The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-11-27
THE APOSTOLIC DOCTRINE OF THE
COMING"

Id6 AfU0 IUIlU DOO hlN u OI LII
COMING"
THUs far in our study of Christ's
coming in his kingdom we have
found that his coming was be a
spiritual coming. While the Jews
looked for a material kingdom and
an earthly king, Jesus taught that
his kingdom was spiritual and he was
to be a spiritual king. Further we
have found that his coming to es-
tablish this kingdom was to take
place in the generation then living
and was to synchronize with the de-
struction of Jerusalem and the over
throw of the Jewish nation. When
this event should transpire then Jesus
would reveal himself in power and
great glory and begin his worldwide
Messianic reign over the souls OF
men.
But still further we have found
that this reign is personal, not bod
lily, but nevertheless truly personal,
that he reigns in his kingdom by the
power, not of abstract truth but of
his spiritual personality. Hence that
his coming to reign in that genera
ton was personal spiritual coming,
that his presence in his kingdom at
the close of that age was spiritual
personal presence, and that such has
it been ever since and such will 1t be
forevermore. Such we have found is
the doctrine of Christ as taught in
the Gospels.
Our inquiry now is into the teach
ings of the Apostles on this point
Do they teach the same doctrine or
do they teach a different doctrine?
While teaching spiritual coming in
that generation do they also teach a
visible, bodily coming then, or at
some future time7
One thing is certain, the apostles
did expect a speedy coming of Christ
in some way. They looked for him
to come in their day, in the lifetime
of some then living. This is clear
from their writings, for they exhort
their converts to be patient, to wait
and watch for the coming of the
Lord, which could have no meaning,
if his coming is yet future.
Then we read such expressions as
these: Gas ye see the day approach
ing" "The coming of the Lord
draweth Nigh" He that shall come
will come and will nos tarrY," THE
day of Christ is at hand" Behold, l
come quickly, surely come quickly"
TIL ese expressions can teach but one
thing, the speedy coming of the Lord
in apostolic times. They were look
ing for his coming in their genera
ton. The Master had assured them
that he would come in that genera
tion and they believed and taught
that he would come then and ex-
horted the church to watch and wait
patiently for his coming. And there
is no evidence that they believed or
taught that he would come any other
time. There is not a word in all
their teachings upon this subject that
can be truthfully interpreted in a
way to make them teach that they
expected Christ to come at the end
of time or the close of the Christian
age. The coming of Christ in that
generation is all the coming of him
they know anything about. So much
is certain and in 80 much there is no
disagreement between Christ and
the apostles. They teach just what
He taught, His coming to reign in His
kingdom during that generation.
But do they teach the same kind
of coming that Christ didi Christ,
as we have seen, taught a personal
spiritual coming. Do they not teach
a personal, visible, bodily comingi
Do they not, sometimes at least, put
literal construction on the words of
Christ and teach that his coming is
to the senses, an outward bodily pres
ence in the clouds of heaveni If
they do, it should cause no surprise,
nor shake our confidence in their
testimony. The apostles were Jews.
They were educated in the way of
Jewish thinking and in the manner