THE ELEMENTS OF SPIRITUALITY
[p. 162] THE ELEMENTS OF SPIRITUALITY
1 Corinthians 2: 1 - 16; 1 Corinthians 3: 1 - 7
JT We might consider what it is to be spiritual, the elements of spirituality. The apostle has to say to the Corinthians that he could not speak to them “as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal”. It is evident that we are intended to be spiritual if we have received the Spirit. If we were to look at what a spiritual person is, then we might measure ourselves up by that.
Ques Is that why we receive the Spirit?
JT Yes, in order that we might be spiritual, and judge all things. Certain things are contrasted in the word, spiritual and natural, heavenly and earthly, and so on. We can make no substantial advance in our souls till we come to the truth of this chapter.
Rem The hindrance with the Corinthians was that the truth of the cross was not accepted.
JT Quite so. So the apostle’s ministry had in view the laying of a spiritual foundation in their souls. “That your faith might not stand in men’s wisdom, but in God’s power”. The apostle’s power was of a spiritual character, “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power”. The initial idea of what is spiritual is found in the Lord’s communication to Nicodemus, “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit”; so that the principle of a spiritual man is introduced in new birth. Nothing can be more interesting than to follow the growth of a person born anew, until there is full development.
Rem “The spiritual discerns all things”.
JT Yes; nothing is hidden from him; he sees through everything, every moral issue. You may think you are hidden, but you are not; the spiritual discern you. It was infinitely so with Christ, but it is also so with every spiritual man. God’s intention [p. 163] is that there should be a spiritual order of things in the world, a new order. Luke brings in a new order of things, but John brings in a spiritual order of things. The apostle shows that his preaching at Corinth had this in view.
GN The spiritual man takes account of all that is of God.
JT The Lord’s answer to Nicodemus shuts out flesh. What is born of the Spirit is spirit. It is not the Spirit, it is the character of the thing. Something has occurred in man that is “spirit”, and that develops until it becomes spiritual. Luke writes “accurately acquainted from the origin”. It is the same word as “born anew”. In John 3 many believed, but Jesus knew what was in man. He was acquainted with man from the outset, and this led Him to refuse man as he was. So in the next chapter, man must be born from the beginning. New birth refers to that, no other kind of man is to be trusted.
Rem It says, “But there was a man from among the Pharisees”.
JT It is a ‘but’ of distinction. It distinguishes Nicodemus from the others. He showed that he recognised what was of God.
Ques Was he born anew when he came to Jesus?
JT I think so.
AN He has spiritual perception.
JT He attached a moral value to what Jesus did. He says, “Thou art ... a teacher from God”.
AN It was a question of measure with Nicodemus?
JT Yes; that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. It begins to show itself in various directions. To judge oneself is a spiritual act, very elementary perhaps, but it is an indication.
GN The character in which the Spirit came at Pentecost would indicate self-judgment.
JT Yes, “parted tongues, as of fire”. A great change marks a person who is born anew. He views everything from a different standpoint. He may not be very happy at the beginning, but his very unhappiness is a mark of what is there.
Ques That would be different from the Spirit indwelling?
JT Yes; that which is born of the Spirit is spirit; it is its character.
Rem There must be a new moral being, or christian company could not be enjoyed.
JT Yes, there is now a link between the person and the christian company.
AN There is a condition resulting from new birth, and also from an indwelling Spirit.
JT The Spirit enables you to judge the flesh, but that is not power. There is a tremendous struggle with the flesh. Take Romans 7, “The law is spiritual”. How did the man find that out? He discerns that, and that the flesh was incorrigible. An unconverted man could not see that. The young man in the gospels says, “All these things have I kept from my youth”. He never once discerned the spirituality of the law. It would have killed him. The Spirit adds help to all the exercises of the new nature. It is one thing to say “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”; it is another thing to recognise a spiritual man.
AN There is the new thinking faculty there.
JT It works out in all the various elements or parts of a man, in affection and mind, “Thus must the Son of man be lifted up”. It answers to a spiritual instinct. In Romans 8 the man sees the flesh, that which he was struggling with, condemned.
Ques Were the Corinthians in the good of the brazen serpent?
JT I think not. You have to see what the flesh is in you, before you can value the brazen serpent.
“[p. 165] The law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin”.
Rem There must be a measure of eyesight with the one born anew or he could not see the kingdom; then it says, “Except any one be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”, John 3: 5.
JT The kingdom is a spiritual idea. No one can discern that except one born anew.
Ques “Born of water and of Spirit”, is that revelation?
JT You cannot separate it from the death of the Lord. It is a matter of cleansing.
Ques Would you say the man returning from the pool of Siloam is a figure of one born of water and the Spirit?
JT He goes further than John 3. What was put on his eyes spoke of the incarnation, “Siloam” is ‘sent’. It implies the Lord’s death.
Rem He not only sees but appropriates.
JT Yes, and he has remarkably good reasoning powers spiritually. The manner in which he met the Pharisees is very striking.
Rem The way to spirituality lies through the cross.
JT Yes; the apostle in 1 Corinthians is laying a spiritual foundation, hence he insists on the cross; and his preaching is in keeping. He does not embellish it with anything human, “My preaching”, he says, was not in “persuasive words of wisdom”. That involves spiritual and levitical work. He took account of the conditions there and ministered accordingly. Paul is the model. In chapter 3, he sets out how a spiritual man looks at things. He considers for those to whom he ministered, so that they should be spiritual. Popular evangelisation does not lay a basis of spirituality. How could music accredit the gospel, or suggest anything spiritual? Such things would lay some other foundation in the soul. The result [p. 166] is persons who are not spiritual. In ministry, you have to think of the fruit; what you present will bear fruit in time. So the apostle labours that nothing should be presented but what would produce that which is spiritual.
AN It has been said that building on revivalism is like building on the edge of a knife; there is no foundation.
JT Yes; souls are affected, but they do not see the assembly. The assembly is a spiritual formation, and to see it, we must be spiritual. A truly spiritual person discerns all things, everything in the moral universe. But the Corinthians were carnal and a carnal man puts one brother against another, and that precludes the possibility of building up. Work cannot go on in saints while these things are permitted. The apostle says, “Has Paul been crucified for you?”. What spirituality was there! He knew no other man save in relation to Christ.
AN How do we become spiritual? Is it the result of refusal of the flesh? We see the end of the flesh in the cross. Do we come into accord with that?
JT We appropriate the light that comes to us. How abundant everything is in the physical universe; and it is so in moral things. There is no lack of light, and we are to be conformed to it.
AN There is no defect in the testimony presented.
JT The Corinthians did not labour under any disadvantage. The ministry was in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, but there was with them preference for the flesh. Where there is a desire to go on there is surrender. Self-judgment is needed. Things which have been accepted formerly as in accord with rectitude are judged. In christendom sin is legalised, so that people may go on with it with a good conscience. Certain things are preferred, and in order to be maintained, they are legalised.
[p. 167] Saints have to judge all that. A spiritual man judges all things.
GN He refuses things first in himself.
JT If you judge yourself you judge the world. Your empire will become extended. If you rule yourself, you will have others to rule, and eventually you will judge angels. The new order of things is set forth in Luke, in those who are sinful and have come to it, that they are capable of doing the worst things possible. These are the people to trust. Chapter 5 of Luke introduces the new order of things, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord”. It is a great thing to get hold of the principle of judgment. A christian man gradually becomes a millennium in himself; he has all the elements there, life (the Spirit of life), and then there is the consciousness of sin, but it has no power. So it will be in the millennium.
GN What connection is there between what Peter said, “Depart from me”, and the draught of fishes?
JT The light shone in. The Lord must have wrought in Peter’s soul, or he could not have discerned who was there. He recognised the Lord, it was the indication of something spiritual there. He saw too what he was himself, capable of doing the worst things.
GMcK What will be universal in the world to come, comes in with yourself now.
JT That is a great thing. I learn what will prevail in the future.
GN The saints are thus qualified to rule.
JT Your empire will be extended. If you do not rule yourself, you cannot rule anybody else. The Lord trusts you when you have learned that you are sinful. Peter was made a fisher of men. The Lord could trust him in this way; and then He says, “Feed my lambs” at the close. That was a wonderful [p. 168] trust. This was given to him in answer to self-judgment.
AN Your knowledge of what you are does not incapacitate you for service.
JT No, it capacitates you for service. The Lord promotes Peter. Peter had denied the Lord. Then in John 21 he says, “I go to fish”, and the others say, “We also come with thee”. Peter was about to go back to what the Lord called him out of. Yet the Lord, when He restores him, makes a shepherd of him.
F The man in John 9 is formed by following the light presented.
JT Every bit of light is a fresh revelation of Christ, and if we see that, we want to be conformed to it. No christian wants to have a lower standard. It is, “Until we all arrive ... at the full-grown man”.
GN As you answer to the light, the flesh is displaced in yourself, not only removed at the cross.
JT You are to be in accord with the cross.
GN What you recognise, you realise as you answer to the light.
JT You have the Spirit to help you. In Romans 7 the man delighted in the light, but had no power to be conformed to it. In chapter 8 he had the power.
AN What is the link between this chapter and Romans 7 and 8?
JT This is abnormal; Romans 7 is normal. There the man sees the spirituality of the law, but he has no power. This is abnormal; for though a good foundation had been laid with no mixture, others had started to build, resulting in what was abnormal.
HH The man in John 9 moved on to the Son of God. The movement in his case is remarkable.
JT Yes; the reasoning power he developed, the spiritual reasoning he was capable of is remarkable. Christendom is built up by the legalisation of lawlessness;
[p. 169] hence it requires spiritual power to judge it, and to be clear of it. We must not admit any standard but Christ.
AN What do you mean by the legalisation of lawlessness?
JT Things that are wrong have been considered right for centuries, and people are perfectly happy in it.
Rem “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient”.
JT I do not refer to that. One has respect for everything legitimate. A spiritual man may waive his rights, but the “all things” the apostle alludes to were lawful. I do not refer to that. What I refer to is that which is illegal being considered lawful. God never instituted anything that did not stand in the power of the Spirit. If it were a matter of serving tables, those used had to be filled with the Spirit. Balaam is the originator of mixture; that sort of teaching. It was a doctrine; that was the serious thing. That means the thing is legalised, “Those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak”. There are those who teach these things. Then people think it is all right to do them. Look at the ability that man has! Bishops, synods and councils are all on this line; all essential to make things binding. True spiritual exercise is shut out; hence a spiritual person necessarily judges all this. He will not have anything that is not of Christ.
GN He has a position of wonderful advantage. A spiritual man must be outside all; he can only withdraw from it.
Rem The man who was blind saw men as trees walking; afterwards he saw every man clearly.
JT Yes, you may think a certain brother very wonderful but perhaps he is standing between your soul and Christ. You cannot see over a tree, nor can you see past that brother; he is like a tree in your [p. 170] eyes. The third chapter of Philippians gives us the way a spiritual man takes account of things, “We are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and boast in Christ Jesus, and do not trust in flesh”. This shuts out ceremonial religion. “We ... boast in Christ Jesus”, the apostle says, “and do not trust in flesh”. He might have trusted in flesh more than others but he says, “What things were gain to me these I counted ... loss”, and he tells us why; for “the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord”. As regards his politics, he tells us that his politics were in heaven. That is how a spiritual man takes account of things.
F “We have the mind of Christ”.
JT We can think as He did. It is the same faculty. If we only looked at things as Christ did! What a judgment He had! Think of Him sitting down on the mount of Olives. Think of what passed through His mind, think of His wonderful discourse. He judged the whole fabric of ritual and religion from that standpoint of the mount of Olives, and that standpoint was heaven really.