Publication date
2/15/09
Volume
30
Number
4
The WatchTower
"Able Ministers of the New Covenant"
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1909/4/1909-4-1.html
 
 
FItBRUARY 
I, 
1909 
THE 
W 
ATe 
H 
TO 
rv 
E 
R 
(46-51) 
vine 
law 
upon 
which 
it 
was 
based 
was 
faulty, 
nor 
because 
it 
was 
an 
unreasonable 
demand, 
but 
because 
men 
were 
imperfect, 
"born 
in 
sin 
and 
shapen 
in 
iniquity," 
and 
already 
under 
a 
death 
sentence, 
because 
of 
Adam's 
transgression. 
The 
Law 
Covenant 
had 
in 
Moses 
a 
faithful 
mediator, 
loyal 
both 
to 
God 
and 
to 
the 
Israelites, 
but 
he 
was 
incapable 
because 
his 
own 
life 
also 
was 
forfeited. 
God 
has 
made 
provision, 
therefore, 
that 
a 
New 
Law 
Covenant 
take 
the 
place 
of 
the 
Old, 
and 
has 
provided 
a 
new 
Mediator, 
who 
has 
already 
given 
his 
life 
as 
a 
redemption 
price--Jesus, 
the 
Head, 
and 
the 
church, 
the 
body. 
The 
finish 
of 
the 
sacrifice 
is 
in 
sight. 
The 
Head 
and 
many 
of 
his 
mem­ 
bers 
have 
already, 
as 
new 
creatures, 
passed 
beyond 
the 
vail. 
Soon 
the 
last 
member 
of 
the 
body 
will 
have 
been 
thus 
"changed" 
and 
then 
the 
blood 
of 
the 
New 
Covenant 
will 
be 
sprinkled 
on 
behalf 
of 
"the 
sins 
of 
all 
the 
people"-the 
people 
of 
the 
Cov­ 
enant, 
Israel, 
with 
an 
open 
door 
for 
all 
peoples 
to 
become 
sharers 
of 
their 
New 
Covenant 
blessings, 
even 
as 
we 
(Gentiles) 
are 
now 
privileged 
to 
share 
the 
Sarah 
Covenant 
blessings 
which 
belonged 
"to 
the 
Jew 
first." 
That 
sprinkling 
will 
be 
acceptable 
to 
God 
and 
efficacious 
for 
the 
blotting 
out 
of 
the 
sins 
of 
the 
whole 
world. 
This 
is 
abundantly 
attested 
in 
the 
Scriptures 
and 
in 
the 
types 
of 
these 
"better 
sacrifices."-Heb. 
9: 
23. 
Forthwith 
the 
Great 
Prophet, 
Head 
and 
members; 
the 
Great 
Priest, 
Head 
and 
members; 
the 
Great 
Judge, 
Head 
and 
memo 
bers; 
the 
Great 
King, 
Head 
and 
members, 
will 
begin 
dealing 
with 
Israel 
and 
through 
Israel 
with 
the 
world. 
They 
will 
rule, 
bless, 
instruct 
and 
uplift 
so 
many 
as 
are 
willing, 
"And 
it 
shall 
come 
to 
pass 
that 
every 
soul 
that 
will 
not 
hearken 
to 
that 
Prophet, 
shall 
be 
utterly 
destroyed 
from 
among 
the 
people." 
(Acts 
3: 
23 
) 
The 
New 
Law 
Covenant 
will 
operate 
exactly 
as 
the 
Old 
Law 
Covenant 
did, 
except 
that 
the 
"better 
sacrifices" 
sealing 
it 
will 
be 
fully 
efficacious, 
and 
not 
need 
to 
be 
repeated 
from 
year 
to 
year; 
and 
the 
power 
and 
glory 
of 
its 
Mediator 
will 
be 
superior, 
and 
the 
results 
of 
his 
work 
correspondingly 
great 
and 
lasting. 
This 
is 
testified 
to 
additionally 
by 
the 
statement 
of 
Revela­ 
tion, 
which 
pictures 
the 
Millennial 
epoch, 
with 
its 
great 
white 
throne 
of 
justice 
and 
mercy, 
before 
which 
all 
the 
dead, 
small 
and 
great, 
will 
stand-for 
trial; 
not 
to 
see 
whether 
they 
were 
sinners 
or 
not, 
for 
that 
is 
conceded. 
All 
were 
sinners. 
Nor 
will 
it 
be 
to 
see 
whether 
or 
not 
God 
is 
willing 
to 
forgive 
them, 
for 
that 
is 
conceded-the 
sacrifice 
of 
Christ 
will 
then 
have 
been 
accepted 
as 
a 
full 
"satisfaction 
for 
the 
sins 
of 
the 
whole 
world." 
Their 
judgment 
or 
trial, 
like 
ours, 
will 
be 
to 
deter­ 
mine 
whether 
or 
not 
they 
will 
come 
into 
fullest 
harmony 
with 
God, 
and 
have 
his 
blessing 
of 
joy 
and 
eternal 
life, 
or, 
other­ 
wise, 
be 
"destroyed 
from 
amongst 
the 
people." 
They 
will 
not 
be 
judged 
according 
to 
their 
faith, 
because 
they 
will 
be 
under 
the 
New 
Covenant 
of 
Law 
and 
works. 
As 
it 
is 
written, 
"They 
were 
judged 
every 
man 
according 
to 
their 
works."-Rev. 
20: 
13. 
They 
will 
be 
assisted 
step 
by 
step 
out 
of 
imperfection 
of 
mind 
and 
body 
up 
to 
perfection, 
including 
perfect 
works, 
which 
will 
be 
their 
standard 
or 
test. 
On 
the 
contrary 
the 
Gospel 
church 
and 
the 
ancient 
worthies 
have 
not 
been 
judged 
accord­ 
ing 
to 
their 
works, 
but 
according 
to 
their 
faith-works 
having 
been 
demanded 
to 
the 
extent 
of 
ability, 
as 
attesting 
faith. 
We 
are 
not 
helped 
out 
of 
the 
blemishes 
of 
the 
fallen 
nature, 
but 
instantly 
reckoned 
as 
lifted 
out 
of 
them, 
or 
as 
having 
them 
covered 
with 
a 
mantle 
of 
grace. 
Beurin'" 
in 
mind 
the 
facts 
and 
conclu'lions 
above 
will 
assist 
us 
greatlYo 
in 
understanding 
our 
subject, 
the 
relationship 
of 
the 
covenants 
to 
each 
other 
and 
to 
mankind. 
The 
original 
cov­ 
enant 
promised 
a 
blessing 
that 
should 
reach 
all 
mankind-a 
redemption 
from 
the 
divine 
sentence, 
and 
an 
opportunity 
for 
the 
return 
to 
harmony 
with 
God, 
through 
faith 
and 
heart 
obe­ 
dience. 
This 
promise 
has 
in 
some 
respects 
already 
had 
its 
ful­ 
filment, 
as 
we 
have 
seen. 
God 
has 
already 
accepted, 
yea, 
been 
willing 
to 
lead 
or 
to 
draw, 
all 
who 
exercised 
faith 
in 
him 
and 
a 
hearty 
desire 
to 
live 
in 
harmony 
with 
him. 
Already, 
in 
this 
sense 
of 
the 
word, 
the 
original 
covenant 
operated 
before 
the 
flood, 
and 
since 
the 
flood, 
and 
toward 
Abraham, 
and 
toward 
all 
of 
Israel, 
who 
had 
the 
spirit 
of 
obedience 
and 
faith, 
and 
during 
this 
Gospel 
age 
has 
operated 
amongst 
mankind 
in 
all 
nations 
and 
tongues. 
But 
a 
comparatively 
small 
portion 
of 
the 
race 
has 
received 
the 
blessing, 
because 
so 
small 
a 
proportion 
were 
in 
a 
condition 
to 
exercise 
"the 
faith 
of 
Abraham." 
While 
at 
first 
it 
might 
appear 
that 
the 
addin~ 
of 
the 
Law 
Covenant 
was 
a 
disadvantage 
and 
similarly 
that 
the 
adding 
of 
the 
New 
Covenant 
might, 
in 
some 
respects, 
be 
a 
disadvantage 
or 
a 
curtailment 
or 
abridgement 
of 
the 
original, 
alI-comprehen­ 
sive 
Grace 
or 
Sarah 
Covenant, 
yet 
this 
is 
really 
not 
so. 
While 
the 
Law 
Covenant 
did 
condemn 
the 
nation, 
because 
they 
did 
not 
have 
the 
faith, 
it 
did 
bring 
a 
blessing 
to 
many 
of 
that 
na­ 
tion-many 
more 
than 
were 
developed 
in 
other 
nations, 
which 
had 
no 
such 
Law 
Covenant, 
with 
its 
limitations, 
threatenings, 
chastisements, 
etc. 
The 
New 
Covenant 
will 
be 
still 
more 
suc­ 
cessful. 
It 
will 
follow 
the 
reign 
of 
Grace 
under 
the 
Sarah 
Covenant 
and 
be 
a 
reign 
of 
law. 
As 
it 
is 
written, 
"Righteous­ 
ness 
shall 
he 
lay 
to 
the 
line 
and 
justice 
to 
the 
plummet, 
and 
the 
hail 
shall 
sweep 
away 
the 
refuge 
of 
misrepresentations."­ 
Isa. 
28 
:17. 
The 
Redeemer 
and 
his 
followers 
will 
no 
longer 
be 
a 
flock 
of 
sheep 
for 
the 
slaughter, 
reviled 
amongst 
men, 
lmt 
the 
contrary, 
they 
shall 
be 
the 
kings 
and 
priests, 
clothed 
with 
glory, 
honor 
and 
immortality, 
before 
whom 
"Every 
knee 
shall 
bow 
and 
every 
tongue 
confess 
to 
the 
glory 
of 
God." 
(Rom. 
14:11) 
The 
King 
shall 
rule 
in 
righteousness 
and 
princes 
shall 
execute 
judgments 
in 
the 
earth. 
Faith, 
giving 
place 
to 
sight, 
the 
test 
will 
be 
work, 
according 
to 
the 
ability; 
and 
everything 
less 
than 
the 
ability 
will 
receive 
stripes 
and 
corrections 
in 
righteousness. 
That 
reign 
of 
Law 
and 
good 
works 
will 
thus 
be 
rightly 
tempered 
to 
the 
condition 
of 
each 
individual, 
and 
the 
result, 
we 
believe, 
will 
be 
marvelous 
-the 
bringing 
of 
thousands 
of 
millions 
to 
perfection, 
in 
har­ 
mony 
with 
God. 
So 
far 
from 
the 
New 
(Law) 
Covenant 
being 
an 
abridgement 
of 
the 
Abrahamic 
(Sarah) 
Covenant 
it 
will 
be 
an 
extension 
of 
it 
which 
will 
make 
its 
blessings 
much 
farther 
reaching. 
The 
original 
covenant 
now 
gathers 
those 
who 
can 
and 
will 
exercise 
faith 
and 
obedience. 
Its 
usefulness 
would 
thus 
be 
at 
an 
end, 
were 
it 
not 
for 
the 
added 
New 
(Law) 
Cov­ 
enant, 
which, 
ignoring 
the 
lack 
of 
faith 
and 
obedience, 
will 
take 
hold 
of 
the 
world 
and, 
by 
chastisement 
and 
instructions, 
force 
obedience 
and 
knowledge 
and 
then 
gradually 
develop 
the 
heart-obedience 
of 
Abraham 
in 
so 
many 
of 
them 
as 
possible 
and 
destroy 
the 
others. 
Thus 
Abraham, 
"the 
father 
of 
the 
faithful," 
will 
become 
under 
the 
New 
(Law) 
Covenant 
the 
"father 
of 
many 
nations"-a 
multitude, 
as 
the 
sand 
of 
the 
sea-as 
well 
as 
the 
father 
of 
the 
faithful 
under 
the 
original 
Sarah 
Covenant 
of 
faith 
and 
grace. 
Thus 
we 
see 
that 
the 
influence 
of 
the 
original 
covenant, 
after 
electing 
a 
Faith 
Seed 
(both 
natural 
and 
spiritual, 
will, 
through 
these 
by 
the 
New 
(Law) 
Covenant, 
bless 
a 
far 
greater 
number 
than 
by 
any 
other 
method 
conceivable. 
Thus 
again 
the 
Lord 
shows 
us 
how 
much 
greater 
are 
his 
arrangements 
than 
any 
which 
the 
human 
mind 
could 
have 
planned. 
Surely 
no 
flesh 
can 
glory 
in 
his 
sight. 
The 
more 
we 
see 
of 
his 
plans, 
his 
purposes, 
his 
methods, 
the 
more 
must 
we 
glorify 
him 
and 
realize 
our 
own 
nothingness, 
insignificance! 
VOL. 
XXX 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
FEBRUARY 
15, 
1909 
No. 
':I- 
"ABLE 
MINISTERS 
OF 
THE 
NEW 
COVENANT" 
2 
COR. 
3:6. 
St. 
Paul 
says, 
"Our 
sufficiency 
is 
of 
God: 
who 
also 
hath 
to 
his 
own 
death. 
It 
was 
offered 
only 
to 
his 
followers. 
and 
made 
us 
able 
ministers 
(servants) 
of 
the 
new 
testament 
(New 
not 
to 
the 
world. 
It 
was 
shed 
for 
them, 
and 
was 
the 
basis 
Covenant); 
not 
of 
the 
letter, 
but 
of 
the 
spirit; 
for 
the 
letter 
for 
their 
reconciliation 
to 
the 
Father; 
but 
it 
was 
to 
be 
in 
killeth, 
but 
the 
spirit 
giveth 
life."-2 
Cor. 
3:5,6. 
due 
time 
the 
blood 
of 
the 
New 
Covenant-the 
blood 
with 
How 
could 
St. 
Paul 
and 
the 
other 
apostles 
be 
servants 
which 
the 
New 
Covenant 
would 
be 
sprinkled, 
sealed, 
made 
of 
a 
New 
Covenant, 
if 
no 
such 
New 
Covenant 
is 
yet 
in 
ex· 
efficacious. 
It 
was 
offered 
to 
the 
church 
more 
than 
eighteen 
istence? 
A 
SImilar 
question 
might 
be 
raised 
respecting 
our 
centuries 
before 
the 
time 
for 
the 
sealing 
of 
the 
New 
Covenant, 
Lord's 
statement 
that 
his 
memorial 
cup 
represented 
the 
blood 
to 
grant 
the 
church, 
the 
overcomers, 
the 
privileges 
of 
partici· 
of 
the 
New 
Testament. 
the 
New 
Covenant. 
The 
answer 
to 
pation 
with 
Christ 
in 
his 
sacrifice, 
not 
only 
in 
the 
sense 
of 
these 
queries 
is: 
(I) 
There 
will 
be 
no 
blood 
of 
or 
from 
the 
jmtification, 
but 
also 
in 
the 
sense 
of 
sanctification, 
or 
death 
New 
Covenant 
after 
it 
has 
been 
completed. 
The 
blood 
of 
the 
with 
him. 
New 
Covenant 
is 
the 
blood 
prepared 
in 
advance 
of 
the 
eove- 
This 
St. 
Paul 
most 
distinctly 
asserts 
in 
1 
Cor. 
10: 
16, 
say­ 
nant, 
wherewith 
to 
seal 
it 
and 
make 
it 
obligatory-make 
it 
ing, 
"The 
cup 
of 
blessin~, 
is 
it 
not 
the 
communion 
of 
the 
a 
covenant. 
Our 
Lord's 
words 
respecting 
the 
cup 
were 
uttered 
blood 
of 
Christ?" 
The 
drinking 
of 
that 
cup 
symbolizes 
our 
before 
he 
died. 
The 
cup 
was 
symbolical 
and 
pointed 
forward 
fellowship 
in 
the 
sufferings 
of 
ChrIst, 
our 
common 
union 
in 
[4331] 
Fesruary 1, 1909 vine law upon which it was based was faulty, nor because it was an unreasonable demand, but because men were imperfect, “born in sin and shapen in iniquity,” and already under a death sentence, because of Adam’s transgression. The Law Covenant had in Moses a faithful mediator, loyal both to God and to the Israelites, but he was incapable because his own life also was forfeited. God has made provision, therefore, that a New Law Covenant take the place of the Old, and has provided a new Mediator, who has already given his life as a redemption price—Jesus, the Head, and the church, the body. The finish of the sacrifice is in sight. The Head and many of his members have already, as new creatures, passed beyond the vail. Soon the last member of the body will have been thus “changed” and then the blood of the New Covenant will be sprinkled on behalf of “the sins of all the people’—the people of the Covenant, Israel, with an open door for all peoples to become sharers of their New Covenant blessings, even as we (Gentiles) are now privileged to share the Sarah Covenant biessings which belonged “to the Jew first.” That sprinkling will be acceptable to God and efficacious for the blotting out of the sins of the whole world. This is abundantly attested in the Scriptures and in the types of these “better sacrifices.”—Heb. 9:23. Forthwith the Great Prophet, Head and members; the Great Priest, Head and members; the Great Judge, Head and members; the Great King, Head and members, will begin dealing with Israel and through Israel with the world. They will rule, bless, instruct and uplift so many as are willing, “And it shall come to pass that every soul that will not hearken to that Prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.” (Aets 3:23) The New Law Covenant will operate exactly as the Old Law Covenant did, except that the “better sacrifices” sealing it will be fully efficacious, and not need to be repeated from year to year; and the power and glory of its Mediator will be superior, and the results of his work correspondingly great and lasting. This is testified to additionally by the statement of Revelation, which pictures the Millennial epoch, with its great white throne of justice and mercy, before which all the dead, small and great, will stand—for trial; not to see whether they were sinners or not, for that is conceded. All were sinners. Nor will it be to see whether or not God is willing to forgive them, for that is conceded—the sacrifice of Christ will then have been accepted as a full “satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.” Their judgment or trial, like ours, will be to determine whether or not they will come into fullest harmony with God, and have his blessing of joy and eternal life, or, otherwise, be “destroyed from amongst the people.” They will not be judged according to their faith, because they will be under the New Covenant of Law and works. As it is written, “They were judged every man according to their works.”—Rev. 20:13. They will be assisted step by step out of imperfection of mind and body up to perfection, including perfect works, which will be their standard or test. On the contrary the Gospel church and the ancient worthies have not been judged according to their works, but according to their faith—-works having been demanded to the extent of ability, as attesting faith. We are not helped out of the blemishes of the fallen nature, but instantly reckoned as lifted out of them, or as having them covered with a mantle of grace. Bearing in mind the facts and conclusions above will assist us greatly in understanding our subject, the relationship of the covenants to each other and to mankind. The original covenant promised a blessing that should reach all mankind—a redemption from the divine sentence, and an opportunity for Vout. XXX THE WATCH TOWER (46-51) the return to harmony with God, through faith and heart obedience. This promise has in some respects already had its fulfilment, as we have seen. God has already accepted, yea, been willing to lead or to draw, all who exercised faith in him and a hearty desire to live in harmony with him. Already, in this sense of the word, the original covenant operated before the flood, and since the flood, and toward Abraham, and toward all of Israel, who had the spirit of obedience and faith, and during this Gospel age has operated amongst mankind in all nations and tongues. But a comparatively small portion of the race has received the blessing, because so small a proportion were in a condition to exercise “the faith of Abraham.” While at first it might appear that the adding of the Law Covenant was a disadvantage and similarly that the adding of the New Covenant might, in some respects, be a disadvantage or a curtailment or abridgement of the original, all-eomprehensive Grace or Sarah Covenant, yet this is really not so. While the Law Covenant did condemn the nation, because they did not have the faith, it did bring a blessing to many of that nation—many more than were developed in other nations, which had no such Law Covenant, with its limitations, threatenings, chastisements, etc. The New Covenant will be still more successful. It will follow the reign of Grace under the Sarah Covenant and be a reign of law. As it is written, “Righteousness shall he lay to the line and justice to the plummet, and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of misrepresentations,”— Isa. 28:17. The Redeemer and his followers will no longer be a flock of sheep for the slaughter, reviled amongst men, but the contrary, they shall be the kings and priests, clothed with glory, honor and immortality, before whom “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess to the glory of God.” (Rom. 14:11) The King shall rule in righteousness and princes shall execute judgments in the earth. Faith, giving place to sight, the test will be work, according to the ability; and everything less than the ability will receive stripes and corrections in righteousness, That reign of Law and good works will thus be rightly tempered to the condition of each individual, and the result, we believe, will be marvelous ~—the bringing of thousands of millions to perfection, in harmony with God. So far from the New (Law) Covenant being an abridgement of the Abrahamic (Sarah) Covenant it will be an extension of it which will make its blessings much farther reaching. The original covenant now gathers those who can and will exercise faith and obedience. Its usefulness would thus be at an end, were it not for the added New (Law) Covenant, which, ignoring the lack of faith and obedience, will take hold of the world and, by chastisement and instructions, force obedience and knowledge and then gradually develop the heart-obedience of Abraham in so many of them as possible and destroy the others. Thus Abraham, “the father of the faithful,” will become under the New (Law) Covenant the “father of many nations”—a multitude, as the sand of the sea—as well as the father of the faithful under the original Sarah Covenant of faith and grace. Thus we see that the influence of the original covenant, after electing a Faith Seed (both natural and spiritual, will, through these by the New (Law) Covenant, bless a far greater number than by any other method conceivable. Thus again the Lord shows us how much greater are his arrangements than any which the human mind could have planned. Surely no flesh can glory in his sight. The more we see of his plans, his purposes, his methods, the more must we glorify him and realize our own nothingness, insignificance! ALLEGHENY, PA., FEBRUARY 15, 1909 No. 4 “ABLE MINISTERS OF THE NEW COVENANT” 2 Cor. 3:6. St. Paul says, “Our sufficiency is of God: who also hath made us able ministers (servants) of the new testament (New Covenant); not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”"—-2 Cor. 3:5, 6. How could St. Paul and the other apostles be servants of a New Covenant, if no such New Covenant is yet in existence? A similar question might be raised respecting our Lord’s statement that his memorial cup represented the blood of the New Testament. the New Covenant. ‘The answer to these queries is: (1) There will be no blood of or from the New Covenant after it has been completed. ‘The blood of the New Covenant is the blood prepared in advance of the covenant, wherewith to seal it and make it obligatory—make it a covenant. Our Lord’s words respecting the cup were uttered before he died. The cup was symbolical and pointed forward to his own death. It was offered only to his followers, and not to the world. It was shed for them, and was the basis for their reconciliation to the Father; but it was to be in due time the blood of the New Covenant—the blood with which the New Covenant would be sprinkled, sealed, made efficacious. It was offered to the church more than eighteen centuries before the time for the sealing of the New Covenant, to grant the church, the overcomers, the privileges of participation with Christ in his sacrifice, not only in the sense of justification, but also in the sense of sanctification, or death with him, This St. Paul most distinctly asserts in 1 Cor. 10:16, saying, “Ihe cup of blessing, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?” The drinking of that cup symbolizes our fellowship in the sufferings of Christ, our common union in [4331]

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