THE DIRECT ACTION OF THE SPIRIT
[p. 388] THE DIRECT ACTION OF THE SPIRIT
Acts 2: 1 - 4; Acts 8: 14 - 17; Acts 10: 44; Acts 19: 1 - 6
JT I thought of these scriptures in Acts relative to the Spirit. I was thinking that this subject would fit in with present exercises, wishing at the same time to point out the dispensational features of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Firstly, as connected with the twelve and their service in Jerusalem, and then as coming upon the gentiles — it is presented as the direct action of the Spirit Himself in chapter 10; then coming through Paul’s administration in view of the assembly, in its universal bearing.
Ques What about chapter 8 in connection with Peter and John?
JT I was connecting that in my mind with the position of the apostles at Jerusalem, the provisional service of the twelve. You will observe it is not simply the apostles, but the apostles which were in Jerusalem.
RDH So Peter and John are seen representatively there?
JT Yes. It would emphasise the grace of God that came in in their ministry. God, in tender consideration for the Jewish feelings, recognised the priority of Jerusalem to Samaria. Acting still on the line of the promise, in patience God made allowance for Jewish feelings. I think we may be reminded by that fact of the importance of patience, how we have to exercise patience in our service and testimony. The continuance of the testimony at Jerusalem was the extension of the patience of God. But the coming of the Spirit on the gentiles, as such, in chapter 10 was aside from Peter. Peter is there, but the Spirit acted directly, whilst Peter was doing something else. While he was preaching, “the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were hearing the word” Acts 10: 44.
ELM Is there the thought that it was an extension [p. 389] of what was already given, that this comes in, or was there something in addition? The giving of the Spirit in chapter 2 had the gentiles in view, and individuals came into what was there, but is this something additional?
JT I think that up to chapter 10 it is what was there. The Samaritans received what was at Jerusalem, but it is not so presented in chapter 10. The Holy Spirit is acting directly — sovereignly. The coming of the Spirit at Pentecost is clearly an administrative action. The explanation was that Christ being by the right hand of God exalted, and as receiving of the Father the promise of the Spirit, He had “shed forth this, which ye now see and hear” Acts 2: 33. The Spirit had been promised to the disciples; the Lord commanded them “to await the promise of the Father”, Acts 1: 4. It came to them and flowed through them.
Ques Does not the Lord emphasise the priority of the Jew in the word which He expressed to the woman of Samaria, “salvation is of the Jews” John 4: 22?
JT Quite so. Chapter 8 is in keeping with that. He had said to the disciples as gathered in Luke 24, “And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you” Luke 24: 49. It was to them, and what was there flowed out through them. But there is the upper line — not exactly the line of administration from heaven to earth — but the action of a divine Person here, so that we have in chapter 9 the light from heaven and the voice from heaven, and in chapter 10 the sheet from heaven. It is not now a question of something administrative, but of heaven superseding what is at Jerusalem; heaven first recognising Jerusalem and then superseding it. The first is the patience of God to the Jews, but the second is heaven superseding Jerusalem so that the light is from heaven, and the sheet is from heaven, and the Holy Spirit, whilst He maintains the link in Peter’s ministry, comes on the gentiles directly, apart from Peter’s administration. They are credited with hearing [p. 390] the word — not simply what Peter was saying (Acts 10: 44).
ELM The movements of a divine Person as having come from heaven are seen in chapter 10?
JT Yes. He is now moving Himself: “it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Acts 15: 28). The distinction has now come out. Peter received the keys. Peter is recognised according to the commission he received from the Lord, but that did not imply the gift of the Spirit. The Spirit is now acting by Himself, so that whilst Peter spake the word, He fell on those who heard it. It is now a question of what the Spirit is doing. From this point the inner and the outer become more pronounced. The outer is after the inner, whereas the inner was after the outer in the second chapter. That is a remarkable thing. From this point the inner takes precedence. God is dealing with hearts now; what is inner must come before what is outer. He gave the Spirit on the ground of what was inside in chapter 10. Paul said later that God revealed His Son in him.
Ques Would you say that was the reason why in Acts 2 they had to repent and be baptised and receive the remission of sins before they received the gift of the Holy Spirit? In chapter 10 the Spirit fell on them.
JT Yes, Acts 2 is the outer first, “What shall we do?” “Repent and be baptised each one of you ... and ye will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” Acts 2: 38. But here it is “the heart-knowing God” — God acting from His own knowledge. God is dealing with things Himself, not through others. The Lord had distinguished between the witness of the Spirit and that of the twelve (John 15: 26, 27).
Ques Was it because they were gentiles?
JT Yes, because they were what the prodigal typified, that is to say, the gentile receiving the best robe. While God is patient with Jerusalem the ministry there was not on the same level. It was mediate; it was [p. 391] God acting through others, but now He is acting directly.
Ques Might I ask how you view the two wave loaves in Leviticus 23? Was the church in view?
JT I think they only fit in with the Jewish side. In Leviticus 23 the feasts go on from the Jewish side to the end, to the feast of tabernacles, embracing God’s thoughts for the Jew, but in connection with the church. The two wave loaves would be a witness; they were baked with leaven. They do not represent the church in its heavenly calling, but rather in its position here provisionally in the way of testimony. Leaven is there, but it had ceased to operate; they were baked; showing that the truth had been laid hold of by the saints and worked out privately. They were brought out of their homes. The result was according to Christ as seen in the wave sheaf. The truth was worked out; the leaven was there, only it was not operative. The church seen in Paul’s ministry is not exactly typified there. The two wave loaves are brought out at the end of fifty days. It would show how thoroughly the thing had been wrought out in their private exercises. The Holy Spirit had come in as cloven tongues as of fire and sat upon each of them.
Rem That gives point to chapter 10, being very distinct.
JT I think it is well to see that. In chapter 8 you have “the heart-knowing God”. Philip preached to the Samaritans and they believed. One of them believed, but his heart was not right. It remained for Peter to come down and expose it. The Holy Spirit is not given here directly; it is given through apostolic means. Peter discovered the state of Simon; he acted as a doorkeeper; he was able to discern Simon’s state by what he said. A man who wanted to buy the power exposed himself The apostles could go by what they saw and heard; God acts as knowing men’s hearts.
ELM Are things today on the principle of [p. 392] the heart-knowing God? Do believers get the Spirit on that line?
JT They do. You are having to do with God directly; that is the feature of the dispensation. The apostle Paul, of course, had his place, but he commends us to God and the word of His grace, so the gift of the Spirit stands in relation to that. It is a question of the heart-knowing God. It is not now a question of what we do, but of what God knows. Of course, God uses His people, and in this we must be guided by what we see and hear; and we must do things as governed by Scripture.
Ques Is that why, when the apostle writes to Timothy, he says the Spirit speaks expressly?
JT There you see the Holy Spirit is contemplated as having liberty in the house. God could speak expressly; the conditions enabled Him to do so. Perhaps we might see how this inquiry leads to the free action of the Spirit in the house among the saints. In Acts 13 the Spirit asks for Barnabas and Saul, but the means He employed in speaking is not stated.
Ques Is the Spirit engaged in what is heavenly? You were contrasting the administration side with what the Spirit is doing.
JT I think that is right. The light from heaven, the voice and the sheet imply that we have now arrived on the upper line of the Spirit, in chapter 10 the Spirit is acting of Himself; not exactly as from heaven to earth, but a divine Person as here acting Himself, and necessarily acting in relation to the light from heaven of chapter 9. You are now in the light of heaven as replacing Jerusalem; all the Holy Spirit is doing now is in that relation; He is taking the people of God out of earthly relationships into heavenly relationships.
Ques Is that the line on which the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts?
JT Yes, it is in that connection. Romans lays the basis for Ephesians.
[p. 393] Ques Is that what you get in chapter 13, the Holy Spirit separating Barnabas and Saul for the work at Antioch?
JT There you come to an example of what this is leading up to. You have the light from heaven and the sheet from heaven. Now the Holy Spirit is operating in that connection. Hence the parable of the prodigal teaches us that the best robe is brought out and put on him. The best robe is Christ where He is now, as He is in heaven. The best robe is that which is entirely outside what is on earth. It is greater than anything that ever was at Jerusalem, or ever will be. It is brought forth; that is the action of the Spirit now, in that you have light from heaven and the sheet from heaven. You have the divine mind brought down in the sheet, and the best robe necessarily stands there. It is the effect of the present ministry of the Spirit.
Ques In that way we are living in a dispensation where things come from heaven?
JT Yes, and the prodigal is himself the house in principle — not that any one person could be the house. The mention of the house in Luke 15 is to show that the music and dancing were there. It is what the Holy Spirit has formed here, something entirely heavenly.
Ques What part has the prodigal in the composition of the house?
JT He represents the idea of the house, the gentile, as having the best; he is clothed with the best robe. “Bring forth the best robe ... and let us eat” Luke 15: 22,23. He represents what God has now. It is not something that began at Jerusalem; it is entirely a heavenly thing. So that the word to Saul is, “why persecutest thou me?” “I am Jesus” Acts 9: 4,5. That is, He intimates that what Paul persecuted was Himself.
Rem The Lord had this moment in view in Luke 15.
Ques I was wondering what part the Jew had. You have spoken of the prodigal — the gentile; but where does the Jew come in to form part [p. 394] of the house?
JT I think the house of God as it is contemplated in Luke 15 is the house set up under Paul. It necessarily includes the Jew. The epistle to the Ephesians includes both, but the gentile has the first place.
JHT When Peter refers to the heart-knowing God, does he not immediately give priority to the gentiles — “we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they”? Acts 15: 11. He places the Jew second.
JT That is good. Then you see Luke in chapter 2 speaks of the gentiles. When Simeon took the Child in his arms he said, “A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” Luke 2: 32. So that the gentiles come in first. Certainly in a moral sense they do.
As regards the order of the truth here, first you get the Holy Spirit in the Lord’s words to Saul, and directly God conveys His mind on any matter, His operations all bear on that. So that the sheet coming down is to remind us that there is something coming out of heaven and going back into heaven. That is in keeping with the best robe. It is something brought forth, and all that we get in the chapter is to show the practical working out of that, so that the operations of the Spirit as in chapter 10 are in relation to the body. You have generally a thing in Scripture before it is named. I think we see from chapter 9 onward the thing itself working out, so that after Paul is converted, it is no longer the assembly in Jerusalem, but the churches in Judaea and Samaria; they had rest and were edified “and were increased through the comfort of the Holy Spirit” Acts 9: 31. There is the working out of the thing that is already intimated to be there. The doctrine of the one body would come out in due time.
JHT Has John 14, John 15, John 16, relation to these things?
JT I think so. The Holy Spirit in John 14 - John 16 is the Holy Spirit as a divine Person in the saints collectively, rather than in the individual believer. As we arrive at Acts 13 we see what has come about; a state [p. 395] of things in which the Holy Spirit is free to act by Himself. It is what He is doing.
Ques Are we to suppose that until the apostle Paul’s day, there were no gentiles received into communion with the apostles — until chapter 10?
JT So far as we know, none were received. Proselytes among the Jews and Samaritans were received.
Rem The thought of Luke 15 would hardly be set forth until Paul’s time.
JT That is how it stands. What came out after Peter preached to Cornelius was, the Holy Spirit fell upon them that heard the word. Then certain of those scattered entered into Antioch and preached to the Greeks, and a great many believed and they turned to the Lord. There was no special vessel present; it was simply those who were scattered. Then it is said that the church which was at Jerusalem heard of this, and they sent out Barnabas. In chapter 8 there is nothing said about the church; it is a question of the apostles which were in Jerusalem — that is to say, it was the administrative side, centring at Jerusalem. In chapter 11 they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch; it says “he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit” Acts 11: 24. The work of God in Jerusalem is linked on vitally with the work at Antioch. It is the working out of the principle of the one body, and Barnabas having come, he urged the believers “to abide with the Lord” Acts 11: 23. They had believed and turned to Him, and now he urges them to abide with the Lord; it would be a question of their becoming acquainted with Him, not only of submitting to Him; and so it is stated that much people “were added to the Lord” Acts 11: 24. That was so far a linking of what was at Jerusalem with Antioch. Then Barnabas and Paul remained, teaching in the assembly for a whole year.
Ques That would be the first recognition of the company publicly? There is a development through these two great [p. 396] vessels.
JT Yes, that is how it stands, so as to promote general unity. You see how the need in Judaea called forth their love. Agabus prophesied that there should be a famine. A famine occurs, so they sent up gifts by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. There were vital links being promoted and fostered, linking the work among the Jews with that among the gentiles.
Rem There was a self-contained assembly at Antioch.
Ques Do you think that making room for the Spirit would enable assemblies to move together?
JT Yes. I thought we might see how the unity of the Spirit, a universal thought, was arrived at in the beginning; the beautiful touches indicating how these links were maintained between Jerusalem and Antioch.
JMcM Is that in view of the day to come — universal administration?
JT No doubt the church is being fitted for that. You see how practical it was. The coming in of Barnabas “a good man”, and then his unjealous seeking out of Saul as a fit man for the work. Then money was sent to Jerusalem by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. There were thus links established in the power of the Spirit.
Ques Were they working out the truth of the one body practically? I was wondering whether the truth of the one body came from the Lord Himself.
JT The body was there, but now you see the thing working out. Then we get what it was locally. “There were in Antioch ...” Acts 13: 1. It has a local setting now, not a general bearing only, hence it is what is “in Antioch, in the assembly which was there” (New Trans.); it is the local thing. They ministered to the Lord and fasted there.
Ques Is it difficult to arrive at in a day of confusion like the present?
JT That is what we are at now, to see how the thing works. The truth of the one body is entirely [p. 397] practical. The way is to begin with yourself. How do I stand with the brethren? How did Barnabas stand? Barnabas was in favour in Jerusalem and in Antioch. Wherever he went he was in favour.
Ques Would his counsel be contributory to the working out of the truth of the one body?
JT I am sure it would. As thus in favour you are now fit for the assembly in a practical sense.
ELM Would he be one in the good of the best robe?
JT That is the idea exactly. The prodigal was clothed, but it is worked out here. We see the heavenly robe at Antioch.
Rem If you move with the Spirit, you will be acceptable to your brethren. Does the practical side come out in that way?
JT That is how it works. I begin with myself. At Antioch there were men that were well off; the prophet says, There is going to be a famine. Now how do I stand in relation to that? Those that were well off determined to send, which also they did. That is how I am standing with the brethren. If I am well off in this world’s goods, I show that I belong to the body in that practical way. I am serving people whom I never saw, who are racially opposed to me. I am practically in the body.
Ques Would the case of Lydia help? “If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there” Acts 16: 15.
JT Yes, you have a fine example of it there. She is particularly interesting as she appears at Philippi, the gateway to Europe. Lydia opened her house to the apostle; that is how she stood with him. How do I stand with the brethren? What do they state about me? It was for the apostle to say how she stood. After his release from the prison he entered again into her house.
ELM I was thinking about those who had means. The question was, “why persecutest thou me?” Acts 9: 4. Here [p. 398] they are sending to those they have never seen; instead of persecuting, they are giving.
JT Quite so. What one is exercised about is that we should get beyond the mere doctrine. You see how practical everything is. You begin with yourself. How do I stand with the brethren? It is not, How do they stand with me, but how do I stand with them? It is for them to say. “We, being many, are one body in Christ”. 1 Corinthians 10: 17. The body is a question of my relations with the brethren. The truth of headship does not come in until you have the body. We being many are one body in Christ. It is a question, therefore, of the brethren in relation to one another.
Ques Would it be a right thought that the body was there from the second chapter and is worked out subsequently?
JT Yes, but it is not formally alluded to until Saul’s conversion. The Lord said to him, “why persecutest thou me?” Acts 9: 4. I apprehend it as that in which Christ is expressed. It must be spiritual. It is a heavenly Christ that is seen in it, not simply a Christ provisionally related to Jerusalem. So the importance of seeing that the Lord’s supper in Matthew and Mark has in view a vessel, a body. The body of the Lord is spoken of there as food, so that there should be a vessel here for Christ. Where we are enjoined to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace, the body is mentioned first: “there is one body” Ephesians 4: 4. What about the one body? For me practically it is a question of the relation in which I stand to the brethren. How do they regard me? At first Paul had a very bad standing with the brethren. Ananias thought very little of him. The Lord had to put Ananias right about him, telling him that a great change had come about. Saul soon acquired a great place with the brethren. The Lord might have told him all, but He did not; He said, “Enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do” Acts 9: 6; it was a question of his getting a status with the brethren.
[p. 399] It is very interesting to see how Paul acquired a place with the brethren. I am not in the body according to God until I do. If a great man like Paul had to commend himself to the brethren, I have to do it, because they were there before me. How can I be an expression of Christ in relation to the brethren if I am not in accord with them?
Ques Would you say we start with a sense of self-judgment?
JT Yes. While believers are thus set in vital relation with each other as in the body, they are in direct relation with divine Persons. God is a living God, and if I have the Holy Spirit I have to do with God, so there is constant relationship with the living God. Think of being in relation with God every moment of the day! That is christianity.
ELM There would be no difficulty about any of us if our hearts were right.
JT What we have been saying shows how real and practical the presence and operations of the Holy Spirit were at the beginning.