Thiiu Sunuay of Auvent (89)

MaLLhew 11210

Pow should ChrlsLlans when Lhey presenL Lhe quesLlon how Lhrough whlch means Cod
makes me holy regard Lhelr preachers? 1wo wrong ways should here be avolded 1he pope wlll
blnd Lhe salvaLlon of ChrlsLlans Lo hls petsoo and Lo Lhe prlesL 1he secLs Lake power from Lhe
preachers whlch Cod has glven Lo Lhem Lhrough Pls congregaLlon We wanL Lo answer Lhls very
lmporLanL quesLlon ourselves from Cods Word

now shou|d Chr|st|ans regard the|r preachers |n reference to the work of the|r sa|vat|on?

1 -ot os lf tbelt solvotloo JepeoJs oo tbe pteocbets person Lhls we see
a from Lhe sLory of Lhe 8apLlsL who polnLed hls dlsclples from hls person Lo Lhe
erson of ChrlsL
1
(1he dlsclples of Lhe 8apLlsL lmproperly depended upon hls
person 1hey were [ealous LhaL so many people Lurned Lo ChrlsL
2
yes Lhey
probably LhoughL !ohn Lhe Messlah hlmself
3
alLhough !ohn repeaLedly
LesLlfled ln Lhe sLrongesL Lerms LhaL he was noL ChrlsL
4
1hey probably
aLLrlbuLed Lhls wlLness Lo hls greaL humlllLy and modesLy So Lhe 8apLlsL
sends Lwo of hls dlsclples Lo ChrlsL wlLh Lhe quesLlon Are ?ou Pe Who ls Lo
come? noL as lf be blmself had doubLed Lhe facL LhaL !esus was Lhe Messlah
3

buL Lo allow and Lo encourage hls Jlsclples Lo recognlze ln !esus Lhe Messlah
Lo cleave Lo ChrlsL as Lhelr only Savlor)
b from Lhe relaLlonshlp whlch was held beLween ChrlsL and hls predecessor (and
all preachers)
6
(Cf !ohn 32732 ChrlsL8rldegroom !ohnlrlend of Lhe
8rldegroom ChrlsL olooe ls Lhe 5ovlot Lvery persons salvaLlon resLs on Pls
mlraculous erson Lrue Cod (MaLLhew 1143) Lrue Man (MaLLhew 116)
and Lhe mlraculous work of redempLlon LhaL Lhls wonderful person alone
could accompllsh (AcLs 412 1 1lmoLhy 236) A preacher Lherefore may be
consldered so eloquenL falLhful holy yes he may be equal Lo !ohn Lhe
8apLlsL
7
no one can come Lo salvaLlon Lhrough hls person 1haL ls why no
ChrlsLlan should also lmproperly depend on Lhe person of a preacher lurLher
explanaLlon ln whlch Lhls lmproper cllnglng Lo Lhe person of Lhe preacher ls
manlfesLed)


1
MaLLhew 1123
2
!ohn 326ff
3
Luke 313
4
cf !ohn 119ff Luke 313ff
3
cf parLlcularly !ohn 12937 !esus wlLness concernlng !ohn v 7ff also Lhe we ln Cr should we look for
anoLher lndlcaLes LhaL !ohn asks Lhe quesLlon noL so much on hls accounL as because of hls dlsclples
6
MaLLhew 1146
7
MaLLhew 1179
2 t os lf CoJ woots to sove tbem tbtob tbelt service Lhls we see
a from Lhe sLory of ChrlsL Who polnLed Lhe people Lo Lhe 8apLlsLs offlce (Lhe
Lord chldes Lhe !ews LhaL mosL of Lhem dld noL recognlze and rlghLly use Lhe
8apLlsLs offlce had noL accepLed Lhe 8apLlsLs sLeadfasL and earnesL
LesLlmony from hlm LhaL he was noL Lhe Messlah)
b from Lhe relaLlonshlp whlch was held beLween preachers and ChrlsL
8
(Slnce
Lhe harlsees desplsed Iobos offlce Lhey desplsed CoJs counsel agalnsL
Lhemselves ln general Cod Plmself preaches bapLlzes absolves tbtob
Lhe preacher See AcLs 1346 Luke 1016 244637 !ohn 2023 2 CorlnLhlans
31820 !ohn 412 1 1lmoLhy 416 Where Lhls ls noL recognlzed an
enLhuslasLlc ChrlsLlanlLy musL necessarlly be Crace hungry consclences are
Lhen deprlved of glorlous consolaLlon)
l

8
cf MaLLhew 11710 wlLh Luke 730