1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org
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1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org 1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

a2z.org
11.07.2015 Views

danger of being a "castaway" if he did not bring his bodyinto subjection, and thus prove to be an overcomer, itis tantamount to saying that he would fail to make hiscalling and election sure. He was called to become anheir of God and joint-heir with Jesus Christ. If, therefore,he should fail to perform his part of the contractof sacrifice, he would become a castaway in respect to thiselection. He would not gain the election. He would losein the race in which he had started.HABITS MAKE CHARACTERIt is our duty to watch ourselves that we do no harm,that our body does good service and not injury to ourselves.A man or a woman or a child who goes throughthe house slamming doors, and merely says, "I was in ahurry and could not help it," is not gentle. He is not agentleman, or she is not a gentlewoman. Whoever failsto cultivate gentleness is failing to cultivate the fruits ofthe Spirit. He is losing a glorious opportunity of practisingupon himself--of keeping his body under, of gettinghimself into the way of doing things in a sensible, reasonablemanner. The person who bangs doors and goesabout noisily is one who does not think of other peopleand their interests. When we talk about ourselves all thetime and think about ourselves all the time, it is an evidenceof selfishness. In all these things the Lord expectsus to keep our bodies under, and to show carefulness inkeeping our bodies under, in the little things of life aswell as in the great things.If our Lord Jesus were here, none of us would expectHim to go about noisily, slamming the doors of the house,or to be wasteful. Our Lord was most economical in thetwo cases where He fed the four thousand and the fivethousand. Although there was plenty of food to feed themultitude, He told His disciples to "gather up the fragmentsthat remain, that nothing be lost."--John 6:12.Thus did God's dear Son view matters; and we desireto be copies of Him. In building character we mustwilfully and intentionally do right. The person who practicesin the little things will be also careful in the largermatters. Even the pins, the needles and the paper weshould use carefully. Not that any should be miserly--not willing to give one a pin if he wants one--but do notthink to waste even them, saying, "Oh, the pins cost onlya trifle, anyway!" The Lord was always generous, butHe was economical. So we should all be. We shouldkeep the body under the new mind. The new mind shouldbe looking out for these matters and keeping the oldbody in service.====================R5002 : page 112APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION UNSCRIPTURAL

--MARK 3:7-19; MATTHEW 5:13-16.--APRIL 21.--Text:--"Ye did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointedyou, that ye should go and bear fruit."--John 15:16 (R.V.).TODAY'S LESSON shows the particularitywith which the twelve Apostles werechosen. Many were the Redeemer's followersat times, both men and women, butonly The Twelve were specially deputizedas His mouthpieces and representativesamong men. Some of the things said toand respecting them are equally appropriateto every one of Jesus' followers, but otherthings said to The Twelve and respectingthem apply to none others of their day or since--for instance,the Savior said to The Twelve, and to none others,"Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound inheaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall beloosed in heaven."--Matt. 16:19; 18:18.The import of these words clearly is that the personsindicated were assured that they would be so speciallyguided of Divine providence in all their efforts that theywould set forth as the Divine will amongst men nothingto which Heaven would not assent. And, on the otherhand, they would declare not binding upon the followersof Jesus only such things as in God's sight would notbe binding. In those twelve men, therefore, we recognizea plenary inspiration, or special guidance not accordedin this particular degree to others of the "brethren."We do not forget that Judas was one of the originalTwelve and that, proving traitorous, "He went to his ownplace." We remember also that he was specifically referredto by the Prophet David, through whom the Divinemessage came, that another would take the Apostleshipwhich Judas forfeited. What we do claim is this: thatthe announcement was prophetically made of a successorto Judas, so as to teach us that the appointment of hissuccessor was exceptional and not the rule; that asidefrom this one case there would be no successors.Surely there is no intimation in the New Testamentthat as one after another of the Apostles died other menwere recognized as succeeding them. On the contrary,the Scriptures repeatedly refer to the "Twelve Apostlesof the Lamb." Moreover, as the Jewish Dispensationbegan at the death of Jacob, in the recognition of histwelve sons, so the Christian Dispensation began at thedeath of Jesus, in the recognition of His twelve Apostles.And as one of the tribes of Israel was cut off, and is notmentioned in the enumeration in the Apocalypse, but thetribe of Manasseh substituted, so amongst Jesus' ApostlesJudas is dropped and a successor is appointed.ST. PAUL TO SUCCEED JUDAS

danger of being a "castaway" if he did not bring his bodyinto subjection, and thus prove to be an overcomer, itis tantamount to saying that he would fail to make hiscalling and election sure. He was called to become anheir of God and joint-heir with Jesus Christ. If, therefore,he should fail to perform his part of the contractof sacrifice, he would become a castaway in respect to thiselection. He would not gain the election. He would losein the race in which he had started.HABITS MAKE CHARACTERIt is our duty to watch ourselves that we do no harm,that our body does good service and not injury to ourselves.A man or a woman or a child who goes throughthe house slamming doors, and merely says, "I was in ahurry and could not help it," is not gentle. He is not agentleman, or she is not a gentlewoman. Whoever failsto cultivate gentleness is failing to cultivate the fruits ofthe Spirit. He is losing a glorious opportunity of practisingupon himself--of keeping his body under, of gettinghimself into the way of doing things in a sensible, reasonablemanner. The person who bangs doors and goesabout noisily is one who does not think of other peopleand their interests. When we talk about ourselves all thetime and think about ourselves all the time, it is an evidenceof selfishness. In all these things the Lord expectsus to keep our bodies under, and to show carefulness inkeeping our bodies under, in the little things of life aswell as in the great things.If our Lord Jesus were here, none of us would expectHim to go about noisily, slamming the doors of the house,or to be wasteful. Our Lord was most economical in thetwo cases where He fed the four thousand and the fivethousand. Although there was plenty of food to feed themultitude, He told His disciples to "gather up the fragmentsthat remain, that nothing be lost."--John 6:12.Thus did God's dear Son view matters; and we desireto be copies of Him. In building character we mustwilfully and intentionally do right. The person who practicesin the little things will be also careful in the largermatters. Even the pins, the needles and the paper weshould use carefully. Not that any should be miserly--not willing to give one a pin if he wants one--but do notthink to waste even them, saying, "Oh, the pins cost onlya trifle, anyway!" The Lord was always generous, butHe was economical. So we should all be. We shouldkeep the body under the new mind. The new mind shouldbe looking out for these matters and keeping the oldbody in service.====================R5002 : page 112APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION UNSCRIPTURAL

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