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Show NECESSITY OF COMIXUOUS REVELATI0X; Or, Ij the Kiblc Ssafflclent for the Uuldauca of Sen to Salratlont BY J. M.S. Filth Paper j According to general tradition in tii e earl church, the annotations of Matthew were written in the vernacular ver-nacular tongue of Palestine, Syro-Chaldalc, Syro-Chaldalc, a tradition very probable indeed. Hut as Greek at this time was the literary language, the original was soon translated Into this tongue, under the supervision of Matthew himself, about thirty years after the crucifixion. It may be safely assumed that our "Gopel according to St, Matthew" is In the main identical with this original document of the Apostle. . The aim of tills gospel is clearly to prove to the Jens that Jesus is the promised Messiah. It frequently refers to the prophets, refutes the various Jewish sects, and tries to prepare the Jeish nation for the acceptance of "tho GeuUleslnto tlie Kingdom of Coll. 'hlle Matthew was enning his Gospel for the Jews, Mark was pre-aring pre-aring his, chiefly for the converts among the Gentiles. This Mark was not an Apostle and had not been an eye-witness to the life and deeds of our Lord. But he was a native of Jerusalem and anjnllmato friend of the Apostles. He accompanied accom-panied Paul on some of his journeys and attended Peter for a considerable consider-able period, and during this time ha no doubt wrote the gospel that bears his name, according to tlie dictate of Teter. Some have called this the "Gospel according to St, Peter," and Peter himself, in his second epistle, refers, perhaps, to this gospel gos-pel when he says. "We made known unto you tlie power and coming of our Lord Jesu Christ." Tho Gospel according to Luke nas written iu Itome by Luke, the physician, one of Paul's most faithful companions and friends. The author states that many had undertaken to collect the facts preached concerning Christ and believed be-lieved among the Cbristians,accord-ing Cbristians,accord-ing to the traditions handed down from e e-witnesses, and consequently, consequent-ly, in order to secure a collection that would be reliable, he himself had diligently searched out everything every-thing that at tho time of the writing writ-ing was available. These data, the result of diligent research, Luke endeavors to put Ufore the readers in chronological order, while the two previous .Evangelists pay but very little attention to chronology. The Gospel was written uuder Uie supervision of Paul. The latest of tlie Gospels is that of John. It is said to have been written at Ephesus, where John resided, presiding over the branches branch-es originated by Paul. John, having hav-ing before him copies of the three previous Gospels, naturally omits many data there recorded, Introducing Introduc-ing others which ho had preserved from oblivion. The chief aim of John is to set forth tho uivine nature na-ture of our Lord. The previous Evangelists dwell mostly on the works of our Savior in Galilee. John omits most of that, recording his works in Jud-ca. Let it be remembered that this book is the last written of all the bonks of tho Bible, about 87 years after Christ, and that its aim is to correct the errors of doctrine, then becoming common among the churches, concerning the true character char-acter of Christ. TESTIMONY OF THE OOSPELS. We may naw ask: When these books were written, were they intended in-tended to contain all that would ever be necessary for men to know concerning God's plans and purposes, pur-poses, thus making all further revelation reve-lation superfluous? What do the Gospels teach concerning this question? ques-tion? The very first pages of the Gospel confirm the lesson we have drawn from the Old Testament, that revelation revela-tion Is necessary for tho establishment establish-ment of a new dispensation. For the Gosel dispensation Is ushered in and established through revelation. revela-tion. Zacharias is visited by an angel an-gel ( Luke 1: 11 20) Gabriel appears to Mary (Luke 1: 25-3S). John the Ilapthtis commissioned by God to preach and baptize (John 1: 6, 33). That Jesus was Messiah is manifest to John through revelation. The Spirit descends and a voice from heaven l heard (John 1: 32, 34: Matth. 3. 1C, 17). And this point Is particularly noteworthy. AH the ancient prophets had predicted the coming of tho Messiah. Some of them had glten details about where Ho should to born, His parentage and the precise time forllis coming, andctltwns necessary, when lie came, to give new revelations pointing point-ing Him out to tho most duvout servant of God then living. Previous revelations are here clear! seen not to render new revelations useless. And as tho Gospels thus begin with revelations, so the close with declarations that revelation should continue. For In His farewell fare-well address to His disciples, Christ says: "Iliaveyet man things to say unto you, but yo cannot bear them now. Howbelt, when he, tlie Spirit of Truth, Is come, he will guide you into all truth.. for ho ihall not speak of himself; but whatsoever be shall hear, that shall he speak. and he mil thoto you thtngt to come (John 18 12,13)." Christ here expressly ex-pressly states that His ministry did nut complete Goi's revelations. There were many other things to learn than those which He had communicated, com-municated, and among these w ere also "things tocome," all of which the Spirit should communicate to the Twelve, Itevelatlon. then, was not to be douc away with at the departure de-parture of our Lord. The last verse of tho fourth Gospel, tlie last verse ever written In ourew Testament, states, moreover, that the tilings re-cordcdln re-cordcdln theGospclsareoulyasmall fragment of all that could bo written writ-ten concerning tho works of Chrltt. These works and the lessons to be conveyed were no doubt nercstary, and yet w e havo no record of them. Tho Gospels, therefore, openly ad-mit ad-mit that they are not intended to be a complete record of all that is necessary neces-sary for mau to know. The claim to be written for the urpose of ul-rettin? ul-rettin? men's hearts to Jesus, (John xx, 31), and point out His promise to continue tho revelation of truth through tho bpint. This is tlie important im-portant testimony of the Gospels. All the works and tlie teachings of Christ w ere nut enough for the guidance guid-ance of the first Christians. The needed and were promised further revelation. To us has come n record not of all of Cbrkt's teachings, but only of a cry few, merely a fragment. frag-ment. If all the teachings of Christ given during His ministry upon the earth were not sufficient for the guidance of theApottlcs, how much less can the Gospels, which contain only a small part of those teachings, be sufficient for other men? Tlie thought is as irrational as It Is without with-out foundation in tlie Word of God. THE HBMAItfXMI B0OK8. The only question now remains: Do tho Acts of the Apostles and their Epistles suppl us with all the teachings that the Spirit of Truth, according to our Salor's promise was to reveal lo tlie Apostles, and which were ncccssarj fortheirguld-ance? fortheirguld-ance? If not, coutinuous revelation will bo just as necessary after the New Testament dlpenatlon as it was after tlie Mosaic economy. The Book called the Acts of the Apostles Is written by Luke and may bo considered as a continuation of his Gospel. In this book we can trace the growth of Christian churches during the greater part of tho past century after CbrUU It covers the period from the time of the crucifixion to the second year of the first imprisonment imprison-ment of Paul in Itraw, A. D. C3, anl there it breaks off even without recording tlie issue of the trial. The book may be divided in two parts. The first twelve chapters describe the growth of the Church of Christ among the Jews In Palestine, chiefly through the labors cf Peter. The last sixteen chapters treat of the spread of the Gospel among other nations chief! through the labors of Paul. Of the works of lie rest of the Apo"tIcs we have no account. 'tradition lias it, that Matthew suffered martyrdom In Ethiopia; Philip in Phrygia; Thomas in India, and so on. Itut of their work for the promulgating the Gospel Gos-pel In tho different parts of the world we hae no recordi What they taught, what, difficulties they encountered, how they r reached, suffered and endured may be conjectured. con-jectured. But it has not reached us In any historical record Nor is the Acts of the Apostles a complete record of tlie works of the t o servants of God, whose ardent labors are noticed. It is ns fragmentary frag-mentary as are the fJopcb. Ilany important transaction, referred to elsewhere, are omitted. There is no accountwhatever of the branch in Jerusalem after tlie imprisonment imprison-ment and deliverance of Peter. Nothing Is told of the Introduction of the Gospel in Borne, the capital of the world at the time. Nor dues it say anything of Paul's man voyages, voy-ages, which lie incidentally mentions men-tions (2 Cor., 11; 25). Considering all this it seems as if the bpint of Truth had been anxious to guard against the impression that this Look was intended to conclude God's revelations to mankind. Let us consider the facts. Christ bad promised to send the Spirit of Truth to His chosen twelve. What this Spirit was to reveal was, of course, as essential and necessary to salvation as anything that ourrja-vlor ourrja-vlor had revealed Himself. But of all tliis that the Spirit, according to the promise, has revealed to the twelve, only a small part has been recorded. How can this small part be sufficient to us, since It was not sufficient to the first Christians? But, besides this, the Book ef the Acts shows plainly the necessity or continuous revelation; for wherever the GopeI is being accepted, the gift of receiving revelation is being Imparted Im-parted tluough faith. Peter, in his first sermon, declares that the time has now come when the Spirit shall be poured out ujon all fteth. Prophecy, Proph-ecy, visions, dreams were to attenu the believers (Acts 11.17, IS); and, according! , w henevcr the Gospel is preached and believed, these manifestations mani-festations follow. The heavens are opened to btepben, and he is permitted per-mitted to see tho Son of God on the right hand of the father (Acts vl: 55, SS); an angel of tlie Lordappears and directs Philip (Acts vui.26; Christ appears to haul (Acta ix tfl); through the vision of an ang I Cornelius Cor-nelius Is led to send for Peter, and he receives supernatural gifts (Acts x 1-43); an angel delivers Peter from prison (Acta xillT, Sj; tlie Holy Ghost reveals to the brethren in An-Uocli An-Uocli that they should send Paul and Barnabas on a mission (Acts xIiil-4); through the Spirit, Uie Apostles and elders are able to settle the dispute about the doctrine of circumcision (Acts xv, 1-31), tuulvo men iu Epbesus receive tne Holy Ghost through the administration of Paul and prophecy, and speak in tongues (Acts xlx, 1 7). lierever the Gospel message Is delivered and believed in Palestine, In Greece, In Asia Minor, the results are the same. The Holy Ghost Is given, and His rreeence is manifest through these gifts. The Acts of tho Apostles has taught us this important lesson tint tlie gift of receiving revelations revela-tions was not confined to tbeTwelve nor was tlie gilt to cease with them. The gift itself was inseparable from the Gospel. Where there is no Gospel Gos-pel there are no revelations, hut where the true. Gospel of Jesus Christ is, there is revelation also. The promise of receiving the Holy Ghost, the promised Spirit of Trutn that was to lead Into all truth and to reveal things to come, is a universal uni-versal promise: "For the promise Is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar oQ, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts ii, 39). The epistles of the Apostles confirm con-firm most emphatically the necessity neces-sity of constant revelations from God. The Apostolic churches could not de without such revelations. Hence the necessity of the chu relies communicating with the Apostles, and the Arxtles writing their epistles, emlxxlj lug the will of God. For instance, an error arises, as was the case in Colosse. Paul was at the time In Borne, but the Church in Colo-wn sent a special messenger to Paul, viz., Epaphras, who explained ex-plained the situation to the Apostle and caused the letter the ColossJans to be written as a refutation of that particular error. The Scriptures were not sufficient for the guidance guid-ance of the Coloeslans. The new emergency required a new communication from God, a new revelation, and God gave it through Paul, His servant. So with all the epistles. Each has a particular oljcct. Nxne Is a treatise ou theology, putting firth all that is necessary to know for all ages and all men. There Is not one written for that purpose. The first epistles of Paul I and 2 Thesealonlans, 52 ondi.63 A. D, express the joy and satisfaction of the Apost'con occountof the manner man-ner in which tho people of Tbessa-loulca Tbessa-loulca had received the Gospel. Ho cautions them against the sins prevalent prev-alent in that great city, and comforts com-forts those who mourned over the loss of dear relatives. The "dead in the Lord" will be resurrected at the coming of the Lord, and this event Is moro fully explained, In accordance with the prophecy of Daniel concerning the "little houi." (Dan. vllL) The next epistle, that to the Gala-tiaiu,A. Gala-tiaiu,A. D. S3 or 57, is a .warning to tho churches In that dlitrict not to mix tip the rites of the Mosaic law with tho ordinances of the Gospel, Gos-pel, as the two were so different from each other as Ishmacl and Isaac, blnai and Zlon. And togle this admonition force, the writer proves that his knowledge of Christian Chris-tian truth was derived not from human teaching, but from God through Immediate revelation, wherefore the Apostles of the Lonl had recognized him as their equal. (ch.i.2.) ThucIstlcs to tho Corinthians were written (A. D. 57) In, reply to a letter received by Paul from tlie Lraudi in Corinth, requesting his advicu on certain points (ch. v II. 11 also to correct some errors cf which ho had heard by report (L, 11: v. 1: xi. IS). The state of the branch was, however, such that the Apostle deemed it necessary to tend Timothy there a'so, thus Imparting Im-parting both by Itttcr and by ver-a ver-a preaching communications from God. Mark how (eclal emergencies emergen-cies require special revelation' Tho epistle to the Bomaus (A. D. 53S) is the most systematic of all the writings of Paul, and the one that by Protestants is considered the basis of Gospel theology. The scoe of the epistls Is to reconcile the Jews and IheGentllesintheCburcb of Christ, b) placing all on one level lev-el In tlie sight of God. "All have sinned." "AH must be raved by the same means." This is the whole eplitlo in one sentence Now, it is intructlo to notice how the Apostle Apos-tle In this important letter to the Bomans illustrates the question under un-der consideration. In tee very first chapter hu says he is constantly praying that God may give him an opportunity of visiting Borne, not Indeed as a tourist and sightseer, but "that I might impart unto you some spiritual gift." (ch. 1: 11.) What 'spiritual gifts" aro we leant in 1 Cor. 12:"ordof wisdom," of "knowledge," "faith," "healing," "miracles," "prorhecy," etc bo that it was not enough, according to Paul, for the Christians in Borne to have all tho sacred Scriiturcs, Including In-cluding till letter, but they needed something more. They needed "spiritual gifts" continued among them. It his been reserved for later "Christians" to discover that Paul was n roug, aud that "spiritual gifts" were of no accouut as long as the bcriptures were to be had at a cheap have tho Spirit of God is, further, fur-ther, put forth as the necessary condition con-dition of a "child" of God. "If Christ be In ou the body Is dead becauee of fin, but tlie Si Iritis life because of righteousness." As many as are led by the Spirit of God, tlie are the sons of God." 'IheSplrit itself bcareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." (chap. !.) fcuch is the Importance given to the I ossesslon of tlie Spirit of God. But we have already seen that the very office of the Spirit was to "lead into all truth, aud.to reveal things to come." Ho who has the Spirit has, therefore, tlie spirit of re elation, and the Apostle contends that man without this spirit bf revelation Is n slnngir and nn enemy to God (chap. S. 5 0). Tlie Apostle further states that at the time when the fulness ful-ness of the Gentiles has been gathered gath-ered in, direct communication from God w 111 still continue. "For there shall come out of 7ion Uie Deliverer and turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (chap. 11: 28). How could this b potlble if allcoulmunlcatlon with God had ceased with the close of the New Testament? But they have not ceased, "for tbo gifts and calling of God are w Itbout repentance" repent-ance" (clia p. 11: 29). This may suffice to show that the great Apostle ot the Gentiles never meant his letter to the Bomans nor any other letter to clo-e the channels chan-nels of revelation. Let us remind ouh-clvcsofouemore fact, Tho writers of tlie New Testament Testa-ment themselves state tliat they had not icrtCen all that was necessary neces-sary for instruction. In writing to theCorintliljns about tlie partaking of the Lord's fcupper they ghe some general directions, but 'conclu le by saying: "Tho rest will I set In order when I come" (1 Cor. 11: 31). Now, what Instructions or arrangements nre here left out? We do not know. But wo fee that lh wrl'tn word was not mcaut to convey all lhat was nee-essary to know. The same expression we find in the second letter cf John. "Having many things to write untoou, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust lo como unto you, and speak face to face-" (J John IJ.) bee nlso (3 John, 13.) Who can then say that we in books of the Bible have all that written which God ever Intended In-tended to convey to mankind, and that revelation has ceased? The idei m direct contrast to the word of the Apostlesi It I instructive to notice how theologians hae!iecn compelled to turn their ow n reasons uilde down, and to stretch the arious passages of Scrlnturu on their learned racks in order to make them fit for all occasions- Luther's explanation of ourLord's prayer is a notorious instance. in-stance. "Dally bread" mean, according ac-cording to that noted rcrormer, not only what you eat and drink, but "bren 1" means s1k a bouu and a wife, obedient children, good neighbor neigh-bor and "other such things." If in "dally bread" was Included nlso tho beer-keg that Luther received among his wcddlhg presents the reformer does not state, but In the other such things" is room for a considerable quantity of "bread." Ot cojrse, that kind of exegesis fills everything Into the Bible. By It anything can bo got of nuytblng or of milling, butUod never put It there. Man did it, andb, so doing, proved himself to be an the wrong track, to toy the least. In order to galu a sound Understanding Under-standing of the Word of God, the various books must be read as Mr. Locke sas the Epistles Epis-tles ought to bo read. He requires re-quires jou to read through ono epistle at a sitting and observe its drift and aim. "if," says he, "the first reajlcg gne some light, the second gave me more; aud so I persisted per-sisted on reading constantly the whole epistle over at once, till I came to havo a general tlew of the writer's purpose, the chief branches ol his discourse, the arguments he used, and the disposition of the whole. Thi, I confess, is not to be obtained by oneor two hasty readings, read-ings, ItmustbeAepeateU again and again, with a close attention to the tenor of the discourse, and a perfect neglect of the divisions into chapters chap-ters and verses." If this plan be adop'ed, and tbo books of the Bible be read with a humble, prayciful heart, a heart in unison with the authors that wrote, the true meaning mean-ing of the word will bo grasped. And the closer this true meaning becomes, the more will it appear that nothing short of continued communication with God can satisfy satis-fy tho heart- For it Is the very purpose pur-pose of tlie written Word of God to lead man to seek this communication communica-tion with God, to guide, in other words, the straying child to its loving lov-ing Father. (To be contused. |