BROOKLYN, N.Y., FEBRUARY 9TH, 1943

BROOKLYN, N.Y., FEBRUARY 9TH, 1943

Mr. J. H. Trevvett.

Beloved Brother, — What you wrote as to the collection box is quite interesting. It is quite obvious that the ‘box’ is not part of the Lord’s supper, and from this point of view literality would not have it on the table at all. But this would be an example of the letter killing.

The teaching as to the collection in 1 and 2 Corinthians is such as to lift the actual money involved to a spiritual level. The empty box is only material as on the table in an empty room, and the same is true as to the bread and cup — that is, they are material. It is when the saints are together in assembly in relation to them that they (the bread and cup) take on a spiritual significance. The box itself has no spiritual meaning. What is placed in it, however, has a spiritual meaning — the gifts of the saints expressing their love. This love is the outcome of the love of God shed abroad in their hearts. The love of the Father for the Son is in them according to the Lord’s prayer in John 17. Then a comparison of the Bridegroom’s valuation of the love of His spouse in the Song of Songs would prevent us from making the love of the saints (the expression of it) in any way unsuitable to be set down in relation to the love of Christ. In a sense love is love in whomsoever it may be. John’s epistle helps greatly as to this. The love of Christ for the assembly is greater than the love of the assembly for Christ. But they meet at the Lord’s supper, and the Lord would not have us stress any inequality. The Lord’s supper as celebrated is a public matter, and the love of the saints — of the assembly — has part in it. The Lord says: “By this shall all know that ye are disciples of mine if ye have love among yourselves”. This is just after He had said that they should love one another as He had loved them. Thus it is perfectly clear that the love of the saints for Christ and for one another has the same character as His love for them.

^[p. 306] The congruence, therefore, of the physical expression of the love of the saints on the same table as the symbols of the love of Christ are placed, is quite evident.

I believe the bread and cup should be together — -the box should not be placed between them; but beyond this there is little to say. As I said, physically they are on the same level; the spiritual meaning comes in when the saints are convened; and as to relative spiritual values, they (the saints) are normally discriminative. We should certainly hold to the suitability of the expression of the love of the assembly having a place in relation to the Lord’s supper.

Affectionately yours in Christ,
James Taylor.