352
The Desire of Ages
The Saviour did not commit the work of the gospel to Peter indi-
vidually. At a later time, repeating the words that were spoken to Peter,
He applied them directly to the church. And the same in substance was
spoken also to the twelve as representatives of the body of believers. If
Jesus had delegated any special authority to one of the disciples above
the others, we should not find them so often contending as to who
should be the greatest. They would have submitted to the wish of their
Master, and honored the one whom He had chosen.
Instead of appointing one to be their head, Christ said to the disci-
ples, “Be not ye called Rabbi;” “neither be ye called masters: for one
is your Master, even Christ.”
Matthew 23:8, 10
.
“The head of every man is Christ.” God, who put all things under
the Saviour’s feet, “gave Him to be the head over all things to the
church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.”
1
Corinthians 11:3
;
Ephesians 1:22, 23
. The church is built upon Christ
as its foundation; it is to obey Christ as its head. It is not to depend upon
man, or be controlled by man. Many claim that a position of trust in
the church gives them authority to dictate what other men shall believe
and what they shall do. This claim God does not sanction. The Saviour
declares, “All ye are brethren.” All are exposed to temptation, and are
liable to error. Upon no finite being can we depend for guidance. The
Rock of faith is the living presence of Christ in the church. Upon this
the weakest may depend, and those who think themselves the strongest
will prove to be the weakest, unless they make Christ their efficiency.
“Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm.”
The Lord “is the Rock, His work is perfect.” “Blessed are all they that
put their trust in Him.”
Jeremiah 17:5
;
Deuteronomy 32:4
;
Psalm 2:12
.
After Peter’s confession, Jesus charged the disciples to tell no
man that He was the Christ. This charge was given because of the
determined opposition of the scribes and Pharisees. More than this,
the people, and even the disciples, had so false a conception of the
Messiah that a public announcement of Him would give them no true
idea of His character or His work. But day by day He was revealing
Himself to them as the Saviour, and thus He desired to give them a
true conception of Him as the Messiah.
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The disciples still expected Christ to reign as a temporal prince.
Although He had so long concealed His design, they believed that
He would not always remain in poverty and obscurity; the time was