The first question of difficulty which would naturally arise out of one of His former sayings, and to which He provided the answer, was this—What was to be the form of admission into “The Kingdom of Heaven”? He had said to Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (S. John iii. 5). But what did the words mean? What steps were to be taken by one who wished to enter the Kingdom? With what use of water would the Holy Spirit’s power be connected? Here was a practical question requiring a decided answer. And we conclude that this was one of “the things pertaining to the Kingdom” which were spoken of during this time, because we find a brief record of distinct instructions given by our Lord to His Apostles how they were to admit men as His disciples or subjects. No discourse is recorded, but this clear commission is handed down by S. Matthew—evidently given in such a way that the Apostles could not fail to understand its meaning—“Go ye and make disciples[11] of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (S. Matt. xxviii. 19). And consequently Holy Baptism became at once, and has been ever since, the form of admission into “The Kingdom of Heaven” (Acts ii. 38-41). And being an outward form, and yet a spiritual act, we have herein both “the water and the Spirit.” It is an outward form in which there is a ceremonial use of water; and yet it is a spiritual act, because united with the most solemn naming of the Name of God, as He has in these last days revealed Himself to man; “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;” and S. Paul does not hesitate to say, “By one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body” (1 Cor. xii. 13).
The other question arising out of some words of our Lord, which we conclude was discussed and answered by Him during this time, was the difficult one about the meaning of “the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.” He had once said, after S. Peter had confessed Him as the Christ, “I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven[12]” (S. Matt. xvi. 19). And the same words about binding and loosing were repeated shortly afterwards to all the Apostles (S. Matt. xviii. 18). We can hardly doubt but that the question must have arisen in their minds what the keys of the Kingdom could be whereby the power of binding and loosing was given them. And although no discourse is recorded, it seems that this was another of “the things pertaining to the Kingdom” of which He spoke. For S. John, in the brief record which he has given of His first appearance to the Apostles after His Resurrection, has thus described what occurred:—Suddenly the Lord was in their midst, and said, “Peace be unto you. And He showed unto them His Hands and His Side” in proof that it was He Himself. And He said again “Peace be unto you. As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.” And “He breathed on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained” (S. John xx. 19-23). And ever since there has been this practical interpretation of the meaning of “the keys.” Christ’s ministers have confidently acted, as having been entrusted by their Lord with His authority to admit men into “The Kingdom of Heaven” by Holy Baptism, or to defer the act of admission until after longer probation; to exercise the judicial power of excommunication, or expulsion from the Kingdom, for notorious sin and unbelief, as in the case of the incestuous Corinthian (1 Cor. v. 3-7), or to re-admit after repentance, as S. Paul decided to do in the same case (2 Cor. ii. 6-10); and to assure all men that in the holy Ordinances of the Church of Christ free and full remission of sins may be certainly gained.
We can readily imagine that many other matters were discussed amongst “the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”
If disciples were to be made in all parts of the world, and were then to be taught “to observe all things commanded” (S. Matt. xxviii. 20) by the King, the question must have arisen, Who were to be appointed to teach them? And thus the whole subject of the government of “The Kingdom of Heaven,” and the Orders and duties of the King’s Ministers, would be opened.
Again, the words of institution of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, “This is My Blood of the new testament[13], which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (S. Matt. xxvi. 28), pointed both to the ending of the old covenant, or testament, which was sealed in the blood of beasts (Exod. xxiv. 5-8), and to the passing away of the Jewish ritual and modes of worship. And the question would arise, What forms of worship were to be observed by His subjects in place of those ordained by the Law of Moses? Sacrifices could no longer have their former meaning, when the Lamb of God, to which they pointed the worshipper, had been offered upon the Cross. Was “the breaking of bread” to take the place of all the old sacrificial services?
And with the subject of worship, the observance of the Sabbath would need to be considered. Was the Jewish Sabbath still binding on men’s consciences? Was the Seventh Day to be observed in accordance with the Law of Moses, or was the First Day of the week to take its place, now sacred to the subjects of the Lord Jesus as that on which He rose, and to the keeping of which He had seemed to give His sanction, by appearing once and again on that day to the disciples as they were assembled together? (S. John xx. 19, 26.)
On all these points[14] we find, in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, that the Apostles took at once a definite line of action. They knew what to do, and how to direct their converts. And though we have no record of the words of our Lord, we are confident that the Apostles were thus carrying out His own teaching[15], under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, on all such matters “pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”
Amongst the few words recorded as having been spoken at this time to the Apostles, is this clear promise, “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 Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts i. 8). And in the power of the Holy Ghost we find that they went forth to publish the glad tidings of “The Kingdom of Heaven.” And, beginning from Jerusalem, they extended their work gradually to Samaria, and Syria, and to all countries, carrying out their Lord’s commission, and preaching the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, as freely offered to all who would accept Him as their King, and enter through the strait gate of the New Birth into His Kingdom.
FOOTNOTES:
[10] For fuller information about this period, see Bishop Moberly’s “Discourses on the Great Forty Days.”