Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-18

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! chose You ana appointed Won. thar W
! Should - and bear truit john Ky,
Ii az. ~
Todoz lesson SHOWS the particular
| ity with Which the twelve Apostles
! were chosen MANY We're the Redeem
er'a followers ii times. both men and
/ Wumer, but only The Twelve We're es-
| pcciailY deputized as His mouthpieces
| and representatives. Some nf the
/ things said To and respecting them
| are equally appropriate To every one
| Of Jesus followers. but other things
said 10 The Twelve ana respecting
| them apply ia none others 81 their day
| nor sinee-as. FOR instance. the Savior
| said to The Twelve, and to none 9th
| ers, Whatsoever " shall bind on earth
| shalt be laosed III heaven Matt xvi.
| n; xviii. IS.
Tire import Of these words clearly is
| TINT the persons Indicated were assur-
cd that they would be 50 specially
| guided 81 Divine providence ia al their
! Efforts that they would SIT forth as
/ tic Divine viii amongst men nothing
10 which IIeaven@ would III assent.
| And on the other hand they would
| declare not binding upon the follow
crs ef Jesus only such things as in
| Gods sight would not he binding. liz
| those twelve men. therefore. We rec
| ognize pienary inspiration on special
| guidance not accorded in this partieu-
| lar degree 10 others Of The brethren"
We H. rot forget thai Judas WAS one
OF the original Twelve ana that, prov
/ ing tsaitorous. lie went IL his own
! place We remember also that he was
/ specifically referred 20 by the Prophet
| David. through whom the Divine mes
| sage came. that another WouId take
| the Aros tleship which Judas forfeited.
! What We do claim IS this that the an
nouncement was prophetically made OF
a successor 70 Judas so as to teach us
that fhe appointment of his successor
was exceptional and not the rifle. that
I aside from this one case there would
he no Successors.
surely there is ne intimatiaa in the
| New Testament that as one after an
other of the Apostles died other men
| were recognized as succeeding them
| on the contrary, the Scriptures repeat
/ eGly refer TO the Twelve Apostles of
/ the Lamb" Moreover, as the Jewish
/ Dispeusation began at the death OF
! Jacob in the recognition of his twelve
SONS. 50 the Christian Dispensation be
| gan II the death Of Jesus. in the rec
ogntion of his twelve Apostles And as
| one Of the tribes of Israel was cut off
ard is rot mentioned in the enumera-
/ tion in the ApocaR pse, but the tribe
! of Manasseh substituted, 50 amongst
Jesus Apostles Judas is dropped and a
successor IS appointed.
St. Paul to Succeed Judas.
Ia the past We may have read too
carelessly the account ii hoW tee
/ eleven faithful Apostles exceeded their
authority in the selection of Matthias 10
/ take the place Of Judas. / was proper
enough that they should sean the pro-
pheeies. and that they should note. as
/ tLry dirt Gods declaration of the uu
! faithMness of Judas. and that anoth-
er WIS 10 take his special place in the
/ church.: but they should have remem
| lere,l ttat they had not rs yet quail
] fed IS APOSTLES themselves They
! should have remembered that what
ever Apostolic or special power they
exercised during Jesus ministry came
| Ga them from Him and not from the
! Heavenly Father That Jesus endued
them as Ills representatives They
| should have remembered that tie Mas
| ter specifically told them 10 do nothing
until after receiving the heavenly bon
edictiou saying, furry We at Jerusa
lem until We be endued with power
from ON High"
Accrednmg them with the very best
of heart intentions, it was neverthe-
less. enrontelN on their part 10 select
two napes and to determine that one
or the other must be the successor Of
| Judas. They had no authority for SO
doing As for the one upon whom the
lot fell. Matthias, we hear nothing
! further Of him. ON the contrary. in
Gods due time. He Himself brought
forth saul of Tarsus, an lsraelte in
deed. Il Pharisee Of the Pharisees Who.
| however perverse in his conduct, was
thorouelHy conscientious, and verify
thought he did God service.
st. Paul himself tells us that he was
i not one Whit behind the very chiefesl
Of the Apostles, and that in respect to
| visions and revelations he had mere
| than they all. He goes back TO the
time when Christ appeared ta him on
i the way 10 Damascus, and when He
declared Ia Ananias, He is a chosen
vessel unto Me. to bear NV name un-
Ia The Gentiles aud to kings and TO the
people of Israeli st. Paul tells us that
+ he found evidences that God had
. chosen him for q special service, from
His mothers womb And such special
preparation and supervision we doubt
not was applicable TO all of The