THE EXEMPLIFICATION OF THE TRUTH (4)
THE EXEMPLIFICATION OF THE TRUTH (4)
RSS Perhaps you might give us a few words on this chapter.
JT Well, it affords a further evidence of the levitical skill with which the apostle carried on his labours, inasmuch as it gives us an example of his manner in speaking to Gentiles; the 13th chapter shows how he spoke to Jews. Verse 15 says — “Men, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, preaching to you to turn from these vanities to the living God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all things in them; who in the past generations suffered all the nations to go in their own ways, though indeed he did not leave himself without witness, doing good, and giving to you from heaven rain and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness”. That is an example of how he preached to the Gentiles. Taking both together we have examples of how he became all things to all men, that he might gain the more. To the Jews he became a Jew, but to the Gentiles he did not become a Gentile, but he spoke as a man. He was a man as they were, so that he begins, “We also are men of like passions with you”.
FL You see the same example in Athens when he came to that city and saw it given over to demon worship, which I suppose was the sort of idolatry which involved that the things of nature were deified. Paul speaks of the altar “To the unknown God”. He says, “Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you”, And then he proceeds as a man: “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God”. And then he brings in the new order of Man in the new sphere as God’s answer to that — Jesus and the [p. 120] resurrection.
JT That is quite confirmatory of what we have here and it helps practically as showing how levitical service is carried on: you take account of those to whom you minister and seek to get their point of view and go with it as far as you can legitimately.
AFM So whether it is in the synagogue amongst the Jews, or here amongst the heathen, he is guided by what he finds by spiritual wisdom, and here it is creation he bases his thoughts upon; he comes down to the creation itself so as to help them.
JT We can go a considerable way with any class of men. There are some things that we have in common with all.
FL Luke enlarges on that line in connecting the genealogy of the Lord with Adam. So that, as you say, with any class of men we have some things in common, but then there comes the divergent point.
JT Luke is specially evangelistic. If you compare him with Matthew, you will find that Matthew in no way attempts to conciliate the Jew or meet his prejudices. On the contrary, he approaches the subject in such wise as to rebuke, convict and set aside the Jew. He begins with Jerusalem under the influence of Herod, who had a murderous spirit and ends with Jesus, not ascending from the Mount of Olives or Jerusalem, but in Galilee communicating with the twelve, sending them out to the nations. That is, he disregards Jerusalem and all that it stood for throughout: whereas Luke begins with Jerusalem, not as under the domination of a murderous king, but as having a priest serving before God in His temple, whose wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and they were blameless. Zacharias is seen ministering in the temple at the golden altar before God and receiving communications there. The Jew is thus encouraged, his cherished institution being recognized. There is nothing to arouse opposition or resentment in the manner in which Luke presents the gospel, and so he ends his [p. 121] narrative with this, that repentance and remission of sins must be preached among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem: and He leaves the city and goes out to Bethany, and ascends to heaven, and the disciples return to Jerusalem, to the temple, praising and blessing God. So Luke is pre-eminently evangelical. He does not excite opposition. He approaches the Jews in the spirit of conciliation and I believe this is a feature in evangelisation. If we are to gain men, we must go with them as far as we can legitimately, not further.
JD What you are saying about the gospel of Luke shows that the moral link between heaven and earth is preserved there. Regarding what we have been referring to here, would you be free to say this is a Levite carrying the ark of the covenant from place to place? What I mean is that the covenant is found in a Man, and Paul was in keeping with it.
JT Yes. I have no doubt that you get the priestly and levitical features together in Paul. That is, the priest took care of the ark — it was to be covered before carried. It referred to the person of Christ; but still it is carried, and I have no doubt, as you say, we see it here; that is, the testimony to Christ in the gospel.
JD I was thinking of the word of reconciliation, that, just as we heard last night in regard to the covenant, it was committed to Paul. New creation was involved. Reconciliation had been effected in Paul and he went about as the setting forth of new creation. The word of it was there and the accomplishment of reconciliation was in that man.
JT He exemplified what he preached, you mean?
JD Exactly.
HG And it would seem as though there was something very living with Paul at this juncture, because he refers to these three cities in 2 Timothy in connection with persecution — Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. Things are apparently going from bad to worse as regards the [p. 122] persecution. At Antioch they expel him, at Iconium they attempt to stone him, and at Lystra they do it.
FL As to bearing the ark of the testimony, it may not be so apparent how it could be applied at the present time in connection with evangelisation. Wherever you preach, Christ in a way is known: He has been already presented. Paul and Barnabas, and Silas had that which was unique; they preached Christ where He was never heard of. And therefore, in a very peculiar way, it seems to me, they were the bearers of the ark of the testimony, and it was an immense privilege. Paul was never diverted from that path, no matter what he met in it.
HG I was thinking of that. It would show the imperishable character of the testimony. We read about James being beheaded and Peter left; but it does not matter if I am cut off and you left, or I am left and you cut off, the thing is maintained livingly.
JT The Acts presents the movements of the tent of testimony. In this the whole levitical company was employed: each had his own part to bear. I have no doubt that in the testimony of Paul we get the full answer to these things. Indeed it becomes more emphatic after Barnabas leaves him. Chapter 15 is the end of a period. You have after this chapter the introduction of the gospel into Europe. You have Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, Corinth and then again he goes back to Asia and completes the full counsel, or mind of God in the structure he rears up at Ephesus.
FL I was going to say in that connection that wherever an assembly was formed the tabernacle was there in principle. Not alone the ark, but the tabernacle is in view also.
JT Quite; Ecclesiastes speaks of “masters of assemblies”, Paul formed assemblies and these answered locally to the setting up of the tent of the testimony.
HG [p. 123] You include the work of the Gershonites as well as of the Kohathites, and they had a heavy part. They had wagons.
JT Quite.
CAM So not only the ark, but the altars, the golden altar and the altar of sacrifice, both of these you see in the course of things such as at Philippi.
JT As our brother points out, there was first of all the service of the Kohathites. They were particularly entrusted with the holy utensils, the ark and the vessels of the sanctuary; but the Gershonites and Merarites had also their parts to carry, and I have no doubt that you see it all here.
FL Not forgetting the priestly family.
JT They are particularly brought in in this section as regulating the Levites. I think that is the way it stands, because Numbers is the levitical book. Leviticus is strictly the priestly book.
AFM When you speak of the priests being brought in as regulating the Levites you refer to what we had this morning where “The Holy Spirit said”.
JT You get it at Antioch: they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, and it was as they ministered that you have the directions as to Barnabas and Paul — as it were, Eleazar ordering the service of the Levites, Numbers 3: 32. After Numbers 21 you have nothing of the service of the Gershonites or the Merarites. At Jordan it is “the priests the Levites” — not priests and Levites. It is not any longer a question of the tent of the testimony, but of the ark of the covenant. That is to say, it is a question of Christ personally dealing with death, making a way for us into the presence of God in His own land. We may notice in the end of Acts 14 the beautiful mark of approval on levitical work. In verse 26 it says, “and thence they sailed away to Antioch, whence they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. And having arrived,
[p. 124] and having brought together the assembly, they related to them all that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations. And they stayed no little time with the disciples”. I mention that because it is an additional touch by the Spirit as to the effectiveness of levitical service, seen in these devoted men. They go back to the company from whence they had gone out, and they had fulfilled their mission, and then it says that they brought the assembly together and related to them all that God had done with them, and that He had opened a door of faith to the nations. And then “They stayed no little time with the disciples”.