THE ASSEMBLY DIVINELY EMPLOYED (1)
[p. 335] THE ASSEMBLY DIVINELY EMPLOYED (1)
Acts 18:1 - 11; 1 Corinthians 1:1 - 3; 1 Corinthians 10:31 - 33
JT At our two readings at Tence yesterday, we looked at verses in Acts 14 and 19 and in the epistle to the Ephesians, having in mind to show how the local assembly is furnished of God so as to be, as it were, self-sustaining, so that it should build itself up in love. Eldership was much dwelt upon.
What is in mind today is the assembly itself as a vessel here for God’s service. The facts mentioned in the two epistles as to the work of God in Corinth show that the assembly is in mind from this point of view. No elders are mentioned; so that the aspect of the truth now to be considered contemplates particularly every person in the assembly. From the standpoint of the epistle to the Corinthians one least esteemed in the assembly is equal to the exercise of judgment; in addition to that which is before us the idea of judgment is very prominent in this epistle.
In the verses read in chapter 10, the assembly of God stands over against the Jews and gentiles. It is the public aspect that is in mind. Anyone in Corinth could have gone into the christian assembly, and, seeing the order and power of the prophetic word there, would have been affected. The assembly therefore in the city of Corinth had a great public position as representative of God — that He dwelt there. Hence the epistle is addressed “to the assembly of God which is in Corinth”, that is, what is of God, and representative of Him publicly in Corinth.
Ques What are we to understand by the expression “those ... who are little esteemed”?
JT It would apply peculiarly to Corinth, because of a critical and divided condition there. Hence brothers and sisters might be underestimated on [p. 336] account of party feeling. He that is “little esteemed in the assembly” is not simply one of you who is not much esteemed, but one of the assembly (chapter 6:4). Where love prevails, we do not look at each other like that; we estimate each other as highly as possible. The teaching given as to the assembly has in mind that all those who compose it are dignified. One who said he was “less than the least” (Ephesians 3:8) of the saints would never regard anybody as less than himself. Thus we are enabled, as clothing the saints with the thoughts of love, to regard each of them as available for use. The general trend of the epistles is to urge that we clothe each other with thoughts of dignity and ability, never forgetting that each is in the assembly. Of course, we do not ignore the work of God, from which point of view there are different measures of growth, but love will clothe all the saints with dignity. Chapter 10 of the second epistle shows how unjustly Paul was criticised at Corinth.
Ques The assembly is composed of all believers who have received the Spirit?
JT That came out yesterday, that no one is in the assembly properly, save as he has the Holy Spirit. Viewing the saints in this way, God says, “One man of you chaseth a thousand” (Joshua 23:10). The saints viewed only as come out of Egypt would be in the eyes of the Egyptians a poor lot; they had been slaves, but as before God they are “nobles” (Exodus 24:11). Thus, in habituating ourselves to regard each other in love, we shall find the means of settling every difficulty; difficulties arising among brethren ought to be settled among brethren.
It may be well to look a little at the verses read in Acts 18, so as to get a clear understanding of the epistles to the Corinthians. It will be observed that everything relative to the assembly at Corinth according to this chapter is spoken of as related to [p. 337] persons, those living and working in Corinth. The assembly in a place is composed normally of persons who are of the place. It is true that Aquila and Priscilla were not of Corinth; we are told where they came from, why they were there, and why they had left Rome; but they were none the less actual work-people in this city. Paul, the apostle, saw fit to join them in their industrial work. It would appear that the Spirit had in mind to work in relation to the rank and file of the people in the town, so that the great apostle himself with others worked amongst them, thus getting a first-hand knowledge of the people in the city. The Lord would confirm this in telling Paul in a vision that He had “much people in this city”. Hence it is said that Paul “remained there a year and six months, teaching among them the word of God”. This would imply that the assembly was in view, and should be instructed in the word of God — the knowledge of His mind. The apostle preached the gospel, and so did Silvanus and Timotheus (2 Corinthians 1:19), but it is not so much the gospel here as “the word of God”. So those who form the assembly are to be taught. It is not preaching but teaching; they are to be taught in the word of God. We shall not represent God in any locality, save as we are instructed as to His mind.
Ques Would you make clear the difference between the presentation of the gospel, and the presentation of the word of God?
JT The gospel is in part, from a certain point of view, the word of God. It is said to be “the gospel of God ... concerning his Son” (Romans 1:1 - 3). At Ephesus, for instance, it was “the word of the truth, the glad tidings of your salvation”. But, in principle, the actual expression “the word of God” suggests the communication, of the thoughts of God in a general sense. It is said that Christ is the Word of God; He made known the mind of God amongst [p. 338] men. Paul and all the other servants preached the word of God. The expression that he taught the “word of God” would be general, inclusive of all that conveyed the mind of God; he not only preached it but he taught it. He had, however, to restrain himself at Corinth; because of their condition, he could not unfold to them “the hidden wisdom” of God (1 Corinthians 3:1,2).
Ques It is the same thought as in Colossians 1:25: “To complete the word of God”?
JT Yes, the truth of the mystery completed it. The word of God viewed in its different features is finally completed.
Ques How would the word of God be taught in contrast with the preaching of the gospel?
JT It is what we are trying to do now in this meeting. Paul was a preacher, but he was also “a teacher of the nations”, as he said (1 Timothy 2:7). He announced the glad tidings among the nations: God “was pleased to reveal his Son in me, that I may announce him as glad tidings among the nations” (Galatians 1:16), but then he also said in his first letter to Timothy that he was appointed “a teacher of the nations”. The Lord’s commission to the twelve in the end of Matthew enters into this; He says in verse 19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them to the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have enjoined you”.
Ques Is that borne out by the fact that in the gospel of Matthew, where the assembly is presented, it is said that the Lord taught and preached and healed (chapter 4:23)?
JT Teaching is a gift. It is therefore not simply communicating facts, but it is accompanied by power to present the truth with authority. It is to be observed that it is said here: “teaching ... the word of God”; that is the point we are on now, and it is in view of rendering those who form the assembly capable of representing God. What is before us is to show that it is not a question of eldership now, but the assembly itself in authority as representative of Christ. We may have opportunity this afternoon to consider more fully what the assembly is employed for as down here, but the fact itself is what we should keep clearly in view in this meeting.
Ques Why do we see that assemblies are more or less placed in towns?
JT They would be more representative in towns than they would be in country districts. It is grace really, because God is setting up His testimony where men are, as if He would say: I am not approaching mankind through the back door, but through the front door, towns being, in general, centres of human instruction and knowledge.
Ques You think we ought to be governed by God’s thought in this matter if we have the choice of a meeting place?
JT We certainly ought to pitch our tent in relation to the tabernacle. Persons whose callings are in the town do not add to their advantages by living in the suburbs. If we consider that it is the assembly of God in Corinth, we want to make it as strong as possible for His testimony by our presence.
Ques If the brethren are in the country parts, should they go into town?
JT Where is your calling, your work? Where your calling is that is where you should render testimony and remain; that is where you are to be representative of God.
Ques You have said yesterday that meetings tend to die out in the country parts: why is that?
JT That is a warning; not that I think so of the meetings in this district, but certainly it is a matter to be kept in mind; it is universal in its [p. 340] bearing. The thought would therefore be, as to these gatherings in rural districts, to make them as strong as possible — all the saints attending the meetings with interest.
This is the dignified way in which the apostle addresses in this epistle these people of whom the Lord Jesus told him (Acts 18:10), “To the assembly of God which is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints” — they are sanctified in Christ Jesus and saints by divine calling. We ought all to notice the dignity of that address.
Ques Could it be said that this is God’s thought in regard to all the saints, although they may be feeble, because at Corinth there were many things to adjust?
JT The assembly is viewed in its dignity abstractly, we might say. For an illustration of that we read in chapter 5:7, “Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, according as ye are unleavened” — not simply that you should be unleavened, but because “ye are” which is abstract.
Ques Is it a principle in ministry to speak of the saints in the most dignified way, so as to stimulate them?
JT However little they may be in keeping with the thoughts of God, it is important to clothe the saints abstractly with them as the subjects of the work of God. And in a certain sense that applies even to the preaching of the gospel to men. The chapter previous to the one read in the Acts shows how the apostle addresses the Athenians as one of them; “In him”; he said, referring to God, “we live and move and exist; as also some of the poets amongst you have said, For we are also his offspring”. That shows that in preaching the gospel to men we should recognise the measure in which they are related to God; so that we do not at the outset stress the idea of their sinfulness, though that must [p. 341] be presented at the proper time, but that they are God’s creation. So the Lord said to the disciples “Go into all the world” — which is the moral side — and “preach the glad tidings to all the creation” — this last expression alluding to man as belonging to God. Correspondingly, in seeking to serve the saints, we have more power if we clothe them with the thoughts of God.
Ques The Lord has helped us here these latter years as to the preaching of the gospel. We may remember perhaps that in our youth there was much mention of sinners and hell.
JT Added to that, we have the thought of the elect. In preaching the gospel you not only think of men as God’s creatures but that some of them are His elect. Paul says: “For this cause I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10).
Ques How are we to answer anyone who asks, How may I know that I am one of the elect?
JT The Lord said: “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he has sent” (John 6:29). If I am a believer on Christ, that is an incontestable proof that I am one of them. Another solemn thing that we have to bear in mind is that some of our hearers may never be saved. Paul said, “If also our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in those that are lost” (2 Corinthians 4:3) — not that shall be, but are lost.
In closing, chapter 5 brings out what the assembly is as able to execute judgment; as already remarked, elders and deacons are not mentioned in this epistle; they are contemplated among the Philippians and Ephesians, but not in these letters, evidently to bring out what the assembly is in its own dignity and power as representative of God. So that, according [p. 342] to Matthew 18, if one does not hear or listen to the assembly, he is to be regarded as a heathen man or publican. Thus we can see that, as gathered in the light of the assembly, normally we can count on the Lord to support us in dealing with every evil that may come up. The apostle here says: “For I, as absent in body but present in spirit” — notice he says he is present at Corinth in spirit — “have already judged as present, to deliver, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (ye and my spirit being gathered together, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ), him that has so wrought this: to deliver him, I say, being such, to Satan for destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus”. And in the last verse he says: “Remove the wicked person from amongst yourselves”. The first passage read shows how the Lord is with us; His power is with us in exercising discipline; and the last verse shows that it is put upon us to remove evil from our midst.
Ques Is it not remarkable that Paul brings in the abstract view of the saints — “according as ye are unleavened” — in the chapter for the exercise of judgment?
JT Very remarkable. I think it contemplates that there was in general a state of self-judgment there; however few there were at least some who corresponded with this in the sense of self-judgment. There is the thought of the actual power of the Lord Jesus present by the Spirit. But there is also the moral side, that in doing this we are supported by the sense that we are doing what is right.
Ques Does the exercise of discipline such as we have here have in view a double object: to maintain holiness in the assembly, and also to recover those disciplined?
JT Clearly so — “that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus”.
Ques What is the “day of the Lord Jesus”?
JT It is His public appearing when things are all faced and judged.
Ques What is to be understood by the “destruction of the flesh”?
JT It would mean that the flesh comes to an end in the man’s mind; that he has come to Romans 7 — God’s judgment of it. The second letter shows that this took place almost immediately in the man who had been excommunicated at Corinth.