The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-03-17

"Cyria." Like Martha" in the He
brew, "Cyria" means lady" but was
Just as much a girls name among the
Greeks as Flora" with the Romans
or Grace" with US.
Cyria, then, was a we'll known
Christian with no less than four chill
dren. At.least two were young men
whom John had Just found to be
steadfast disciples in the town where
he was holding evangelistic services.
There, too, was the home Of Cyria's
married sister, as we'll as of some
nieces and nephews. With them the
apostle probably stayed. Cyria was a
widow Of means, leisure and inclina-
ton for good works.
Not long before this time, Petron-
| ius. Nero's "arbiter of elegance" a
prominent character in "Quo Vadis,"
| published his "Ephesian Widow" 1t
is &. satire upon silly women, living
| for pleasure, devoted to dress, so evil
minded and foul mouthed that its
translation is prohibited our mails.
The contrast between that typical
heather widow of Ephesus and this
typical Christian widow OF Ephesus
speaks most eloquently of how the
Gospel transforms womankind.
The motive of Johns letter Is two
fold: To commend the widows chill
dren whom he has cen and to warn
the widow lest the children still at
home be contaminated.
4 Only a pastor fully understands
| Johns delight at writing with a clear
conscience, only a mother fully under
stands Cyria's delight at reading with
beating heart, II rejoiced greatly that
I have found some of your children
walking in truth" Archimedes
ieaped out of his bath shouting
Eureka! 1 have found it," when he
there discovered the long sought
proof Of his pet theory. John cries
out "Eurekai" with even more joyful
intensity when he finds in CyriSs
children proof of his and Peters the
DRY propounded at Pentecost, 1.-The
promise is unto you and your chill
dren." When boys could go away
from a Christian home and. in the
midst of paganism, live pure, Christ
like lives, Johns preaching had
passed beyond the experimental
| stage.
A shadow falls over ever this Joy.
OOu6 VI yOul SulluiCa
that the cup of happiness was not full
to running over.
Rumors had reached John that
Cyria's hospitality was being abused
by plausible counterfeits Of Christian
ministers who we're circulating the
blasphemy that Christ did not really
live on earth in flesh and blood. 1t
was only an appearance. So these
mel we're later known as "Docetists.
Those children were in imminent dan
ger of being led into perdition by the
heresy which asserted that only Jesus
Of Nazareth was crucified; not the
Messiah at all. Divinity, they
claimed, could not be subject to hui
mainly. Matter is essentially evil.
All sin comes from the body. The
passion story is drama, not history.
Nothing is real but mind. They
called themselves advanced think
ers," because they wanted Christian
ity to keep pace with the times and
infuse itself with the popular Oriental
mysticism. Progress" was their
watchword. In reality, says John, It
is retrogress, for they go onward by
not abiding in the teaching of Christ"
The glamour We are inclined to
cast about the early church is not
justified. It's members had the same
failings as ours. Its vagaries are
s%trikingly duplicated now and here.
Theosophy, Free Thinking, Christian
Science 1ourished in Ephesus. "The
teaching Of the Twelve Apostles" a
church manual probably written be-
fore John died, warns believers
against many who went into evangel-
ism for what they could make out Of
it. 1t lays down this very practical
test of genuineness: IF he stays
more than two days he is false. If he
teaches the truth and doeth it not, he
is false. Whatsoever shall say in the
spirit, Give me silver or anything
else, We shall not listen to him. If he
tell you to give for others who are
in want, let no nan judge him."
Let us apply this test on the pres
ent-day %professed improvements upon
the old faith: How much do they
charge for their text books? What
is the price of their treatment: Do
the poor have these substitute gospels
preached to them?
The central thought of this minia-
ture epistle is the same as in all of
Johns writings, love. Faith is loves
basis. When belief is false, lov9 dis
appears. The disciple whom Jesus
loved was now a hundred years old.
Although his handwriting was trem-
ulous with age, he was still a Son OF
Thunder. His conception of love was
not an invertebrate sentimentality,
but a discerning reasonableness. He
ever emphasized the need OF an &C
tual, incarnate Christ on whom to
focus affection.
So he hurled his thunders 1T who.
ever would emasculate the love-re-
ligion and stirred Cyria to guard her
family against them.
Shortly afterward. John is said tc
have returned to Ephesus, so weak
he needed to be carried to the Chris,
tian meeting place on young meI {
shoulders. Unable to stand up and
preach, Sunday after Sunday he
spread his hands over the worshipers
using the same five-word sermon,
Little children. love Il another.
When asked why, he replied, BE.
that is the command Of the
Lord, and nothing can be done unless
this is done"
The word "Cyria' has still another