THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ACTS (NO. 1)
[p. 47] THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ACTS (NO. 1)
Acts 1:1-5; Acts 1:9-14; Acts 2: 1 - 4
JT The Lord seems to emphasise at the present time the idea of spirituality, because we may be moving with a measure of intelligence and yet be spiritually much below the level of the things spoken of amongst us. One might illustrate this from David’s move to bring the ark to Zion (1 Chronicles 13). It is said that he took counsel with the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, and every prince, and gathered all Israel to bring up the ark — which was obviously a commendable movement. Yet the sequel shows that the manner was below the level proper to the ark, so that the ark being put on a new cart, the oxen stumble, and we have the sorrowful occurrence of Uzza. But, in the main, the Lord was in the thing, and the next movement says nothing about taking counsel; there is the gathering of the people to Jerusalem and the acknowledgment that the Levites should carry the ark, according to the due order, and it is said that God helped the Levites. That is where divine help came in, so that they offer sacrifices by sevens: it came to pass “when God helped the Levites that bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, that they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams” (1 Chronicles 15: 26). So that the ark is now brought to its place, in a becoming way, on a proper level, David himself acting in a priestly manner. In the light of such a scripture and of many others, the Lord would help us as to spirituality, which throughout the Old Testament is reached on the principle of seven, beginning with Enoch. Then in Leviticus 23 Christ is seen figuratively as risen. In verse 15, they begin to count from the morning after the sabbath, the sheaf is waved before Jehovah and they begin to count by sevens. There are seven sabbaths complete, so that it is seven times [p. 48] seven. Then they bring a new meat offering out of their habitations, showing that the people are now arriving subjectively at the divine thought of spirituality, corresponding with what is presented objectively in the sheaf. In this scripture in the Acts, what the disciples do after seeing the Lord go up, indicates that they were spiritual, as in the corresponding passage at the end of Luke; they recognise what the Lord had in His mind in leading them to a point. “He led them out as far as to Bethany” Luke 24: 50, and their action there indicates that they understood, as does their action here.
CAC Was the Lord impressing them with the spiritual character of His own movements when, speaking by the Holy Spirit, He gave commandment?
JT He did that by the Holy Spirit, and presented Himself alive and assembled with them. His movements during the forty days presented, objectively, the great idea of spirituality, and the coming of the Holy Spirit established this among them. He is not here in a bodily way, but as the Spirit, and we are to understand the realm of His operations, and in which the Father and the Son are known as revealed.
MWB In David’s action we see there may be devotedness, and yet the absence of spirituality! It had not the features proper to the movement, which the Spirit would have given.
JT Exactly. David in his earlier days had recourse to the priestly means of doing things — enquiring from the Lord. That was on a higher level than taking counsel with his captains and princes. Thinking of the realm of the Spirit now, it is as real as was the realm of the Lord’s movements during the forty days. The presence of divine Persons is as real now as then, only the Spirit is known and realised everywhere, whereas the Lord obviously was only in one place at one time during the forty days. The forty days afforded conditions objectively which would lead to a state of soul corresponding with [p. 49] His movements.
CAC Is there something in spiritual experience today that would answer to the forty days? Is there a moral education or formation suggested in the forty days?
JT I think there is. The young believer usually takes some time to come to the idea of faith. The word is very current, but whether it is rightly understood is the question. It is said that the cloud received Him out of their sight, and that He was taken up, they beholding Him (Acts 1: 9). The upward movement and the cloud are put together, so that the faith period beginning, believers are drawn away from what is geographical and material, and accustom themselves to what is spiritual.
HFN It says that He presented Himself living after He had suffered. How would that bear on what is spiritual?
JT You would get an apprehension of a Man living outside of natural conditions. He presented Himself living. As here in the flesh, He ate and drank, as scripture says, in the ordinary way, but now He is living outside these conditions, and it would certainly incite desire to understand what lies outside natural conditions; this was after He suffered. Then, He is assembling with them; that would be another thing to be learned. It is not simply that we come together at a certain hour, at a certain place, as in 1 Corinthians 11: but that we understand something of how He assembles with us. That is another matter.
CAC How would that apply to us at the present time?
JT It is what we get on to if we are attentive and spiritual. We come into the assembly viewed as wholly spiritual, which is an advance on what it is according to 1 Corinthians 11. There we are said to come together “in assembly”, that is, a formal external thing, at a certain time and a certain place, but you cannot say that the Lord assembles with us then. It is a question whether I understand what it means for Him to [p. 50] assemble with us, and the idea of the Lord charging by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1: 2); all this contemplates a spiritual order of things. He speaks to them about the kingdom, and it says, “And having said these things he was taken up, they beholding him, and a cloud received him out of their sight” Acts 1: 9. Then as gazing up into heaven they require some adjustment and they get it from “two men”; and then they go to the city, to the upper room, as if they knew what to do. Spiritual persons know what to do.
CAC They thus know how to move in a region which is of God outside of this world.
PL Would the “Men of Galilee” referred to in Acts 1: 11 suggest the public reproach accompanying this inward spiritual power and movement?
JT Exactly. There is the public position, and then the adjustment that was needed. It says, “as they were gazing into heaven ... . two men stood by them in white clothing” Acts 1: 10. It is two men, they are not said to be angels, so that they would effect the adjustment in a sympathetic, intelligent way.
PL So that we are adjusted in the power of spiritual life within, and the acceptance of death without.
JT That is precisely the position here; it is a position of reproach externally and of spirituality inwardly. We are now capable of adjustment, and one could hardly speak of a period in which it is not necessary.
WJH It would be easy to accept adjustment from two men in white apparel: it would come from such with sympathy and purity of motive, whereas the absence of that makes it difficult to accept adjustment.
JT Yes, they have no personal motive; they are disinterested, save in what is necessary to make us suitable for our great position. It is one of the most interesting things that I should be adjusted in relation to the going up of the Lord. These two men in white apparel represent that element, and how essential it is that we should be adjusted, that there should be [p. 51] no discrepancy between that and our position and walk here.
PL Would the two praying men, Paul and Epaphras, suggest these two men in relation to the adjustment of the Colossian saints?
JT Quite so; and you remember that out of the vast number of those who assembled at Hebron to make David king, only two personal names are given, Jehoiada and Zadok and those are priests (1 Chronicles 12: 27,28).
RB Are you suggesting that there must be priestly state in order to take part in this?
JT These two men in white raiment represent that, addressing us in terms that convey the proper attitude to the end; we are to be in a position of reproach. They say, “Men of Galilee, why do ye stand looking into heaven?” Acts 1: 11 We might think that that was a right attitude, but these two men challenge it.
CAC Why was it not right?
JT I think because the cloud was interposed — the cloud that received Him out of their sight. You cannot see if God puts something between you and your object. The cloud is evidently something put between them and their object, it was as if God were to say, It is not sight now, it is faith; henceforth you do not see, it is a question of believing. This is according to what the Lord said to Thomas: “blessed they who have not seen and have believed”. John 20: 29 So much is apparently commendable, and yet not really so. When Stephen looked up the heavens were opened through, there was no cloud interposed for him. He saw something, but here they could not see through the cloud. If God puts something between, we may as well accept it.
PL It is said that the two men stood by them; would that suggest an impartial spirit of service?
JT It would. In Luke 2: 9 you have a similar word. It says “an angel of the Lord was there by them”. So these two men here stood by. There is definiteness; it was urgent that there should be adjustment at this [p. 52] juncture, and the adjustment was effective because it says as to their next movement, “Then they returned to Jerusalem”.
PL I wondered whether Isaiah 6 was in keeping with this, connecting the Lord as high and lifted up with His going up here? Then the seraphim are seen standing as available for the adjustment of Isaiah.
JT Quite so. “Standing by” is an expression in Scripture meaning support in certain circumstances. Paul speaks of the Lord standing with him (2 Timothy 4: 17).
WJH Would it also indicate that while the Lord had disappeared from their sight, there is still a spot where His interests are maintained, and that He is coming back again? Would “Jesus” suggest that?
JT It says, “This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, shall thus come in the manner in which ye have beheld him going into heaven” Acts 1: 11. The period of our testimony is between these two events. What is to be noticed here is the manner of His going and of His coming; there is to be nothing out of keeping with that. His interests in the meanwhile were where there would be great opposition, so that how they were to maintain this manner in the presence of opposition, is a great question. But they go to the upper room; that is to say, they knew what to do. Something is presented objectively and the next movement you make shows that you understand. As far as scripture goes the Lord did not tell them to go there, nor did He in the end of Luke tell them to go to the temple, but they went to the temple evidently in keeping with the point of His leading. It was “as far as to Bethany” Luke 24: 50. You can understand that that would be a spiritual question in their minds - Why did He lead us there? And why is it Olivet, here? If He led them to a definite point, He meant them to understand that there was some result flowing from that point, something hinging upon it, in connection with the attitude of God, and what He was [p. 53] going on with; and obviously the point was, that God was to continue for a while witnessing in grace to the Jews. He was waiting on the Jews, and they understood. They went to the temple; they were in it daily. They worshipped the Lord, “and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God” Luke 24: 53. They were there as a contribution. It does not say they were sent; those that are spiritual know what to do.
MWB What would be the difference between that move and the one here, to the upper room?
JT I think the end of Luke is a Jewish position. Bethany was the scene of affection, suggestive of the Jewish remnant. We are told that the Lord having come into the temple from Galilee, looked round on all things and went out to Bethany with the twelve (Mark 11: 11). That is to say, He was in a place of love with the means of establishing another world. He was there with the twelve. But now He leads them out there. According to Mark 11 He went out with them, but now He leads them there. It is a point in His mind, that He should go up from Bethany. And now, what will they do? Had they understood? They went back to Jerusalem, and having worshipped Him, they were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. That is what they do. Whereas here, they go back to the city but to the upper room; that would bear on the assembly. They understood that the assembly was in His mind; the assembly is in view from the outset in the Acts.
Ques Do you think there is an indication here that priestly service precedes the service of the Spirit?
JT There is not only priestly service, but what the Lord does before your eyes. The point is whether you understand what a spiritual movement signifies, and whether you can move similarly. As learning from the Lord here you know what to do in the assembly.
Ques Would they have learnt from the Lord’s assembling with [p. 54] them?
JT They would learn how to assemble, and they would have in mind that that was to continue. He had also indicated how spiritual communications were to be received. He charged them by the Holy Spirit. Then as already said, we have a living Person outside of natural conditions, and that Person assembling with them. All that is to continue between these two events. They go to the upper room as if that were the place where it would develop.
Ques Would the upper room be in keeping with the Lord going to heaven?
JT Yes. Nothing else is satisfactory to heaven but what corresponds with the Lord’s movements; He is coming back as they saw Him go up, and you want to be accustomed to His manner of movement.
MWB What is the contrast between being in assembly in Corinthians, and the assembling with them?
JT I think the latter comes in properly as we recognise the Lord as Head. We are accustomed to the movement, and so can discern Him, and get some idea of His assembling with us. Whereas 1 Corinthians 11 precedes that. They come together in a certain place, “in assembly” and do certain things according to that chapter, but for the Lord to assemble with His people, is another matter.
MWB Would you say that the Lord’s supper or the breaking of bread is the converging point of the two experiences?
JT I think so. It is what is done at the Supper that reminds us of Him; it is the act. Of course, the thing should be done in a spiritual way, but the act reminds us of Him; it brings Him before us, so that the idea of “like manner” comes in. And then you get something of His assembling with us, and that leads on to the assembly as in the land, where we are as sons before the Father.
GWW Would you say that one of the first results of being spiritual is that the soul discerns that there is a [p. 55] spot on earth that is dear to Him, and that spot has attractive power for us?
JT That is good; that answers to what the disciples did here.
GWW If He was coming back, they would discern that that was the spot to which He would come.
JT Our position now publicly is that of “Men of Galilee”, disregarding current religious customs, and out of sight, yet receiving communications, not from an Anglican dignitary or the Pope, but from Christ in a spiritual way.
WJH Would the period of the forty days indicate how greatly the Lord desired the disciples to lay hold of His instruction?
JT I thought that; it is a period affording full opportunity of learning by experience.
Ques Is there any indication in the Scriptures as to the course the Lord adopts to produce spirituality in us?
JT Well, I think the gospel as received into our souls brings the idea. It is the gospel of God concerning His Son. In principle spirituality is present in the believer as the gospel is received. It is the gospel “concerning his Son, come of David’s seed according to flesh, marked out Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by resurrection of the dead” (Romans 1: 3, 4). The Spirit of holiness in Christ presented to us leads on to spirituality.
GWW Have you any thought as to David offering sacrifices after they that bore the ark had gone six paces? (2 Samuel 6:13).
JT In Samuel, he offered an ox and a fatted beast. The ox would have Christ in view — the steady step that marked Him, and that should mark the spiritual man. I think it is a contrast to the stumbling of the oxen earlier. Then the fatted beast would be that David referred all his prosperity to God; whatever spiritual [p. 56] prosperity he had, he would not attach it to himself, which one is likely to do. David intended to yield that to God.
GWW I was wondering if the seventh step would be taken in the power of his sacrifice.
JT It is the last step that tells the tale, and David was careful not to stumble here; that nothing should happen such as befell the oxen that drew the cart.
Rem The sacrifice would come in to correct all that.
JT I think so. It would indicate what was in David’s soul. John says “looking at Jesus as he walked” John 1: 36, typically, David apprehended that. That is the walk; there will be no stumbling there. The ox and the fatted beast represent the full spiritual thought, and the last step is to be like Christ, to walk as He walked. That is the height of spirituality, but in Chronicles it says, “it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, that they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams” (1 Chronicles 15: 26). Seven bullocks would be a more spiritual point to reach, and it is what they sacrifice; that is to say, it is more general — a fulness of appreciation of Christ. And then the seven rams would mean maturity, progenitiveness and energy.
GWW As to our brother’s question regarding there being any indication as to the course the Lord takes with us, do we not have to learn that though one desires to have his part in the testimony it must not be carried on in the power of nature?
JT The last step is most important, and David recognised this.
HFN Is there any correspondence between David’s spiritual action at that moment, and Paul in his prayer in Ephesians 3, bringing in the ark? He bows his knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
JT That is an excellent connection; the ark is to be enthroned in all that is proper to it. The apostle says, “in order that he may give you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power by his Spirit in the inner man; that the Christ may dwell, through faith, in your hearts” (Ephesians 3: 16,17). There you have the fulness of the thought. The Ephesians might miss that; evidently they had not come to it, and it is just a question how much the saints have come to it since Paul’s day. It is a question whether we are going to take the last step, whether the ark is going to be installed fully “according to the riches of his glory” — the Father’s glory.
CAC I think that is very exercising, because if we do not reach it in the last moment, there is going to be a very serious defect in the close of the church’s history. J.B.S. used to tell us that each dispensation had ended morally as it began, and would it be your thought that Pentecost was to reach its culmination before the feast runs out, for I suppose the feast is still “accomplishing” (Acts 2: 1, New Trans.). We have not done with Pentecost.
JT I hope not; it is a question of the Spirit, and the Spirit remains. The presence of a divine Person here and the spiritual realm in which He moves, is as real now as it was during the forty days.
CAC Spirituality would lead us on to the perfection of the divine thought.
JT The Lord has ministered much light; we know something of what becomes us as to public order, we have been helped, but spirituality goes beyond that. It is not a question of what is written, but rather of what impressions have been received. So that as come together in assembly, we get the idea of spiritual communications and a living state of things, outside natural relations; also the idea of assembling in a spiritual way. All that is carried on now in the realm of the Spirit, by whose presence alone it is possible. The disciples went for ten days without a divine Person on earth, but now the Holy Spirit [p. 58] is here.
CAC Would you say that up to the breaking of bread, we have to do with a divinely appointed order; it is then a question of what the Lord does. There is a danger of getting certain ideas of what ought to be, and endeavouring to move on lines that are supposed to be right, and might there not be all that without the freedom of spiritual intuition?
JT I am sure that is true; there might be all that without reaching the thought of His assembling with us as we are free and intelligently in the assembly. This is a sphere in which the Holy Spirit moves freely. Obviously this could not be where there are fleshly conditions, but if there be self-judgment, and the understanding of the living water and the Lord’s breathing into us, there will be a realm in which the Holy Spirit moves, and we get the assembly in its proper character.
WJH It says that the house was filled; there could be nothing else there. And then the cloven tongues sat on each of them indicating the presence of the Spirit.
JT And they began to speak “as the Spirit gave them utterance” Acts 2: 4. But in the first chapter, in the upper room, they act rightly although there is no divine Person there. This shows thus that they had been instructed and formed by the Lord Himself before He ascended.
Ques Is the suggestion that if there are the proper conditions, the Lord coming “in like manner” will be realised by us when He assembles with us?
JT I think so. It says, He “shall thus come in the manner in which ye have beheld him going into heaven”. That alludes to our discerning His movements.
PL The man who was to take Judas’s place was to be a man who had observed the Lord in His coming in and going out, from the baptism of John till He was taken up.
Ques Going back to the two men — is the suggestion [p. 59] that we should bear their features, and so afford the conditions we have spoken of?
JT Yes, There are two, and they are in white robes. They represent the means of adjustment, that there might be no disparity between us and Christ in heaven. That adjustment is constantly needed.