ASSEMBLY PERSONNEL

T. VanderHoek

1 Timothy 3: 15 (from “God’s house”); 2 John 1; 3 John 1; Romans 16: 1–5 (to “their house”)

I was struck thinking of those who would, as our brother brought out, hold the Lord in affection and bow to His lordship. They would be part of the personnel of the assembly. I was linking it with the thought of the assembly being the pillar and base of the truth. It would be a sphere of blessing and a sphere where the Lord’s interests are maintained. How encouraging it is to see that there are those identified as going on in the truth, persons not abstractly referred to, but individually named. It refers to the assembly at Ephesus or the assembly at Philippi, but with individuals identified and taken note of, so that there would be an appreciation by

others of certain ones in both those localities, as well as in other localities as, for example, we have in Romans 16. It is very encouraging to see that sisters and brothers alike are alluded to in 2 and 3 John, identifying them peculiarly as those that the apostle could love in truth. It is acknowledging the Lord in His lordship and in affection for Him that would bring us into an appreciation of the truth, so that we as individuals can be encouraged to go on together, having an appreciation one for another in our affection for the Lord. These various ones were mentioned as being such as he could love in truth.

Then we see in Romans how the apostle Paul could identify them by name for what they had done. He had an appreciation of Phoebe, “our sister, who is minister of the assembly”. She was identified for what she did, for she had been “a helper of many”. We can think of many examples like her. I was encouraged to think of these as our brother was speaking, bringing us in on the line of affection to the Lord, and in bowing to His lordship and authority. It would bring us to that sphere of the assembly where we can enjoy eternal life. We can enjoy it with those of “like precious faith” (2 Peter 1: 1), persons named as individuals with an appreciation of Christ. So may we be encouraged to go on in the truth together, holding fast, in the light of the assembly as the pillar and base of the truth. We would do so with those of “like precious faith”. May the Lord bless the word.

Word in meeting for ministry, Denton, Texas, 5 April 1995

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