25. What was the object of the exception?
26. What effect on the church did carrying the gospel to the Gentiles have?
27. How long is it supposed that the Twelve remained at Jerusalem?
28. What can you say of the spread of the work during the first century? (Notes 5, 6, 7).
SECTION VIII.
1. Review.—We have now related the chief events connected with the introduction of the gospel and the establishment of the Church by the personal labors of Messiah and those immediately connected with him. We may now review the doctrines that he taught, which, taken in the aggregate, constitute the gospel; and examine the character of the organization he founded—the Church.
2. The Mission of Messiah.—Jesus Christ came into the earth to accomplish three great purposes; first, to redeem mankind from the consequences of Adam's transgression; second, to save them from the consequences of their own sins. The first is a general salvation, which, without any conditions whatever, will be applied to all mankind, irrespective of their obedience or disobedience to God, their righteousness or wickedness, their belief or unbelief. The redemption will be as universal as the fall. The second may be regarded as a particular salvation, dependent upon faith in, and obedience to the gospel of Christ by the individual.
3. The Fall.—When Adam and Eve were placed in the garden of Eden, there were certain laws given them by their Creator, the penalty of violating which was death and banishment from the presence of God. They transgressed the laws and became subject to the penalty. Nor was that all; but by their transgression, having become mortal, they bequeathed that mortality to their offspring; and thus death passed upon all mankind, and that too, through no act or fault of theirs. Their agency was not exercised in the matter, and therefore justice would require that they should receive a full and complete redemption from the evil which overtakes them through the actions of others over which they had no control.
4. General Salvation.—Such a redemption was wrought out through the atonement of Jesus Christ, and that its benefits are to be universal, so far as redeeming mankind for the consequences of Adam's transgression is concerned, is evident from the fact,