The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-13
CHARITY

AS the Methodist conference is in
session in our city we cannot refrain
from giving our opinion of the word
"Charity"-which fills such an impor
tant place in our religious annals.
Though l speak with the tongue
of men and Of angels" proclaimed the
apostle. land have not charity, am
become as sounding brass and tinkling
cymbal."
We have heard a number of ser.
mons preached from this text and in
al instances the able divines have
said that the word love" should have
been substituted for the word Char.
ity" by the original Bible translators
as We believe it has been done in the
revised editions" of the Bible.
We confess. however. to q fondness
for the word charity" and are sin.
cerely glad that the old translators,
those nearest to the original Ian
'guage, and perhaps more familiar
with 1t. adopted it. and we are sorry
that the later translators have sub
stituted another word for it.
1t has always occurred to US that It
has a larger, broader and a fuller
meaning than the word love-" and
conveys precisely the meaning the
King James translators sought to EN-.
phasize by it.
Consider the following:
"And though l have the gift of
prophesy, and understand all myster-
les and all knowledge and though have
faith that l could remove mountains,
and have not charity, l am nothing"
So the apostle does not refer to an
intellectually SO great and powerful
as to explore all mysteries. or to .
faith SO simpe. 80 pure. 30 strong that
before It mountains Of sin and un.
belief would disappear.
And measure the following:
"And though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor. and though I give
my body to be burned. and have not
charity. It pronteth me nothing"
So the apostle does not refer to
aims giving. nor to self sacrifices.
noble and praiseworthy % these deeds
are.
The entire chapter ID devoted TO-
explaining and extolling this word
charity and 1t seems to us that the
apostles exposition Of It carries It
far beyond the meaning of the word
''love." as sweet and beautiful as that
word is.
Love is sometimes selfish. some
times sordid. often blinded. some
times intolerant.
Charity is always the same. It 10
It Is always benehcent,
kind and indulgent, and carries with
It . sweet benediction.
We love the true. the beautiful, the
noble and the good. We cannot love
the ugly and the unlovely. Here 10
where charity steps in and smooths
out the wrinkled places and the mar.
red spots and covers the whole With
its mantle.
Charity considers mans conditions
and environments. the temptations
which beset him on every side and
are constantly getting in his pathway
and causing him 70 stumble and TO
fan.
Charity takes notice Of his weak.
nesses. his limitations and his Mbility
to err.
Love exalts and glorifes-charity
forgets and forgives.
Charity Is tolerant of false doc.
trines and false creeda and false con.
duct in weak. erring. sinful, human
nature.
Let us be thankful that God places
charity high above all other virtues.
No other virtue that can be exer-
cised by human beings is comparable
to 1t.
This word was made hallowed when
Christ said: Neither do | condemn
thee; go. and sin no more."-Ocala
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