Evening star., 1921-08-20
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.

| Acts 1911.
BY REV. HUGH r. STEVENSON.
Human life exists in two distinct
realms. One IL that of the external
The other is the internal. One realm
consists of the things seen. The
other consists Of the unseen. Shakes
peare has sharply conceived this con-
trast between the inner and outward
life in his play of King Henry VII.
which is ian illuminated comment
| upon tho suggestion OF Paul that
though our outward may perish. yet
the inner man is renewed day by
day." Paul's practical and progress
sive preaching emphasized the su-
preme importance of the spiritual
life. He found upon his return to
Antioch that his position had been
challenged by Jerusalem teachers.
| who insisted that all Christians
should live like Jews. claiming that
| there was no salvation without OBJ
serving the law and demanding that
| the Gentle Christians should be cir
| cumsised to be saved. This difference
revealed that there existed the same
realms in religious life as in human.
1t threatened not only the peace and
unity of the early church but the ex-
istency of Christianity whether 1t
! was to be a sect OF Judaism or a
! universal religion.
Paul recognized that the prestige
of the Judaizers was due to the fact
that they came from Jerusalem and
claimed to represent the attitude Of
the mother church and the apostles.
Paurs suggestion that the problem
be referred to Jerusalem for settle
ment reveals not. only his diplomacy
but also his confidence in his cause.
He was sent with Barnabas and 9TH
| ers to present the subject of con-
troversy to the mother church at
Jerusalem, that had not broken with
Judaism and it had not entered their
thoughts that Christianity could ex-
| list apart from the observance Of the
Jewish law. In fact. they were zeal
Gus for the Mosaic law, because they
considered it essential to Christianity.
During the journey of the delegation
up to Jerusalem. they rehearsed to
the churches scattered through Phoe-
nicia and Samaria the story of their
missionary victories among the Cen
| tiles. Luke tells US that this filled
| the brethren with Joy. but the fact
| that he is silent concerning Judea,
| suggests that the influence of Jerusa-
lem made them question the mis-
sionary work among the nations.
The Church Conference.
Both sides presented their case be-
| fore the church with such telling ef-
feet that there arose much discus
| sion, so that the apostles and elders
| came together to see about this mat
| ter" which was of supreme impor-
tance. The. apostleship of Paul had
been questioned and the conditions OF
salvation. Paul in that private con-
ference settled beyond question his
i right as an apostle. as We learn from
h To he q
lover James, whose prestige as the
LORDS brother apparently gave him
| such a rank that his name heads the
list of. the pillars. who privately
sought to solve the problem of pre-.
serving both the liberty of the gospeI
In that private conference probabi!
the decisions were reached thai
caused the church to burst the chain:
of Judaism under the influence OF
Paul, who was an apostle OF mankind
rather than of nation.
II While the question was raised con
cerning circumcision. it is not refer
red to in the decision made by thu
church and confirmed by letter and :
special delegation. Peters speech
which is the last one that we hay.
of the great apostolic leader, ant
that of James, who evidently was th'
leader among the champions OF Juda
lfsm, persuaded the church to Fepudi.
late the activities of those who ha6
! questioned Paul's authority and teach.
ngs. when they insisted upon cir
cumcision as being essential to saliva
ton. There evidently was the recog
!nition of the fact that both Jews ant
Identities were called upon to repen
of their sins and have faith in Chris
Jesus, a their risen Lord and Savior
to secure their personal salvation. II
this Paul won victory for justifica
tion by faith in Christ that mad
Gods grace absolutely exclusive o
the law, but he evidently accepted :
tcompromise, based on the principle o
Christian brotherly love, so as to hell
foster the fraternal and social rela
tions growing out of their fellowship
in the churches of the Lord Jesus
The admonitions given to the Gentil'
brethren have been variously inter
preted, as a recommendation con
cerning the use Of foods SO that {
strict Jewish Christian would not b'
hindered from eating with theil
Gentle brethren (blood in this cas-
being the same as meat that was no
tkosher), or as a warning against i'm
moral practices (blood meaning herr
murder). The converts from pagan
ism, who had not been trained In th'
observance of the ten commandments
needed instruction concerning thu
elementary moral duties. and by con
1 sidering the feelings of their Jewish
brethren the Gentiles could assist II
promoting that peace and unity OF
the church.
Apostolic DiRereAces.
In the closing part of the hfteentt
CHAPTER there is the record of no"
Il ~A