. The Methodist magazine and quarterly review . y were limitedin their choice to those only who were disciples, and to such ofthese as had been constant companions of Christ, and eye-witnessesof his public ministry, his death, resurrection, and ascension. In the instance, too, of the appointment of deacons, the multitudeof the disciples, or private members of the church, were called uponby the apostles to select, or look up, from among themselves, seveni men, of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. Ac-cordingly they chose seven, and set them before the apostles; that is,they chose
. The Methodist magazine and quarterly review . y were limitedin their choice to those only who were disciples, and to such ofthese as had been constant companions of Christ, and eye-witnessesof his public ministry, his death, resurrection, and ascension. In the instance, too, of the appointment of deacons, the multitudeof the disciples, or private members of the church, were called uponby the apostles to select, or look up, from among themselves, seveni men, of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. Ac-cordingly they chose seven, and set them before the apostles; that is,they chose them, and recommended them to the apostles as fit per-sons to be appointed deacons. Here too the disciples were limitedin two respects: 1. They were not permitted to choose the deaconsfrom any other class of men except from the disciples; and theywere limited even in this, that those of their choice should be per-sons « of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. Thusthe divine precept limited them to the disciples, and to disciples. 144 Ordination to the Ministry. s possessing certain qualifications. 2. The apostles had a negativeon their choice. Accordingly, this practice of the disciples, in the appointment ofan apostle and deacons, seems to have obtained generally in theapostolic age. Ananias and the disciples of Damascus were thehonored instruments in the hand of God to instruct, approve of,and introduce St. Paul, both into the church and the ministry of theword. Under their direction he was converted, and directed andencouraged to prosecute his ministry. This, however, was notdone with the same formalities observed in the cases of Matthiasand the deacons. As if God would teach us, that human rituals, orany rituals, do not enter into the essence of spiritual things. Although the narrative of the apostolic epistles and the Acts doesnot furnish us with details to enable us to decide from the wrords, that, in ordaining to the ministry, the people always approved an
Size: 1426px × 1753px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectmethodistchurch, booksubjecttheology
