The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1960-03-11


Saint Paul was no Slippery
Sam, but he was forced to wear
chains all the same. Further
more, he was accused chiefly
OF being a rabble-rouser. Even
re al "a BILE rouser
like to be called that; and Paul
was anything else but that. Yet
there he was in court, first be-
fore Governor Felix, later on be-
fore Governor Festus and King
Agrippa. The charges were
fllmsy, but the chains were
solid.
What could Paul do about it?
Two things he would not do. He
would not complain that he was
there at all. He could have kept
his mouth stubbornly shut, he
could have said that an Apostle
cannot rightfully be tried by a
civil court. On the contrary, he
recognized the legal right of the
court to pass judgement on this
case. Again, he could have fix
ed the court. We know that
Governor Felix hoped for a
bride. Paul had wealthy friends
and they could have arranged
it. But Paul did not do that
The Church in Court
Paul's situation may cast
some light on the relation be-
tween the Christian church and
the civil courts. or the civil gov
eminent in general, in our day.
This is a very tricky subject
and the churches which we will
be studying this lesson are not
all agreed on the solution. But
we can venture a few general
thoughts. The church certainly
can rule out what Paul ruled
out. The church has no right to
say. The civil courts and the
civil government have no juris-
dlctlon over the Church of God"
II any body Of people anywhere
has a high duty to comply with
law and to submit to proper
authorities, it is the church. OF
course the church's beliefs, and
It's mode of operation, the ap
polntment of its ministers, are
its own affairs.
If the church must refuse
temptations to stand outside the
law. it must also be scrupulous
not to influence law and law
makers by illegal means. This
goes all the way from preach
ers who try to get their traffic-vio-
iation tickets fixed, up to a
great church that tries to get
Illegal tax reductions or exemp-
tons.
What then can the church doo
II 1t should not stay alooff from
law and government, and if It
cannot try to please the Felixes
around the capital with brides.
direct or indirect, what can the
Christian church do as it con
fronts the civil state?
Again it might take a leaf
from Paul. He did try to influ-
ence the court; but it was open
and aboveboard. He put his case
Huthfully, quietly, but per
suasively. In all these trials the
court was prejucdiced against
him at the start; but he always
won a verdict of Not Guilty.
What he had on his side were
facts. and he presented those
facts SO that even skephcal
Judges were convinced.
Getting the Case Heard
Here is something the church
can DO. or several thing all com.
blned- First. the Christian
church needs to have. more
than it sometimes does have. a.
clear understanding Of what
Christian social ethics" means
and is; that is toy say. the
church ought to have a clear
understanding of what the
christian faith implies for So
clal, business, educational and
all other realms of life in mod
ern society. Second, the church
should be more aware than it
Is, OF the moral side of propos
ed legislation; which is to say
In simpler Words-the church
should always be alert to ask.
What is this law, this situation
going to do to people? The
church that is not Interested in
persons and what affects them.
is a long way removed from
Its Master. And third. the
church, through as many of its
members as arc really interest
ed. should keep governors, con-
gressmep. senator's. mayors and
official boards. aware of the
Christian viewpoint. Like raul.
The church needs to state the
Christian position. to persuade
by the highest method-the pre-
Sentation Of the truth.
BASED on outlines copyright
ed by the Division Of Christian
Education, National Council Of
the Churches of Christ in the
U. S. A. Released by Community
PrQSc CAruirn