All these offices of the Paraclete were needed by the apostles in their
work of proclaiming Christianity and establishing the church. They were
ignorant and unlearned, humanly speaking, and could never have gone
forth to success without this supernatural Paraclete. They took no
thought what they should say, for it was given them at the proper time.
Others have to take thought. Paul tells Timothy to "study to show
thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth." Timothy had to study because he did
not possess the Paraclete. Yet Timothy did possess the gift of the
Spirit. "For which cause I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up
the gift of God, which is in thee through the laying on of my hands" (2
Tim. 1:6).
Men to-day are required to study that they may know what to say. A
failure to observe this exhortation of the apostle is the reason why a
great many do not know what to say. The Paraclete was not only an
instructor, but he was an infallible guide. This is evident from the
fact that no apostle ever contradicted another nor said anything
foolish. I never heard a man of to-day lay claim to being guided "into
all truth by the Spirit," who did not say something foolish in the next
five minutes.
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