Gods Sabbath

T HE R EAPPEARANCE OF THE P ROBLEM

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tions had cost the apostle and his fellow workers much time, anxious thought, and wearisome labor. The sum, which far ex ceeded the expectations of the elders at Jerusalem, represented many sacrifices and even severe privations on the part of the Gentile believers. “These freewill offerings betokened the loyalty of the Gentile converts to the organized work of God throughout the world and should have been received by all with grateful acknowledgment, yet it was apparent to Paul and his companions that even among those before whom they now stood were some who were unable to appreciate the spirit of brotherly love that had prompted the gifts.” The Acts of the Apostles , 399.2–399.3. As Paul stood before the brethren in Jerusalem, he was con scious of a very different spirit within some of those leading men from that of the believers who had given these generous, self sacrificing contributions. And Paul was not mistaken in his per ceptions. There was in fact a striking contrast between the two. Such an unfortunate condition among the believers at Jerusal em had not developed in a moment, but had insidiously crept in over a number of years. Although the victims of it did not under stand what had happened within them, this did not make the evil any less real or destructive. We who live in these closing days need to acquire a thorough understanding of both the na ture of the problem and the way it developed in order to avoid a similar situation ourselves. When, at the council in Jerusalem years before, the leaders had seen and accepted the principles of Sabbath rest, they had begun to move in the right direction. A wonderful new impetus had attended the work. Many souls were won and the gospel penetrated into regions hitherto unentered. These developments confirmed the correctness of the new stand taken, and ought to have sealed them forever against any reversions. At this point, the believers would have been greatly assisted if they had seen their experience in relation to the events in their own history, rather than as an isolated incident. They Roots not Eradicated