Oldal:A-great-image-part-II-1930.djvu/11 forrásának megtekintése

<noinclude><pagequality level="1" user="" /></noinclude>AUGUST Hi, 1930 The WATCH TOVER 251 we have it I The true church of God is "the body of race, which government should be laid upon the Christ", and all who are truly Christian are mem- shoulder of Jesus at his second coming. Such of God's bers of it, even while they are still human creatures spiritual children as respond to this call to be am- bassadors for Christ, God chooses or elects, and such inhabiting the earth. "The Christ" of the Bible is not one person, name- he ordains or anoints with his spirit or invisible pow- ly, Jesus alone, but is many. God's own Word con- er and commands them to preach. firms this deduction j for in the same twelfth chapter Be it remembered that the Greek word "Christ" of Paul's epistle, verse twelve, it is written: "For as means "anointed one". The Hebrew word "lIessiah" the body is one, and hath many members, and all the means the same thing as Christ. The name "Chris- members of that one body, being many, are one body j tian" (Acts 11: 26) was applied to Jesus' disciples, so also is Christ." Then this chapter goes on to liken and means "one who belongs to the anointed One". the body members of Christ to members of our human Hence everyone who looks upon himself as a Chris- bodies; and verse twenty-six says: "And whether one tian should examine himself, as the apostle tells him member suffer, all the members suffer with it ; or one to do (2 Cor. 13: 5), and see whether he is really a member be honoured, all the members rejoice with Christian or not. Do not fool yourself any longer it," Hence, when Saul was persecuting the members about this sacred matter. Do not let anyone else fool of the Christ body, Jesus the Head over that body you. Only children of God, begotten by his spirit and was suffering with the rest of the members thereof. anointed, not by n.an, but by God, are in the abso- Similar language is used in Paul's letter addressed lute sense Christians and members of God's anointed to the Romans, chapter twelve, verses four and five, company, the body of Christ. For it is written: "Ye which read: "For as we have many members in one are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. body, and all members have not the same office j so For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every have put on Christ." "By one spirit are we all one members one of another." Concerning Jesus it baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gen- is written, in Colossians, chapter one, verse eighteen: tiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is made to drink into one spirit. For the body is not one the beginning, the firstborn from the dead j that in member, but many. "-Gal. 3: 26-28; 1 Cor. 12: 13, 14. all things he might have the pre-eminence." Since Jesus was the first member, and hence the Head, of Jesus is "the head of the body, the church, •.. that The Christ. After his baptism in the Jordan river in all things he might have the preeminence", it fol- and before he began his public service of preaching lows that nobody who lived on earth ahead of Jesus the gospel of the kingdom of heaven he was anointed could have been a Christian or member of God's true with God's spirit. This anointing made him Christ, church.-l Pet. 1: 9-12. or anointed One. He did not receive the ordination The body of Christ began to exist first on the day to preach from the Jewish high priest or the religious of the Jewish feast of Pentecost, ten days after Jesus societies of the day or of any man. That his ordina- p.scended to heaven. But why should that day of tion came not by the laying of any man's hands upon Pentecost witness the beginning of the body of Christ? him he pointedly explained when speaking in the Because on that day God chose to pour out his spirit synagogue at Nazareth. Applying the prophecy of upon those disciples who had remained faithful to Isaiah, chapter sixty-one, verses one and two, to him- Jesus. There God anointed them with his spirit, and self, he said: "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, they began to preach the good tidings of salvation because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to through Jesus' death and his coming kingdom. That the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, nnointing with God's spirit was their ordination to to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovrring preach. God did not set up a clergy class to lord it of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are over the rest of his church, nor did he ordain such a bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." class to restrict to themselves the privilege to pre-ach. -Luke 4: 17-19. God poured out his spirit "on all flesh" (Joel God had anointed or ordained Jesus to preach as 2: 28, 29 j Acts 2: 16-18), and thereby all the members his witness. Therefore no man had the authority to of the church or body of Christ were ordained of command Jesus to shut his mouth, because no mere God (not of man) to preach his Word of truth. "The man is above the authority which God gives to his Lord knoweth them that are his." He knows which anointed ones. Failing to frighten Jesus into silence, ones have truly dedicated themselves to him through the Lord's enemies at last appealed to the govern- Jesus Christ, and them he adopts by begetting them of mental powers. Religious toleration meant nothing his spirit as his children. To these children he ex- to them. Their positions as priests, religious rulers tends the call to follow in Jesus' footsteps and be a and respected churchmen, were at stake, because Je- witness for God and a proclaimer of the good news sus' preaching was ruining their power and influence of n new and perfect government over our afflicted over the people. So they intolerantly hardened their <noinclude><references/></noinclude>