alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief: for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God appointed us not unto wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as also ye do.

We beseech you, brethren, to know them that labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them exceeding highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves. And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be longsuffering toward all. See that none render unto any one evil for evil: but alway follow after that which is good, one toward another, and toward all. Rejoice alway; pray without ceasing; in every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to youward. Quench not the Spirit; despise not prophesyings; prove all things; hold fast that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

And the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it.

Brethren, pray for us.

THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS

This epistle is connected with a crisis in church history. One of the foremost obstacles to the early propagation of Christianity was found in the zeal of Christian converts from the Jewish race, who insisted that Gentile converts, in order to become Christians, must accept the whole obligation of the Mosaic law. This movement is often spoken of as "The Circumcision," from the foundation rite of Jewish law. To Paul, though as a Jew by birth he observed the law himself, this attempt to thrust it upon Gentile converts seemed subversive of the fundamental conception of the Christian religion as a spiritual union with Christ. In the "Churches of Galatia," to whom this letter is written, this heresy seems to have gained such force that Paul is led to open his epistle with words of severe remonstrance.

I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel; which is not another gospel only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema. As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema.

In meeting this danger Paul is obliged to insist upon his apostolic authority, as against the authority of the Judaizing teachers; and gives many details of his life to show how he received his call to be the apostle of the Gentiles direct from the Lord Jesus, and not from men. Great part of the epistle is made by close argument on minute points suitable to the controversies of the time. Its general drift is that both Abraham, who lived before the Law came, and those who lived under the Law, had their true justification in their spiritual faith.

Two points are especially noteworthy. As Paul is contending that, in the general scheme of God's providence, the Law had only a temporary

place, he uses a most striking figure, the force of which is in danger of being lost to the English reader through changes in the meaning of words. The Law, he says, was our 'tutor' to bring us to Christ. The word in the original is 'pedagogue.' Both by etymology (pedagogue means child-usher), and by the usages of ancient life, the pedagogue was not the teacher, but the servant who escorted the pupil to the school. Again: in arguing against the imposition of the Mosaic law upon Gentiles Paul rises to the sublime idea of Christian 'liberty': how this is no relaxation of law, but a state of mind in which, through union with Christ, law has become an inspiration of conduct, far more exacting than a law of codes and ceremonies.

At its close, the controversial tone of the epistle subsides into general exhortations to the Christian life, especially to the bearing of one another's burdens.

PASSAGES

The law hath been our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor. For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female: for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise. But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant, though he is lord of all; but is under guardians and stewards until the term appointed of the father. So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments of the world: but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem them which were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

Ye, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, even in

this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. But I say, Walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would. But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, heresies, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they which practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof. live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk.

If we

Brethren, even if a man be overtaken by any trespass, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of meekness, looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man thinketh himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let each man prove his own work, and then shall he have his glorying in regard of himself alone, and not of his neighbour. For each man shall bear his own burden.

But let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life.

And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. So then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith.

THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS

Corinth was the chief city in the Grecian part of the Roman Empire. Situated in close proximity to two seas, and on the lines of great trade routes, it was a city of foremost commercial importance. Its population included a highly cultured class. The original ministry of Paul in Corinth has been recorded in the Acts of the Apostles (compare above pages 282-3).

The two letters to the Corinthians must be understood as fragments of an extended correspondence. There have been letters on both sides; and Paul has had other sources of information about the Corinthians.

The First Epistle to the Corinthians is amongst the most elaborate and characteristic of the missionary epistles. In it are found closely interwoven the two elements of these missionary epistles: minute points of local and temporary importance, the interest of which belongs to church history; and, arising out of these, sublime principles of Christian thought and life which appeal to all time.

I. * Paul's information about the Church of Corinth suggests to him that it has slipped into the spirit of faction. Paul, the original founder of the Church, had been succeeded by Apollos, an Alexandrian of great eloquence and philosophic depth; admirers of these had come to describe themselves as of the party of Paul or the party of Apollos. Judaizing teachers had been at Corinth; and their followers had pronounced themselves as the party of Cephas (the Chaldaic name of Peter). Yet others had expressed their aversion to such party spirit by calling themselves the party of Christ. All this seems to Paul inimical to the unity of the Church in Christ. "Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul?" Again: it is the intrusion of worldly wisdom, which has always been antagonistic to the simple gospel message as so much foolishness. On the other hand, the gospel is a wisdom in itself: a mystery hidden from former ages, and now revealed only to the spiritually minded. The conclusion of the argument is that even the greatest teachers are only servants of the Church, stewards of the mysteries of God.

II. Paul has even heard of practices in Corinth which show that there has been moral infection from the sensuality of the world outside. He inveighs against these with the lofty thought that each individual must hold himself as a Temple of God.

*The Passages from the Epistle cited below follow the steps of the argument as indicated by these numerals.