Lecture XI · Christian Concord

THESE four verses constitute, in the original, only one sentence, though our translators give it in the form of three. This breaking up of the one was perhaps unavoidable, because in English, from the structure of the language, long sentences are apt to be obscure; but it is to be somewhat regretted, as hiding the fact that in the apostle’s mind all the clauses stood in intimate relation to each other.

The connection of the passage with the preceding section, marked by ‘ ¢therefore,’ is close and obvious. ‘Seeing the transcendent importance of your maintaining a conversation becoming the gospel of Christ, and that, in the position in which you are placed as persecuted Christians, there is a special needfulness for your “standing fast in one spirit,” thus supporting and comforting each other,—see that there be perfect concord among you.’ ‘This is the main connection ; but in the introductory clauses there is also a most natural reference to the allusion made, in the immediately preceding verse, to the apostle’s own sufferings, and the hearty sympathy with him which the similarity of the position of the Philippians to his was fitted to excite in their minds.

The central precept of the paragraph is that given in the 2d verse, ‘that ye be like-minded,—that is, not, as a reader of the English version might perhaps naturally understand the expression, ‘that ye be like-minded with me Paul, but, ‘that ye have concord among yourselves.’ This is expanded in the following clauses of the verse, which set forth the constituent elements of Christian concord. <A glance at these, therefore, will bring the precept clearly before us.

‘Having the same love’ may mean ‘having affection to the same object,’—love in common to God and His cause. This, however, appears to come in in the next clause ; and therefore the apostle’s thought here seems rather to be of love 20 each other, ‘mutual and all-pervading love.’ ‘Let the same atmosphere of affection, of sincere and active brotherly kindness, be breathed by every one of you.’ ‘ Brotherly kindness,’—that is the Christian idea. Believers are all, through God’s grace, His children, and therefore ought to cherish in a high degree the mutual affection and trustfulness we expect to find pervading the members of a family, who have so many common objects of love and interest. The apostle’s exhortation in this clause is, that the members of the Philippian church should all cultivate mutual love; so that whilst, of necessity, in the large circle there would be included many small circles, of persons whom temperament or circumstances drew to each other with peculiar closeness, yet each believer should feel himself bound to every other by cords of true and warm affection. Paul would have the relations among the members of the church such that none of the household of faith should feel himself treated as a stranger or an outcast, unrejoiced with in joy, and unwept with in sorrow; but ‘ach should know that, through sympathy and prayer and help, his burdens were lovingly borne by his brethren. All true Christians have the brotherly spirit in some measure. If in any man special affection for ‘the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty,’ because they are His sons and daughters, be utterly wanting, then cer-

tainly he himself knows not that precious ‘secret of the Lord which is with them that fear Him,’ the secret of His Fatherhood in Jesus Christ. But, ah! my brethren, how feeble this love is generally,—how easily mastered by separating influences of conventionality, temperament, divergence of view on worldly matters, or on non-essentials in religion !

Among the members of a congregation the tie should evidently be felt to be peculiarly strong; and to the prevalence of brotherly love will correspond, to a considerable extent, general congregational life and health. But even among fellow church members, unhappily, the separating powers, which are of the world, seem often to have more sway than the uniting power, which is of Christ. In many cases, too, such as in a congregation in a great city, that frequent free and close intercourse, which has much to do with the maintenance of ordinary family love, is impossible, except among small sections of the congregation. This fact makes it all the more incumbent on such members as have the opportunity, to associate themselves in the carrying out of the various schemes of Christian effort connected with the congregation. One of the most valuable secondary results of Sabbath schools, Dorcas societies, and other agencies of Christian instruction and benevolence, is the formation of friendships among Christians, and this under circumstances specially calculated to bring out the Christianity into most invigorating influence upon the friendship. I have no doubt that, as a rule, the strongest and the most beautiful and spiritually operative brotherly love is to be found among those believers who are brought into association in the way of effort to advance the cause of Christ.

The words which follow, and which are given in our version in two clauses, ‘ being of one accord, of one mind, seem rather to go together as one clause, thus, ‘ with united—or accordant— souls minding the one thing.’ The basis of Christian concord is here exhibited to us,—oneness of view with respect to all matters of vital moment. In common, Christians see God’s

_— - = _— ee g supreme right to their love and obedience,—have faith in Christ, recognising the completeness of His work, the fulness, freeness, and tenderness of His grace,—and feel it to be the bounden duty, the ‘reasonable service’ to Christ, of all who know the gospel, to use every effort to send it on, and to send it in, to the darkened at home and abroad. Having this oneness of view, Christians will also, in the degree in which they yield their hearts up to the power of the common faith, have a substantial oneness of disposition and resolution. ‘The definiteness of the form of the original—which is exactly rendered _ by the translation just given, ‘ with accordant souls mind in 7 J Ξ g the one thing’—suggests, as it seems to me, something more than is brought out by the Authorized Version, ‘of one mind. ‘ The one thing’ is an expression which, in such a connection as the present, has for every intelligent believer a clear, well-defined significance. The advancement of the kingdom of Christ in ourselves, through growth in the beauty and the strength of godliness,—in the church, through the increase of wisdom, and purity, and zeal,—#in the world, through the universal and successful proclamation of the gospel, until ‘voices be heard in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ,’ ——the apostle would have his readers with accordant souls to mind ¢his one thing.

We are now in a position to distinguish clearly the features of the ‘concord,’ the ‘ deing like-minded, which is enjoined in the central precept of the paragraph, and of which the two that we have been considering form an expansion. Brotherly love, springing from common faith in the great cardinal truths of religion, and producing mutual helpfulness in the service of Christ, —this is the spirit which the apostle desires to see reigning in a Christian association. Christian love cannot flourish apart from Christian energy. A monastery is the veriest hot-bed of jealousies, and envies, and every form of discord ; and the more closely a congregation or a denomination

approaches the character of a monastery in inactivity and uselessness, the more open will it be to the inroads of a spirit of dissension. But when believers ‘mind the one thing, —when intelligently and zealously they strive to further the kingdom — of Jesus Christ in themselves and others, not devoting their attention, except in a very subordinate measure, and merely as means to an end, to the advancement of their particular ‘-ism,’ but minding simply che one thing,—and this ‘with accordant souls,’ not allowing peculiarities of temper or temperament to distract or alienate,—here is Christian concord in its strength and beauty.

Looking back, you observe a peculiar tenderness in the mode in which the apostle appeals to the Philippians to cultivate this grace. He says, ‘ Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded.’ ‘I have great delight in you. All these years, and never more than now, in scenes of trial and of temptation to despondency, I have found the thought of the faithful church ~ at Philippi a spring of comfort. Now I pray you, brethren, fill up my joy—make the cup of my delight in you full to the brim—by loving each other fervently.’ How strikingly and beautifully is here illustrated the elevation of the apostle’s character,—that is, of such a character as yours and mine, my brethren, ought to be—as yours and mine would be, if we cast away self-will, and surrendered our hearts to the power of Christian faith and love in the same degree as Paul! The apostle is a prisoner, and knows not but that his imprisonment may end, perhaps very soon, with a violent death,—but how secondary a position his own circumstances seem to hold in his thoughts! The earnest entreaty of the fettered prisoner to his friends who are in freedom, is that they will care for their own highest welfare by loving each other ; and the tidings that will ‘fill his joy full’ are, that discord is known no more among them. The only boon he craves is their adornment with the holy beauty of love.

This appeal for their concord, as a kindness to himself, is

presented with a solemnity and fervid intensity evincing both the ardour of his love for them, and his sense of the momentous importance of the matter in hand: ‘ // there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies.’ In this reference to the religious experiences of the Philippians, the facts adverted to are admirably calculated to show the reasonableness at once of pitying him in his prison, and of that love to each other, and mutual burden-bearing, which is the mode of exhibiting pity for himself that he longs to see in them. FEach allusion is, to a thoughtful Christian heart, like the stroke of a rod of divine power, calling out a stream of sympathy and affection.

The ‘/If? at the beginning, does not imply doubt in the apostle’s mind, any more than in such a sentence as ‘If Jesus died for you, is it not reasonable that you should live to Him?’ But you feel that, in a sentence like this before us, of fervid entreaty, the form of a simple supposition has a peculiarly solemn impressiveness. ‘ If in Christ—in your know- - ledge of Him and fellowship with Him—you find any consolation amid the distresses of life ; if from love—from cherishing love to Christ and His people, and knowing that Christ and His people love you—there come to you any comfort; if you have any communion with the Holy Spirit, and, through His - enlightening and quickening influences, have obtained peace -and joy and holy impulses; if thus your enjoyment of consolation in Christ, your experience of comfort from love, have produced in yourselves, by the blessed energy of the Spirit, bowels and mercies—a heart full of compassion ;—I beseech you by all your Christian privileges, all your comforts and hopes and spiritual experiences, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded.’ ‘Prove, I pray you, by giving love and comfort to each other, and thus giving love and comfort to me, that _ you have drunk deeply of the Spirit of Him who has loved and comforted you.” Such I apprehend to be the meaning.

Such pleading as this, my friends, shows us clearly the in-

tensity of the apostle’s anxiety for the ending of all dissensions among his brethren, and for the growth of sincere and active affection. It shows us how deep his conviction was of the evil wrought by division among Christians,—that it injured the religious life of the believers themselves most seriously, and that it was a very great obstacle to the progress of the gospel without. The ideal of the Christian church has been set before us by our Lord in His great High-priestly prayer—‘ That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us; I in them and Thou in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them as Thou hast loved Me.’ In the degree in which this condition of things is approached, are all the ends of the church gained,—believers sustained and spurred on in their Christian course, and unbelievers compelled to take knowledge that a kingdom is among them which is regulated by power from heaven. ‘Thus comes ‘ glory to God in the highest,’ through the manifestation of ‘peace on earth.’ But oh, my brethren, throughout her whole history how far has the church been from answering to the ideal! How lamentable in our own time are the jealousies, and heart-burnings, and open dissensions, in congregations, and in and between denominations,—the bitter wranglings in church courts,—the angry denunciations of Christian brethren on platforms and from the press,—the envenomed private quarrels between persons professing godliness! Can we marvel that men of the world look on with derision, and with keen, sarcastic irony quote the language of the first days, ‘ Behold these Christians, how they love one another !’

In the 3d and 4th verses the sources of discord are exhibited to.us, and the means of drying these up. ‘ Let nothing be done through strife’-—more exactly, ‘factiousness, party spirit’—* or vainglory ; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” ‘The great causes of dissension in — ᾿ societies of any kind are those here indicated by the apostle, factiousness, vainglory, and self-seeking, ‘looking’ solely ‘on one’s own things.’ They are generally all present, in varying proportions. In a congregation, or association of churches, some ‘ Diotrephes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence,’ takes up a certain position in regard to doctrine, ritual, or general church administration. Clear evidence may be shown to him that it is a wrong position, and one the maintenance of which will certainly produce dissension ; yet even if he sees it to be wrong, vanity—indisposition to sacrifice his repute for wisdom, and firmness, and power of management—induces him to hold to it. Others conscientiously, perhaps most of them, join themselves to him. Thus a party is formed, and the spirit of faction begins to act. Partisanship takes the place of brotherly kindness. Sympathies which ought to go forth broadly to the church of Christ, have their range narrowed down to a little section of brethren, who agree on certain trifles. Those to whom Jesus said, ‘This is My commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you,’ are seen ‘ desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another.’ One matter after another, almost wholly unconnected with the original cause of difference, is made a party matter ; and feeling becomes ever more deeply and widely embittered. The war spreads to the right hand and to the left, enfeebling spiritual life, causing thoughtful Christians everywhere intense pain, and driving the enemies of God further away from Him.

‘Seeing then,’ says Paul, ‘that discord, and all the evils it brings with it, are plainly due to vanity, and party spirit, and exclusive regard to what are, or are supposed to be, one’s own interests ; the means of preventing it will obviously be found in earnestly and prayerfully cultivating a spirit opposed to all these. Instead of factiousness and vainglory, in /owdliness of mind let each esteem other* better than themselves. Instead of

1 “Other” here, as several times in the Authorized Version, is plural. See, for example, Josh. viii. 22, and the 3d verse of the 4th chapter of

regarding self-interest only, Zook every man also on the things of others.’

An unregenerate man, whether he be simply indifferent to religion, or the votary of a false religion, is proud. The essence of sin is arrogant self-assertion against God; and it follows most naturally that the sinful heart will be self-asserting against man also. A soul which, through pride, has broken Ὁ away from the orbit that God made it to revolve in, and has become a ‘ wandering star,’ cannot but, through the impulse of the same pride, seek to be itself the centre of a system. ‘ Lowliness of mind’ is therefore a distinctively Christian virtue. Energetic, honest, sober, a man may be through other influences than those which stand connected with the knowledge of Christ ; but truly humble, never. This element of character enters only when, in the light of God, we see our ignorance, and folly, and feebleness, and guilt; and learn also, through the example of the Lord, the sublime beauty and dignity of humbling ourselves in self-sacrificing love. ‘ Learn of Me,’ He says, ‘for I am meek and lowly in heart ; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.’ ‘If I, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye ought to wash one another’s feet.’ He ‘ took upon Him our flesh, and suffered death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of His great humility.’ ἢ

Being Christ-like, as the apostle illustrates in detail in the wonderful paragraph which follows that now before us, true ‘ lowliness of mind’ has nothing in common with meanness of spirit. Whilst it recognises facts as they are in human nature, it involves essentially a profound respect for man’s possible self,— self changed, as—blessed be God’s name !—it will be, and is even now from ‘ glory to glory’ becoming, in all true believers, into the likeness of Christ. Neither is this spirit in any measure allied to despondency. The truth which awakens it is

this Epistle. In the age when our translation was made, this form was employed for the plural as freely as ‘ others.’ 1

Collect of the Church of England, for the Sunday before Easter.

[δα gospel, the tidings of love. Thus the very same light which reveals to us our own destitution of anything to be proud of, shows us abundant ground to ‘glory in the Lord.’ Discerning our own guilt, we see at the same time that ‘ the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin.’ Convinced that we know nothing of ourselves as we ought to know, we find also that ‘we have an unction from the Holy One, and know all things.’ Recognising our own utter weakness, we discover likewise that we ‘ can do all things in Christ, which strengtheneth us.’ Christian humility leads a man to ‘ abide in Christ,’ and thus to possess all he needs. Says wise and good Sir Matthew Hale, on a retrospect of many years, during which he had been called on to occupy himself with great affairs, and, in circumstances of peculiar difficulty, had ‘adorned the doctrine of God his Saviour,’—‘ I can call my own experience to witness that, even in the external actions and incidents of my whole life, I was never disappointed of the best guidance and direction, when, in diffidence of my own ‘ability to direct myself, or to grapple with the difficulties of my life, I have with humility and sincerity implored the direction and guidance of the divine wisdom and providence.’

This ‘ lowliness of mind’ leads ‘ each to esteem other better than themselves.’ A similar precept to the present is given by the apostle to the Romans, when he enjoins them to ‘be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another ;’ and to the Ephesians, when he calls on them to ‘ submit themselves one to another in the fear of God.’ Peter, too, says, ‘ All of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility.’1_ The basis of this mutual ‘ subjection’ is exhibited in the passage now before us. ‘Submit to each other, as each esteeming the other to be better than himself, — ‘superior to himself’ in important respects. This does not at all imply that there should be blindness to one’s own abilities and attainments, or to the deficiencies of others. We are ‘ Rom. xii. 10; Eph. v. 21; 1 Pet. v. 5.

bound to struggle earnestly against our natural tendencies to undervalue our neighbours, and ‘ think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think ;’ but excess in the other direction, not very common certainly, but which does occasionally show itself in certain temperaments, is also injurious. Some approach to really accurate knowledge of our own powers and those of the persons with whom we associate, is needful for our rightly filling the place of Christian usefulness which God has assigned us, and helping our brethren to fill theirs. ‘My humility,’ says Luther, ‘is not of so foolish a kind as to make me desirous of concealing the gifts God has bestowed on me.’ Says Paul, ‘In nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. These last words show where Christian humility 1165. There may be a consciousness of knowledge and power, but there is a profound conviction at the same time that these are wholly through the gracious working of God’s Spirit, in one personally unworthy and impotent. It is felt that acuteness and learning and Christian activity are, as Luther has it in the words I have quoted, ‘gifts of God,’—and ‘ where is boasting then? It is excluded.’

The spirit of Christ will lead us, however great may be our powers, and however beautiful our character, in comparison with the powers and characters of those around us, to endeavour to serve them in love, ‘to please our neighbour for his good to edification,’ to ‘bear one another’s burdens.’ It will lead us to ‘look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others,—to cherish and manifest a spirit of unselfishness in regard to all things,—to be considerate, active, self-denying, for the good of others, feeling them and ourselves to be ina bond of brotherhood. Jesus, infinitely glorious in dignity and holiness, humbled Himself for your sake and mine. The ‘Lord of all,’ He became ‘the Servant of all” ‘The Son of man came, not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.’

But a Christian, as he grows in spiritual wisdom, will not merely see ever more clearly the dutifulness and beauty of self-sacrificing consideration for others, but abundant ground, too, for ‘esteeming others better than himself.’ Increasing self-knowledge brings increasing self-loathing. With growing purity and beauty, there is a deeper sense of the vileness of remaining impurity. His ignorance, too, the degree in which his attainments are below what his privileges might have led him to, his dulness of spiritual apprehension, his lack of spiritual energy,—these come more distinctly before his mind. Thus he cherishes a lowly opinion of himself. Others he cannot know as he knows himself; and ‘ the charity which always accompanies true humility leads him to attribute what seems to be good in other men to the best principle which can reasonably be supposed to have produced it; while it leads him, from his necessary ignorance of their motives, to make allowances for their defects and failings, which he cannot make for his own.’ ὦ John Howe, certainly one of the very wisest and best men of his age, says, ‘ Perhaps the reason why, in some disputable points, I have seen further than some of my brethren, is because their more elevated minds have been employed on greater and nobler objects, which has prevented their looking so minutely into these particular questions.’ It is very interesting to’ see, in the case of our apostle himself, how, as he ripened in spiritual excellence, his ‘ lowliness of mind,’ in his judgment of himself, as compared with others, finds always stronger expression. In the First Epistle to the Corinthians we find him describing himself as ‘the least of the apostles,—in the considerably later written Epistle to the Ephesians, as ‘less than the least of all saints,—and in the still later First Epistle to Timothy, as ‘the chief of szzners.’

Another fact, too, which is fitted to lead a thoughtful person to ‘esteem others better than himself,’ is that, however little which is estimable or admirable may be in their character at 1

Dr. John Brown.

present, there are in them the grandest fosszbilities of holy character, and of fitness for some form of the work of Christ. The wild, brawling street-boy may yet be a Bunyan; the careless, dissolute young sailor, a Newton; the self-righteous bigot, a Paul.