The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1960-02-20


pointed them to their office of
elders. For | know this, that
after my departing shall grew
Gus wolves enter in among
you, not sparing the flock" :.
With Paul's departure the un-
believing Jews would certainly
try to take advantage of his
absence to undo everything he
had done.
These, too, had to be watch
ed out for and warned against.
The elders were warned to be
on the alert for trouble from
this source also, for heresy
from within can be as harmful,
and in some cases more harm
full, than that from without.
also of your own selves shall
men arise, speaking perverse
things, to draw away disciples
after them" There were
many different shades of be-
lief coming into existence at
/ this time, and some of these
beliefs were held by some
very strong church members.
Already there were members
of the Christian church who
taught that the Gentiles had
to be circumcised like the
Jews or they could not be saw
ed. Paul foresaw and predict
ed that all these things would
come to pass, in fact some of
this was already taking place
at the time the apostle was
warning the elders of Ephesus
to be on the alert. Therefore
watch, and remember, that by
the space of three years l ceas-
ed not to warn every one night
and day with tears" Paul
was constantly warning the
disciples against the many
dangers which confronted the
church. But Paul credits him.
self with three years in Ephe-
sus, and this is one of the in
stances in which the record of
the apostles account of his
own activities does not agree
with the account of Luke, the
historian.
THE CHURCH COMMEN-
DED TO GOD:
''And now, brethren, COM
mend you to God, and to the
word of his grace, which is
able to build you up, and to
give you an inheritance among
all them which are Sanctified'
At that time the Ephe-
sian church had a long way
to go by way of development.
It needed to be built UP, and
no human contribution could
supply all that was needed, the
grace of God would have to
supply the rest, and set the
disciples apart for special serv.
ice for the kingdom of God.
PAUL'S S A c RIFF l.
| AL SERVICE AN EXAMPLE:
Il have coveted no mans
silver, OF gold, or apparel
What the apostle did was for
the sake of the gospel and the
salvation of souls, not for per.
sonal gain. He was not preach.
/ ing for money or for material
support, therefore he was free
from the evil of covetousness.
yea, We yourselves know,
that these hands have minis
tered unto my necessities, and
to them that were with me-
The fact that he was self-sus.
tanning was one of the greatest
sources of his joy, that he was
able to serve the cause of the
gospel without being a charge
unto anyone. His trade was
tentmaking, tough occupation
but he did it willingly to sup.
port himself. his fellow travel
ers, and even some of the
churches.
81 have Showed you ali
things, how that so labourine
We ought to support the weak
and to remember the words OF
the Lord Jesus, how he said
It is more blessed to give thar
| to receive" He believed
that the position of the min
lister of the gospel and Of
Christians generally ought tt
be that of giving rather thar
receiving, of ministering unto
rather than being ministeree
unto. Somewhere Paul haC
learned from a source which