FROM

THE

MILLENNIAL HARBINGER.

Number V.-----Volume VI.

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A. CAMPBELL, EDITOR.

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Bethany, Va. May, 1835.

      THE greatest and best of men are apt to run into extremes, even when trying to guard against them. It seems almost a matter of impossibility to avoid running into error, at all times; and for this reason, persons who make a display in the world, should, when they see they are in error, freely acknowledge it: but this is not generally the case. Persons who speak and write a great deal, generally avoid showing any error which may have occurred in their speeches or writings; and on this account many become prejudiced against those persons, though their ideas may be, in general, correct. There is no society in the religious world should be so careful to avoid error, as that which professes to advocate a "restoration of the ancient order of things:" One error committed by the disciples, will have a worse effect than ten errors committed by any of the sects now extant: and for this reason;--they profess to do every thing that was practised by the disciples of old; to take the word of God to mean what it says, and say what it means. Consequently, they will be looked upon by some to be purer than other people: by others they are looked upon as an unworthy, unchristian, and blasphemous sect. And it behooves them, by walking uprightly, to put to silence the ignorance of those foolish men, who say such things of them.

      Under these impressions, I have thought proper to address a few lines to you, on a subject in which I think the disciples are in error. It is quite a common thing, at the present time, to call those who proclaim the Gospel to the world, "Evangelists." Now I think if we look with attention to the sacred oracles, we will find that that class of laborers ceased long ago;--and, consequently, any person that takes that name upon him at the present time, "assumes an undeserved dignity."

      Paul, in his Epistle to the Ephesians, (chap. 4. verses 11, 12 & 13.) says--"And he gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." The question now presents itself,--Have we come to the unity of the faith? or, unto a perfect man? I unequivocally answer we have, If we have not, we never will. We have the will of our Heavenly Father as contained in the sayings of Christ and his Apostles, and we have no reason to look for any more revelations from Heaven: consequently, if with the sayings of Christ and his Apostles, we cannot arrive at the unity of the faith, I must say I have no reason to expect that we ever will do it in this world.--It is to be recollected that Apostles, as well as Evangelists were given till we should all come in the unity of the faith; now if Evangelists have not ceased, why have Apostles ceased to exist? Were the Evangelists to exist longer than the Apostles? The Scriptures do not warrant such all assertion. It follows, then, that both classes exist, [237] or that both have ceased to exist, I think that both Apostles and Evangelists have become extinct. I cannot see what need we have for either class, so long as we have the Word of God to guide and direct us. For, recollect, in the Apostles' days, the disciples had not the Word of Truth for a guide; and if this is kept in mind, it will be easily seen of what use the Apostles and Evangelists were. And now, if what I have said is correct, it certainly behooves the disciples to leave off calling the Proclaimers, Evangelists: a name, which, in my opinion, carries too much honor with it, to be bestowed upon any person of the present age. It may be, however, that I am in error; and any of the disciples, who are of this opinion, will confer a great favor by answering this article, and show wherein I am wrong. If, however, it is not answered, I shall take it for granted that I am right.

      What I have said, is intended for those who confer the title of Evangelists on Proclaimers. There are some, however, who do not go so far; but say, that they "do the work of an Evangelist." To these persons I will propose a query--Who can do the work of an Evangelist, but an Evangelist?

M. T.      

      PITTSBURGH, February 14, 1835.

      The author of the above communication deserves credit for the conscientious frankness of his animadversions upon the supposed error of the disciples, in assuming or conferring the title of Evangelist--or even in pretending to do the work which the scriptures ascribe to such a character. Indeed, if this view of Eph. iv. 11, 12, 13. be correct, his reprehensions and expostulations would be just and seasonable. In examining this matter, we shall advert both to the mean of the term "Evangelist," and to the duties of the person so called. And, here, let it be observed, that Euangelistes is derived from Euangelizo, which signifies to bring or publish good news, and this was the prime business of the Evangelists, as we see from the account we have of Philip, Timothy, and Titus, see Acts viii. 5. 12, and xxi. 8, 9. 2 Tim. iv. 1. Titus i. 5. and ii. 15, and iv. 1, 8, &c. Now, if we include every thing in the office of the evangelist which the meaning of the term, and the business ascribed to the occupant in the above scriptures import, we will find him to be neither more nor less, than a competent and duly authorized teacher of christianity; and, of course, an assistant and fellow-laborer with the Apostles. His duty was to preach the word, to suppress false doctrine, to organize churches, to oppose and denounce heretics, &c. &c. In short, he was to exhibit the exemplary character, and to perform all the official duties described in the three epistles addressed to Timothy and Titus. The evangelists were assistants and co-operants with the apostles, and so were the seven deacons appointed in the sixth chapter of Acts; they were also to continue their ministry after the decease of the apostles; see Tim. iv. 5, with the reasons there assigned. Now so long as those reasons exist, the office must exist; for they stand connected like cause and effect. The officer is made for the office, and not the office for the officer, especially in the divine government, which makes no provision for "sinecures, placemen, and pensioners." The office of apostles and prophets has, therefore, ceased, because their special business is accomplished; as is well expressed in the above communication; for "we have the will of our heavenly Father fully and clearly expressed in the sayings of Christ and his apostles." But is it yet fully and clearly reduced to practice? We think not. And is this any body's business. No!--according to the reasonings of our remonstrant; for, according to him, it is every body's business; and, therefore, no body's. But, are there no heathen to be evangelized--no congregations to be organized--no errors and heresies to be exposed and confronted, where there [238] are none disposed or qualified to do these things; and, if there be, do not the people, so circumstanced, need the labors of a Titus as much as did the people of Crete? It may be retorted, that the people in our country are already evangelized--also, that they have the written word--And so were the people in Crete, for Paul had done this; and only left Titus to set in order the things that were wanting--to ordain elders, &c. and could as easily have left them a written direction how and what to do in relation to those unfinished matters, as to have given it to Titus; and then they would have had, not only Paul's personal labors, but the written word also, as well as we. Now, surely, if apostolic epistles superadded to apostolic teaching had been sufficient, in the judgment of the Apostles, to supply the place of Evangelists, we had never heard of such characters. And does not daily experience prove the necessity and utility of such laborers? And does not the necessity of the office, justly infer the necessity of the official character, who is to perform it? For, as our remonstrant well observes, "Who can do the work of an evangelist, but an evangelist?" All this, he may say, looks fair, scriptural, and reasonable. But, then, what will we do with Eph. iv. 11, 12, 13.? Let us see. The Apostle in this passage informs us, that Christ, after his supreme exaltation, gave certain official gifts to men, which had for their ultimate end "the perfecting of the saints"--even the whole body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and, in the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. What We"? Why--"we,"--the saints.--"We"--the body of Christ. Surely the Apostle means what he says--means the saints--the body of Christ--the whole--not a part of the saints-or of the body of Christ. If, then, the saints, the body of Christ, has not yet attained the perfection here specified, it necessarily follows, that the specified offices, divinely appointed for this purpose, still remain to be occupied, as far as the case requires. But, it is alleged, that the specified offices are all done away, because the two first have ceased; viz. Apostles and Prophets. But where is the proof? The book does not say so.--Nor do subsequent facts say so, For, although, at the end of the apostolic age, we have no farther record of a succession of apostles and prophets; yet, not so of evangelists, pastors, and teachers. The qualifications and duties of these are clearly defined and inculcated: and must, of course, continue till the objects of their appointment be accomplished. The kingdom of Christ was introduced by the ministry of apostles and prophets. They were employed to set it up, to dictate its laws and ordinances, and to evince their divine origin by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, with which they were furnished; so that it is justly said to be "erected upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief--the head." But what is come of it? Where is it? A kingdom without an administration--without ministers, would be invisible--would be a paradox insolvable. And is this kingdom invested with no external relations, for the due and faithful performance of the duties for which it is responsible? And if it be, is it divested of constitutional authority to appoint officers, duly qualified, to the performance of those duties? And if not, surely, then, it must possess power to call and employ evangelists, in the true scripture import of that official epithet, seeing these were the ministers divinely appointed from the beginning for the performance of those duties. Wherefore, till the internal and external relations of the church on earth shall terminate, there must be a succession of such ministers. As to the forced and fanciful interpretation of the above quotation, which appears to have led our correspondent astray, I would just observe, that the gifts, which Christ is here said to have given to men, are official, which includes both the office and the qualifications for performing the duties of it; and that he is, therefore, said to give the officers--that all these taken together were for the perfecting of the saints, as their ultimate end:--for a work of ministry or service;--as a means to that end; viz, the building up of the body of Christ;--to a perfect man;--the thing contemplated from the beginning to be accomplished by these gifts; and here the circle closes; or, as it were, both ends meet;--the thing first proposed is achieved; [239] i. e. "the perfecting of the saints--to a perfect man--even to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Thus the three clauses in the 12th verse are equally ascribed to, and exclusively predicated of, the functionaries specified in the 11th;--the term saints, in the first clause of the 12th, being co-extensive with the "we all," in the first clause of the 13th--that is, the body of Christ, its proper and immediate antecedent. Consequently, the intention of the aforesaid gifts, have an equal reference to the whole christian community, to the end of time.

T. C.      

[The Millennial Harbinger (May 1835): 237-240.]

      Thomas Campbell's reply to M. T.'s "The Term Evangelist" was first published in The Millennial Harbinger, Vol. 6, No. 5, May 1835. The electronic version of the essay has been produced from the College Press reprint (1976) of The Millennial Harbinger, ed. Alexander Campbell (Bethany, VA: A. Campbell, 1835), pp. 237-240.

      Pagination has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. I have let stand variations and inconsistencies in the author's (or editor's) use of italics, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in the essay. Emendations are as follows:

            Printed Text [ Electronic Text
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 p. 238:    dsciples had not [ disciples had not
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 8 December 1997.
Updated 9 July 2003.