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rather learning in the school of God what the wisdom of God

is. Christ Jesus “has been made to us wisdom from God”. He

is the means of salvation for every local assembly.

Paul was trusted to go into Damascus as converted. He had

come to slay the brethren, but now he is trustworthy; he comes

into the city and he respects the brethren there. And then Paul

had to respect this lowly man, Ananias, and Ananias had to

respect Paul and the work of God in him. I have heard many

things, he says to the Lord, concerning this man, and no doubt

many of them were true, but it is a great thing to be up-to-date,

and to realize that God is doing things through the gospel, and

that He is able to make us serviceable in our cities.

Ananias was made serviceable in the city, and Paul was

seeking to make the

Corinthian brethren serviceable in Corinth, and so he reminds

them of “Jesus Christ, and him crucified”; crucified outside the

city. Paul was saying to the Corinthians, You are not going to

get your bearings inside Corinth, with all that fine architecture

and all that immorality; you have got to go to the place where

Jesus was crucified, and that is outside the city. You come to a

judgment of yourself and of the world and then the Lord sends

you back into the city.

Jesus did that with the man in Mark 5. He wanted to follow

Jesus but the Lord said, No, you go back to your own house

and relate how great things the Lord has done for you. That is

what that man did and he was greatly helped. He went back to

Decapolis—ten cities—

showing that we are not only to preach in our own cities but in

other cities too, so it is a good thing that localities interchange

preachers; it is a neighbourly matter.

One thing more, dear brethren; the gospel teaches patience,

and grace too. These things do not come to us easily. Paul