Ver. 15. A Spurious Ministry.
I. The elements formative of it.—1. An imperfect apprehension of Christ’s mission. 2. A total absence of Christ’s spirit. 3. Thought and sympathy narrowed by early prejudice and preconceived ideas. 4. Christ made subservient to the doctrines, ritual, and history of a system.
II. The results inseparable from it.—1. The cross degraded into a rallying point for party strife. 2. The basest spirit indulged under the pretence of fulfilling a sacred office. (1) Envy—displeasure at another’s good. (2) Strife—selfish rivalry which seeks to gain the good belonging to another. 3. Christ preached merely to advance a party. 4. Zeal for propagating a creed greater than to save a lost world.—Ibid.
Ver. 16. The Germ of a Spurious Ministry—
- May exist in those who zealously preach Christ.
- Consists in a moral contradiction between the heart of the preacher and the theme of his discourse—contentiousness and Christ.
- Produces impurity of motive in Christian work—“not sincerely.”
- Biases the judgment to expect results which are never realised—“supposing.”
- Inspires aims which are un-Christian—“to add affliction to my bonds.”
Ver. 17. The Real and the Counterfeit in the Christian Ministry.
I. They correspond.—1. Both adopt the Christian name. 2. Both utter the same shibboleth. 3. Both active in preaching Christ.
II. They differ.—1. In heart. Contention rules the one; love reigns in the other.
2. In spirit.—Envy and strife moves the one; goodwill actuates the other.
3. In source of strength.—Love of party animates the one; waxing confident in the Lord emboldens the other.