GREENWICH, FEBRUARY 27TH, 1897
GREENWICH, FEBRUARY 27TH, 1897
Dr. van Someren.
My Dear Brother, — I was very glad to have your letter of January 2nd and to hear that you were once again safe in Orange. Both Glenny and myself were much interested in your account of things in Australia which is as satisfactory as I expected to hear; I fancy that your estimate of brethren out there is just. I have not seen in those who have printed or written much evidence of originality or of spiritual apprehension of [p. 129] the truth. It is the fashion over here to decry Stewart but he seems to me to have more light than many. Glenny started on the 19th for Australia, but with the idea of calling in at Ceylon on his way. Tull had started a fortnight before him, but the vessel ran on to a reef in the Red Sea, and I should think it likely that he may be picked up and taken on by the vessel in which Glenny is. These things are somewhat strange. You may possibly have heard of the meeting that we had at Weston in the beginning of January. Many went in fear and trembling — but much grace was with us there, which for the time silenced opposition. We were together for four days, and went over a good bit of ground. Notes were taken, and I hope that in the course of a week or two they may appear. They are issued at a price considerably below cost of production. And now as to the points in your letter, which you may probably have forgotten: the first is as to the expression ‘Our fellowship, etc’., in I John 1:3. I was accustomed to accept the common idea of it — and, in the sense in which it was intended, I am not aware that there was much wrong in it. But when the question of fellowship was raised, and one looked a little more particularly into the sense in which the term is employed in Scripture, it appeared to me that the common idea was not quite justified by the scripture. It seems to me that in the two or three introductory verses to the epistle the apostle is referring to their testimony, and it is in regard to this that the apostle says “truly our fellowship is with the Father”, etc. — but then he said previously these things we write unto you “that ye also may have fellowship with us”. I prefer to regard the two statements in distinctness, and to accept each in simplicity. The apostles had a peculiar and special place, and they on their part, communicate that we may have fellowship with them in what they have, but I have no quarrel [p. 130] with anyone who prefers to cling to the old thought, but mine seems to me simpler. Then as to whether, even at the first, the church could be regarded as having any ecclesiastical position — this is a more difficult question. I incline to say no, for I imagine the church had no such relation to the world. Israel had been a centre of the nations, and God’s house a house of prayer for all nations, but the church as God’s house was outside (morally) of the world system separated from it by the death of Christ, of which baptism was the symbol. God’s testimony resided in and went forth from the house to gather souls into the house. Of course the house was God’s ecclesia, but from this very fact all there was to be in the power of the Spirit. There was no room for man as such. It appears to me that it has been the work of man to reduce the church to an ecclesiastical position — the great house — and I think we have seen the same tendency amongst ourselves; and it must be the case where there is any departure from the power of the Spirit. We have had, I think, much profit from the study of Romans in our London Readings — especially in seeing how chapters 6 to 8 are illustrated by Matthew 14 and run with the truth of priesthood in Hebrews. The idea in general is that while in chapter 5 we are brought into the full light of God revealed in grace, in chapters 6 to 8 we are put in a line which leads to Christ as the revelation and expression of the purpose of God; chapter 6 is as Peter leaving the boat to walk on the water to go to Jesus; chapter 7 is the support of Christ as priest, and, like Peter, finding out our own weakness and in chapter 8 we have the hand (the Spirit) of Christ drawing us to Himself in the place (firstborn among many brethren) which He had in the purpose of God. It seems to me to show the line on which we are set. Matters at Hull seem threatening. Klein went [p. 131] there on a gospel mission taking the theatre. Brethren had hoped that there might be a getting together in prayer of the broken fragments, and a reconstitution of fellowship, but Klein’s going there has altered all. A good many of those with us have gone in with him and his work, and some have stood aloof. With the former he has commenced a breaking of bread, while the latter find themselves outside of it. I doubt if brethren will be inclined to regard this as a satisfactory solution of the Hull difficulty. One can only say the Lord is above all. I hope that your wife, child and self are all well through mercy. We are so, and so too the Glennys. The Parkers are staying for a time in Greenwich. There seems to be but little change in J.B.S.
With our kind love,
Believe me,
Your affectionate brother,
F. E. Raven.