INTELLIGENCE
[p. 70] INTELLIGENCE
Romans 12: 1; Ephesians 1: 15 - 19
It will be observed by those who read the Scriptures that the Holy Spirit emphasises the importance of spiritual intelligence throughout; indeed it is one of the great essentials of believers to be spiritually intelligent. The prophet Hosea (chapter 4: 6) speaks about God’s people being destroyed “for lack of knowledge”. Hosea 4:6. The same prophet having spoken of the resurrection of the saints, says, “Then shall we know”, Hosea 6:3. In that remark one is reminded of John’s epistle, which treats in a large measure of this subject, in which he says, “We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding”. 1 John 5:20. The Son of God has abolished death. Indeed, that by which He was marked off here as the Son of God was the resurrection of the dead, and He has given to us an understanding “that we should know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life”. 1 John 5:20. One might say that there is there the combination of all knowledge, in so far as knowledge can be compassed by a finite being — the knowledge of the true God in a Man, and the knowledge of eternal life in a Man. You recall how in that passage in Hosea the prophet says, “Then shall we know”. Hosea 6:3. As raised up we see it. The saints come into the apprehension of the resurrection, for we are raised by faith. We are not literally raised, we are raised “through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead”, Colossians 2:12. As risen, as in the light, by faith, of the resurrection, we begin to acquire the knowledge. “Then shall we know; we shall follow on to know the Lord”, Hosea 6:3.
If one speaks of the gospels, in them we have the presentation of knowledge, or rather we have everything [p. 71] presented from the divine point of view. It is true that “we know in part”, 1 Corinthians 13:9, but there is such a thing as seeing the parts put together. One thing leads to another, until we see all as one great whole; that is what an understanding of the gospels leads to. “We shall follow on to know”. Hosea 6:3. As we understand the epistles, as we learn “in part”, we come to the gospels to see the whole.
Romans is the initial epistle, and Ephesians presents to us the full divine thought, in so far as we may apprehend the spirit of wisdom and revelation — not the spirit of wisdom and information, but the spirit of wisdom and revelation. We have revelation in the gospels, and in order to apprehend revelation we must have “the spirit of revelation”, Ephesians 1:17, and that can only be received from God. The apostle could not impart it, although he had the knowledge and the doctrine. He could only pray for the spirit of wisdom and revelation In turning to the gospels, one has in mind what John refers to as knowing the true God and eternal life, both things presented within the compass of a Man. God had said through the prophet Jeremiah (chapter 31:22) that He would create a new thing on the earth: “A woman shall compass a man”. Jeremiah 31:22. I have no doubt that the thought of a woman in Scripture is the subjective side, the side of desire, the side of need, and of affection. We read of seven women laying hold of a man; Isaiah 4:1. They shall be called by his name — and then God said, I will create a new thing on the earth, that a woman shall compass a man, and I have no doubt that the longings of the apostle in Colossians, Ephesians and Philippians have that in view, that the saints might compass Christ — not indeed personally, but in wonderful consideration for us God has come within the compass of a Man. In the Old Testament, at Sinai, God thundered; He impressed the people with His majesty and His [p. 72] dignity. Even Moses said that he feared. Only in that way could God come within their range. He began in calling Moses back up to the mount to call his attention to a pattern, and the first thing that is mentioned is the ark — something that could be carried. What is this? Oh, beloved, it is God coming near to us, that He may be, as it were, compassed according to the spirit of intelligence which He gives us; in other words, that we might know Him. So with all the parts of the tabernacle, bound together as they were in wisdom so that there should be one tabernacle. I think that in that one tabernacle, the pattern of which was given to Moses, you have God coming near to the people. What grace is in that! True enough the cloud ascended up, maintaining the proof of Him who was there — God Himself, the everlasting God. Moses, knowing it, said, “Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations”. Psalm 90:1. “From eternity to eternity thou art God”. Psalm 90:2. But then God came in grace within the range of an enclosure, one hundred cubits by fifty cubits — we might say, within the range of an enclosure of ten cubits, for that was the size of the holiest. God was there and He was known there.
Well, I refer to that, so that we might have the thought of how God would draw near, within our range, so that we might know Him. “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?” John 14:9. What was the tabernacle but a type of that? God Himself come down within the range of that enclosure so as to be known by His creature. God Himself was there. So in Exodus the tabernacle is said to be according to the pattern, everything made precisely as required. Then God Himself comes in — it was no less than the divine presence. In the next book He speaks to Moses out of the tabernacle, and says, as it were, Any one who wants to come to Me, this is how you are to come. I am here to be [p. 73] apprehended, I am here to be known, I am here to be loved — already having taken care that He had drawn near to them, He had approached them, having known them and loving them. Moses said, “Yea, he loved the people”. Deuteronomy 33:3. And His love would lead Him to come so near, to come within their range, to come within the very thing their hands had made! What wonderful grace! That they might know Him. As was said later of Zion, “God is known in her palaces”. Psalm 48:3. He is known there “for a refuge”, Psalm 48:3.
In turning to the gospels, we see they present that very thing; God had come here in a Man, and in Him they contemplated the complete Pattern. To understand the gospels, it is in the intelligence of the epistles. You know “in part” through the epistles, but in the gospels you are brought to see the whole scheme of divine wisdom presented in a Man. Ephesians speaks of God abounding to us in all wisdom and intelligence, so the first great feature in the gospel is the kingdom. One has remarked that God comes in kingdomwise in order to be known housewise. The house comes last, John comes last.
Matthew is the kingdom — hence the lovers of Christ, beneficiaries of redemption, take up the Gospel of Matthew, and the first word you find is “Book”. Now books are of divine origin. I know that we are living in an age of books — of corrupt books, books which when the gospel is understood should be consigned, as they were at Ephesus, to the flames. All should read the standard Book, the divine Book. Many may read this, comment on it, and preach from it, but unless they have the Holy Spirit they cannot understand it. “None of the wicked shall understand”, Daniel 12:10. The wise understand, as Hosea says again, “Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?” Hosea 14: 9. And as Daniel says, “I Daniel understood by books”, Daniel 9:2. You see how a wise man profits by [p. 74] books. The Lord has said in the heading of the roll — in the volume of the book — possibly the most profound of all books is that one. When it was written I do not know, but the very heading of it indicates that there was a Man coming to do the will of God. Any book that has not got that as its basis is worthless. A book that is devoid of that is worthless, fit only for the flames. In that book it was written of Christ — in fact every book should be about Christ — “In the volume of the book it is written of me” Hebrews 10:7. “Lo, I come to do thy will”. Hebrews 10:9. That was what was in that book. If we could read that book we should find much. No doubt it has all come out in the gospel, for that is the great thesis of all books. So Matthew opens with “Book of the generation of Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham”. Matthew 1:1. What do we find here? We find power in the King, we are in the presence of the King. It is not “Son of Abraham, Son of David”, but “Son of David, son of Abraham”. He shall set up here a kingdom which cannot be moved. Daniel says, “I saw a stone cut out without hands, and it smote the image ... the gold, and the silver, and the brass, and the iron, so that in those days the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom of which there shall be no end”. Before you can have the kingdom you must have the King, and “Jesus Christ, the Son of David”, presents to us the King. Thus, as I said, the first great feature of intelligence is the knowledge of the kingdom.
In the epistle to the Romans you learn it as it benefits me but in Matthew I see it in relation to the whole scheme. I see it as laid down in that book in the volume of which it is written, “Lo I come to do thy will, O God”. Hebrews 10:9. I do urge on young people to consider the knowledge of the kingdom. It is not only deliverance and power, it is an order of things. It affords an assurance of divine authority. One of the greatest and most essential elements at the present [p. 75] time is the assurance of divine authority, divine power, divine leadership and divine order — these are the things among others that the kingdom presents to us.
Now if you have the establishment of the kingdom, the next thing is the preaching. Things are to be known by preaching, so that the preacher says, “I the preacher was king in Jerusalem”. Ecclesiastes 1:12. Not, ‘I the king was preacher’, but “I the preacher was king”. In other words, the King subserves the preaching, and the Preacher is supported by the kingdom. God is preached, the love of God is preached, and the kingdom is preached. And hence, if we have the kingdom, the next thing is preaching. Mark is not a book — it begins thus, “Beginning of the glad tidings of Jesus Christ, Son of God”. Mark 1:1. The kingdom is the great background and support of the gospel.
Then next we have Luke — there is divine order in the Bible — in Luke, the thought is sympathy; the knowledge of God, drawn near in the sympathies of a Man. The eunuch had been reading about the Lord as a Man, he had been reading about a Man growing up. “He shall grow up before him as a tender plant”. Isaiah 53:2. That should appeal to every young Christian, as to whether you are growing up before men in the world for their eyes, or before God. Jesus was cast upon God from the very outset of His being; He grew up, it says, as a tender plant before God. There the prophet outlines the Manhood of Jesus. Nothing indeed appeals to one more than the Manhood of Jesus. Luke, to preach Jesus, had to preach His Manhood — God on the earth in a Babe, God was there. Who could deny it? So as to be near, so as to be compassed by us, He has drawn near in such meekness, the Man Christ Jesus.
One often refers to Moses, “the man Moses”, one of the finest touches in regard to Moses. Aaron and Miriam had rebelled against the man Moses, the [p. 76] meekest of all the earth — a forecast of Christ. If any one should have known Moses it was Miriam; she had watched him in the river; she knew his beginning. And so, beloved, if we read the gospel of Luke, we have the beginnings of this “tender plant”. There was no room for Him in the inn. It is not that there was hostility; exactly it was a consequence, a condition. He was born in the manger. The shepherds find Him in the manger. Matthew presents the dignity of Christ but Luke presents the lowliness and grace of Christ — coming so low, coming in such meekness. We have got to get it at the beginnings, the Man Christ Jesus. Knowing the Man, you get His sympathies. You see how in Luke 7 the woman comes in and washes His feet. She began down low at His feet — that carried to her glad tidings. Wonderful feet! She washed those feet, the feet of Jesus, and then later He is anointed. You see the Lord had come within her range. He has come within our range so as to be known, so as to be loved.
Then the gospel of John is the final and great feature of divine and spiritual intelligence, because it presents the Son as in the bosom of the Father. In that position He is contemplated. It is not now a question of what He does for me, it is a question of what He is, “We have contemplated his glory, a glory as of an only-begotten with a father”. John 1:14. The spiritual intelligence involved in that means that I see that God has a family; and having a family He has got a house; and having a house and a family, He lives in his house, and is to be known there. The first disciples that were drawn to Christ in John inquired, “Where abidest thou?” John 1:38. Why should they say that? Why should they ask such a question? Because it suggests the point of view of the gospel. Could anything be more precious, beloved brethren, than to know where He dwells, and to be invited to “Come and see”? John 1:39. And then, as seeing it,
to be free and happy there? “They abode with him that day. It was about the tenth hour”. John 1:39. What a time they had! I refer to it because it suggests to us what the spiritual intelligence in John’s gospel involves for us.
Let us go back for a moment to the beginning. One would like to say a word for beginners. We have all had to begin — perhaps most of us have not got on very far. You will find, however, that the epistles to the Colossians, the Ephesians and the Philippians all speak of “knowledge” and the apostle prays that the saints may have knowledge in all things. Now John, in writing to the little children, says, “This is the last hour”. 1 John 2:18. He does not occupy them with a long period of time, he brings things within their range. He says, “This is the last hour, and there are many antichrists”. 1 John 2:18. Young people are particularly exposed to antichrists, those who are against Christ, whatever they may profess. And so the apostle warns the little ones about it. He says, We know it is the last hour, because there are many of them, as if Satan threatened to bring forward all his forces. There are certain features of Antichrist, and the apostle says, “Ye have heard that antichrist comes”, 1 John 2:18, and then he tells them how they are to know him. The Antichrist denies Christianity, he denies the Father and the Son. And then he says, Ye do not need that any one teach you; for “ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things”. 1 John 2:20. “You have the knowledge of all things, and the same unction teaches you ... and is true”. 1 John 2:27. So you see how God has provided for you in the Spirit.
Romans shows in the passage I have read that the teaching of the gospel brings about intelligence in regard to our bodies. He says, “I beseech you ... by the compassion of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice ... which is your intelligent service” Romans 12:1 — that is, it is in the light of what you have learnt of God.
[p. 78] It is but intelligence to use what is always available and that is your body, and to present it a living sacrifice.
Now one has to go back in the epistle to see how it can be living. It says, “If Christ be in you” — a wonderful suggestion — Christ in a believer, in a Gentile (for those he was writing to at Rome were Gentiles). “If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousness”. Romans 8:10. The Lord would only be in your body as a body of righteousness. Chapter 6 shows that the members are to be presented instruments of righteousness. “Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will” Hebrews 10:7. If that is to be reflected in you and me, it must be in bodies controlled by righteousness, controlled by the Spirit, vessels, as it were, in which Christ is expressed here. What a great triumph! How wonderful! Think of Christ truly reflected in believers doing the will of God. “That ye might prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God”. Romans 12:2. That is to say, the proposal of Christ becoming Man is effective in us, in our bodies. We present them to God a living sacrifice, in them we prove “what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God.”. Romans 12:2.
Well, I cannot say much more, but that is the beginning of Christian movement. It works out in the way I hold my body. We all have our bodies, and it is an immense thing, as knowing our propensities, to see how God supplies means of putting them to death. So that the Spirit is life in us in view of righteousness. The great end is in Ephesians Paul says, Having heard of your faith and love, I pray that God will “give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him ... that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of ... his inheritance in the saints”. Ephesians 1:18. We begin to look at things from God’s side. We think of His
[p. 79] calling, His inheritance, and the exceeding greatness of His power that “he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead” Ephesians 1:20 — not simply that power that works in me for my deliverance, but the exceeding greatness of it, for it goes on, “He set him down at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the assembly, which is his body”. Ephesians 1:20 - 22.
So you see how intelligence begins by presenting our bodies to God, and culminates in the knowledge of God in that He has placed Christ Head over all things to the assembly, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all. Think of being part of that! to learn thus how we are to be the complement of Christ in the aggregation in the future! He is Head over all things to the church which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.
How wonderful is the full effect of the full knowledge of God, as it is apprehended by brethren who have the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of God!