Page:The Net of Faith.pdf/463

127*

(:Paul continues his argument admitting that the Christians were very poor and living in unpleasant conditions during the first three hundred years but this does not imply that the Church was not spiritually perfect. :)

The states and powers are always earthly and temporal. But Jesus declared that he was not a ruler of a temporal kingdom. That is why he said: "My kingdom is not of this world." And he explained this even more clearly to his disciples when he said, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them But not so with you." That means that the dignity of the Church of Christ does not depend on the success of temporal things.

(:On the contrary, adversity causes the Church to prosper spiritually; in giving the Beatitudes Jesus taught his disciples to lose earthly attachments and to cling to things eternal.:)

With these speeches Paul describes the fulness and perfection of the original Church, richer in poverty, in  John 18:36.

Luke 22: 25–26.