ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, according to the will of God. 1 We are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God; whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption. 2 God giveth the Holy Ghost to them that obey him, and our souls are purified in obeying the truth through the Spirit. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. 3 We are saved by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which is shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour. For except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and we hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 5 By one Spirit we are baptized into one body: and those that feed the Church of God, are made overseers over the flock by the Holy Ghost. THE KINGDOM AND CHURCH OF CHRIST. To this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living; who is gone into heaven; and is on the right hand of God; angels, and authorities, and powers, being made subject unto him. 'He spoiled principalities and powers, and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it; and through death he hath destroyed him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. The prince of this world is now judged: and the God of peace hath bruised Satan under our feet. 1 The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. All kings shall fall down before him, all nations shall serve him; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 2 He is the head of all principality and power. At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. And every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 3 He must reign till he hath put down all rule, and all authority, and power; and hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. Jesus having preached the gospel of the kingdom and all power being given unto him in heaven and in earth; he said unto his disciples, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; baptizing all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. 5 Now when the apostles, and other disciples that 1 Rev. xi. 15. Psal. lxxii. 11. Gen. xlix. 10. Phil. ii. 10, 11. 31 Cor. xv. 25. 24, 25, 26. 28. 2 Col. ii. 10. 4 Matt. Matt. xxviii. 19, 20. Acts viii. 12. 2 Cor. viii. 5. were scattered abroad, went every where preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, many of them which heard the word believed and were baptized, both men and women, and they gave themselves to the Lord; and continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And the multitude of them that believed was called the Church of God, and of Christ. 1 Christ is the head of the Church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. 2 As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and members in particular: for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free. 3 Both Jews and Gentiles are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God: and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. In whom we also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. 5 There is one fold and one shepherd, even our Lord Jesus; who laid down his life for his sheep; being put to death, not for the nation of the Jews only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. 1 Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, but holy and without blemish. 2 Jesus, the great shepherd and bishop of our souls, 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; that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ; from whom the whole body, fitly joined together and compacted, maketh increase, unto the edifying itself into love. 3 Jesus chose twelve of his disciples, whom also he named apostles; and he ordained them that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach. And accordingly while he lived, he sent them to preach the kingdom of God; and after his resurrection, he said unto the disciples, As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And he breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive the Holy Ghost.-Vide p. 89. 4 The works whereunto these and other apostles afterwards were called and separated by the Holy Ghost, was to administer the Gospel of God; to teach and preach Jesus Christ; to baptize in his name for the remission of sins; to break the bread, which is the communion of the body of Christ, and to bless the cup, which is the communion of the blood of Christ, and to do this in remembrance of me. 1 Moreover of those whom God hath set in the Church, the apostles are first, and to them also the Lord gave authority for edification, and not for destruction. For he said unto them, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them: and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 2 The Lord appointed other seventy also; and sent them forth as labourers into his harvest. 3 Now when Jesus was taken up into heaven, the apostles whom he had chosen being come together with the other disciples which had companied with them all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among them, they appointed two, out of which one was chosen by lot to take part of the ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles, and ordained to be a witness with them of the resurrection of Christ. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost: and they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved. 5 And in those days, when the number of disciples 11 Cor. xii. 28. 2 Cor. x. 8. Matt. xviii. 18. Matt. xvi. 19. John xx. 23. 2 Luke x. 1, 2. 24. 26. 25, 26. 22. 5 Acts vi. 1. 5. 2, 3. 6. 3. 1. 13. 12. 3 4 Acts ii. 4. Acts i. 11. 2. 15. 21. 23. Acts ii. 47. |