B -- Not so.  The same Spirit who had just endued Peter anointed also

the Lord, and at the opening of His ministry He did stop half -way through a

quotation because of dispensational reasons.  See Isaiah 61:1 -4, and note

Luke 4:18 -20.  Peter expected the restoration of the kingdom, and Joel was

rightly interpreted.  The kingdom is connected with the great and notable day

of the Lord, but the church is not.  Here again is another item of the

apostles' doctrine which I believe, but which your friends do not.

Yet further, Peter declares the resurrection of Christ to be with the

object that He should sit upon the throne of His father David (Acts 2:30-33),

whereas tradition would once more substitute the church.

A -- This one feature however is not all that the apostles taught.

B -- No, but it is the foundation of all that follows.  For example, Is

it `church truth' to teach baptism for the remission of sins?  Yet this is a

part of the apostles' doctrine.  Your friends, who are so zealous for the

truth, do they possess the Holy Spirit as did these believers in Acts 2?  Do

they, further, sell their possessions and have all things common?  Would

they, if it were still possible, continue stedfastly not only in the

apostles' doctrine but also in the temple (Acts 2:46), even though the

epistle to the Hebrews has since been given?

Tell me wherein do these friends of yours agree with the doctrine of

the apostles?  Is it too harsh to say that they hold a creed of what they

imagine the apostles taught, or what they think they ought to have taught?

Dear friend, `prove all things', `search and see', say in the language of the

`I have stuck unto Thy testimonies'.

`The fear of man bringeth a snare'.

A -- I believe that it might be true to say that, whilst outwardly the

church of the One Body did not begin at Pentecost, potentially it did.

B -- To give a concrete illustration, you would say that the fact that

there were no Gentiles in the assembly on the day of Pentecost was more by

accident than of purpose.

A -- I can hardly say that, for there were multitudes of Gentiles

addressed by the apostles on the day of Pentecost.

B -- Is that so?

I was under the impression that none but Israelites

were spoken to.

A -- You have many times told me to `search and see', so I suggest you

take a dose of your own prescription.

B -- Most readily.  I have nothing to lose but error, and nothing to

gain but truth by so doing.  Where do you propose we start?