# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1914_S30
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

30 Proceedings of the twenty-fifth convention

other diseases, of the rain of bullets to which a soldier must expose himself, of the cry of anguish of the wounded, of the groaning of the dying. A soldier must endure hardship. — A soldier of Jesus Christ, too, must endure hardship. Often bodily. One thinks of the torments of the martyrs, whose blood was shed in streams during the persecutions of Christians in the first centuries, and of the torture of the witnesses unto blood at the time of the Reformation. Paul knew what he was writing when he said: "Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ!" He not only went through much otherwise in his apostolic career (cf. 2 Cor. 11:23–33), he was lying in prison at Rome at the very moment when he wrote his second letter to Timothy and was facing his impending execution.

A good soldier must continually drill. Even if he is already an old campaigner and has won brilliant victories in many a bloody battle and fray, the drills are nevertheless not remitted to him. A soldier of Jesus Christ, too, must remain in constant practice. He must exercise himself in godliness. (1 Tim. 4:7.) He must exercise himself to have a conscience void of offense at all times, both toward God and toward men. (Acts 24:16.)

"No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who has chosen him to be a soldier." (2 Tim. 2:4.) The government supplies the soldier with everything: clothing, food, shelter, weapons, ammunition, medical care, pay of honor, old soldiers' home, even cemetery and burial. The soldier himself has nothing to worry about; he has only the one concern, how he may please him who has enlisted him. So God also cares for his good soldiers. He who feeds the birds under heaven and gives them food in due time, who clothes the lilies of the field, also equips his soldiers with everything necessary, so that they need not worry, for he cares for us. It is a disgrace for anyone who for the sake of gain or honor gets involved in the affairs of this world. Our only concern must be how we may please our Commander, Jesus Christ.

"And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully," that is, as the Commander orders. (2 Tim. 2:5.) "All is fair in war" is a rule that does not apply to the warfare of a good soldier of Jesus Christ in the battle against the children of unbelief. Deceit and dissimulation, lies and fraud a soldier of Jesus Christ avoids; he fights openly and honestly. He is indeed wise as serpents, but also harmless as doves. (Matt. 10:16.) He wants to win, but honorably. The vanquished enemy is to become a faithful friend, yes, even a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Saul becomes Paul.

What reward is the soldier of Jesus Christ to expect? What reward Paul expected for himself and all soldiers of Jesus Christ he writes to his pupil Timothy (2 Tim. 4:7, 8): "I have