1 CORINTHIANS 12 (SECOND READING)
1 CORINTHIANS 12 (SECOND READING)
CAC It would appear that baptism in Scripture always suggests a coming on to entirely new ground. John’s baptism brought people on to the ground of repentance, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit brings people to the one body — an entirely new ground in this world. The body appears to be spoken of in this chapter as the vessel in which spiritual manifestations take place. It is the vessel of the operations of the Spirit, and the different gifts which he in the distribution of the Spirit are regarded as the different members of the body.
Ques The body is one. Is that the thought of unity, or is it that there is no other vessel like it contemplated?
CAC I think it is that there is a certain organism here on earth in which the operations of the Spirit are found coming out in various distinctive gifts, but all necessarily one because they are all in the power of the same Spirit. It is the one and the same Spirit that constitutes the unity.
This is how souls would reach the truth of the one body as a subsisting reality down here. They would reach it in the operations of the Spirit in the diversity of the gifts in the body down here. It is not reached in a doctrinal way, but realised experimentally in an anointed body down here. The manifestations of the Spirit are entirely limited to the body.
The human body is the figure all through; that is, it has many members, but they are all constituent parts of [p. 72] the one body. The human body is the underlying conception in this chapter. I suppose the human body is the most wonderful thing we have in nature. People have however become so accustomed to the working of the human mind in the things of God that they do not recognise the working of the Spirit.
The divine conception is a wonderful one, based on the human body, and the human body is not like any other body. It was not only created and made, it was formed directly under the hand of God: in Genesis 2: 7, 8 it says, “Jehovah Elohim formed Man, dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” and then, “Jehovah Elohim ... there put Man whom he had formed”. There is the thought of formation connected with the human body, so the psalmist could say, “I am fearfully, wonderfully made ... . and in thy book all my members were written; ... when as yet there was none of them”, Psalm 139: 14, 16. That is, the formation of man’s body was the result of divine counsel. It was written in the book before ever He took the dust in His hand.
I have no doubt when God took Adam’s body and formed it in His hand, He had in mind the baptism of the Spirit.
If God forms something it cannot possibly be improved upon, and so the body is really a divine formation that is perfect as a whole and in all its parts. You may say that we cannot contemplate such a thing. Well, you must contemplate it! It is not the body in the Colossian or Ephesian sense at all, but in the Corinthian sense.
The members, each one, are all distinctive, but each member is part of a whole. We have to merge our individuality, which few of us are prepared to do, so that we take in the thought of the whole body in our minds. This body is a substantial thing. When you think of it you break your heart over the denial of it, but the truth comes home to us. The mass of christians have no idea of [p. 73] merging in the body; they maintain their individuality, and those active in service almost maintain their isolation. We are brought into an organism and every member is to move as recognising the one body, but how few of us have learned to move in the one body!
So we are made conscious that we are moving in the sphere of the body; we are moving bodywise, not individually. The baptism of the Spirit is made by many entirely an individual matter, but in Scripture it is not individual at all; we are merged into one body, and according to God it is a perfect organism. We cannot improve on the operations of the Spirit in the body.
Ques Would you distinguish between the baptism of the Spirit and being made to drink of one Spirit?
CAC Well, I think the baptism of the Spirit merges all who are the subjects of it in one divine unity. But there is an inward aspect of that; we have all been given to drink of one Spirit. That is, each has found his satisfaction in drinking of the Spirit. Therefore when a member of the body expresses his inward feelings, every other member of the body can say, ‘Amen’.
Ques It is not automatic?
CAC It is a matter of power, I should say.
Ques The body is peculiar to this period; would you say it is unique?
CAC Paul’s special ministry is viewed in this chapter as a temporary thing; not one of the features that mark it (see verses 7 to 11) will go into heaven. It is very important for us to understand the body in the Corinthian aspect. We are more familiar with the Colossian and Ephesian aspect, but in Corinthians it is an actual organism made up of Jews, Greeks, bondmen and free, and such persons merge in the power of the Spirit in the one body as a living organism on the earth in which the operations of the Spirit are found. The body in Colossians and [p. 74] Ephesians is for the display of the graces of the heavenly Man. But this is not the Corinthian aspect which makes the Spirit’s activity an experimental reality to all who come in contact with it. The wisdom of God in putting the members together in the body down here is perfect. So the saints in the truth of the body realise they are merged in the body, and they cultivate continuously the manifestations of the one Spirit; it is what all hearts are after. And therefore you find all members of the body are not equally important. The members cannot be suffered to individualise themselves; they are corporeally one, and have to learn to acknowledge that.
No doubt the Spirit of God foresaw what would come to pass and anticipated it. “If the foot say, Because I am not a hand I am not of the body”, and the ear, “Because I am not an eye I am not of the body”. There was the possibility of persons becoming discontented with their place in the body and refusing to function because they had not the same prominence as others!
Rem God has set the members in the body as it has pleased Him, and He has tempered the body together.
CAC That is most important, and no amount of labour or effort on my part can alter things. He has assigned a certain place to me in the body and I cannot get out of it without lawlessness. Each one is set in just the right way; I must not be discontented with what pleases God! All is according to design. He formed Man; there is an artistic formation in that. The body in the Corinthian aspect is a most wonderful conception, because every member is perfect, and functions in its own office; all function in unity, and the fact that you can only see it in the Bible makes it more precious. It required the bringing in of the gentiles to get the conception of the body. This would help our private exercises; we should pray more bodywise. I am ashamed sometimes [p. 75] when I take a backward view over my praying and see that it has been nearly all connected with myself. If you have once got a divine conception you cannot be content with anything else.
There are certain members of the body which seem to be weaker. “Much rather, the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary”. He refers to the material body with a spiritual application. Of course it was to be seen in Corinth, where the saints had come under the baptism of the Spirit. This body order would be seen, and it would shut out all working of the flesh and the mind of man, and it would prepare the way most certainly for the thirteenth chapter.
Ques Philippians 2. 2 - 4 would come out, that would be the body idea?
CAC Yes, and it is good to remember that those members which seem the weaker are necessary; we have to accept that. That is, we must not discount a member because he seems to be weaker.
Then there are parts of the body less honourable in our esteem than other parts; there are members that seem lacking in honour. “These we clothe with more abundant honour”; that is, he brings in the thought of clothing. The thought is suggestive of beautifying a member that may be deficient in attractive qualities. We have to learn to clothe such saints with what is delightful. Clothing throughout Scripture carries with it the thought of adornment. God’s thought was that man as a creature should not only have a body but clothing, that is, adornment. My impression is the clothing is what abides. The body features are going to pass away, but I venture to say the clothing does not.
Suppose I am less honourable than many of the gifts the Spirit has bestowed on the body, I have to admit that, but that is no reason why I should not be clothed with [p. 76] something more excellent than the gifts of the Spirit which are all temporary and will pass away — not one will go to heaven. That is, the gifts are all subordinated to love. I think he gives the clothing in chapter 13. Many of us have to accept the fact that we have a less honourable position than others and we shall never prosper until we do. But I think God brings in what is eternal and belongs to perfection and He clothes members with it — that is open to every saint.
Rem Paul says, “To me, less than the least of all saints”, Ephesians 3: 8.
CAC He would have some difficulty to get smaller than that! There is another order of things coming in and the one least distinguished in the body may have part in that. I am to give myself more to the things which abide.
That is, love abides, the gifts are passing. You love to think there is a way of more surpassing excellence. We are no good whatever on earth until we have learned our place in the body. But there is something greater than that — the way of more surpassing excellence, and one most inferior as to his place in the body can be exalted to the highest possible degree in the experimental knowledge of love. So there is something to go in for! If I were the greatest gift in the body, I should exercise it in the conviction all the time that it will pass away. But when I move in love I am conscious that I am on the line of what is eternal.
We have no reason to believe that the historical church ever stood in the truth of the one body. This lies at the very root of things; if I do not function at home every day, I am not much use in the assembly, am I? It is delightful to be in a circle where you are made conscious that the Spirit is operating.
Rem The members are to have consideration for one another.
[p. 77] CAC That is there is no selfish consideration in the body. The members have the same concern one for another, it must be so.