The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 69
August 2, 1892
“The Sermon. The Gospel: What It Is, and Its Work as Opposed to the Mystery of Iniquity” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 69, 31, pp. 481-483.
BY ELDER A. T. JONES
TEXT: “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 481.1
That which they were to teach all nations is spoken of by Mark as “the gospel,” going into all the world and preaching the gospel to every creature. He that believes not shall be damned. But according to Luke, the Saviour said unto them, “Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:49. Then in Acts 1:5-8:— ARSH August 2, 1892, page 481.2
“For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” ARSH August 2, 1892, page 481.3
All these verses are essential for us to know the full force of the commission which the Lord gave his disciples at that time. They were to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, teaching that to all nations; and yet they were not to go until they were endued with power from on high. It would have been useless for them to go until that time; because the gospel is itself the power of God unto salvation, and the preaching of the gospel is the preaching of the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes. And for them to go for the thinking to preach the power of God when they themselves were not acquainted with that power, would have been simply to preach empty words; it would not have been the gospel, because the gospel is the power of God. This is what the Lord himself has called it, the power of God unto salvation. And to preach that gospel, I say again, is to preach the power of God. Any professed preaching of that gospel, which is not the preaching of the power of God, is not the preaching of the gospel of God at all, it is not the preaching of the gospel of Christ. It may be preaching about the gospel, or it may be preaching another gospel; but it is not the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore he would not have them go at all to say anything about this, to attempt to preach it, until they were endued with the power of that gospel itself, the power of God, the power from on high. Then when they should receive power, the Holy Ghost coming upon them,—then he said they should bear witness in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 481.4
In the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, beginning with the 17th verse, is Paul’s record of his connection with this gospel, and what he was called to preach: “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” Then with Paul the preaching of the gospel was the preaching of the cross of Christ. Next verse: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.” Then the preaching of the gospel is the preaching of the cross of Christ, and that is the preaching of the power of God; for Christ is the power of God, as he says in a further verse, and the wisdom of God. So I read on:— ARSH August 2, 1892, page 481.5
“For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.” ARSH August 2, 1892, page 481.6
The Greeks sought after wisdom, and the Lord sent them that which they counted only foolishness. The Jews required a sign, and the Lord gave them that which they turned only into a stumbling-block. The Greeks sought after wisdom, and God gave it; but they would not take it, for they counted it only foolishness. The Jews required a sign, and God gave it; but they would not receive it because it came not just as they wanted; therefore they turned it into a stumbling-block, and got no good out of it. “The Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified” “unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is stronger than men.” ARSH August 2, 1892, page 481.7
Now notice, “We preach Christ crucified.” Unto them who are called, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. That is what men are sent to preach; because that is the gospel. And the weakness of God is stronger than men, and the foolishness of God is wiser than men. But notice, they were not sent to preach weakness; they were sent to preach power, even the power of God, and they preached it. But even if they had been sent to preach the weakness of God, it would have been stronger than anything men can do or know. Then the thing for men to do is to accept it when God sends it,—accept it; for even though it be counted the weakness of God, it is stronger than anything men can get hold of, or create anyway. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 481.8
Then they sought after wisdom, and the Lord sent them wisdom; he sent them Christ, the wisdom of God. He sent them his own wisdom, the wisdom of God himself; but they counted it foolishness. Yet even though they did, they should have accepted it, for the foolishness of God was wiser than anything they knew or could know otherwise. Then when God sends a message, no difference how we view it, we are to accept it. When God sends a message, men are to accept it, even though we count it weakness; for it is stronger than anything men give. It comes from God, it will not hurt anybody. Even though it be counted foolishness, that has nothing to do with it; accept it. Not that it is foolishness on God’s part, but men may count if foolishness. Well, as it came from God, it is wiser than anything man ever got hold of, or ever could. Then I say again, when God sends a message, no difference how men view it, or what they think it is, it is their duty to accept of it; and then they will find out it is something different than they thought it was; because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 481.9
“Not man wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise: and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” ARSH August 2, 1892, page 481.10
He has chosen the weak things of the world to confound those that are mighty, because the weakness of this world can have the power of God; and that will bring to naught the things of the mighty, and confound the things of the world. “And things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence.” ARSH August 2, 1892, page 481.11
“For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” That is all any one can know who preaches the gospel,—Jesus Christ, and him crucified. That is the whole story; that is all the gospel; that is all there is of God. “And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” ARSH August 2, 1892, page 481.12
Now, any faith that stands in the wisdom of men will fail. Any faith that rests upon the power of argument will fail. Every faith will fail but that which rests upon the power of God, and stands in the power of God. Now, when the power of God is received, when our faith stands upon that, and in that, then the argument will always come with it; there will be an argument that is stronger than all things else. But the argument is derived from the power, and not the power from the argument. Therefore, any faith that stands in the strength of argument and the power of theoretical demonstration, will never stand the test that will be brought upon those who are to enter the kingdom of God. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 481.13
In the field of morals, in the realm of spiritual things, knowledge is not power. There is just the difference between heathenism and Christianity always. In heathenism with its chiefest theories, those of Socrates and all the rest of their philosophers, all they believed they needed to know to be virtuous was virtue. To know the good, was all that was necessary in order to do good. To know the pure, was all that was necessary in order to be pure. And they laid down first-rate precepts, and gave excellent instruction in the matter of purity, in the matter of right doing,—ethics,—and in all these things, but they themselves did not do the things which they taught to be right and good; and they could not do it; because, although they had the knowledge, they had not the power. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.1
Every man on earth knows that the statement is true, that in the field of morals knowledge is not power; because every man in this world knows better than he does, and always did know better than he did. He knows better than he is able to do; and always did know better than he was able to do. These philosophers and these wise men knew better than they were able to do; and they taught a great deal better than they did; and I say again, every man in the world knows better than he is able to himself to do, and without Christ, all of his life is made up of efforts and failures to do the good that he knows. Paul describes all men as they are in themselves when he says: “To will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” A man says he will do better, then does his best and fails; and it always will be so until he finds that power which comes form beyond himself, the power of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.2
It is not knowledge that men want primarily; it is power. Now Christ is that power; the gospel reveals it, and the preaching of the gospel makes it known. But yet the excellency of Christ to men is that he brings no only power, but also, knowledge far beyond anything man can ever otherwise know. Christ is not only the power of God, but he is the wisdom of God. God gives wisdom beyond anything man can know, and power in equal measure with the wisdom. God gives power beyond anything man could ever do, and wisdom in equal measure with power. And all is in Christ, the gift of God to men, and in him dwellth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Therefore I say that any faith which stands in the power of argument, and in the wisdom of man; or believes a certain thing because somebody else believes it; or does a certain thing because somebody else does it,—that is worth nothing at all. Our faith must stand in power alone. And Christ is the power of God. Christ and him crucified; this is the power of God, and the wisdom of God; this is the gospel. The preaching of this is the preaching of the gospel, and nothing else is. Therefore our faith must stand not in the wisdom of men or the power of argument, but in Christ and him crucified. This is the power of God, this is the gospel. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.3
Not I want to call attention to another point, which indeed is the main one in the talk this morning, and that is another statement of what the gospel is. Christ sent Paul to preach the gospel, and Paul tells us in his letter to the Galatians, that Christ did with him just what he did with the twelve at Jerusalem because he started them to preach the gospel. He commissioned them to preach the gospel; but before they attempted it, they were to be endued with power form on high, and that power from on high was the Holy Ghost. Here we find Paul’s experience before he could preach the gospel. “It pleased God... to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen.” Galatians 1:15, 16. In Acts 26:17, 18 we find the Saviour’s commission to Paul as told by Paul himself afterward: “Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.4
That is what Christ sent Paul to preach to the children of men, and the Gentiles especially. Paul says when it pleased God to send him to preach Christ, it pleased God to reveal his Son in him, that he might preach him unto the Gentiles. Before Christ could send Paul to preach, he, too, must be endued with power from on high. Christ must be revealed in him as the power of God and the wisdom of God; then Paul could preach him, and not simply preach about him. It is not enough to preach about Christ, but preach Christ. It is not enough to preach about the gospel, but preach the gospel. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.5
Before Christ could send Paul or any of the rest, He must be revealed in those who were to preach Him. When Christ is revealed in a man as the power of God and the wisdom of God, that man then is made, and has become, a minister of Christ. He then can minister Christ to men. But if Christ is not revealed in a man as the power of God and the wisdom of God, then that man cannot minister Christ, because he has not Christ. For he who has him not cannot minister him. The office of the minister of Christ is to be able to take Christ to men, and have him reach the people in such a way that they can receive him, and have him revealed in them. This is the ministry of the gospel. The gospel being the power of God, this is ministering the power of God. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.6
Here is another passage in which Paul tells of this:— ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.7
“If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; ... whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:23-27. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.8
He was sent to preach the gospel; he was made a minister of the gospel, a preacher of the mystery of God; and that mystery of God is, as he says, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Then the preaching of the gospel is the preaching of Christ in men, the hope of glory. The minister of the gospel is the minister of Christ in men, the hope of glory. It is still, and forever, the preaching of God in Christ, manifest in the flesh—the incarnation. For “every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God.” ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.9
But further, I call attention to that expression, “The mystery of God.” I read in Ephesians 3:3 and onward: “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; ... which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men.” That mystery, as he says in the other verse, is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Now he says: By revelation God made known to me that mystery, and it pleased God to reveal his Son in me. “The gospel which I preach is not after man. For I neither received it of man; neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Not alone the revelation which Christ gives; it is that and more. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ himself, as he was revealed in Paul, and as he is revealed in men, the hope of glory. And this is how Paul received the gospel—by the revelation of Jesus Christ, not only to him, but in him. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.10
This is enough to show that the gospel is the mystery of God; that the preaching of the gospel is the preaching of the mystery of God; and that the preaching of the mystery of God is the preaching of Christ in men. This is the revelation of the mystery of God. This is the gospel that the apostles preached, and this is the only true gospel. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.11
Here is another point. I have read in these verses not only that the gospel is Christ in men, and the power of God, and the mystery of God, but that it has been hid from ages and generations, and was then revealed in a way in which it had never been known before. Now, the gospel was made known to men from Adam down, and they had a measure of the knowledge of the gospel. But when Christ himself came, and revealed God in himself, to the children of men,—it was never revealed and understood before as it was revealed and understood at that time. Then it came in a fullness that was never known before. And when the apostles were sent forth to preach it as it then was revealed, they preached it in a fullness and a clearness in which it was never preached before. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.12
So Paul write again in Ephesians 3:8, 9: “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God.” Then from the beginning of the world unto the apostles’ day, this mystery had been hid from the world and from men in a measure, and as it was then revealed and preached, not only to these men, but in them and by them. Read these verses over—Ephesians 3:3, 5, 8, 9; Colossians 1:25-27—with this point in mind. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.13
Then the apostles were sent to preach this gospel, to preach this mystery that had been hid from ages and generations. It was hid before; now it is made known to all men, for the obedience of faith. God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” That is the mystery that has been hid from ages and generations, and which God would now make known unto the Gentiles and to all men. Read Matthew 14:16, 17: “But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.14
Then by the ministry of the apostles there was made known that which had been hid from ages and from generations, and that thing was the mystery of God. And by the preaching of the gospel, says the word, he would now make known to his saints what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles. And that mystery “is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Though it had been hid from ages and generations in the past, now the Lord breaks off the veil, brings it forth, and by the mouth of the apostles, in the preaching of the gospel, spreads it before all nations for the obedience of faith. (Read Romans 16:26, 27.) This is the gospel; and the preaching of this is the preaching of the gospel. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.15
Now from this let us start into another field. I want you to think closely now, if you have not done so up to this point; and the more so, if you have done so. The gospel is the mystery of God, isn’t it? The mystery of God is the gospel. The preaching of the gospel, the unsearchable riches of Christ, is the making known to men what is the fellowship of this mystery. In the preaching of the gospel, God is revealing the riches of the glory of that mystery among the Gentiles, and that is Christ in men, the hope of glory. In former ages this mystery had not been made known unto the sons of men, as it was now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets. And though hidden from ages and generations, when the apostle were sent forth to preach, endured with power from on high, to reveal the mystery of God, that was the breaking off of the vail that had covered this mystery through all these ages; and it was broken off that all nations might see and know and understand and turn to the Lord, and get acquainted with God as he was revealed in Jesus Christ, by having Jesus Christ revealed in themselves. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 482.16
That was sent forth to be preached to all the world, to be preached to every creature. It was so preached. Before the men had all died to whom that gospel was committed in the beginning, it had been preached in all the world. And while it was being preached, and before Paul had died, who had written so much about it, he wrote these words: “The MYSTERY OF INIQUITY doth already work.” ARSH August 2, 1892, page 483.1
What was Paul preaching?—The mystery of God. What was already working?—The mystery of iniquity. That mystery of iniquity would oppose and exalt itself “above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” Then there was another mystery to be revealed. The mystery of God was revealed; the mystery of iniquity was also to be revealed. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 483.2
The mystery of iniquity was revealed. That mystery of iniquity rose up and hid the mystery of God which had been revealed. That mystery of iniquity was the papacy in all its workings; and the beginning of its working was there when Paul wrote that word; it was working then. He could see it. While the apostles were preaching the mystery of God, they could see the other mystery coming. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 483.3
That other mystery did come; it was revealed; it stood before the world, professing to be Christianity; professing to be the representative of God to the world; professing to be the religion of Christ in the world; professing to be the mystery of God. Attention was called to that as Christianity, whereas there was no Christianity about it at all. God declared it to be “the mystery of iniquity;” “Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.” And it was only hiding the mystery of God again from ages and from generations. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 483.4
But thanks be to God! it was not to hide the mystery of God from all ages and generations. When the mystery of iniquity should have fully revealed itself, again the veil would be broken off, and the mystery of God would again be revealed. For I read: “I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” ARSH August 2, 1892, page 483.5
This everlasting gospel is the mystery of God which is again to be preached unto me; and that mystery if “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” And that is the preaching that is now to go to the world, in the glorious threefold message which makes up the third angel’s message. And now is the time when the gospel, the mystery of God, is to be preached and revealed in a power, a majesty, and a glory such as has never been known except in the time of the apostles, if it does not even surpass that. The power of the mystery of iniquity being broken off, the mystery of God is to be brought again before the world in all its glory; for I read that “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished.” Revelation 10:7. “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen.... And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.... Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:8-12. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 483.6
Now mark the connection. There goes forth the angel with the everlasting gospel to preach. That everlasting gospel is the mystery of God, and the preaching of it the preaching of Christ in men the hope of glory, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. This gospel is rejected, and there is the falling away spoken of as “Babylon is fallen, is fallen.” Then out of that falling away comes that against which the third angel warns. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 483.7
Now, what brought the mystery of iniquity?—The falling away from the mystery of God; for says Paul: “That day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” And the mystery of iniquity is the beast, the papacy. When the mystery of iniquity has run its course, then comes the word of God announcing an angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel, the mystery of God, to preach to all the world, to every creature. Then from this also there comes a falling away, and out of that falling away there comes that against which the third angel warns,—the image of the beast, the image of the papacy. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 483.8
As out of that first falling away there came the mystery of iniquity, the beast, so out of the second falling away there comes the image of the mystery of iniquity, the image of the beast. Just as certain as the preaching of the gospel by the apostles was the preaching of the mystery of God, Christ in men, the hope of glory; just so certainly the second preaching of the gospel is the preaching of the same mystery of God, the same power of God, and the same wisdom of God, to make known the same Christ in men, the hope of glory. Then as certainly as out of that falling away there came the mystery of iniquity, the beast, the papacy; so certainly out of this falling away there comes the image of the mystery, the image of the beast, the image of the papacy. The two things are alike from beginning to end. And now the third angel’s message—this threefold message—warns against the whole evil combination of the beast and his image. This threefold message has been more than forty years in the world. This little leaflet from which I have read before gives an excellent statement of this, as follows:— ARSH August 2, 1892, page 483.9
“The revelator says: ‘I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power, and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.’ This is the same message that was given by the second angel,—Babylon is fallen.... When Jesus began his public ministry he cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanations. Almost the last act of his public ministry was to cleanse the temple again. So in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are to be made to the churches—the second angel’s message, and the voice heard from heaven, ‘Come out of her, my people, ... for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.’” ARSH August 2, 1892, page 483.10
In 1840-1844, the first angel began his work. This message was rejected, and in 1844 the second angel’s message announced the fall: “Babylon is fallen;” and out of that falling away there comes the image of the mystery of iniquity, the image of the beast; and the third angel’s message is the warning against the worship of the beast and his image. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 483.11
As the beginning of this was in 1844, then began the time when the mystery of iniquity was to be broken off, and the mystery of God once more to stand forth in all its glory in the world. But Ezekiel and the Laodicean message show that there was to be a time of dearth. But now even that time of dearth is past, and the times of refreshing have come from the presence of the Lord, and soon he will send Jesus. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 483.12
Therefore, now is the time when that everlasting gospel, the mystery of God, is to be preached in all its fullness, which means Christ in men in all his completeness. And as the Sabbath of the Lord, in the fullness of its meaning, is but the sign of what Christ in all his completeness if to those who believe in him; so when Christ in all his completeness is formed and found in us, there will stand the Sabbath as the witness, the sign, the seal of the blessed consummation. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 483.13
And so this threefold message, revealing in its fullness the mystery of God, which is Christ in men, the hope of glory, thus puts upon the people of God the seal of the living God, and saves them from the evil and the ruin of the mystery of iniquity, the beast and his image, his mark, and the number of his name. ARSH August 2, 1892, page 483.14
(Concluded next week.)