"THIS TEMPLE"
“THIS TEMPLE”
AFM What is your thought in suggesting this scripture?
JT It affords a sample of the character of John’s gospel as treating of things without formally naming them. It is necessary in our day that while we have the things of Christ essentially, we should avoid formally naming them. We have here, for example, the idea of the temple; it is not called the temple of God, and yet it was the temple. (See verse 14.) Jesus refers to the temple as “my Father’s house”, but that is past; then again in John 14: 2 He alludes to it as it will be known in heaven; these are formal references to it, but they do not belong strictly to the present time. One is past and the other future. What is present is really “this temple” (see verse 19 and what follows), but it is not formally called the temple of God.
Ques What do you mean when you speak of naming things?
JT Calling a company an assembly, for example. John assumes that these things exist in a very real way, but he avoids naming them. He says, “The servant abideth not in the house for ever, but the Son abideth ever”, John 8:35, without any formal reference to what the house was.
PL Would the assumption you speak of be seen in the blind guides who swore by the temple but refused Christ as the temple?
JT Yes; so you find in our day that terms are applied as they were in the beginning. This is deceiving and damaging. John would show that the things exist, but are only to be known by those who enjoy them in a spiritual way.
Rem The essentials remain.
JT John’s gospel is the door by which we enter now. When you have the thing you profit by the name and can use it intelligently. The Lord here made no effort to explain what He meant. The Jews asked for a sign, and the Lord said, “Destroy this temple” John 2:19 — not the temple of God, but this temple. An exercised soul would ask what this meant. This temple, not “that”; something existing in their midst and known by those who had light. An exercised soul would understand.
PL “They believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had said” John 2:22. Would that cover what is vital? sufficiency in the scripture but infinitude in what is beyond?
JT Yes, quite; that was after He had risen. The enemy was endeavouring to set aside scripture and the word of Jesus, but apprehension of “this temple” and resurrection beyond is the key to what Jesus said. There could be no greater folly than to set aside the word of Jesus, and a believer knows that.
Ques What is the thought of the temple in relation to us?
JT It is where light is. Nicodemus had an inkling of it when he said, “We know that thou art a teacher come from God” John 3:2. He began to catch the thought that the antitype of the temple was in His Person. One who has light always seeks to get to the source whence it comes. “He that doeth truth cometh to the light”. John 3:21. So in John 4:29, “Come, see a man”. And the Samaritans say later, “We have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world”. John 4:42. Chapter 1 enlarges on the fact that light had come, but the darkness apprehended it not. John begins with everything gathered up in the Person of Christ, so man is shut out entirely. Peter says, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life”. John 6:68. Not, Thou hast spoken the words, but, “Thou hast the words”. So the light is in His Person, then He goes on high and things are worked out by the Spirit, which is the same thing really — as the light that was here in Christ is now found by the Spirit among the saints. You want to find out where the Spirit is active.
Rem The Lord would preserve us from assumption, as you say. He says, “I go not up yet to this feast”. John 7:8.
JT Yes, I go not up, and yet He does go up. “This temple” is something within our range.
AFM The apostle would impress on the Corinthians that they are temple of God. Was he seeking to clear away what is extraneous, as here?
JT Yes, you have a tremendous sweep here. What do the Jews know about anything that John treats of? The Spirit is with us, so as light is found among the saints the idea of the temple becomes simple. This would save us from much in the way of metropolitanism; going a long way to enquire about things is very dangerous. The means of solution of everything is near you.
Ques If we came together in temple character, should we not be answered by divine light?
JT Yes, even “two of you”.
AN In Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple what comes out is that light was there; so that if there were mildew, or pestilence, or war; they were to pray towards the house, in the sense that light was there. So in John 2 the light of God centred in Christ, hence all movement should be in relation to Him.
JT “If two of you” — that is the key, two of the assembly. In Matthew 18 the assembly is first viewed as existing as an official body, then the Lord contemplates a change and possible reduction on account of failure, so He says, “Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree”. Matthew 18:19.
[p. 350] Rem It is like the Urim and Thummim.
JT That is the thought. They were on the breastplate where love is. There light comes in. If we come together in that spirit, as surely light will come in, and the matter will be solved. There is no need of long-range activities. There is in the temple the means for the solution of everything.
Rem We have in Revelation, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches”. Revelation 2:7.
JT The matter stands very simply. The Lord speaks in authority. The Son of God is seen in Revelation 2 with His eyes as a flame of fire, and His feet like unto fine brass. He speaks. But the Spirit also speaks. It is the Spirit who gives amplification and application to what the Son of God says. The word is capable of immense expansion according to the exigencies of the moment. The call is to hear what the Spirit says; it is the Spirit who gives application to the addresses; according to His sovereign will He enlarges on things.
Ques In connection with the difficulty as to circumcision, the matter was referred to Jerusalem. How do you account for that?
JT Jerusalem was borne with. God gave it opportunity in this way. The prolonged recognition of Jerusalem was due to the long-suffering of God with the Jew, so during that period it had a metropolitan position which no assembly ever had, or will have. In the house, the Spirit speaks expressly, but of course through a vessel; He is not incarnate, so that what the Spirit says implies the temple. We are not told what the Spirit says, so it leaves the door open, and He may use people we would look down upon. Room is given for great expansion in this way.
AN A local company might be in such a condition that it might lose its temple character; I mean the [p. 351] conditions might be lacking in which the light could be found.
JT Well, an overcomer would always revert to the thought of the temple, and the temple involves the saints; so one wants to refer to them. An overcomer, or an exercised person, would say, We must wait and see what the Spirit says, and presently someone speaks, and light is given.
AFM Would you turn to the Scriptures for light as to the Lord’s mind?
JT The Spirit would use the Scriptures. What the Lord says is expressly stated; what the Spirit says is not, so it leaves room for what is infinite. One using the Scriptures would have light by the Spirit, as to how they would be employed to meet the case.
FS Has the truth of the temple a local setting? Can you speak of the temple in a locality?
JT No, only “temple”. You cannot speak of it in an absolute way, but characteristically. “Ye are temple of God”, 1 Corinthians 3:16.
In the beginning of this chapter in John you have conditions in which the work of God may be carried on, but in the latter part conditions in which it may not be carried on. You read (verse 2), Jesus was invited, and His disciples, to the marriage, showing a sympathetic spirit. His mother was there; it does not say she was invited, but she learns; she says to the servants, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it”. John 2:5. There was readiness on her part to submit to Christ. Then there were six water-pots, you do not find these where man’s will is active; so conditions are there in which the Lord can operate, and operate effectively. Hence the first sign is given here. “This beginning of signs”, John 2:11 it says, and the result of it is, there is genuine belief on the part of the disciples; His disciples believed on him.
In the second part of the chapter we have no sign;
[p. 352] the Lord does not commit Himself; it is a soil in which He can do nothing; but the first part of the chapter is descriptive of a fertile soil.
Ques Should we not be exercised, each of us, as to having light from God?
JT Yes, and to see that things are here essentially. The temple of God exists, but we do not talk of it by name. You enjoy it and you know you have it, but you leave the naming of it till a future day.
PL There is no formal allusion to the Supper in John, but the atmosphere in which it is partaken of is found in chapter 13.
Rem The promise to the overcomer in Philadelphia is, “Him ... will I make a pillar in the temple of my God”. Revelation 3:12. You get the thought of the temple there.
JT What you get in that day corresponds with what you are now, if you stand up courageously now, you will be a pillar in that day.
Rem The point you are emphasising is not to claim things but to verify them.
JT That is it. You get the expression in John, “Verily, verily”; it is used in that gospel about twenty-five times. It is the only gospel, I believe, where the word ‘verily’ is used in this way. This gospel was written when things were very uncertain and the point is, What does the Lord say? “Verily, verily, I say unto you”. If He speaks it is true. Scientists assume a thing, and then argue that it is true, but it is not always true. Some of these men talk approvingly of the Lord, and then contradict what He says in the most barefaced way. And so many of the people of God are uncertain, and the enemy is aiming at producing a state of uncertainty. So “Verily, verily”, would assure you that the things stated are really so.