“I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.” Luke vii. 28.
1 St. Peter’s day suitably follows the day of St. John the Baptist; for thus we have a striking memento, as the text suggests, of the especial dignity of the Christian Ministry over all previous Ministries which Almighty God has appointed. St. John was “much more than a Prophet;” he was as great as any messenger of God that had ever been born; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven, the least of Christ’s Ministers, is greater than he. And this, I observe, is a reflection especially fitted for this Festival, because the Apostle Peter is taken in various parts of the Gospel, as the appropriate type and representative of the Christian ministry 2.
Now, let us consider in what the peculiar dignity of the Christian Minister consists. Evidently in this, that he is the representative of Christ; for, as Christ is infinitely above all other messengers from God, he who stands in His stead, must be superior, beyond compare, to all Ministers of religion, whether Prophets, Priests, Lawgivers, Judges, or Kings, whom Almighty God ever commissioned. Moses, Aaron, Samuel, and David, were shadows of the Saviour; but the Minister of the Gospel is His present substitute. As a type or prophecy of Grace is less than a pledge and means, as a Jewish sacrifice is less than a Gospel sacrament, so are Moses and Elias less by office than the representatives of Christ. This I consider to be evident, as soon as stated; the only question being, whether there is reason for thinking, that Christ has, in matter of fact, left representatives behind Him; and this, as I proceed to show, Scripture enables us to determine in the affirmative.
Now, in the first place, as we all know, Christ chose twelve out of His disciples, whom He called Apostles, to be His representatives even during His own ministry. And He gave them the power of doing the wonderful works which He did Himself. Of course I do not say He gave them equal power (God forbid!); but He gave them a certain sufficient portion of His power. “He gave them power,” says St. Luke, “and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases; and He sent them to preach the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.” [Luke ix. 1, 2.] And He expressly made them His substitutes to the world at large; so that to receive them was to receive Himself. “He that receiveth you, receiveth Me.” [Matt. x. 40.] Such was their principal power before His passion, similar to that which He principally exercised, viz. the commission to preach and to perform bodily cures. But when He had wrought out the Atonement for human sin upon the Cross, and purchased for man the gift of the Holy Ghost, then He gave them a higher commission; and still, be it observed, parallel to that which He Himself then assumed. “As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” [John xx. 21-23.] Here, then, the Apostles became Christ’s representatives in the power of His Spirit, for the remission of sins, as before they were His representatives as regards miraculous cures, and preaching His Kingdom.
The following texts supply additional evidence that the Apostles were commissioned in Christ’s stead, and inform us likewise in detail of some of the particular offices included in their commission. “Let a man so account of us, as of the Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the Mysteries of God.” “Ye received me as an Angel” or heavenly Messenger “of God, even as Christ Jesus.” “We are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” [1 Cor. iv. 1. Gal. iv. 14. 2 Cor. v. 20.]
The Apostles then, standing in Christ’s place, were consequently exalted by office far above any divine Messengers before them. We come to the same conclusion from considering the sacred treasures committed to their custody, which (not to mention their miraculous powers, which is beside our present purpose) were those peculiar spiritual blessings which flow from Christ as a Saviour, as a Prophet, Priest, and King.
These blessings are commonly designated in Scripture as “the Spirit,” or “the gift of the Holy Ghost.” John the Baptist said of himself and Christ; “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” [Matt. iii. 11.] In this respect, Christ’s ministrations were above all that had ever been before Him, in bringing with them the gift of the Holy Ghost, that one gift, one, yet multiform, sevenfold in its operation, in which all spiritual blessedness is included. Accordingly, our Lord was solemnly anointed with the Holy Ghost Himself, as an initiation into His Ministerial office. He was manifested as receiving, that He might be believed on as giving. He was thus commissioned, according to the Prophet, “to preach good tidings,” “to heal the broken-hearted,” “to give the oil of joy for mourning.” Therefore, in like manner, the Apostles also were anointed with the same heavenly gift for the same Ministerial office. “He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” Such as was the consecration of the Master, such was that of the Disciples; and such as His, were the offices to which they were thereby admitted.