1.J 00. LOVE, THE CENTRAL ELEMENT
Chapter 10: LOVE, THE CENTRAL ELEMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY.
KNOW of no single passage of Scripture that gives, with so much detail, the apostle’s idea of the ends and instrumentalities of the Christian minister, as that contained in the fourth chapter of Ephesians, a few verses of which I will read to you, because there is one sentence there that will contain the thought of to-day. “ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, rnaketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
I purpose, this afternoon, to speak to you on the love-principle as the central power in the work of a Christian minister. “ Speaking the truth in love,” is the expression, and it is still stronger in the original than in our version, because we have no word signifying “ to truth.” We say “ to speak the truth.” Literally, it is truthing it in love. No one, it seems to me, can have read attentively the teachings of the apostle, and entered into the spirit in which he worked, without having seen under all his feelings and experiences the influence of this immense love-principle. In him it took on a more enthusiastic form than it did in the Saviour. It was, as one might say, more a novelty with him.
It was the eternal state of the Saviour, widely diffused and developed, and like a native atmosphere, such as envelops the whole earth. In the apostle it seems more like an intense or concentrated inspiration. It was news to him, indeed, and good news.
It inspired evidently and vividly every part of his life.