INAUGURATING CHRISTIANITY
INAUGURATING CHRISTIANITY
JT My thought in turning to these verses, which I hope will be enlarged on, is that they speak of inaugurating christianity, so to say, they speak much of doing. It is not a book of precepts but rather of practices or doings, and the eunuch furnishes a good beginning. He is only that — he is only an example of those who, as coming into the truth, are on the line of doing; if a certain thing was to be done, why should he be hindered? If it is clear that I should have a certain part and the doing of it is not marking me, why so? The word here is “What hinders my being baptised?” It has been remarked this runs through the book; the book opens indeed with the statement that Luke makes: “The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach”. So the doing is in mind: teaching, too, but doing and the spirit of that is implied to be amongst those who have the Spirit of God; and if there is that which I should have part in, what is hindering? If I should be doing something and am not doing it, why? The Lord in converting Paul according to chapter 9 takes the lead in suggesting this to the convert, telling him without his asking, according to the better version. The idea of Paul’s asking is not stated in chapter 9, but the Lord has in mind that he would have part in the economy he was brought into, and he would be told what to do and he would be doing something; and a later account says he asked the Lord what he should do. As I said, this thought is found running through the book, and evidently it is intended to lay hold of us that christianity involves mutual feeling and mutual service. That is what I was thinking, and I just suggested these few verses because they present the thought [p. 111] clearly.
JS Had you at all in mind that there should be a contrast to what christendom is, to the way certain people carry on the doing and the rest miss the great thought in this book and do not function?
JT That is exactly what I was thinking of. Moving about one observes some who do not function at all, and who have, to some extent, come under paralysis, or stoppage of normal exercises of service.
JFP Would the more excellent way enter into this?
JT Well, it would indeed; it is underlying it. The desire for gift is alluded to there, but this way that you allude to is the thing that underlies all service — that is love — and on that basic position the Lord furnishes what is needed; and the way of ability follows on that. So that every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of the Christ; and there are special gifts so that the service should go on, and why should anyone exempt himself and be out of it; and if anyone is out of it, why should he not ask himself the question, what is hindering?
EJMcB It is evident that the converts of Peter raised the question, what shall we do?
JT I was thinking of that as one of the instances; and how intelligent they were, as if they were in the current of things; and Peter and the other apostles were evidently men that could tell them what to do. It seems to be a thought running through the early period of christianity, this thought of doing and regulation. So that the Lord puts His claim in at once in regard of Saul, “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do”. He was told.
EJMcB Of course, there is much to be done, is there not?
JT Well, that is what I was thinking; and especially in the service of prayer and the assembly [p. 112] service, breaking of bread and all that enters into it. If I am not taking part in all that, what does hinder me? Others are free, why not I?
HAH Does the secret of it lie in baptism?
JT Well, that is the beginning; the thought evidently was imparted into the eunuch’s mind by what Philip was saying — he preached unto him Jesus. We are not told that Philip had spoken to him about baptism, but the thought came into the eunuch’s mind. Philip does not urge it or draw attention to the water; the eunuch saw it and he would not say to Philip ‘Why did you not tell me about this?’: he saw the water himself. You get hold of what is current in the way of instruction — the spirit of things — and you grasp the thing yourself. What is hindering me? Water is involved and why should I not be baptised; so that would run through in that man’s history.
JS Philip took the opportunity of going down with the man.
JT He offered no objection. Verse 37 is left out in J.N.D.’s version; it is not in the original according to best manuscripts. Philip took that man as he was wanting to be done. He offered no objection at all, but goes down with the eunuch; he goes the whole way.
Rem He would not have lost by that, he was free.
JT Philip — I think so. He went down into the water, he was not a cleric, he was not a one-man minister. I suppose the idea would be that he would show the eunuch how it should be done — he went down himself. It says, “They went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptised him”. It is a joint affair; if the brethren are to learn anything from you it must be a joint matter, you get to a person as your own equal, you are not looking down on them.
Rem Does Romans 12 suppose everyone is doing?
JT Exactly. Peter in Acts 10 went down to Cornelius who would have worshipped Peter; but no,
he said to Cornelius, “I myself also am a man”, and they went into the house together; so the minister does not make himself great, he is alongside those who are to be taught, and it will soon come out what he is: he does not need to make himself anything. This principle of showing the way and being with the brethren on the same level, is often quite manifest in a meeting. Well, some are holding back, what is hindering? Why is it?
HAH If baptism is rightly accepted and the truth of it applied, would it set us free for this doing, like Israel, in Exodus 15?
JT Yes, but the thing was in the eunuch’s mind before he was baptised; it is a spiritual thing, he is moving in that direction, what hinders me?
JFP He does not say I ought to be baptised, it is, what hinders.
JT That is what I was thinking, the use of the word ‘hinder’. A brother came to me sometime back and said, ‘I never can speak to God’; well, what hindered that brother? ‘I never have any spiritual liberty to speak to God in the assembly’, he said. Why not?
JS Paul said a serious thing in writing to the meeting at Corinth that some had not the knowledge of God, because the knowledge of God sets a man’s soul aglow.
JT Quite so, anyone who is not participating in the assembly, it is obvious he should make full enquiry before God and before his brethren as to what is hindering him.
Ques Would it be right to connect it with the way of righteousness?
JT Quite so. The Lord evidently had it in mind that Saul should be doing something and he says, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision”. The Lord says it is not what you want to do now yourself, you have got to go into the city. Saul might have [p. 114] questioned it in his mind but the Lord took the initiative, according to chapter 9; He would that he should go to the brethren and learn how they did things, and he would see how they did things and follow suit and he went further. You will surely go on if you start like that.
JS Would you say these verses almost suggest the start in the young convert’s heart, and He sends him to a company who are on that line?
JT It is so according to chapter 22; Saul did ask apparently but the Spirit of God does not mention it here. It is not an optional matter, the Lord is bringing the matter up with this convert: you are to do things and you will be told how to do them and you are to go into the city and will be told, which I suppose would be a real test to a man like Saul.
AWP Would you say underlying this is the thought of authority — “I say unto one, Go, and he goeth ...”?
JT That thought runs through concurrently with what we are saying; the spirit of control runs through this book, the Lord is introduced to us as doing and teaching — He assembled with the brethren and told them things. Everything points to that; He is expecting them to go on, “Remain in the city till ye be clothed with power from on high”. Starting in the service involves that you must have the Holy Spirit, and it may be that many who do not take part have not the Holy Spirit; it may be that a man who is constantly dumb in the assembly has not the Holy Spirit.
CL I suppose it is true to say we are under one control or another.
JT Well, a man may not have the Spirit, and he may not be under the control of the devil; but he is very near it, because we are told about the Lord being in a certain place and one of the disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray”. He was thinking not only [p. 115] of himself but of a locality — us. A spiritual man would say to the Lord, ‘We want all the brothers here to pray’; he says, “Teach us to pray”, that is, let nobody be silent in the hour of prayer; and the Lord went on to say how he should pray and enlarged on the urgency of prayer and to be instant in it. Then He goes on to say, “How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” I believe we are to be urgent about our brethren taking part in the meeting; the next word is that He was casting out a demon: the Lord was doing it after that instruction, and it was dumb. It seems to me the suggestion is that the enemy might be working even in the very meeting where persons are not using their tongues, and not using what God has given them. It might be the enemy has come in and is doing that; it is not have you done it; He was casting out a demon, He was showing them how to do it. Find out from the Lord how this thing is to be met.
JS Would you say there might be one that has not the Spirit and that would be the cause of the dumb state?
JT Well, it would give the enemy the opportunity. The Lord says, ‘Wait until you get Him’ as though the service could not go on without the Spirit; and therefore it governs the position if I have not got Him, I must get to God about it.
JS That would throw great light upon the preaching we have; Peter said, “Repent, and be baptised, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for remission of sins, and ye will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”.
JT Yes, “in the name of Jesus Christ”.
FVW Earlier in chapter 8 it seems remarkable that although many believed it was not until Peter and John were sent down and they prayed for the Holy Spirit, that He was given to [p. 116] them.
JT Well, that is a remarkable thing in this chapter; there could never have been an assembly in Samaria if that had not happened. The whole matter of the supply of the gift of the Spirit brings in authority, and therefore if it is apparent that the meeting is suffering from some not having the Spirit, the thing is to get to the Lord. The devil comes to our meetings, you know, and the thing is to keep him out, and you can only do it really by the Spirit.
ESH Would it be abnormal for Satan to come to our meetings? “Having ascended up on high, he has led captivity captive, and has given gifts to men”,
Ephesians 4: 8. Is that the normal condition?
JT It is “for the rebellious also”, according to Psalm 68, so that the gifts which come from above involve the Spirit.
FE Might some sin or some enemy cause dumbness or silence, as in the case of David?
JT Yes, that is true; one sin not repented of or anything like that, the Lord will not hear me if I regard iniquity in my heart; there are so many things that might hinder: we might have the Spirit and be hindering Him. David prayed, “Take not thy holy spirit from me”. We have no need to pray like that, He is given to us, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise; He may be grieved through some happening that has not been thoroughly judged, that may be the case.
JS One has thought of what you have been speaking of, for those who have not the Spirit, it would be a very exercising thing as to door-keeping. We read in Scripture the priests kept the doors.
JT You can see that illustrated in chapter 8; Peter and John came down and the Spirit had not been given to the converts; that is a matter that ought to be observed — they were actually believers and yet they had not the Spirit, but Peter and John prayed for them and they received the Spirit.
[p. 117] Then there was one man that did not, that was Simon. If he had been allowed in, there would have been some trouble in the meetings; that is the point — door-keepers — watching to be sure that young people have the Spirit.
Ques Every believer you would say is sealed by the Holy Spirit, but is it to say he has received the Spirit?
JT Well, I would not say every believer is sealed by the Spirit because at Samaria they were believers, but they had not the Spirit.
Rem “After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise”.
JT After — it may be a month or an hour or a day; it is not automatic — the gift of the Spirit, it is a gift. A very precious thought, I think, that I receive the Spirit from God; it does not come in automatically as I believe, and we must leave it with God when He does it.
ASK There seems to have been some considerable period with the twelve at Ephesus.
JT They had believed and in this case, especially, those twelve indicate what is current today: the teachings are so bad, the Holy Spirit could not go into such a position. Hence you have, Jesus began both to do and to teach.
ASK So that in the local gatherings you would look that doing and teaching were hand in hand.
JT Quite so.
AWP Are you suggesting that while the Spirit is a gift, yet to receive it there has to be a condition?
JT The moral condition.
Ques Why do you think the Ethiopian eunuch had not the Spirit?
JT I think he had, he went away rejoicing; the Spirit caught away Philip after the baptism. Well, you say, it does not say He entered into the eunuch; but I think the teaching is sequential. The thought of [p. 118] the Spirit is clearly put in the book and the Lord would not let that man go without the Spirit because the condition was obviously there; he went away rejoicing. You have got to see that in regarding this matter the Spirit of God has put it so that you could see the Lord needed him.
Rem In principle he was in the kingdom.
JT Quite so.
CL A trustworthy man.
JT Just so. I think the way it is put is to convey that position; the Lord would not let one go off in these circumstances without the Spirit.
CL I was thinking of the door-keeping; are we entitled to discern whether a person has the Spirit, on the line of door-keeping?
JT Certainly, it is a question of getting near people, you would hear them pray. There is something about a truly converted person, one who is sealed by the Spirit; there is something about him that attracts you, there is such a difference not only in word but in countenance and in his way — he loves the brethren.
CL He would not be independent.
JT Quite so. So in regard to the eunuch I think we ought to take account of all the facts, the great activities of the Spirit in that case. The angel told Philip to go down to the desert and he went; and while he was there the eunuch came, and the Spirit says, “Go near, and join thyself to this chariot”, and he did, and Philip says to the eunuch, “Understandest thou what thou readest?” The eunuch says, “How can I, except some man should guide me?” Then we are told the part he was reading and it was opportune: it was not an accident, it was apropos to the moment; Philip begins at the same scripture. He did not turn out one of his old sermons, he took the scripture that the man was reading; it was just the one for him and he preached unto him Jesus — the [p. 119] Person. Philip is in thorough accord with the whole position, he did not provide the chariot, he did not provide the scripture, he did not provide the water; so that there were other items beside Philip and so it is today the preacher is not everything. So he preached unto him Jesus and the water comes into view; evidently they were moving and the eunuch suggests this, the eunuch notices it and they went down together; and then it says, “But when they came up out of the water the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no longer, for he went on his way rejoicing”. Can anyone say that man had not the Spirit? Heaven would not leave the work unfinished; the Holy Spirit says, Go by yourselves — “For he went on his way rejoicing”.
EJMcB His joy evidently was in the Holy Spirit.
JT Where else could it be? The whole case would not be mentioned like this if it were not a real thing. Then this word — for, that is over against that, he saw Philip no more, he does not need Philip; Philip might have been inclined to go with the eunuch but the Spirit of the Lord takes away Philip, He is delighted with his work.
HAH The eunuch had seen a man who was prepared to do what he was told.
JT Quite so.
JS You cannot part with one man until you have Another, would you say?
JT Yes — he had the Lord with him.
FVW Is the remarkable transposition of this quotation to be noted? Philip almost appears to misquote it.
JT It is quoted from the Septuagint, I suppose; it seems to be just accepted from the Bible from which he was reading, no doubt a copy from the Septuagint. It conveyed the truth and the truth thus affected [p. 120] that man.
FVW I was thinking the intensity of the scripture would come home to him; the lamb being shorn here, not the sheep as in Isaiah. It would have an effect upon this man.
JT It would; and His life was taken from the earth.
TRJH The Lord had taken account of the secrets of his heart.
JT Quite so, it was a very fine day for heaven and Philip was told to leave a good work and go down there to a desert place.
JFP So is the basis of the principle to which you have called attention in the individual?
JT I thought so; it is a very great thought in a man who is still unbaptised that the work of God is there, why should I be hindered, this is a thing that evidently ought to be done, why should I not be baptised? There is no suggestion that Philip told him about the water, he saw it himself; it is a feature of the work of God: he sees what ought to be done to him, and he says, “What doth hinder me?” So if I am dumb in the meeting — why is it? Others are free.
JFP Going on his way rejoicing, there is the basis there for liberty in the company.
JT Yes, the Lord had full confidence in him.
ESH It says, “He that fixes his view on the perfect law, that of liberty, and abides in it, being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work”.
JT Exactly, and so as has been remarked these converts in chapter 2 are all on this line; they are not drags on the meeting, they speak to the right men, not only to Peter but to the other apostles. Bartholomew and Matthew could answer like Peter, it is the effect of the work of God in the assembly, and therefore they want to know what to do and as having done it they are added to, as much as to say that is the idea, they can be incorporated in the new [p. 121] system, they will never be drags, they will be active as they should be, so we are told later they persevered in the apostles’ teaching. They are in the assembly enjoying the wonderful conditions that prevail there — how happy they all were.
HAH Is there something in that — fellowship before breaking of bread?
JT Quite so, the teaching first, then the fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers — they are not whipped into it.
HAH Can we be in fellowship without breaking bread?
JT Breaking bread is the expression of fellowship.
EJMcB Do you connect the thought of the doing of Paul with the fact of the assembly in the place, it would be appointed to him what he was to do?
JT I thought so; the Lord does not point out the persons, where they live, but just says, “Go into the city”. Remarkable thought, I think, that the Lord had some there; it certainly did not mean that he should go to the Mayor or the Alderman, it meant there were some in the town who would teach him; it showed that the work of God would work itself out, there would be no miscarriage in the thing at all. He was led into the city, and in it the Lord tells Ananias where the man is, which house he is in.
EJMcB I was wondering whether the Bible Reading ought to be more instructive on that line as to what to do.
JT I am sure that is what it is intended for.
EJMcB Not a mere study of Scripture.
JT No, saying right things. If I were resident in this town the Lord might use what was said in the reading; but then we are to “Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine”. We are to realise why the brethren do not function, so the thing is to speak to them [p. 122] about it.
AAG So Ananias would say to Saul, “Why lingerest thou?”
JT I suppose Saul was hesitating about baptism — a serious step for him.
JFP And may it be the incapacity to receive food? It says, “Having received food, got strength. And he was with the disciples who were in Damascus certain days”.
JT He could see how things were done; not only be told, but see.
HAH If you spoke to one like that, you would have to have in view getting with him, not merely to get him to speak but getting to the secret of what is hindering.
JT Quite so, it requires priestly discernment; I think Philip’s example is excellent, he went down with the man, not above him.
Then there is more than that, there may be those who function too much, say too much, give out too many hymns or give out a wrong hymn at a particular time; such are not only being hindered but are hindering. If there is a hindrance enquire into it what does hinder me?
ASK Should the priestly element deal with such a position of one of whom you speak as being too prominent?
JT Yes, we are obligated to one another; if we let them go along we are suffering instead of endeavouring to correct — in grace, you know. “Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine”, if you are doing it properly and according to the truth.
Ques Would that be one feature at Corinth, they were too wordy?
JT Well, it seems so, so that the fatherly qualities are needed; we have only one Father.
CL The Lord saw with these two cases that they had a good [p. 123] start.
JT Yes, I think they are exemplary cases, characteristic cases, too. In this book you get many instances as requiring what is to be done; these two are representative, particularly Saul; he had to begin with the Lord, as it were. According to the first record it is as much as if the Lord says, ‘there is a great deal to be done and I need you; you are an active man but you must be told what to do and I am telling you where to go’, so Saul has to learn that if he is to be active he has to be told.
JFP So that his doing might be regulated.
JT Yes; he might say to the Lord, ‘Why do You not tell me Yourself?’but the Lord says, ‘You must learn from others’.
CL So the Lord would be gracious to anyone coming in in that way by allowing the brethren to handle the matter.
JT Quite so, he would learn his place amongst the brethren; that is just the case, you have got to go into the city. He does not even tell him where to go; you have got to learn from others and you have got to find them. The Lord does not say I will go before you; it is put into his mind that he must learn from others. The Lord saw to it that Ananias went to him.
CL Would the grace of the Lord flow through the service in that way?
JT Quite so.
FVW So that Ananias puts his hands on Saul and says, “Brother Saul”. We do not read that the Lord told him to say it, his own action would encourage this convert.
JT That is a good thought. Very often converts are misrepresented in the way in which we deal with them and the Lord is very concerned that it should not be; they have to learn from the brethren. So Philip places himself alongside the eunuch, Peter [p. 124] places himself alongside Cornelius, and Ananias places himself alongside Saul, “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost”. Well, that ought to break his heart, to know that the Lord was thinking of him; and it did, Saul learnt.
EJMcB Do you not think that raises a very serious exercise that he would not have Ananias concern Saul with his past history or failure but with the work of God in him?
JT We begin from the bottom in that way. Paul later was much greater than Ananias but he knew Ananias was greater than he was once; he says, “By the grace of God I am what I am”. Ananias was what he was by the grace of God. Paul says of someone, ‘he was in Christ before me’; well, that is something.
TRJH You have the suggestion of a praying man.
JT Quite so, “Behold, he prayeth”, that is the point for us; the Lord puts everything on that. We are acting, you know, for the assembly. It is not the Father in heaven, but of heaven; the gift of the Spirit is to bring us into accord with heaven, so if the Father is of heaven, you are of heaven, too.
RH Would the thought of appointment apply in some measure?
JT Yes, it is definite; there is an appointment for you.
FE Would the very beginning of his doing be to know His will, to have the knowledge of the will of God?
JT Quite so, for he says, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision”.
FCR I was thinking of Habakkuk in regard to the hindrances.
JT Quite so, he says, “O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and O, mighty God, thou hast established them for correction”. Then in chapter 2, “I will stand upon my watch”. He begins low down and he reaches up to the highest thing. He takes into account what his business might be, his cattle, vegetables and the like, but it does not matter now what happens, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation”. It is a rising position: he goes on to say, “The Lord God is my strength”, and ends with this, “To the chief singer on my stringed instruments”. A perfect thing for the assembly when I can hand it over to the Lord, to the chief Musician on my stringed instruments; it is stringed instruments, not the one he began with. I think we often allow our goods, our sheep and our business to come in and hinder, and that is exactly what he would help in.
FCR This concern in the service of God must go on.
JT That is right, and it should not be any mythical thing. “He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places”. He is not a stranger in the highest point reached, he is at home there.
HAH So the psalm would enrich the praise.
JT That is the idea, that is really what it is; it is an experience. As it says, “Each of you has a psalm”. I heard of a brother bringing the fruit of an experience, in a psalm, to the meeting for ministry; and it was very good, I think.
EJMcB Very good.
JT It is not one of the Psalms.
EJMcB Is not David remarkable in that way; on certain days when he had certain experiences he wrote Psalms?
JT Quite so; that is most instructive — some unique history, some unique instruction. The one in [p. 126] 1 Corinthians 14 is evidently a characteristic experience, a spiritual experience, so that we are to speak to ourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
Ques Would liberty with the brethren help to release that amongst the saints?
JT Just so, mutual feeling, that is the basis, I think, of the service of God — plenty of spiritual liberty.