528 ~ m g j J o f i t i o n e n tiber bie 3tlleite \ t b a n g e f i e n t e i ~ e bet 5 ~ n o b a n o n f e t e n 5 . Having thus spoken, the apostle kuelt down "and prayed with them all," all the elders. They all wept sore and, falling on Paul's neck, kissed him time and again, "sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake that they should see his face no more." While the apostle had used the word ,;'pe(J{h, v. 25, the evangelist here uses the word f}EW(!"Y, inspect, gaze upon. How often had the elders, with rapt attention, gazed upon his face, watched ev81'Y changed mien, watched that mouth from which the words of life flowed in a mighty stream, those eyes, now burning with indignation at sin and hypocrisy, now glowing with love divine and pity for the weary wayfarer on the way to eternity. No more will they see that face. And so, while they have opportunity to be with him, they accompany him to the ship, and as the ship finally weighs anchor, they wave to him from the shore. They watch it glide out of the harbor and enter the open sea until it is 'a speck on the horizon and finally lost to their sight. Slowly, with many a tear coursing down their cheeks, they wend their way back to their charge. Submitting to the will of God, Paul's farewell plea ringing in their ears, their hearts and souls are filled with fervent determination to continue the work of Paul in the spirit of Paul. Pastors and teachers are given by the Lord as precious gifts and by Him removed. The Pauls, the Luthers, the Walthers, are sent by God to do His will, to build His Ohureh; and after they have finished their course, they are called home to their eternal reward. Men come, and men go. Yet through all the centuries, through all the many changes in the Ohurch and in the world, God and His Word and His grace remain the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. T. LAETSCH. 4 I c ; t ) i ~ l ' u f i t i u n e n fiber bie &weite Dun ber ~ ~ n o b a l f u n f e r e n ~ ttngenummene @Mngelienreiije. Sedjftcr Sonntag ltIldj : ! : r i n i t l l t i ~ . matq. 15, 1-9. ~ i e @efdjicfjte tllieberfjoIt fidj, audj bie .\1trdjcngefdjtdj±e. mefonbere ~ J C i i n g e 1 , @erafjrcn, ~ r t f e ~ r e n fefjren immcr tllieDcr. ~ R a n d j e ftbefftiinbe, gcgen bie G£fjrif±u£i fefbft 3eugen unD fiimpfcn mu\3te, b e b r o ~ e n gerabe in unf ern :itagen Da£i firdjIidje Eeben. S8 ie 5Belefjrung in unf erm :ite!;te ift aeHgemii\3. &crllbe 5lt lwferer ,Beit mUf1 in bet Sfirdje fdjarf nuietjdjiebcn lUetben 5wifdjen ben !1lltffiit?cn bet: 2trtcftclt nub ~ o t t c ~ ~ e b o t . 1. l i l l a ~ b i e ~ bebeutet; 2. ltJarum e§ fo nottoenbig ift. S D i S ~ o f i t i o n e n tibet bie 3roeite ~ b i l n g e ! i m r e i f ) e ber e ~ n o \ ) a i f o n f m n 3 . 529 1. a. Bm Beit ~ l j t i f t i lietiefen fidj Me ~ l j a r i f i i e r unb @5djriftgeteljrten aUf Me 2{uffiite ber ~ r t e f t e n , ba§! ljeif3t, auf bie itbetfieferungen, bie bon aUen ~ i r d j e n r e l j r e r n auf iljre Belt getommen l11aren. "SElie jlibifdjen @efcljrten ber ~ o r 8 e i t ljaitcn bon ben ;tagen @§ra§ an ba§! @efet IDCofi§ mit einem jffiaU bon @efete§!beutungen unb Wcenfdjenfatungen umgeben, unb biefe %(uffiite ober i'rlierIiefernngen b e r ~ r ± e f t e n Garten fur elienfo ljeiIig unb unberlirudjIidj tote bie @eliote, bie @ott lmrdj IDCofe§! gegelien gatte." (@5tiidljarbt, l8. @., m. ;t., 132 f.) jffioljl au liebenfen ift, baB im aUgemeinen bief e %luffiiiJe ber mteften nidjt au§! jffiiberflJrudj gegen @oite§! jffiort aufgefterr:± toorben toaren, f onbern in ber aUerbeften 2 { l i ~ fidjt, aHl \2Tu§!Iegllng, %lntoenbung, @rgiinaung oDer ~ e r ± e i b i g u n g bet @5djrif± ober am &)ebllng be§! @ e m e i n b e ~ unb SjSribaiIeben§!. wm ber Bdt ram e§! alier fo toeit, baf3 Mefe %luffate ber 0Iteften ber 6djtift g r c t d j ~ obe! gar borangef±erH tourben. b. @5o ift e§! je unb ie in ber Sfirdje gegangen. l8eifpieIe: ba§! S j S a p f t ~ tum, bef onber§ im l))W±elaIter; bie @5dten. c. 2{ucl) wir muffen un§ bor biefer Cllefaljr ljiiten. \2fudj bei un§ gibt e§ uverfieferungen, Q. )8. aUe @5!)noballiefdjIlijfe, 2{u§flJrlidje angefeljener .2eu±e, @5cljrif±au§Iegllngen unb ~ a n t o e n b u n g e n fotoie mandjedei megdn, bie gemadj± 111urben, um ba§ firdjIidje .2eben au forb ern. ~ e r a c l j t e n foUen toir fie nidjt; alier fie mUff en fteW ber &)eUigen @5djrif± untergeorbnet bIeium. 6djIief3Iidj mut aHe§ nadj ber 0djrif± cntfdjicben toerben: 11105 bie ~ d j r i l t gebie±d, m u ~ gclio±en toerben; t o a ~ fie berJJietet, nmj3 \ ) e t ~ lioten toerben; t o a ~ fie gefta±±d, barf feinem aur @5unbe gemadjt werben. ;In beaug aUf ~ i r d j e n g e o r a u d j e unb @ 5 ! ) n o b a I ~ unb @emeinbebefdjIliffe iit jebodj ilU beadjten, baB ein ~ l j r i f t fidj iljnen a u ~ .2ielie unb um ber guten vrbnllng toiUen fiigt, fofange fie nidjt gegen @oite§! jffiot± finb. 2. a. jffienn in ciner Si:irdjengemeinfdjaf± ober in einer @emcinbe nidjt fdjorf un±erfdjieben toirb aioifdjen @o±±e§! @elio± unb ben 2{uffaten ber ilHeften, miigen biefe au§ itverIieferungen l i e f t e ~ e n ober au§! l8efdjrilffen unb IDCeinungen ber @egcnttJart, bann wirb e ~ aUf bem @eoiet ber .2eljrc immer ein )illirtfal £leven, unb bie Beute toerben angeleitet, @oHe§ @ e ~ bote au iiliet±re±en um ber menfdjIidjen %luffiite toilIen. 00 ging e ~ £lei ben ~ ~ a r i i a e r n , ~ . 3-6. 00 geljt e§ im SjSapfHum unb bei ben @5eften. @50 toitb e§ audj bei un§ geljen, toenn toir @otte§! jffiort nidjt immer im morbergrunb beljalten. b. B'erner ileigt unf er ; t e ~ t , baB .2eute, bie au bier @etoidjt aUf b a ~ ~ a H e n bon I D C e n f d j e n f a ~ u n g e n legen, in iljrem @otte§!bienfte au &