ORDER AND LOVE
[p. 365] ORDER AND LOVE
1 Corinthians 11: 17 - 34; 1 Corinthians 14: 26 - 40
I proposed these scriptures, as chapter 11 gives us order in the assembly in connection with the Lord’s supper, and chapter 14 the order which becomes us in the meeting for ministry, as a guide to those who serve the saints.
This morning we considered how the Lord sent Peter and John to prepare the passover. It is only Luke who mentions this. He says, “And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare the passover for us, that we may eat it”. Then the Lord says in Luke 22: 12, “And he” (that is, the master of the house) “will shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready”. “A man”, “into the house”, “master of the house”, are expressions which agree with Luke’s presentation of the truth, as he is much occupied with order and what becomes the house of God. He therefore emphasizes that the upper room would be furnished, and that the passover should be prepared there, as well as indicating that “the hour was come”. I think also that Peter and John present the thought of brotherly love. Order and love go together. In Acts 3, Peter and John go together to the temple. Some of us have noticed recently that Acts 3 and 4 could be called ‘the chapters of Peter and John’. They form together a lovely picture of order and love in the assembly.
Ques Do the ministries of Peter and John go together? I think it was the Lord’s mind that they should go together, because too much authority without a corresponding measure of love leads to something less than what God has in His thoughts for us.
When the prophet Jeremiah speaks of recovery, he says that God would take “one of a city, and two of a family”, Jeremiah 3: 14.
Ques Does that correspond to Peter’s and John’s ministry? “One of a city” Peter’s ministry, and “two of a family” John’s ministry?
[p. 366] I think that is right.
Ques Does the reference to the disciples being in the upper room speak of the power of resurrection they should arrive at?
The upper room is characteristic of christianity. It is above the plane of the natural man’s life. The house of God has a variety of features and among them that of which the upper room speaks. In 1 Chronicles 28: 11 mention is made of the upper chambers and the inner chambers of the house of Jehovah. The upper chambers give us the thought of what is exalted, and the inner chambers refer to what is hidden. I think moral dignity is what corresponds to the upper chambers. The Corinthians had degraded the Lord’s supper. There is a constant tendency with us to degrade what is divine.
It requires spiritual power to be in the upper chamber, because it says “they went up to the upper chamber, where were staying both Peter, and John”, Acts 1: 13. It was a place where such men as Peter and John were. It was fitting that they should be there, so that during the ten days the disciples awaited the sending of the Spirit, they did not return to the cares of daily life. When we are together in the assembly we can withdraw from the cares of life and, the more spiritual power we have, the longer we will be able to remain in the upper chamber, that is, remain in this morally dignified realm. Later it says that it was put in order. I think the ministry of Peter and John together produce such a state.
Ques What does it mean to come together in assembly? It has often been likened to the calling together of Parliament. It comes under royal authority, and a definite order must obtain, for example, speakers, etc., before laws and other matters can be established. To come together in assembly involves that we come together in the light of being God’s assembly. The Lord’s rights and God’s rights are consequently acknowledged, and we are there as fully governed by the principles of the house of God.
I trust therefore that we all understand what is typified in the Lord sending Peter and John to prepare the passover.
[p. 367] Peter represents the principles that govern the house of God, and John the love that is fitting. Peter from the beginning was a leader, but we read of John, in his gospel, that he was the disciple whom Jesus loved. The only thing he relates as to the Supper is that the Lord laid aside His garments and washed the disciples’ feet. He did this as an example, so that we might wash each other’s feet. This brings to light the family conditions which we have spoken about before. The Lord said, “By this shall all know that ye are disciples of mine, if ye have love amongst yourselves”, John 13: 35. We see thus that John brings in love amongst us as something abiding; Peter on the other hand represents government and order in the assembly.
Ques Please say something about 1 Corinthians 11: 19, especially regarding the word “must”. Why does it say there must be sects?
“That the approved may become manifest”. When the saints begin to form themselves into parties, those who are faithful must keep themselves at a distance from this.
Ques Is that said as thinking upon the state which we find in chapter 3?
Yes. How serious it is that this party spirit should come out as they were gathered together. The state of christendom is only an extension of this, and many of the people of God think that such conditions are unavoidable. It is therefore of special importance that we judge all party thoughts, because sect conditions can exist without any public break being apparent. There was no public break in Corinth, and it is because of this the apostle speaks of parties among them. He says, “When ye come together in assembly, I hear there exist divisions among you, and I partly give credit to it. For there must also be sects among you, that the approved may become manifest among you”.
Ques Is this word “must” the same as “unavoidable”? It means that it is necessary in the government of God. It says in verse 18, “there exist divisions among you” — that is the responsible side; but in verse 19 it says that “there must also be sects among you, that the approved may become manifest”. The word “must” is not the same as “unavoidable”. It is more something that is necessary in the government of God for our education. We know from experience that parties have arisen amongst the people of God, and we have tried to prevent this, so that those who have become involved in this might be liberated. But if such party feelings are not judged, then God in His government allows parties to arise, and those who fear God keep themselves from such, whereas those who bring about divisions lose their way. The approved are those who keep themselves aloof from parties.
Ques Such as the house of Chloe, for example?
Yes. To judge party feelings involves your withdrawing from such and not having anything to do with them. It says, “that the approved may become manifest”. If there are parties, their behaviour is dishonouring to the assembly and is a denial of the truth of the assembly, because a great and important principle regarding the assembly is that it is one, as it says, “we, being many, are one loaf, one body”, 1 Corinthians 10: 17. We must be on the alert, so that different groups do not rise up amongst us, and that we do not have special friends we cling to, for what is special and confined to a few spreads out more and more.
Paul’s word to the party-minded was very good; “Has Paul been crucified for you?” When he came to Corinth, he did not judge it well to know anything among them save Jesus Christ and Him crucified, 1 Corinthians 2: 2. “Jesus Christ, and him crucified” should be the only point of gathering, as the Lord Himself said, “And I, if I be lifted up out of the earth, will draw all to me”, John 12: 32.
All this has to do with our behaviour as we sit down and partake of the Lord’s supper, so that in our hearts we might be separate from all party-mindedness. The Lord says of the passover in Luke 22, “that we may eat”, which is a mutual thought, and so Luke says in Acts 20: 7, “And the first day of the week, we being assembled to break bread”, which means we are all on the same ground. We are there on the ground of redemption, as it says, “The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel”, Exodus 30: 15. Every one of the redeemed cost [p. 369] the Lord the same price. Therefore the truth of redemption has a balancing effect, and there are also other features which show this, for example, that we are all brethren, all levites. Every levite was a firstborn, and we are thus by redemption put on the same plane, and are all equal in worth. This produces wonderful and joyful feelings, and it is marvellous that the Lord says, “that we may eat”, and after supper they sang a hymn. The Lord would thus give us an impression of how we should be together in mutual brotherly feelings towards each other. If there is something not clear between me and my brother, we learn from Matthew 5: 23, 24 that if I come to the altar with my gift and there remember that my brother has something against me, the call comes to me: “leave there thy gift before the altar, and first go, be reconciled to thy brother”. Matthew places great weight on the recovery of a brother, because we cannot be without our brethren and their love.
We are speaking now of that which is outwardly beautiful and attractive. Luke pays great regard to that which is outwardly beautiful and attractive. We have also considered the brotherly unity which ought to be seen amongst us. The psalmist says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”, Psalm 133, and then he speaks of the oil, in which lies a suggestion of outward beauty, for oil make the face of man to shine, and it is so when brethren dwell together in unity. We might think of the oil on the head of Aaron, and how it ran down upon his beard, and down to the hem of his garment. This forms the thought of the psalmist on what it is when brethren dwell together. Further he says, “As the dew of Hermon that descendeth on the mountains of Zion”. This is another type. “There hath Jehovah commanded the blessing”. Notice therefore, dear brethren, how important it is to have unity amongst us, and to dwell together in unity. I have drawn your attention to this because all this has to do with the outward side. In this way the emblems of the Supper, the bread and the cup, have a moral correspondence in the brethren as they sit down around the emblems. This is the thought connected with the cup of blessing, as it says, “The cup of blessing which we bless”. It is spiritual blessing which obtains there. God has brought this to pass through the gift of the Spirit. The bread also speaks of unity according to chapter 10. We understand, therefore, that it is under such conditions that the Lord comes in amongst us. “The Lord Jesus, in the night in which He was delivered up, took bread, and having given thanks broke it, and said, This is my body, which is for you”. I do not think there is anything, in a moral sense, in the whole universe which can be compared with that. As we eat the Lord’s supper, we partake of the same bread and drink of the same cup; the original thought was that they should drink out of one and the same vessel, which means that we should be in the same spirit, as we all belong to the same family. We have what corresponds to this in John 20: 22 when the Lord breathed into His disciples. He breathes into us this family affection and it is this that lays the basis for the exhortation, “Salute one another with a holy kiss” (1 Corinthians 16: 20), which is something quite distinctive, and involves that everything which stands linked with natural feelings is excluded.
Our subject is the order becoming to the saints. How do we eat? “The eater and drinker eats and drinks judgment to himself, not distinguishing the body”. To eat unworthily refers to the manner in which we do it.
Ques If there are unsettled matters between brothers, would that be to eat unworthily?
Yes; but that is not just what the apostle had in mind here, but more the manner in which we take the Supper.
Ques It ought to be taken in a right spirit?
Yes. The apostle emphasises that it is the body of the Lord, and the blood of the Lord. In the Lord’s supper we have to do with the most serious and holy things, and they are not to be taken up lightly. If we take it unworthily, it becomes a witness against us, and God must deal with us in His government, but if we eat of it worthily, then it will be for our good.
Verses 29 and 30 show how serious it is: “On this account many among you are weak and infirm, and a good many are fallen asleep”. At the end of the chapter we have this confirmed. Verse 33 means we should have respect for each other: “So that, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, wait for one another. If any one be hungry, let him eat at home, that ye may not come together for judgment”. I think that we have enjoyed the Supper for many years as it is presented in this chapter. It is distinct from an ordinary meal and ordinary family circumstances, and it is not a literal meal, but a remembrance feast. Then there are other things to be set in order, but this of which the apostle speaks here is specially important. “But the other things, whenever I come, I will set in order”.
Ques Is it not so, that there can only be order if we are in right relationship with the Lord? No apostolic authority could put the Corinthians right, but only the Lord’s love. But the apostle gave them instruction.
Yes. In chapter 14 we have the order which is becoming, and which is for help and edification.
Ques I would like to ask regarding the so-called ‘open meeting’ and how we could have such a meeting in our days, as it has been said that we cannot have this?
I do not think it is right to say so. This kind of meeting is mentioned in this chapter, and why should we turn aside from it? I hardly think there is another meeting which reveals our weakness more than this, and therefore I would commend the foregoing part of the chapter to your careful consideration. This should actually help us to the conditions whereby we could have such a meeting. The open meeting is an occasion whereby room is made for gift. I think the foregoing part of the chapter prepares us under the Lord’s leading for this. When the saints are together and the gifts speak one after another, it is an open meeting.
If we cannot have such a meeting, we must be in a low state, and ought to turn to the Lord in prayer regarding this matter. The main thing is that I have a desire to be able to edify the people of God, and then that I might use my gift with understanding. The principle that applies here is that it will be “five words with my understanding”. All ought to come together as feeling this. It says, “Whenever ye [p. 372] come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching ... . Let all things be done to edification”. Perhaps I have something from the Lord to bring forward, but I do not bring it forward merely because I have received it, but I wait for a suitable occasion. Perhaps there is a brother present who is more spiritual than I, and, if I am in exercise and subject to the Lord, I make way for him. If I stand up to say something, I need to be concise; I do not speak because I like to speak. The principle is to be able to keep quiet, in order that others may have an opportunity to speak. The number is at the most three, which is a merciful arrangement, so that our meetings do not become tiring.
Ques But the thought is not that we literally should only say five words?
The principle is “five words”. It mentions ten thousand instructors and ten thousand words, but it speaks also of “not many fathers” and “five words”.
Rem Here in Gothenburg we have previously had both the preaching and an open meeting on Lord’s day evening, but as it was too tiring for some to be present at both meetings, we now have the preaching only.
It ought not to be tiring to have two meetings on Lord’s day afternoon. Nearly everywhere I have been, the saints usually have a Bible reading in the afternoon followed by the preaching later.
Ques But if some prefer the preaching and others prefer a ministry meeting?
If someone in the assembly in Caesarea had said, ‘We do not want the preaching’, then Philip the evangelist would not have agreed to that, and, if Philip had said, ‘We will not have a ministry meeting’, then his four daughters would have opposed that, for they prophesied, although not in the meeting. But they certainly could judge “five words” in the assembly.
Ques What does it mean to prophesy?
The thought is that a prophet presents the thoughts and mind of God. To prophesy according to this chapter (1 Corinthians 14) is for edification, and if a simple person came in, he would fall upon his face and acknowledge that God was [p. 373] amongst them. If God is not amongst us, then it is of no use.
Gifts cannot be limited to a locality. A gift does not belong to a certain locality, but to all. The question is, What is of most help for us? According to my way of thinking, we get the greatest help from a Bible reading on Lord’s day afternoon, and thereafter the preaching. An open meeting is suitable when we come together with brethren from other parts, such as on this present occasion.
Ques What kind of speaking with a tongue is it that is mentioned in verse 27? It says, “If any one speak with a tongue, let it be two, or at the most three, and separately, and let one interpret”.
Well, we are doing just that at the present moment, when one, of us must speak a language and another interpret. But it does not call for such gifts now as in the early days of speaking with tongues. These gifts were not for the believers but for the unbelievers, and they are like the church bells which call the people together. But now when the assembly is together, we no longer need bells. Christianity involves that all are assembled — millions are assembled.