the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever (Rev., II: 15)." Amen. What relation did the apostles sustain to the Holy Spirit, and what was His relation to them? The Holy Spirit was given to them in a limited measure just before Jesus left them: "He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (Jno., 20: 22)." But they did not receive Him in His fulness until the glorification of Jesus: "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink; he that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified) (Jno., 7: 37-39)." The Holy Spirit - the Spirit of Jesus was to take His place so that they would not be left to perpetual orphanage: "If ye love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you; yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also; at that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you (Jno., 14: 15-20)." Paul asserts that the riches of the mystery revealed had been made possible by the work of the Spirit in proclaiming the gospel through them, the apostles: "Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by his Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power; unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Eph., 3:4-11)." Peter declares that they preached the gospel with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven: "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls; of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow: unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into (I. Pet., I:9-12)." Jesus came to testify of the Father to make the world know Him; the apostles took up the work through the help of the Holy Spirit, and thus the words of Jesus became to mean infinitely more after He had passed from earth; and the words of the Holy Spirit proclaimed through the apostles first on the day of Pentecost grow in power with the years; and the whole race of man shall receive the Christ of God as "the bright morning Star" and the apostles as His first and most illustrious representatives - Lord hasten Thou us to hasten the day! No theory of the work of the Holy Spirit that eliminates the twelve apostles, and the gospel as they preached it by the Holy Spirit "sent down from heaven" and recorded by them under His guidance, can be true. CHAPTER VII. The Holy Spirit and Human Instrumentality, CoLaborers with the Apostles. Paul in his second letter to Timothy uses this very important and striking language: "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; and the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also; * * * Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (II. Tim., 2: 1, 2, 15)." Mark you: a human being authorized to "study" and "divide” "the word of truth!" Paul was an inspired man. Here is his own testimony relative to the matter: "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake; for God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts" referring primarily to the ministry of the apostles -" to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us (II. Cor., 4:5-7)." Again: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received (I. Cor., 13:1-3)." Again: "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man; for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ; but when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I * * * * * * might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood; * * *Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not (Gal., 1:11-20)." John confirms this: "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water; and he that saw it bare record, and his record is true; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe (Jno., 19: 34, 35)." Again: "And many 19:34, other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (Jno., 20: 30, 31)." Hear Peter: "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses; therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear (Acts 2: 32, 33)." Again: "This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner; neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby ye must be saved: now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus (Acts, 4:11-13)." Again: "And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus; but Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye; for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard (Acts, 4:18-20)." Again: "And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead; to him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins (Acts, 10:42, 43)." It is a fact, established beyond doubt, that these apostles, inspired by the Holy Spirit, gathered around them, early in their ministry, a large number of men and women who were co-workers with them. It is also a fact that there is not a single example recorded in the New Testament, under the opening up of the Great Commission by the apostles who had the power to bind and unloose in the name of Jesus, where any man or woman was converted or added to the church one process in those days! without the presence and instruction of some human being; sometimes the inspired were present; sometimes there were present those on whom apostolic hands had been laid, the semi-inspired; sometimes those present were the plain, but well-instructed disciples of the Lord, but a human being had to be present, for this thing has been committed to men. Paul covers the whole ground in his letter to the Romans: "But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above), or Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead); but what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved; for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation; for the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed; for there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him; for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach except they are sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things! but they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath be |