Elijah the Tishbite. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. VMackintosh, Charles Henry
Religion
Elijah the Tishbite. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. V
Mackintosh, Charles Henry
Theology
All this we should, at once, denounce as sinful folly, not to be
tolerated for a moment. The varied lines of truth all converge upon
one glorious and blessed centre. The varied instruments are all
employed by one and the self-same inspiring Spirit, for the one grand
object of presenting the varied moral glories of Christ. We want them
all. We could no more afford to do without Matthew or Mark than we
could do without Luke or John; and it is no part of our business to
undervalue Peter or James, because they do not give such a lofty or
comprehensive range of truth as Paul or John. Each is needful in his
place. Each has his work to do, his appointed line of things to attend
to, and we should be doing serious damage to our own souls, as well as
marring the integrity of divine revelation, if we were to confine
ourselves to any one particular line of truth, or attach ourselves
exclusively to any one particular instrument or vessel.
The early Corinthians fell into this grave error, and thus called
forth a sharp rebuke from the blessed apostle Paul. Some were of Paul;
some of Apollos; some of Cephas; some of Christ. All were wrong; and
those who said they were of Christ were quite as wrong as any of the
others. They were carnal, and walked as men. It was a grievous folly
to be puffed up for one against another, inasmuch as they were all
Christ's servants, and all belonged to the whole Church.
Nor is it otherwise now in the Church of God. There are varied kinds
of workmen, and varied lines of truth; and it is our happy privilege,
not to say our holy duty, to recognize and rejoice in them all. To be
puffed up for one against another, is to be "carnal and walk as men."
To depreciate any of Christ's servants is to depreciate the truth
which he carries, and to forsake our own mercies. "All things are
yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or
death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are
Christ's; and Christ is God's."
This is the true and the divine way to look at the matter; and this,
too, is the way to avoid sects, parties, cliques and coteries in the
Church of God. There is one body, one Head, one Spirit, one divine and
perfect revelation--the Holy Scriptures. There are many members, many
gifts, many lines of truth, many distinct characters of ministry. We
need them all, and therefore God has given them all.
But, most surely, God has not given the various gifts and ministries
for us to set one against another, but that we may humbly and
thankfully avail ourselves of all, and profit by them according to
His gracious purpose in giving them. If all were Pauls, where were the
Peters? If all were Peters, where were the Johns?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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