In the latter part of the second century, the Christian leader Tertullian wrote a defense of Christian practice called the Apologia. That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me (Jn. âThey are a joyful people.â Aristides watched as âthey go their way in all humility and cheerfulness. âAnd all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. One recent evening I watch a televised moment in John McCain’s campaign for re-election to the U. S. Senate, in which a visibly angry white male shouted “shoot, bury, and shut up” about them. As our sign says, “All Are Welcome.”, A spiritually progressive, open and affirming, congregation of the United Church of Christ, Updated UCC website offers much more than just a new look, Video series, coming seminars show how focus on generosity can invigorate congregations, ‘Crazy big’ Christmas gift brightens Nebraska city, helps kids. How does every member of a congregation count the interests of every member of the congregation as more important than their own? Love is the wisdom and power of God. Such, O King, is the commandment of the law of the Christians, and such is their manner of life. [1] “The Foot-Washing Lord and Savior” An Exposition of John 13 by the Rev. John R. W. Stott, given at Intervarsity Christian Fellowship’s Urbana Missions Conference, 1970. Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another…. Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly. One of the most loving things that we can do for each other as a church family is to pray for one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”, In December 1970, I was a 23-year-old theology student living in Boston, who had just met a young college student from Toronto who would later become my wife. Though some protest, he moves from disciple to disciple washing their feet – the argumentative Simon Peter gets his feet washed; the sometimes sarcastic and skeptical Thomas gets his feet washed; even Judas whom Jesus knows to be plotting his act of betrayal, gets his feet washed. In Greek, Philadelphia is almost always used of the love among the children in a family. To reflect on how worship—singing, teaching, the Lord’s Table, and baptism—shapes those sensitivities of forgiving people that were discussed in the previous study. And he, who has, gives to him who has not, without boasting. This was the blessed fruit of Christâs dying precept to his disciples, to love one another, and his dying prayer for them, that they all may be one in Christ. Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly. 34 A new commandment () I give to you, () that you love one another: () just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. In reading translations of The Apology of Aristides we donât find the precise phrase, âBehold, how they love one another.â Yet, that deduction certainly seems fitting from Aristidesâ description of the early Church. These two things—bold witness and visible love—have been the hallmark of the church in every age of persecution and hostility. These Christians lived, what Jesus commanded, “Love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. Below is an excerpt from, The Apology of Aristides, as translated by D. M. Kay, taken from the Syriac version. And as for their words and their precepts, O King, and their glorying in their worship, and the hope of earning according to the work of each one of them their recompense which they look for in another world,-you may learn about these from their writings. SERMON: It is one of my peculiarities, that I look to the past – the very distant past, to find clues to a meaningful life in the present. The love he gave to them was love modeled after that first seen in our ‘foot-washing Lord and Savior’. I have noticed that a lot of time and effort is spent around here by people trying to make things grow. That is, we only can tell the world that God sent Jesus Christ to mankind—the most important thing in … By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one anoth. Some years ago, a distinguished colleague of mine, well-schooled in the discipline of biblical studies and a skilled preacher of the Gospel, took a sabbatical in which he visited Mother Theresa’s home of the indigent in Calcutta, India. She is a California native and currently studies Philosophy and Religion at Hillsdale College in Michigan. . In the New Testament, the world always refers to the love of Christians for one another. 100–ca. I wonder how many people look at us and say the same. The civil rights movement and the war in Viet Nam had created enormous divisions within both church and society. The first great North African theologian was Tertullian(ca. Or to give ourselves in genuine friendship – not superficial but sacrificial – to someone hooked on drugs, and stand by him faithfully during the painful period of withdrawal? Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. That is, we only can tell the world that God sent Jesus Christ to mankindâthe most important thing in ⦠In the Book of Acts, Luke wrote about the early first-century Church, âAnd all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” In so doing, Stott was drawing upon a very ancient understanding of what it means to be the church. I have noticed that a lot of time and effort is spent around here by people trying to make things grow. âSee how they love one another!â they would remark. 1… They do not worship idols (made) in the image of man; and whatsoever they would not that others should do unto them, they do not to others; and of the food which is consecrated to idols they do not eat, for they are pure. Or are we meant to offer our lives in Christ’s service in a developing country abroad – as a doctor, nurse, teacher, agriculturalist or social worker – when it would be more lucrative and more respectable to pursue our profession at home?” Then Stott really pushed his audience, arguing that they needed to learn to love those whom most in America’s church scorned – the counter-culture, free-sex, drug-addicted, dropping-out-of-society ‘hippies.’. "Behold! How They Love One Another! Their piety is as much an inward reality as it is an outward act. And he who has, gives to him who has not, without boasting. Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly. I am also grateful for the calling I received from the New Hampshire Conference of the United Church of Christ to be its Associate Conference Minister, and to have a significant role in the lives of our churches and pastors. Saint Jerome), and other ancient writers. Verse 34. .” [2]. Earlier in chapter 13 of John Jesus gives us his take on this command. romanticize the early church as an age of purity to which we should seek to return We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. To appreciate the centrality of reconciliation to the church’s ministry. It was said of the early Christians, "Behold, how they love one another." Love One Another … 34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. In the early Church, the believersâ love for one another, and for others, was so authentic and so obvious that even those outside the Church took notice and were amazed by the loving-kindness of first and second-century Christians. From a world-view, these Christians mustâve been seemed âpeculiar.â Not in a negative sense, but in the genuineness and graciousness of their love. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. What would that look like? “Perhaps no one has captured the exuberant spirit of simple caring and sharing better than the Christian philosopher Aristides, whose words (written in A.D. 125) are so moving that they are best quoted in full: They walk in all humility and kindness, and falsehood is not found among them, and they love one another. John 15:12 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Jesus rises from the table, puts on the apron of a slave, gathers a basin of water, and then systematically begins washing the feet of his disciples. Further, if one or other of them have bondmen and bondwomen or children, through love towards them they persuade them to become Christians, and when they have done so, they call them brethren without distinction. When we gathered on that day in December 1970, we were momentarily stepping out of a country at war with itself , to consider our calling to be Christian young people. The phrase “brotherly love” in vs. 9 translates Philadelphia, a word partly based on the root of philia. . “For, âye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous lightâ (1 Peter 2:9). Falsehood is not found among them.” “They love one another in action, not just words.” Aristides noted that “they love one another; the widows’ needs are not ignored, and they rescue … Children of God Love One Another 1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. (This song can also be found under an alternate title, We are One in the Spirit.) And he, who has, gives to him who has not, without boasting. “May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer. Raised in a pagan family, he was educated in Latin grammar, rhetoric, and philosophy—the standard curriculum for boys who wished to become lawyers or civil servants in the Roman government. See, they say, how they love one another, for they themselves are animated by mutual hatred. GREETING: I am deeply grateful to John and Susan for inviting me to share in this worship service, to help you think together about the future and the place that this church will have in the future of Meriden, the Upper Valley, and – indeed – the entire human community. And verily, they are those who found the truth when they went about and made search for it; and from what we considered, we learned that they alone come near to a knowledge of the truth. Box 187, As an Open and Affirming congregation, we welcome people of all ages, races, lifestyles, and sexual orientation. This can be found in Tertullian's "Apology," Chapter 39.7 (circa 200 A.D). Once we commit to follow the Lord, we also commit to love others. Great love can be shown not by merely saying “I’ll pray for you” but by putting a hand on someone’s shoulder right then and there and lifting up the need in prayer. And when they see a stranger, they take him in to ⦠He learned in those few moment, and in that day of carefully clipping the nails of the ill and dying, the meaning of humble service. Further, as outsiders considered the expressions of love shown by these Christians, they consequently had to consider the source of that loveâwho is Jesus Christ. Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly. century Greek Christian and philosopher who presented a letter of defense to the reigning Caesar (Emperor), Hadrian. We are not doing a very good job of teaching the importance of love. In his talk that day, Stott said, “If the love in our hearts is Christ’s love, we shall not shrink from sacrificial service, from a service which is costly in energy, dignity, money or time. The problem of loving, however, may not lie so much in the people we are commanded to love, as it does in our understanding of what it means to love. Aristides was an early second-. In 1966, Peter Scholtes, published the hymn, Theyâll know we are Christians by our Love. . How do we teach each child and each adult to love the people that are hard to love? For our elders, the church seemed to stand against the tides of peace and justice, while we wanted it to stand for the higher values embodied in our faith. 160–220). They lived in simplicity. Though we have our treasure-chest, it is not made up of purchase-money, as of a religion that has its price. Now turn with me in the New Testament to The Acts of the Apostles. See How They Love One Another Lesson Plans Teaching Goals 1. And if they hear that one of their number is imprisoned or afflicted on account of the name of their Messiah, all of them anxiously minister to his necessity, and if it is possible to redeem him they set him free. They do not worship strange gods, and they go their way in all modesty and cheerfulness. Dr. Derek W. H. Thomas. It is also seen in the deep divisions in America over the issue of immigration. In chapters 15 and 16, Aristides describes the commandments of God and claims Christians "walk in all humility and kindness, and falsehood is not found among them, and they love one another." And when they see a stranger, they take him in to their own homes and rejoice over him as a … Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later.”… 36 “Lord, where are You going?” Simon Peter asked. And I pray that when people write our histories, they will say of us what has been said of those living in Tertullian’s second century era, “Behold, how they love one another.” May that be our deepest and most lasting legacy. âPerhaps no one has captured the exuberant spirit of simple caring and sharing better than the Christian philosopher Aristides, whose words (written in A.D. 125) are so moving that they are best quoted in full: Just as Stott that day challenged his listeners to love sacrificially so I ask you to love sacrificially and humbly. Talking to us that day in the University of Illinois’ great arena, Stott taught us Jesus Christ’s first and great commandment, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. . As men who know God, they ask from Him petitions which are fitting for Him to grant and for them to receive. See, they say about us, how they are ready even to die for one another, for they themselves would sooner kill." And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. Well... We treat them nice because we want them to like us. - (2) The demand which this glorification would make on the mutual fidelity and affection of the disciples. Governor Pliny writes Emperor Trajan for advice in dealing with "The Christian Problem" (AD 112) Just as the second century author of the book of Revelation looked to the promises and hopes of earlier Jewish Apocalyptic writers to provide encouragement and hope for his/her readers, readers enmeshed in very difficult circumstances, so I look to the writings of first and second century followers of Christ to find meaning for the present and future of our church. Tag Archives: Aristides behold how they love one another “The Growing Christian Life” (I Peter 1:22 sermon) Posted on 2019/06/24 by Shawn Thomas. These Christians lived, what Jesus commanded, “Love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. This letter was entitled. See How They Love One Another. Usually quoted as 'See how [these Christians] love one another.' “See how they love one another!” they would remark. Aristides did write, âand they love one another,â about the early Christians. Wherefore they do not commit adultery nor fornication, nor bear false witness, nor embezzle what is held in pledge, nor covet what is not theirs. When we realize the true character of some unsaved people, or the values they have, or the way they treat other people, why do we as Christians put up with them? "Behold how they love one another..." 3 How do we love one another? John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. The older I … Young people, disappointed by the church, were leaving it in droves. âBehold, how they love another!â The origin of this phrase is generally attributed to Aristides the Athenian (or maybe as a reaction to Aristidesâ description of Christians). For great indeed, and wonderful is their doctrine to him who will search into it and reflect upon it. They do not worship strange gods, and they go their way in all modesty and cheerfulness. Tag Archives: Aristides behold how they love one another âThe Growing Christian Lifeâ (I Peter 1:22 sermon) Posted on 2019/06/24 by Shawn Thomas. See, they say, how they love one another . For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. It ought to still be said of followers of Christ, “Behold, how they love one another! From a world-view, these Christians mustâve been seemed âpeculiar.â Not in a negative sense, but in the genuineness and graciousness of their love. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-45 KJV).Â. Just as Stott that day challenged his listeners to love sacrificially so I ask you to love sacrificially and humbly. As you already know, I served in the parish for more than 35 years – 25 of them in neighboring Lebanon – before receiving this call, and I learned a long time ago that the Meriden Congregational United Church of Christ had a significant voice that was being heard in the Upper Valley, the New Hampshire Conference, and even the wider United Church of Christ – a voice of compassion, of voice at once deeply spiritual and rooted in the present reality, a voice urging justice and peace in our world. Stephen P. White. It is by such love . And when they see a stranger, they take him in to their homes and rejoice over him as a very brother; for they do not call them brethren after the flesh, but brethren after the spirit and in God. McCain quietly and courageously answered, ‘This is not what our country is all about.” Yesterday, searching for the exact words that were used, I scanned a dozen or more articles before giving up. They observe the precepts of their Messiah with much care, living justly and soberly as the Lord their God commanded them. Tertullian is now called the “Father of Latin Theology,” but he was not the first theologian of the West. They honour father and mother, and show kindness to those near to them; and whenever they are judges, they judge uprightly. G. Behold, how they love one another… That type of love is so rarely seen, it would seem peculiar. And when we do so, may the world say of us what one ancient non-believer said of the early Church: “Behold, how they love one another.” Taryn Murphy is a summer intern with the Creative Services department at Focus on the Family. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be savedâ (Acts 2:44-47). How do we love children? I think you’ll be surprised at what he says: “There is no buying and selling of any sort in the things of God. They do not worship strange gods, and they go their way in all modesty and cheerfulness. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. And they do not proclaim in the ears of the multitude the kind deeds they do, but are careful that no one should notice them; and they conceal their giving just as he who finds a treasure and conceals it. On his first day there, as the volunteers lined up for their assignments, he was surprised when he was handed a pair of nail clippers and assigned the task of clipping the nails of those who were too ill to clip their own. “For, âye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous lightâ (1 Peter 2:9), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Purchase online â sites available in 5 countries, James Callen – Follower of Jesus Christ, Bible teacher, and award-winning Christian author, Love one another in Christ: Christian example from the early Church. Set to a simple tune the words “They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love; they will know that we are Christians by our love.” became a bright and shining light to our generation of young believers. 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