Just a few weeks before the General Conference assembled at Minneapolis, the Lord sent the following message as an impressive climax to all the instruction that had been coming on this one great theme month after month for nearly two years:COR 38.1

“What is the work of the minister of the gospel? It is to rightly divide the word of truth; not to invent a new gospel, but to rightly divide the gospel already committed to them. They cannot rely upon old sermons to present to their congregations; for these set discourses may not be appropriate to meet the occasion or the wants of the people. There are subjects that are sadly neglected, that should be largely dwelt upon. The burden of our message should be the mission and life of Jesus Christ. Let there be a dwelling upon the humiliation, self-denial, meekness, and lowliness of Christ, that proud and selfish hearts may see the difference between themselves and the Pattern, and may be humbled. Show to your hearers Jesus in His condescension to save fallen man. Show them that He who was their surety had to take human nature, and carry it through the darkness and the fearfulness of the malediction of His Father, because of man’s transgression of His law; for the Saviour was found in fashion as a man.COR 38.2

“Describe, if human language can, the humiliation of the Son of God, and think not that you have reached the climax, when you see Him exchanging the throne of light and glory which He had with the Father, for humanity. He came forth from heaven to earth; and while on earth, He bore the curse of God as surety for the fallen race. He was not obliged to do this. He chose to bear the wrath of God, which man had incurred through disobedience to the divine law. He chose to endure the cruel mockings, the deridings, the scourging, and the crucifixion. ‘And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death;’ but the manner of His death was an astonishment to the universe, for it was ‘even the death of the cross.’ Christ was not insensible to ignominy and disgrace. He felt it all most bitterly. He felt it as much more deeply and acutely than we can feel suffering, as His nature was more exalted, and pure, and holy than that of the sinful race for whom He suffered. He was the Majesty of heaven; He was equal with the Father. He was the commander of the hosts of angels, yet He died for man the death that was, above all others, clothed with ignominy and reproach. O that the haughty hearts of men might realize this! O that they might enter into the meaning of redemption, and seek to learn the meekness and lowliness of Jesus.”-The Review and Herald, September 11, 1888.COR 38.3

This instruction is directed especially to ministers-the teachers in Israel:COR 39.1

1. They were to rightly divide the word of truth.COR 39.2

2. They were not to invent a new gospel, but to rightly set forth the gospel already committed to them.COR 39.3

3. They were not to continue to preach their “old sermons” to the people, as these “set discourses” might not be appropriate to meet the wants of the people.COR 39.4

4. They were to dwell largely upon subjects that had been sadly neglected.COR 40.1

5. The burden of their message should be the mission and life of Jesus Christ.COR 40.2

The concluding paragraph furnishes a comprehensive outline of this sublime theme-the mission and life of Christ.COR 40.3

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