The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-06-09
Eessom Series tnr 1883.
SECOND QUARTER.
STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
sY REV. ROBERT T. POLK.
Matthew xviii. 16-20.l
THE NETTING IN GALILEE.

THE MEEIlNG In GALlLhh'
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. reports only
two Temperatures of JESUS, one to the
,ron,en Who had visited the tomb, contained
=, tba last Lesson, and one to the Apostles
in Galilee where he had appointed 10 mee'
them (7-1O). From all the Evangeiists, IN
cludinp Paul, we learn that he appeared az
least ten times after he was risen before tne
Ascension (see last study. Matthew writ
inc for the Jews relates what the Roman SOL
diers who guarded the tomb saw and heard,
and renorted to the Jewish rulers, and what
+bav caused to be circulated among their
conntrvmen concerning the disappearance OF
JESUS body from the tomb IN wnicn IL nao
been placed; and also that the women saw
"the angel" and that JESUS revealed himself
INTO them, and the fact that the aposties
saw him in accordance with his instructions
to the women, and received their commits
sion from him to go forth among the nations
and proclaim the Gospel which he had taught
tbem. The connection between this Lesson
and the last is literary and logical rather
than chronological. The Jews caused it to
be proclaimed that the body OF JESUS was
stolen from the tomb by his disciples, put
the disciples went everywhere aud proclaimed
that he had risen from the dead, is the appa-
rent form of Matthew's statement. when
the eleven went into Galilee we are not IN
formed, nor which, nor where was the mount
ain in which the meeting was appointed. IL
was more than a week after his rising, and
within forty days thereafter John Xxx. 26:
Acts i. %. 1t is commonly supposed tnat
this meeting was a general meeting OF the
disciples which JESUS convened in some con-
venient mountain in Galilee, for the purpose
of confirming their faith and giving his final
instructions to them, thus closing his per-
sonal public ministry in the earth; and that
st. Paul refers to this meeting when he de-
clares that JESUS re-appeared to about nve
hundred brethren at once" the greater part
of whom were living when he wrote Il Cor
inthians Xxx. g.. This superstition is strength
ened by the statement that "some doubted"
which may have been said of the disciples
who had not yet seen their Master alive from
the dead, and had only heard that he was
risen, or, having seen him on this occasion,
some were still in doubt. The apostles had
all seen him in Jerusalem, and apparently
believed that he had indeed riser" John
Xxx. 1929, though there may have been some
of them even who still Ibid not believe him
for Joy, and wondered" at what they had
seen and heard luke xiv. Al. 1t is not
improbable that such a general meeting as
is supposed was held in the mountain region
of Galilee where JESUS had previously min
istered especially to instruct his disciples IN
the principles of the kingdom of heaven,
which he proclaimed. When it is said 'ttey
worshiped," the meaning is that they paid
homage, or courteously and ceremoniously
addressed him as their Master. JESUS may
have held parting reception with his nu-
merous disciples.
THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIsT.-The dis
ciples had believed that JESUS was only di-
vinely authorized prince of the family OF Da-
vid, their great king, whom GoD had raised
up to restore his people to independent gov
eminent, and they were disappointed and
hopeless when he was put to death. His re-
appearance after death not only assured
them that he was alive, but that his authority
was different from and greater than that of
a temporal king. He was more and greater
than they had expected him to be. Rising
from the dead he had attained authority both
in heaven and on earth. The phrase "heaven
and earth" mag simply declare his universal
authority, or it may signify that his authori-
ty and kingdom are spiritual, that he is ''Lord
of both the dead and the living" (Romans
xiv. 81. The kingdom of CHRIST, though es-
tablished in the earth, is not confined to the
earth. Death does not limit or destroy the
authority of the King of souls, nor does the
souls relation to the kingdom of heaven,
and its obligations of allegiance to its King
end at death. " Probation" is not in the
vocabulary of the kingdom of heaven. There
is no probation after death, or second proba
ton, as there is no first probation, which
may end at death. There may be education
and discipline after death, as there are be-
fore death; there must be if any attain unto
the fullness of heavenly knowledge and ex-
perience.