The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-05-28

twelve were set to be apostles; tnaC
the Office is not, as some claim, pro-
| longed in the bishops, cardinals and
popes. The Scriptures tell us of the
| twelve apostles of the Lamb" whose
names are written in heaven, and OF
the twelve foundations of the New Je-
rusalem. Another picture Of the same
| thing in Revelation represents the
| Church as woman, upon her head
twelve stars, no more, no less, one be-
| ing chosen in place of one Of the origi-
nal, Judas, who was lost, so that the
tlcelre might be maintained. While the
number of pastors, teachers and evan
| gelists is evidently greater, we are not
| for a moment to doubt that the Lord
! has the supervision of this matter and
has been giving the gifts to the Church
throughout the Gospel Age as their
services were necessary and, as be-
levers We're prepared, TO make use or
their assistance. Here we are remind
ed of the Apostles words, Are all
apostles? Are all prophets? Are all
teachers?" His intimation aSSuredly Is
that all are not so recognized OF the
Lord; that God makes his own selec-
tion-and it is for his people to hear,
to recognize his voice and to follow
the same and not to follow the voice
of strangers.
Alas, that an important Truth Is
sighted; that the Lords people have
forgotten that he himself is the Head
of the Church, that by his appoint
ment the twelve apostles are the chan
nels of his blessing; that only through
them do the streams of Truth go forth,
and that evangelists, pastors and
teachers are to be needed only as they
can show that their messages are
from this Fountain Spring! Would
that every consecrated Christian would
realize what the Apostle Paul so clear
" sets forth, namely, that all the
teachings represented In the name of
the Lord and the apostles are to be
proven, to see whether or not they do
proceed from these Fountains and
without admixture and adulteration.
"Perfecting of the Saints"
For what purpose did the Lord give
these gifts unto men? For the con-
version of the world someone an
swers. Yes, we reply. but not directly
so. We must be guided by the Apostle
If we would know the Truth Of the
matter He says distinctly that these
gifts were ''for the perfecting of the
saints for the work of the ministry,
for the edification of the Body OF
Christ, till we all come into unity Of
faith and of the knowledge of the Son
measure of the stature of the fullness
of Christ" Ephesians iv, 11-l3).
According to this it is a mistake to
suppose that Gods will is accom-
plished in the mere preaching of the
first principles Of the doctrines OF
Christ. The Apostle explains that our
first standing in Christ is that of
babes, but that we need to be nour-
ished, strengthened, developed to per-
lection, to the condition of manhood.
We believe that the Apostle would find
fault with the sentiments of men to-
day on this subject; that he would
tell us that the doctrines Of Christ are
not sufficiently taught and not sufti-
GENTLY understood to produce the fin
ished Christian character which the
Lord desires. Men are to become
saints first, and then to attain a per-
fecting as saints. Full conservation,
therefore, is a mere beginning of the
matter and not the end of it. We
must "go on unto perfection"
"Unto a Perfect Man."
st. Paul says that these gifts through
apostles, prophets and teachers are to
develop the Church to the condition
of a perfect man, unto the measure
Of the stature of the fullness Of Christ"
He does not mean that each Individual
stature and character. Nothing Of the
kind is possible nor has ever been ac-
complished. His meaning is that from
the Divine standpoint of intention The
Christ of which Jesus Is the Head,
has many members, possibly one hun
| dred and forty-four thousand, and that
these members, when all completed at
the end Of the Age, will constitute the
perfect mantle Great Prophet.
This is the same New Man of which
the Apostle speaks, saying that the
Head and some of the members were
Jewish while others of the members
| We're of Gentle origin, ''thdt of the
| tWQin he might make one nel0 man"
| (Ephesians ii, 15). This is the same
Body to which the Apostle refers in
| Corinthians, twelfth chapter, when he
! says that ''the eye cannot say to the
hand, I have no need Of thee; nor
again, the head to the feet, 1 have no
| need Of you. Nay, much more, those
members of the Body which seem to
be more feeble, are necessary" That
Body complete will be the great
Prophet, Priest and King, our Lord
the Head and his perfected saints the
| members. Through the Kingdom then
| to be established the gifts and bless
ings will proceed through Abraham's
Seed to all the families Of the earth:
yea, unto ''the rebellious Also" will
| come fullest knowledge, fullest oppor
| tunity for reconciliation to the Father
! through the death of his Son. Thus
| seen our Lords ascension to be Lord
| Of all is close to the core Of the Gospel
| program.