THE HOUSEHOLD
D.J.Hutson
Acts 16: 14,15,32-34; 28: 30,31
I have just an impression, dear brethren, relating to the area of the household. It is not without significance that matters which have been raised among us as to the incursion of certain elements of the world against which we need to be warned find their scope in the household. I believe the Lord would stir us up in this connection as to the importance of this area where He operates and where (as our brother has been speaking of disclosures) disclosures can be made to us, may we say on the way to the assembly. We remember the early references to the household, in connection with Abraham, showing that there is nothing new in the mind of God in the place and importance that the household setting should have; and then we remember too when the Lord Jesus was here that the household setting of things was not absent. There were times when He withdrew into the house and, when disclosures were made, that which was not for the general ear was disclosed to His own in the house. That would enter into what our brother has referred to in the beginning of Acts in the reference to "the men who have assembled with us all the time in which the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us", speaking of the baptism of John and right through. Think of the wonderful privilege those men had of assembling with Jesus and being with Him in the house, in the inner side of things where disclosures were made, where the parable s were opened up and their meaning given, and where in nearness to Himself they had manifestations of His glory. So the setting of the house was of great value. I believe that, as we realise the value of it, we would be the more concerned to guard and protect it, so that the conditions that are found in our houses might be such as are truly, as we sometimes say, bulwarks of the assembly; and if they are the bulwarks they will come under attack, so we would be on our guard in relation to them.
We have often been reminded of these scriptures in Acts 16 and the importance of the household setting in relation to the testimony coming into Europe. It is noticeable that when we speak of baptism, for instance, we speak of household baptism; it involves our families, our children being brought into it, but it is the household side of things which is stressed; that is, it is not confined to the persons but extends to that area of things where we live, and the question would be whether everything that is in our household, not only the persons, is in accord with baptism; that is the closure to one order of things in which this world is alive and the making way for the light of another world and another Man who is the centre of it. So here we have this woman. Jesus is not here now but the Holy Spirit is here, the testimony is going forward, the Lord is still operating, and a disclosure is made to this woman. The Lord opened her heart "to attend to the things spoken by Paul", and the effect is that, being baptised "and her house, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there". The apostle was free to go there and he found conditions which were suited to the testimony; he found, may we say, a base of operations where he could be for the time; and what an important house it became, when we see all that sprang out of it. The very fact of our being here in the testimony in Europe at the present time is the result of the answer that this woman made to the disclosures through the Lord opening her heart to attend to the things spoken by Paul.
Then this other house comes to light in Philippi, Paul immediately drawing attention to this matter. The jailor wanted to know what he should do that he should be saved, but Paul immediately extends the matter in relation to his house: "Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. And they spoke to him the word of the Lord, with all that were in his house". Then he took them, he laid the table, "and rejoiced with all his house, having believed in God". So we can see that the testimony is proceeding forward in relation to households. This is the Pauline testimony, the wonderful light which belongs to us in our day.
I just read at the end because it seems to show that though the times may be difficult, and though there may be limitations (we have already referred to the smallness of numbers and the limitations of the present time) yet it seem that this is an area in which it is still open for disclosures to be made, where there is liberty. I believe if we are concerned to maintain right conditions in our houses that, whatever privations we may yet have to face (the privations that some are already facing in other parts of the world), the household area is a place where the truth can still come to us, where disclosures can be made. Paul is "in his own hired lodging"; it would relate to a household setting where the apostle was free to receive all who came to him, "preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, with all freedom unhinderedly". So although in the end of this book we leave Paul as a prisoner, we have a sense of liberty, a sense of the opening up of things with "all freedom unhinderedly". I believe, dear brethren, this would stimulate us, stir us up in relation to our houses. What an important area they are! Whatever conditions of privation may yet come upon us I believe that right through to the end of the day the Lord will give us liberty in our houses so that there may yet be fresh manifestations of Himself. We would be concerned to protect this area so that this might be maintained, that He might be able to disclose Himself to us and that we might be able to answer to it, and thus the service of God might proceed. How we are reminded of that in these days where in so many places the household provides for the service of God as making way for the assembly.
The Lord would give us this word to stir us up that we might be concerned as to conditions in our households, because I believe this is the important area at the present time that the Lord would have us pay attention to in view of the continuation of the testimony until He come. In His Name.
LONDON
8 April 1975