THE CHRISTIAN COMMONWEALTH 315 belongs to the fulness of Christ, that we may no longer be babes, blown from our course and carried here and there by every passing wind of doctrine, by the adroitness of men who are skilful in making use of every evil device to mislead. Rather we are to hold to the truth and by our love grow up wholly into union with him who is our head, even Christ. Dependent on him, the whole body is welded together and compacted by every joint with which' it is supplied, and by the due activity of each part the body is enabled to grow so as to build itself up in love. XXVII THE ADOPTION OF JESUS' SOCIAL PRINCIPLES DURING THE FIRST CHRISTIAN CENTURY The Spread of Jesus' Social Leaven. The second half of the first Christian century witnessed a remarkable fulfilment of Jesus' implied prediction (Lk. 132): The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened. The social leaven which Jesus injected into human society in a distant corner of the Roman empire spread with incredible rapidity, until by the end of the first Christian century it was beginning to leaven the entire civilised world. This development is all the more significant because it went on in the face of the belief firmly held by his followers that Jesus was speedily to return to establish a new social order, not by evolutionary but by miraculous, revolutionary methods. Another strong influence which retarded the free spread of Jesus' social leaven was the growing tendency to define Christianity in terms of belief rather than of character and acts. Against this paralysing tendency the author of the epistle of James raises a strong protest (James 214-19): What use is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith and yet has no works? Can his faith save him? Suppose a brother or a sister is ill-clad or lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace; be warmed and well fed,' but does not give them what their body needs, what use is that? So faith without works is dead in itself. But some one will say, 'You have faith!' Yes, and I have works as well. You show me your faith without SPREAD OF JESUS' SOCIAL LEAVEN 317 works and I will show you by works what faith is! You believe in one God? You are quite right; evil spirits also believe and shudder. Notwithstanding the numerous retarding influences, the later New Testament books, with only one or two exceptions, are saturated with the social idealism of Jesus and Paul. In a few cases they have probably preserved certain of Jesus' social teachings not found in the gospels; but for the most part they are simply reiterations of the fundamental principles which are there laid down. None of these later Christian writers develops a complete Christian philosophy. But even though their teachings are fragmentary, they indicate how completely Jesus' social ideals inspired and moulded the lives of his early followers. The cruel persecutions instigated by Nero in 64 A.D. and the protracted and wide-spread persecutions during the last decade of the first century only intensified the devotion and loyalty of the Christians to each other and to the ideals of their Master. Practically all of the later New Testament writings are the outgrowth of these persecutions, and especially those of Domitian; and they vividly reveal the social atmosphere in which the early Christian martyrs lived. The Duties of Wives and Husbands. Certain of the teachings in I Peter may come directly from the great apostle, but the book in its present form is probably not earlier than 85 or 90 A.D. It is really a practical homily addressed to persecuted Christians throughout the Roman empire. In a direct and practical way it deals with certain universal problems. In its teachings regarding the mutual responsibilities of husbands and wives it carries the Golden Rule into the family life (I Pet. 31-4): Wives, be submissive to your husbands, so that, even if some of these husbands do not believe the word, they may be won over, apart from the word, through the behaviour of their wives, when they see how reverent and blameless your behaviour is. Let not your behaviour be one of outward adornment, one of plaiting the hair, putting on ornaments of gold or wearing apparel. Instead, it should be a new nature in the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which is of rare value in the sight of God. The emphasis here is placed not on the rights but on the supreme opportunities and responsibilities of the Christian wife. Even the seemingly impassable chasm which yawned between the pagan and the Christian is to be bridged by love. The principle invoked is that so nobly set forth in the Second Isaiah's portrait of the servant of Jehovah, which is reiterated in Paul's immortal declaration that he would be "all things to all men to win all to Christ." The submission here demanded is voluntary -a worthy means to a noble end-not slavish nor demeaning. The obligation imposed upon husbands is even heavier (I Pet. 37): Likewise, you husbands, be considerate as you live together with your wives, recognising that they belong to the weaker sex. Also treat them as heirs, equally with you, of the gift of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. Perhaps no passage in all the Bible has been more misinterpreted and misused. Women are here spoken of as "the weaker sex," not in the mental or spiritual, but in the physical sense. Like all the great social teachings of the Bible, this rests squarely on an ultimate scientific fact. The passage reflects the superb chivalry which Jesus inspired by all his teachings regarding woman. The husband's loving consideration for the more delicate sensibilities of the wife is one of the most effective preventives of the ghastly array of divorces which are the shame of our modern civilisation. It is also significant that the author places woman on an absolute equality with man in sharing the finer spiritual heritages which enrich life. He also aims to bind husbands and wives together by the invincible bonds of religion. The Obligations of Christian Servants. First Peter contains practical counsel directed to those who serve society in a less prominent capacity. It sets forth simply and directly that OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIAN SERVANTS 319 working philosophy of life that insures both harmony and happiness in the family; for there can be no strife when all are inspired by loyalty to God and have forgotten their personal and class interests in their whole-hearted service for the good of the social group (I Pet. 218-23): Household servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are kind and considerate but also to those who are surly; for it is a merit, when from a sense of a duty to God one patiently endures the pains of suffering unjustly inflicted. For if you do wrong and receive a blow for it, what credit is there in your bearing it patiently? but if, when you do right and suffer for it, you bear it patiently this counts as a merit in God's sight. It is for this that you were called, for when Christ also suffered in your behalf, he left you an example that you should follow his footsteps. He committed no sin nor was guile found in his mouth. When he was reviled he reviled not again; when he suffered he never threatened, but left everything to him who judges justly. Attitude of the Christian toward His Fellow Christians. The author of I Peter has given us a glowing picture of the socially minded Christian citizen. It is a practical application of the principles laid down by Jesus (I Pet. 38-11): Finally, you should all be of one mind, sympathetic, kind to the brothers, compassionate, humble, not paying back evil for evil nor reviling when you are reviled, but on the contrary giving a blessing in return, for to this end you have been called that you may inherit a blessing, for, He who would love life, And see good days, Let him restrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking guile; Let him seek peace and pursue it. As in Jesus' familiar beatitude, peace represents harmony and good will between man and God and his fellow man. With |