Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 68, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 December 1910 — THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES

SELF-CONFIDENCE IS WEAKNESS Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75—December 4 "Let ktM that thinketh he-stdndeth take heed lest he flail."— I Cor. '-13:12. ST. PETER has proven to be one of the most helpful of Christ’s twelve Apostles, and the secret of his assistance lies In the Scriptural revelation of his human nature, its strength and its weaknesses. He was the first of the twelve Apostles to acknowledge the Master as the Messiah, the Sent of God; be was the first df the twelve to deny him. He was the only one of the twelve who drew his \word in the Master's defense and the only one who, later, swore that he never knew him. By Divine arrangement, to him were given the keys with which

to open the door to the High Calling—to the Kingdom. At Pentecost he used one of the keys of power and boldly proclaimed to the Jews the opening of the way to glory, honor and immortality. A little later, at the appointed time, he opened the door to the same High Calling for the Gentiles when, by his preaching, Cornelius, the first Gentile acceptable to God, was received and begotten of the holy Spirit, this fact giving evidence that the middle wall of partition, previously separating Jew and Gentile, had been broken down. Yet, after all this knowledge and special opportunity, this great man subsequently dissembled to the extent of ignoring God's ; race to the Gentiles as being sufficient, discriminating between Jews and Gentiles and their equality before the Lord. But in all these experiences St. Peter displayed the fact that his heart, at its core, was loyal to God, to truth, to righteousness, and that the •weaknesses, the faults, the blemishes of his character were of his flesh and not of his real heart intention. For his denial of the Master he wept bitterly. And for his failure to recognize the Gentiles he made full reparation most humbly. The same exhibition of human nature which makes the Apostle Peter attractive is that which made David, the Prophet and king of Israel, attractive. He was not so saintly that he could not make a mistake. He was not so far above the remainder of humanity that they could not realize in him a fellow-creature. Yet withal he was not so debased as to make him abhorrent. His weaknesses were fully offset by the abundant evidence of his heart-loyalty to God and to righteousness. His very experiences in stumbling and recovery have so saturated his Psalms that they touch a responsive chord in nearly every heart j which is loyal to God and which has had any degree of experience with sin and weakness—its own and those of others. \ How Other* Saw St. Peter Peter remains even today the most fascinating of that band of men who surrounded our Lord in the days of his earthly pilgrimage. G. C. Morgan said of Peter: “Now I am convinced that in Peter we have the greatest human revealed in the New Testament. Ido not say the greatest man in his achievement or in one particular capacity of his being, but the most wonderful revelation of human nature. This man of intelligence was perpetually making blunders. This man of emotions was guilty of such Impulse that he worked harm in the very cause he desired to help.’’ Of St Peter Souihouse says: “Petet was an average man, and for this reason he comes nearer to us than some of his colleagues do. But average men have their splendid moments, such as when St. Peter tried to walk on the water, for in this action he tried to do a thing for which he seem-ed-to have no abilities. He set out to do something of which he had no experience.” Dr. Davis said about St Peter: “Peter was intellectual. He asked Jesus more questions than any other of the Apostles. The capacity for asking questions is a revelation of the intellectual. It may also be a revelation of ignorance; but the man who never asks a question is certainly deficient in his intellectuality. ♦ • • Peter was a man of heart, sobbing and impetuous. His virtues and his faults, had their common root in his enthusiastic disposition. It is to his praise that, along with the weed of rash haste, there grew more strongly into

name, lest he should feel that be was forever rejected because of having denied himl v■: ■■* ■„ “v. For forty days Jests was with his disciples and during that time he appeared some seven or eight times, according to all the different accounts. Once he appeared as a gardener. Once he appeared as i traveler to two of the disciples going to Emmaus. Again he appeared on the shore of the Sea of Galilee t<J some of the disciples who were returning to the fishiug business. They knew it was Jesus, yet be was different from formerly. But we read that tbqy did not dare ask him respecting! the matter. He appeared again to above five hundred believers in the mountains of Galilee, and finally, by appointment, he met the eleven at the top of the Mount of Olives and ascended out of their sight—a cloud receiving him. Only on two occasions are we informed that he appealed with nailprints in bis bauds aud the spear wound in his side. And ou these two occasions we ape distinctly told that he appeared in their midst, the doors being shut, and that he vanished again from their sight. Thus did Jesus demonstrate to his disciples the fact that he was no longer dead, but alive, aud additionally, the other fact equally important, namely, that be was no longer alive as a man, but as a spirit being. As St. Paul declares, “He was put to death in flesh, but made alive in spirit.” But every precaution was taken to permit their natural powers of observation to comprehend the spiritual truths revealed to them respecting Jesus' resurrection and ascension. It was ten days after his ascension, on the fiftieth day from his resurrection, that the holy Spirit came, and thus demonstrated at once that the Redeemer Ijvad-jjnd that he had appeared in the presence of God on the spirit plane and that his sacrifice had been presented and was acceptable to God; and, on the basis of his sacrifice and the imputation of his merit to the disciples, the sacrifices which they had presented in hIS name were accepted, and they were begotten ofthe holy Spirit, that they might also become New Creatures and share in his Kingdom and glory. His Death and Resurrection Needful It is needless that we seek to dispute as to which was the more important event—the death of Jesus or his resurrection from the dead. Both were equally important Had he not died there wonld be no basis for a reconciliation of Adam and his race condemned to death. Had he not risen there would have been no one to apply the merit of his sacrifice. Had he not risen there would have been no call of the Church during this Gospel Age to be the Bride of Christ. Neither would there have been use for the promised Mediatorial Kingdom to be established at his Second Coming for the blessing of Israel and the world. Thus Jesus explained to the two with whom he walked to Emmaus on the day of his resurrection, saying, O slow of heart to believe all that God hath spoken in\the Law and in the Prophets’ Was it not necessary that Messiah should die and should rise from the dead, that in his name repentance and remission of sins might be proclaimed? How could any be invited to come to God until a way had been opened, until the redemption price had been, provided? Whoever can hear 1 this message and accept it may properly be invited to repent of

sin and to reform and to live contrary to the tendencies of his fallen nature, because, in so doing, through the Redeemer, he may attain unto eternal life. The eleven Apostles were" commissioned, “Go ye, disciple all nations." (V. 19.) This did not signify, aS some suppose, a x command to convert the world. It meant that they should make disciples out of people of all nationalities—and not any longer, as formerly, of the Jews only. And the Master’s injunction has been fulfilled. Disciples, followers of him, have been found in all nations. But, as JesUs did not say, Convert all nations, neither has the Gospel message done this. Those accepting discipleship were to be baptized with Christ’s baptism in the name or authority of the Father. Son and Holy Spirit. In all. these have been but “a little flock.” (Luke 12:32.) But theirs is the “high calling" to joint-heirship in his Kingdom, which is soon to bless the world. But even this permission to disciple people of all nations could not, and did not begin at once. For three and a half years after the cross, in fulfillment of Divine prophecy, the Gospel message was kept from the Gentiles, until the door for them into this High Calling was opened by St Peter—Corlelius being the first to enter it