The Ministry and Authority of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit’s active administration in the church now has its first exhibition in the form of the choice of subordinate officers.
The sixth chapter of the Acts of the Holy Ghost introduces the necessity for the erection of a new office — that of deacons, for the serving of the neglected poor; and we are taught that the central qualification is that they be men “full of the Holy Ghost”’:
“Wherefore look ye out from among you seven men of honest report, FULL OF THE Acts vi. 3. HoLy GHosT and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.’
The Spirit of God does not surrender his headship in the church in intrusting to human hands any department of its affairs. Not only so, but
all those so intrusted must be capable of codperation with him; and therefore they who in his name are to administer affairs must themselves be filled with the Spirit, so that in ¢ezry ministry may be seen the ministry of the Spirit himself. Even an office that deals with zemporalities and distributions of money and food must be filled by Holy Ghost men. ‘Secular men”’ have absolutely no place in the administration of the affairs of the church of Christ, all of which are “sacred” to the Holy Spirit.
A unique lesson on church life, indeed! Let us lay stress on it, by repetition. Secular men — men of a worldly type of character and a secular spirit — have no place in the church of Christ; above all, no official place, though it be only in administering “secular” affairs, and though they be men of both honest report and of wisdom. The natural man, even when that term is used of the 1 Cor. ii. 8,14. princes of this world, cannot receive the things of the Spirit, because they are spiritually discerned; and therefore, so far as we put into office, or allow to occupy official positions in the church, men who have not the Spirit of God, who are chosen without reference to spiritual qualifications, we at least consent to an administration which is unspiritual in character, which is an offense to the Spirit, a virtual disputing of his headship, and, we hesitate not to add, in so far an ACTUAL UNSEATING OF THE SPIRIT from his throne of control!
If this appear to any to be an extreme position, let such consider what, in other spheres of business, is the common course pursued when it is desired to rid a corporate body of its controlling or presiding head. We will suppose a corporation to have a man as president whom for some reason it is deemed desirable quietly to “oust” or displace. Gradually, in the subordinate offices and board of trustees or directors, men are placed who are opposed to the presiding officer in method and spirit. They quietly antagonize his measures, obstruct his plans, thwart his policy. Instead of coéperation and support, he meets inertia and indifference, if not violent opposition; until at last, unable to conduct affairs, he resigns, from sheer inability to carry out what he regards as a true policy of administration.
The Spirit of God is like a dove which is eager to alight and rest in the dove-cote, but is also timid and easily driven away. He never takes control of any man or body of men without their will. His methods are not compulsory, but persuasive. He may be “grieved” as easily as a tender-hearted parent, “quenched”’ as easily as a flickering flame. However forbearing with our childish mistakes and errors of judgment, or even with our relapses into sin, he will not remain in control of an unwilling subject. Disobedience practically drives him away. And when he sees men put into official trusts in the church who are ungodly men, or without spiritual knowledge of himself and fitness to codperate with him, and indisposed or incompetent to administer the church in his name and according to his mind, is it too much to say that he retires and withdraws? There is reason for believing — and the history of many a church has shown it — that a church, as well as an individual, may not only grieve and quench the Spirit, but may commit against him the sin which practically hath no forgiveness. Certain churches, that a century ago deliberately expelled the gracious influences that went with George Whitefield’s ministry, and refused to receive the reviving power that attended his preaching, have to this day remained under the curse of spiritual barrenness and deadness. And others have never recovered themselves out of the snares of the devil into which they willingly surrendered themselves, while not a few, for sins of like character, have been removed out of their place.
On the other hand, what grand results have. followed the choice of thoroughly spiritual men for church offices!
The selection of these seven deacons was throughout a most godly proceeding. The suggestion of the apostles, as to the sort of men to be chosen, met unanimous response: “The saying pleased the whole multitude.” The first man elected was Stephen, of whom it is expressly said that he was a man “full of faith and of the Holy Ghost”; and Philip was the second. About these two men how much of the glorious history of this book revolves! Stephen was the first martyr of the apostolic church, and Philip the first of its lay evangelists. Those two men, originally set apart for a purely temporal office, have probably influenced the spiritual life and history of the church of Christ more than any other two men of the apostolic age, if we except Paul and Peter, James and John, Barnabas and Apollos. To
66 THE ACTS ‘OF JHE HOLY SPIRIT
Stephen’s martyrdom we must probably trace the first impressions made upon Saul of Tarsus. Before he met Jesus in the way, and saw his glorified face, he had already seen its glory reflected in the shining face of that angelic martyr. And Philip, though a mere “layman,” was the instrument chosen of the Holy Ghost to confer pentecostal blessing on Samaria, and, through the eunuch, introduce the gospel into Ethiopia; while Acts viii. 40. in his own person he carried the gospel even to Cesarea, and prepared the way for Peter to unlock the kingdom to the Romans!
Not without immense and intense significance is it recorded that the “saying” of the apostles, which so emphasized the spiritual character of church officers, “pleased the whole multitude” of believers. They were of one mind as to the style of men to be chosen, though it was not for the apostolate, but only for the diaconate — to take care of the temporal wants of widows and orphans. They must be of honest repute, to be trusted for their zwzegrity, and of wisdom, to be trusted for their sagacity; but they must above all be full of the Holy Ghost, to be trusted for their spirituality.
“Them that honor me I will honor,” saith God. Is it without design that, immediately after this election, it is also written that “the Word of God increased”’; that “the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly”; that “a great company of the priests were obedient to Actsvi.7,8. the faith”; and that “Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people”?
There may appear to be no link joining these parts of the narrative, but the connection is vital. Give to the Spirit, as chief Administrator, men after his own mind to carry out his divine policy, and you give the head competent and willing hands and feet to do his bidding. He can thus work unhindered. Let any church prayerfully choose officers preéminently from a sense of spiritual fitness — not because they have honest report and worldly wisdom, wealth, culture, and social standing; but first of all because they are men of God, and such men of God as are fit, first to perceive and receive, and then to carry out, the mind of the Holy Spirit — and similar results are bound to follow; because the laws of the kingdom are more unchanging than the laws of the Medes and
Persians. Prosperity will follow — not, indeed, of a worldly sort, which often brings leanness of soul — but the increased power of the Word and the increased multitude of believers.
The exact phraseology employed in this Scripture narrative is noteworthy: “The Word of God increased” — as though in such men as the seven deacons there were somehow a new gospel of God, a new epistle of the Holy Ghost! And again — let us observe the exact phrase — ‘‘ The number of the disciples multiplied greatly.” Hitherto the word was “added,’’ but now the progression is no longer arithmetical, but geometrical; not by additions, but multiplications! And it is a great company of frzests that become obedient to the faith! The church gave Holy Ghost deacons and got converted priests.
What a striking narrative of the acts of the Holy Ghost, who, godlike in grace, does “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think’’! Men were chosen to serve tables — to do common things; but they were found doing uncommon things — working signs and wonders among the people; dispensing not only rations of food and Supplies for the body, but spiritual gifts and graces as well. In making provision to have Holy Ghost men caring for poor widows, how little did the church foresee the resistless wisdom and spirit with which Stephen and Philip were to administer the Word, and how the spirit of prophecy was to descend even upon the four virgin daughters of Philip! The disciples chose Holy Ghost deacons, and got Holy Ghost martyrs and evangelists; they selected men to serve tables, and one of them bore a face that shone as the face of an angel, and amid a shower of stones he fell asleep, like his Master, with a prayer for his murderers on his lips. The last glimpse we get of Stephen, like the first, is this: “‘ He, being fw// of the Holy Ghost, looked up stead- Acts vii. 55. fastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.”
His last charge against his persecutors and stoners was, “Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost.” Stephen was himself so full of the Holy Spirit that in resisting him they resisted the Spirit, and in casting stones at him they were hurling insult and injury against that invisible Administrator of the church, who dwelt in him and gave him utterance.
Such, then, is our next step in this grand series of teachings as to the acts of the Holy Ghost. We call it, for lack of any better term, the Ministry of the Spirit, because it shows us how, through all those who serve in his name, he is really administering; and that, therefore, so far as, from pastor down to sexton, the church gives position and authority to ungodly or unspiritual men, the result is to hinder and hamper the ministry of the Spirit.
Here endeth the fifth lesson.