ed. Was the Jewish Sabbath still binding on men's
consciences? Was the Seventh Day to be observed in accordance with the
Law of Moses, or was the First Day of the week to take its place, now
sacred to the subjects of the Lord Jesus as that on which He rose, and
to the keeping of which He had seemed to give His sanction, by
appearing once and again on that day to the disciples as they were
assembled together? (S. John xx. 19, 26.)

On all these points[14] we find, in the Book of the Acts of the
Apostles, that the Apostles took at once a definite line of action.
They knew what to do, and how to direct their converts. And though we
have no record of the words of our Lord, we are confident that the
Apostles were thus carrying out His own teaching[15], under the
guidance of the Holy Ghost, on all such matters "pertaining to the
Kingdom of God."

Amongst the few words recorded as having been spoken at this time to
the Apostles, is this clear promise, "Ye shall receive power, after
that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto
Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the
uttermost part of the earth" (Acts i. 8). And in the power of the Holy
Ghost we find that they went forth to publish the glad tidings of "The
Kingdom of Heaven." And, beginning from Jerusalem, they extended their
work gradually to Samaria, and Syria, and to all countries, carrying
out their Lord's commission, and preaching the good news of salvation
through Jesus Christ, as freely offered to all who would accept Him as
their King, and enter through the strait gate of the New Birth into
His Kingdom.

FOOTNOTES:

[10] For fuller information about this period, see Bishop Moberly's
"Discourses on the Great Forty Days."

[11] See the note in the margin of a Reference Bible.

[12] It is well known that the Romanists have sometimes founded their
argument, in support of the claims of the Papacy, very mainly upon
this verse; starting with the assumption, of which there is no proof,
that the Pope is the successor of S. Peter, and asserting that a power
was hereby given to S. Peter which the other Apostles did not possess.
The weakness of the argument becomes clear when it is known that the
same words were repeated again to all the Apostles; and that the above
explanation, and practical enforcement of them, were equally spoken to
them all.

[13] Testament and Covenant are translations of one and the same word.
T