CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23436, 26 February 1938, Page 27

CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE

TO THE EDITOR Sir—The inconsistency that Mr James Braid thinks he sees in these verses is only on the surface: “To deliver such an one unto Satan for. the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”—l Corinthians v, 5. “ Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”—ll Corinthians ii, 11. In the first instance Paul instructs the whole church at Corinth to deliver a certain Christian man of their company over to Satan to chastise him because he had committed a terrible sin. Paul was indignant with the Christians of Corinth for being far too lenient towards this offender. These inexperienced converts from Paganism had much to learn —they had many gifts, but few graces. They had been born and bred in an atmosphere of Pagan pollution. The city of Corinth was a very wicked city. In the second instance we find that the Christians at Corinth took Paul’s advice and excommunicated the transgressor. But when he had truly repented of his great sin and was filled with deep sorrow on account of it the very Christians who had been so lax in the first instance had now become hard and harsh. Paul told them plainly that it was their duty to receive the repentant brother back into their midst “ lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” What shall I say more? Has Mr Braid never made a study of the first two chapters of Job? They are part of “the Scripture of Truth.” It is quite true that if even an angel from heaven were to come to earth and teach any doctrine that is contrary to the teaching of the Bible I would not believe in him! I fully agree with what Paul was inspired to write in Galatians i, 8, 9. —I am, etc., Maran-atha.