RELIABILITY

^[p. 249] RELIABILITY

John 2: 23 - 25; John 4: 28 - 30; John 9:13 - 15; John 20:22, 23

JT This thought of reliability in a spiritual sense has a special place in this gospel, and is obviously of importance, especially now when there is so much shallowness and unreliability, in these times peculiarly called difficult times. John’s gospel is intended to furnish us in view of these times, so it occurred to me that it would be helpful to look at these scriptures. It is said formally of the Lord that He did not trust Himself to certain: “many believed on his name, beholding his signs which he wrought. But Jesus himself did not trust himself to them”, John 2: 23, 24. The Lord personally is brought into it in a very special way; there are persons He would trust, and persons He would not trust. The other scriptures read furnish examples of reliable persons. We are reminded therefore in chapter 2 that He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man. So it is clear that if we rely in any way on what we are as men, we are disqualified. The next chapter teaches new birth, that is, God has to begin over again in us. I believe the Lord has much to commit to those who are reliable, therefore it is of all importance to be reliable, for He needs us as trustworthy people.

Ques Is friendship in mind as in the latter part of the gospel?

JT Yes, in chapter 15. The gospel is full of illustrations of reliability, because God has called us friends, as those to whom He would communicate things. That is seen in Abraham in similar circumstances in view of the overthrow of Sodom — the judgment of the world. God would not hide from Abraham the thing He would do; Abraham was a trustworthy man, he would command his house ^[p. 250] after him.

PHH Have you in mind that divine workmanship must underlie every feature of reliability?

JT That is what I thought we might see in these instances. Many others might be mentioned, but the work of God must underlie all, because not only unconverted men, but christians who rely on the flesh in any way are unreliable, the Lord cannot trust them. The woman in chapter 4 illustrates a reliable person. The Lord committed nothing to her, He did not tell her to go in peace, or sin no more; elsewhere he does, and warns persons whom He helped, as in chapters 5 and 8, showing He was not quite sure of them, and could not rely on them, but the woman in chapter 4 goes away of herself, and shows that she was an observer and was taking in what the Lord was teaching, not only in word but in the spirit and principle of it, for she made use of it.

Rem Would you say the persons alluded to in chapter 2 were convicted mentally? It is obvious faith was not there. I suppose the Lord cannot trust Himself to persons where faith is absent.

JT That is the thought in the passage. I think we all, young and old, might learn from it how far we may go in being helped to observe external things, and yet inwardly be unreliable.

HB Must there be the sense of divine searching if there is to be this feature of reliability? I was thinking of the Lord’s dealings with the woman and what He says to Nathanael, I saw thee. He would have the sense of being under His eye.

JT That is an important side of our subject. This passage says, “Himself knew what was in man”. He said to Nathanael: “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee”. Not only does He know what is in men generally, but He knows each one, and how we are positioned.

PHH What would correspond today with the believing on His name? Is that connected merely ^[p. 251] with the outward things which can be seen — “beholding his signs which he wrought”?

JT Yes, whatever is public in the way of testimony. His name carries all that He is with it. It is remarkable it comes in in the first chapter, as bringing out our relation as children. It says, “those that believe on his name” (verse 13). That applies today, because the Lord’s name is testified to, and many may be affected by the public testimony, as millions are, but they are not trustworthy, that is why one brings this forward. Reliability is so important; the Lord has much to commit to us if we are reliable.

Rem We had a case recently of a young man who had difficulties as to the pathway. His difficulties were met and the principles set before him, but the question was raised as to whether he had received the truth mentally, or embraced it in faith, as knowing the difference between the two.

JT We were looking at that side of the truth on Saturday, what professing believers really believe. It is said in Ephesians 1: 13, “in whom ye also have trusted, having heard the word of the truth, the glad tidings of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, ye have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise”. It is not only the gospel in a general sense, but having heard the word of the truth, and having believed, for the truth does not flatter us. The gospel of our salvation is a great overture of grace on God’s part, intended to affect us, to influence us in that sense, but the ‘word of the truth’ is a matter to be noticed. That is heard before they received the gospel. The truth is not only grace, in fact it is alongside grace — grace and truth. The gospel is grace, but truth challenges and searches and adjusts us, searches us inwardly, so that what we believe lays a basis for reliability; we are adjusted by the truth. I believe many are devoid of the Spirit because this matter of the truth is not received at first and looked into.

^[p. 252] Rem It was no accident that the Ephesians had a powerful John baptist ministry before Paul; was it to pave the way on the lines of the truth for the reception of the glad tidings?

JT I think Paul is alluding here to what he had told them. They were defective because they had not received the full truth. I believe many believers have not got the Spirit because this matter of the truth has not been looked into before committal to the gospel. The gospel is distinct here; “in whom ye also have trusted, having heard the word of the truth”, and then “the glad tidings of your salvation”. All this precedes the sealing of the Spirit.

Ques Have you in mind in speaking of the truth, the ministry of the cross?

JT It would include that in it.

AB Would it include what man is naturally, and what God is?

JT It must be so. Not simply truth, but the word of the truth, the full thought of it.

AM The Lord says to Nicodemus, “He that practises the truth comes to the light, that his works may be manifested that they have been wrought in God”, John 3:21.

JT I believe chapter 3 coming in after these verses at the end of chapter 2 is the opening up of the truth, the necessity of new birth, being born of water and the Spirit, and that the Son of man must be lifted up, involving the cross, which means the condemnation of sin in the flesh. The lifting up of the Son of man is mentioned three times in John’s gospel, referring to the condition of sin in the flesh.

PHH The new man according to Ephesians is described as “according to God ... created in truthful righteousness and holiness”, Ephesians 4: 24. Would that be the divine side, and our side receiving the word of the ^[p. 253] truth?

JT Quite so. I believe it is a wholesome challenge to everyone as to whether he has the Spirit. That is the challenge in Acts 19 — “Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye had believed?” (verse 2). They said they had not heard of Him. The apostle says”To what then were ye baptised?” (verse 3). Then he tells them the truth about Christ, and when they heard that, they were baptised to the name of the Lord Jesus. Paul laid his hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

AB Would you encourage believers not conscious of having the Spirit to look to God with the desire that they might receive the Spirit?

JT We are told to pray to the Father. Again there is a challenge with it as to why I have not the Spirit while others have. I believe it is largely because of not receiving the word of the truth.

Ques Are you implying that there is no reliability apart from having the Spirit in this way?

JT Quite so. The Spirit’s presence is contingent on new birth, and receiving the word of the truth. The Son of man lifted up involves the truth of the cross. In that way God moves so that we might be set free from that which stands in relation to us as men after the flesh, so that He can give the Spirit.

HFS Does the cleansing of the leper come in in that way, first of all the blood, then the oil put on the blood? “Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured”, Exodus 30:32. You realise that that is absolutely necessary?

JT The word of the truth spoken of here would imply all that, the blood and the oil.

GWB Would it be what is presented in the early chapters of Romans?

JT It is developed there in a fundamental way, the Spirit of God coming down to us as believers, or as those who would be believers; the truth is developed in a remarkable way in that epistle, so that the ^[p. 254] Spirit is immediately in view, as it is said, “Who has been delivered for our offences and has been raised for our justification ... . Therefore having been justified on the principle of faith, we have peace towards God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom we have also access by faith into this favour in which we stand” (Romans 4: 25 — chapter 5: 1, 2), and then immediately the Holy Spirit is recognised as doing something — shedding the love of God in our hearts, taking possession of our hearts, as much as to say, believers according to what is stated are garrisoned in their hearts, the love of God is there, the Spirit of God Himself active in that service.

Ques Would the word of the truth enter into the preaching?

JT Certainly, that is why John begins with new birth, and the lifting up of the Son of man. The truth is involved in these two things, the two ‘musts’ ‘must be born anew’ and ‘the Son of man must be lifted up’, because new birth in us would struggle unceasingly and never get deliverance aside from the condemnation of our state; we need not recognise sin in the flesh any more. I think the woman in chapter 4 furnishes the other side of the position to chapter 3; she appears without premeditation. The Lord was not without premeditation, for He had already been constituted the great Administrator of God’s grace and of the gift of the Spirit. She appears and affords the Lord an opportunity to unfold how this matter of state is worked out in the sense of historical sinning. He did not bring this side before Nicodemus; to him He spoke of the necessity of the lifting up of the Son of Man, and that even the Pharisees needed this. But the woman in chapter 4 affords the Lord an opportunity of bringing out the application of the truth in relation to our histories, historical sinning. That is a most searching and humiliating matter, and many are not ready to face ^[p. 255] it, but the Lord went through the matter with her, and she was ready to go through it, too. When the disciples came on the scene she left, and left her waterpot behind her, showing she had taken in the truth. The Lord had told her He was the Christ; she did not tell this to the men; she was not trading on her knowledge, but spoke of what she had gone through in her soul. That is the kind of thing to rely on; to work things out in the soul, deal with the history of sinning, not merely quote Scripture. She did not merely quote what the Lord said. She could easily have said, He told me He was the Christ, but that would not have been as convincing as what she did say: “Come, see a man who told me all things I had ever done”, and she makes it a hypothetical matter — “is not he the Christ?”

PHH That is, persons formed in features of the truth become a challenge.

JT They knew her. Had she said a certain man told me He was the Christ, what would you expect them to do? It would be a question of her veracity. But when she said, “He told me all things that I had ever done, is not he the Christ?” there is a person to be trusted, a sincere person, and they did trust her; they believed what she said and came to the Lord accordingly.

Ques In speaking of historical sins, had you in mind her personal history, or something more?

JT Herself. She had enough. Paul does not hesitate to tell us what he had been — an insolent, overbearing man, and also chief of sinners; that man has weight with men.

PHH Does the element of prophecy come into this (verse 19)? Would you be free to link that with the element of prophetic ministry amongst us?

JT I should indeed. The Lord is encouraging us in it in a little way. He is with us. The Lord’s word, “Lo, I am with you”, is connected with prophetic ^[p. 256] ministry. It is very feeble, but it bears on what we are saying, and He is with us in it; it brings out the secrets of men. The man is convicted, comes under the influence of prophecy and is judged of all, the brethren fall into line with the thing. You have a real person now. That is what is going on at the present time, it is all to bring out reality.

Ques Would the doctrine of new birth precede this? Is it to show the ground of divine operations?

JT I think we must have doctrine. Paul says, Thou hast fully known my doctrine. The Lord made much of doctrine, and directs Nicodemus back to Ezekiel; we must have that as a basis, but chapter 4 is the other side. Here is a person who has gone through her historical conduct and does not hide it. She refers to what effect His word had on her own soul. That gives weight to what I am saying. Some do not get early history, they come late into the truth and do their best to catch up, but never do catch up — they have missed their opportunities. We need early history to be in power in our testimony.

GWB Is reliability seen in Joseph, particularly as tested in secret? “How should I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39: 9).

JT Quite so. I believe Joseph stands for that. He represents the young side in the book of Genesis, a great patriarchal book where old men are seen, reliable, too, but here is a very young man who is reliable, tested severely, but reliable.

AB Is this thought of all I have ever done the thought of the history being reviewed? Is that to be carried forward with us?

JT Paul carried it forward. In 1 Timothy he refers back to what he was himself.

PHH The Lord does not say anything about worship until this matter of transparency is declared (verse 20). She says, Our fathers worshipped. The Lord seems to take up her word, and indicates that the ^[p. 257] hour is coming when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth. Would it be just to suggest that these exercises are foundational to what may go on with us in the assembly?

JT I think we wonder why the Lord spoke of such great things to this woman, but she said, “I see that thou art a prophet”. It does not say He told her, but she perceived it. That means the work of God was showing itself in her. It is the basis of what follows — the truth of worship. And then the place the waterpot had with her, that her body was to be that, she was to be the waterpot. So she left the waterpot and went away. The disciples had come on the scene, and apparently paid no attention to her, they had no interest in relation to whether she was converted or not. They wondered that He spoke with the woman. They might have more than wondered, made enquiry, but apparently she does not become an object of interest to them at all. She rightly leaves then. “The woman then left her waterpot and went away into the city” (verse 28). Why is that mentioned? Why are we not ready to come into the work of God wherever it comes to our attention? And then it says, as though she saw there was no interest on the part of the disciples, she said to the men, “Come, see a man”. She is not discouraged by the want of interest, she goes on, and leaves the waterpot, meaning she has light in her soul as to herself, what she is to be now, a characteristic vessel of the truth He has presented to her.

PHH She leaves that in the presence of the Lord and of the uninterested disciples.

JT See how they are left. There they are, and the Lord says to them, “I have food to eat which ye do not know” (verse 32). That seems to me a rebuke.

DrM Would the disciples be like those who have not left their waterpots? She is morally greater than they ^[p. 258] are.

JT Yes, the present work of God outshone what was official. Here we have what the Lord is after in this city today, and we may not take notice of it, it may be little in our eyes, but what is it in His? It is great in the Lord’s eyes. The point is what is being done now, the actual present work of God. The official class pass it by as if it were nothing; the Lord says, I have food you do not know of. It is a very humbling thing, to be told you do not know.

AB Is that why they are told to lift up their eyes?

JT We do not lift up our eyes, we are occupied with ourselves, it may be. Why did they not ask about the woman? What a fine field for enquiry!

Ques Do you think we should look for these features in those desiring to break bread?

JT Exactly; they are ostensibly the present work of the Lord. We are in the official place; that challenges us. Why did not the disciples ask about this woman, What is she doing here? Why is she going back without her waterpot?

PHH What about chapter 9?

JT In this chapter God is going to manifest His works. Now we are in the presence of something greater than creation. Jehovah said to Job, “Where wast thou when I founded the earth? ... When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38: 4, 7. Job was not there, but it was a wonderful time. The morning stars were engaged, and the sons of God were engaged. But here is a chapter greater than that, a question of the works of God, not creational works, but spiritual, the present works of God. The man did not move towards Christ, did not ask like Bartimaeus, he is passive. The disciples took notice of him and made enquiries, “who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?” The Lord says, ‘Neither, it is a question of the works of God and My presence here’. He is working before night comes.

“^[p. 259] I am the light of the world”. In the presence of the most wonderful set of circumstances, what is this man going to do? He is for the manifestation of the works of God. Is he this? That is the point. When the man is brought to the Pharisees they question him, and he says, “He put mud upon mine eyes, and I washed, and I see”. To the neighbours he says, “having gone and washed, I saw”. The history of the Spirit of God is, “He went therefore and washed, and came seeing”. That is the fact stated of him.

‘Saw’ is historical. He is true to the Lord’s word about him. The Lord has made no mistake about him, he is a trustworthy person, he is manifesting the works of God, doing it now, seeing now. He is a person reliable for fellowship.

EG Would you say a word about ‘works’ in the plural?

JT One man may be used in that way. Think of what interest you are to heaven. The Lord is saying, I am going to make this man a manifestation of the works of God; you want to be alive to it. The man made no mistake at all in any question asked of him.

Rem I suppose the works would be many and various to set forth the divine glory?

JT This is one of the most glorious chapters you can read from this point of view, it is what one man can be in meeting different people, how he answers them, his understanding and answers, the very words said about the Lord.

PHH Would you open up a little what is involved in the spitting on the ground and putting mud on his eyes?

JT The Lord is making clear His own position in entering on this great matter of the manifestation of the works of God, the Worker under God, He Himself being God, it must be understood how He is doing it. He came so low as to be like another man,

^[p. 260] spitting on the ground, making mud of the spittle, for that is the word used, a very humiliating thought — ‘mud’, but the Lord made it. There was never such mud as this before or since.

Rem It involves the incarnation, and the great truth involved in it.

JT That is the idea, what is essential, His essence, the spittle. That mixed with clay, which would mean humanity, but such a humanity as never existed before, only existed during the life of Jesus before their eyes in blood and flesh.

Ques Would you say a word in connection with ‘sent’. It is not until he has washed that he gets his sight.

JT It brings out the question of obedience. He did not deviate one iota from what he was told to do. It says, He went and washed, and came seeing. A question of obedience, you adhere to it sedulously, that is essential to the works of God being manifested. You do not deviate a hair’s breadth.

Rem I was thinking of what the Lord says, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, which is interpreted, Sent”, as though it might bring out the Lord’s own position, that that should be understood.

JT The man was in that sense on a level with the Lord’s own position — sent. He goes and washes and came seeing, and now he is a continuance of the thing, seeing better spiritually as he proceeds.

PHH Would this fit in with what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5: 16? “We henceforth know no one according to flesh; but if even we have known Christ according to flesh, yet now we know him thus no longer”. I was wondering about the mud and the anointing, involving the incarnation, and yet that being washed off.

JT It is that condition brought to an end. Siloam means the counterpart of that, the water implies His death, so that that condition is terminated.

^[p. 261] The works of God can never be manifest without the condemnation of sin in the flesh, that condition being set aside.

WC Does the washing apply to the whole man?

JT It is the whole man.

WC The blindness was characteristic of our state by nature; the whole man has to go.

JT The water implies that the whole man has to go, not only sins dealt with, and the man figuratively accepts that thoroughly, he went and washed and came. Where to? It is a thought that lies in your soul, you return, the idea of reaction in the reception of the truth, it is what you do afterwards, it is the reaction that you come not only into the good of your sins forgiven, but the condemnation of sin in the flesh. How can he have such light and respond so steadily and consistently with all that came up save as he had accepted not only the question of remission of sins, but the condemnation of sin in the flesh? How can a man answer all these questions save as he is clear as to his sins and state?

WC Do you think anyone owning the Lord as Prophet has bottomed things?

JT This prophetic ministry meeting is a question of dealing with the secrets of our hearts, and that clarifies our view, so that I am ready for every question that comes up.

FI Would there be a sense of power in the Spirit when he says, I see?

JT Seeing in that sense, no matter what comes to you, and what puzzling things there are today in christendom, let them come if you are clear as to this matter, including cleansing, and condemnation of sin in the flesh, you are ready for them.

Rem The seeing is characteristic?

JT The man represents an advanced stage in the believer’s history. It is not only one work, it is works, not only dealing with my sins. You can ^[p. 262] bring what you like to this man. If one reads the ‘Collected Writings’ one marvels at the way every thing is met. This could not be on a new covenant basis. He could not answer everything on that basis, there must be Romans 7 and 8, so that the man sees all things clearly. Whatever you bring he sees all round it.

Rem And the glory of the Son of God, too.

JT Exactly.

HFS With regard to the works of God, is there always a corresponding answer with us?

JT The inward state is the difficulty. It is the return that brings out the thoroughness of the man. He came back to where the light was, and everything is clear. Whatever questions were brought up, this man could answer them. The cleverest men of the day were there, but he is an overcomer. That is what is needed at the present time. The world is full of blasphemy and modernism. How can we meet them save as we are clear, the whole matter settled as to my condition?

Ques Does the reference in Ephesians 5 bear on it? “Ye were once darkness, but now light in the Lord; walk as children of light”, then the reference to the fruit of the light being in all goodness and righteousness and truth?

JT A very excellent scripture here.

Rem Verse 13 of that chapter is a wonderful verse.

JT The culmination of all this is in the verse read in chapter 20. The Lord is now ready to commit Himself unreservedly to the disciples; there is no condition at all, unqualified committal to the disciples. “Peace be to you: as the Father sent me forth, I also send you”.

PHH Is there a link in that the Son of God found the man when he had been cast out and so to ^[p. 263] speak linked Himself on with him? Would that prove the man was reliable in any degree?

JT He was fit for the new world, ready for it. He belonged to it. The Son of God implies a new world, chapter 10 is the opening up of that.

Ques Is the thought of coming back in view of the flock in chapter 10 — all the work of God put together, resulting in the company in chapter 20?

JT That is the teaching of the book, there are many other instances, especially at Bethany. The Lord came there, it does not say why He came, but I think He came to love’s circle, a beautiful thought, you can trust those who love you. The Lord came in amongst them six days before the passover, “where was the dead man Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from among the dead”. It is the dead Lazarus, that is the man, He has come in relation to him, a continuation of the thought of the man in chapter 9. The matter of death is gone through, he is a risen man, and the circle is of that kind, no personal interest in that circle at all, Jesus was perfectly at home amongst them. That is the idea, perfect reliability in that circle, because love is there. Here we have a circle of persons in the home.

HB Is the reliability of love seen in keeping His commandments?

JT Exactly, chapter 14, and then friendship in chapter 15.

WC I suppose the scene at the cross would also be a link, love standing by, proving itself, the Lord committing His mother to John, it suggests the circle there.

JT Beautiful. All is cumulative.

Ques Have you some thought on the breathing?

JT This is the topstone of the subject. The Lord is placing them in His own position. He was sent out by the Father, and says, I am sending you out as my Father sent Me. He is bringing them on to ^[p. 264] a very high level, not now a circle, but servants who were to act for Him, to be representative of Him, and He commits Himself to them without any qualification at all, breathing into them, meaning they are possessors of His Spirit, which raises the whole question of the spirit that marks us. You can come into a company of brethren like this and be at home, they will not criticise you unduly, they will make the most of what you say. How much that was to Christ! We may see that at Bethany, and now the continuation of that is present, sending them out into a wicked world, but trusting them.

Ques Is it the Spirit of the sent One breathed into them, a reliable One that the Father could send?

JT Himself, His Spirit imparted to them. The level is a very high one here.

HFS Would such a company, having such features, be the place where the Lord can unfold in a deep way His own thoughts of love and enlarge them amongst His own? Is that the secret of having a touch from the Lord?

JT Exactly, it is a question of His Spirit here, a beautiful and most intimate transaction in view of being sent out. You have to do with people who have committed sins. Chapter 4 is a question of sins dealt with, and chapter 9 the whole question of the state of man so that the works of God are manifested. Now these disciples represent all that worked out in themselves, so that they are sent out, and they will have to meet people who have sinned. What are they going to do? The Lord says to them, “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained”. You could hardly get anything more expressive of confidence than that, because the Lord’s name is involved. Whether we forgive sins that should not be forgiven, or whether we retain sins that should be forgiven, the Lord’s name is involved in that, because He has ^[p. 265] committed Himself to us. Hence the importance of having clear vision in dealing with those who wish to walk with us.

PHH Does this involve the assembly?

JT It is more the persons who form it. In Matthew the binding comes first, but here, the more gracious side, forgiveness comes first. We are now in the midst of Christendom and the denominations, involving sins committed. We have to know how to deal with people, and if they come out from the Establishment, etc., our attitude is, we are ready to forgive you, but then you have got to accept there are sins. Nobody can be in these denominations without being guilty.

Rem If people are coming into this circle, this should be our attitude; but on their side they must come the same way as we do.

Ques Does Matthew represent the Moses side, and John the grace side?

JT Very good, John puts the grace side first — full of grace and truth.

PHH Thomas missed all that.

JT Quite so, he was not there.

AM Thomas said, “We know not where thou goest”. I wondered whether any are wilfully ignorant of the position, and their wilfulness is fastened on them? They do not want to know, really.

JT It is as having gone through things ourselves. Take Nicodemus, he is out of it, he is still in the circle of the world. The woman in chapter 4 can be brought into the assembly, she is trustworthy. The man in chapter 5 cannot be trusted, the Lord warns him. You can hardly allow a man to break bread in that state, he is not reliable. The woman in chapter 8 is similar, “Neither do I condemn thee” is negative. “Go, and sin no more”, she is in danger, too, but the man in chapter 9 is ready for fellowship.

Rem He accepts the ostracism.

^[p. 266] JT He does. What is it that enters into these men that the Lord is so confident about? They have been through all this. The woman in chapter 4 would be a reliable sister in a locality. Suppose she was there when Philip went down and preached, listening to Philip she would wonder about Simon Magus. Sisters ought to be ready to discern where people are, so that if the brothers look into matters, sisters are not left out of this matter of persons qualified for fellowship, and I think it wise to announce names, and give a week to think it over. The sisters ought to be ready and watchful. I believe this sister in John 4 would be like that.

AB Would it bear on cases of recovery? Peter had a past history. Would he be one qualified to exercise this?

JT I think the Lord goes to the full limit with him, and challenges him whether he loved Him more than the others. Peter had to judge that the Lord knew what was there. He was still a reliable man potentially.

Rem The Lord said in chapter 1, “thou shalt be called Cephas”, and it went through.

Ques What feature of reliability does Mary of Magdala represent? She is entrusted with much.

JT It is a question whether the Lord can commit truth to you, there are very few of us trustworthy enough for that. We are apt to adorn ourselves if the Lord entrusts anything to us. The woman in chapter 4 is similar. The Lord had communicated to her formally that He was the Christ, and she does not speak of that. She speaks of the moral side, what her history had been. She is trustworthy, she can keep a thing. The apostle Paul kept things for many years. Peter knew about sonship, and as far as we know he did not speak about it in his preaching. He might easily have adorned himself with the fact that he was the first to get a revelation of the Son ^[p. 267] of God.

GWB Would it be seen in 1 Corinthians 5, that Paul, though absent, having judged the matter at Corinth, could enter into this same spirit the disciples were found in in this chapter — capable of judging?

JT Quite so. What a reliable man he was, and what a servant. He might have said, I am not in Corinth, I have to leave it now, but he watches it.

Rem The thought is that this is the quality and character of the personnel the Lord entrusts things to?

JT That is the idea, we want to belong to that.