The work of the Spirit has been outlined in the Gospels. Our Lord, at His Last Supper—when His teaching seems to have expounded in the full splendor and height of its tremendous mysteries, when, if ever, the Apostles could truly say that He had passed out of the realm of parable and had come into the deepest ways of truth—said that His going away was necessary for the coming of the Paraclete. He had to die and rise and ascend and then, from the right hand of the Father, His own work would continue in a ceaseless intercession for all the children of men.
On earth, however, His place would be taken by the Holy Ghost, who should teach the Apostles all things and bring back to their minds whatever He had taught them. In this way was guaranteed the infallibility and growth in doctrine that are the work of the Spirit.
Certainly, Our Lord had to temper His doctrine to the minds of His hearers. He could not from the first reveal to them the full meaning of His words. In the beginning, indeed, the need was simply for the main ideas to sink in— gradually. Then, slowly the other less important though necessary truths
could be added.
The little that He did teach was not too clearly retained, so He frequently had to up-braid them with not having understood His meaning. The length of His stay with them had not made them always grasp of what spirit they were.
What should happen when He was gone? He answered that only His going would set them on their own strength.
