The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1913-04-17

-; IL PauFS words:
llA22& 2gSSElg .Periis amoag
false brethren" e
Corinthians 1926 He said:
st. Paul was fully devoted to the
Master and His cause. His faithful
meas brought many trying experiences.
He served Christ to such an extent
that many counted him fool. Those
who opposed his teachings often raised
Q tumult and blamed him for it. In or
der to bring him into disrepute.
Nevertheless. he rejoiced in all such
experiences. None of these things
moved him from faithfulness to biz
Master. whose servants he had pesse-
.cnted before bis eyes were opened. He
recounts various perils from robbess.
from Jews. from heather. in the city,
In the wilderness. on the sea. He winds
W, the list with the words Of our tex.
perils among false brethren"
Tho question arises, Were these III.
ferings deserved?' Surely not: st.
Paul was q noble character and bore
the Message Of Gods grace in Christ.
Then comes the question. If bis sui.
ferings were not punishments. what
were they?" We reply that. like The
Masters. they were evidences Of 10y.
atty to God and Of the darkness Of the
world. which led men to prosecute him.
Darkness Hates the Light.
The Master declared that He stood
for the principles Of light, righteous.
ness. truth: while Satan stands for
darkness. blindness. superstition. All
children Of the light must be uncompro-
missing In attitude toward wrong.
Therefore the world hates them and
says all manner Of evil against them
falsely. Yea. men will feel that they
serve God when they STAY the right
eous. whether literally. as With Jesus
and st. Paul. or BY shooting out ar.
rows. even bitter words" the more
popular present-day method.
But some will say. Times have
changed: Today our ministers are rey.
erenced. No one thinks Of persecltihs
Them All men speak well Of tbGIk.
These not spoken well Of today must
In some way be unworthy
How strange that We should forget:
In Jesus day did any traduce the chiee
priests and Pharisees? Were they not
spoken Of highly and reverenced: But
the Master and His disciples were not
popular. According to their own rec:
ord they were styled 1.-THE 9th and or
securing Of the earth The Master
said that whoever persecuted them
would feel that be did Tod service. Az
Jesus told some in His day. I'VE gdr-
nish the sepulchres Of those whom your
fathers slew. yet ye do their works."
So today many extOl the Lord and the
Apostles and denounce their persecu-
tors. while similarly they pensecute.
The Master was Jew. The Jews
were His brethren according to the
flesh. Yet they hated Him without 4
cause. persecuted Him and finally cru.
cited Him. But st. Paul lived after
Pentecost. and had Christian brethren.
begotten Of the Holy Spirit. fellow
members Of the Body Of Christ. Jesus
had none such. ''Of the people there
were none With Him."
st. Paul knew the bitterness of Der.
secution from false brethren-the I'll.
max Of all his perils. We may be sure
that such experiences were most din
cult to bear. for they came frOm breth-
ron Of the closest possible relationship
'-fellow-members Of the body Of Christ.
The osdly Suffer Persecution.
All faithful followers Of Jesus have
prosecutions. These come from every
quarter: but none are more cruel than
those from Christian brethren. Dis
Putes between Chrdssians have been
sety Ajtt0r. History 1sasosztyutes III
aact. Hsvse1e bscume de moot ssnox.
tous word In the dictionary. Nothiux
was too bad to do against q hereto.
Thank God for the advancement
made In Christian sympathy: No long.
OF can civilized people take pleasure in
tortures. burnlns1. etc. Tbs.tgsnerai
sentiment no longer appreciates or toL
esates physical torture. But Who can
dispute that mental torture u equally
severe: In our day there are. more q.
SSs " p9SOGs7 utsoBs SOGI0tI0x,
etc.. open to false brethren.
s, Evtl-speaking. evil-surmising. sian.
dsrs. ambiguous suggestions. ETC.. can
be applied to the followers Of Jesus to.
day. All who take such a course are
sharers with maIefactors, even thuueh
they do not indulge In physica, torture.
What shall We say of the false breth.
rem who do such things? Undoubtedly
the Master still agrees with st. johns
declaration. whatsoever hateth his
brother is a murderer and ye know that
NO murderer hath eternal life" n John
S:l5.' Surely none with a murderous
condition Of heart could be suitable for
5oint-heirship with our Lord In His
Kingdom!