VOL. XXV MARCH 1942 NO. 3 "This Do in Remembrance of Me" The Holy Spirit--the Vicar of Christ "This Do in Remembrance of Me""For as often as ye eat this
Bread and drink this Cup, CHRIST OUR
Passover is sacrificed for us therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven,
neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of
sincerity and truth." (1 Cor. 5:7, 8.) Here, in one sentence, brief, but pregnant
with meaning, the beloved Apostle Paul, writing as always under the guidance and in the
power of the Holy Spirit, draws our attention to the great Antitype, the Lamb of God, who
taketh away the sin of the world, of whom the Jewish Passover lamb was but a type. How well.
the type prefigured our Lord! To begin with, the lamb selected was to be without
blemish, reminding us of the fact that our Lord Jesus had no blemish of sin in Himself,
and that He did not contract any stain or spot of sin by His contacts with the world. As
the Apostle Peter reminds us: "We were not redeemed with corruptible things, as
silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot." - 1 Pet. 1:19. The blood of
the typical lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts and lintels of the Israelite's house, but the blood of Jesus, the unforfeited
life which was made available to us by the shedding of His blood, has been graciously applied to our
hearts, removing from us the burden of unforgiven sin, setting us free from all
consciousness of evil. Again, in
instituting the typical passover, we read in the 12th chapter of Exodus that the Lord said
unto Moses: "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the
first month of the year to you." How
truly this feature is fulfilled in the experience of a consecrated believer of this
Gospel Age! Everything in his life dates from the time when he came "under the
blood." Before- that, all is darkness; before that, all is death. He does not care to
even think of the darkness of his unconverted days, and when he does occasionally
mention them, it is only that his Savior may be the more magnified in the hearts and
minds of those to whom he speaks; and that the contrast of that past with his present
happy state may awaken in him a still greater sense of gratitude and devotion. First-fruits and After-fruitsTowards the
close of his life, in a choice passage from his pen, our dear Brother Russell sought to
stir up our pure minds by way of remembrance. We quote: "Blessed
are those whose eyes can see that Jesus was indeed 'the Lamb of God that taketh away the
sin of the world'; that the cancellation of the world's sin is to be effected by the
payment of man's penalty,, by the application of Jesus' sacrificial merit in due time
for the sins of all mankind. Only the Church' have as yet received of the merit of
Jesus' death. Greatly favored are those who can see that as the whole world lost divine
favor and came under divine sentence of death, with its concomitants of sorrow and pain,
so it was necessary that a satisfaction of justice should be made before this sentence, or
curse, could be removed; and that therefore, as the Apostle declares, 'Christ died for
our sins' -- 'The Just for the unjust' that He might bring us back to God. Thus He opened
up a new way -- a way to life everlasting. "The
Scriptures call the Church of Christ, 'the Church of the First-horns,' 'a kind of
First-fruits unto God of His creatures,' 'the First-fruits unto God and the Lamb.'
(Hebrews 12:23; James 1:18; Rev. 14:4.) These expressions imply that ultimately there
will be others of God's family later born; they imply after-fruits. Christian people in
general seem to have overlooked these Scriptures, so far as making application of them is
concerned, and have generally come to believe that only those are ever to be saved who are
designated in the Bible as the First-fruits-that there will be no after-fruits. "But
the Passover type indicates that it was God's purpose to save all Israelites and that as a
nation they represented all of mankind that will ever come into harmony. with God and be
granted everlasting life in the Land of Promise. Let us note that there were two
Passovers-the one in which only the first-borns were passed over; and another greater one
at the Red Sea, when by divine power the whole nation of Israel was miraculously
delivered and led across the channel of the Sea especially prepared for them by the
accentuation of winds and tides. These passed over dryshod and were saved; while the
hosts of Pharaoh, representing all who eventually will go into the Second Death, were
overwhelmed in the Sea. The passover at the Red Sea pictures the ultimate deliverance from
the power of sin and death of every creature of Adam's race who desires to come into
accord with the Lord and to render Him worship, all who will ever become a part of Israel;
for not one Israelite was left behind in Egyptian bondage. Responsibility of the First-borns"But
this passover is not the one which we are about to celebrate. We are to celebrate the
antitype of the passing over of the first-borns of Israel by the angel, in the land of
Egypt. Only the firstborn ones of Israel were endangered on that night in Egypt, though
the deliverance of the entire nation depended upon the salvation, the passing over, of
those first-borns. So only the Firstborns of the sons of God from the human plane, the
Church of Christ, are now being passed over during this night of the Gospel Age; only
these are in danger of the destroying angel. These are all under the sprinkled blood. "We
see, in harmony with all the Scriptures, that the 'Little Flock,' 'the First-fruits unto
God of His creatures,' 'the Church of the First-borns,' alone is being spared, passed
over, during the present Age. We see that the remainder of mankind who may desire to
follow the great antitypical Moses, when in the Age to follow this He shall lead the
people forth from the bondage of sin and death, are not now in danger of eternal
destruction -only the First-borns. "The
Church of the First-borns are those of mankind who, in advance of the remainder of the
race, have had the eyes of their understanding opened to a realization of their condition
of bondage and their need of deliverance and to God's willingness to fulfill to them all
of His good promises. Furthermore, they are such as have responded to the grace of
God, have made a full consecration of themselves to Him and His service, and in return
have been begotten of the Holy Spirit. With these it is a matter of life or death whether
or not they remain in the household of faith-behind the blood of sprinkling. "For
this class to go forth from under the blood would imply a disregard of divine mercy. It
would signify that they were doing despite to divine goodness; and that, having enjoyed
their share of the mercy of God as represented in the blood of the Lamb, they were not
appreciative of it. For such, the Scriptures declare, 'There remaineth no more a sacrifice
for sins'; 'Christ dieth no more.' They are to be esteemed as adversaries of God, whose
fate was symbolized in the destruction of the firstborns of Egypt. The Church of the
First-borns, through the begetting of the Holy Spirit and the greater knowledge and
privileges which they enjoy in every way, have a far greater responsibility than has the
world; for they are the only ones yet in danger of the Second Death. This is the lesson of
the Passover type, and applies only to true Christians. "By and
by the night of sin and death will have passed away, the glorious Morn of deliverance will
have come, and The Christ, the antitypical Moses, will lead forth, will deliver, all the
people of God -- all who, when they shall come to know, will be glad to reverence,
honor, and obey the will of God. That day of deliverance will be the entire Millennial
Age, at the close of which all evil and evildoers, symbolized by the hosts of Egypt,
will be utterly cut off in the Second Death --destruction." Jesus Our Passover LambAs the Jews
fed on the literal lamb, so we are to feed on Christ; that is to say, we are to
appropriate to ourselves, by faith, His merit, the value of His sacrifice. Not only so,
but if we would be strong spiritually, and prepared for the deliverance in the morning of
the new dispensation, we must eat of the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. What is
it to "eat" of the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth? Ah! this .means
much more than might at first be supposed. It involves not merely a belief in the truth
concerning Christ and His atonement -- it goes beyond even a confession of that belief. It
includes a loving surrender to this and related truths, so that they are grasped by the
moral no less than by the intellectual side of our complex nature. Thus partaken of, the
truth will accomplish our sanctification; day by day, the renewing of our minds with His
precious Word will gradually transform us into His likeness. In the
typical arrangements bitter herbs were included, which aided and whetted the Israelites'
appetite for the lamb and unleavened bread. Commenting on this feature Brother Russell
has observed that instead of these, "we have bitter experiences and trials which
the Lord prepares for us, and which help to wean our affections from earthly things and to
give us increased appetite to feed upon the Lamb and the unleavened Bread of Truth. We,
too, are to remember that we have here no continuing city; but as pilgrims, strangers,
staff in hand, we are to gird ourselves for our journey to the Heavenly Canaan, to all the
glorious things which God has in reservation for the Church of the First-borns, in
association with our Redeemer, as kings and priests unto God." On the night
of His betrayal, just before His crucifixion, our Lord Jesus clearly identified Himself
as the antitypical Passover Lamb. Peter and John had been sent ahead, and in the
"upper room" to which they had been led, they had "made ready the passover.
At the appointed time, "when the hour was come He gathered His Apostles round Him and
said: "With desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I
suffer." "It was necessary that as Jews they should celebrate the Passover
Supper on that night-the night of the anniversary of the slaying of the Passover lamb in
Egypt, of the saving of the typical first-borns from the typical 'prince of this world' --
Pharaoh -- the same date on which the real Passover Lamb was to be slain. But as soon as
the requirements of the type had been fulfilled, our Lord Jesus instituted a new
Memorial upon the old foundation, saying, 'Do this in remembrance of Me.'" * ------------------------------------------------------- * In our
January issue we noted that the appropriate time for Observing the Memorial this year will
be after sundown in the evening of Tuesday, March 31. "This Do in Remembrance of Me"We recall
the circumstances of the first Memorial -- the blessing of the Bread and the Cup, the
fruit of the vine, and of our Lord's words in connection therewith. Year by year, as we
"keep the feast," and the time of our departure draws nigh, the appropriateness
of the symbols, and the humility and love of our Lord are more deeply impressed on our
hearts, and the longing desire within us grows more earnest that we, too, though
imperfect, may faithfully follow in His steps. Quoting
again from our dear Brother Russell: "In
presenting to the disciples the unleavened bread as a memorial, Jesus said, 'Take, eat;
this is My body.' The evident meaning of His words is, This symbolizes, or represents, My
body. The bread was not actually His body; for in no sense bad His body yet been broken.
In no sense would it then have been possible for them to have partaken of Him actually or
antitypically, the sacrifice not being as yet finished. But the picture is complete when
we recognize that the unleavened (pure, unfermented) bread represented our Lord's
sinless flesh,-leaven being a symbol of sin under the Law, and especially commanded to be
put away at the Passover season. On another occasion Jesus gave a lesson which interprets
to us this symbol. He said, 'The Bread of God is He which cometh clown from heaven, and
giveth life unto the world.' 'I am the Bread of Life.' 'I am the living Bread which came
down from heaven; if any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever; and the Bread that
I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.' -John 6:33, 35, 51. "In
order to appreciate how we are to eat, or appropriate, this living Bread, it is necessary
for us to understand just what the bread signifies. According to our Lord's explanation
of the matter, it was His flesh which He sacrificed for us. It was not His prehuman
existence as a spirit being that was sacrificed, although that was laid down and its glory
laid aside, in order that He might take our human nature. It was the fact that our Lord
Jesus was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners-without any contamination
from Father Adam, and hence free from sin-that enabled Him to become the Redeemer of
Adam and his race, that permitted Him to give His life 'a Ransom for all, to be testified
in due time.' - 1 Tim. 2:3-6. "When
we see that it was the pure, spotless nature of our Lord Jesus that was laid down on
behalf of sinners, we see what it is that we are privileged to appropriate. The very
thing that He laid down for us we are to 'eat,' appropriate to ourselves; that is to say,
His perfect human life was given to redeem all the race of man from condemnation to
death, to enable them to return to human perfection and everlasting life, if they would;
and we are to realize this and accept Him as our Savior from death." The
unforfeited life of Jesus, laid down in sacrifice for us in obedience to the Father's
will, is thus seen to be that which alone has value in the Father's sight. As the
Apostle declares: "The Man Christ Jesus who gave Himself a ransom for all." (1
Tim. 2:6.) It is important to observe, however, that the work of recovering Adam and his
race from the power of sin and death, while based on that ransom-price, goes beyond the
mere provision of the ransom. While the provision was made now nearly two thousand years
ago, it is manifest that the work of recovering Adam and his race from the power of sin
and death has not yet been accomplished; indeed it has scarcely begun. The only
disposition thus far of that Ransom has-been to make it available for the Church, and this
only by faith. Only by faith has even the Church passed "from death unto life";
not even this little flock has been fully recovered from the power of sin and death; still
less has the rest of the race. Manifestly, then, it will require a considerable time
(the Scriptures indicate the entire thousand years of Messiah's Kingdom) to restore, to
deliver, to set free, from the power of sin and death, Adam and his children. Evident it
is that the work of restoration, for which the foundation was laid nearly two thousand
years ago, is still to be accomplished. To quote once again from our Pastor "In
order that any of the race of Adam might profit by the sacrifice of Jesus, it was
necessary that He should rise from the tomb on the divine plane of life, that He should
ascend to the Father and deposit the sacrificial merit of His death in the hands of
justice, and receive from the Father 'all power in heaven and in earth.' As relates to the
world, it was necessary also that in the Father's due time He should come again to earth a
glorious divine Being, then to be to the whole world a Mediator, Prophet, Priest and King,
to assist back to perfection and to harmony with God all who will avail themselves of
the wonderful privileges then to be offered." This
blessing, restoration to human perfection (not
perfection on the spirit plane, but on the human plane) which will be the happy portion of
the entire race (call the willing and obedient), the Church of this Gospel Age receive now, by faith; that is to say, human perfection is reckoned to them by God. And the partaking of the
unleavened bread at the Memorial season means to us, primarily, the appropriation, by
faith, of this right to perfect human life,
with all its privileges, the blessing which, at the cost of His own life, our Lord
procured for us. Likewise the fruit of the vine symbolizes our Savior's life given for
us, His human life, His being, poured out unto death on our behalf; and the
appropriation of this by us also signifies, primarily, our acceptance of Restitution
rights and privileges secured by our Lord's sacrifice of these. Two Additional SignificationsIn our
showing forth the Lord's death in this, the way appointed (1 Cor. 11:26), we may not
improperly associate in our minds two additional thoughts of great beauty and solemnity:
(1) Our consecration to be "dead with Him" (Col. 2:20), even as we remember the
Apostle's words, "if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him" (2 Tim.
2:12), and (2) the oneness of spirit which obtains between fellow-members of the Christ
company. The fruit of
the vine fitly represents the life given by Jesus, the sacrifice -- the death --
"this is My blood (symbol of life given up in death) of the New Covenant, shed for
many for the remission of sins": "Drink ye all of it." (Matt. 26:27, 28.)
It is by the giving up of His life (as a ransom for the life of the Adamic race, which sin
head forfeited, that a right to life comes to men. (Rom. 5:18, 19.) Jesus' shed blood is
the "ransom for all"; and the dominant idea of our "feast" is this
fact and the benefits which as consecrated believers we derive therefrom but in addition
we may remember also and rejoice in the fact that we may (indeed we have covenanted, have
we not? to) drink of His cup, even as (though beyond their understanding then) He spake to
His close disciples: "Ye shall indeed drink of My cup." (Matt, 20:23.) Verily
this is a "high calling" (Phil. 3:14), and well might we question our ability to
drink (unaided) of His cup. But our sufficiency is of God, and so with the Apostle we too
count all things loss, that we may know the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings (Phil. 3:10), not
repining, but all the more rejoicing at any evidence which may come to us that the
sufferings of Christ may be abounding in us. - 2 Cor. 1:5. With regard
to our second additional thought -- that of the oneness of spirit possessed by fellow
members of "His Body," the Church (Eph. 1:23), how close to the heart of our
Lord does this thought bring us when we recall that it was just about the time when He
instituted this "remembrancer" that He offered that matchless intercessory
prayer on our behalf that is recorded in the 17th chapter of John: "That they all may
be one." (Not His close disciples only, but us also, who have since believed.)
"As Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us."
(John 17:20, 21.) What thoughts are these, which just before His passion our Lord
entertained with regard to His consecrated followers! What grand and noble hopes
respecting the mutual love, the sympathy, affection, and interest which should prevail
amongst the members of this "one Body" of our Lord! Let us then,
beloved in Christ, as we surround the table to commemorate our Lord's death, call to mind
the meaning of what we do; and being invigorated with His life, and strengthened by the
Living Bread, let us drink with Him into His death and be broken in feeding others.
"For if we be dead with Him, we shall live with Him; if we suffer, we shall also
reign with Him." - 2 Tim. 2:11, 12. Dwelling
upon. this scene the words of another are appropriate here: "We
have tasted, through grace, the cleansing efficacy of the blood of Jesus; as such it is
our privilege to feed upon His adorable Person and delight ourselves in His
'unsearchable riches'; to have fellowship in His sufferings and be made conformable to
His death. Oh! let us, therefore, be seen with the unleavened bread and bitter herbs, the
girded loins, the shoes and staff. In a word, let us be marked as a holy people, a
crucified people, a watchful and diligent people -- a people manifestly 'on our way to
God' -- on our way to glory bound for the Kingdom.' May God grant us to enter into the
depth and power of all these things so that they may not be mere theories in our
intellects -- mere principles of Scriptural knowledge and interpretation; but living,
divine realities, known by experience, and exhibited in the life, to the glory of
God." Those Privileged to PartakeIt is left
opera for each to decide for himself whether he has or has not the right to partake of
this bread and this cup. "But let a man examine himself, says the Apostle, let him
see to it that in partaking of the emblems he realizes them as symbolizing the ransom
price of his life and privileges; and furthermore, that he by partaking of them is
pledging himself to share in the sufferings of Christ and to be broken for others; else,
otherwise, his act of commemoration will be a condemnation to daily life before his
own conscience "condemnation to himself." Through lack
of proper appreciation of this remembrancer and the profound truths which it so
beautifully symbolizes, the Apostle says, "Many are weak and sickly among you and
many sleep." (1 Cor. 11:30.) The truth and logic of this remark are most obvious: a
failure to appreciate and a losing sight of the sacred truths represented in the Supper
are the cause of the weak, sickly and sleepy condition that is often to be observed in the
Church. Nothing so fully awakens and strengthens the saints spiritually as a clear
appreciation of what their Master has done for them, of His ransom sacrifice and of
their share with their Lord in His sufferings and sacrificial experience. May we all then
realize afresh the solemn import of the Apostle's admonition, "Let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup." The Holy Spirit--the Vicar of Christ"He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches." [The
following are the notes on Brother Streeter's last sermon, copied just as they were in his
note book. We are presenting them here, believing our readers will find them instructive
and upbuilding, either for Class or individual study.] "Unto
the angel of the Church of Ephesus write These things saith He that holdeth the seven
stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks." The Lord
alone makes His ministers. A church can neither make them or remove them. A church may
remove one by its votes from serving it; but if that one is one that the Lord has made, He
will find other service for him. "I know
thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear, them which are
evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found
them liars "And
hast borne, and hast patience, and for My name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. "Nevertheless
I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. "Remember
therefore from whence thou art fallen.; and repent, and do the first works; or else I
will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou
repent. "But
this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. "He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; to him that
overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise
of God." - Rev. 2:1-7. I. The
importance of these Epistles. II. The
individuality of the application of text. III. The
peculiar significance of the expression "what the Spirit saith," etc. IV. An
examination of the meaning of "the churches." V. A few of
the commendable characteristics possessed by this Church. VI. The one
great evil that overshadowed these characteristics. "Let
any one who has an ear, listen to what the Spirit says to the Churches." - Rev. 2:7. I. To any
one who professes to be a follower of Christ, it would seem almost unnecessary to
emphasize the importance of these epistles of our Savior. And yet, as we look around us
and see how little they are read and studied, we are compelled to believe that it is
necessary. In calling attention to a few things that prove them of more than special
importance, we note: 1. They are
among the very last words of Christ, given by Him to St. John sixty years after His
disciples saw Him ascend to heaven. 2. The very
searching exhortation of the text is repeated seven times. 3. Another
thing that shows their importance is their wide application a. To pastors or elders, the two
words being synonymous. (It would seem to be one of the special duties of this class to
read, to study, expound, and make forceful the lessons contained in these messages.) b. To the Church of Christ in
all generations. c. To individuals especially. 4.
Furthermore, when rightly understood, it is discovered that they depict the various stages
of decline in both individual and church life. 5. And last,
but not the least important, - they make known those things which must be overcome in
order to at last inherit the Kingdom honors. II. Let us
pause to note briefly the individuality of this exhortation. "He that hath an -ear,
let him, hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." 1. Most
naturally the inquiry is, Do not all have ears? If, we view
the words from the natural standpoint, our answer would be, Yes; that is to say, those
whose physical hearing has not entirely gone. - But all
of us know that the words are not to be understood in this way. It is not the physical
ear that is referred to by the Savior. People might
hear these messages of Christ over and over again a hundred times and not hear in the
sense that Christ means. 2. The
Savior is addressing those who have come into possession of a peculiar condition of mind
and heart: a. Those who have come to
recognize, acknowledge, that Christ is God's representative; who have heard and believed
the Heavenly Father's words, "This is My beloved Son, hear ye Him." b. Those who have in some
way had implanted in them a great longing
desire to hear all that Christ has to say to them. c. Those who have come to
realize that God has appointed His Son Jesus to be the great Judge of all men. d. Those who have come to fully
realize and keep it ever before their minds that we who are true Christians are "to
appear without disguise before the tribunal of Christ, each to be requited for what he has done with his body, well or ill." We know,
that all through this earthly pilgrimage there is a sense in which it is true that we
are standing pat the bar of our Lord's judgment; He is testing us, proving us, to see
whether or not we love Him above all others, as well as whether we love the things which
make for righteousness. He marks the degree of our love by the measure of our
self-denials, and self-sacrifices for His sake.
This
judgment of the saints is not only an inspection of deeds, whether good or ill, but an
inspection of the motives and intentions that influence us in our service and decisions
here below. The one referred to in the text is the one who endeavors to keep before his
or her mind these words of St. Paul in 2 Cor. 5:10. Concerning
himself the Apostle says: "I am prepared for this change by God, who has given me the
Spirit, as its pledge and installment. Come what may, then, I am confident; I know that
while I reside in the body, I am away from the Lord, (for I have to lead my life in
faith, without seeing Him): and in this confidence I would fain get away from the body and
reside with the Lord. Hence also I am eager to satisfy Him, whether in the body or away
from it; for we have all to appear without disguise before the tribunal of Christ, each to be requited for what he has done with his body,
well or ill." III. A thing
about this exhortation that seems strange until closely examined is that while the words
are those of Christ Himself, the exhortation is for the one who has an ear to hear what
the Spirit says to the Churches.
It is called
the Spirit of God; the Spirit of truth; the Spirit of holiness; the Spirit of wisdom, of
counsel, of might. Referring to
the Holy Spirit as being given to Christ, the Prophet said: "It shall make Him of
quick understanding in the sight of the Lord."
Of one thing
we are quite sure, that the Holy Spirit does not speak today in audible words; i. e., to
the physical ear. Rather is it that the Holy Spirit speaks through the Word; gives life to
that Word. He unfolds to one who has the "hearing ear" the great principles of
justice and righteousness. He speaks to
the conscience, and shows how these principles are to be applied in the every-day affairs
of life. He reveals
to those who have the ear, how to act in the various matters that come up for our
decision; matters of which the Word of God does not speak, directly. The Holy Spirit
reveals to us how to deal with our fellow-men. The Holy
Spirit speaks often through the preacher. However, it must be understood that it is the
preacher who does not depend "upon the plausible arguments of human wisdom, but on
the proof supplied by the Spirit and its power." - 1 Cor. 2:6-16. Under such
preaching the hearer often thinks that the preacher is singling him out, when he may have
no such intent. The Spirit
moves upon the hearer, and points out some existing evil, perhaps, before forgotten;
something in the life that is not right; some action towards another that was not right;
some unrepented of sin; some sin that has not been confessed and of course is unforgiven.
It will depend on the measure of the tenderness of the conscience-how firm is the
determination to please, to obey the Master's words, no matter how humiliating it may be,
or what may be the cost as to the measure the Spirit's voice is heard. The Spirit
may be grieved, the Spirit may be quenched, the Spirit may be resisted. We may say as did
Felix, "Go thou thy way," etc. This subject
of the Holy Spirit and its place in the Church of God is one of such great importance that
it cannot be emphasized, unfolded, and enforced too much. May it not
be that we have given so much attention and time in proving that the Holy Spirit is not
a person that we have failed to see and unintentionally failed to recognize the Holy
Spirit's place in the Church of God. The best
treatise that is in existence in proving the impersonality of the Spirit is
"Scripture Studies," Vol. V; but the great object of that treatise is not so
much to show the importance of the Spirit's work as it is to prove that the Holy Spirit is
not a person. Some of the
best unfoldings we have ever seen of the divinely appointed work of the Holy Spirit, in
the administration, in the affairs of the Church of God, have come from the pens of some
of those who were not seeking in any measure or sense to prove or disprove the personality
of the Spirit. However, we
do not need any human being to show us the great importance of this subject. The
Scriptures themselves reveal to us the measure of emphasis that should be given to every
truth. We find ourselves in perfect agreement with the words of another on this subject: "God's
Word, in God's order, with God's emphasis should be the watchword of every diligent
student of its inspired pages. The Bible is not a book of hobbies. It never emphasizes one
truth at the expense of another. Neither does it, decal in fragmentary truth. The book
is a grand mosaic, divinely perfect in all its parts, and perfect in its divine
completeness. The various truths contained in this wonderful book are set forth in the
measure of their importance, and it behooves every careful student not only to study
God's truth in God's order, but to observe closely the emphasis He places thereon." Leaving out
of our consideration the entirely different operation of the Holy Spirit in Old Testament
times, and even those predictions that foretell a most remarkable outpouring of the same
to come in the then future, we confine ourself to the New Testament. Join the
Baptist first mentions it as coming upon Christ. He bore this testimony: "I saw the
Spirit descend like a. dove and rest on Him. I myself did not recognize Him; but He who
sent me to baptize with water told me, He on whom you see the Spirit descending and
resting,' that is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." The life of
our blessed Master, in all its varied manifestations, was simply an exhibition of the
almighty power of God, Which He received at this divine anointing. It was by the mighty
power of God, imparted to Him at His baptism, that He performed all His mighty works. It
was by the power conferred upon Him, at this time, that alone enabled Him to carry out
His vow of consecration unto death. The Scripture states that "it was through the
power of the eternal Spirit, that He offered Himself without spot to God." He speaks of
it as the indwelling of the Father, and says: "I can do nothing of Myself but the
Father who dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works." At different
times in His ministry He spoke of this Holy Spirit, and of a time to come when His
disciples would become recipients of this same divine power. In His closing words to the
disciples just before His death He told them of the coming of this Holy Spirit upon them
and in them "If ye
love Me keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father and He shall give you another
Comforter [Helper] that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth whom the
world cannot receive, . . . "These
things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter which is the
Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things,"
etc. "But
now I go My way to Him that sent Me. . . But because I have said these things unto you,
sorrow hath filled your heart. "Nevertheless, I tell you the
truth. It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away the Comforter will
not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. . . "I have
yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when He, the Spirit
of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak of Himself;
but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and He will show you things to come.
He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine and show it unto you. Arid just
before His ascension to heaven, forty days rafter His resurrection, we have Him
instructing His disciples to "tarry in Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from
on High." When Christ
entered upon His ministry on High, we are told over and over again that He sat down at the
right hand of God. It was when
He thus assumed His official work in heaven that these many promises met their
fulfillment, and the paracletos came down from on High and took Christ's place in
the Church, the Temple of God, to rule and control in all the affairs of the Church. It is
difficult to realize that to the Holy Spirit the entire administration of all the Church's
affairs is committed. And it is over and over again taught in the Scriptures and
exemplified in the life of the early, primitive Church that the oversight of the Holy
Spirit in the Church extends and comprehends even the slightest details connected with
order in God's house, holding every believer responsible to be subject to the great
Head, and directing in all the Church's affairs in harmony with the divine purpose. How clearly
is this taught in St. Paul's words in 1 Cor. 12: "But I
want you to understand about spiritual gifts brothers. There are varieties of talents, but
the same Spirit; varieties of service, but the same Lord; varieties of effects, but the
same God who affects everything in every one. Each receives his manifestation of the
Spirit for the common good. One man is granted words of wisdom by the Spirit, another
words of knowledge by the same Spirit; one man in the same Spirit has the gift of faith;
another in the one Spirit has gifts of healing; one has prophecy, another the gifts of
distinguishing spirits, another the gift of tongues in their variety; another the gift of
interpreting tongues. But all these effects are produced by one and the same Spirit,
apportioning them severally to each individual as He [the Holy Spirit] pleases." Mr. Fenton's
translation of these words is unique. His translation is called the Bible in Modern
English: "And to
each mean is given the manifestation of the Spirit for mutual benefit. For to this man
through the Spirit is given philosophic reason; but to another by means of the same
Spirit, comprehension of thought; and to a different person, faith by the same Spirit;
while to another, gifts of healing by the same Spirit; and to another, genius for
government; while to another, eloquence; to another, discernment of character; and to
another, a genius for languages; and to another talent for translating languages. "But
the same Spirit energizes gall these in the individual, distributing to each person as
He considers best." A noted
Christian writer of the last century who usually has the habit of expressing cutting
truths mildly, has said "Whether
the authority of this one ruling sovereign, the Holy Spirit, be recognized or ignored
determines whether the Church shall be an anarchy or a unity, a synagogue of lawless ones
or the temple of the living God." What was the
cause of the great Apostasy that came in the early centuries, and which at the present
time covers the greater part of Christendom? Was it not
because of at first ignoring the Holy Spirit and then substituting a man to rule and
exercise authority in place of the Holy Spirit? Was it not
in the servants in the Church assuming control, encroaching little by little on the
prerogatives of the Head, till at last one man sets himself up as the administrator, and
daringly usurps the name Vicar of Christ? Who is the
Vicar of Christ? Is it not the Holy Spirit that was appointed by Christ to fill His place? The Apostle
Paul pictures the culmination of rejecting the Holy Spirit. He pictures the
culmination of usurpation, when writing by the Spirit of God he describes the one who
has sat for long centuries in the city of Rome: "So that he as God sitteth in the
temple of God, shewing himself that he is a god." Do we ask,
What is the temple of God, and who presides there? "Ye are
the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you." "Ye are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the
chief corner-stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy
temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded for an habitation of God through the
Spirit." How plain
are these Scriptures that the Holy Spirit represents Christ in the Church; and a failure
to recognize that Holy Spirit is the cause of all departures into backsliding and
apostasy! We may never
be tempted by Papacy's pompous claims. We have had it demonstrated time and time again
that the claims of that man who sits at Rome are false and absurd beyond degree. We may say
we can never be deceived by clericals -- an order of ecclesiastics -- archbishops or
cardinals intruding into the sacred place, but, as the writer just quoted has said "Let us
remember that a [religious] democracy may be guilty of the same sin as a hierarchy, in
settling solemn issues by a 'show of hands,' instead of prayerfully awaiting for the
guidance of the Holy Spirit-in substituting the voice of a majority for the voice of the
Spirit. "Of
course, in speaking thus we concede that the Holy Spirit makes known His will in the voice
of believers, as also in the voice of Scripture. Only there must be such prayerful
sanctifying of the one and such prayerful search of the other, that in reaching decisions
in the Church there be the same declaration as in the first Christian council: 'It seemed
good to the Holy Spirit and to us.'-Acts 15:28." To each of
the seven churches the voice of Christ is heard, staying: "He that hath an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." IV. Let us
hear more particularly what the Word says concerning the Holy Spirit in its ministry and
government of the Church of God In St.
Paul's exhortation to the elders of the Church at Ephesus, he says: "Take
heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock in the which the Holy Spirit hath made you
bishops to feed the Church of God." Nothing can
be more plainly taught in the Scriptures than that in the beginning, bishops or pastors
were given by the Spirit of God, not by the suffrages of the people. The office
itself as well as the one who filled it were alike divinely appointed. This is in perfect
harmony with St. Paul's teaching in his letter to the Ephesians "When
He ascended up on High, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. And He gave
some to be apostles; and some, pastors and teachers; and some to be prophets; and some
to be evangelists; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto
the building up of the Body of Christ." The object
of the ascent of the Lord and the descent of the Holy Spirit, are here shown in their
necessary relation in the office each is to fill throughout the Gospel Age. May it not
be truthfully said that in the one event Christ assumed His position in heaven as
"Head over all things to His Church," and
in the other the Holy Spirit came down to begin the great work of building up the Body
of Christ. Is it not
true, then, that all the various offices to be used in carrying on this work are appointed
by Christ; and those selected to fill them are chosen by the Holy Spirit. Men have
invented offices that are not mentioned in the inspired list, and by so doing have
introduced confusion into the Church of God. However, the
history of the Church in every age has shown that it is possible to sacredly continue and
maintain these ministering offices, which without question were established for the
building up of the Body of Christ, and yet for men to take it upon themselves to fill
these according to their own preference and will. This is not,
we feel sure, pleasing to Christ, and is one way of grieving the Holy Spirit. Even the
Apostles and disciples of our Lord once made such a mistake and it doubtless was recorded
for our instruction and admonition. Such an admonition, indeed may we not say, warning,
we find recorded in the first chapter of Acts. We know that because of Judas' deflection a
vacancy existed in the apostolic office. Standing up
in that upper room where the hundred and twenty were gathered, waiting for the coming of
the Holy Spirit, Peter, after rehearsing the apostasy of Judas, boldly affirmed that this
vacancy must be filled, and filled by one of those who had been with them all the time
until the day Christ was taken from them. Of this number Peter said, "one must be
ordained to be a witness with us of His resurrection." But Peter and the rest of the
disciples had evidently forgotten that up to that time they had had no voice in choosing
apostles. Our Lord Jesus has done this of His own sovereign will. "Have I not chosen
you twelve?" At this time
our Lord had gone away from them into heaven; the Holy Spirit which was to be His
Administrator had not yet arrived to enter upon His office work. The divine
arrangement was that when Christ ascended on High, He was "to give some
apostles." But in spite
of this we have it stated that they brought forward two men, Joseph called Barsabas, and
Matthias and they prayed, "O Lord, who readest the hearts of all, single out from
these two men him whom Thou hat chosen to fill in this apostolic ministry. . . Then they
cast lots for them, and the lot fell upon Matthias who was assigned his position with the
eleven Apostles." There is not
the slightest intimation anywhere that this choice was ever ratified by our Lord. On the
contrary we hear no more of Matthias; his name passing into obscurity. Some two
years after this, however, the Lord called Saul of Tarsus; he is sealed with His Spirit,
and he certified by such evident credentials of Divine appointment that he boldly
introduces his letters: "Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ, not of man, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the
Father." - Gal 1:1. The Holy Spirit, the Appointer of EldersV. We
believe that the apostolic office, in so far as its being filled by any living man, has
passed away. The original. Twelve are still apostles in their testimony preserved to us; a
witness of ' the Lord's resurrection being a thing impossible since the last witness died. However, let
it be impressed deeply on our minds that the office of pastor, elder, bishop, or teacher
of the flock still remains. And we
cannot find anywhere in the Scriptures taught that the divine plan has changed. , As it
was back there, so has it been always, and is at the present time, that the words of St.
Paul are true "Take heed unto yourselves and to all the flock of God, in the which
the Holy Spirit bath made you bishops to feed the Church of God." How
instructive then and solemn is the beautiful symbol of the one like a Son of Man, moving
among the candlesticks. How wonderfully impressive is the symbol of His "holding
the seven stars in His right hand." While He
holds them whom He has chosen by His Spirit, in His right hand, does He not require that
we ask of Him alone for their bestowal? Surely He does. "Pray ye, therefore, the
Lord of the harvest, that He should send forth laborers into the harvest." If when He
ascended on High, He gave some pastors and teachers, surely we should all show our
appreciation of this promise, that we may have pastors and teachers of His choosing. The Apostle
Paul, years before our Lord addressed this epistle to Ephesus, had predicted that after
his departure from them there would grievous wolves enter in among them not sparing the
flock, and that of their own selves should men arise, speaking perverse things to draw
away disciples after them. And now our
Lord, speaking to this same Church of Ephesus, this Church of which Paul said the elders
had been chosen of the Holy Spirit, reveals Himself as the Chief Shepherd and Bishop,
still the Appointer of elders, as seen in His holding the seven stars in His hand. However, with
all their other good qualities, a sad change had taken place. For some cause not stated He
tells them they had left their first love. When this is
lost, the peril becomes imminent that the candlestick may be moved out of its place; and
so He sounds the solemn warning: "He that heath an ear let him hear what the Spirit
saith to the churches." The Spirit not
allowed to rule, to control in the church, the candlestick can shed no light, and the
church loses its place of testimony. Churches of
this character, whose witness has been silenced, even though the lifeless form remains,
are seen all about us. And the only
safeguard against such a condition is to "Quench not the spirit." Our Lord's
voice' must be heard in the Church, and, as we have seen, to the Holy Spirit alone has
been committed the prerogative of communicating that voice. In the
language of a most noted Pastor, who years ago "fed the Church of God, over which the
Holy Spirit had made him a bishop," not far from where I am now standing: "Majorities
are no more to be depended upon than minorities, if there is in both cases a neglect of
patient and prolonged waiting upon the Lord to know His will, "Of what
value is a show of hands, unless His are stretched forth who holdeth the seven stars in
His right hand? "Of what
use is a unanimous choice, except the living voice of Christ is heard by His Spirit? "The
Spirit is the breath of God in the Church, the Body of Christ. While the divine body
survives and it must, multitudes of churches have so shut out the Spirit from rule (and
authority and supremacy in the midst of them that the ascended Lord can only say to them "'Thou
hast a name to live and art dead.' "Some
trust in creeds, and some in ordinances; some suppose that the Church's security lies in a
sound theology; and others locate it in a primitive simplicity of government land worship. "However,
so vital and indispensable is the ministry of the Spirit that without it, nothing else
will avail." "He that
hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." The Letter to the ColossiansCol. 1:28, 29 "Whom we proclaim, admonishing
every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ; whereunto I labor also,
striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily." IN THE
verses preceding the ones we are to consider, Paul alludes to "sacred
secrets," as Rotherham renders the word which the King James Version less exactly
translates "mysteries." Religious societies and celebrations, called
"musterion" in the Greek language, seem to have been common in many nations of
his time, and were certainly "celebrated in every considerable city of Greece. . . .
Lobeck opposes the common notion that the mysteries were revelations of a profound
religious secret: they certainly were always secret, but all Greeks without distinction
of rank or education, nay, perhaps even slaves, might be initiated, and in later times
foreigners." (Liddell and Scott.) At one time Paul, as other Jews, had taken joy in
the thought that his nation's possession of certain "sacred secrets" made them a
people peculiarly the Lord's. How ineffably greater was his joy now to "publicly
proclaim" the "sacred secrets" (musteria) of the new secret society --
heralded from Mars Hill, in the synagogues, by river sides; but still sacred secrets
"made manifest [only] to His saints." "The
false teachers at Colosse had a great deal to say about a higher wisdom reserved for the
initiated. They apparently treated the Apostolic teaching as trivial rudiments, which
might be good for the vulgar crowd, but were known by the possessors of this higher truth
to be only a veil for it. They had their initiated class, to whom their mysteries were
entrusted in whispers. "Such
absurdities excited Paul's special abhorrence. His whole soul rejoiced in a gospel for
all men. He had broken with Judaism on the very ground that it sought to enforce a
ceremonial exclusiveness, and demanded circumcision and ritual observances along with
faith. That was, in Paul's estimate, to destroy the Gospel. These Eastern dreamers at
Colossae were trying to enforce an intellectual exclusiveness quite as much opposed to
the Gospel. Paul fights with all his might against that error. Its presence in the Church
colors this context, where he uses the very phrases of the false teachers in order to
assert the great principles which he opposes to their teaching. 'Mystery,' 'perfect' or
initiated, 'wisdom'-these are the keywords of the system which he is combating; and here
he presses them into the service of the principle that the Gospel is for all men, and
the most recondite secrets of its deepest truth the property of every single soul that
wills to receive them," the "saints and faithful brethren in Christ" (Col.
1:2), "to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this
mystery among the Gentiles." - Col. 1:27, R. V. Royally Commissioned PriestsThe new
secret society has no whispered teachings; no sanctum closed to all except the
initiated; no muttering priests seeking to mystify the ignorant with impressive
ceremonies and phrases; no sacred secrets that cannot be publicly proclaimed. The teaching
of these: secrets to the newly initiated is not a privilege reserved to somber-robed
priests; but every worshiper introduced to these secrets may join in publicly proclaiming
even the most profound, the most precious of their secrets-the central figure of all, the
One "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," "even
Christ," "whom we preach," Paul
says. The
"we" of. this verse is not the editorial "we," for it is used in
contrast with the "I" of the next verse. Everywhere and at all times Christ was
Paul's message, as the message of all true teachers. (Acts 4:2; 8:5, 35; 9:20; 10:36;
17:3; 1 Cor. 1:23; 2 Cor. 4:5.) This is the true knowledge that God has commissioned the
shepherds of the flock to proclaim in this Age. Only by the proclaiming of "Jesus
Christ and Him crucified can the flock be fed (John 21:17; Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2); and
then only because there is a chief Shepherd super wising the feeding of the lambs and
sheep and making effective this dispensing of food. (Ezek. 34:23.) Since Jesus
"gave Himself a ransom for all," those
who are divinely commissioned to preach Christ can now at last have as their message
"that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same Body [with the Jews] and
partakers [Diaglott: co-partners] of His promise in Christ by the Gospel." (Eph.
3:6.) But it is not possession of the oratory of Apollos nor the logic of Paul that
commissions one to preach Christ; but (Eph. 3:7) "the gift of the grace of God, given
. . . by the effectual working of His power." (Psa.
62:11, 12; 115:3; 135:6; Matt. 10:5-7, 27; Mark .16:15; Luke 9:2, 60; Acts 5:20; Rom.
16:25-27; 2 Tim. 2:4.) By no other arrangement Could this secret society be a company in
which every member is a priest, commissioned to sound forth the sacred secret. There is
this characteristic of the teaching of Jesus in which it is different from that of all
others --one cannot separate the teachings from the teacher, taking the one and leaving
the other. Any other teacher one may have as a friend without accepting his teachings; or
his teachings may be accepted without making a friend of the teacher. Not so with
Jesus. He and His teachings are indissolubly associated. If we would show ourselves a
friend to Him in any way (for instance, seek to serve Him), it can be only by following
His teachings. If one accepts His teachings, he will find that He alone is "the
Way, the Truth, the Life" (John 14:6), and that He therefore must be
"followed" in the sense that His thoughts, His mind, His works, His ways, His
spirit, will become ours. Truly, "if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is-a new creature." (2 Cor. 5:17.) The failures of
many, doubtless, will be explained by this fact. Though the desire to serve should consume
all of one's time and talent, though all his energy go into that service, all that he has
being given to the preaching of a theory or a system, or even of "Jesus Christ and
Him crucified," unless that individual has learned that the primary requirement of
service to this Master is, "If any man [will] serve Me, let him follow Me,"
the only verdict possible will be, "I never knew you." - John 12:26; Matt. 7:23. "He that Hath Seen Me Hath Seen the Father""Whom
we preach" does not limit Paul's teaching to the person and work of Jesus. Even the
stronger statement of the companion passage in his letter to the Corinthian brethren (2:2)
need suggest no narrower limits to his preaching than that he is determined not to be
drawn into the discussion of traditions and theories, philosophizings of which the Greeks
were fond. Architecture that has never since been rivaled, poetry whose beauty is still
the model of what we style perfection, could have served as inspiration for many
discourses, but not for Paul. The Christian's difficulty is never in finding something
worth while to talk about or some suitable occupation for consecrated time; but to
determine which of the many things from which he has to choose will please His heavenly
Father most. Traditions? Who would presume to claim for them any large percentage of
reliability? Theories and philosophies of the so called "wise" -- shall he
preach those? Probably long ago he had learned how dogmatic error can be, how unreliable
is mere conviction. Nothing in which was even the possibility of error could give full
satisfaction to one whose love is for truth. Great peace had come from turning from the
traditions of the elders to the "sure Word of prophecy," finding there One
whose perfection and faithfulness made Him the delight of the Father, the express image
of whose person He now was. Here is a safe theme that will mean no disappointments, no
retractions. Of Jesus' pre-eminence Paul has told us in Col. 1:16-20; of the completeness
of His work, even reaching out and laying hold of the Gentiles, he tells in the verses
that follow. What folly to descend to lesser themes in view of the fact that he has been
"made a servant, according to the -dispensation of God" of this very secret,
"Christ in you, the hope of glory," -- the Christ "whom we preach." Glancing
through the first letter to the Corinthians, in which Paul says he is determined to know
nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified, one is surprised at the variety of
subjects discussed, from the loftiest to one so common as a Grecian race. With consummate
mastery, however, Paul uses all this as contributory to his lifework of preaching
Christ. This mastery comes not so much from having sat at the feet of Gamaliel as from
having enthroned Christ in his heart. Paul's "college education." contributed to
the success of his great work, but it might have kept him out of the Kingdom. Instead,
having consecrated his all to the great work of living and preaching Christ, all the<
training he had received was consecrated to this supreme mission of preaching Christ. No
one knew better than Paul both the folly and the danger of lesser themes, too often
appropriated by the flesh as an excuse for boasting. "If any man among you seemeth to
be wise in this world, let him become a fool [disassociating himself from this world and
its wisdom], that he may be wise. (1 Cor. 3:18; 8:2; Gal. 6:3; Rom. 12:16.) "It is
written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the
understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the
disputer of this world? bath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that
in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek
after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto
the Greeks foolishness but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the
power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men;
and the weakness of God is stronger than men.." - 1 Cor. 1:19-25, R. V. To preach
the Christ that lived or the Christ that died, or even Him that "died for our
sins" -- these are "the word of the beginning of Christ" (Heb. 6:1,
margin)-is not to preach Christ in the fullness in which Paul preached Him, the Christ in
whoa all truth converged, the Creator of all things and therefore the One, some traces of
whom may yet be found even in imperfect things. Skillfully, subtle reasonings of the flesh
lay hold on such a truth as that as an excuse to preach the creature instead of the
Creator. Purity of thought is not to be arrived at by thinking on the things that are
imperfect, impure; or perfection by meditating on imperfection; therefore we preach
Christ, "warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may
present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." Paul clearly
implies that he permits no schisms in the Church he serves. His warning is for "every
man"; his teaching for "every man." "Admonishing," or even
"exhorting," the words that several translators use instead of the
"warning" of the King James Version, probably' nearly express the thought the
Apostle wished to convey by using this word that means literally, "putting in
mind." His great ambition was not that he might always come before them with
something new, but rather he was content to "put them in remembrance." The
thought is not that of warning against evil, but of exhorting to that which is good. But
this great exhorter did at times find it advisable to give warnings to his hearers even as
his Master before him had done, and with the same objective, to "present every man
perfect in Christ Jesus." "Be Ye Perfect" The first
stage of the perfection sought is a reckoned one-justification. The primary lesson
therefore that Paul teaches "every man" is his need, convincing him that he is a
sinner, and that there is salvation in "none other name." Next is the lesson
of consecration, the privilege of all the "called." This, together with the hope
for the world, is "the simplicity of the Gospel." But how many things there are
"hard to be understood" for those who, having taken these steps, would "go
on to perfection." Paul stands ready to be the teacher for all who are interested
enough in the subject to apply themselves diligently to his instruction until they are
ready for the final presentation, actually "perfect." Not long
since, a father, desiring that his son should become a minister in his denomination,
inquired of the heads of several theological seminaries and of many prominent ministers as
to the advisability of .recommending that life mission to his son. He was astounded at the
unanimity of the replies. All of whom he inquired assured him that his son would be
honored in his community, get a good education free, make a good living, and have a life
of ease. Not one word of even "doing good unto all men," nor a hint of service
pleasing to his Master. What a contrast with Paul's "preaching, . . . exhorting, .
. . teaching, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I labor,
striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily." If the
pupils in the school of Christ had perfect brains, repetition would be unnecessary. Paul
well knew that he as well as those who learned of him must "give earnest heed to the
things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." (Heb. 2:1.)
But in this very necessity there is temptation to dereliction on the apart of both teacher
and pupil. The work of ''the teacher is to teach, and perhaps even help the pupil some
with his "review work; but never to forsake his teaching to do the pupil's work for
him. Without review work probably every pupil in the school would fail; but the result
will be identical if they and the teacher content themselves with the indolence of
continual repetition of familiar phrases. To attain the perfection for which Paul
strives, God bath set various members in the Body, who, if they would work effectively
must advise as intelligently as he: "dismissing the elementary discourse
concerning the Christ unto maturity let us be tending" (Rotherham)., or "Having
left the word of the beginning of the Christ, unto the perfection we may advance."
(Young.) - Heb. 6:1; Job 17:9; Psa. 84:7; 92:12; Prov. 4:18; Matt. 5:48; 19:21; 2 Cor.
13:11; Eph. 4:13; Phil. 3:15; Col. 1:28; 3:14; 1 Tim. 4:15; 2 Tim. 3:17; Heb. 13:21 James
1:4; 1 Pet. 2:2; 5:10; 2 Pet. 1:5-8; 3:14, 18; 1 John 2:5; 4:12; 2 Thess. 1:3. "That
we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus" does not have reference to physical
or mental completion, as is evidenced by the fuller explanation of verse twenty-two. There
he explains in detail his purpose that they may be presented "holy and unblamable
and unreprovable in His sight." Whether we think of this as our present standing in
the sight of our Father or as applying to that day when we shall stand "directly
before His face," evidently the point of paramount importance is that truth shall
do its sanctifying work. This does not mean mere passivity. Those who stand in His
presence must actively build with "gold and silver and precious stones," laid on
the one foundation. Let no teacher forget that it is to these things he must inspire his
hearers, or confess' his labor a failure. Let no pupil accept as a teacher any one merely
because he is "sound in the doctrine." Neither teacher nor scholar can afford
to forget this great essential: the "end of the commandment [near message], love out-
of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and an undissembled faith." - l Tim. 1:5. "Present You Holy"Perfection
implies the entire removal of all defects, or their being considered as removed because
covered by the merit of Christ. It also implies the possession of all virtues, or their
imputation. To be satisfied to continue eternally, or longer than necessary, even in such
a blessed state as that of imputed righteousness would indicate an absence of true love
for righteousness. Those who do appreciate the holiness of our God, and truly
reverence Him, can never be satisfied until they awake in His likeness. Therefore they
can never be contented with a one-sided growth, but will "be like a tree planted by
the rivers of water." (Psa. 1:3.) A life of separation gives room for a full
rounding out of the tree to perfection, and there is no lopping off of branches to meet
human requirements. There is fruitage there as well as leaves of profession. He
"bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither."
"No branch broken or twisted, no leaf worm-eaten or wind torn, no fruit blighted or
fallen, no gap in the clouds of foliage, no bend in the straight stem -- a green and
growing completeness. This absolute completeness is attainable 'in Christ,' by union with
Him of that vital sort brought about by faith, which will pour His Spirit into our
spirits. The preaching of Christ is therefore plainly the direct way to bring about this
perfecting. That is the Christian . . . way." "Wherefore, Giving All Diligence""To
this end, like an earnest wrestler, I exert all my strength in reliance upon the power of
Him who is mightily at work within me." This translation which Weymouth offers may
not be technically exact, but it does forcefully convey an idea of the zeal of the Apostle
in his endeavor and his realization at all times that it was not his ability but God's
power that gave the increase. - 1 Cor. 3:6, 7. The figure
Paul uses, that of a contestant in the games, is a favorite one with him. As one striving
for an immortal wreath, he allowed nothing to take his attention from the struggle in
which he was engaged. Nor dust, nor heat, nor jeering crowds could turn him aside. Our
word "agonize" comes from the same root as the word he uses. And its thought
could well be incorporated in our earnest striving to help our brethren. This would really
be laying down our lives for our brethren, loving even as He loved. By only one
means can this high state of usefulness be attained. In each faithful servant there is a
manifestation of the power of God in fulfillment of Paul's prayer of Ephesians 3:16,
"that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened
with might by His spirit in the inner man." This is the all-important consideration
for every Christian-that the God of all power shall be "working in me mightily. This
is what it means to be a member of the Body of Christ and therefore, under the guidance of
our divine Head, "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ." These alone are commissioned to "preach the Word," for they alone
can "preach the Gospel with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven. Nothing of
themselves, as the organ pipe is of no use without the wind that blows through it; filled
with the Holy Spirit they become the mighty chorus of Revelation 1.4: the little handful
on this side the veil having their part in it just as acceptably as those on the other
side. What wonders can be wrought by His Spirit if permitted to work in us mightily, our
speech "not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." (1 Cor. 2:4.) This
means not only to use the Holy Spirit in all we
do and think and say; but to be so given over to the service of the Father that the Holy
Spirit can, without interference on the part of our wills, use us. But is there
some way by which we may know that it is the Holy Spirit that is working in us? Jesus has
given us a simple test. "It shall testify of Me." (John 15:26.) If He and those
things that relate to Him are not our message, we may well wonder whether the Holy Spirit
is our guide. Only when that Spirit: is within, is it proper for the preacher to say:
"Our Gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy
Spirit, and in much assurance." (1 Thess. 1:5.) Of course only those who are
"dead with Him," "crucified with Him," can preach a crucified Lord "in a crucified style," not seeking self
praise, but His glory; not desiring applause, but that the Word may be received with the
"joy of the Holy Spirit." (1 Thess. 1:6.) There can be no holding back of
anything for self. But he who would have the all powerful God working in Him mightily
must, like the Apostle, "like an earnest wrestler," exert all his strength in
whatever the Father gives him to do. Have we
drunk in "the rain which cometh oft upon" us, without "bringing forth herbs
meet for" the blessing of those He would have us serve? "Do with thy might
whatsoever thy hand findeth to do," and though it is only a rod in our hand, or five
small stones from the brook, a handful of meal and a little oil, or a cloud the size of a
man's hand, let us "also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in
us mightily," that there may be a hastening of the day when the last member of the
little company shall be presented perfect in the heavenly courts. "Let your endurance
have mature work."-James 1:4, Rotherham. Encouraging WordsDear
Brethren: Thank you
for your letter of January 27, also the two volumes which you sent me -- "Daniel the
Beloved of Jehovah," and "The Revelation of Jesus Christ," Vol. I. If you
ever have the second volume in stock again I would like to have my name listed to receive
one. It would please me very much to borrow a copy after I have read the first volume. I
will communicate with you again on this matter. I am very
glad to have the book on Daniel. It is a wonderful work and I have been richly blessed in
reading it. I had a borrowed copy and am now glad to own one. A friend of
ours wants one copy each of "Daniel the Beloved of Jehovah" and "The
Revelation of Jesus Christ" -- first volume. Therefore, a money order for $2.00 is
enclosed-one dollar to pay for my two books and the other dollar for hers. Please send one
of each to Mrs. T -----. I have added an extra ten cents as a contribution to the postage. I note you
are to send me samples of your monthly magazine, "The Herald of Christ's
Kingdom." I shall be glad to receive it. May God
bless your ministry. Yours in His
service, A. M. B. -- Me. Recently Deceased
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