The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 187

:

THE APOSTOLIC SCRIPTURES.

147

only founded churches, but also gave them ordinances. St. Paul writes to the Corinthians " As I have given order to the churches :

of Galatia, even so do

ye"

(i

Cor. xvi.

Hence they were con-

i).

scious of possessing power, of being clothed with authority. so ordain

I

in all the churches," says the

same apostle

(i

"

Cor.

And vii.

This ordaining is not like that of our official church boards which have power to make rules or as a minister in the name of the consistory announces from the pulpit certain regulations. Nay, the apostles exercised authority by virtue of a power they consciously possessed in themselves, independent of any church or church 17).

;

council.

For

St.

Paul writes, after having given ordinances in the

"And

have the Spirit of to ordain and to judge in the churches, they derived not from the Church, nor from church council, nor from the apostolate, but directly from the Holy Spirit. This is true even of the power to judge for, concerning an incestuous person in the church of Corinth, St. Paul judged that he should be delivered to Satan the execution of which sentence he left to the elders of that church, but upon which he had

matter of marriages: God."

think that

I

Hence the power and authority

to

I

also

command,

;

;

—

determined by virtue of his apostolic authority i Cor. v, 3. In this connection it is remarkable that St. Paul was conscious of a twofold current running through his word (i) that of traditioti, touching the things ordained by the Lord Jesus during His ministry and (2) that of the Holy Spirit, touching the things to be decided by the apostolate. For he writes " Now concerning virgins, :

;

:

have no commandment of the Lord; yet I give my judgment as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful" (i Cor. And again he saith: "Unto the married I command, yet vii. 25). not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband" And in verse 12 he saith " But to the rest speak I, not the (ver. 10). Lord." Many have received the impression that St. Paul meant to say " What the Lord commanded, you must keep but the things by me enjoined are of less account and not binding"; a view destroying the authority of the apostolic word, and therefore to be reThe apostle has not the least intention of undermining his jected. I

:

:

;

—

own authority for having delivered the message, he adds expressly " And I think that I also have the Spirit of God "; which, in connection with the commandment of the Lord, can not mean anything ;

else than this

:

"

authority as the

That which

I

have enjoined rests upon the same declaration which was al-

Lord's own words";— a

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