Christ as the Ideal for the Modern Church
The “Congregationalist” desires to secure a presentation of ideals for the modern church from the standpoint of the outsider. Well, here is one, which, if practically adopted by the modern church, would preclude the necessity of any other. Jesus says, “I, if I be lifted up, will ‘draw all men unto Me.’” He said to His chosen representatives, “Follow Me, and I will make you ‘fishers of men.’” He “went about doing good,” and His counsel to His followers is, “Let your light ‘so shine before men, that they may see your good ‘works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Christ was the ideal of the apostles and their fellow-laborers. Peter voiced the general sentiment in these words: “There is none other name under ‘heaven given among men, whereby we must be ‘saved.” And Paul, the one born “out of due ‘time,” a very successful minister, “determined not ‘to know anything” among the people, “save Jesus ‘Christ, and Him crucified.” And this is the only true Ideal, from “the standpoint of the outsider,” or from any other standpoint, in the legitimate work of “the modern church.”