The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-04-04

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- - = PauPS word 5:
''Perils among false brethren" q Cor
inthians 1920 He said:
St Paul was remarkable ia many re-
spects. but chiefly for his loving devo-
ton to the Master and His Cause. His
faithfulness brought also many trying
experiences. IN our context he enum-
Grated some of these. He served the
Cause of Christ TO such an extent that
many thought him unwise, and count
ed him fool. This service brought
him stripes, whippings, as a disturber
Of the peace-not that he did disturb
the peace, but that those who opposed
his teachings raised tumult and
blamed him for it, in order to bring
him into disrepute. hinder his service
and forward their own interests. This
AT times brought him to prison, too,
and even close TO deaths door.
Nevertheless, he rejoiced in all such
privileges. He declared that five times
he received whippings, stripes; once he
was stoned, and three times he was
SAiiP NASNnCS. Dut hohC VI thCSG thIi 30
moved him from faithfulness to his
Master, whose servants he mad perse-
cnted before his eyes were opened.
Then he recounts various perils ex-
perienced from waters, from robbers,
from the Jews, from the heathen--in
the city, in the wilderness. on the sea.
He winds up the list of perils in the
words of the text, "Perils amongst
false brethren"
One question which will arise in
many minds is, Were these sufferings
stripes, perils, etc.-deseTwed? If
asked. the answer would surely be
that they We're not deserved: for st.
Paul was q noble character and bore
the Message OF Gods grace i'll Christ
good tidings Of great joy which shall
be unto all people" The next ques-
ton with some would be. eff his suf-
ferings We're not punishments. what
We're they:'
We reply that they were the same as
were the observation-disclosures of his
loyalty to God and of the darkness of
the world, which led them to oppose
him. The declaration, whatsoever
will live godly will suffer persecution"
was fully exemplified in his own ex-
periences and in the Masters. The
amount OF suffering as Il reward for
well-doing marked the measure of 10y
atty and zeal. and the measure OF
hatred and malice aroused by the Ad-
yersary The answer to the question
as to why Jesus suffered Is the answer
to all such questions in respect to st.
Paul and all other footseep followers.
Darkness Hates the Light.
The Master declared that He stood
for the principles Of light. righteous
ness, Truth; while Satan stands for
the reverse-darkness. superstition.
blindness. And SO it is with the fol-
lowers of Jesus. They must all be
children of the light, must walk in the
light, must be uncomprOulising in their
attitude toward sin and all that is
wrong. Therefore the world will hate
them and say all manner of evil
against them falsely. Yea. men will
feel that they do God service when
they Stay the righteous. whether lit
orally, as in Jesus case and st. PauPs,
or by Shooting out arrows. even bit
ter words" as is the more popular
method of the present time.
| But some one will say. "Ah, times
have changed! Today our bishops and
popes and preachers are all reyerenced.
No one thinks of prosecuting them
Rather, all men speak well Of them.
Any one not spoken well OF today must
| be in some way unworthy" How
strange that we should forget, aud ar
que along these lines. Were there not
Doctors OF Divinity in Jesus day
Were there not priests and chief
priests and Levites then? And were
there not Pharisees who made long
prayers I'm the Temple? And were
| they not highly spoken of and rever
enced? Did they not make broad theil
phylacteries? Did any one think OF
traducing themg No!
But the Master was there. and His
disciples; and they were not Of the
popular clergy. BY their own record
they We're styled ''the filth and off
securing of the earth: and. rs the
Master said. whoever prosecuted them
thought that they did God service
How apt we all are to think Of our
own day as being different from other
periods. So it was in Jesus day. Az
] He told some of them. ''Ye garnish the
sepulchers of those whom your faith
ers slew, yet ye do their works" 81