Christian of 99 A.D. And That of Today

Chronicle (Levin), 8 February 1949, Page 4

Christian of 99 A.D. And That of Today

"The saving fact of Christ, with all its varied implications for human life, personal, communal and international — was at . the heart of the apostolic Gospel preached in Corinth in 99 A.D. as it must be at the heart of the Gospel preached in Levin in 1949 A.D.," said Rev. A. Salmond, preaching'in St. Adrew's Presbyteriap Church yesterday. "The fundamental spiritual needs of the numan heart were very much the same then as now. In some ways the resident of Cor-in.Lh had definite advantages over hi's equivalent in Levin. In other ways thev advantage lay with the mah of Levin. 1 "Many people in Corinth could not read," continued Mr- Salmond. "Everyone in Levin can read, - but the.'daily report of the. world's ne'ws and the latest romantic novel give poor g.uidance in the deep things of t'he soul. Few in Corinth had free access to 4tne contents of the New Testament. Everyone in Levin has that freedom but few use it. "The Corjnthians had one distinct advantage. They had memories which in modern men and womep have been largely destroyed by reliance on the" written or printed word, and they thought on what they rememhered of the Gospel Paul preached to them. Life was very real for them, because it lacked all the sheltering safeguaras centuries of Christian civilisation have slowly 'built up round the life we experience in a country like New Zealand. "Relentless business, petty" distractions and a ceaseless roun'd of amusements often make modern men and women blind to how raw and oppressive even civilised life can become. The Corinthian was spared that tempfcation, and the Gospel came to him with a directness and a saving power that lifted him out of the morass of corrupt paganism he was living in. The Very safeguards a Christian community slowly built up to maintain the decencies of life could make men blind to the fundamental need fm* decision for or against Jesus Christ," concluded the preacher.