Power in their
midst. In the Temple there was no
localizing of His power or form. 1t
was not with Israel as it was unto the
worshippers of the great goddess
Diana at Ephesus, who bowed before
lifeless image in brilliant temple.
The church of the living God is not a
temple enshrining live God. eft is
the congregation of believers among
whom God dwells, the true and endur-
ing church of living souls. OF this
great spiritual temple, the corner
stone of which is Christ, the Jerusalem
house on Mt Zion with it's marvellous
work and it's gorgeous and elaborate
symbolism was a poor, perishable,
handwrought model"
COLLECTIVE CHRISTIANS ARE THE
SPIRITUAL HOUSE OF GOD.
1t Is our behavior in this Christian
society, among the Christian people,
that Paul is contemplating; not a
church in which we call the house of
God. The place Of the Christian peo-
pie means great deal more than the
place where they meet to worship God.
The Christian church is far more glo-
rious and worthy of regard and love
than the best equipped, best behaved
local Church.
The text opens the way into the dis
cussion of What the Christian People
are for, and this is my subject.
They have place in the mind and
plan Of God. Paul would not. think,
have taken the pains to write such
specific directions about the conduct
of Office holders in local church organ
iZation, if he had not believed that
they held Office in far more glorious
and perfect and commanding society
than could ever be gathered within the
walls of any temple made with hands.
1t must be noted, however, that his
interest in the conduct of the Chris
tian people Of Ephesus, at Ephesus,
indicates his evident belief that the
local congregations in that city and
their church life, were expected to
be models, samples, of what the
church Of the living God is. He would
have the Christians of Ephesus, there
fore, live and act in remembrance of
the fact that they were organized, not
for their own sake, but for the sake of
the universal Church, of which Christ
was the Head. He would have them
to be good working models of a larger
House of God, mindful that the ideas
which their fellow-citizens might en-
terrain of the church of God, would be
drawn largely from their knowledge of
the church of Ephesus.
From this point of view, even the
behavior of men and women in the
meeting house is not to be overlooked,
and it is quite likely that some people
may have gotten an incorrect idea of
the Church Of the living God, the
Christian society, the universal church,
and what it stands for, from Observing
SO apparently unimportant matter as
whether Christian worshipers known
TO them are or are not attentive to
the exercises, or reverent in prayer
during the hours of divine service.
Church members and workers in Eph-
esus, then, are to be taught by pastor
Timothy that their responsibility is
not alone to their own separate con-
gregations or churches. (They repre-
sent also, and chiefly, Gods people
everywhere). They should get to think
ing so, and keep thinking SO. EphesuS
is but point in the vast circle of
Christian believers. If this point is
out of place, or points wrong, the
symmetrical idea of the church will
fail Of realization. Men will get a
warped, distorted view of Christianity.
They will not see it as it is, and the
place that the Christian people ought
to fill in mems minds, will be occupied
with some substitute
The Christian people are for some
thing, great, godlike. saving. They
are not their own. Perhaps we can
tell better what they are for, when we
look little closer and see what they
are.
They are three times defined in the
text. They are the house of God, the
church of the living God, and the pill