The Acts of the Apostles (1911) — PDF Scan 309

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A MESSAGE OF WARNING 303 cliurclies, and as these evils developed, tlie 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 master-builder,'' 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 beeij 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 that his licentious course was a violation of 20 — Acts