They wrote the epistles to the
churches and gave to mankind the New Testament, "the perfect law of
liberty." The work of the Paraclete being finished, and his mission
ended, no man has been guided, shown and directed personally by him
since. God does no unnecessary work, and the work of the Paraclete is
not necessary now. His work remains in the teachings and lives of the
apostles. There are many things in the above-mentioned chapters that
rightfully have a universal application, but the special promises
concerning the Paraclete are not included in those things.
"Wherefore he saith, When he ascended on high, he led captivity
captive, And gave gifts unto men.... And he gave some to be apostles;
and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of
ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: till we all
attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ" (Eph. 4:8, 11-13).
VII
THE SPIRIT AND THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH
That the Holy Spirit sustained a relation to the apostolic church that
it does not sustain to the church of to-day is clearly evident to the
student of the Divine Word.
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