Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-12-22
Pastor Russelps Sermon

ascended up on High. He led captivity
captive and gave gifts unto men,"
More literally It reads, HE led forth
a multitude Of captives. bestowing
gifts unto men" The Apostle quotes
from the Psalms poetic description
representing Jesus as great Conquer
or who had vanqulshed the enemy and
was returning home with the spoils.
The enemy Is Sin and Death.
Jesus by His sacrifice gained the
victory and the right to control the
millions Of Adams race who were In
bondage to Sin and Death. He had
humbled Himself. had become a man.
had given His life Ransom for all,
had been raised from the dead by the
power Of the Father. and had then as
cended a conquering Hero. welcomed
by the Father and acclaimed by the
angelic hosts t.1
The multitude OF captlves in His
train have not yet come into sight
merely the vanguard, the Church. And
the Church will not be fully delivered
until all Of its members shall have been
changed to glory, honor and immortalI-
ty beyond the veil. as sharers in the
First Resurrection Soon the Heaven
" portion Of the delivered captives
will have followed the Leader into the
presence Of the Father.
Then for thousand years the other
captives will be following on. AS 81.
Paul declares. 1t will be "every man
In his own order" or company, or reg
iment The ranks will ultimately In
clude the entire race Of Adam and
himself. All those willing to he led
forth from captivity will attain again
the full liberty Of the sons of Cod
lost through Adams disobedience. and
the right to recovery Of the same-re-
deemed for them at Calvary.
But the Apostle mentions the trium-
phal entry Of Jesus into Heaven It.
self merely as an Incidental, prefacing
his statement that our Lord immedi-
ately began to give gifts to men. The
first gifts, bestowed at Pentecost were
to the Church. Indeed. all of Jesus
gifts thus far have been to His follow
ers. The prophecy from which the
Apostle quotes takes In the world,
however, declaring that the gifts are
''for the rebelllous also. o."-Psalm 6e:1s.
Jesus' elfts TO tho Church.
st. Paul, continuing, tells US the spe-
cial gifts bestowed by Jesus upon His
I Church: "And He gave some Apostles,
and some prophets, and some evan
gelists, and some pastors and teach
ers" Je0us tells US about some false
apostles. We can readily suppose that
there have crept into the Church also
false teachers, false pastors, assoclat-
ing godliness with gain. az the Apos-
tie explains, All the same we are to
have In mind that there are true Apos-
ties, prophets, pastors, and teachers
appointed by the Redeemer as His spe-
I cia gifts to the Church, as His spe-
cial representatives In the Church, for
their guidance and blessing
We further read of the object and
purpose OF these gifts: they were 'for
the perfecting Of the saints. for the
work OF the ministry, for the edifying
OF the Body OF Christ: TIL we all come
In the unity of the faith, and Of the
knowledge Of the Son Of God. unto
perfect Man. unto the measure Of the
stature OF the fulness OF Christ
Only In proportion as Apostles,
prophets, pastors and teachers fulfil
this mission are they really the Lords
gifts to His Church Consider that
these we're not appointed for the
world, but for the saints-and not
merely to start them In the way Of
santship but especially to perfect
them as saints. And this perfecting OF
the saints Is not merely an instruc-
ton Of them in knowledge. nor merely
the bringing OF them to an apprecin-
tion Of the Joys and the peace OF the
Lord, but preparation Of them for
the work Of mlnlstry--the work Of
service. All the saints ure to be serv-
ants. even as the Lord Jesus. the
greatest Saint, was Servant Of all.
Whoever does not learn to be serv-
ant OF God. n servant OF righteous.
ness. a servant Of the brethren. will
not have learned the lessons necessary
for a share In the Kingdom Besides,
the Kingdom itself will be a service
to mankind for human uplift, and only
those who have come to an npprecla.
tion OF the privileges Of service In the
present conditions will be granted a
share with the Lord IN the more glorI-
Gus service Of the future.
The edlfying Of the Body Of Christ,
in modern language, means the up
building, the strengthening. the devel-
opment Of the Church, which is the
Body Of Christ Not merely with sin.
ners aud with the heathen, therefore.
are the pastors and teachers to be en-
gagged, but chiefly with the Church,
edlfyIng 1t, strengthening It, educating
II. with the knowledge Of God. and
building II mp In all the fruits and
Cruces OF the Spirit. The Apostles.
prophets. pastors and teachers who
nre the Lords gifts TO the Church will
be found doing this work, whatever
may be said Of others,
How Long II viii LAST
Their work will not be finished un.
III the Church completed shall have
entered into glory. This Is the ApOs-
ties statement. It'll we all come In
the unity OF the falth and Of the
ba,,,,ta,,.. 90 ,h,. con 40 (And uukn a