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• "IN THE REGENERATION..."
• FROM “REMINISCENCES OF JAMES A GARFIELD”
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After Jesus instructed the rich young ruler to sell his goods, distribute to the poor, take up a cross and follow, the young man went away sorrowful, not willing to put Christ ahead of material possessions.  Jesus indicated that it was very difficult for those who have come to trust in riches to transfer their trust to Him, and truly embrace the kingdom of God.  In response, "Peter answered and said to Him, 'See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?'  So Jesus said to them, 'Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit everlasting life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first" (Matt. 19:27-30).

Mark's account of Jesus' statement helps us somewhat in understanding Matthew's account.  In Mark's account, it is plain that those who left all to serve Him would reap blessings, both in this life and in the world to come.  Mark records it this way: "[He] shall receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life" (Mark 10:30).

Now as we look back to Matthew's account, let us observe that blessings would begin to be showered upon His chosen apostles when He ascended His throne.  This was not something far into the future, but just around the corner.  As Peter later explained, the Old Testament foretold that Jesus would be raised from the dead to sit on His throne.  Once the Lord was raised from the dead, He ascended to heaven, and is there sitting on the throne as both Lord and Christ, Acts 2:30-36.  He will reign throughout the period of time men are being regenerated, or born again.  And during this time of regeneration, the apostles are, in a sense, sharing that reign.  It is by the words they preached and wrote as they were guided by Divine inspiration, that we are to be taught, guided, corrected -- and eventually judged.  This is the sense in which they are on 12 thrones judging and ruling over the entire people of God, figuratively referred to as "the 12 tribes of Israel."  Since there were 12 apostles and 12 thrones, we can be sure that this part of the promise applies to the apostles specifically.  But the remainder of the promise can apply equally to all who will put Christ first in their lives.  If the rich young ruler had been willing to transfer his trust from riches to the eternal Lord and Christ, he too could have gained an abundance of inheritance in this world, and in the age to come, eternal life.

[Editor’s Note:  James A. Garfield, 20th president of the United States, was a member of the Lord’s church, and did quite a bit of preaching.  It is said that he once preached at the Kelton church near West Grove in southern Chester County.]

Early in May, 1852, a strolling lecturer names James Joseph Treat, came to Hiram.  He was a miniature edition of the Bob Ingersoll style of philosopher...  He had read Paine’s “Age of Reason,” possibly a few chapters of Gibbon’s “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” and the works of Andrew Jackson Davis.  Thus armed and equipped, like Goliath of Gath, he went about the country defying the armies of the living God; boasting of his power to overthrow Christianity and bring discredit upon all its adherents...

He made a most venomous attack upon the Bible, and charged all who believed it with the grossest credulity.  He boasted of the superiority of unbelievers over the superstitious multitude who received as true the fables of a savage age, and used all his powers of ridicule against all who accepted the teaching of the Scriptures.  He also attacked the reliability of the translations of the Scriptures, showing that the Bible was written in Hebrew and Greek, and affirming that it had been translated to suit the notions of designing and dishonest priests, and was wholly unreliable either as history or revelation.  He closed with his usual challenge to anyone to answer his indictment.

Mr. Garfield arose and said that he had listened with great attention to the gentleman’s speech, and hardly knew what to say in answer, but he would like to ask him one question.  Would he be so kind as to tell the audience what was the present participle of the verb “to be” in Greek, or in other words, the Greek word to correspond with the English word “being”?  Mr. Treat made no answer, and Mr. Garfield repeated his question and challenged him to answer, but the poor man did not know.  Then, turning to the audience, he asked them what they thought of a man traveling over the country criticizing the work of the world’s great scholars, when he did not know the very first thing the school-boy learned in his Greek grammar.  He took pains to explain to the audience that he did not reproach the gentleman because he had no knowledge of the Greek, but because he sought to overthrow the Christian faith and dethrone the Christian’s God, while passing himself off under false colors -- pretending to knowledge he did not possess...  He then uttered a most impassioned eulogy upon the Bible as the source of civilization, the creed of all the mighty men in history; the only light through a dark world to lead a suffering and a sorrowing race to the blessed hills of eternal life and peace...

He spoke with a readiness and power and eloquence which were perfectly overwhelming.  I do not think Mr. Treat ever attempted another speech at Hiram.
 

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