The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-11-14
SATURDAY NIGHT
SERM0NS)SyzztaAs,Ia
BY ;.<,>4Ij4}N9
REySAMUELW. pUPv1S,D.D.
WAS CHRIST A CHRISTIAN,


Text. For which cause he is not asham-
cd TO call them brethren."-F Il, IL
"The disciples were called Christians irst
at Antioch. h."-Acts. xi. 26.
| listened shortly ago to a brilliant
skeptic. | like those clever Philistines.,
They sometimes put burr under the
saddle of our religious self compla-
cency. How | did prance mentally un-
der the stings. He asked; WAS your
Christ a Christian? Well, il he was
oil Christianity died with its founder.
If he came to this town he wouldn't
find his name on the church doors. He
would see Methodist. Baptist. Preshy-
terrain. and so on. IL he went inside he
would hear endless discussion on rit.
ual creed. church authority, apostolic
succession, mode of baptism. Scrip
tural Interpretation. In this nation
alone he would find 500 denominations
fervidly talking Christianity, but with
a sectarian knife in leir belt. How
those Christians love each other" he
added. lis evident from the way they
build without necessity rival churches
on opposite corners and try to starve
each other out. Christian nations have
biggest super r-Dreadnoughts, heaviest
guns and most skilled weaponry for
killing weaker folk. 1t is the Christian
peoples who are most feverishly anx-
ious what they shall eat. drink and
wherewithal they shall be clothed. for
getting that after these things do the
| ;1
who are frantic to gain wealth. when
their master said. How hardly shall
they who have riches enter into the
kingdom Their Lord told them not TO
labor for houses and lands and the
things that perish, but they aid and
abet strikes. lockouts. wealth. poverty.
depression imitation. Stand in the
market places OF the Christian and no
tice bis air of brotherly unselfishness
and his trustful leisure" Whew! Now
understand the Office Of Diabolos.
The Term of Reproaeh.
l will be loaded for that peace de.
stroying skeptic next time. The dis
ciples were first called Christians at
Antioch. that beautiful but vile Greek
city, where was practiced as religion
things We blush to read about Hither
to they had been called "Galileans"
and "Nazarenes" in derision. Now they
are dubbed christians" after the
celebrated crucifed criminal-that term
would shame the disciples into silence
surely. Those early Christians never
seemed to apply the name to themselves
or to their church; indeed there were no
church buildings, as such, mentioned
in the acts of the Apostles. The name
Christian was crime. a reproach, to
bear 1t a punishment, for the first cen
tury and half. Finally they must
have recognized the fitness Of the term
They must have said, You call US
Christ men; that we are, and that we
hope to be forever" Now kings, ma
tions, sects, institutions, delight to call
themselves Christian. Yesterday the
name of Christianity suggested the
name and memory Of Christ only,
today it suggests philosophy, philan-
thropy, Christendom; the best OF
everything the world contains OF art
literature, music, craftsmanship. To
call man real Christian is to honor
him. The reproach of my infdel friend
was that we fall so far short of our
leader.
What 10 q Christian?
That's an easy one. Just turn TO the
dictionary--"a disciple of Jesus Christ,
one whose profession and life conform
tc the teaching and example of Chi st,
member of Christian church" But
We are men subject to all the limta-
tions of humanity. We blunder along
seeing through a glass darkly, fighting
sin without and within. a continual
struggle. "If We say we have no sin
we deceive ourselves and the truth is
not in u.s." We are church members.
followers of various creeds, apparently
at variance with each other. We are
at best an association of penitent sin
ners, although some of us won't con
fess that Occasionally one will ad-
NIT, "The good would do not. and
the evil would not that do" Much
of our worship is mummery and dumb
show, lots of 1t for exhibition purpose
ministers preaching themselves instead
of Christ. laymen living as if there
were no God, great multitudes crowd
ing out Christ with creed. Notice
Christ's rule for admission to his king
dom-a child The characteristic Of
childhood is openmindedness and trust
fulness. Follow me-" said he to the
fishermen, land I will make you fish
ers of men," Five words are used By
which New Testament Christians are
designated - disciple. scholar; be-
lever, a faithful one; follower or SOL
der, brethren, member of the house
hold: saint, or holy one. Get the
terms-one seeking to learn. faithful
one; one enlisted in Christ's service,
brother to all; holy one, given up TO
the ambition to be Christlike.
Was Christ a Christian?
What shall we say. then-was Christ
a Christian? Could he have fellowship
with such feeble and imperfect folks?
Would he fraternize with twentieth
century followers? Yes; Christ was
Christian. As we are? No; ten thou
sand times ten thousand no. Not as
we are. but as the only perfect one, the
Ideal of the worlds milions-yesi If
the finger of scorn. the glance of con-
tempt. the reproach of the scoffer. the
sense of failure must be. let 1t be at us.