THE DISCIPLES BEFORE PENTECOST

A casual study of the lives and character of these disciples will convince one of their need of something deeper than they had in the way of spiritual life and power. They were weak and hesitant. They were seeking chief places in the kingdom and were interested in a material kingdom more than in one which was spiritual. They had been given a divine commission to preach Christ to the world, but in their condition at the time of the ascension they were wholly unqualified to carry out that commission. To have depended upon the activities of this group for the advancement of the cause of Christ in the earth would have meant defeat. Jesus knew this, but He also knew that the baptism with the Holy Spirit would supply their need and would remedy their faulty condition. The results of Pentecost and the subsequent exploits of these disciples prove that the fullness of the Holy Spirit gave them an adequate supply for their greatest need. The sad condition of the church today is evidence that too many Christians are living short of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. We should expect to see some resemblance of the exploits of these disciples in the lives of those who are filled with the Holy Spirit today.