Evening star., 1925-10-17

Christians to answer Paul, as soon as
he expected that they ought to have
replied, caused him to start the let
ter which we call his first letter to
the Corinthians. Before he had com
pleted it the delegation sent by the
church that he had organized in Co
rinth, arrived at Ephesus and present
ed him a series of problems for solu-
ton concerning their differences and
difficulties.
Paul's letters to the Corinthians
have much human interest because
he treated problems that every day
are being faced by the followers Of
Christ Jesus. During the three years
Of the apostles absence from Corinth
the church had become divided into
four different parties, due to the eXag-
geration of different phases of the
gospel without consideration of Christ
as the unifying personality and the
unity of their spiritual life. Besides
seeking to remove the divisions, the
apostle bluntly condemned the lack
of moral purity among them. The in
fiuence OF immoral Corinth had en-
tered the church. Due TO its pagan
environment, the church had a dull
ness Of feeling on this subject be-
cause their old heather ideals had not
all been supplanted by the gospel of
Christ.
When Paul took up for considera.
ton the questions of faith and prac-
tice submitted to him by the church
he touched upon subjects that call for
our consideration today if space would
permit. The apostle presented prin-
ciples in his treatment of the several
questions that they presented to him
that are applicable to important ques-
tions which we are facing today. Fol
lowing the example of our Lord, who
reduced all law TO one, Thou shalt
love" Paul pointed out love to the
Corinthians as the way of life, which
transcends all others" He was seek
ing to preserve the organic unity of
the church, free from jealousy, pride
and contempt, that ought to have
been excluded through their mutual
dependence upon one another. No
words, except those of the Christ, ever
surpassed the psalm Of love-" which
reveals the great preachers power and
shows that the Master of logic and
philosophy was a poet. The poem
falls logically into three parts, that
reveals the indispensable, inclusive
and invincible" character Of love.
The Indispensable Tie.
Our opening chapter considers the
unity of the church as the BODY of
Christ. He pointed out the indispens-
able dependence of each member of
the body upon the other members He
saw clearly that unless the church
was a home of a warm, tender. help.
ful affection it would fail as the IN
Strument of God in the social redemp-
ton Of the world. Christians We're
called upon TO fulfill the law of the
Lord Jesus, who taught by word and
example the law of love. The COM
mand, Bear ye one another'S bur
dens, and so fulfill the law OF Christ, -
made His followers to love one an
other with spiritual affection be-
fore unknown. Unless one has had a
changed heart, filled with love, his
preaching, prophecy, power. philan-
thropy and public martyrdom would
all be valueless.
Bishop Mcconnell has we'll said that
Social redemption takes it's first step
in changed attitude Of mind" Heart
power draws the multitude to hear
men whose eloquence and brilliant
speech would be like "a loud-speaker
when the air is full of static If they
had not loved. knowledge had a high
place among the Greeks, especially of
the occult mysteries, which would be
a dangerous possession unless a love
for others had freed the possessor
from the desire to use their power for
commercial purposes. Political, social,
industrial and even ecclesiastical Or
ganizations, that are not controlled by
the spirit of love, serve to cripple the
advancement Of the Kingdom of God
among men. Years have gone by
since the writer heard Henry Drum
mond deliver at a students conference
his great message upon Love. the
Greatest Thing in the World" yet
the fact that he then pointed out is
true that all attainments, endowments
and beneficence without love were
valueless to men. The one absolutely
indispensable requirement for the