The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-22
/ ttaqq ms

get 10 90 the IlrSI WORKS. Ine eX-
| ample of the early Church is worth
| studying here. Paul and Barnabas
were fighting like good soldiers for
what they believed to be the pure
| teaching of Jesus. Withal they kept
| to their first mission. From Antioch
they were conveyed on their way by
| the church, after the delightful ORR
| entail fashion, which so beautifully
personifies fellowship; and as they
went they continued preaching.
| We cannot imagine Paul and Bar
| nabaS, like modern men with a grew
ance, button-holing everybody they
met with a story of their side of the
| quarrel They had better news to tell.
So they brought joy to all the breth-
rem along the way as they reported
the conversion of the Gentiles and the
triumphs of the Gospel.
When they got into the assembly
at Jerusalem. the sparks did not be-
gin to fly. The first discussion was
not of the controverted points at
issue. After the salutationS of peace
and the fraternal greetings. Paul and
Barnabas ''rehearsed all things that
God had done with them" The story
of the Gospels triumphs is better
worth telling than any factional plea
or argument. We need have no fear
for Christian debates if they are pre-
coded by a common rejoicing over
the progress of the Kingdom. Let
the Church get together on the broad
platform of world evangelization, and
it will not fall very far apart on any
points of doctrine or policy.
A Great Debate.
He is a fortunate man who has
heard a great ecclesiastical debate,
conducted on a high plane by master
minds. Several such 1 treasure as
memories, but would give them all
to have heard an hour of that mighty
disputation before the first Council
at Jerusalem. What orators there
were-Paul and Barnabas and Peter
and James. Luke charitably refrains
from mentioning the names of the
advocates of narrow-gauge gospel.
initiated in the discussion. After
their first presentation of their case,
we hear nothing from them
The debate went all one way,
proved by the teaching of experience,
and proved by the very Old Tesla
ment itself. The Jerusalem Church
put itself squarely on record in favor
Of a world-embracing Gospel. The
narrowness of Judaism was given
death blow, so far as the Christian
Church was concerned. 1t was not
many decades before the Judaizing
tendency had disappeared from the
early Church, although something
akin to it is ever and anon cropping
out in these latter days.
The First Encyclical.
From the apostles and elders of the
Jerusalem Church there went let
ter of greeting to Antioch and the
other new Gentle centers of evange-
lization. Accompanying the written
Word were a deDutatio1 of the
Church's strongest men In manly
fashion the encyclical gave affection
ate endorsement to Paul and Barna-
bas, that there might be no misun-
derstanding as to how the home
church rated them. Then it declared
against laying upon the Gentle con-
verts' backs the needless burden of
Jewish rites. 1t merely stipulated
that in some matters of practical
conduct the new converts walk care
fully. Some concession was made to |
the Jewish sentiment with respect to |
the eating of meat that had been
strangled, or from which the blood |
had not been drained. 1t was cath |
olic letter. and worthy Of the build |
ers of the Christian Empire. It's |
spirit, happily, is reflected today in |
the utterances of most of the great
leaders of Christendom. There is Wis |
Ting on this continent at the moment |
a distinguished English churchman |
who has suffered serious opposition |
for the very same breadth of view
with respect to his fellow believers |
that characterized Paul and Barna- |
bas. Il
Christendom should remember An
1aO0h coHiecllon with theSe events
Then the city was the center of the |
new evangelization. Today it's streets /
are sodden with the blood of hun |
dreds of Armenian Christians who |
have been lately massacred by the |
fanatical Moslems. Their inheritance |
of Christianity may be regarded as |
imperfect, and their own conduct |
may not have been wholly justifable, |
but still these multitudes slaughtered |
at Antioch bear the name of the |
Christ of Paul and of all of US, and |
the needs of the survivors should rest |
heavily upon the hearts of Christen- |
dom. No sectarian shibboleth should /
stand between the Churches of the |
West and the fearful need of those |
Armenian brethren in the very cities |
where Gentle Christendom had it's |
first stronghold