THE ANOINTED VESSEL (4)
[p. 171] THE ANOINTED VESSEL (4)
— The particular object that we have in view in considering this epistle is to examine, with the Lord’s help, what is the divine thought with regard to each local assembly; that is, that God may have a vessel clothed with dignity by the anointing, a vessel that He can use for the testimony. We have specially in view that passage in chapter 12, where the saints are spoken of under the figure of the human body; they are regarded as “the Christ” (the Anointed), having been “in the power of one Spirit ... baptised into one body”, and having been all “given to drink of one Spirit” 1 Corinthians 12:13. Our inquiries have led us as far as chapter 5. We can pass in review the chapters preceding chapter 11.
Yesterday afternoon, at the end of our meeting, we were occupied with the passover and the feast of unleavened bread. The two great features of that feast were set forth at the time of the Lord’s death. The passover referred to Himself. So it says, in that chapter 5, that “our passover, Christ, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7); Christ has been sacrificed for us. The feast of unleavened bread is that which corresponds in us. So we are enjoined to celebrate the feast, “not with old leaven, nor with leaven of malice and wickedness, but with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” 1 Corinthians 5:8. It was said that in Matthew and Mark, the disciples were eating when the Supper was introduced — “as they were eating”. This epistle speaks of eating, that is to say an act preparatory for the Lord’s supper. Unless we eat, that is to say, celebrate the feast of unleavened bread, we shall not be prepared for the Lord’s supper.
— [p. 172] Should the fact that we must eat in order to be able to take the Lord’s supper discourage us?
— It seems to me that the question of eating ought rather to encourage us, providing it is a matter of celebrating the feast “with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” 1 Corinthians 5:8. The unbeliever says, “Let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die” (1 Corinthians 15:32); while, on the contrary, we eat and drink in order to live.
— What is the thought of eating unleavened bread?
— We eat it to avoid being puffed up, but at the same time to maintain spiritual energy.
— It is not for the flesh, but for the spirit.
— It produces a spiritual constitution. The Corinthians were puffed up, which shows that they were not celebrating the feast with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. These two things are mentioned in Matthew. When the disciples were eating, the Lord tests them as to the one who would betray Him. “And as they were eating, he said, Verily I say to you, that one of you shall deliver me up” Matthew 26:21. Such a challenge searches our hearts, for we have very treacherous hearts, and while we might partake of the passover outwardly, we may perhaps have neglected to search our hearts. We do well to acknowledge humbly and solemnly that our hearts are capable of betraying the Lord. The psalmist invites Jehovah to search him, to see if there be any wicked thing in his heart.
— “Search me, O God, and know my heart; prove me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any grievous way in me; and lead me in the way everlasting” Psalm 139:23,24.
— It says here, “Let a man prove himself”. It is necessary for the brethren to examine us, before we are recognised as being in fellowship, but the Lord’s challenge implied that each one was to examine himself. “One of you shall deliver me up”, (Matthew 26:21) He says. And each one asks Him, “Is it I, Lord?” So, while [p. 173] they were eating, the Lord took bread, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body” Matthew 26:26.
— Judas says, “Is it I, Rabbi?” And the Lord answers him, “Thou hast said” Matthew 26:25. But the other disciples were exceedingly grieved, each one asking, “Is it I Lord?” Matthew 26:22. You see the contrast between the one who was eating the passover formally and those who are grieved: these are searched.
— Life was found with the latter.
— Each of them said, “Is it I, Lord?” while Judas said, “Is it I, Rabbi?”
— Does the feast of the passover form the introduction to the Lord’s supper?
— According to Matthew and Mark, the act of eating precedes the introduction of the Lord’s supper, and the Supper is introduced as something to be eaten. In Luke, eating is not spoken of in connection with the Supper; it is a question rather of order, and the Lord’s supper is formally separated from the passover. Luke gives us two cups. Matthew and Mark only speak of one cup.
— How do you explain that eating unleavened bread is a feast?
— I believe that, in chapter 5, the word is only used in relation to the feast of unleavened bread; it is a term constantly employed in Israel. As to its spiritual meaning, that feast is transferred to the nations; but it is not God’s intention that the legal idea should be transferred.
— I put that question, thinking of that which Mr. C. asked, if it was discouraging to us. I find that on the contrary it should be very encouraging.
— What is formal is transferred to Christians in its spiritual meaning. The Lord did not intend to transfer to Christians the Jewish feasts, except in their spiritual sense. The only formal sacraments we possess are baptism and the Lord’s supper. God never intended that the passover, Pentecost and the [p. 174] ascension should be formally recognised among Christians; that is why it does not say, ‘the passover, Christ’ — but “our passover, Christ” 1 Corinthians 5:7. That is to say, the apostle is not occupied with the feast in a Jewish or formal way, but he speaks of the passover in its spiritual application, and of that which is spiritually superior to what is material.
— We have that which we can enjoy every day of the week.
— In Deuteronomy 16:3, it says, “Thou shalt eat no leavened bread along with it” — with the passover — “seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread with it”.
— The feasts typify what is spiritual, in whatever book of the Old Testament they may be found, and the principle of Deuteronomy is to make things as spiritual as possible. We can understand that at the end of forty years of exercises in the wilderness, the people were more spiritual than at the beginning. We see therefore that the feasts are reduced to three in the book of Deuteronomy; the law itself is reduced, and it is a matter of love. We must grasp the spirit, the spiritual meaning of what is written. And let us not forget that the letter kills, but the Spirit quickens.
— In Deuteronomy it says that Jehovah loved the people. That is what we can enjoy every day of the week. Our relations one toward the other, during the week, should be on the principle of the unleavened bread. Chapter 5 is occupied with someone who may be called brother and be guilty of one of the sins that are mentioned. The feast of unleavened bread requires us not to mix, not even to eat with such a man. We ought to be distinguished from ordinary people of this world, for the first epistle to the Corinthians views us as being externally in the world. In our everyday relations, we meet all kinds of persons, but it is a question of maintaining the feast of the unleavened bread of truth and sincerity. It [p. 175] maintains us, notwithstanding all the unclean persons that we meet, but if one of these persons is called brother, we are not even to eat with him.
— That raises many serious questions. It is a matter of being able to discern those who are eating unleavened bread and those who are full of leaven.
— As to what is amongst us, we are responsible to keep a suitable place for the Lord.
— There are other points which go with the feast of unleavened bread. Chapter 6 takes account of Christians who go to law with one another, even before the unjust. Chapter 7 is occupied with the very complicated question of marriage. Chapter 8 is occupied with idolatry. Chapter 10 resumes the subject of idolatry, specially drawing our attention to the fact that many may outwardly profess Christianity and have part in all its outward privileges, and at the same time become subjects of God’s judgment. The apostle fixes our attention on an important principle which governs the Old Testament types, that is, that everything happened for us, for the instruction of those upon whom the ends of the ages are come, to serve for our admonition. Brethren ought to pay very special attention to this. All the ages, all the divine economies point to our position in the assembly.
— There should be in the assembly something which answers to each of the economies, by reason of the fact that all the divine economies point to our position in the assembly.
— You are speaking of what was of God in each of the economies. In the Spirit of Christ, what was of God was maintained in each economy.
— And I think the Lord wished to bring into view what was for God, in the passover cup which He gave to the disciples. All that God had been for them was there livingly in Himself; that is what is in the cup that the Lord gave His disciples. It refers to what was earthly; it was the fruit of the vine “which cheers God and man” Judges 9:13. Now that was to be set aside until the day to come; but nevertheless, they were to divide it among themselves. The essence of the Old Testament was given to them; and in the Old Testament it was not a question only of types and shadows, but of what those types and shadows meant. The Lord was speaking of a very precious reality, when He said, “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you, before I suffer” Luke 22:15. He Himself had wept over Jerusalem; His emotions were very real with regard to Jerusalem; and Christians ought to take account of all these things, for they are for us, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.
— In the book of Exodus the types are particularly presented. But that was not sufficient for God; it was necessary that He should come Himself. His personal movements and what was in His heart in view of the present moment are beyond what is typical.
— All this was introduced at the last passover. “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you” Luke 22:15. It was not a formality. The Lord entered into the thing, but that which He did then was to be deferred until a future day. “And having received a cup, when he had given thanks he said, Take this and divide it among yourselves. For I say unto you, that I will not drink at all of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God come” Luke 22:17,18. All that refers to the passover, and the fact that they were to divide the passover cup among themselves indicates that they were to carry away the spiritual essence of what was in the Old Testament, to maintain the testimony. Therefore, nothing is lost; all is maintained in a spiritual way in the assembly.
— The ends of the ages came upon them in that cup that He gave to them.
— At the first ecclesiastical council (Acts 15), there [p. 177] were Gentiles and all was to be maintained. They were to abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood.
— It is important for the brethren to understand it, for we see the place of the assembly.
— We find then the cup which we bless. It is distinct from that of which we have spoken. The cup which we bless is what God is for us.
— In Corinthians we see the Lord’s interests in respect of all the ages. Our affections are developed with regard to His interests in every age.
— The affections of a wife for her husband go beyond mere responsibility.
— “The heart of her husband confideth in her” Proverbs 31:11. The Lord has very vast interests, and we should take care of all His interests.
— Thus, Rebecca took care of Isaac’s tent. She would be for the delight of the heart of Isaac, but he had a tent, and Rebecca took her place there: she took her place in the circle of his interests.
— We see that the Lord appreciates the testimony that had gone before. It is in the assembly that He can confide; and it is to her that He entrusts all these things. It is beautiful to see how the Lord entrusted His mother to the disciple whom He loved.
— With regard to the two cups, why does it say that He received the first while He took the second?
— The original ritual of the passover did not provide a cup. That seems to have been an addition, but the Lord accepts it. Someone evidently passed the cup to Him, and He accepted it, as a suitable way of expressing what was in the feast. But I should like to know what Mr. M. had in his mind with regard to it. Whatever the Lord found that He could accept, He accepted; but when it is a question of His own Supper, all comes from Him. It is not improvised. The Supper is established by Him according to [p. 178] design. Thus, the bread and the cup are distinguished in a very definite way in the Lord’s supper. The cup is brought before us prominently, so that in 1 Corinthians 10 it is spoken of before the bread. It is introduced, in chapter 10, in a particular way — “the cup of blessing which we bless” 1 Corinthians 10:16.
— Is not the second cup mentioned in Luke a mediatorial action in establishing the new covenant?
— It says that it is “the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20), which involves mediatorial service. The covenant is made effectual by means of the Mediator. Having dealt with the things that were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come, chapter 10 introduces the subject of fellowship. If we do not understand the subject of fellowship (chapter 10), we shall not enjoy the Lord’s supper; chapter 11.
— His Name must be protected in the fellowship, in chapter 10, before His heart is satisfied, in chapter 11.
— In these epistles, fellowship is a genitive thought, an idea which proceeds from something. In the first chapter, we have the fellowship of God’s Son. What a dignity! It is the fellowship of God’s Son to which we have been called. In this chapter 10, it is the communion (fellowship — see note) of His blood and of His body. In the last chapter of the second epistle, it is the communion of the Holy Spirit; while in John it is fellowship with. “That ye also may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is indeed with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” 1 John 1:3. The epistles to the Corinthians are occupied therefore with the character of the fellowship. John brings in the persons with whom we are found in that fellowship.
— John presents the family, and fellowship with the persons. But the epistle to the Corinthians presents the vessel of the testimony, in connection with the fellowship of God’s Son and of the Holy Spirit.
— What does “the fellowship of the apostles” (1 John 1:3) mean?
— I believe it would imply the authority of Christ resting in the apostles.
— “They persevered in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles, in breaking of bread and prayers” Acts 2:42.
— In our day, Christian fellowship is often spoken of. True Christian fellowship preserves all that is according to God until Jesus comes.
— I believe it is very important to see that it speaks of the doctrine and fellowship of the apostles, to enforce the authority that had been committed to them. The passage at the end of the second chapter of the Acts shows us how things went immediately after Pentecost; we see how subject those were who had been converted. The work was real in the hearts of those who had believed; they were subject to the authority of Christ which rested in the apostles.
— Is that why Peter says, in chapter 3 of the Acts, “Look on us” Acts 3:4?
— They represented what God was presenting to men in testimony, and what God was doing was to be connected with it. So Peter took the man by the hand; he formed, so to speak, a link with him; later, it says of the lame man who was healed that he “held Peter and John” Acts 3:11. There were links between the various parts of the work of God and those who were connected with it. In the second chapter, about three thousand souls were added, and at the very end of the chapter “the Lord added to the assembly daily those that were to be saved” Acts 2:47.
— Why does it not say, in chapter 10, that the bread is the bread of blessing? The cup is called “the cup of blessing” 1 Corinthians 10:16.
— It is because the bread represents that in which we have been set aside judicially. That does not mean that the bread does not involve blessing. In introducing the cup, the apostle wishes to present that which [p. 180] we possess and bless. This cup is greater, more precious, than the passover cup. We appreciate the cup. A godly Israelite would have had a certain appreciation of what God was towards Israel. The Psalms abound in examples showing what God was to a godly Israelite, and God honours these tributes in choosing those which express the glory of His Son. But the Psalms are not on the same level as the hymns of Christians. What treasure we possess in our hymns! They express the glories of God revealed in Christ. I believe that the Christian collection is not as enriched as it might be. The resources that we possess in the Holy Spirit are great enough to render it richer than it is. The things that this cup involves are such that a richer tribute ought to arise to God.
— You are speaking of our personal hymns, and not only of what is in our collections?
— Of both. God has honoured the Psalms. He quotes from them in the first chapter of Hebrews, in order to bring out the titles, the dignities, the glory of Christ. All these titles are furnished by the Psalms. God honours our appreciation of Christ as the people of God express it in their psalms. It is as “psalmist” that David is called “man of God”.
— The Psalms are inspired, while our hymns are not inspired; but our thoughts are inspired.
— Because they were inspired, the Psalms furnished the material which the Holy Spirit could use. The principle of the Psalms is this: “My heart is welling forth with a good matter: I say what I have composed touching the king. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer” Psalm 45:1.
— The inspiration of the Psalms was necessary, because the Spirit did not dwell in the godly men of that period.
— Many psalms and spiritual songs have not been preserved, while the element of inspiration is to be observed. David was “the sweet psalmist of Israel” 2 Samuel 23:1. When the ark was brought into its place, he brought in his psalm. He is called “man of God” in connection with that, and we see how God appreciated the tributes of his heart.
— David composed a psalm in the light of the morning, in the presence of the sun-rising, a morning without clouds. To make one’s psalm, one must have Christ before one.
— And although our expressions are not inspired, we sing by the Spirit and with understanding. All that we have by way of hymns, in whatever language, belong to the whole assembly.
— Our prayers and hymns are marked by weakness, but behind our hymns and prayers there are things which are far beyond our thoughts.
— Our comfort is that God reads into our hearts. The spiritual productions which we have in various tongues are the heritage of the whole assembly, and it would be a blessed service if what is of the Spirit were made available to all Christians.
— David took the dedicated or consecrated things and placed them in the house, and the house includes all saints upon earth.
— I believe the study of the first book of Chronicles and the beginning of the second would help us much in that respect. David regards Jehovah as Head, indicating that he had the idea of supremacy. And as that book of Chronicles shows, he brought in all that was available, in order that the service of God might be enriched. What was consecrated was employed by him.
Reading with J.T. at Valence, 13th May, 1926, morning.