Chapters
EPIPHANY STUDIES
IN THE
SCRIPTURES
"The Path of the Just is as the Shining Light,
That Shineth More and More
Unto the Perfect Day."
SERIES XV
CHRIST-SPIRIT-COVENANTS
9,000 Edition
"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God? And for this cause He is the mediator
of the New Testament [Covenant], that by means of death, for
the redemption of the transgressions that were under the
first testament [covenant], they which are called might
receive the promise of eternal inheritance."
(Heb. 9:14, 15.)
——————
PAUL S. L. JOHNSON
PHILADELPHIA, PA., U. S. A.
1950
To the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
IN THE INTEREST OF
HIS CONSECRATED SAINTS,
WAITING FOR THE ADOPTION,
— AND OF —
"ALL THAT IN EVERY PLACE CALL UPON THE LORD,"
"THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH,"
— AND OF —
THE GROANING CREATION, TRAVAILING AND WAITING FOR
THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD,
THIS WORK IS DEDICATED.
_____________
"To make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the
beginning of the world hath been hid in God," "Wherein He hath
abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having
made known unto us the mystery of His will, accord-
ing to His good pleasure which He hath pur-
posed in Himself; that in the dispensation
of the fullness of the times He
might gather together in one
all things, under
Christ."
Eph. 3:4, 5, 9; 1:8–10.
_____________
COPYRIGHT 1950
BY PAUL S. L. JOHNSON
AUTHOR'S FOREWORD
THIS book has a three-fold subject: Christ—Spirit—Covenants. These three subjects are among the ten most important subjects of the Bible. Having in our book, "Creation," given details of Christ's pre-existence, and in our book, "The Bible," given fair details of Christ's twenty-one offices as Savior, these two features of Christ are not discussed in this book, which deals with the rest of the main features of Christ: His carnation, consecration, Spirit-begettal, walking the narrow way, sufferings, ransom, resurrection, ascension, glorification, and Biblical figures of Him. The proof of the ransom as the corresponding price is not herein given, because that was discussed in our book, "The Bible"; but other features of the ransom are herein set forth. This book discusses the Holy Spirit, first, as not a person, then as God's power and disposition, the latter, first, as it is in Himself and Christ, then as it is in the Little Flock, Great Company, Ancient and Youthful Worthies, and the Restitution Class. Thereafter it discusses the Holy Spirit in its dominating graces, in its witness, and in the passages that are used to prove it to be the third person of the Trinity. The third part of this book treats of the Covenants, on which, first of all, some general remarks are made. Thereafter it gives details on the Bible's various Covenants—the Adamic Covenant, the Noachian Covenant, the Abrahamic Covenant, the Oathbound Covenant, in its four features, especially its Sarah, or Grace, feature, the Covenant of Sacrifice, the Law Covenant, and the New Covenant. A proper understanding of the Covenants is very necessary for us, in order that each one may understand the exact relation in which he stands toward God, and his brethren of all classes.
Certainly the subjects herein discussed are of great interest and importance to the Christian; for Christ is to him the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and the Spirit is to him the channel of power, sanctification and deliverance; and the Covenants show and help him how to live according to his understanding and appreciation of the
iii
relation in which God stands with him, and he with God, as well as the varied relations in which God and others stand with one another. Except the doctrine of God and the doctrine of the Bible, no more important doctrines than those of Christ, the Spirit, and the Covenants, are taught in the Scriptures; nor, with the exception just noted, are there any other Biblical doctrines more necessary for the Christian than those contained in the threefold subject of this book: Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Covenants. These considerations encourage the author to commend the book to God's people with the prayer that God may bless it to them and to others.
Your brother and servant,
PAUL S. L. JOHNSON.
Philadelphia, PA., U. S. A.,
March 15th, 1945.
iv
CONTENTS.
PART I, CHRIST.
CHAPTER I.
CHRIST: HIS CARNATION.
FROM WHAT? TO WHAT? THROUGH WHAT? ACCORDING TO WHAT? BY WHAT? ANALOGOUS TO WHAT? FOR WHAT? 7
CHAPTER II.
CHRIST: HIS NARROW WAY.
ITS GATE. ITS SELF-AND WORLD-DENIAL. ITS STUDY, SPREAD AND PRACTICE OF THE TRUTH. ITS WATCHFULNESS. ITS PRAYER. ITS ENDURANCE OF EVIL. 47
CHAPTER III.
CHRIST: HIS SUFFERINGS.
CAUSES. FORMS. SPIRIT. PURPOSE. RESULT. 135
CHAPTER IV.
CHRIST: HIS RANSOM.
THE CORRESPONDING PRICE. AN UNDERDONE RANSOM: CALVINISM. AN OVERDONE RANSOM: UNIVERSALISM. A MISCELLANY ON THE RANSOM. 161
CHAPTER V.
CHRIST: HIS POST-HUMAN EXPERIENCES.
HIS RESURRECTION, ASCENSION, GOSPEL-AGE MINISTRY, MILLENNIAL AGE MINISTRY. TITLES. 265
PART II, SPIRIT.
CHAPTER VI.
THE HOLY SPIRIT: ITS NATURE.
NEGATIVELY. POSITIVELY. GOD'S POWER. GOD'S DISPOSITION IN HIMSELF. IN CHRIST. 361
v
CHAPTER VII.
THE HOLY SPIRIT IN SAINTS.
ITS BIBLICAL INGREDIENTS. ITS COMPARISONS AND CONTRASTS. ITS NAMES AND SYNONYMS. ITS DESCRIPTIONS. ITS ACTIVITIES AND PASSIVITIES. ITS FIGURES. ITS HARMONY WITH BIBLICAL THINGS CONTRADICTORY OF ITS BEING A PERSON. 407
CHAPTER VIII.
THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OTHER CLASSES.
IN CROWN-LOSERS: WHILE THEY ARE STILL FAITHFUL. WHILE MEASURABLY UNFAITHFUL. WHILE VERY UNFAITHFUL. WHILE BUFFETED TO MAKE THEM FAITHFUL AGAIN. WHILE THEY REMAIN FAITHFUL. IN THE WORTHIES: IN PRE-MILLENNIAL TIMES. IN THE MILLENNIUM. IN THE LITTLE SEASON AND AFTERWARD. IN THE RESTITUTIONISTS: THEIR CONDITION BEFORE RECEIVING IT. GOD'S PURPOSE IN OFFERING IT TO THEM. ADEQUATE MEANS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR BESTOWING IT. CONDITIONS ON WHICH THEY WILL OBTAIN IT. THE RESULTS IN THE FAITHFUL AND THE UNFAITHFUL. 513
CHAPTER IX.
THE HOLY SPIRIT: ITS DOMINATING GRACES.
WISDOM: CONSTITUENTS OF WISDOM. ITS CULTIVATION. ITS OPERATION IN RELATION TO GOD AND CHRIST. IN OUR RELATIONS TO THE BRETHREN. IN OUR VARIOUS SECULAR RELATIONS. ITS REPRESSION AND SUPPRESSION. POWER: ITS MEANING. ITS ELEMENTS. ITS OPERATION. ITS ABUSES. ITS DEGREES OF DEVELOPMENT, REPRESSION AND SUPPRESSION. HELPS IN DEVELOPMENT. ADVANTAGES. JUSTICE: ITS BASIS. ELEMENTS. OBJECTS. THE GOLDEN RULE. SPHERE OF ITS APPLICATION. REASONABLENESS. CULTIVATION AND PRACTICE. SUPPRESSION AND REPRESSION. LOVE: ITS BASIS. ITS ELEMENTS. ITS OBJECTS AND SPHERE. ITS DEGREES. ITS FUNCTION AND DEVELOPMENT. MUTUAL RELATIONS OF THE DOMINATING GRACES. 561
CHAPTER X.
THE HOLY SPIRIT'S WITNESS.
ITS WITNESS: COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS. ITS MEANING. ITS SEVEN PARTS. ITS APPLICATION TO THE WORTHIES. SUPPOSED ARGUMENTS ANSWERED. 627
PART III, COVENANTS.
CHAPTER XI.
GOD'S VARIOUS COVENANTS.
GENERAL EXPLANATIONS. ADAMIC COVENANT. NOACHIAN COVENANT. ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. SARAH COVENANT. DAVIDIC COVENANT. OATH-BOUND COVENANT. COVENANT OF SACRIFICE. LAW COVENANT. NEW COVENANT. 667
vi