The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-03-16
MAKES PLEA FOR
CHURCH UNITY
Divisions in Church Are 0epIored
by Rev. [. X. Long

IF Paul was scandalizcd ana grieved
be, ause there were four divisions aud
parties i'm the church At Corlnth, what
would he say of the almost endless di-
vision In the Christian church today,
when the fractures are wider and
deeper" said Rev. Luther *. Long
in "a sermon at the First Congrcga-
tional church yesteIday morning.
The discourse was based on the two
texts; "One is your Master, even
Christ, and all ye are brethren" and
What then is Apollos? and What is
Paul? Ministers through whom We be-
licNcd; ana each AS the Lord gave 10
him He said in part:
After Paul had taken up his work
in Ephesus word came To him con.
corning very serious disturbances in
the church at COrlnth. Four parties
had arisen. Some said, i am of Paul
They liked his simple, plain manner of
preaching and living and were devoted
To him as the one who had led them II
believe in Jesus. Others said. I am of
ApOllos.' This man had succeeded
Paul, and his manner Of preaching be-
ing more oratorical attracted IL diff
tercnt type Of persons. Others said,
/ am Of Cephas.' These seemed To have
come from Palestine and To question
the authority Of Paul who had not seen
Jesus in the flesh and To eXalt Peter
as one who had been a follower of Jc-
sus in person. still others said I
am of Christ'--taking his name in n
spirit equally as sectarian as the
others
This entire party spirit which was
making rapidly for division in the
church Paul unsparingly condemned,
saying, Is Christ divided? Was Paul
cIucifed for YOU? or were We baptized
INTO the name of Paul. He did not
want to found a party or sect, and
he had no feeling against the others
whose names were used in a partisan
way. His feelings are expressed IN
these words, one is Your Master even
christ and all We are brethren
But bad as the party spirit was 1t
had not yet reached the limit. The
Christians at Corinth still met to-
gether for common worship-they
Joined i'm the hymns of praise and the
prayer, they listened to the preaching
Of the word and they partook together
e the cmblems of the broken body and
shed blood of their Common Lord. II
was left To later times To bring party
spirit and division To perfect Develop
ment.
What would Paul think of some
present day conditions-when sitting
side by side in the office all week who
could not he persuaded Ia sit i'm the
same church on Sunday; men work
ing to%ether in the shop who refuse to
cooperate in Christian service; minis-
ters exchanging all sorts of courtesies
during the week and refusing To ex-
change pulpits on Sunday: men eat
ing together in their homes and in al
most all sorts of public places. bat
unwilling at the Lords supper to par
take together of the cmblcms of his
broken body and shed blood! God help
everybody To repent of his share in the
continuance of such un- Christian con-
ditions.
In closing ! make three remarks:
81. There is no general desire for
such unit in the Christian church as
implies an authoritative human head
with power to enforce uniformity That
has been tried out, and is not likely
again To be seriously undertaken,
Whatever the form of organization,
with Jesus as its head, democracy is
bound to be its spirit.
80. Breadth. variety, inClusiveneSs
must be the method of holding to
gcther Christians i'm an enlightened
age, rather than narrowness, uniform
ity and eXclusiveness.
20. Recognizing that Apollos aad
Paul and others are ministers through
they exercised their ministry accord
ing To the gifts bestowed on them by
the Lord, we may benefit by the var
iety of these gifts. Paul plants, Apol-
los waters. but it is God only who
gives the increase.
Every denomination has contiibut-
ed something of value--Iet this be
gladly admitted. and let us rejoice III
the increasing disposition Of manly
Christian people to eliminate un-
Christian competition"