378
Gospel Workers 1915
carry on His work on the earth. Of this ordination the record says, “He
goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto Him whom He would: and
they came unto Him. And He ordained twelve, that they should be
with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach.” [
Mark 3:13,
14
.]...
With gladness and rejoicing, God and the angels beheld this scene.
The Father knew that from these men the light of heaven would shine
forth; that the words spoken by them as they witnessed for His Son,
would echo from generation to generation till the close of time.
The disciples were to go forth as Christ’s witnesses, to declare to
the world what they had seen and heard of Him. Their office was the
most important to which human beings had ever been called, second
only to that of Christ Himself. They were to be workers together
with God for the saving of men. As in the Old Testament the twelve
patriarchs stood as representatives of Israel, so the twelve apostles
stand as representatives of the gospel church.—
Idem, pages 18, 19
.
[446]