The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1915-03-22

Apostl.s as 10 make them cafe
vflldos for Iua Church. Through fhe
{ Holy gpifit at Psnteeost these
I Apostles would be enabled 20 nnaff-
stand which things of the Jewish
I law were binding upon tho fhureh,
and which not binding Their de.
cisi0n would be absolutely right ana
the entire Church might nave COM
Z fidence that what the Ap"stler
hound OF i0oaed on earth was equal
nv bound or ioosed IN Heaven. See
Acts 1873. 20
! 10 get back Into proper relation
ship With each other. Gods people
must recognize that only the words
81 the New Testament APOSTLES ana
4 Prophets are authoritative, properly
| representing the Divine mind. cther
things men have bound or i"ossd
on earth. without recognition in
| Heaven The things necessary 20
the Church are found only ~ thr
| Bible. 49, -. Paul declares.--z Tim~-
/ thy 51s.is
The Church Ipos the uo~h.
| other Fannda ton can no man lay
than that f. laid, Jesus christ -
Corinthians s.if1 In the Divine ar
engagements Jesus Christ ~ ne
| Foundation. the Rock. upon which
r. built the entire superstructure ~
1 His church-the one Catholic world
wide Church The New Jerusalem.
I the church In glory. hal tweif"
/ Foundation stones. built upon The one
l Foundation Rock. the Lord. Jesus
/ Christ ~ would manifestly be err
roneouH. therefore. 10 suppose that
our Lord abdicated His own place
In tho Church In favor Of ~ Peter
az much as He loved him. s. Peter
I was merely one % the twelve pre-
/ ciouH-ntone foundations.
what. then. did Jesus mean when
4 Il. led - ~
building His Church upon this
1 rock" and declared that the gates
/ 81 Hell fHades. the grave would
not prevail against IL We reply.
Jesus went down into the prison
house Of death, sheol. Hsdsa. the
tomb. but on the third day these
gates opened. and He came forth. 80
! likewise these gates will not prevail
against the Church. This IL an as
surance OF the resurrection OF the
i dead
To understand our text We should
/ read it's context The disciples had
I told Jesus the common talk reTpeci-
/ ing Himself lie then asked them.
| Who say Sc that I ann" ~ Peter
answered. Thou art the Christ. the
son OF the living God" This was the
! first public declaration 81 Jesus
MessiAhkhip. Even the disciples had
only now come 10 recognize their
| Teacher as the long promised Mes
sian. Jesus answered. Blessed art
| thou. simon. son 81 Jonas: for flesh
and blood hath not revealed this an
| TO thee. but My Father In Heaven
Thou art Peter "a stone. ready for
the spiritual Temple. the first TO
publicly acknowledge Iesusl, ana up
/ on this rock fthe truth just declared.
that I am MeSsiah) ] will build My
Church"
In the Greek the word Peter sig
nifies a stone % moderate size. while
the word here rendered rock sigui-
flies n mass of stone ST Peers
statement was recognition Of Jesus
| a. the great Foundation OF the Df-
win. Pian-Messiah. Upon that
Foundation truth. that Jesus g.
Christ. the Church " built. and II.
Peter was the first living stone TO
build himself upon that foundation.
81 Peter himself gives Va the same
thought q Peter ISIS, THIS en-
tire Gospel Age has been devoted 20
the building Of these living stones
upon that great Foundation Rock.
Christ Jesus. When the great Tenn
pie OF God Is completed. the New
Desperation win be inaugurRied.
The Keys of the king dom.-
To St. Peter our Lord said. Il will
give thee the keys OF the Kingdom
| OF Hca ven We shall not suppose
that any who hear this discourse or
read IL In the newspapers are stupid
| enough TO think Jesus meant that
| Heaven IL locked up. and that no
body could get In except as St Pet
Ter would admit them. True some
! have voiced such fantastic notions
But we refuse to believe that inteili-
gent people could be in earnes; In
any such view.
ST Peter was honored In being
permitted TO do an opening WORK
! tsftfh h.s In f....
the Church. The Bible shows US two
different opening works and two
different keys A key IL symbol
OF power or authority or an initia-
tive. -. Peter used his first KEY Of
privilege on peniecost When the
Holy Spirit came upon the early
waiting Church. st. Peter explained
the situation and opened the door 10
the Church OF Christ for the Jews
admonishing them to enter. Hs
told 81 the merit OF Christs death
resurrection and ascension, and how
forgiveness Of sins was. therefore.
preached I'm His name.--Acts s:fi-3G.
The second KEY TO the Kingdom OF
Heavcn--the Church. the embryo
Kingdom preparing for glory--St.
Peter used three and half years
later Then the SEVENTEEN week OF
Divine favor prophetically appoint
ed TO the Jews expired. and the
be fellow-hcirs with the Jews Of the
same Promise" The opening work
was with the household OF Cornelius.
20 whom ST Peter preached Christ
Thus the GENTLE door into the King
dom was thrown wide open.--Acts
10.
Repentance and Remission of Sins.
That repentance and remission OF
I sins might he preached In His name
| to all people" duke s4:47D God
never gave power TO bishops. priests
or ministers OF any denomination TO
forgive sins who can forgive sins
hut God alone2' Nor did Jesus give
AUTHORITY to His Apostles 20 forgive
sins. They might preach repentance
and forgiveness. but only In Tits
name. Nowhere in the Bible H. there
a statement to the effect that the
1 Apostles undertook to forgive sins.
In proportion as Gods peopie
| throw away their sectarian specta-
cles they can read Gods Message In
the words OF Jesus and the Apostles
let us hold fast the precious Word.
which Jesus eNhorted us to search
and which IL sufficient that the man
, Of God may be thoroughly furnished
Let us remember that there Is only
one true catholic. universal Church
each member of which Is a saint. re-
lated TO God and the Lord Jesus
| Christ through faith. repentance and
remission OF SIN and hegetting OF the
\ Holy Spirit; and that member OF
/ the BODY OF Christ Is a member OF
that Body anywhere. Now are We
the Body OF Christ, and members
in particular. II Corinthians isss1.
Il FREE FOR THE ASKING