The Acts of the Apostles (1911) — PDF Scan 96
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90 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES and a great company of tlie priests were obedient to the faith." This ingathering of souls was due both to the greater freedom secured by the apostles," and to the zeal and power shown by the seven deacons. The fact that these brethren had been ordained for the special work of looking after the needs of the poor, did not exclude them from teaching the faith. On the contrar}^, they were fully qualified to instruct others in the truth, and they engaged in the work with great earnestness and success. To the early church had been entrusted a constantly enlarging work, — that of establishing centers of light and blessing wherever there were honest souls willing to give themselves to the service of Christ. The proclamation of the gospel was to be world-wide in its extent, and the messengers of the cross could not hope to fulfil their important mission unless they should remain united in the bonds of Christian unity, and thus reveal to the world that they were one with Christ in Grod. Had not their divine Leader prayed to the Father, ''Keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as we are"! And had He not declared of His disciples, ' ' The world hath hated them, because they are not of the world"! Had He not pleaded with the Father that they might be ''made perfect in one," "that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me"!' Their spiritual life and power was dependent on a close connection with the One by whom they had been commissioned to preach the gospel. Only as they were united with Christ, could the disciples hope to have the accompanying power of 2 John 17:11, 14, 23, 21.