PAUL'S LETTERS TO TIMOTHY (5)
PAUL’S LETTERS TO TIMOTHY (5)
1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Timothy 5:17 - 21; 2 Timothy 1:11
The following came before us:- 1. Impressive presentation of the mystery of piety.
2. Service of elders.
3. Need of maintaining right conditions on the home front.
4. What is a witness?
5. Convicting before all.
6. Are ‘assembly restrictions’ legal?
7. ‘Appointing’ from care meeting — is it right?
We spent much time with great profit on the mystery (verse 16), the order of man — God, manifest in flesh, or as the note says it probably should read, ‘He who has been manifested in flesh’, how the Lord Jesus was here amongst men, how God was seen for the first time by angels, bringing up the early part of Luke’s gospel and the need of having holy thoughts as to the incarnation. ‘He who has’ was no less than Christ, no less than God, and we rested on many beautiful sections of 2 John 7, “Jesus Christ coming in flesh”, is that order of manhood. This chapter was said to reach a wonderful conclusion, for chapter 4 goes on to speak of the Spirit speaking expressly, and we were profoundly affected as we went over verse 16, reading it several times, “And confessedly the mystery of piety is great. God has been manifested in flesh, has been justified in the Spirit, has appeared to angels, has been preached among the nations, has been believed on in the world, has been received up in glory”. Justification in Spirit was said to be seen by the way the Lord did things, and as the Spirit is here everything as to Christ is justified now. Mephibosheth was introduced as one who was never entirely cleared by David, for David was not right about him,
[p. 475] but the Spirit approves every word and act of Jesus. He went out unjustified, but the Father raised Him by His glory; and then in the Acts the Spirit witnesses fully in the way of approval. The assembly was said to be the place where Christ is understood so that we understand at least in part the mystery of the incarnation. The final allusion in this verse to the Lord Jesus being received up in glory suggests that just as He was received up in glory, so His counterpart, the assembly, is about to be received up in glory, and we are to be ready for the glorious finish.
The services of the elders came up as we moved on to chapter 5:17, our brother remarking that we must allow these words their full weight, “Let the elders who take the lead among the saints well be esteemed worthy of double honour, specially those labouring in word and teaching”. In a sense things rest in a locality with the elders; they are probably gifted too. This cuts at the root of democracy in the assembly. An elder takes the lead amongst the saints because he is with God, and it was observed that in connection with elders’ service allusion to muzzling an ox comes in — we must not destroy or limit the thought of elders, and yet the balance is that the elders do not replace the care meeting, nor the care meeting the assembly, for the care meeting is not executive, whereas the assembly is. We went over Acts 15 briefly, the chapter which helped us a few years ago in Toronto in relation to sisters attending. It was asked if elders could not talk things over together privately. Our brother said, elders, or anyone, could speak things over, but we have to guard against a special class or special committees. James was mentioned as signally honouring the elders who are called by the sick person, and who pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
Allusion to two or three witnesses, verse 19, raised the question as to what a witness is — it is a person [p. 476] who sees or hears a thing; he does not give his opinion or his judgment, but goes by facts. Allusion to “Those that sin convict before all” might or might not have withdrawal in mind. Paul rebuking Peter was cited, and we observed the note: ‘to bring home a fault demonstratively to a man’s conscience;’to put to shame,’’conquer,’’rebuke,’but with conviction’. The elders of an assembly cannot act independently of the assembly; they may confer but they are not entitled to make decisions. It was urged too that if we come together in view of discipline we should not have preconceived thoughts, or have any action fixed in our minds, for who knows what the Spirit of God may say?
Inquiry was made as to whether assembly restrictions are right. It was said if they are right, only the assembly can restrict, but it is a question if the word of Solomon to Abiathar and to Shimei would have its application today. There is no first, second or third class fellowship. We are either in fellowship or we are out of fellowship.
Question was then raised of being ‘appointed from the care meeting’. It was said there is no thought of this; that if there is something to be done one or more come forward and offer to do it. This avoids officialism and the Lord helps us as we proceed.
We were encouraged to see the line of faith introduced in the first chapter of the second epistle, raising enquiry as to the line we come through; that God is operating on the line of faith. Here it is the feminine side exclusively, but Timothy needs stimulation to re-kindle the gift which was in him. We spoke somewhat of the spirit of cowardice, it being said that naturally we are all cowards; and if we are, we do not get this from God, “For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice”, 2 Timothy 1:7. Elijah fled from Jezebel but we noted the divine solicitude for him in his journey to Horeb. We can count on God’s [p. 477] faithfulness to help us through. It was pointed out that following the word ‘cowardice’ comes ‘power’ and ‘love’. We might have reversed this, placing love first, but we need power and then love, and then wise discretion.