patriarchs and prophets-第3章
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AND TRULY； IF EVER IN HER EXPERIENCE THE CHURCH WOULD NEED THE BENEFIT OF
EVERY AGENCY ORDAINED FOR HER COMFORT AND GUIDANCE； ENCOURAGEMENT AND
PROTECTION； IT WOULD BE AMID THE PERILS OF THE LAST DAYS； WHEN THE POWERS OF
EVIL； WELL…NIGH PERFECTED BY EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING FOR THEIR NEFARIOUS
WORK； WOULD； BY THEIR MASTERPIECES OF IMPOSTURE； DECEIVE IF IT WERE POSSIBLE
EVEN THE ELECT。 VERY APPROPRIATELY； THEREFORE； COME IN THE SPECIAL
PROPHECIES OF THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CHURCH IN
THE LAST DAYS。
IT IS； HOWEVER； USUALLY TAUGHT； IN THE CURRENT LITERATURE OF THE CHRISTIAN
WORLD； THAT THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT WERE ONLY FOR THE APOSTOLIC AGE； THAT
THEY WERE GIVEN SIMPLY FOR THE PLANTING OF THE GOSPEL； AND THAT THE GOSPEL
BEING ONCE ESTABLISHED； THE GIFTS WERE NO LONGER NEEDED； AND CONSEQUENTLY
WERE SUFFERED SOON TO DISAPPEAR FROM THE CHURCH。 BUT THE APOSTLE PAUL WARNED
THE CHRISTIANS OF HIS DAY THAT THE 〃MYSTERY OF INIQUITY〃 WAS ALREADY AT
WORK； AND THAT AFTER HIS DEPARTURE； GRIEVOUS WOLVES WOULD ENTER IN AMONG
THEM； NOT SPARING THE FLOCK； AND THAT ALSO OF THEIR OWN SELVES MEN WOULD
ARISE； SPEAKING PERVERSE THINGS TO DRAW AWAY DISCIPLES AFTER THEM。 ACTS
20：29； 30。 IT CANNOT THEREFORE BE THAT THE GIFTS； PLACED IN THE CHURCH TO
GUARD AGAINST THESE VERY EVILS； WERE READY； WHEN THAT TIME CAME； TO PASS
AWAY AS HAVING ACCOMPLISHED THEIR OBJECT； FOR THEIR PRESENCE AND HELP WOULD
BE NEEDED UNDER THESE CONDITIONS MORE THAN WHEN THE APOSTLES THEMSELVES WERE
ON THE STAGE OF ACTION。
WE FIND ANOTHER STATEMENT IN PAUL'S LETTER TO THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH； WHICH
SHOWS THAT THE POPULAR CONCEPTION OF THE TEMPORARY CONTINUANCE OF THE GIFTS
CANNOT BE CORRECT。 IT IS HIS CONTRAST BETWEEN THE PRESENT； IMPERFECT STATE；
AND THE GLORIOUS； IMMORTAL CONDITION TO WHICH THE CHRISTIAN WILL FINALLY
ARRIVE。 1 CORINTHIANS
13。 HE SAYS （VERSES 9； 10）。 〃FOR WE KNOW IN PART； AND WE
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PROPHESY IN PART。 BUT WHEN THAT WHICH IS PERFECT IS COME； THEN THAT WHICH IS
IN PART SHALL BE DONE AWAY。〃 HE FURTHER ILLUSTRATES THIS PRESENT STATE BY
COMPARING IT TO THE PERIOD OF CHILDHOOD WITH ITS WEAKNESS AND IMMATURITY OF
THOUGHT AND ACTION； AND THE PERFECT STATE； TO THE CONDITION OF MANHOOD WITH
ITS CLEARER VISION； MATURITY； AND STRENGTH。 AND HE CLASSES THE GIFTS AMONG
THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE NEEDED IN THIS PRESENT； IMPERFECT CONDITION； BUT
WHICH WE SHALL HAVE NO OCCASION FOR WHEN THE PERFECT STATE IS COME。 〃NOW；〃
HE SAYS （VERSE 12）； 〃WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS； DARKLY； BUT THEN FACE TO FACE：
NOW I KNOW IN PART； BUT THEN SHALL I KNOW EVEN AS ALSO I AM KNOWN。〃 THEN HE
STATES WHAT GRACES ARE ADAPTED TO THE ETERNAL STATE； AND WILL THERE EXIST；
NAMELY； FAITH； HOPE； AND CHARITY； OR LOVE； 〃THESE THREE； BUT THE GREATEST OF
THESE IS CHARITY。〃
THIS EXPLAINS THE LANGUAGE OF VERSE 8： 〃CHARITY NEVER FAILETH；〃 THAT IS；
CHARITY； THE HEAVENLY GRACE OF LOVE； WILL ENDURE FOREVER； IT IS THE CROWNING
GLORY OF MAN'S FUTURE； IMMORTAL CONDITION； BUT 〃WHETHER THERE BE PROPHECIES；
THEY SHALL FAIL；〃 THAT IS； THE TIME WILL COME WHEN PROPHECIES WILL BE NO
LONGER NEEDED； AND THE GIFT OF PROPHECY； AS ONE OF THE HELPS IN THE CHURCH；
WILL NO LONGER BE EXERCISED； 〃WHETHER THERE BE TONGUES； THEY SHALL CEASE；〃
THAT IS； THE GIFT OF TONGUES WILL NO LONGER BE OF SERVICE； 〃WHETHER THERE BE
KNOWLEDGE； IT SHALL VANISH AWAY；〃 THAT IS； KNOWLEDGE； NOT IN THE ABSTRACT；
BUT AS ONE OF THE SPECIAL GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT； WILL BE RENDERED UNNECESSARY
BY THE PERFECT KNOWLEDGE WITH WHICH WE SHALL BE ENDOWED IN THE ETERNAL
WORLD。
NOW； IF WE TAKE THE POSITION THAT THE GIFTS CEASED WITH THE APOSTOLIC AGE；
BECAUSE NO LONGER NEEDED； WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THE POSITION THAT THE
APOSTOLIC AGE WAS THE WEAK AND CHILDISH AGE OF THE CHURCH； WHEN EVERYTHING
WAS SEEN THROUGH A GLASS； DARKLY； BUT THE AGE THAT FOLLOWED； WHEN GRIEVOUS
WOLVES WERE TO ENTER IN； NOT SPARING THE FLOCK； AND MEN WERE TO ARISE； EVEN
IN THE CHURCH； SPEAKING PERVERSE THINGS TO DRAW AWAY DISCIPLES AFTER THEM；
WAS AN AGE OF PERFECT LIGHT AND KNOWLEDGE； IN WHICH THE IMPERFECT AND
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CHILDISH AND DARKENED KNOWLEDGE OF APOSTOLIC TIMES HAD PASSED AWAY！ FOR； BE
IT REMEMBERED； THE GIFTS CEASE ONLY WHEN A PERFECT STATE IS REACHED； AND
BECAUSE THAT STATE IS REACHED； WHICH RENDERS THEM NO LONGER NECESSARY。 BUT
NO ONE； ON SOBER THOUGHT； CAN FOR A MOMENT SEEK TO MAINTAIN THE POSITION
THAT THE APOSTOLIC AGE WAS INFERIOR IN SPIRITUAL ELEVATION TO ANY AGE WHICH
HAS SUCCEEDED IT。 AND IF THE GIFTS WERE NEEDED THEN； THEY CERTAINLY ARE
NEEDED NOW。
AMONG THE AGENCIES WHICH THE APOSTLE IN HIS LETTERS TO BOTH THE CORINTHIANS
AND EPHESIANS ENUMERATES AS 〃GIFTS〃 SET IN THE CHURCH； WE FIND 〃PASTORS；〃
〃TEACHERS；〃 〃HELPS；〃 AND 〃GOVERNMENTS；〃 AND ALL THESE ARE ACKNOWLEDGED； ON
EVERY HAND； AS STILL CONTINUING IN THE CHURCH。 WHY NOT； THEN； THE OTHERS
ALSO； INCLUDING FAITH； HEALING； PROPHECY； ETC。？ WHO IS COMPETENT TO DRAW THE
LINE； AND SAY WHAT GIFTS HAVE BEEN 〃SET OUT〃 OF THE CHURCH； WHEN ALL WERE；
IN THE BEGINNING； EQUALLY 〃SET〃 THEREIN？
REVELATION 12：17 HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS A PROPHECY THAT THE GIFTS WOULD BE
RESTORED IN THE LAST DAYS。 AN EXAMINATION OF ITS TESTIMONY WILL CONFIRM THIS
VIEW。 THE TEXT SPEAKS OF THE REMNANT OF THE WOMAN'S SEED。 THE WOMAN BEING A
SYMBOL OF THE CHURCH； HER SEED WOULD BE THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS COMPOSING THE
CHURCH AT ANY ONE TIME； AND THE 〃REMNANT〃 OF HER SEED WOULD BE THE LAST
GENERATION OF CHRISTIANS； OR THOSE LIVING ON THE EARTH AT THE SECOND COMING
OF CHRIST。 THE TEXT FURTHER DECLARES THAT THESE 〃KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF
GOD； AND HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST；〃 AND THE 〃TESTIMONY OF JESUS〃
IS EXPLAINED IN CHAPTER 19：10 TO BE 〃THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY；〃 WHICH MUST BE
UNDERSTOOD AS THAT WHICH AMONG THE GIFTS IS CALLED 〃THE GIFT OF PROPHECY。〃 1
CORINTHIANS 12：9； 10。
THE SETTING OF THE GIFTS IN THE CHURCH DOES NOT IMPLY THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL
WAS TO HAVE THEM IN EXERCISE。 ON THIS POINT THE APOSTLE （1 CORINTHIANS
12：29） SAYS； 〃ARE ALL APOSTLES？ ARE ALL PROPHETS？ ARE ALL TEACHERS？〃 ETC。
THE IMPLIED ANSWER IS NO； NOT ALL ARE； BUT THE GIFTS ARE DIVIDED AMONG THE
MEMBERS AS IT PLEASES
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GOD。 1 CORINTHIANS 12：7； 11。 YET THESE GIFTS ARE SAID TO BE 〃SET IN THE
CHURCH；〃 AND IF A GIFT IS BESTOWED UPON EVEN ONE MEMBER OF THE CHURCH； IT
MAY BE SAID THAT THAT GIFT IS 〃IN THE CHURCH；〃 OR THAT THE CHURCH 〃HAS〃 IT。
SO THE LAST GENERATION WAS TO HAVE； AND IT IS BELIEVED DOES NOW HAVE； THE
TESTIMONY OF JESUS； OR THE GIFT OF PROPHECY。
ANOTHER PORTION OF SCRIPTURE EVIDENTLY WRITTEN WITH REFERENCE TO THE LAST
DAYS； BRINGS THE SAME FACT PLAINLY TO VIEW。 1 THESSALONIANS
5。 THE APOSTLE OPENS THE CHAPTER WITH THESE WORDS： 〃BUT
OF THE TIMES AND THE SEASONS； BRETHREN； YOU HAVE NO NEED THAT I WRITE UNTO
YOU。 FOR YOURSELVES KNOW PERFECTLY THAT THE DAY OF THE LORD SO COMETH AS A
THIEF IN THE NIGHT。〃 IN VERSE 4 HE ADDS； 〃BUT YE； BRETHREN； ARE NOT IN
DARKNESS； THAT THAT DAY SHOULD OVERTAKE YOU AS A THIEF。〃 THEN HE GIVES THEM
SUNDRY ADMONITIONS IN VIEW OF THAT EVENT； AMONG WHICH ARE THESE （VERSES
19…21）： 〃QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT。 DESPISE NOT PROPHESYINGS。 PROVE ALL THINGS；
HOLD FAST THAT WHICH IS GOOD。〃 AND IN VERSE 23 HE PRAYS THAT THESE VERY ONES
WHO WERE THUS TO HAVE TO DO WITH 〃PROPHESYINGS〃 MAY BE PRESERVED BLAMELESS
UNTO THE COMING OF THE LORD。
ON THE STRENGTH OF THESE CONSIDERATIONS ARE WE NOT JUSTIFIED IN BELIEVING
THAT THE GIFT OF PROPHECY WILL BE MANIFESTED IN THE CHURCH IN THE LAST DAYS；
AND THAT THROUGH IT MUCH LIGHT WILL BE IMPARTED； AND MUCH TIMELY INSTRUCTION
GIVEN？
ALL THINGS ARE TO BE TREATED ACCORDING TO THE APOSTLE'S RULE： 〃PROVE ALL
THINGS； HOLD FAST THAT WHICH IS GOOD；〃 AND TO BE TESTED BY THE SAVIOUR'S
STANDARD： BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM。〃 APPEALING TO THIS STANDARD IN
BEHALF OF WHAT CLAIMS TO BE A MANIFESTATION OF THE GIFT OF PROPHECY； WE
COMMEND THIS VOLUME TO THE CONSIDERATION OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE
IS THE WORD OF GOD； AND THAT THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF WHICH CHRIST IS H
