JUDGMENT

^[p. 369] JUDGMENT

1 Corinthians 11:31,32; 1 Corinthians 5:12,13; 1 Corinthians 10:15; 1 Corinthians 14:29; 2 Corinthians 5:14,15

It is in mind, dear brethren, to speak at this time about judgment. The subject has, of course, a great place in Scripture, but these epistles are in mind especially. They speak of the subject more than any other epistle in the New Testament, and they bear in this respect as in others on the assembly. My thought is, as I hope to show, that the idea of judgment occurs in various connections, covering the wide field occupied by the assembly. Without this element being active, the assembly would soon cease in a moral sense, in fact, it has ceased to function in the full public sense in which it appeared at the beginning, just because of the neglect of judgment. The thought of the assembly has been recovered, but the assembly itself, in the true sense of the word, is no longer in evidence. The truth concerning it has been restored to us, and this principle of judgment is most essential to the continuance of the light we have, and the continuance of the service belonging to the assembly in whatever measure it may be entered upon. The idea of judgment, as all else, is derived from Christ. His position, as apprehended by the leaders at Jerusalem, was outwardly somewhat like our own now. He stood at the bar of the high priest, that is, the religious authority, also before Pilate, the political authority of the day; He stood before these tribunals to be judged, and we have to learn from Him how to maintain judgment in ourselves in the presence of those who, in a judicial position, are wrongly using their office against us. Whether directly or indirectly, whether formal or informal, judgment is being pronounced against those who are of the assembly, the true followers of Christ, who, as loving Him, keep His commandments.

^[p. 370] So as apprehended by the authorities, our Lord is wrongly smitten and, fulfilling the word of the prophet, He is smitten on the cheek, although, as the prophet states, He is the Judge of Israel, the One into whose hand all judgment is committed. The Lord has suffered here in righteousness; He was smitten on the cheek, with an accusation, implying that He had transgressed, that He should not have answered the high priest so. The Lord’s reply was, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?” (John 18:23). That in brief is the position now. In saying those words the Lord allowed Himself to be judged, and not only smitten on the cheek, but crucified, and it was as the Judge of Israel. All true judgment rested in Him and it will in due time manifest itself. We hail that day. In the meantime our preservation from corruption, and our continuance in the light we have received, which has been restored to us, depends on the maintenance of judgment within our sphere, not in regard of those without, as the apostle says, but those within, and, of course, each beginning with himself. The most difficult person of all for me to judge is myself.

To have a right judgment of oneself one needs to be a spiritual analyst, discerning the elements that are at work within; otherwise I will be liable to consider that evil is good and good is evil. Hence the great difficulty apparent with many of arriving at a right judgment each of himself; for it is obvious I cannot judge at all, whether persons or things, save as I have managed to exercise authority in judgment over myself, as the great discerner of these matters in Romans 7:18 says, “For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, good does not dwell”. That was the outcome of an analysis as to inward workings, so that he comes out triumphantly saying, “I myself” — “I myself”, not simply “I”, but I in consciousness and in conscious control of his mind, that he has authority over his mind. He says, “I myself with the mind serve God’s law” (verse 25). He has reached firm ^[p. 371] ground, and henceforth he is capable of judging other persons and other things, for he is clear of himself. He is clear in the sense of arriving at an analysis as to himself, as to what is in himself as a natural man, unregenerate. “I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, good does not dwell”. He has given up the effort to improve what is unimprovable — a wise decision. He is master of the position within the narrow limits of himself. Being master of it he may widen out in the exercise of judgment, even as far as taking part, as we shall all do presently, in the judgment of the world, and in the judgment of angels too. We can only proceed in this ever widening, as I may say, field of judgment, as we firmly reach the point as to ourselves. “I myself with the mind serve God’s law; but with the flesh sin’s law”, and only that. It is not that he resolved to do anything with the flesh; he had already done with it, but if it did show itself, it would only be to do sin’s law.

Well, it was on this ground, dear brethren, that the apostle says in this chapter in the first letter, “if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged”. That is, it is within our range to avoid all judgment either from God or from man, it is within our province to avoid all righteous judgment. There may be, as in the Lord’s case, false judgment, but in regard to God’s judgment and righteous judgment in the assembly, or of man, it is within our power to avoid it by judging ourselves. There is no lesson more important, and I would commend it especially to the young ones here to master the mind. It is the great faculty that God has given every one of us, that with it I resolve to serve God’s law, not here simply a specific law, but whatever it may be. Applying that to our chapter, it is a question of what is in mind — my conduct in the assembly.

It requires more attention than I could give it now, but it is conduct in the assembly the apostle is dealing with; conduct arising from special friendship contracted in social relations with the brethren. One of ^[p. 372] the most baneful things amongst us is special friendships contracted in our social relations in our houses, and then these brought into the assembly. God abhors it, and He has put His hand up, as it were, against that traffic. It must stop. So the way to it is to judge oneself; otherwise God will judge us, as the apostle points out. The Lord will do it in very great patience and consideration for us, of course. He does not wish to have us condemned with the world, He hates the thought, and hence He disciplines us in order to avoid that. It is a question of coteries formed in our social relations with one another, in our houses and the like, but not only that; something far worse, they are brought into the presence of God in the assembly. They were eating in parties, pretending to be taking the Lord’s supper, but it was not that at all. Whatever your profession, it is not the Lord’s supper, it is your own, as the apostle says in 1 Corinthians 11:21. You are eating together, he says; you are several parties, and you are despising the assembly and those who have no houses, and those that are hungry. That is what is in mind.

In chapter 5, the apostle speaks of the judgment of what is inside, that is, by the assembly, or by those who walk in the light of it. The chapter furnishes us with instruction as to that, it is collective judgment. Of old, God has prescribed that every leper must be put outside the camp (Numbers 5:2). The assembly is His property, He claims it and takes possession of it as He has opportunity. It is an important thought to have in mind, even in the exercise of prophecy. A man is convicted and reports, “God is in you of a truth” (1 Corinthians 14:25). He is ever there if the conditions admit of His presence. Well, this chapter 5 deals with evil inside. The assembly will cease to function unless evil is dealt with. It may not have come to a head. We have the law governing the matter in the types in Leviticus 13 and 14, and it implies that proceedings against the offender are entered. I am using a legal form of expression, but the procedure ^[p. 373] is not by a legal, hard lawyer, but by a priest, and that means that every possible allowance would be made for the offender, but the offence has to be dealt with. Grace is abundant, but the offence cannot be passed over. In some cases the more you investigate, the more you find to be dealt with, far more than appeared on the surface. The proceedings against the offender may bring out other things, but then, as I said, grace is to be in abundance, and the priest will never be wanting in grace. It is what marks him. He is not truly a priest if he is wanting in grace. He is constituted for the ignorant, as one who can have compassion on them. So the apostle proceeds in this chapter 5 against the offender. One might say, Well, he is acting on a mere report; but no, it was common knowledge, they had acquired a reputation of this kind, and that there was such a man as he refers to actually there. There was no question about it. There is no need of legal entanglements, dear brethren, when we have to do with a matter like this. The priest is able to say the matter is there, the priest is a man who can name things in a spiritual way, and when a thing is named, as proved, deal with it.

Now I come down to the verse read, that is, about ourselves. “What have I to do to judge them also that are without?” It is not that one has not a judgment about man, man’s history, the history of the nations, the upper world, the under world, but the point is the execution of judgment. No christian wants to sit on a jury if he can avoid it, or to sit on a judge’s bench in the ordinary sense. It is not his business, but he is very ready, if he is a true priest, to look into matters in the assembly. That is what is so much needed, for the allowance of evil becomes iniquitous, it becomes leaven, it is an insult to God, as existing where God is. So that proceedings must go on, and the matter must be brought to light, and the Lord is with us in the investigation, and with us in the judgment. Paul says, Do not be concerned about those without. God is ^[p. 374] taking care of them. We shall judge the world presently, but in the meantime there is plenty to do inside. Do not fail to do it. “Remove the wicked person from amongst yourselves”.

In the next chapter we have this matter of business, which may not involve evil, as in chapter 5. In chapter 6, the point is that differences between brethren should not be taken to an ordinary court. The apostle says it is a matter to be settled by one in the assembly; it is a matter of ability in the assembly, and not that of the most spiritual, but the least. Think of the assembly in God’s mind, the least as you might say, greater than the Chief Justice! His judgment would be surer. We all know how judgment miscarries in the courts of this world, but it is not to miscarry in the assembly. So he says, Let the least esteemed in the assembly judge of such matters between brother and brother. God has provided for us in this matter of judgment in regard of everything. So that the assembly is to hear these matters — some little business quarrels, business misunderstandings, but they may become a means of corruption and leaven and division amongst us. Is there not a brother among us capable of taking up this matter? The least among you, he says, can do that. There are those who would exclude young brothers from what we call our care meetings. If they do not know, how are they ever to judge? Let them be there. God clothes them with thoughts different from natural thoughts, they are of the assembly. It is remarkable what comes out even with young people who are clothed, by their elders, with assembly thoughts.

In order to cover the ground, I go on now to chapter 10. It is a question of fellowship, not properly the Lord’s supper. The Lord’s supper is only brought into it because of the fellowship. The Lord’s supper is properly chapter 11. The elements are brought into chapter 10 because of their bearing on the fellowship, and I have no doubt that the apostle has this in mind when he says, “Judge ye what I say”. What is the apostle going to say? I have been speaking of what happens inside the assembly, what is carried in by social relations one with another, but I am speaking now of what transpires outside, leading into evil associations. The houses of the brethren are not evil associations normally. They may become spheres of special friendships which lead to leaven, but evil associations contemplated in chapter 10 go far wider than the houses of the saints surely. It is a question of an idol, of eating meats offered to idols and the like. I cannot go into that, I only touch the point, dear brethren. Let us judge what the apostle says, and look around and see how you get on in your business affairs, your acquaintances in business relations, and other such acquaintances. Where are they leading you? Are they leading you to compromise the fellowship? If they are, then look at this scripture. Not only read it, but understand it. Judge what the apostle says. Could you call a halt to those associations, these persons you go along with? Young persons here may go a long way with these evil companions, and then they sit down to the Lord’s supper. Listen to the apostle’s words: “Judge ye what I say”. You are taking the brethren with you in your evil companionships. Look what fellowship implies.

Well, that is all on chapter 10. Then this matter of the ministry meetings. It has come up very much of late, thank God. God is graciously encouraging the brethren in these meetings for ministry in our localities. It is one of the most interesting movements that I know of in recent times, bringing in the thought of the whole assembly, not the assembly as in chapter 11, not coming together “in assembly”, but the whole assembly gathered together in one place. It is a special matter, and God would show what is possible in such gatherings. The whole assembly in the place. Now what I read refers to judgment by persons who are listening to the prophets. I am using the word in the Scripture. The prophets are ^[p. 376] to speak by two or three, and let the others judge, whether the other prophets, or, by extension, the saints. I would prefer the latter. Anyway it must include the latter in our time. In the beginning the apostle had in mind that the other prophets would be the most likely to understand what their fellow prophets had said. Prophets ought to be charitable to each other. We are all, those of us who minister, rather apt to be critical of each other, which is not good. It does not promote unity in the faith. You understand, not the unity of the Spirit, but the unity of the faith, is implied in the ministry, and it is a great matter that there should be unity in the ministry; that the ministers should not be speaking at cross purposes, and if there be anything to correct, let the prophets speak, and let them do it in a charitable way and make it plain that it is a question of the truth and not of the minister, not an attack on the minister, but a question of the truth.

This leads me to remark on preferences for the prophets. We are apt to have our preferences, not because of their ability, not because of their spirituality, but because of their personality, because I have some personal link with them. It may be a local person, it may be that he belongs to our district or our locality, and he is first in our minds on account of that. God does not like that. It is a hindrance to Him and to the truth. A prophet is to understand his measure, and the brethren are to understand it, too, and to reckon accordingly. Let the standard and measure be Christ, not, as the apostle says, “measuring themselves by themselves” (2 Corinthians 10:12). The real standard is Christ; so that I have to measure the brother according to Christ, and the nearer he comes to Christ, the more valuable he is. Then he is not valued just because he is in our meeting, for the prophet is for the whole assembly. God has set in the assembly apostles and prophets. They are set in the assembly by God, not only in localities; so ^[p. 377] let us not clothe ourselves with any gift that is in our town. As merely possessing a gift he does not really add to us.

Now our verse says, “Let the others judge”, that is, what he says; it is not judging the prophet, but it is a question of the truth. He is a prophet truly enough, he is called that here, but he may say something that is not just right, and that has to be judged; otherwise we may allow, or admit of evil, or error because of our predilections as to the speaker. We may pass over things that he says. Let us be lovers of the truth, loving the truth is greater than loving the brethren. I say that without hesitation. The apostasy is coming on because of lack of love of the truth. Whoever says it, take it to heart, and do not gloss over anything that anyone says because of who says it. Love the truth. That is the important thing about these meetings that are becoming more frequent. Let the others judge. Let us be judges because of the truth, true Bereans, who even investigated what the apostle Paul said. They were noble, it says, they were judges as to the truth.

The next thing in chapter 5 of the second letter I reserved for the last, dear brethren, because it is here in the second letter that the apostle, instead of asking them to judge evil, is asking them really to forgive the offender. It is characteristically the restoration of a leper. It is a re-establishing letter. In fact he begins by saying, “He that establishes us with you in Christ ... is God”. It is an establishing letter, but establishing, not in a division, such as he described in the first letter, nor in the admission of evil, but in what is good. So it goes on to say, “and has anointed us, is God, who also has sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts”. He is establishing us on that line, as anointed, as sealed and as having the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. How He loves to do that. Stay there, dear brethren, that is what it means. He is establishing Paul with the Corinthians on those lines,

^[p. 378] and so in this chapter 5 he says, “whether we are beside ourselves, it is to God”. If he thought of God he was beside himself. I have often thought of that verse. I am sure there is not one here who would assume that he has ever been able to say that truthfully. What a thought it is! To God, he says, “we are beside ourselves”. God is so great in his mind, that as he allows the full thought of Him to come into his soul, he is beside himself. Would we not like to get some little experience like that.

One has thought lately of the abstract feature of our position, how God would press it upon us. He is entitled to look upon me and upon all of us entirely in relation to His own work. He is entitled to regard us abstractly, that is, in regard to the effect of His work in us. We shall be in eternity with Him, we shall be in the Father’s house as entirely according to what is effected in us, made like Christ. It is the work of God. Why should God not have the right to look at me from that point of view now? Paul asserts this in the strongest terms, and, however little the work is effected in us, we must begin with that, to arrive at such an experience as expressed here, that to God I am beside myself. I can leave all that He can leave. It is a question of power in the soul, taking account of what God takes account of and as He takes account of us. The apostle then goes on to say, “Because we thus judge”. It is a question of balance in spiritual things. It is not spasmodic, but a considered matter — a judgment; that “if one died for all, then were all dead”, or “had died”. It is not that they have died because Christ has died, but Christ’s death as having been for all, has shown that all were dead in a moral sense. Every sensation Godward had come to an end.

Think of the three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. What was that for? What a blank! I am not ignoring the effect of God’s work in the disciples, but as to the matter of life, they did not properly represent ^[p. 379] life. There was no one on earth who properly represented life until Jesus became Man, and when He died the thing had gone for three days and three nights. What was that to God? That life had gone; it was there infinitely in the Lord Jesus. He grew up before Him as a tender plant, as a root out of a dry ground. He drew nothing from His environment. It was all Himself. Five times we are told in the New Testament that heaven proclaimed, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight”. Well, that all stopped. You say, Jesus went to paradise. Jesus going to paradise is not the full thought of life. The full thought of life is Christ risen from the dead. It is Christ in a new condition. When He was in the flesh here it was in Him; He was it, but He alone. Heaven delighted in it as there, but for the moment He disappeared in death.

Let us take in the fact that He lay three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Why did He have to lie so long? The justice of God required it, the burial of Jesus was vicarious, as part of His death. Anyone who says differently is saying what is derogatory to Christ. Why should He lie for a moment in death save it was vicarious, to bring out the great fact that all were dead? But now He is raised again, and that is the judgment Paul arrives at; that “if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again”. It is Christ risen. The Father moved, dear brethren, as the three days and three nights ended. It was a wonderful moment for the Father. Let us think of what it was for Him to be bereaved of that precious Object of His affections for three days and three nights. Why should it be? It was! but let us understand why it should be. The Father, we are told, raised Him by His glory. Not simply by His power. He will raise all of us by His power, but I cannot say exactly that He will raise ^[p. 380] us by His glory. It is a question of the unlimited love of the Father reaching forth to take Him up out of that position. He was “raised up from among the dead by the glory of the Father” (Romans 6:4). If He has risen we are to live to Him. All outside of that is dead. Men may talk blatantly, their mouths speaking great things, but morally it is all dead. It is a state of death.

Now He is risen, and there are those who are living, and they live to Him who died for them and rose again. The apostle then goes on to new creation. Are we ready to follow this wonderful reasoning and this judgment which the apostle arrives at? — “we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again”. That is the great basic position as to life. Then, “henceforth know we no man after the flesh”. Here we have to stop and think. Have we reached a point like that? “Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more”. He will never be known again as He was here in the flesh. There was one Man in that condition and no other before or after. It was a unique condition He took up. He laid it down never to take it up again. He has now taken up a new condition in which we can have part. We have no part in the condition He took when down here; we know Him thus no more. So that “if any one be in Christ, there is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold all things have become new” (verse 17). One challenges oneself as to the ability to sit down calmly and arrive at a judgment that will lead in this direction, so that I understand that I am associated with Christ where He is — I have part where He is. God has made me fit for that. “If any one be in Christ there is a new creation”.

May God bless the word!