How Doth Christ Execute the Office of a Prophet?

A. Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation/

p John i. 18: No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. i Pet. i. 10: Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Ver. u: Searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Ver. 12: Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached

tin: j;os|,.-| unto you with the Holy (Jho.sl scut down from he.-ivcn. John xv. i «;: II. n.i loiih I call you not servants; for i nt knowcth not what his lord

doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my J’alh.-r I have made known unto you. John xx. 31: Hut these sin: written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye mi;:! it have life through his name.

the office of a prophet — The title prophet fits in finely to the definition

and description of an office ^iven in the pn-crdiiiM Answer. For as an oilier is some place or function that some one occupies or performs for another, so a prophet is one who speaks for another; conveying and interpreting hi, will. “The office of the prophet in the fullest sense is to make known Another” (We sicolt on John i. 7). Examples of the claim that Christ put foith lo be a |.i«)|ihet will lie found in such passages as John vii. 16, viii. 28, xii. /p, xiv. 10, 24.

“Christ was, by way of eminence, The Prophet: that Prophet that s/nnilu come into the world, to declarer the Divine Will. ll<- published anew the law of nature, which men had corrupted; and the very knowledge of which, to some degree, was lost among them. He taught mankind, taught us auilmritatively, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this f resent “world, in pectation of the future judgment of God. He confirmed the truth of this moral system of nature, and gave us additional evidence of it — the evid< -n< of testimony. He distinctly revealed the manner in which God would IK worshipped, the efficacy of repentance, and the rewards and punishments of a future life. Thus He was a Prophet in a sense in which no other ever was” (I’.uiler). “He has the whole prophetic life in Himself. The path.,, of an I :iiali, the melancholy of an Hosea, the meekness of a Jeremiah, the joy in nature of an Amos, the power of observation of the proverb- writer;, UK whole world of feeling of the psalmists have all been transit ned to Him” (I lausiath).

by revealing — “Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him.”” The only-begotten Son, whii h i, in

the bosom ol the leather, I le hath declared Him.”” The Revelation of Jesus

Christ, which God gave unto Him to show unto His servants.”” The w;iy of salvation made known by Christ is a revelation; it is not a relation of lomething already known; it is not theory, invention, or speculation. Nrith.-i is the way of salvation a discovery of human reason, like. lentific difCO

And hence the absurdity of improvements in religion” (Stewart of ‘lomarly).

by MB word and Spirit — “The l;ibl«- may be con idered as a consolidation of partial revelations. There were dreams, visions, voices from heaven, Urim and Thummim, in the olden times. Thus, in these ‘divers mannei, and at ‘sundry times,’ were revelations made, but d.d haih in these la. days spoken to us by His Son.... Thus the Bible is adh. <d to the nnd< i .lauding, conscience, affections, to the whole soul. And the mllum. ,; of the Spirit is co-extensive with the word. It flows into and embodiel itself in the word. Bless God for the promise of iln- Spirit, who commands th<- li’dit to shine out of darkness, by the authority, omnipotence, and “I Mis agency. If ye love not the Spirit of Christ, y<• are ii“ne ol Hi.” (Stewart).

The will of God for our salvation. “At the time appointed He came

forth from the Father, and showed Himself in this external woild, lust as its Creator, then as its Teacher, the Revealer of secrets, the Mediator, the off-streaming of God’s glory, and the express image of His Person. Cloud nor image, emblem nor words, are interposed between the Son and the Eternal Father. No language is needed between the Father and Him who is the very Word of the Father; no knowledge is imparted to Him, who by 1 1 is very nature and from eternity knows the Father, and all that the Father knows” (Newman).

“It is not enough to say of the doctrine of Jesus that it shows a high religious character: this it has in common with many others; but in the doctrine of our Lord a distinctly soteriological character must be acknowledged. ... It is not so much religious truth in general, as in an especial sense, the truth as it regards salvation which has been brought to light through Him” (Oosterzee).

USES. — i. “The main and proper end of one of the offices of Jesus Christ is to cure the defects of the understanding. ... If we consider all the instructions, reproofs, and doctrines in the word, what are they but so many plasters which Christ lays to our heads to cure our diseased judgments, and by healing them to heal all the other faculties” (Goodwin).

2. “The great subject of Christ’s instructions, as the Prophet and Teacher of His Church, was the will of God for our salvation. He did not come to teach science or art; He has furnished us with other means of obtaining information on these subjects” (Stewart).

3. “What is the first instruction hence? That none need be discouraged at their natural weakness if Christ is their teacher (Matt. xi. 25) “(Flavel). “And thus it happens that men of the lowest class and the humblest education may know fully the ways and works of God: far better and more truly than the most sagacious man of this world to whom the gospel is hid. Religion has a store of wonderful secrets which no one can communicate to another, and which are most pleasant and delightful to know. ‘Call upon me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not of” (Newman).

QUESTIONS

1. Explain Milton’s words:

All His Father In Him shone,
and glue scriptural parallels.

2. Explain Butler’s words: He published anew the law of nature, and give scriptural Illustrations.