THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. [THE APOSTLE OF THE APOSTLES].

 THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER, THE SON OF DAVID, KING OF JERUSALEM.
VANTIES OF VANTIES, SAITH THE PREACHER, ALL IS VANITY. WHAT PROFIT HAS A MAN OF ALL HIS LABOR WHEREIN HE LABOURETH UNDER THE SUN?
ONE GENERATION GOETH, AND ANOTHER GENERATION  COMETH. AND THE EARTH ABIDETH FOR EVER. WITH MANY OF THE APOSTLES ALREADY CONSIDERED, WE HAVE NOTHING MORE THAN THEIR NAMES, SIGNIFICANT THOUGH THEY MAY BE. BUT PAUL REFERS TO TWO APOSTLES WHO WENT [UNAMED] AND DOES NOT PAUSE TO MENTION THEIR NAMES,EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE CONSPICUOUS IN THEIR WAY FOR CHRIST. ONE OF THE TWO WAS  A BROTHER.  " THROUGH-OUT ALL THE CHURCHES" THEIR  PRAISE IS IN THE GOSPEL, WHAT A WONDERFUL TESTIMONY TO HAVE. ( II COR. 8:18). THE OTHER ONE WAS THE BROTHER OF WHOM PAUL SAID, "  WE HAVE OFTENTIMES PROVED DILIGENT IN MANY THINGS- ANOTHER COMMENDABLE RECORD!  (II COR. 8:22)) THEN THE APOSTLE BRINGS THE TWO BRETHREN  TOGETHER AND SAYS OF THEM, THEY ARE THE MESSENGERS OF THE CHURCHES, AND THE GLORY OF CHRIST. (II COR. 8:23).  MESSENGER IS THE SAME WORD FOR APOSTLE IN THE GREEK. "OUR BRETHREN, APOSTLES OF ASSEMBLIES, AND CHRIST GLORY."  DOUBTLESS APOSTLES IS IN THE STRICT SENSE OF, E.G., ACTS 14: 14). "THE EPITHET," THEY ARE... THE' GLORY OF CHRIST," OR CHRIST'S GLORY," IS A MOST UNUSUAL ONE.. CERTAINLY THESE TWO APOSTLES OR DELEGATES TO THE CHURCHES LABORED ONLY FOR THE GLORY OF CHRIST, BUT WE GET A DEEPER INSIGHT IF WE CONNECT IT WITH WHAT PAUL SAYS PREVIOUSLY ABOUT "BEHOLDING AS IN A GLASS THE GLORY OF THE LORD." AND BEING CHANGED INTO THE IMAGE FROM GLORY TO GLORY, EVEN AS BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD (II COR. 3:18).  IN EFECT PAUL IS SAYING OF THESE TWO NAMELESS SAINTS-YET WELL-KNOWN AMONG THE CHURCHES. " THESE MESSENGERS, SO APOSTOLIC  IN THEIR MINISTRY ARE LIKE CHRIST IN CHARACTER: THEY REFLECT HIS GLORY. YOU MAY SEE THAT GLORY IN THEM." CAN WE SAY THAT WE ARE "CHRIST GLORY"?  IS HE CONSTANLY GLORIFIED IN, AND THROUGH US?  ARE WE FULFILLING THE PRAYER OF CHRIST? --"I AM GLORIFIED IN THEM"  ( JOHN 17:1O).
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT IS THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS, WHICH, IF IT WAS NOT PAUL'S WRITING, CONTAINS HIS THINKING.
 THEOLOGIANS HAVE CREATED DIFFICULTIES REGARDING ITS AUTHORSHIP. EVEN THOUGH IT COMES TO  US AS AN ANONYMOUS WORK , AND GREATLY IMPRESSES US ABOUT THIS EPISTLE.. ITS THE WAY IT HONORS AND MAGNIFIES THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! IT IS SUPREME AMONG THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE. IN THIS RESPECT.
AMONG THE MANY TITLES USED OF HIM WHICH THE WRITER CALLS TO CONSIDER IS, " THE APOSTLE AND HIGH PRIEST OF OUR PROFESSION." (3:1).  THIS IS THE ONLY OCCASION WHERE HE IS GIVEN THE TITLE APOSTLE, ALTHOUGH THE ROOT MEANING OF THE TERM IS FREQUENTLY USED ON HIM. AS WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY INDICATED APOSTLE "TO GO TO A PLACE APPOINTED BY THE SENDER.."  AND JESUS CAME TO EARTH AS THE "ONE"  SENT BY THE FATHER. (JOHN 17:3, 18; 20;21).  AS THE "SENT ONE" WE HAVE AN ALLUSION TO HIS MISSION FROM GOD MAN-WARD AS THE SON OF GOD. IN MANY PASSAGES JESUS DESIGNATES HIMSELF AS THE SENT ONE OF GOD, USING THE VERY WORD FROM WHICH APOSTLE IS DERIVED. (JOHN 3:17; 5:36 etc.) THERE IS LITTLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN APOSTLE AND PROPHET. THE FORMER IS THE ONE WHO BRINGS INTO THE RELIEF THE MISSION; THE LATTER; THE OFFICE AND POSITION. EACH PRESENTS A THOUGHT COMPLEMENTARY OF THAT CONTAINED IN THE OTHER TITLE GIVEN IN THE VERSE HIGH PRIEST " AS AN APOSTLE JESUS PLEADS THE CAUSE OF GOD WITH US.IT MAY BE THAT THESE TO TERMS CONTAIN A REFERENCE TO THE SPECIAL MISSION OF MOSES AND THE PRIESTHOOD OF AaRON; OUR CHRISTIAN CONFESSION LOOKS TO ONE MEDIATOR (HEB.3;2; 8:6;12:24; I TIM..2:5).
JESUS THEN, WAS THE APOSTLE WHO CHOSE THE TWELVE APOSTLES, AND WHO BROUGHT ALL OTHERS KNOWN AS SUCH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, INTO HIS SERVICE. IT WAS BECAUSE OF ALL THAT HE WAS IN HIMSELF AS THE SENT ONE FROM HEAVEN, AND ALL THAT HE ACCOMPLISHED,  THAT HE WAS ABLE TO COMMAND THE ALLEGIANCE OF THE MANY HE SENT FORTH TO PREACH THE GOSPEL, WHICH HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION MADE POSSIBLE. THE GREEK POET WROTE  OF HIS FAVORITE HERO, ACHILLES, " HE ALONE IS THE LIVING MAN, AND ALL THE REST ARE SHADES," AND ALL THE APOSTLES ARE BUT SHADES," OF HIM WHO CAME AS "THE APOSTLE AND HIGH PRIEST."  DELIGHTING TO DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER WHO SENT HIM INTO THE  WORLD TO DIE FOR ITS SIN (JOHN 3:16), JESUS LOOKED UPON HIS DISCIPLES AS HIS SENT ONES. THEY WERE HIS FATHER'S GIFT TO HIM AS THE PERFECT APOSTLE, AND HE GUARDED THEM AS THE APPLE OF HIS EYE.
WE HAVE ALREADY CONSIDERED HOW HE SOUGHT TO SHAPE AND TRAIN THEM AS TRUE APOSTLES. OUT OF HIS LOVE FOR THEM CAME THE PATIENCE AND FORBEARANCE WHICH MADE THE CHARM OF HIS TEACHING AND HANDLING OF THEM. HOW HE PRAYED FOR THEM.UNTIL HIS PRAYERS HAD ALL THE PASSION AND URGENCY OF TEARS AND BLOOD DROPS! WHEN ONE OF THE APOSTLES, JUDAS, WAS LOST, IT WAS AS IF A STRING HAD BROKEN IN HIS HEART. HOW HE STROVE TO GATHER HIS APOSTLES UNDER HIS WINGS FOR PROTECTION AND MOTHER-LIKE, FORGAVE THEIR MISTAKES, AND ENCOURAGE ALL THEIR HONEST ATTEMPTS. OFTEN THEY GRIEVED HIM BUT HE DID NOT TELL THEM OF THE HURT, BUT ANSWERED IT WITH THE SAME UNFAILING, INFINITE KINDNESS AND PERFECT TRUST.. HE WOULD REPEAT HIS LESSONS, UNTIL LITTLE BY LITLE TUITION BORE FRUIT. THE TWELVE APOSTLES FOUND IN CHRIST NOT ONLY A COMMON CENTER TO WHICH THEY ALL TURNED, BUT A POINT OF UNION AMONG THEMSELVES.  CHRIST'S FIRST DISCIPLES WHO, FOR THE MAIN PART, WERE STRANGERS TO EACH OTHER TILL THEY WERE "CHARMED BY HIS VOICE DIVINE."  AND ROSE UP AND FOLLOWED HIM. DOWN THROUGH THE AGES HEAVEN'S APOSTLES HAS CAPTURED THE ADORATION OF COUNTLESS NUMBERS. WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE THAT NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, THE FRENCH EMPEROR WAS A BORN- AGAIN BELIEVER, THE FOLLOWING REPUTED TESTIMONY OF HIS REMARKABLE INSIGHT INTO THE CHARACTER AND MISSION OF JESUS THE SENT ONE; I SEE IN LYCURGUS, NUMA, AND MOHAMMED ONLY LEGISLATORS. WHO HAVING THE FIRST RANK IN THE STATE, SOUGHT THE BEST SOLUTON OF THE SOCIAL PROBLEM, BUT I SEE NOTHING THERE WHICH REVEALS DIVINITY. ON THE CONTRARY, THERE ARE NUMEROUS RESEMBLANCES BETWEEN THEM AND MYSELF, FOIBLES AND ERRORS WHICH ALLY THEM TO ME AND TO HUMANITY.
EVERYTHING IN CHRIST ASTONISHES ME. HIS SPIRIT OVERAWES, AND HIS WILL CONFOUNDS. BETWEEN HIM AND OTHERS IN THE WORLD THERE IS NO POSSIBLE TERM OF COMPARISON. HE IS TRULY A BEING BY HIMSELF.... THE TRUTHS HE ANNOUNCED, HIS MANNER OF CONVINCING, ARE NOT EXPLAINED EITHER BY HUMAN ORGANIZATION OR BY THE NATURE OF THINGS.
HIS BIRTH AND THE HISTORY OF HIS LIFE, THE PROFUNDITY OF HIS DOCTRINE WHICH GRAPPLES THE MIGHTIEST DIFFICULTIES, AND WHICH IS, OF THESE DIFFICULTIES, THE MOST ADMIRABLE SOLUTION, HIS GOSPEL... HIS EMPIRE, HIS MARCH ACROSS THE AGES... IS FOR ME A PRODIGY, A MYSTERY WHICH I CAN NEITHER DENY NOR EXPLAIN. HERE I SEE NOTHING HUMAN. HIS RELIGION IS A REVELATION FROM AN INTELLIGENCE WHICH CERTAINLY IS NOT THAT OF MAN. THERE IS A PROFOUND ORIGINALITY, WHICH HAS CREATED A SERIES OF WORDS AND MAXIMS BEFORE UNKNOWN. JESUS BORROWED NOTHING FROM OUR SCIENCES. ONE CAN FIND NOWHERE, BUT IN HIM ALONE, SUCH A LIFE AS HIS....
I KNOW MEN; AND I TELL YOU THAT JESUS IS NOT A MAN. SUPERFICIAL MINDS
SEE A RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN CHRIST AND THE FOUNDERS OF EMPIRES AND THE gods OF OTHER RELIGIONS. THAT RESEMBLANCE DOES NOT EXIST. THERE IS BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND WHATEVER OTHER RELIGIONS THE DISTANCE OF INFINITY.... I SEARCH IN VAIN IN HISTORY TO FIND THE EQUAL OF JESUS CHRIST.