Sunday Sermon with Dr. King #14

Paul’s Letter to American Christians

In this penultimate sermon from Strength to Love*, Dr. King used some creative license to pretend to be Paul the Apostle from the Bible, addressing the American Church, like he did so many times to so many churches. Approximately 13 books in the New Testament have been attributed to Paul as the author.** I chuckled to myself as I read because it has been rare to see Dr. King’s creativity in this collection. This added to his personality for me, in the best way possible. Here is what “Paul” wrote to the American Church:

• He compliments scientific advancements such as subways and airplanes

• He questions America’s moral and spiritual progress alongside the scientific achievements

• He reminds American Christians that they are to represent Christianity, not go with majority opinion

• He cautions American’s misuse of capitalism to still prioritize “accumulating spiritual treasures” (p. 147) rather than making money

• He reminds the American Christian that although there are hundreds of denominations, there can be separation in truth, but that “God transcends our denominations” (p. 148) 

• He tells them how it is not Biblical to have a white church and a Negro church. “The undelying philosophy of Christianity is diametrically opposed to the underlying philosophy of racial segregation” (p. 149). “The festering sore of segregation debilitates the white man as well as the Negro” (p. 151).

• The greatest of all virtues is love. 

*King, M. L. (1963). Strength to love. New York: Harper & Row.

**https://www.britannica.com/list/st-pauls-contributions-to-the-new-testament