Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate/Volume 1/Number 3/The Gospel. No. III.

THE GOSPEL. No. III.

Continued from page 21.

Mark gives the following account of the commission given to the apostles, 16:15,16,17,18. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.—He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not, shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Luke records thus, 24:45, 46, 47.

"Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it beho[o]ved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

In the second chapter of the acts of the apostles, we have account of their first acting on their commission, and of their making proclamation at Jerusalem: as, according to the Savior's command, they were to begin at Jerusalem, so they did, and the account of that memorable day is recorded by Luke, in the second chapter of the acts of the apostles, 37th, and 38th verses.

After Peter, who was the speaker on that occasion, had convinced many of the Jews that they had crucified the Lord of glory, the people cried out, and said to him, and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost: for the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off; even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Let us put this account together, and we will have something exceedingly plain. Matthew says that they were to go and teach all nations, baptizing them, with the promise, that the Lord should be with them until the end of the world. Mark tells what the teaching, mentioned by Matthew consisted in; that is, preaching the gospel, which he says they were to do to every creature in all the world, and to baptize them that believe, with a promise that the persons thus baptized should be saved: and also that signs should follow them that believe. Mntthew [Matthew] says that they should go and teach all nations. Mark says that they should preach the gospel to every creature in all the world. So that there is no difference as to the extent of the commission given to the apostles.—Matthew says that the Lord should be with them even until the end of the world, and Mark says that signs should follow them that believe. This doubtless was what Matthew meant by the Lord being with them till the end of the world: that is, by confirming the word with signs following. They both say that the people were to be baptized; but neither of them tell us what they were to be baptized for; only Mark says that the baptized should be saved. Luke throws some light on this subject: that is, that repentance and remission of sins should be preached among all nations. This compared with what Peter said on the day of pentecost, makes this part of the commission very plain. He tells them to repent and be baptized, every one of them, in the name of the Lord Jesus, for the remission of sins, and they should receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Mark says, that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Peter says that he shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Matthew says that the Savior promised to be with his disciples always, even unto the end of the world. Mark says that signs were to follow them that believe. These two accounts, when put together, amount to this: the Lord promised to be with them, in confirming the word to the believers by signs. Let us now put the whole account together, and see precisely what it was, that these men proclaimed to the world.

First, they were to go into all the world and teach the gospel to every creature, in the world.

Second, those who believed their proclamation, and repented of their sins, they were to baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Spirit, for the remission of their sins, with this promise, that they should receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and prophesy, see visions, and dream dreams, and that in addition to these, signs should follow them—in the name of Jesus they should cast out devils, they should speak with new tongues, they should take up serpents, and if they were to drink any deadly thing, it should not hurt them: they should lay hands upon the sick and they should recover: and to finish the whole of the promises made to them, the Lord was to be with them, and they should be saved. Seven things comprise the whole of the items of command and promise which they were to deliver to the world: First, faith—Second, repentance—Third, baptism—Fourth, remission—Fifth, the gift of the Holy Spirit—Sixth, power—Seventh, salvation and eternal life.

Let the reader compare Matthew 28:19,20, with Mark, 16:15,16,17,18.—Luke 24:45,46,47,48, with the second chapt. of the acts of the apostles and he will be enabled to see and understand the apostolic commission without either priest or commentator.

Let it be particularly understood, that when the apostles spake of the gospel, that it was this scheme of things to which they alluded; for this was what they proclaimed, and this was what all the ancient saints believed, and received, and by which they were distinguished from all other people. When Paul says that if we, or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel than that which we have preached, let him be accursed; or if any man preach any other gospel than that which you have received let him be accursed, it is to the above mentioned proclamation, he alludes; for this is what he preached, and this is what the Galatians had received—not a part of it, but the whole of it—not one, or two, or three, or four, or five, or even six items, and the other one left; but all seven, or else they would not receive the gospel Paul preached, and which the Galatians received, but another, which would not be another, but a perversion of the gospel of Christ.