The Washington herald., 1915-03-22

4 NdsttE, We are the
Jesus did not mean that God would abdi
| cate His Divine authority and wisdom IL
, favor OF any twelve men.
| What the passage implies Is that thu
Lord would so overruIe the utterance'
and writings Of His twelve Apostles al
| to make them safe guides for HI,
| Church. Through the Holy Spirit a
| Pentecost these Apostles would be en-
| abied to understand which things Of tn,
Jewish law were binding upon tn.
Church. and which not binding. Thei
decision would be absolutely right. anc
, the entire Church might have confidenc,
that what the Apostles bound or loosec
| on earth was equally bound or looscd IL
Heaven. See Acts 15:S q.
To get back into proper relationship
with each other. Gods people must rec
ognize that only the words of the New
Testament Apostles and Prophets are
authoritative. properly representing the
Divine mind. Othcr things men have
bound or loosed on earth. without recog-
milton in Heaven. The things necessary
to the Church are found only In the
Bible. as ST. Paul declares-c Timothy
SIG. Il.
The Church Upon the Rock.
''Othcr Foundation can no man lay
inthians BID In the Divine arrange
ments Jesus Christ is the Foundation,
the Rock. upon which Is built the entire
superstruCture OF His Chuych-the one
Catholic. Worldwide Church. The New
Jerusalem. the church In glory. had
twelve foundation stones. built upon the
one Foundation Rock. the Lord. Jesus
Christ. II would manifestly be errone-
Gus. therefore. to suppose that our Lord
abdicated Hts own place in the Church
in favor of st. Peter, as much as He
loved Him. st. Peter was merely one OF
the twelve precious-stone foundations.
What. then. did Jesus mean when He
called St Peter a stone. spoke OF build
ing His Church upon this rock" and
declared that the gates Of He'll blades.
the grave) would not prevail against II .?
We reply. Jesus went down into the
prison-house of death. Sheol, Hades. the
tomb: but on the third day these gates
opened. and He came forth So likewise
these gates will not prevail against the
Church. This is an assurance OF the
resurrection OF the dead.
To understand our text We should read
its context. The disciples had told Jesus
the common talk respecting Himself He
then asked them, who say We that 1
ann" st. Peter answered. Thou art the
Christ. the Son Of the living God" This
was the first public declaration OF Jesus
Messiahship. Even the disciples had
only now come TO recognize their Teach
er as the long-promised Messiah. Jesus
answered, blessed art thou, Simon, son
OF Jonas; for flesh and blood hath not
revealed this unto thee, but MY Father
in Heaven. Thou art Peter Ga stone
ready for the spiritual Temple. the first
to publicly acknowledge Jesus), and upon
This rOrk ha fr,tf net 10,
am Messiah) will build My Church.
In the Greek the word Peter signifies a
stone Of moderate size. while the word
here rendered rock signifies a mass of
stone St Peters statement was 4 rec
oSnitlon Of Jesus as the great Founda-
ton OF the Divine Plan-Messiah. Upon
that foundation truth. that Jesus Is
Christ. the Church is built: and ST
Peter was the first living stone to build
himself upon that foundation. St Peter
himself gives US the same thought q
Peter 2:5-s) This entire Gospel Ago has
been devoted to the building OF these liv-
ing stones upon that great Foundation
Rock. Christ Jesus. When the great
Temple of God is completed, the New
Dispensation will be inaugurated
'.The Keys of the Kinadom."
To st. Peter our Lord said. II will give
Heaven" We shall not suppose that
any who hear this discourse or read it
in the newspapers are stupid enough to
think Jesus meant that Heaven is locked
up, and that nobody could get in except
as st. Peter would admit them. True
some have voiced such fantastic notions
But We refuse to believe that Intelligent
people could be in earnest in any such
view.
ST. retcr was honored in being permit
ted to do an opening work connected
with the inauguration of the Church.
The Bible shows us two different OPEN
inS works and two different keys. 4
key is symbol OF power or authority or
an initiative. st. Peter used his first
key OF privilege on Pentecost. When the
Holy Spirit came upon the early waiting
Church. st. Fetcr explained the situation
and opened the door to tho Church Of
Christ for the Jews. admonishInG them
to enter. He told of the merit OF Chri.t's
death. resurrection and ascension. and
how forgiveness OF sits was. therefore,
preached IN His name.-Acts s:I4-3s.
Tho second key to the Kingdom OF
Heaven-the Church. the embryo King
dom preparing for glory-St. Peter used
three and half years later. Then tho
seventieth week Of Divine favor prophet-
tcally appointed to the Jews expired. and
the time came that the GentiIes might
be fellow-heirs with the Jews OF the
same Promise" The opening WORK was
with the household OF Cornelius to whom
St Peter preached Christ Thus the
Gentle door into tho Kingdom was
thrown wide open.-Acts 10.
Repentance and Remission Of Sins.
That repentance and remission of
sins might be preached I'm His name to
all people" duke si:47.) God never
gave power to bishops. priests or min
listers OF any denomination to forgive
sins. Who can forgive sins but God
aloneT Nor did Jesus give authority &c
His Apostles to forgive sins. They might
preach repentance and forgiveness. but
only In His name. Nowhere In the Bible
is there a statement to the effect that
the Apostles undertook to forgive sins.
In proportion as Gods people throw
away their sectarian spectacles they can
read Gods Massage In the words OF
Jesus and the Apostles. Let us hold fast
the precious Word. which Jesus exhort-
ed US to search and which Is 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 related IN God and Tn. Iord uasu,