The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-09
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MlEABERNACLE
The Church's Ordination
Matthew %: 1920: Luke "a: &C.
4NBIBEE.sTUDY-oNN


"Lo, ] am with you always, even unto
the end of the world Matthew 1920.
Today's study relates to the commission,
or authorization of service, which Jesus
appointed to His church in His discourses
during the 40 days following His resur-
rection. In the first part we have the
Me- ster's words on the evening after his
journey with two of the disciples to EN-
maus. The second is a part of the gem
eral commission which Jesus gave just
before His ascension.
The lessons of that journey to Emmaus
and of subsequent appearances must have
been very valuable to all the followers of
Christ at that time The evangelist sums
up in few words duke 24:44-48) scriptural
exposition which probably occupied at
least an hour We are not told what
these expositions were which opened their
eyes of understanding, but we can sur
mise. Our Lord probably explained to
them the true significance of the Pass
over lamb, and showed them that He was
the Antitype of that lamb. He probably
explained also the true significance of
the passover-that in the type the first
born of Israel were passed over, subse-
quently represented by the tribe of Levi,
including the priests; and that the anti
type of these first-borns Is the church of
the first-borns. written in heaven-aIl
the sanity followers of Jesus who event.
ually will be of the royal priesthood, and
the antitypical Levites, their servants In
the worlds blessing during Messiah
kingdom.
The Master doubtless also gave them
some suggestions respecting the antitypi-
cal atonement day and the better saeri-
fioes-that He Himself began the better
sacrifices. which would be continued in
His disciples; and that, the sacrifices be-
Ing finished, the atonement blessings
would go forth from the High Priest to
all the families of the earth.
The concluding part of the Masters
message on that occasion was Behold.
! send the promise of My Father upon
you" In various types the Father had
promised that the church would receive
the Holy Spirit from Jesus, their head;
for instance, In the holy oil which, poured
upon the head of Aaron typifying Jesus),
flowed down upon his body, typifying the
amounting of the church.
This promise of the divine acceptance
of the church was all-important. With
out 1T the disciples would have no COM
mission, and could not be ambassadors for
God. Jesus had indeed sent them out;
but they were His personal representa-
tives, and He had given them of His own
spirit, His own power, by which they had
worked miracles. cast out devils, etc. But
they had never been recognized of the
Father. tJohn 1882 They must walt for
this begetting and Amounting of the Holy
Spirit. 1t alone could qualify them to
be Gods ambassadors and representa-
tives.
st. Matthews account of our Lords
benediction upon His disciples. and Of
His commissioning of them to declare His
message, is full of interest BY His ap-
pointment the eleven met Him in a noun
tain In Galilee. For few moments only
did He appear to them. They worshiped
some fully convinced, others wayering 1t
xUa 10 ir,p VIZ bof
remained during the 40 days; and we
are sure that He fully accomplished His
work of convincing the eleven; for they
were all of one heart and one mind when
they waited in the upper room for the
penetecostal blessing.
Jesus came near to them, and declared
that full authority had been given Him
respecting both heavenly and earthly
things. Unless they could realize this, 1t
would be impossible for them to represent
Him properly before the world. During
His earthly ministry, He had not this au-
thority But after He had demonstrated
His loyalty even unto the death of the
cross, the Father had raised Him from
the dead to a glorious fulness of power.
He was thus declared to be the Son of
God with power by His resurrection from
the dead
Here is the commission. Primarily it
belonged to the II apostles, but subse-
place of Judas. The apostles alone are
authorized as mouthpieces of the Lord
Jesus Christ and His church to the world.
All that, has been told us of apostolic
! bishops being successors of the II Is
false. unscriptural They had no sue
cessors; they are with us yet. Through
them the Masters message is given us
in the New Testament, of which one of
them wrote. The word of God is suffi-
Client that the man of God may be thor
oughly furnished''2 Timothy S16 II.
But while Jesus appointed especially the