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of God's Holy Spirit, and God has shown with ample evidence that He
has called them to His service, to which they are consecrated. God
has blessed them with unusual understanding, I have come to know
many scores of professed ministers of the Gospel, recognized and
ordained of men---but I have never yet encountered one that I feel
possesses the sound understanding of God's Word, and the true
Gospel, that these young men have. I would much rather send them
to you than any ordained minister I have yet known. I have had
them with me daily here at the college, and am most happy to be
able to send them to you.
They are not ordained ministers. They are comparatively
young men, but I know no reason why their comparative youth should
keep them in inactivity and deprive many from the Bible
explanations and other help they are qualified to give. While it's
true the age, in the Levitical priesthood under the Old Covenant,
for ordination as a priest was 30,---and while Jesus was about
thirty when He began His ministry,---yet Jeremiah was a mere lad,
years younger than these men---he was only 17, according to some
accounts, when God called him to service as a prophet.
Jeremiah argued he was too young, but God replied, "Say
not, you are too young; to whomsoever I send you shall you go, and
whatever I command you shall you speak." (Jer. 1:6-7).
David was but a youth when God called him to His service.
God did not make him king until later, but called him to service
when just a boy. When God called on one in Israel to defeat the
great giant Goliath who had taunted and insulted the armies of
Israel, He called on this mere boy---not a mature man. Saul the
king said to Abner: "Whose son is this stripling?" Tho there were
many strong men in Israel, it was this mere stripling, David, in
whom was the Spirit of God, and who had the courage and strength to
prevail against Goliath.
The apostle Paul was led of God and sent out Timothy, who
was one of Paul's students, in Gospel work. "Let no man despise
thy youth," Paul wrote to Timothy---or, as the Moffatt translation
renders it: "Let no one slight you because you are a youth, but set
the believers an example of speech, behavior, love, faith, and
purity." (I Tim. 4:12).
While Jesus did not embark on His great ministry
officially until about thirty, yet even at the age of twelve Jesus
was teaching, and saying, "I must be about my Father's (God's)
business." (Luke 2:42-52).
And likewise, while these young men are not yet ordained
for an official ministry, yet they are the BEST QUALIFIED men I
know for this present mission, and they come to you with my full
approval and I know they can be of help to you.
As to baptising, Jesus had His disciples baptize for Him,
apparently before they were 30, and before they were even
converted. Paul sent Timothy, a youth, to baptize. They are in
every way qualified to baptize, and they themselves will be able to
explain this to you.