The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-05-17

~'S AA AAOSc
days will l pour
out My Spirit. After this l will pour out
My Spirit upon all fesh.'--Joel 2:28, %.
The Pastor called attention to the
fact that he had transposed the two
parts of this text to make their mean
ing more apparent. He declared that
the Prophet unquestionably taught
two outpourings Of the Holy Spirit,
only n of which has yet come. The
n generally commemorated today by
Catholics and ~Episcopalians is the first
of these-the pouring out Of the Holy
Spirit on Gods faithful servants and
handmaidens. The second one is not
to be upon the same class, but upon
all fesh-not upon the Elect, but upon
all mankind. the non-elect.
The Pastor remarked that Pentecost
was a Jewish festival celebrating the
harvest. On that day, nearly nineteen
centuries ago, God poured out His
Holy Spirit upon His waiting servants
and handmaidens, in the upper room
at Jerusalem. That event was impor-
tant, not only to those who then par
ticipated, but to all of Gods people
from then until now. Prior to that
day Of Pentecost, no one except Jesus
had ever received spirit begetting-the
Holy Spirit of sonship. Prior to that
date, God held all humanity at a dis
lance from Himself, declaring that
because they were sinners He could
not accept them as sons. that first
%hnir sine 1p,1c+ ho otopo5 fnr
Pastor Russell pointed out that this
alienation from God had continued for
more than four thousand years before
Jesus came. Adam was called a son
of God. but after him no one was
styled a son of God until Jesus. Dur
ing all that time, Abraham alone was
styled a friend Of God. because of his
devotion, his faith. But a friend is
not a son, and none other than Abra-
ham had eve so high a title as friend.
The Jews had the honorable title of
servants of God, attaining that through
the Law Covenant, under Moses.
Not only do the old Testament Scrip
lures not refer to the Jews as sons of
God. but the Jews themselves have
never claimed such a relationship. On
the contrary. after Jesus had received
the Holy Spirit and had begun His
ministry, he spoke of Himself as be-
ing the Son Of God, and this the Jews
resented. taking up stones to stone ,
Him. They declared it blasphemous to
claim so close a relationship to Jeho-
yah. Again, we read of the disciples
before Jesus death, 1.-THE Holy Spirit
was not yet given; because that Jesus
was not yet glorifed."-John 7:39.
From these testimonies of the Bible,
the Pastor deduced that it was neces-
sary for Jesus to finish His sacrifice
for sins, and to ascend on High. into
the presence Of Jehovah God. and pre-
sent the merit Of His sacrifice on be-
half Of the Household of Faith. before
the Apostles or any Of the Church
| could be recognized of God. The de-
| sire which Jesus had awakened in
their hearts was that they might be-
come His footstep followers In doing
the Heavenly Fathers will-even to
the extent Of laying down their lives
for the Truth. for righteousness. And
| so His disciples declared that they had
left all to follow Him.
Before leaving them, Jesus admon-
ished that they should not attempt to
begin their work until after receiving
the Fathers recognition of them as
sons. He said. "Tarry We In the city
Of Jerusalem until We be endued with
power from on High" While He was
with them, He breathed upon them
and gave them of His Holy Spirit and
power. by which they healed the sick,
cast out demons, etc. But when He
left them they had not this power, oil
authority. and must wait until the Fa-
Their gave it to them directly, even as
He gave it directly to the Lord Jesus,
at the time the Holy Spirit came upon
Him at His baptism. a"
"When P~entecost Was Fully Come"
For ten days the Apostles and other
faithful brethren tarried. praying in
the upper room. waiting for the prom
Used demonstration of Divine accept
ance that would indicate to them that
Jesus had appeared in the presence of
God. and had made satisfaction for
their sins, and that the Heavenly Fa-
Their had accepted Jesus sacrifice on
their behalf, and by the begetting OF
the Holy Spirit would recognize them
as o OF God-not as human sons,
however. The sonship to which Jesus
and the Church nave Deen pegorIen
during this Gospel Age is on a far
higher than human ~plane-far above
the angelic, also. st. Peter explains
that our begetting is TO the Divine
n~ature.n--2 Peter Ia.
without the begetting there could be
no ultimate birth to the Divine nature
ia the resurrection. Thus 1t was with
Jesus. He was begotten OF the Holy
Spirit. quickened by the Spirit. and
gradually developed during the three
and q half years OF His earthly min
istry. But He was not born OF the
Spirit until His resurrection, as we
read: he was the Eirst-born FROM
Il xhn laodti--ssfhn NIySf-hnrfa a MON fysS