THE CONTINUATION OF THE TESTIMONY

P. van den Berg

Proverbs 4: 1–6; Mark 15: 21; 16: 3–5; 2 Timothy 2: 1–8

I would like to speak about the continuation of the testimony, and I have particularly in mind the way the older and the younger go together. There are not any separate classes in the assembly. Whether we are young or old, if we have accepted the Lord Jesus as our own personal Saviour and have the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are all set together in one body, and we are all brethren. In that way we are all together in the same relationship and that is one of the greatest things we can think of, spiritual relationships, in which we have through grace been put together. When we think of the testimony we think of the generation that is passing, and another generation that is coming. Many have laboured and have gone to be with the Lord, and we are thankful

for the faithfulness of many that have gone before us, who have served the Lord in their generation and have gone to be with Him. We can thank God for fathers and mothers who have been given to us; but they will go, and the burden of the testimony will fall on us. It is of all importance that older ones and younger ones should move together. It is wonderful to be in the flock, to be the subjects of the Lord’s own care, to enjoy the Lord’s provision, to have fatherly and motherly instruction.

The writer of The Proverbs was a son unto his father, tender and an only one in the sight of his mother, and he addresses particularly the younger generation on the line of experience. We have been speaking about making a collection (see Ecclesiastes 12: 11), and it is very important that we should lay up treasures in heaven, and that we have a treasure in our own hearts. The greatest treasure, of course, is the Lord Jesus Himself. God has given great treasure in that blessed Person. Paul says, “How shall he not also with him grant us all things?”, Romans 8: 32. The Father has opened His heart and has opened His house, He has opened His treasures; there is a great inheritance opened to us and it is for us all, old and young, to lay hold of it. Paul is particularly concerned about the continuation of the testimony in the way he writes to Timothy. He writes to him as to laying hold of “what is really life”, 1 Timothy 6: 19. There are a lot of things that are not really life. You will find that spiritual prosperity comes when you lay hold of what is really life. There are many things that are not wrong in themselves which are not really life, and if we are unduly occupied with them we shall miss the very best that God wants to give us to enjoy.

So one is concerned about spiritual prosperity

amongst us. The pleasure of Jehovah prospers in the hand of the Lord Jesus, and we have, in type, the Son of the Father’s love speaking in Proverbs. In chapter 6: 20 he says, “My son, observe thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother; bind them continually upon thy heart”. Just bind on your heart what we have received in these days together, and then “tie them about thy neck—when thou walkest, it shall lead thee …”. That means that you receive spiritual adornment in the teaching that comes to us. It is very beautiful to have such adornment, a meek and quiet spirit, which is precious to God. “When thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life”. All this is connected with the kingdom of the Son of the Father’s love. As you are enjoying the wonderful light that is shining it will preserve you from both the darkness, and the authority of darkness, which surround you.

Now it is very wonderful to see how Abraham and Isaac move together. There is the older generation and there is the younger generation. Isaac says, “My father”, and Abraham says, “My son”, and they two went on together (Genesis 22: 7, 8). We see the same in Elijah and Elisha. Elijah was going away and Elisha was the fresh generation, to continue the testimony, and they two go on together. It is not that Elisha is not tested; there were four moves which were a test to Elisha, but he was not prepared to part with Elijah, and the two went on together (2 Kings 2: 4–3). Oh how our hearts yearn that we may all go on together! In Matthew’s gospel the testimony is going on to the end. It is very interesting to see in that gospel how the Lord takes up the ass and the colt and how He sat

on them (Matthew 21: 7). The Lord takes on the two generations, and that is how the testimony is carried through. One generation is going, another is coming, and together they carry the burden of the testimony. They carry the Lord in testimony.

When we come to Mark’s gospel the colt only is mentioned. Mark was a young man and he had gone with Paul to the work of the Lord, then he missed his way and went back to Jerusalem. But it is wonderful what Mark experienced in the way of grace and the way he was recovered. Paul at the end could say, “Take Mark, and bring him with thyself, for he is serviceable to me for ministry”, 2 Timothy 4: 11. Here was a young man who was available for the continuation of the testimony; like all of us, he had been recovered. So Mark would understand, in speaking about the colt, the Lord’s concern about the younger generation for they were to carry on the testimony and needed to be set free. They are bound and, in a sense, we can thank God for certain limitations that are upon us, but the time comes when the Lord claims us; it is then we are needed. The time has come, I believe, when the Lord is in need of the younger ones. We are very thankful to hear young brothers in the meetings—and that does not, of course, mean that the young sisters are not needed in the testimony. All are needed, sisters and brothers.

The whole epistle to the Romans was written in order to commend one sister, Phoebe, “minister of the assembly which is in Cenchrea” (Romans 16: 1), and Paul speaks of those women “who have contended along with me in the glad tidings”, Philippians 4: 3. Then we find women ministering to the Lord of their substance. How important is the part of the sisters in the bearing of the burdens of the testimony! So that in Luke a young man and a young woman are raised up.

It says of the young man whom Jesus raised that he “began to speak” (Luke 7: 15), and when the Lord raised up the damsel He commanded they should give her something to eat (Luke 8: 55). So it is not just for the young brothers, but for the young sisters also. Both must receive spiritual food in order to have spiritual substance to communicate to others. Now we can understand how Mark writes with a sense of grace in being recovered. He would feel that he lost his garment at a critical juncture in the testimony, because he was not properly girded with the truth. The young man in Mark 14: 52 had a linen garment but he did not appear to have a girdle. We must not hold the truth loosely, but we must needs be strengthened and have our loins girded with the truth, that we may keep our garment, and be available for priestly service.

Both Mark and Luke were available to Paul at the end of his testimony, and were available to continue in the light of Paul’s ministry. That is what I desire to stress. Both on the prophetic line, as in Mark, and the priestly conflict, as in Luke’s gospel, there is need for the young ones, and for us all, to be identified unreservedly with the sufferings of the testimonial position here. I am sure that if the older generation is identified with the cross of Jesus, if Simon the Cyrenian is here, there is bound to be a generation available in the testimony, because this Simon is said to be the father of Alexander and Rufus. No doubt they were known among the brethren, and they had a father who carried the cross of Jesus. You young people have parents who have identified themselves with the testimony, and the Lord wants you to be identified with the testimonial setting here. We may feel weak, but the Lord has provided for that. He knows our hearts and our desires; He knows we

want to follow Him, and following the Lord Jesus means bearing His cross. He is a wonderful Friend to help us and be with us. He will never, never let us down. His wonderful grace is available for all our weakness. If I am to follow in this way I feel nothing but weakness, and then the Lord Jesus comes and says, “My grace suffices thee; for my power is perfected in weakness”, 2 Corinthians 12: 9.

So we find there is a young man in the sepulchre in Mark. However much we may have failed, the answer to it is what God has secured in resurrection, in which we have justification. When we come to resurrection there is no failure; everything liable to fail is finished in the death of Christ. Everything needed for God in the continuation of the testimony is secured in resurrection. So the women say, ‘Who shall roll away the stone?’. How will the testimony go through? Will the testimony go through? Yes, it will go through; the stone is rolled away. If the testimony is to go through God has angels to make way for it. Have you ever thought of the service of angels? They are servants of those who are heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1: 14). They are particularly interested in the children. You can count on angelic help. You may say, ‘What will the school teacher say?’. You see things that are in the way, and you do not see your path clearly. God will clear the way for you. God can clear the way for the youngest amongst us. These women could not roll away the stone; you could not roll away that stone; an angel rolled away the stone (Matthew 28: 2). There is a young man in the grave clothed in a white robe. Is that not wonderful? I think that Mark really experienced it and that thus he was serviceable to Paul for ministry.

So Paul in writing to Timothy says, “Remember Jesus Christ raised from among the dead”. Here is

a young brother. Timothy, and Paul says to him, “Thou therefore, my child, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus”. Not, ‘Be strong in yourself’; you cannot rely on your own strength. The Lord says, “Without me ye can do nothing”, John 15: 5. Peter was weak when he trusted in his own strength. But when, in your weakness, you trust in the Lord Jesus, you find He is a wonderful Priest who gives you grace. Paul says, “Be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. And the things thou hast heard of me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, such as shall be competent to instruct others also”. That is the continuation of the testimony. Here is another generation in Timothy. Timothy and Paul went on together. Paul’s ways were in Christ and Timothy reminded the Corinthians of Paul’s ways. They two went on together, and Paul says, “Take thy share in suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”. Timothy had a father in Paul who, in principle, bore the cross of Jesus, and Paul had a spiritual generation in which the testimony was continued. That is the concern of the moment, that we may be fully available in the continuation of the testimony.

We do not know when the Lord Jesus will come, but Paul is writing here feeling he was about to go. He had combated the good combat, he had kept the faith, and now Timothy was to carry on as a good soldier himself, and other faithful men are called on. Paul speaks of not being entangled with the affairs of life. Have your ‘collection’ where neither moth nor rust destroys. Have a good treasure in your own heart so that you may be able to stand in an evil day, and be available for the completion of the testimony. Take your full share in it. Ask the Lord to give you increased desire; He loves to give you the desires of your heart. Paul, as a father, exhorts Timothy to be occupied with these things so that his progress may be

manifest to all (1 Timothy 4: 15). So you gather up in your treasury fresh things all the time, and in the part that you take in the service of God there will be increase and freshness. How wonderful to see how Samuel developed in the temple, how he grew, and what motherly concern there was for him. Every year his mother brought him a little coat and every time she came it would be a larger one; there was spiritual increase (1 Samuel 2: 21).

May the Lord encourage our younger ones—may He encourage us all—in view of the continuation of the testimony, to be fully committed to it. Paul says to Timothy, “Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner”, 2 Timothy 1: 8. The present testimony, which is the Lord’s, carries this distinct feature that it is bound up with the ministry of the apostle Paul. May we all be fully committed to it, for His name’s sake.

Address at Gothenburg, Sweden
7 August 1976