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Jesus came as a Messenger bringing from God the most
important Message ever announced to mankind. This Message was NEWS
-- the GOOD NEWS that the KINGDOM OF GOD would be restored to the
earth, and already, even then, was AT HAND for those who would
accept it and its KING, Jesus.
Jesus called, and chose TWELVE Disciples (students or
learners), to become His Apostles. TWELVE is the number of a JURY
-- the unanimous verdict of which CONFIRMS a truth. They became
EYEWITNESSES to CONFIRM the truth of the RESURRECTION -- by which
we may ENTER INTO the KINGDOM OF GOD. They were SENT to proclaim
the GOOD NEWS of the KINGDOM OF GOD and to be eyewitnesses to the
RESURRECTION.
To carry on God's WORK of proclaiming Christ's GOSPEL, God
chose TWO on earth, under the resurrected living CHRIST, as His
leaders here on earth: Peter to those Israelite born, and Paul
to the Gentiles.
Galatians 2:7-8: "But contrariwise, when they saw that the
gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel
of the circumcision was unto Peter; (for he that wrought
effectually
in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was
mighty
in me toward the Gentiles)."
As we progress through the Bible on the question of
GOVERNMENT, the PRINCIPLE of government, from the TOP DOWN, is
consistent. But the application, or details of STRUCTURE differs,
and varies to adapt to the time, conditions and facilities. The
revolters from God's Work confuse structural form with PRINCIPLE
of government, which is ALWAYS from the TOP (GOD) down. They are
NOT THE SAME.
In the Old Testament, God chose ONE (Moses, Samuel, Saul,
David, etc.) at a time, UNDER GOD, because Israel was ONE nation
in ONE location or area. ONE at the top of the human level, under
God, with others under him, was all that was required to administer
the PRINCIPLE of government FROM THE TOP DOWN.
But in the first century of the Gospel Work in the New
Testament, God was sending the Gospel into MANY COUNTRIES, over
wide areas. So He organized His Work into TWO principal divisions,
or areas -- ISRAEL and GENTILES. They were widely separated
geographically. Communication was virtually nil, except by
personal contact. Transportation was by foot, horse or muleback,
or by camel or elephant, or sailboat. If Peter were the sole human
head under Christ, it might take him weeks to communicate with the
man next under him in Rome, if he were in Jerusalem. So God worked
directly with TWO in separated areas. Today, if I, for example,
need to communicate with Mr. Hunting or Dr. Meredith at Bricket
Wood, or with Mr. Luker at Sydney, Australia, I can usually reach
them in a matter of three minutes to an hour or so by telephone.
Or I could reach them in a matter of hours by airplane. With such
communication and transportation facilities available today,