, he led captivity
captive, And gave gifts unto men.... And he gave some to be apostles;
and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of
ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: till we all
attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ" (Eph. 4:8, 11-13).

VII

THE SPIRIT AND THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH

That the Holy Spirit sustained a relation to the apostolic church that
it does not sustain to the church of to-day is clearly evident to the
student of the Divine Word. The church of the apostolic age had no New
Testament as we have to-day. Hence the necessity of a more direct and
immediate leading than is necessary to-day. The apostle Paul states the
difference between the two when he says: "For we know in part, and we
prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, that which is
in part shall be done away." This is not a contrast between the
imperfections of our day and the perfection of heaven, but between the
imperfection of the apostolic church and the perfection of the church of
to-day. That which is perfect _has come_; a perfect revelation of
Christian character, a perfect gospel, a perfect "law of liberty," a
perfect New Testament. The apostolic church was limited to knowing _in
part_ and prophesying _in part_. "But to each one is given the
manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal. For to one is given
through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of
knowledge, according to the same Spirit: to another faith, in the same
Spirit; to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit; and to another
workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another
discernings of spirits: to another divers kinds of tongues; and to
another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh the one and
the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will" (1 Cor.
12:7-11).

Now, here was manifestly a condition in the first churches that does not
exist to-day. Here are various direct and supernatural workings that are
manifestations of spiritual power resulting from a direct _gift of the
Spirit_ to members of apostolic churches. Now, there was a purpose to
be accomplished by this special gift of the Spirit. In the fourth
chapter of Ephesians the apostle tells us the purpose of this