JUDGMENT (7)
[p. 383] JUDGMENT (7)
1 Corinthians 1:1-3; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; 1 Corinthians 2: 1 - 16; 1 Corinthians 6: 1 - 4
JT These scriptures have been selected so that the minds of the saints may be lifted up in regard to the subject that has been under consideration in these meetings. As the elevating thoughts in these scriptures come before us, we will be occupied with spiritual matters including, of course, intelligence. In chapter 5 we have sorrowful matters alluded to, but the thought is not to be occupied with these. The assembly itself is an entity but having a constitution of its own, and whilst it is collective, the second chapter will show that the individuals forming the assembly are in mind too, so that the passage makes room for the Spirit. We cannot have the Spirit really, or have part in it, except our minds are brought into it. In speaking of the assembly as first mentioned, the assembly of God, a peculiarly characteristic term, she has the mind of Christ. That is to say, the faculty by which we think and understand.
And then the passage in chapter 6 shows how the future will be brought to bear upon us now as to matters which relate to current conditions in the world, so that it is said to the Corinthians, “Do ye not then know that the saints shall judge the world?” That is to say, the world, not as a creation, but the persons that are in it, are responsible to God, for the saints shall judge them. And then as to angels, I suppose those that have not kept their first estate are in mind, the saints are to judge them too. “Are ye unworthy of the smallest judgments? Do ye not know that we shall judge angels?” So that it is this side of the matter that is in mind at this time, not to engage us with the ordinary side of the subjects of the epistle but with this thought of elevation, as to the assembly itself and of the persons who form it. It is said of them, “of him”, (that is, of God) “are ye in Christ Jesus, who has been made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption”. That is to say, our origin is from God in Christ. That is a wonderful thought. All these things enter into our formation and constitution.
RWS Would the depravity of Corinth and the way they were led by dumb idols form a background to the dignity into which the gospel brought the Corinthians as being the assembly of God in that city?
JT Well, I would think so; it is the effect of the gospel that is in view. It is the idea of the constitution of the assembly; the assembly of God, giving it a great place in the administration of God in this world, because it is a matter of administrative service in localities — how God has access to localities in this great institution called the assembly of God. It is not exactly the mystery, as elsewhere, but the assembly of God. It is what God has in certain places, and what He works out in the persons who form it. They are to consider their calling into the fellowship of God’s Son and what they were outwardly in the government of God. God did not select the great people of this world, nor the nobles of this world. He selected those that were of little or no account in it. And we have to take account of that in order to be before God as to the service He has for us in the assembly. These things that God has made us in Christ are to show us the greatness of our constitution: “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who has been made to us wisdom from God”. It is not simply wisdom, but wisdom from God, because God is the great leading thought in the epistle. Christ is made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption. He links everything up so as to keep before us what we are and the resources that are available to us.
And so what develops in the second chapter is to make a way for the operations of the Spirit. It is a question of the Spirit, and the greatness of the things, that “eye [p. 385] has not seen, and ear not heard, and which have not come into man’s heart, which God has prepared for them that love him”. The love of God is brought into it, which is a peculiar touch to the whole position; it is those who love God, and what He prepares for them. And so it goes on, “but God has revealed to us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God”. So that we are reminded of the full range of things in which God has set us. Then it goes on: “For who of men hath known the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? thus also the things of God knows no one except the Spirit of God. But we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we may know the things which have been freely given to us of God: which also we speak”. So that we are led on to the statement, “For who has known the mind of the Lord, who shall instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ”. The mind alludes to the power of thought, the thinking faculty that we have; showing the elevating character of instruction furnished in the chapter. All this will work out in the coming day in the judgment in which we shall have part — judging the world and judging angels.
AR Did you say that the local assembly is the sphere where God is operating at the present time?
JT It is, in a limited sense, whereas the general thought of the dispensation, as to operation, is universal; that is to say, the sphere of it is the expanse, which is available for God’s operations.
AR The first chapter refers to the wisdom of God and the power of God. Do we see these in the local assemblies?
JT Yes; only the general feature is seen in chapter 12.
TNW What was in your mind in the word ‘constitution’?
JT What gives character to the assembly as the vessel of [p. 386] testimony.
CAM The fact that we have been given that, and the expression to which you were referring — “we have the mind of Christ” — tests us as to whether we use what is available.
JT Well, quite so; we have the mind of Christ in the sense of the Spirit operating.
ANW How comprehensive is that ‘we’? I notice it is emphatic. I suppose it is relative with the ‘we’ in verse 12: “But we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we may know the things which have been freely given to us of God”. It is not specially apostolic, is it, but more general?
JT It is constitutional, alluding to the character of the assembly; the exalted character of the assembly in power of thought. Of course, the Lord’s supper, which we have often spoken of in this sense, enters into that; the remembrance has the force of a calling to mind.
JTJr Is the term, “the assembly of God”, as used in verse 2, objective? If so we have to keep that in mind, over against the possible conditions that might be in a local meeting.
JT The objective thought in the first nine verses of the first chapter really does not imply that it was characteristic of each person; it is simply to make way for the teaching of the epistle. The basis is that all these things were there in the objective sense. So that it is said, “I thank my God always about you, in respect of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus; that in everything ye have been enriched in him” (notice that it is “in him”), “in all word of doctrine, and all knowledge”. That has to be understood abstractly because it is not confirmed in the actual working out of the epistle. There was very great defect in them; so that God presents the whole matter in a very generous way as giving them credit for having these things, but it is only “in Christ”; the objective is [p. 387] in Christ.
FHL Who has he in mind when he says that they spoke wisdom among them that are perfect?
JT To such as the Ephesians, I would think: “But we speak wisdom among the perfect; but wisdom not of this world”. That is to say, the perfect would be such saints as the Ephesians. They are seen in Scripture, I think, as the acme of Paul’s work, and hence, Ephesus is the first assembly mentioned in the special writings of the Lord in the book of Revelation.
JAP This epistle was written from Ephesus, was it not?
JT That is right.
AI How was the testimony here confirmed in them? It says, “as the testimony of the Christ has been confirmed in you”, verse 6. Was that brought about through the teaching of the apostle?
JT It would be, but it is more general, and intended to bring out the greatness of the position in the objective sense. An objective way of presenting things in the first chapter is used which has to be understood and carried through in later inquiry. They are viewed as ‘confirmed’.
ANW As to the Corinthians themselves, he has to say (chapter 3: 1), “I, brethren, have not been able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly; as to babes in Christ”.
JT Yes, and so they were not up to the objective thought. But the idea of the objective is quite intelligible to us, or ought to be, as presented in this epistle.
RWS The constitution of the assembly survives the public breakdown, does it not?
JT You use the word ‘survive’. What is your further thought?
RWS That what is in Christ goes through. And I wondered if there is not some relationship between the foundation of God standing sure and the constitution and dignity of the assembly standing, [p. 388] too.
JT I think that is very good and works out more clearly what is in mind as to the objective side in the early part of the first chapter. You could not have the assembly at all unless we kept in mind the abstract thought of the constitution of it. The thing goes through in the sense of the Spirit being here. The Spirit is here constantly from the time He came. One of the greatest facts we can have before us is the assurance, the Spirit being here, of the assembly going through, according to 1 Thessalonians 4.
SW Would you say there are those in local assemblies that would answer to these thoughts that are set forth objectively here? I have in mind such as the house of Chloe.
JT Quite so.
RWS Was it the divine mind that these capital cities should be taken up in view of the testimony? I understand that this city was the capital of Achaia, Thessalonica the capital of Macedonia, Ephesus the capital of the province of Asia, and Rome the capital city of the empire. Was it in the divine thought to take these points into the testimony?
JT I would say so, that God was making His selections to set His testimony in them. All these places that you have mentioned were existing then, therefore we can deal with them as existent, in working out the truth.
AR Will judgment mark the world to come? And will the government of God be seen operating through the assembly, whereas, now, it should be seen in every locality where the assembly is?
JT Yes. The testimony now is in the assembly. The testimonial time, therefore, is very brief. That is to say, God is taking up this and that city just for a short time to set out His testimony in them. In the millennium it will be for 1,000 years and in the eternal state it will be permanent. There will be a session of judgment as to [p. 389] the world and as to angels; and the assembly clearly will have part in all these great matters.
ABP How are the features spoken of in chapter 1: 30 appropriated? It says, “who has been made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption”.
JT Well, it would be a question, I suppose, of ministry. It is only the fact here, not how it has been arrived at in detail. “Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who has been made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption”. It is just the fact that is mentioned, but it is enough that we have the fact that these thoughts are in Christ. But you have something more in your mind.
ABP Well, I thought that they seem to be held out for spiritual response in the hearts of us all, and I would like to avail myself of them.
JT Just so. They are great facts for the whole assembly; a basis for operation, so that we should be perfected in the truth.
JTJr These four things mentioned are, of themselves, great fundamental truths: wisdom from God, righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Each one of them is a cardinal part of the truth.
JT Quite so, showing how those of us who have returned to the truth in any measure, having come out of the systems of men, can look for something for God; because we are more able to enter into the truth and work it out, the Spirit helping us. This is something extremely important in the mind of heaven, because God has what He can use to work out His thoughts according to His mind.
ATD Would the “of him” in verse 30 of chapter 1 have a link with the assembly of God in verse 2?
JT Quite so. The “of” in verse 2 has the same force as it has in verse 30.
ANW Does not the last remark in chapter 1 show [p. 390] that these other more or less virtues are not in ourselves, so that the boasting is alone in the Lord. “He that boasts, let him boast in the Lord”.
JT Yes, so that if there is any rejoicing or boasting it is because of what is in the Lord; not so much because of what His work is effecting in our souls by the Spirit. The epistle will deal with the work of the Spirit later on. For the moment it is the great general thought of chapter 1.
TEH Will you help us in regard to the suggestion of redemption? Does that secure the persons?
JT Well, it does; we are redeemed, and the Lord thus owns us. We are His property.
TEH I was thinking of the future, in relation to the securing of believers’ bodies.
JT Well, if you look at Romans 8 you will see that salvation of our bodies is spoken of there, verse 23. Thus the complete man is secured through redemption; not only the body and soul, but the man; the word salvation covers the whole man.
ABP Would you say that, as we sit in care and as we ask the Lord to be with us, this principle or feature of wisdom from God is made available to us in relation to the matters that are under consideration?
JT Well, I would say that there is more than that, because all that is mentioned in verse 30 is present and is there in some sense. The Lord Himself is with us. “Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who is made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption”. It has some concrete application to each believer, and I think that gives us moral power. All these things are to be used together. Thus we have the means for carrying on, and being what God’s mind is as to us.
CAM We have the things mentioned potentially.
JT Yes, the brethren have a mind. The first thing we should begin with in our christian experience is the Lord’s supper. We are supposed to have a mind; so it is for a calling of the Lord to mind. Well, that is the basis of all that follows.
AI Do you think Abigail had the mind of God in relation to David? In speaking of David she said that God would build him a sure house.
JT Yes. Abigail could not have had very much acquaintance with David; whatever she did have, it would all be objective, but nevertheless she had something that would be attributable to her subjectively as to her thoughts of David. And so he says to her, “blessed be thy discernment”.
ETP In chapter 5, when the apostle Paul was seeking to help the brethren in relation to a certain matter, he says, “Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, according as ye are unleavened”, verse 7.
JT That is an abstract thought — purging out something, and yet the Corinthians were unleavened; ‘as ye are unleavened’. It is not as ye ought to be, but as ye are; that is abstract.
AR Do you think that what is in Christ Jesus is beyond what can be corrupted?
JT Well, I would say that. It is objective truth.
AR The apostle Paul uses the expression “in Christ Jesus” a great deal in his second epistle to Timothy.
FSC Would His being “made to us” mean that the four things mentioned in chapter 1: 30 are personified in Christ?
JT He is made them to us. We might say that it is through ministry, in some sense, but it is just the fact that the things are there. The personification in Christ of these four things is a little too much to say. It is a question of Christ being made these things to us.
DP Would the constitution, which Paul is bringing forward here, become the means by which everything is tested in the assembly? It is [p. 392] final.
JT I would go with that fully. In the first chapter it is more abstract, but nevertheless in some sense it is final, because it is the mind of God for the assembly.
FHL The second chapter starts, “And I ...” Is the apostle beginning to work things out as among them, in that sense?
JT He says, “And I, when I came to you, brethren, came not in excellency of word, or wisdom, announcing to you the testimony of God. For I did not judge” (note the word judge) “I did not judge it well to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified”. That is, he wanted to be very simple amongst them, not showing very much depth, as if a simple christian, so that the Corinthians should be able to take in all he had to say. In going to a meeting amongst them he would not make a show of learning; he would speak so that they would understand him. When he came to them it was not in excellency of word or wisdom announcing to them the testimony of God. But he shows the wisdom in which the apostolic service was carried on.
JTJr He had certain caution as taking account of the character of the place. He says, “I did not judge ...”, which would mean that he would think over what he should say in Corinth.
ANW They were babes in Christ. He gives the status that they were babes, but in Christ.
JT The Lord’s word to him about Corinth was, “no one shall set upon thee to injure thee; because I have much people in this city”, Acts 18: 10. Paul would understand from the Lord’s remarks that he was to stay there and go through things with them, beginning with the very rudiments, as it were, and bringing them on to the full thought of christianity. Hence he was there eighteen months, which is remarkable. I was down in the south recently for a good few weeks, but if I had been there eighteen months I would think that I [p. 393] had been a very long time there; longer than I should be, and am sure most of us would think that too. But the facts show us that Paul was a long time in Corinth, and did not hesitate to be a long time there, so as to gain all that the Lord had in mind, for there was “much people”. I do not know how many saints were in the assembly there but, as the Lord says, “much people”, we may conclude that there was a large assembly. It was a very great matter in the Lord’s mind to secure every believer that was there.
AR What was abstract, as to the Corinthians, in chapter 1 was true in the apostle. In chapter 2 he says that his ministry was “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power”, and then he goes on to say that the faith of the Corinthians might not stand in men’s wisdom but in God’s power.
JT Well, that goes to show that he wanted them to get the whole truth and that it should be presented to them in demonstration of the Spirit, so that their faith should stand in the power of God.
CWM How would you reconcile the third verse of chapter 2 with what has been said in relation to the constitution of the assembly?
JT Well, he says, “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling; and my word and my preaching, not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power”. That is, he was there so as to be intelligible to them; to be amongst them as one of themselves, as it were, and so that they should be without fear in listening to him and asking questions. I think that is the idea; a brother to be helpful gets down to where the brethren are.
RWS How do you get what you minister in a place? Is it when you get to the place, or does the Lord give something before arriving?
JT Well, it is a question of what you are dealing with; if you are going to have meetings for three days,
[p. 394] well, that is not to be merely local; you take in the facts, and your mind gauges how matters should be; you have to be more universal in your outlook than if it were merely a Saturday afternoon with just one or two meetings to be entered upon; the scope is not so great. Three-day meetings are a great matter and require great attention; you might need to begin a long time before. But the Lord will be with you; because He is very gracious and comes down to where we are. He knows what we need to prepare in view of the persons who may attend. The work of God calls for our full attention and requires freshness. Thus it must be not only a question of study. The persons likely to be present must be considered, also the districts, whence they come. The occasion is more to the Lord than it can be to the brother who is to serve, thence much time should be taken and thoughtfulness. A meeting like we have this afternoon, to speak simply, is not a great matter requiring much consideration beforehand. As a matter of fact I did not have much time and hence had to hasten, but the Lord has helped. He knows where we are and what we have to do and comes down to us. The Lord would give us to understand that He knows us thoroughly and is with us as we are with Him. Indeed the Spirit says, “even as he is, we also are in this world”, 1 John 4: 17. It is also said, “we have the mind of Christ”. We are like Him in that sense and He is like us too.
JTJr Would what you have in mind all enter into this thought of the demonstration and Paul’s attitude amongst the Corinthians? Paul’s ministry would be that — a demonstration of the Spirit.
JT Yes, it was marked by a demonstration of the Spirit and power.
ANW That he was with them “in weakness and in fear and in much trembling” was his own election, was it not? He elected to be [p. 395] that way.
JT That is just what he indicates. His attitude in that sense was deliberate. It was to the end that the Corinthians should understand that he was not simply one that had power over them because of his ability, but was capable of getting to where they were in order that the truth should reach them and affect them.
RWS So this ‘much trembling’ was not nervousness; it is not of faith to be unduly nervous or upset before a meeting, is it?
JT Quite; Paul was great enough to be normal in his feelings in any anxiety he had as to the saints or the results of his ministry.
SM In Ephesus the apostle fought with beasts; that was the position there; but here he speaks of being in fear and trembling. He could adapt himself to whatever there was in the place, do you think?
JT One just wonders how Paul would be literally in all these cases that he presents to us. If you were there, what would you see? How real these circumstances were to him!
EAL I think you have helpfully said that in view of extended meetings one might have a line of doctrine or truth, but the detail would be left for the Spirit as the time arrived. It is said in our chapter that “the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God”.
JT Well, quite so.
EAL So that a brother need not be upset or confused if certain details that he had in mind do not open up. There is a danger in having all the detail worked out beforehand.
JT Just so; you must leave room for the Spirit and He may indicate something that was not thought of. The Spirit brings out things we never thought of, so that we should always have our minds open for His services.
AI Do you think there is a possibility with us that our faith may stand in men’s wisdom? It says, in chapter 2: 5, “that your faith might not stand in men’s wisdom, but in God’s power”.
JT Well, quite; the apostle was concerned that their faith should stand in the power of God. And in these cases we just have to visualise what he went through; what apostolic ministry Paul had. The supreme idea of the mind of God as to anything is seen in Paul.
DP Would this approach make him an object of ridicule to the Corinthians?
JT No doubt. But you could not be sure that the person who said that his bodily presence was weak said the truth, because he was an opposer.
CAM The apostle could have gone with a rod. That would have been a more deliberate way — just the opposite of this, I suppose.
JT Just so; not a literal rod, of course, but some means of making them feel things in a spiritual sense, as a rod would make them feel things physically.
JTJr Would the apostle be in touch with the brethren in this way by the Spirit? Is it not right to try to link on in the Spirit with the brethren in a meeting? As sitting amongst the brethren we should be in touch with them, in a spiritual sense; as it says here, “thus also the things of God knows no one except the Spirit of God”, verse 11.
JT Sitting amongst them, as you say, the Spirit would be ready to operate. Well, I have heard of a person who would rehearse all he would say in the meeting, before the meeting. I would be ashamed to do that.
ATD When the apostle Paul was in Athens his spirit was painfully excited, but when he got to Areopagus he was bold in presenting the gospel.
JT It was a good word too; one that we often quote. I am glad that you mention that. It gives an idea of what apostolic ministry was — how the apostle acted according to circumstances, and was ready for [p. 397] things coming up that he had not anticipated; because the matter was put upon him suddenly.
SM Paul refers to himself as a wise architect; would that fit in with what we are saying?
JT Very much. An architect would lay down his plans; he would know the measure of the structure to be built. Paul would think much of what was needed at Corinth, I am sure. The development of the truth from his point of view extended over many years. It did not take place at once. We have the twelve first, and then the thing went on for a good many years according to the book of Acts. It took years until the whole truth was developed. Of course, God helped throughout and so we have the truth in perfect accuracy.
AR Verse 10 of our chapter reads, “the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God”. I suppose we have to make room for the Spirit to search out things in such meetings as this.
JT That shows how universal the thought was: He “searches all things”, not simply things such as christians getting relief in their consciences and the like, but the depths of God. Think of that! That is not what happens in a christian’s soul; it is what happens in the depths of God. How wonderful that is!
RWS Is it greater, in a sense, to judge things now in the time of testimony than in the millennium?
JT Well, I think it is. The present is greater than the millennial period. But returning to our scriptures, I believe all that precedes is in mind in coming to the sixth chapter; so the apostle says, “Dare any one of you, having a matter against another, prosecute his suit before the unjust, and not before the saints?” And now he is going to tell us that we are going to judge the world. That is to say, he has laid down the basis of all that beforehand; he has already laid the basis of judgment. Think of judging the world! What world is it? It is the world, I believe, in the abstract sense; the [p. 398] world of history, that has to be judged, but at the same time it is a world of education and that sort of thing, and we have to take account of all that; to judge it. We have ability to have part in the judgment of it. Paul had laid the basis for all this before he reaches the thought of judging the world. And then we are to judge angels. We know very little about them. But the apostle inquires, “Do ye not know that we shall judge angels?”
ANW Would you say a word as to how the saints, as judging the world, stand related to the appointed Man who will judge the habitable earth. “God ... has set a day in which he is going to judge the habitable earth in righteousness by the man whom he has appointed”. I wondered whether the Lord would exercise that judgment through the saints.
JT The saints judging the world, as stated in our chapter, does not mean that the judgment of the world will be left wholly to them. Christ has been appointed to judge the world and the saints will have part in it. That is what I understand. The same principle, in the sense of blessing, is seen in Ephesians 1: Christ is given to be Head over all things to the assembly. It has part in the headship.
RHS Is that in keeping with the One that judges and makes war in Revelation 19?
JT Well, it is; that is a military idea however; here it is a question of judgment.
CFE Would you say that chapter 6: 1, 2, puts the saints in a dignified position as to judgment?
JT Yes; when you are called upon to judge the world, or to have part in it, you will know, but what do we know about it now? What are we doing about it now? Sometimes I say that I have a judgment about everyone I know, especially the brethren, and maybe myself, and you may think of me in that sense; but we should think of each other in a gracious, generous way. We want to think of each other rightly, as God does.
[p. 399] It is a question of God and men; we finally come to that in the book of Revelation: “the tabernacle of God is with men”, chapter 21: 3.
JAP Is this matter of judging the world the result of our judging ourselves? We have learned to judge ourselves.
JT Just so; know yourself and God, know God first, of course, and then yourself. In judging myself I have a true judgment of what man should be before God. I think that is the way to get practical help — to have right thoughts; and God can use you on those lines, because He is going to deal with men as such and use us in judging them.
ABP In the gospels, the Lord invariably left an impression of God upon the minds of His hearers, did He not? It was so, even with those who tempted Him, such as: “Pay therefore what is Caesar’s to Caesar, and what is God’s to God.”, Luke 20: 25. Is that the basis of right judgment?
JT Just so. God has made men with a mind and with a spirit. From the very outset man, becoming a being, had a mind and a spirit. God has therefore a being before Him that He can judge and that He can use for judgment. That is what is in mind here as to ourselves, that we are to judge the world. Well, that is a great word, you know — a great thought as to the world and all that inhabit it at any given time, and the persons that are capable of judging them. For instance, if we consider the Asiatics at the present time; suppose any one of us were called upon to judge all the men of Asia! Well, that is a great thought, but not too great for God, nor for those who form the assembly.
WWM You spoke of having a judgment about one another. Is not that the proper idea in relation to our intelligent prayer for one another? How could we pray for one another unless we had a judgment of each other? Do you think that [p. 400] is right?
JT I do think it is right. We should have a judgment about each other; not a critical, adverse judgment, but what God would give us as having His Spirit.
AMacD Would those of the household of Chloe have a right judgment and in that way help in the apostle’s judgment of conditions at Corinth?
JT Just so; not only Chloe herself, but the persons of her household; they would be able to talk about things in a true sense, not as mere tattle, but in their true importance. So that the house of Chloe would give information to Paul, and he valued it and used it.
ABP It will be interesting to hear what the Queen of Sheba will say when she rises up in judgment with the generation that refused Christ.
JT Well, quite so. The Lord says, “A queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation”, Matthew 12: 24.
ABP Do you think that it will be some positive impression of what she has gained from Solomon?
JT Yes. I would say that fully. Some of us were thinking about that in Australia recently. It is “A queen of the south”. The south is one of the most important parts of the earth today; I refer to that because of the number of brethren that are in it. Australia is further south than the area that the Queen of Sheba occupied, I know, but the Lord linked her with the south.
DP Would it be right to say that, while man has lost his state of innocency, he has gained, in recovery, through the knowledge of good and evil, a judgment of evil, and appreciation for what is good?
JT Man, as a christian, has — for that is what you mean — because a christian is enlightened, has a conscience and can judge things accordingly.
RWS Will the judgment of the world be done rapidly, do you [p. 401] think?
JT Well, if we go by the angel of Revelation 14 who preaches the everlasting gospel, I would say it will be done rapidly. He flies in mid-heaven. I do not think God will use a great period of time in specific judgment. The book of Revelation indicates the contrary. (Compare Revelation 11).