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The Acts of the Apostles
that special time, those who were really seeking for light accepted his
message as expressing the mind of Christ. The Lord had shown him
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the difficulties and dangers which would arise in the churches, and, as
these evils developed, the apostle recognized their significance. He
had been set for the defense of the church. He was to watch for souls
as one who must render account to God, and was it not consistent and
right for him to take notice of the reports concerning the anarchy and
divisions among them? Most assuredly; and the reproof he sent them
was as certainly written under the inspiration of the Spirit of God as
were any of his other epistles.
The apostle made no mention of the false teachers who were
seeking to destroy the fruit of his labor. Because of the darkness
and division in the church, he wisely forbore to irritate them by such
references, for fear of turning some entirely from the truth. He called
attention to his own work among them as that of “a wise masterbuilder,”
who had laid the foundation upon which others had built. But he did
not thereby exalt himself; for he declared, “We are laborers together
with God.” He claimed no wisdom of his own, but acknowledged that
divine power alone had enabled him to present the truth in a manner
pleasing to God. United with Christ, the greatest of all teachers, Paul
had been enabled to communicate lessons of divine wisdom, which
met the necessities of all classes, and which were to apply at all times,
in all places, and under all conditions.
Among the more serious of the evils that had developed among
the Corinthian believers, was that of a return to many of the debasing
customs of heathenism. One former convert had so far backslidden
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that his licentious course was a violation of even the low standard
of morality held by the Gentile world. The apostle pleaded with the
church to put away from among them “that wicked person.” “Know
ye not,” he admonished them, “that a little leaven leaveneth the whole
lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump,
as ye are unleavened.”
Another grave evil that had arisen in the church was that of brethren
going to law against one another. Abundant provision had been made
for the settlement of difficulties among believers. Christ Himself had
given plain instruction as to how such matters were to be adjusted.
“If thy brother shall trespass against thee,” the Saviour had counseled,
“go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear