If we are interested in summarizing Christianity as a lifestyle we look to the biography of Jesus Christ, and attempt to live according to his pattern, motivations, tolerances, concepts, habits, treatment of the human experience, and all that goes into practical living. We follow to the best of our ability, but assisted by the Holy Spirit. It is marked by love, truth, righteousness (devotion, values, exemplary) and service within the individual’s life context. For the sake of discussion we leave here the understanding that Jesus Christ incorporated two natures, human and divine, so to make him unique among all the persons who have ever lived. He tended to mute his divinity somewhat in the objectivity of his speech and conduct so to offer the possible and acceptable outcomes for uncertain human beings. He even muted some of his powers for the occasions of miracles in which, on occasion, he used props to accomplish his purpose – as when he took a lad’s lunch, multiplied it and fed a multitude. He could have provided the meal with no props, but he followed a methodology that would not permit the pleasant miracle of grace to become the central factor of the day. Doubters could say that it was a carefully planned event with provision made on the side, brought out when needed, and distributed in a dramatic way that lent some force to his message of spiritual concern. We need to be reminded from time to time that there were also women in the entourage, wives of the disciples and others, including seventy chosen persons who fanned out through the tribes of Israel to communicate his message. (Mark 15:40-41; Luke 24:22-24; Luke 10:1, 17) During the 1000 days of his public ministry Jesus saturated Israel with his message of redemption. It reached to the highest courts of the land and the lowest hut. Cleopas was surprised to talk to a stranger who appears not to have heard the details of the experience of Jesus. (Luke 24:18-24) His work was what we call missionary in the centuries following. Although his was an intensely concentrated mission program, it was reflective of the effort on the part of many in Israel to make proselytes (converts). The program of the Jews had declined into acceptance of a general belief and practices dictated by the priests. Jesus made clear that he was addressing experience. His was a direct spiritual experience with God, covering the fallen nature of man with the forgiveness and redemptive provision with God, so to recover the hope of life with God both currently and forevermore.
Word from our Alumni Representative on 10/25/2013 that: Phil Saint had died at ninety eight years of age. Phil completed a Master’s degree at Wheaton College the year I entered as a junior student in 1944. My friend, Norman Lewis, was a close friend to Phil and introduced him to me on a visit to the Saint family home in Wheaton. Phil became a missionary statesman. (Brother, Nate Saint, was a fine lad at the time of my introduction, and would give his life in martyrdom with four other men ten years later in South America, which event was followed up by his sister and the wives of the martyred men – without hatred.) The Saint family was one of those somewhat different families intense for God in the world. We also had Phil Foxwell in those days. Phil could do marvels. He loved doing magic. Students packed programs we pressed on him. I followed one of them, in his every move, to see if I could find his secrets. The one that impressed me, perhaps the one most reported about him, was his ability to accept from a stranger a page, commonly from the Saturday Evening Post, permit Phil to read it, and then hand it back to the provider. The provider would ask questions about the page, such as: Would you repeat the last sentence in column two of the page you just reviewed? Seemingly without effort, Phil quoted the line to perfection. Some months before this occasion he needed one credit in language (Greek) to complete his program. The college professor agreed to the completion of the requirement if Phil could adequately define any ten Greek words chosen at random by the professor. The date was set for the oral exam. Phil read the Greek lexicon. The professor chose ten words, received accurate definitions and included the credit as promised. Phil had a photographic mind, was a gifted person in body, soul and spirit, and determined to follow Christ in every possible human way. Since Christ was a missionary he would be a missionary. Since Christ was a leader he would be a leader. Since Christ felt empathy and concern to serve other persons, so would he. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020