Pagină:Organization-part-I-1938.djvu/5

representative, and he received a special commission from Christ Jesus. ‘‘But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way; for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.’’—Acts 9:15.

        ⁹ This message and commission was committed to Paul: ‘‘And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men, of what thou hast seen and heard.’’ (Acts 22:14,15) “And the night following, the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.’’—Acts 23:11.

        ¹⁰ Paul testified to his own commission as follows: ‘‘For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you.’’ (1 Cor. 11:23) Concerning the message which Paul proclaimed he said: ‘‘For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.’’ (Gal. 1:12) Thus the Scriptures show that the apostle Paul was specifically commissioned and instructed by the Lord in what he was to do. The Lord Jesus gave to his apostles the specific promise, to wit: ‘‘And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 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. But the Comforter, which is the holy [spirit], 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.’’ (John 14:16,17,26) It is therefore made certain that when Paul proceeded to set the affairs of the church in order he was guided by the holy spirit, through the Word of God, and also received direct and specific instructions from the Lord Jesus Christ. What Paul did, therefore, must be taken as the expressed will of God concerning his church, builded upon Christ Jesus, the foundation and head.

        ¹¹ There was a miniature establishment of Zion made manifest by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Rom. 1:4) This was so understood by the apostles, as shown by the records at Acts 4:23-27. (Ps. 2:1-6) Paul, as the special servant of the Lord, would have in mind the scriptures relating to the setting up of Zion, and which scriptures include the prophecy of Isaiah 60: 17. What Paul was told by the Lord concerning the complete fulfillment of the prophecy relating to Zion, as set forth in that text, is not revealed, but we do know that Paul received certain information which he could not make known but which served to guide him in what he did. (2 Cor. 12:4) What Paul did under the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ in setting in order the affairs of the church must of necessity be in harmony with the prophecy concerning Zion, because the church and Zion are inseparable. It may properly be said that the name ‘‘church’’ is applicable more particularly to the faithful followers of Christ Jesus until the coming of Christ Jesus to the temple, at which latter time Zion is builded up and the organization is spoken of as ‘‘Zion’’. When builded up, of necessity that completed body must be in absolute unity and in complete harmony in action to go forward and perform the will of God.

        ¹² This important fact cannot be ignored, to wit: That nowhere in the epistles to the congregations or church companies, as such, did Paul give any instruction to them as to the manner of appointing officers or servants, which instruction they could carry out as a democratically ruled body. The question, of necessity, is asked: Why was no such instruction given? And the answer must surely be that the appointment of officers or servants of the church or congregation is not vested in the members of each separate company as though it were a democratically ruled organization. If it were the will of the Lord that each company or congregation should be self-contained in this matter, Paul surely would have made the same to clearly appear in the instructions given. What instruction is given in the Scriptures concerning the selection of servants, elders and deacons, Paul gave the same to Timothy and Titus, those two men being the ones specially appointed by Paul to set in order the companies or congregations and to keep them in order. It appears that to those two men the apostles and the Lord delegated authority concerning the church organization and government.

        ¹³ A long period of time elapsed between the death of the apostles and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul gave no instruction concerning the selection of servants of the church that must be followed during that period of time, but, as shown by the Scriptures, the whole matter was left to the Lord, who through the office of the holy spirit would look to all things that were necessary. No doubt Paul had a vision of the disintegration of the congregations, which began shortly after his death and with the coming forward of religionists, and which continued uninterrupted until the coming of the Lord Jesus to the temple. The apostle Paul did emphatically say, to wit: ‘‘And he [the Lord Jesus Christ, and not a company or congregation] gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.’’ (Eph. 4:11-13) It would therefore clearly follow that a company or congregation that appoints evangelists, pastors and teachers is acting contrary to the provision made by the Lord.

        ¹⁴ When it is clearly seen and appreciated that at no time in the history of the church of God does the