d:--Suddenly the Lord was
in their midst, and said, "Peace be unto you. And He showed unto them
His Hands and His Side" in proof that it was He Himself. And He said
again "Peace be unto you. As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I
you." And "He breathed on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose
soever sins ye retain, they are retained" (S. John xx. 19-23). And
ever since there has been this practical interpretation of the meaning
of "the keys." Christ's ministers have confidently acted, as having
been entrusted by their Lord with His authority to admit men into "The
Kingdom of Heaven" by Holy Baptism, or to defer the act of admission
until after longer probation; to exercise the judicial power of
excommunication, or expulsion from the Kingdom, for notorious sin and
unbelief, as in the case of the incestuous Corinthian (1 Cor. v. 3-7),
or to re-admit after repentance, as S. Paul decided to do in the same
case (2 Cor. ii. 6-10); and to assure all men that in the holy
Ordinances of the Church of Christ free and full remission of sins may
be certainly gained.

We can readily imagine that many other matters were discussed amongst
"the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God."

If disciples were to be made in all parts of the world, and were then
to be taught "to observe all things commanded" (S. Matt. xxviii. 20)
by the King, the question must have arisen, Who were to be appointed
to teach them? And thus the whole subject of the government of "The
Kingdom of Heaven," and the Orders and duties of the King's Ministers,
would be opened.

Again, the words of institution of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper,
"This is My Blood of the new testament[13], which is shed for many
for the remission of sins" (S. Matt. xxvi. 28), pointed both to the
ending of the old covenant, or testament, which was sealed in the
blood of beasts (Exod. xxiv. 5-8), and to the passing away of the
Jewish ritual and modes of worship. And the question would arise, What
forms of worship were to be observed by His subjects in place of those
ordained by the Law of Moses? Sacrifices could no longer have their
former meaning, when the Lamb of God, to which they pointed the
worshipper, had been offered upon the Cross. Was "the breaking of
bread" to take the place of all the old sacrificial services?

And with the subject of worship, the observance of the Sabbath would
need to be consider