The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 200

THE APOSTOLATE

i6o

new church

They have have manifested no new power. Whatever they have done lacks the stamp of a heavenly And nearly all these new apostles have died not like the origin. genuine twelve on cross or stake, but on their own beds surrounded by their friends and admirers. However, this is not all. The name of apostle may be taken (i) in the sense of being called directly by Jesus as an ambassador for God, or (2) in a general sense, denoting every man sent by Jesus into His vineyard for the word apostle means one that is sent. In Acts xiv. 14 Barnabas is called an apostle; not because he belonged to their number, but merely to indicate that he was sent out by the Lord as His missionary or ambassador. In Acts xiii. i, 2 Barnabas is mentioned before Saul, who is not even called by his apostolic name which shows that this call of the Holy Spirit bore only a temporary character, having in view only this special mission. For this reason the Lord Jesus Christ, as the One sent of the Faorganizations witnessed by this century.

established no

new

principle

;

their labors

;

;

ther, the great

God .

.

Missionary come to this world, the Ambassador of

to His Church, is called Apostle

:

"

Wherefore, holy brethren,

consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ

.

Jesus" (Heb. If

iii.

1).

the Irvingites had called the great reformers of the sixteenth

century, or

some prominent church leaders of the present time, have been no great objection. But they did

apostles, there could

mean

not

this.

They claim

that these

new

apostles shall stand

before the Church in a peculiar character, on the same plane with the

first

apostles, altho differently employed.

And

this

can not.be

would be in direct opposition to the apostolic declaration of I Cor. iv. 9: " For I think that God hath set us forth as the last apostles, as it were appointed unto death (see Dutch translation). How could St. Paul speak of the last apostles, if it were conceded.

It

*'

God's plan after eighteen centuries to send other twelve apostles into the world?

In view of this positive

those that

come

word

of the

Holy

Spirit,

we

direct all

what the Scripthemselves apostles, and are

into contact with the Irvingites to

ture says concerning

them that

call

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ." And the Lord Jesus testifies to the church at Ephesus " I know that thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not." not:

'

:

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