Data publicării
01.02.1914
Volumul
35
Numărul
3
Turnul de veghe
The Anointed--The Messiah--The Christ
Revistele originale Turnul de veghe în limba engleză
../literature/watchtower/1914/3/1914-3-2.html
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y. 
The 
terms 
upon 
which 
any 
may 
come 
into 
membership 
in 
Christ's 
body-may 
be 
members 
of 
the 
anoint,'d 
Priest 
and 
King-arc 
that 
they 
walk 
in 
his 
steps. 
If 
we 
desire 
this 
priv­ 
ilege, 
we 
must 
present 
our 
bodies 
living 
sanifices, 
as 
he 
pre­ 
sented 
his. 
Additionally, 
\H~ 
must 
have 
him 
as 
our 
advocate, 
thnt 
\ye 
may 
be 
l'nablcd 
to 
fill 
up 
that 
which 
is 
llehind 
of 
the 
atIlietions 
of 
Christ. 
So, 
the 
Apostle 
says, 
we 
were 
called 
to 
suffer 
with 
Christ, 
that 
we 
might 
reign 
with 
him.-Col. 
1:24; 
2 
~riIn. 
2 
:12. 
N 
at 
until 
this 
work 
is 
completed 
can 
there 
be 
restitution 
to 
t 
he 
world. 
The 
hlessing 
of 
the 
\\"orld 
cannot 
begin 
until 
this 
gl'l'at 
Priest-King 
is 
eomplde 
an,] 
inductl'd 
into 
ofiice. 
Then 
as 
the 
i\fediator 
of 
the 
New 
Covenant, 
He 
will 
bring 
the 
pronlisl'd 
hll'ssings 
to 
mankin,l 
in 
general. 
The 
entire 
Scrip­ 
tUI'l'S 
S"l'nl 
to 
gin' 
this 
thought, 
and 
this 
:l1one. 
II! 
no 
other 
\\'1.1' 
eall 
\I'e 
explain 
why, 
after 
God's 
]>rolliise 
to 
s('Jlll 
a 
He­ 
d"l'lller, 
:lJld 
aft,,\, 
that 
H('(leenll,r 
ha,] 
rOllle, 
all(] 
had 
,lil'l] 
, 
"thl) 
.fllst 
for 
the 
nnjust," 
the 
work 
of 
restitution 
(Acts 
:3 
:19·21) 
should 
not 
ha 
ye 
immediately 
proeeeded. 
Throughout 
this 
ag3 
th,~re 
has 
been 
the 
work 
of 
s,'lecting 
the 
church. 
In 
the 
im­ 
me,liate 
future 
are 
the 
tilll"s 
of 
J'('stitutioll, 
\I'hen 
the 
Lord, 
at 
his 
sel'ond 
,'onlillg, 
shall 
han, 
n,i:eived 
his 
lllenibers 
to 
himself 
on 
thi' 
plane 
of 
glory. 
The 
Srriptures 
il('(-lare 
that 
our 
Lord 
.I,·sus 
\\"as 
holy, 
harm· 
less, 
un,!efiil',] 
awl 
separate 
from 
:o-inuers. 
lIeure 
hl' 
w'oul,l 
Ileell 
110 
sin-ofl'l'rillg 
on 
]ds 
own 
bekilf. 
Yet 
the 
Sniptul'l's 
say 
tllat 
})(' 
1I("'ill'd 
first 
to 
offer 
for 
himself, 
:md 
then 
for 
th,' 
Pl'O­ 
ple. 
(ITch. 
7:~fj, 
27) 
Here 
,ye 
see 
clearly 
shown 
the 
chmch 
as 
a 
part 
of 
himself--iliffel'('nt 
from 
the 
\101'1<] 
in 
g'l'neral. 
Tho 
entire 
work 
of 
the 
ehureh 
at 
the 
present 
timl' 
is 
the 
sflcrifii'e 
of 
the 
human 
lif,~. 
As 
.I,'sus 
will 
be 
the 
King 
of 
(llor)', 
so 
\I',' 
shall 
be 
the 
ullder·ldngR; 
as 
he 
will 
be 
the 
great 
Priest, 
so 
we 
shall 
he 
the 
u!1,kr-priests. 
The 
parallel 
is 
foulld 
throughout 
the 
entire 
Scriptures. 
If 
our 
unoerst:lIIding 
of 
this 
were 
take!1 
a\I:IY, 
\Ie 
should 
be 
l'radically 
in 
the 
sallie 
darkness 
as 
we 
were 
before 
we 
got 
the 
trllth. 
The 
mystery 
is 
that 
IYO 
arc 
to 
be 
:lssot·iatPi] 
ill 
the 
sutT('rillgs 
of 
Christ 
now, 
alld 
in 
his 
glory 
ill 
the 
fllture. 
\Vhoen'r 
has 
not 
yet 
foulld 
this 
key 
has 
not 
yd 
fOlllld 
the 
plan 
of 
Go,l, 
in 
its 
simplieity 
and 
beauty. 
(;Ol! 
ordailled 
that 
the 
kings 
of 
hrael 
should 
be 
anoillte,], 
:Jill] 
that 
the 
lligh 
priest 
of 
hral'1 
should 
be 
especially 
anointed. 
Wi' 
are 
to 
remember 
that 
there 
is 
all 
antitypical 
King 
ano 
an 
alltitypi,"al 
Priest-Christ, 
th" 
grl'at 
Pmi'het, 
Priest 
and 
Ki!1~ 
-II'ho 
is 
to 
bring 
b]l','sing 
to 
the 
human 
family 
as 
a 
whole. 
We 
pereeiye 
that 
in 
the 
type 
there 
WflS 
an 
lIlll]er-priesthood, 
and 
the 
Apostl,· 
l'Oillts 
opt 
tllat 
th,'n' 
is 
an 
alltitypieal 
under-priest­ 
hood 
assoeiab,tl 
with 
.Jesus 
and 
his 
work. 
TIll' 
\yon] 
alloilltl'd 
ill 
the 
EII~~lish 
translation 
of 
the 
Hebrew 
wo]'(l 
,\Ii'ssiah, 
alld 
its 
eljuilal"J1t 
in 
the 
(;reek 
is 
Christos, 
Christ. 
Ho, 
tll('lI, 
0111' 
thoughts 
I'l'op('J'ly 
turn 
to 
Christ 
as 
the 
Anointed 
of 
God. 
He 
is 
to 
,10 
the 
great 
work 
apl'ointetl 
by 
the 
Vather. 
\\le 
look 
baek 
:\1\(] 
see 
when 
he 
!'L'ceive,] 
his 
anoilltillg. 
It 
\las 
not 
whi'n 
h,' 
lIas 
ill 
the 
he:lyellly 
courts, 
nor 
when 
he 
became 
a 
human 
being. 
lIe 
was 
not 
yet 
the 
Anointed 
One, 
thOll~h 
he 
,,"as 
in 
fllll 
harmony 
with 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
of 
God. 
Dllt 
there 
i':lIne 
a 
certain 
eXlleriellee 
to 
our 
Lord 
when 
he 
was 
thirty 
yi'ars 
of 
age. 
At 
tll:~t 
time 
he 
consecrated 
himself 
to 
do 
the 
Father's 
\Yill 
and 
work. 
'rhen 
it 
\Ias 
that 
he 
receivell 
the 
sp<,eial 
anointing'. 
This 
constitnted 
him 
in 
an 
incipient 
sense 
the 
anointetl 
King 
anC! 
Priest 
of 
Goil. 
Still 
he 
was 
not 
rea(]y 
to 
take 
his 
great 
power 
and 
reign; 
but 
if 
he 
proved 
faithful 
in 
eanying 
out 
his 
cOHllant, 
he 
wouli] 
in 
due 
time 
he­ 
rome 
in 
the 
fullest 
sense 
the 
great 
Anointee] 
of 
God, 
,Yould 
reign 
ov,'r 
the 
i'arth 
for 
a 
tholls:lIId 
years, 
antl 
subseqnently 
would 
}Iavl' 
further 
gri'at 
honors 
aUil 
priYil,·grs. 
We 
ran 
sec 
all 
this 
very 
clParly 
portrayed 
in 
respect 
to 
our 
Redeemer. 
THE 
MYSTERY 
OF 
CHRIST 
To 
"'hom, 
theil, 
docs 
the 
A 
postle 
in 
1 
John 
2: 
27 
refer 
in 
the 
\yonls 
ye 
am] 
you 
t 
The 
hl'avenly 
Father 
purposed, 
as 
pre­ 
\'iously 
stated, 
that 
more 
than 
our 
Lord 
.J<,sus 
should 
constitute 
this 
Anointel] 
OUi'. 
He 
pnrpose<1 
that 
the 
Lord 
.Tesus 
should 
be 
the 
Head 
of 
an 
anointed 
company, 
who 
SllOUld 
constitute 
his 
])(l(ly. 
Ane] 
this 
is 
imp1icrl 
in 
the 
type 
in 
the 
unrler-priesthood, 
who 
received 
a 
measure 
of 
the 
anointing 
oil. 
They 
prefigure<l 
til(' 
real 
priesthoo,] 
to 
come: 
"1' 
e 
arc 
a 
royal 
prirsthood, 
a 
holy 
nation, 
It 
peculiar 
people, 
that 
ye 
should 
show 
forth 
the 
praises 
of 
him 
\"ho 
hath 
cfllIed 
you 
out 
of 
darkness 
into 
his 
marvelous 
light. 
"-1 
Peter 
2: 
9. 
And 
as 
we 
further 
study, 
we 
find 
that 
this 
is 
the 
mystery 
mentioned 
in 
the 
Seriptures: 
to 
wit, 
that 
the 
great 
Messiah 
so 
long 
promisi'd 
shoulrl 
ho 
composed 
of 
many 
individuals; 
and 
that 
these 
many 
inrlividuals, 
with 
the 
exception 
of 
the 
Head, 
should 
}le 
gathered 
out 
from 
the 
children 
of 
wrath, 
from 
fallen 
mankind, 
and 
shoul<l 
be 
justified 
through 
the 
merit 
of 
their 
Hearl-the 
merit 
of 
his 
human 
sacrifice. 
All, 
then, 
who 
have 
joined 
the 
Lord 
are 
counted 
as 
mem- 
bel'S 
of 
that 
one 
Body, 
"the 
church 
of 
the 
living 
God," 
"the 
ehurch 
of 
the 
first-born," 
whose 
names 
are 
"written 
in 
heaven." 
(1 
Tim. 
3:15; 
Heb. 
12:23) 
Looking 
back 
to 
the 
institution 
of 
the 
church, 
we 
see 
that 
it 
could 
not 
be 
instituted 
until 
Jesus 
had 
presented 
himself 
as 
a 
sacrifice, 
that 
the 
merit 
of 
his 
sacrifice 
might 
be 
made 
applicable 
to 
all 
those 
who 
woulil 
become 
members 
of 
his 
hody-those 
who 
would 
make 
the 
sallle 
consecration 
unto 
death 
that 
he 
had 
made, 
and 
who 
\\"ould 
then 
\"alk 
in 
his 
footsteps. 
At 
that 
very 
time 
there 
were 
some 
of 
this 
class 
waiting. 
They 
had 
been 
Jesus' 
disciples, 
hearkening 
to 
his 
words. 
They 
lJelieved 
his 
testimony 
that 
if 
thcy 
would 
take 
up 
their 
cross 
and 
follow 
him 
they 
should 
partake 
of 
his 
glory. 
Under 
the 
influence 
of 
this 
promise 
they 
became 
his 
followers. 
But 
they 
('ould 
not 
receive 
the 
anointing 
until 
he 
had 
made 
satisfaction 
for 
their 
sins. 
Therefore 
our 
Lord 
instructed 
them 
to 
wait 
at 
.Jerusalem 
until 
this 
blessing 
C:lme 
upon 
them. 
The 
Scriptures 
tell 
us 
that 
the 
anointing 
came 
upon 
them 
at 
Pentecost. 
It 
":\lue 
from 
the 
Father 
through 
Christ, 
after 
his 
ascension. 
In­ 
di'i'rl, 
St. 
Paul 
tells 
us 
that 
all 
bli'ssings 
come 
from 
the 
Father, 
\1 
ho 
is 
the 
Fountain 
of 
blessings; 
and 
all 
come 
through 
the 
~on. 
,,"ho 
is 
the 
Channl'1.-1 
Corinthians 
8: 
6. 
. 
Tust 
\Ihat 
the 
anointing 
is, 
is 
difficult 
for 
us 
to 
comprehend 
()r 
to 
explain. 
Only 
in 
proportion 
as 
we 
comprehend 
it 
can 
we 
lIlal\(' 
it 
plain 
to 
others. 
The 
Lord 
has 
endeavored 
to 
make 
it 
:IS 
plain 
as 
possible 
to 
us 
by 
the 
use 
of 
various 
terms 
and 
Ji;..(ur<'s. 
He 
calls 
it 
a 
begetting, 
in 
the 
sense 
that 
a 
new 
life 
is 
started. 
The 
spiritual 
nature 
bcgins 
in 
us 
at 
the 
moment 
we 
reel'ive 
this 
begetting. 
And 
whoevi'r 
receives 
it 
cannot 
retain 
it 
unless 
he 
grows 
and 
has 
the 
Lord's 
spirit 
perfected 
in 
him. 
VARIOUS 
QUALITIES 
OF 
THE 
HOLY 
SPIRIT 
The 
spirit 
is 
spoken 
of 
in 
the 
Scriptures 
from 
various 
,tandpoints-apparcntly 
with 
a 
view 
to 
giving 
us 
a 
conception 
of 
it, 
and 
\vith 
the 
thought 
that 
it 
is 
a 
difficult 
matter 
to 
grasp. 
It 
is 
cnlll'd 
the 
spirit 
of 
truth. 
No 
one 
can 
have 
the' 
holy 
~I'irit 
anil 
be 
in 
ignorance 
of 
God; 
and 
his 
growth 
in 
spiritual 
things 
will 
be 
in 
proportion 
to 
his 
growth 
in 
knowledge. 
If 
he 
,loes 
not 
grow 
in 
knowledge, 
he 
cannot 
grow 
in 
the 
spirit; 
therefore 
this 
spirit 
is 
called 
the 
spirit 
of 
the 
truth. 
It 
is 
called 
also 
the 
spirit 
of 
a 
sound 
mind; 
for 
our 
judg­ 
ments 
are 
all 
imperfect 
and 
human 
and 
naturally, 
therefore, 
eontrary 
in 
some 
respects 
to 
the 
mind 
of 
the 
Lord. 
And 
the 
transforming' 
influence 
w"hich 
gives 
us 
a 
new 
view 
of 
matters 
and 
enables 
us 
to 
see 
things 
from 
God's 
standpoint 
is 
the 
in­ 
fluence 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit; 
therefore, 
it 
is 
called 
the 
spirit, 
or 
ilisposition, 
of 
a 
sound 
mind. 
It 
is 
called 
the 
spirit 
of 
love; 
for 
only 
in 
proportion 
as 
we 
cultivate 
this 
Godlike 
quality 
can 
we 
receive 
this 
spirit. 
Who­ 
ever 
has 
not 
the 
spirit 
of 
love 
cannot 
have 
the 
holy 
Spirit. 
Love 
is 
necessary 
before 
we 
can 
receive 
this 
spirit. 
God 
is 
Love. 
And 
so 
all 
must 
be 
of 
this 
disposition 
who 
woulcl 
be 
his 
-they 
must 
be 
in 
sympathy, 
in 
harmony 
with 
him. 
It 
is 
also 
called 
the 
spirit 
of 
obedience 
in 
the 
sense 
that 
those 
who 
possess 
this 
spirit 
desire 
to 
do 
the 
will 
of 
God. 
It 
is 
an 
:lIJointine; 
in 
the 
sense 
that 
it 
is 
the 
qualification 
by 
which 
GOi] 
!'l'cognizes 
us 
as 
his 
children 
and 
as 
those 
who 
are 
hC'irs 
of 
his 
promises 
and 
who 
are 
to 
consider 
themselves 
his 
am 
bas­ 
satlors. 
He 
recognizes 
only 
those 
who 
are 
thus 
designated 
by 
the 
holy 
Spirit. 
These 
are 
to 
fill 
the 
office 
of 
kings 
and 
priests. 
These 
various 
definitions 
and 
descriptions 
of 
the 
power 
and 
influence 
of 
the 
spirit 
enable 
us 
to 
better 
understand 
the 
mat­ 
ter. 
The 
term 
holy 
Spirit 
stands 
in 
a 
broad 
sense 
for 
any 
holy 
influence 
or 
power 
or 
disposition 
emanating 
from 
God. 
'!'he 
phrase 
covers 
the 
thought 
of 
the 
spirit 
of 
truth 
and 
the 
spirit 
of 
righteousness, 
because 
all 
that 
is 
true 
and 
right 
is 
of 
(livine 
arrangement 
and 
order. 
This 
is 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
or 
holy 
influence, 
or 
holy 
power, 
then, 
that 
works 
in 
any 
way 
that 
God 
may 
choose. 
It 
may 
be 
through 
the 
Word 
of 
truth 
given 
out 
through 
the 
printed 
page, 
or 
it 
may 
be 
made 
manifest 
through 
the 
influence 
of 
the 
life 
and 
example 
of 
some 
of 
God's 
people 
-but 
in 
w"hatever 
way 
it 
operates, 
it 
always 
operates 
for 
good. 
GIFTS 
VS. 
FRUITS 
OF 
THE 
SPIRIT 
Because 
the 
matter 
was 
so 
hard 
to 
understand, 
the 
Lord, 
in 
the 
first 
place, 
gave 
the 
early 
church 
special 
signs, 
which 
were 
called 
gifts. 
Some 
received 
the 
gift 
of 
tongues, 
some 
the 
gift 
of 
performing 
miracles, 
and 
some 
the 
special 
gift 
of 
heal­ 
ing. 
Then 
there 
were 
other 
gifts 
that 
the 
Lord 
gave, 
such 
as 
apostleship, 
etc. 
But 
these 
different 
gifts 
were 
merely 
mani­ 
festations 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
at 
that 
time. 
The 
gifts 
were 
not 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
but 
were 
manifestations 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit. 
After 
they 
had 
accomplished 
their 
work 
in 
the 
early 
church, 
those 
gifts 
passed 
away. 
This 
does 
not 
mean 
that 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
ceased 
to 
be 
the 
begetting 
power 
amongst 
the 
Lord's 
people; 
but 
unless 
there 
had 
been 
some 
such 
manifestation 
of 
the 
power 
of 
God 
in 
the 
beginning, 
we 
would 
not 
have 
been 
so 
well 
able 
to 
understand 
the 
facts. 
Jesus, 
before 
Pentecost, 
[6392] 
(35-36) The terms upon which any may come into membership in Christ’s body—may be members of the anointed Priest and King-—are that they walk in his steps. If we desire this privUege, we must present our bodies living sacrifiecs, as he presented his. Additionally, we must have him as our advocate, that we may be enabled to fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ. So, the Apostle says, we were ealled to suffer with Christ, that we might reign with him—Col. 1:24; 2 Tim. 2:12. Not until this work is completed can there be restitution to the world. The blessing of the world cannot begin until this great Priest-King is complete and inducted into office. Then as the Mediator of the New Covenant, Ie will bring the promised blessings to mankind in general. The entire Scriptures seem to give this thought, and this alone, In no other way can we explain why, after God’s promise to send a Redeemer, and after that Redeemer had come, and had died, ‘‘the Just for the unjust,’’ the work of restitution (Acts 3:19-21) should not have immediately proceeded. Throughout this age there has been the work of sclecting the church, In the immediate future are the times of restitution, when the Lord, at his second coming, shall have received his members to hinself on the plane of glory. The Seriptures declare that our Lord Jesus was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners. Hence he would need no sin-offering on his own behalf. Yet the Seriptures say that he needed first to offer for himself, and then for the pcople. (Heb. 7:26, 27) Tfere we see clearly shown the ehureh us a part of himself-—different from the world in general. The entire work of the church at the present time is the sacrifice of the human life. As Jesus will be the King of Glory, so we shall be the under-kings; as he will be the great Priest, so we shall be the under-priests. The parallel is found throughout the entire Seriptures. If our understanding of this were taken away, we should be practieally in the same darkness as we were before we got the truth. The mystery is that we are to be associated in the sufferings of Christ now, and in his glory in the future. Whoever has not yet found this key has not yet found the plan of God, in its simplieity and beauty. God ordained that the kings of Tsrael should be anointed, and that the high priest of Tsracl should be especially anointed. We are to remember that there is an antitypical King and an antitypical Priest—Christ, the great Prophet, Priest and King —who is to bring blessing to the human family as a whole. We pereeive that in the type there was an mnder-priesthood, and the Apostle points out that there is an antitypieal under-priesthood associated with Jesus and his work, The word anointed in the English translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, and its equivalent in the Greek is Christos, Christ. So, then, our thoughts properly turn to Christ as the Anointed of God. He is to do the great work appointed by the Father. We look back and see when he reeeived his anointing. It was not when he was in the heavenly courts, nor when he became a human being. Tle was not yet the Anointed Onc, though he was in full harmony with the holy Spirit of God, But there came a certain experienee to our Lord when he was thirty years of age. At that time he consecrated himself to do the Father’s will and work. Then it was that he received the special anointing. This constituted him in an incipient sense the anointed King and Priest of God. Still he was not ready to take his grent power and reign; but if he proved faithful in carrying out his covenant, he would in due time become in the fullest sense the great Anointed of God, would reign over the earth for a thousand years, and subsequently would have further great honors and privileges. We can see all this very clearly portrayed in respect to our Redeemer. THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST To whom, then, does the Apostle in 1 John 2:27 refer in the words ye and you? The heavenly Father purposed, as previously stated, that more than our Lord Jesus should constitute this Anointed One. He purposed that the Lord Jesus should be the Head of an anointed company, who should constitute his bedy. And this is implied in the type in the under-priesthood, who received a measure of the anointing oil. They prefigured the real priesthood to come: ‘‘Y¥e are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peeuliar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath ealled you out of darkness into his marvelous light.’’—1 Peter 2:9. And as we further study, we find that this is the mystery mentioned in the Scriptures: to wit, that the great Messiah so long promised should be composed of many individuals; and that these many individuals, with the exeeption of the Head, should be gathered out from the children of wrath, from fallen mankind, and should be justified through the merit of their Head—the merit of his human sacrifice. All, then, who have joined the Lord are counted as mem THE WATCH TOWER Brooktyn, N. Y. bers of that one Body, ‘‘the church of the living God,’’ ‘‘the church of the first-born,’’?’ whose names are ‘‘written in heaven.’’? (1 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 12:23) Looking back to the institution of the church, we see that it could not be instituted until Jesus had presented himself as a sacrifice, that the merit of his sacrifice might be made applicable to all those who would become members of his body—those who would make the same consecration unto death that he had made, and who would then walk in his footsteps. At that very time there were some of this class waiting. They had been Jesus’ disciples, hearkening to his words. They believed his testimony that if they would take up thcir cross and follow him they should partake of his glory. Under the influence of this promise they became his followers. But they could not reecive the anointing until he had made satisfaction for their sins. Therefore our Lord instructed them to wait at Jerusalem until this blessing came upon them, The Scriptures tell us that the anointing came upon them at Pentecost. It came from the Father through Christ, after his ascension. Indecd, St. Paul tells us that all blessings come from the Father, who is the Fountain of blessings; and all come through the Son, who is the Channel.—1 Corinthians 8:6. Just what the anointing is, is difficult for us to comprehend cr to explain. Only in proportion as we comprehend it can we mike if plain to others. The Lord has endeavored to make it us plain as possible to us by the use of various terms and figures. He calls it a begetting, in the sense that a new life is started. The spiritual nature begins in us at the moment we receive this begetting. And whoever receives it cannot retain it unless he grows and has the Lord’s spirit perfected in him. VARIOUS QUALITIES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT The spirit is spoken of in the Scriptures from various standpoints—apparently with a view to giving us a conception of it, and with the thought that it is a difficult matter to grasp. It is ealled the spirit of truth. No one ean have the holy Spirit and be in ignorance of God; and his growth in spiritual things will be in proportion to his growth in knowledge. If he does uot grow in knowledge, he cannot grow in the spirit; therefore this spirit is called the spirit of the truth. It is called also the spirit of a sound mind; for our judgments are all imperfect and human and naturally, therefore, contrary in some respects to the mind of the Lord. And the transforming influence which gives us a new view of matters and enables us to see things from God’s standpoint is the influence of the holy Spirit; therefore, it is called the spirit, or disposition, of a sound mind. It is called the spirit of love; for only in proportion as we cultivate this Godlike quality can we receive this spirit. Whoever has not the spirit of love cannot have the holy Spirit. Love is necessary before we can receive this spirit. God is Love. And so all must be of this disposition who would be his —they must be in sympathy, in harmony with him, It is also called the spirit of obedience in the sense that those who possess this spirit desire to do the will of God. It is an anointing in the sense that it is the qualification by which God recognizes us as his children and as those who are heirs of his promises and who are to consider themselves his ambas sadors. He recognizes only those who are thus designated by the holy Spirit. These are to fill the office of kings and priests. These various definitions and descriptions of the power and influence of the spirit enable us to better understand the matter. The term holy Spirit stands in a broad sense for any holy influence or power or disposition emanating from God. The phrase covers the thought of the spirit of truth and the spirit of righteousness, because all that is true and right is of divine arrangement and order. This is the holy Spirit, or holy influence, or holy power, then, that works in any way that God may choose. It may be through the Word of truth given out through the printed page, or it may be made manifest through the influence of the life and example of some of God’s people —but in whatever way it operates, it always operates for good. GIFTS VS. FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT Because the matter was so hard to understand, the Lord, in the first place, gave the early church special signs, which were called gifts. Some received the gift of tongues, some the gift of performing miracles, and some the special gift of healing. Then there were other gifts that the Lord gave, such as apostleship, ete. But these different gifts were merely manifestations of the holy Spirit at that time. The gifts were not the holy Spirit, but were manifestations of the holy Spirit. After they had accomplished their work in the early church, those gifts passed away. This does not mean that the holy Spirit ceased to be the begetting power amongst the Lord’s people; but unless there had been some such manifestation of the power of God in the beginning, we would not have been so well able to understand the facts. Jesus, before Pentecost, [5392]

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