The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-04-05

RaSLQRRUSSELk8 dresses, from ST.
.PauPs words:
"Perils among false brethren" e Cor.
inthians 11:26) He said:
st. Paul was remarkable in 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 a fool. This service brought
him stripes, whippings, as q disturber
of the peace-not that he did disturb
the peace, but that those who opposed
his teachings raised a tumult and
blamed him for 1t, 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
shipwrecked. But none Of these things
moved him from faithfulness to his
Master, whose servants he had perse-
cuted before his eyes were opened.
Then he recounts various pertIS ex-
pertenced 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" ...s U.s..
One question which will arise in
many minds is, Were these sufferings
stripes, perils, etc.-deserved?' If
asked, the answer would surely be
that they were not deserved; for St.
Paul was a noble character and bore
the Message of Gods grace in Christ
"good tidings of great joy which. shall
be unto all people" The next ques-
ton with some would be, "If his suf-
ferings were not punishments, what
were they?" f. ..-
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, "Whosoever
will live godly will suffer persecution
was fully exempIiied in his own ex-
p~eriences and in the Masters. The
amount of suffering as a reward for
well-doing marked the measure of 10y
atty and zeal, and the cas- OF
hatred and malice aroused by the Ad-
versary. 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 footstep followers.
rss 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 uncompromising in their
attitude toward sin and all that is
wrong. Therefore the world will hate
them and say all 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. Pauls,
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 bishops ana
popes and preachers are all r~everenced.
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, and ar
que along these lines! Were there not
Doctors OF Divinity in Jesus day7
Were there not priests and chief
priests and Levites then? And were
there not Pharisees who made long
prayers In the Temple? And were
they not highly spoken of and rever-
enced? Did they not make broad their
phylacteries? Did any n 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 were styled 'the filth and off
securing Of the earth: and, as 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. AS
He told some of them, "Ye garnish the
sepulchers OF those whom your faith
ers slew, yet We do their works" So
sOday many exrol the Lord and the
Apostles, and denounce their persecu-
tors, while they similarly prosecute.
The climax Of St Paul's perils, the
severest of them all, was from false
brethren. How strange that seems!
One would think that however much
the heather or the jews might have
prosecuted him, at least all protested
followers OF Jesus would have thanked
God for his example and ministry, and
have esteemed him. But this was not
so; and as we look back TO the Master
before him. we see the same to be
true. AS He declared, "A mans foes
shall be they of bis own household
4 The MagxnrMwnM~& Isw. Tina TnEA0