THE GOSPEL (1)
THE GOSPEL (1)
JT This chapter suggests what is evangelical.
JTJr Luke says that he writes with method as “accurately acquainted from the origin with all things”.
JT That is good, and both these features should be in all ministry — method and accuracy.
ABP What do you understand by the word “method” as used by Luke?
JT It is important, in the things of God, that things be done with method. This chapter is evangelical, so you have: “Forasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a relation concerning the matters fully believed among us”. That is the truth of the gospel, and it was fully believed among the brethren.
JTJr And believed amongst us now?
JT Yes; we believe it now. If these meetings are not of this character we do not get much profit from them; that is to say, there is liberty between brethren so that we can speak about what is believed among us.
AR Luke speaks of “those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word”.
JT Yes; they had delivered to others the truth as to “matters fully believed”. That is a great matter.
JTJr So that before they had the written word these matters were fully believed amongst them.
JT Quite so; it was evidently understood amongst them; it was their conversation.
Rem In Galatians it says, “The scripture ... announced beforehand the glad tidings to Abraham” (Galatians 3:8), so that we are blessed with believing Abraham.
JT “Believing Abraham” — that is one man who fully believed the truth. It is a great matter for us that we believe the gospel. The question is, Do we believe the gospel?
CAI Paul spoke of coming to the Romans “in the fulness of the blessing of Christ”, Romans 15:29.
JT I suppose it is important to see that all this was thoroughly known amongst the brethren in the early days before the New Testament scriptures were written.
ANW Luke was “accurately acquainted from the origin with all things”. Is that an urgent need with us?
JT Quite so. It involves what has come down from heaven; if we have intelligence about these things, why should we not be accurate?
VCL Paul says that the gospel is God’s power to salvation to “every one that believes”. It is not limited.
JT Quite. And then it says, “Those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word have delivered them to us”. That is how matters were known at the beginning.
JTJr Is it important that we understand this title — the Word? Would that be the way the disciples knew the Lord?
JT Yes; He would be known amongst them as the Word. Had we been there we might have heard someone say, ‘I heard the Word speak today’. Well, what would He say? It would be something about the truth, the glad tidings.
JTJr So that this title “the Word” alludes to Christ.
JT Yes; quite so. There is only one Person who had that title.
JHE John’s gospel, which is the last book written, as we understand, supports that when it says, “In the beginning was the Word” John 1:1.
JT Yes; “And the Word was with God, and the Word was God”(John 1:1).
CAI It is interesting that the things were there before they were written.
JT That is just what I was thinking. They were known to the brethren from the outset; the whole matter was known amongst the brethren.
ABP Does the use of method bear witness to the skill of the evangelist?
JT Surely; Luke must have been a skilful man; he knew the forms of expression that would be needed for the conveyance of the glad tidings.
FHL Paul speaks of “the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery”, (Romans 16:25).
JT He was the only one who got the mystery, I would say.
FHL Luke wrote that Theophilus might “know the certainty” of those things in which he had been instructed. I suppose that with us things are established on the authority of the Scriptures.
JT Yes; the matter was fully told out to Theophilus by one who was fully capable of telling it.
FWK Did John, when he wrote, “That which was from the beginning ...” (1 John 1:1) have the fulness of the gospel in his mind?
JT Quite so, “that” is a demonstrative pronoun.
Ques What does the idea of method involve?
JT That the gospel is accurately told out in an orderly way and that it stands to the present day.
AR It is all in relation to a Person — the Word.
JT Yes; it is in relation to a Person who is called “the Word”. The Word is a title. The disciples could relate these matters because John could say, “We have seen with our eyes; that which we contemplated, and our hands handled, concerning the word of life” (1 John 1:1)
JTJr John’s gospel runs along with what we are saying as to the Word. The “that which” of 1 John 1:1 would especially allude to the Lord’s humanity and would link on with Luke.
EAL “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us”, (John 1:14).
JT That is the Lord Jesus; He “became flesh, and dwelt among us”. He is a divine Person but in manhood He dwelt among the disciples - wonderful fact.
EAL It has been said that His in-coming here was the beginning of Christianity in a historical sense.
JT Quite so; “That which was from the beginning”(1 John 1:1), and then here, “Those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word have delivered them to us”. Notice that it is “delivered them to us”. It was accurately stated.
JTJr The “eye-witnesses” spoken of in verse 2 would be the apostles. What is said in John’s epistle as to “That which” and “Jesus Christ coming in flesh” (1 John 4:2), would be the line that Luke opens up.
AR Does the record of the historical side of things as to the birth of the Lord Jesus bring out the reality of His humanity?
JT Yes; and there were “eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word”, who delivered these matters to the disciples. It is more than what was simply said, they delivered it. It called for speaking in a peculiar way to bring out the truth of the glad tidings. There was nothing else like the glad tidings in the world at that time. It was delivered by certain ones who were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word. This was the most wonderful thing there was in the world at that time.
ANW Have we not learned that the method of his writing is in moral order rather than historical [p. 364] order?
JT Yes; the method is there. He knows how to set things out with skill.
JTJr That is why the reading of the whole chapter was suggested. It gives the method. It is eighty verses long but you really need to read it through to get the method.
JT Yes, and we must think of it tonight and tomorrow and maybe all the week to get the force of it.
EAL You have told us that Luke was not only methodical and accurate, but he was a very feeling man.
JT Well, just so.
FWK Is not the chapter full of selected vessels? We have spoken of the eye-witnesses and attendants who delivered these things to us, but the chapter is full of selected vessels.
JT They were used of God to supply what was needed to bring forward the truth of the glad tidings.
FWK So that Zacharias, and Elizabeth, and Mary would be among the selected persons.
JT Quite so; and John’s gospel supports the whole of Luke’s gospel.
ABP Does Luke’s association with Paul result in his support of the Pauline ministry in his gospel? It would seem that each of these great early ministers supported the whole scope of the gospel.
JT I am sure that John and Luke were thoroughly with each other.
Rem Luke had links with Paul all through the Acts. Even in the shipwreck, Luke was still with him. Later Paul writes, “Luke alone is with me” (2 Timothy 4:11). And then Timothy must have been well grounded in the gospel through his association with Paul.
JT Luke was selected by God to do what he did — to bring out the truth.
RWS The word “origin”, in verse 3, is important. Luke was “accurately acquainted from the origin with all things”.
JT Things that had been “delivered” to the saints. That is another great word, as conveying the whole matter. He spoke, but his body would move to convey what he was saying.
RWS You are stressing the word “delivered”.
TNW Beautiful feet are referred to in relation to the gospel.
AR The feet of the Lord are prominent in Luke.
JTJr Peter stood up with the eleven.
FWK Is it not important to know the origin of things? Paul received his gospel from heaven; I have wondered if we may not fully understand the origin of the gospel.
JT And then what I say would be expressed with movement.
FWK The gospel should be spoken feelingly; so Paul speaks of serving in his spirit in the glad tidings, as if the whole man were involved in it and moving with it.
JT We emphasize what we are saying with movement.
RWS Would “opening up and laying down” be the idea?
JT Yes; and with movement of the body; Paul persuaded.
RWS It says, “Then Paul stretching out his hand answered”. (Acts 26:1).
Rem It says of Paul and Barnabas that they “so spake that a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks believed”, (Acts 14:1).
JT Very good: the Lord “stood up to read”. His standing would be to clarify the words.
AEW Is the thought “that thou mightest know the certainty” of what [p. 366] is being said?
JT That is just it.
CAM Luke’s gospel commences with a priestly setting.
JT Yes.
ABP Is there an expression of the grace of the dispensation in that Luke would write this entire gospel to establish one man?
JT It would convey that.
JTJr The gospel being written to one person would bring its truth home to each one of us. It was written to “most excellent Theophilus”. Luke evidently had respect for him.
AR Should we be priests before we take on the preaching?
JT Quite so; it is within the range of all to be priests.
AR And should we come out from the presence of God to preach? Gabriel said that he stands before God.
JT Just so.
FNW Would Romans 12 show that the result of the gospel is that we present our bodies to God, in a priestly way?
JT Yes.
CFE Would a subjective state be seen in Elizabeth and Mary? They seem to be in the good of the great things that were to come about in connection with the incoming of John and the Lord.
JT The passage reads, “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth. And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years”. And then, later it says, “And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense”. And then it says, “Thy supplication has been heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John”.
JTJr Does that suggest that in Zacharias and Elizabeth we have two walking together in the truth?
JT That is it exactly.
JTJr They are both well spoken of as “walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless”.
JT The Lord takes up both of them according to what He knows them to be. Zacharias and his wife were qualified for what God had called them to. Though Zacharias was unbelieving, he came to it in the end.
AR Gabriel, as coming from the presence of God could speak about John’s evangelical service.
JT Quite; God has come down from heaven, in Christ, and He has come near us by the Spirit to make the gospel plain. What is said should be definite.
AR The preacher should be able to express something of God.
JTJr Would the allusion here to John the baptist be a help to the preachers? The service is to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.
JT Yes; John the baptist was taken up to prepare the way of the Lord.
JTJr The servants are to make ready a prepared people for the coming in of Christ. And the priestly side is emphasized here, reference being made to the course of Abia, one of the twenty-four courses established by David in 1 Chronicles 24.
JT “A certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abia, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth”. And they were both walking before the Lord blameless. And they had no child; well now, all that is very important and that these things had to be mentioned, and they [p. 368] were fitted for the service that they were taken up for. What do you say?
CAM You have said that the incoming of the Lord Jesus Christ here was guarded by a priestly setting, so that no unholy thoughts could intrude.
JT Quite so; you can see how important that was.
JTJr The method with which Luke wrote is seen in the reference to Zacharias and Elizabeth. The other evangelists do not give this. Method is seen in the giving of details in connection with the incoming of Christ.
Ques What place does John the baptist have in relation to the gospel? Would it not seem that his ministry was for Israel?
JT John the baptist was augmentary.
JTJr He made way for Christ.
Rem Zacharias fulfilling his priestly service before God in the order of his course would raise the question if we are in our course.
JT Yes; each one has an office and we should fill it out.
EWS This section would indicate that we should be fully persuaded in our own souls before we attempt to evangelize.
EAL Verse 13 is the opposite to that. Zacharias was making supplication for something he did not think would happen. He did not believe the angel, so he was dumb for a while.
ANW In Mark’s gospel we are told to believe in the glad tidings. We cannot preach effectively unless we believe in the glad tidings.
JT Very good; we have noticed that — not only to believe the glad tidings but to believe in them.
JTJr The gospel alludes to a great sphere of things. We are to believe in them.
LW Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:13, “We also believe, therefore also we speak”.
JT That has been quoted frequently. It should be a principle with all of us that we should be sure of that of which we speak.
ABP There is joy and rejoicing in this chapter. Is that what is expected as a result of the gospel?
JT I would say that.
JTJr That is what the angel brings in. Gabriel said, “I have been sent to speak to thee, and to bring these glad tidings to thee”. So the preachers should bring in glad tidings, and be happy in their own souls.
ABP I wondered, in that way, if we should grasp the thought that the gospel has in mind a rejoicing people.
JT What you say is true; it is a happy matter; we are to be happy in the service.
ABP And a rejoicing people are to be the result.
Rem The queen of Sheba noted, “Happy are thy men! happy are these thy servants”, (1 Kings 10:8).
EAL “It was right to make merry and rejoice”, the father says, in Luke 15:32.
JTJr Does the angel give us a lead in this when he says of John, “He shall be to thee joy and rejoicing, and many shall rejoice at his birth”? Joy such as had not been before was about to be brought in.
JT I believe that this gospel should be understood in announcing the glad tidings.
JTJr So that the preachers need to be helped to be happy in their own souls, not bound up, but free in preaching.
CAM Joy and gladness run throughout this gospel, commencing with heaven as seen in Gabriel in this chapter and in the heavenly host in chapter 2, and ending with the disciples praising and blessing God at the close of the gospel.
JT The whole matter is joyous.
ANW And the glad tidings are [p. 370] in power.
FWK In the Philippian epistle the apostle speaks of the glad tidings. It is a book in which we are exhorted to rejoice in the Lord. Paul himself was exulting in the glad tidings. He was restful in his circumstances for they were working out for the furtherance of the glad tidings, and he is full of rejoicing.
JT Quite so.
FHL In chapter 2 the angel of the Lord announced “glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all the people” Luke 2:10.
TVD According to Luke 24:52 the disciples “returned to Jerusalem with great joy”. That is how this gospel closes.
JC Paul says, in Romans 15:13, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing”. The joy comes through believing, does it not?
JT Quite so.
JTJr The word ‘evangelize’ evidently comes from the same root as the word ‘angel’. There must be something instructive in the angels bringing glad tidings in this book.
AR What is angelic is part of the system, is it not?
JTJr The angels brought glad tidings here, but they are not preachers. We merely get a suggestion here. The great thought of preaching was first set out in Christ Himself and then the apostles. “Having had its commencement in being spoken of by the Lord, has been confirmed to us by those who have heard”, (Hebrews 2:3).
JT Quite so; the preaching is not by angels; this angel introduces the matter, but the preaching was through the apostles.