The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-09-06
Church of Christ
TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES.
V. E. Hoven, Minister.

| TEACHlNI Or TIE hFOo Leo.
Acts 2:42.
The immediate result of the first
gospel sermon was 5000 converts, who
with the apostles and the 100, we're the
ohar:er members of the Church of
Christ. Here is one church, one stan
dard of life for its members, both of
which continue the same for the next
three hundred years. The program
for public worship in that church we
find in Acts 2:42, and the first item,
the teaching of the apostles, we now
consider.
They are by divine authority our
only instructors. John 17:14, 20. 81
have given them thy word" Neither
for these alone do pray but for them
also that believe on me through their
word" Matt. 28:19, 20, go :.
make disciples &. . L. . teaching them."
Their teaching is complete and all
sufficient, 2 Tim. 3:l6, II. Therefore,
book in addition to the New Testa-
ment for church government, is at war
with the Word of God. But some one
says: "Our book of faith and practice
is according to the Bible" If that is
90, what purpose can the copy serve
that the Bible cannot? Again he will
say: "The book of faith and practice
is an arrangement Of things Scrip
tural." Is there any man, or set of
men, who can improve upon the ar
rangement of these things by the Holy
Spirit?
Their teaching is part of worship
in two ways. First, by hearing their
instruction from teacher. The
church at Jerusalem heard the living
words from the living lips of the apos-
ties. The second way is by members
reading the word to and exhorting one
another, Thes. 5:27; Heb. 1925.
Their teaching is for making and
keeping Christians, John 20:23; Matt.
28:19, 20. In the apostolic times,
people became Christians by hearing,
believing and obeying the Gospel.
Their only creed was the living Christ.
The confession that Peter made to
Christ, that Christ Himself made be-
fore Plate and which Paul calls "the
good confession" viz. Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of the living God,"
was the only foundation for union,
communion and Church membership.
This believed with the heart, confessed
with the mouth and immersed upon in
the name Of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, made one a Christian; nothing
more, nothing less. After people be-
come Christians, they are to be
taught. "all things whatsoever He
has commanded" and do them, that
: they may "never fall" 2 Pet. 1:5-11.
How often did the members attend
to the teaching of the Apostles? To
understand this fully, we note how
God trained his people from the first.
Deut. $500. Here we learn that the
Hebrews were to attend to the Word
of God constantly at least for three
reasons. First, that they may teach it
to their children; second, that their
prosperity in Canaan might not cause
them to forget God. But they did not
observe this, hence forgot God, and
under the name Jeshurun they are
spoken of as follows: "Jeshurun wax
ed fat and kicked" Deut. 1915.
When people get prosperous, that is
the time they kick against God; of
course, some kick anyway. Third,
they were to keep constantly before
| themselves how God had delivered
them.
The practice was the same in the
early church. and for the same reasons,
except the circumstances of their de-
liverance were different. "They con-
tinued steadfastly," or unremitting-
ly, ''in the apostles teaching" ". 46.
"day by day." Besides this, they had
special public services on every Lord &
day, and also why we should do the
same: (a) On that day, Jesus arose
from the dead. (b) The Holy Spirit
came down from heaven to dwell in
the Church and the individual Christ
ian. (c) The Church of Christ was
established ON that day. No true dis
oiple now, who realizes the meaning
of our redemption, can stay away from
the Lords day services.
The conclusion we come to in regard
to the apostles teaching is: It is the
Word of salvation sent to us, Acts
1926. Therefore we ought to repent,
turn again and obey the Gospel that
our sins may be blotted out. 1t is the
power of God unto salvation, Rom.
1:16. Therefore no salvation can be
accomplished without the Gospel. II
is the Law of the Spirit of Life, Rom.
S:2. And until we have been set free
by this law, are we slaves to the de-
sires of the flesh, to Satan, sin and
death. 1t is all the Words of this
Life, Acts $50. That means there
will be no more words given to mau,
neither here nor hereafter, by which
to obtain Life eternal. It then follows
that those who slight this message and
refuse the Christ of the Gospel, reject
the counsel of God against themselves.