The Purpose

The ethic of Christ is absolute. Whereas the world before His time lived by "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." we have laid upon us the absurd command "resist not evil" (or as St. Paul probably more correctly interprets it. "resist not evil with evil"). Still more ludicrous comes. "Whoever smiles thee on one cheek, turn the other as well" (St. Matthew 5:39).

However crazy it may, seem, we are told "love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you, pray for them that dispitefully use you." (St. Luke 6.27.) When Peter leaps up to save his Lord from capture and cuts off a soldier's ear he is met by the emphatic "Sheathe your sword, they that live by the sword shall perish by the sword." (St. Mathew 26.52.) To the world of Christ's day, as to the world today, this teaching sounded rediculous; but this is what; is known as the "foolishness" of the Gospel, reaching the heights of sheer folly in "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and you shall be hated of all nations for my sake, but he that endures to the very end shall be saved." (St. Mathew 24.9 and 13.)