Part 8
But what is the gift of the Holy Ghost which is conferred upon the repentant and baptized believer by the laying on of hands? To His apostles Jesus made this promise, "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." Again, Jesus said to them, further explaining His promise, "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name. He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." And still continuing His instructions to these beloved disciples, Jesus said again, "Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come." Now, we have already learned what the Holy Ghost is. The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead, and is a personage of spirit. But it appears that the special gift derived, through obedience, from the Holy Ghost is the gift of mental and spiritual insight--the gift of intelligence. The Comforter, said Jesus, is the Spirit of truth; it shall teach all things, and bring to remembrance {142} whatsoever has been heard; it shall guide into all truth, and speak only such things as it shall itself hear; it shall show things yet to come. To receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, is then to receive the gift of light, and truth, and intelligence. Of this gift of the Holy Ghost, the great Joseph Smith has said many important things. Among others we find recorded this: "The first Comforter or Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is . . . powerful in expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the intellect with present knowledge." In another place, is recorded the following: "We believe that the holy men of old spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and that holy men in these days speak by the same principle; we believe in its being a comforter and a witness bearer, that it brings things past to our remembrance, leads us into all truth, and shows us of things to come; we believe that 'no man can know that Jesus is the Christ, but by the Holy Ghost.'"
[Sidenote: The conditions and the source of intelligence.]
In studying about faith, and repentance, and baptism, we learned that the same principles operate in the daily affairs of life, and underlie all material success. So it is also with the source of principle of the gift of the Holy Ghost. The young chemist who tried to cover his watchcase with gold, learned to understand the spirit of truth, and gained greater intelligence, when he obeyed fully the requirements going before. And as he learned further the principle of obedience, he grew steadily in scientific intelligence. So it is then with us. We are required to exercise faith in God, and in His Son, Jesus Christ; we are required to repent {143} of our sins, and to learn to live righteously: we are required to be baptized by complete immersion in water for the remission of sins; and then we are required to submit ourselves to the ordinance of the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. When we have done all this we have fulfilled the requirements of the law. Then our minds will be opened, and our understandings quickened; for then the Holy Ghost can act upon us to give us light and intelligence. This is being born of the Spirit; and therefore should everyone obey the commandment of the Lord, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, for a remission of yours sins; yea, be baptized even by water, and then Cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost."
THE REFERENCES
John 3:5. John 14:16, 17, 26.
Heb. 6:1, 2. John 16:13,14.
Acts 19:1-7. Hist. of the Church, vol. 3, page 380.
Acts 8:5-24. Hist. of the Church, vol. 5, page 26.
John 15:16. Doc. and Cov. 33:11.
THE QUESTIONS
1. What twofold requirement is contained in the teaching of Jesus to Nicodemus?
2. How may one be born of the Spirit?
3. What was the teaching and practice of Paul concerning the laying on of hands?
4. What was the practice of the apostles in the matter of laying on hands?
5. Whence did the apostles derive their knowledge of the ordinance of laying on hands?
6. What is the gift of the Holy Ghost?
7. What parallel may be found in the work of the world?
8. What is the source of intelligence?
{144} PICTURE: JESUS AND THE FISHERMEN, Zimmermann
{145}
XIX
THE FOUNDATION STONE
[Sidenote: A Resume.]
It is only natural that you should want to pause now, and review some of the teachings that have been considered in these pages. Jesus came to the earth to attend to His Father's business. That business consisted of learning, Himself, to know God the Father, of teaching all other men to know Him, and of bringing about the salvation of the children of God. To accomplish His wonderful mission, Jesus taught clearly what men should know about the Father and about Himself and about the Holy Ghost; what men should know about the pre-existent life, and why they are now upon the earth; and how they should worship God, cultivate childlike faith in Him, and do the things that success in worship requires. All these teachings, as we have seen, and all the requirements, too, are in perfect harmony with natural law. To succeed in any kind of endeavor one must follow just such steps as are outlined by Jesus for attaining success in the struggle for exaltation. And, certainly, we cannot rightfully hope to drift into the success of eternal life, any more than we can hope to drift into the presidency of the United States of America. Successful achievement is the crown of persistent effort.
[Sidenote: A few questions.]
Now, as it is natural that you should want to pause at this point and review these teachings, so it is natural that you should ask yourselves such questions as these: Did Jesus intend that His disciples should associate themselves in an organized community? Did He have in mind the {146} organizing of a Church? Did He organize a Church? How did He expect those who accepted His teachings to retain their devotion, and to grow in their knowledge of God and His requirements of the faithful? If He did establish a Church, how shall we recognize it? In this lesson we shall discover what Jesus taught in answer to these questions.
[Sidenote: Parables by the sea.]
One day Jesus went "out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered unto Him, so that He went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore."
Teaching the multitude in parables, Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him. Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him. Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
"Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and His disciples came unto Him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
{147} "He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man: the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
"As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."
[Sidenote: The meaning of the parables.]
Thus clearly did Jesus Himself see the condition of the world, and thus plainly did He teach it to His disciples. Now, for the purpose of this study, certain points appear. First, it is very evident that Jesus had in mind a distinct community life for those who followed Him. The kingdom of heaven, sometimes called the kingdom of God, is the organization in which dwells the righteous. Of course, all kinds of people gain access at times into the kingdom. In another parable, Jesus likens the kingdom to a net cast into the sea, which gathered of every kind of fish. When the net was drawn ashore, the fishermen placed the good fish in vessels, but the bad they cast away. Again, you see, the intent is that the followers of Jesus, or the righteous, are the children of the kingdom, and that the unrighteous have no place therein. The righteous in {148} their community--the believing community--shall shine forth as the sun. They constitute the kingdom of their Father.
[Sidenote: The church and the kingdom.]
You may object that this kingdom does not mean the organized Church, but the glorious kingdom embracing the whole world, over which Jesus is to reign as King. Perhaps you are right; but it makes no difference to the argument. For, in the first place, that kingdom must be organized. We are sure, then, that Jesus had in mind the assembling and organizing of His people. But, in the second place, that larger kingdom can never be accomplished without a smaller one from which it may grow. While the faithful number but a handful, they, too, must be organized and provision must be made for common worship, fellowship, and service. This smaller institution--included in the larger--is the Church. The wheat and the tares are even now growing side by side in the Church of Christ--in the kingdom of God--and will continue to do so until the day of the great harvest.
[Sidenote: The testimony of Peter.]
But there is recorded stronger evidence even than this that the disciples of Jesus are to be organized in a Church community. When Jesus asked testimony of His disciples, "Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am?" the disciples answered, you remember, "Some say that Thou art John the Baptist: some Elias; and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets." Then, when Jesus put the question to them, "Whom say ye that I am?" Simon Peter declared, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
{149} [Sidenote: The testimony of Jesus.]
This declaration is wonderful in its simplicity and unfaltering faith. But the answer of Jesus to it is even of greater significance: "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven . . . . and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
[Sidenote: Its significance.]
Here, then, is found the final answer to our questions. Jesus appointed and ordained twelve apostles, He called other seventy, because it was significance. His purpose to organize His Church. The disciples appointed and ordained elders, and priests, and teachers, and deacons, and other officers, because they, too, were building up the Church of Christ. Moreover, these words of Jesus point the test of the true Church. Not every Church assembly that cries, Lo, here is Christ, is necessarily the authorized Church. That only can be the true Church which is founded on the rock of revelation. An organized Church there must be--without the worship of the disciples would dwindle away. But the foundation stone of that Church must be revelation; for where there is no revelation the people perish.
THE REFERENCES
Matt. 13:24-30. Matt. 13:47-49.
Matt. 13:36-43. Prov. 29:18.
{150} THE QUESTIONS
1. Review the foregoing lessons.
2. What questions are aroused by what Jesus has taught to his people?
3. Explain the parable of the tares.
4. How does it answer the question, Did Jesus intend to organize His disciples?
5. What is the difference between the kingdom of God and the Church of Christ?
6. What is the principal evidence that Jesus intended to organize a Church?
7. What is the first test of the Church of Jesus Christ?
{151}
{152} PICTURE: CHRIST'S CHARGE TO PETER, Raphael
{153}
XX
THE TEST OF AUTHORITY
[Sidenote: The figure of the architect.]
We have just learned that Jesus built His church upon the principle of revelation. It is the foundation stone. And it is only reasonable and natural that it should be so. You know very well that when an architect is directing the construction of a large building like a state capitol, employing hundreds of men, he has to be constantly on the watch to keep things going right. If he goes away, or neglects his duty, some foreman or other misinterprets the plans, or misunderstands the specifications; or some unscrupulous contractor or other tries to enlarge his own profits by using inferior materials and thus corrupts the structure. How necessary it is then that the architect shall watch over his building, by day and by night, until it is finished according to specifications.
[Sidenote: The application.]
Now, if men can so easily misinterpret, or misunderstand, the concrete instructions of their fellowmen, or if some men are so evil that they will try to corrupt the materials of an earthly structure, it requires no argument to prove that men may easily misunderstand or misinterpret--quite innocently, too--the word of God, if left to themselves. And there may even be men so wicked that they would maliciously corrupt the word for their own evil ends. It is even more necessary, therefore, that The Architect of eternal life--the Savior of mankind--shall be in constant communion with His workmen, than it is that the architect {154} of an earthly structure shall personally superintend, its erection. No man can be absolutely sure of the meaning of the teachings of Jesus without the spirit of inspiration, or revelation from Him. That is why the people drift away and perish when there is no vision. That is why Jesus founded His church upon the rock of revelation. That is why we may rest assured that the Church of Christ will always teach the necessity of continual revelation--the necessity of keeping constantly in touch with the Divine Architect.
[Sidenote: One mark not sufficient.]
But it would be strange, indeed, if there were but one mark by which we might recognize the Church of Christ. An apostate Church might claim to believe in revelation, and might even teach the necessity of it. Yet, it would of course never receive revelation; for God would not speak to such a Church. Still, because it teaches the necessity of revelation people might be deceived, and be led to become members of an apostate Church. For what other mark should we look, then, when trying to determine which is the Church of Christ?
[Sidenote: The submission of Jesus.]
Jesus has made the matter very plain in His life and teachings. One of the remarkable things about Jesus was His utter humility, and His complete submission subjection to authority. Although He was greater than the civil law, yet He submitted always to the requirements of that law. Nay, more, In His own labors. He recognized always the authority of a Superior Power under whose direction He worked. When we think of Jesus as a member of the Godhead, endowed with omnipotence, does it not seem strange to hear Him say, "I am not come of {155} myself, but He that sent me is true;" "my doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me;" "the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise?" Yet, these sayings express the reverence of Jesus for authority. It must be plain to everyone who reads the life of Jesus that He recognized the fact that He held no authority of Himself, that He was not self-appointed; but that His influence, His power, His very Messiahship were conferred upon Him by the Father.
[Sidenote: The submission of the apostles.]
This same recognition of the necessity of authority, Jesus impressed upon His disciples. "Ye have not chosen me," he declared one day to them, "but I have chosen you, and ordained you." And we learn that Jesus did call and ordain apostles and seventies; and that it was the custom in the early Christian Church to ordain by laying on hands other officers, such as, high priests, elders, priests, teachers, and deacons, and bishops. Indeed, it must be clear to everyone, that only by such special call and ordination could the apostles rightfully go into the world to do the works that Jesus did. When the disciples of John the Baptist wondered that Jesus should surpass their master, do you recall what John answered them? Said he, "A man can receive (or take unto himself) nothing except it be given him from heaven." That is the point. No man can assume to act as a servant of God, in official position, unless He is called of God. Hence, Jesus said to His apostles, when He had finished His own lifework, "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
{156} [Sidenote: The second mark.]
From these teachings of Jesus, we learn, then, the second mark of the Church of Christ. Not only will that Church believe in the necessity of continual revelation and actually receive it, but it will recognize the necessity of specially delegated divine authority to officiate in the name of God, and will provide in its Church organization for all the officers belonging to the priesthood of God.
[Sidenote: Two orders of priesthood.]
The Scriptures are full of evidences that there are two divisions of divine priesthood--the Order of Aaron, and the Order of Melchizedek. Jesus Himself, was a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Without these orders of Priesthood, man can not legally officiate in the things of God, any more than superintendents, formen and workmen can rightfully proceed to erect a state capitol without official authorization from the commission in charge.
Do you know any Church that holds these two orders of priesthood in its organization? Does this Church recognize the fact that a man must be called and appointed of God to act in His name? Are the authority and power of the priesthood manifest in its operations? Does this Church also believe in and receive continual revelation from God? If so, it is possibly the Church of Christ. A third mark remains. That we shall consider in the next lesson.
THE REFERENCES
John 7:28, 29. John 15:16.
John 9:4. John 3:27.
John 5:19. John 20:21.
{157} THE QUESTIONS
1. What would probably happen if the architect in charge of the construction of a large building should go away for a long time?
2. What would happen if God should cease to speak to His people?
3. What was the attitude of Jesus toward authority?
4. Whence did He derive His authority?
5. What did He impress upon His disciples concerning authority?
6. What did John the Baptist say about authority?
7. How many orders of divine priesthood are there?
8. What then, is the second mark of the true Church?
{158} PICTURE: JESUS TEACHING FROM A BOAT, Hofmann
{159}
XXI
THE THIRD MARK
[Sidenote: The horror of darkness.]
Have you ever stopped to think how terrible it would be if we had no Guide to show us the way of eternal life? Do you think you can imagine the bitter disappointment of those who have sought a guide and have failed to find it? We may now pass over lightly some of the more serious questions of life; we may even at times reject the teachings of our instructors as unnecessary. But there is a fixed fact which all the world has come to recognize--one that sooner or later confronts every individual. It is that the greatest thing in life after all is the knowledge of God and the satisfaction of having found the way of eternal life. The disappointment that follows the failure to find that way is expressed in words of beauty and childlike simplicity by an Indian. In 1832 a chief of the Flatheads, with some of his associates sought the wigwams of the white man in quest of the Way of life. This is what the chief of the Flatheads said when he turned to go back to his people:
[Sidenote: The speech of an Indian chief.]
"I came to you over a trail of many moons, from the setting sun. You were the friends of my fathers, who have all gone the long way, I came with an Indian an eye partly open for my people, who sit in darkness. I go back with both eyes closed. How can I go back blind to my blind people? I made my way to you, with strong arms, through my enemies, and strange lands, that I might carry back much to them. I go back with both arms broken and {160} empty. Two fathers came with us. They were the braves of many winters and wars. We leave them asleep here by your great water and wigwams. They were tired with many moons (of journeying) and their moccasins were worn out (on the trail).
"My people sent me to get the 'White Man's Book of Heaven.' You took me to where you allow your women to dance as we do not ours, and the book was not there. You took me to where they worship the Great Spirit with candles, and the book was not there. You showed me images of the great spirits and pictures of the good land beyond, but the book was not among them to show us the way. I am going back the long, sad trail to my people, in the dark land. You make my feet heavy with gifts and my moccasins will grow old in carrying them, yet the book is not among them. When I tell my poor, blind people after one more snow, in the big council, that I did not bring the book, no word will be spoken by our old men, or by our young braves. One by one they will rise up and go out in silence. My people will die in darkness, and they will go a long path to other hunting grounds. No white man will go with them, and no White Man's Book to make the way plain. I have no more words."
It will be difficult to find in modern literature words more pathetic than these. Yet, how vividly and impressively they describe the condition that exists in the Christian world. The Indian came out of a land of darkness to seek Light, and finds only a world of darkness. He seeks a guide, a book that shall point the way to heaven; he finds grossness, and a worship of the {161} flesh-pots of Egypt. He must of necessity enter alone upon the long journey to the happy hunting grounds. It will be his great adventure.
[Sidenote: The figure of the architect again.]
And so it should be with all of us, were it not for the fact that to us God has revealed the "Book of Heaven." In the preceding lesson we used the figure of the architect superintending the erection of a large building. Let us continue that figure briefly. Naturally, the architect cannot be in every part of the building at the same time. While he is directing workmen in the basement, men laying up the wall of the second story must get along without him. But how shall they know, in the architect's absence, that they are doing the work right?