FAITH, PIETY AND JOY IN THE CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLD
[p. 208] FAITH, PIETY AND JOY IN THE CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLD
John 4: 46 - 54; Acts 10: 1 - 4; Acts 16: 30 - 34
JT These scriptures are proposed because the thought of the believer’s house occurs in each of them. It is intended that we should see some special feature in each. In the first passage we are told that the courtier believed and his whole house; as if the house is viewed as believing by itself, although in relation to him. In the second passage we have the idea of the fear of God in Cornelius with all his house; and in the third passage there is rejoicing — householdly. It is hoped that we shall see features working out from these thoughts that will be especially helpful here at the present time. The courtier serves to bring out accuracy of thought; he is able to carry the Lord’s word in his mind according to the time it was spoken and to compare it with the time that healing took place. We are apt to be very loose in dealing with our household affairs, dealing with generalities, whereas this man would teach us, by example, to deal accurately with detail as well as in generality. This miracle is linked up with what happened in Cana of Galilee, as recorded in chapter 2: “He came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine” (verse 46). The work of God is one, with many features; many persons are involved, but the work is one. So that there is a link here between this miracle, or sign, and that of Cana in chapter 2. The Lord was in Cana, and the courtier came there, but the actual subject of the work of the sign was in Capernaum. The power is in Cana, operating at a distance, reminding us that the work of God is not affected by distance; distance need not interfere. This enables us to think of the [p. 209] work of God in all parts, and how quickly things can happen. And then, the certain time of the happening is observed.
EMcK Is it important that the thought of the house comes in so early in this gospel, and the son sick in it? Sonship is brought in.
JT Quite so; it is serious. We get cases of sick daughters, too, but this is a son — the Holy Spirit calls him a son in recording the incident. The courtier went to Jesus and asked Him to come down and heal his son. That is the statement of the fact, but the actual word the courtier used is ‘child’. He speaks of his child, but the Lord, in reply, says ‘son’. So that the writer uses the word ‘son’ in his narrative and the Lord uses the same word. Then the courtier carries the Lord’s actual words down to Capernaum, connecting them with the hour when the healing took place. All this brings out that the sign involved elevation in the house; that is, from mere childship to sonship. The Lord had that in His mind in the sign. It is for us. John deals with signs. He tells us in chapter 20 that Jesus did many other signs but these were written that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing we might have life in His name. But if we are to be affected by the signs we must be accurate and pay attention to the words employed in relation to them.
RWS Are the words of the Lord Jesus, in verse 48, to be taken as a rebuke to the courtier? He says, “Unless ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe”.
JT Well, I think that is a rebuke to more than the courtier. He says, “Ye”. It is something like the case when the Lord came down from the mount of Transfiguration and a man brought his lunatic child and told the Lord about him, saying, “I brought him to thy disciples, and they were not able to heal him”. The Lord said, at that time, “O unbelieving [p. 210] and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you?” Matthew 17: 17. Evidently He included the disciples. It is a humbling thing that the saints should be included with the unbelieving in a rebuke.
Rem It says that this man believed the word that Jesus said to him.
JT Yes; he soon disengaged himself from any association with unbelievers. And it is for us to separate ourselves from any that might be under such reproach, by showing that we have faith which lifts us out of the realm of this world.
Rem Isaiah says, “I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips”. But he had his lips cleansed with a live coal and could then say, “Here am I; send me”.
JT Yes, he disengaged himself from a general unclean condition. He was a man of unclean lips, and dwelt among a people of unclean lips, but he soon separated himself from all that; he had his lips cleansed by the coal taken from the altar and was thus ready to be sent.
AR Would you say something more about the Lord healing the nobleman’s son in Capernaum? There is virtue in the word of the Lord, even though the son was a long distance off.
JT That is the fact. It shows the nature of the work of God, and really enters into the formation of the whole organism in which God is working. The whole area of the earth is involved, but it is one work. Something of this kind may transpire in China, in India, in South Africa, in the Argentine, or in New Zealand; distance does not affect the work which God is carrying on. It goes on extensively. The courtier is taken up to bring out the idea of accuracy in linking these things together, not only geographically, but in the matter of time. Time enters into it.
[p. 211] God Himself, in creating material things, refers to the use of time. And this man is affected by the idea of time. John’s gospel begins with the idea of time: “In the beginning was the Word”. It presents to us the greatest possible facts; that the Word was there, and that He was there to operate according to the name He bore. That is, He is called the Word and He was operating in time in relation to the word of God.
AR Is the healing of the centurion’s servant, in the house, a similar incident? He said to the Lord, “Say by a word and my servant shall be healed ... . And they who had been sent returning to the house found the bondman, who was ill, in good health”, Luke 7: 7 - 10.
JT He said to the Lord, in effect. You do not need to come where he is. This brings out the intelligence of the man; and he adds, “I also am a man placed under authority”. He makes the position clearer “I say to this one, Go, and he goes ...”. So he says to the Lord, in principle, You can do that. We may add that the Lord can do that any time and anywhere. The power may be here and the subject of the power may be any distance away. However, time is linked up with it. But while God is stressing that His work involves time, results, irrespective of distance, may be instantaneous. I do not believe that in eternity there will be any more working; it is while we are in time that things are done.
CAM Would you say that the way time is regarded in John’s gospel is very special, because eternity is in view?
JT Well, if the work must go on in eternity, then eternity is not a finished matter. Some think we continue to grow in eternity, and if we do, what would be the result? Think of the immensity of what persons would become if they kept on growing eternally! whereas God’s “end” — 1 Corinthians [p. 212] 15: 24 contemplates completeness, perfection. In it He is all in all.
CAM That is what seems to make time so remarkable in the way it is considered in John’s writings, which link with eternity. They bring what is infinite from eternity into time and lead from time into eternity.
JT Yes; “By faith we apprehend that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that that which is seen should not take its origin from things which appear”. Hebrews 11: 3. The thought of creation goes back into infinity. Evolution is simply a lie because, in biology at least, it contemplates that the being or thing is of itself; that is, it is not created, but evolved, which is not scriptural at all. As we have noted, Hebrews 11: 3 states that that which is seen should not take its origin from things which appear. The link between the finite and the infinite, is the word of God. We apprehend it by faith. Besides, what Hebrews teaches is abundantly confirmed throughout Scripture, especially in John 1 and Colossians 1. The former scripture states that all things received being through Him, the Word, and without Him not one thing received being which has received being.
RWS Is the allusion to the hour indicative of how much God can do in a short space of time?
JT Well, that brings in the idea of measure. God would have us to understand things in accuracy and detail as well as in generality. So He is called the God of measure — a remarkable thing! Reference is made in Scripture to “a moment of time” and “the twinkling of an eye”. One of the greatest things that can happen to us will happen in the twinkling of an eye. That is, in the minutest part of time God will change us from what we are now to our eternal condition.
FNW Does the time element come into chapter 2 [p. 213] where it says that the Lord abode with the disciples in Capernaum not many days? Would the Lord have the thought of time in His mind?
JT Yes. It says, “After this he descended to Capernaum, he and his mother and his brethren and his disciples; and there they abode not many days” (verse 12). That would be to bring out that He was recognising His mother and His brethren, and the disciples with them. His mother would be adjusted or He would not have gone down with her; but He did not stay long. It is just provisional to bring out that He had regard for His mother and brethren. But the disciples were the basis of what He was going on with. “His disciples believed on him”, He having manifested His glory. This was of prime importance.
Rem He is pre-eminent now, whereas at the marriage feast His mother had been conspicuous.
JT Yes. She is adjusted and the Lord recognises the natural relationships. John is bringing out the spiritual, but at the same time nothing that is legitimate is ignored.
SF Is there a slight on Judaea here? “This second sign again did Jesus, being come out of Judaea into Galilee”.
JT It would seem to be so, because we are told in chapter 2, after the sign of Cana, when He had returned to Jerusalem, that many believed on His name, beholding the signs, but He did not trust Himself to them. They were only affected by the signs. But what underlies the signs is in mind. It is that believing, we might have life in His name.
AR Perhaps there is a tendency with us to be marked by generalities, whereas this idea of “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him”, really enters in detail into ministry. Ministry is given at a given time at a given place. It is put down [p. 214] on record, is it not?
JT It is on record in heaven; that is the comfort we have. But here is a man who, evidently, already believes; John is dealing with the first indication of faith, and the intensification of that. He is telling us that believing is a thing that progresses in time. It will not be so in eternity, for faith will cease. But it is a thing that progresses. So, he believed in Cana, but when he met his servants and learned what had happened and inquired as regards the hour, “he believed, himself and his whole house”. It is not ‘with’ his whole house. He believed, himself and his whole house. That is, the and makes it two things — his believing, and his house believing.
JTJr Is it moral power in the house that would influence it rightly?
JT Yes, so much so that the family, as a group, would discuss the case. The father’s report of what had happened would, in itself, be a marvellous thing, but it is as if they talked over it by themselves; not only to depend upon the head, but think about what the head says, and talk about it by themselves, and come to the truth by themselves. If they do that they can carry on consistently when the head is not there.
JTJr The courtier would be a very distinguished person, but his piety would enter into what his household was. His public prominence would not help there; it is what he was morally that would sway his house.
JT Yes. You may be sure that there had been much social life in a house like this; tea parties and card parties and the like. So that it is remarkable that the conjunction ‘and’ is used. It is “and his whole house”, as if they took account of what the father had said. The mother would say to her children, and to the boy especially — the son who was raised up: Look at what has happened, and consider what your father has said about it; what Jesus said [p. 215] to your father and how it happened that when He said to your father. Thy son lives, that you were healed that very instant. The son recovered at once. The servants were in the matter too. They said that the fever left him. It was a finished matter in that instant. How would the family take account of this? The other children in the household would say, That is a wonderful thing! So that the house is moving by itself; each one is moving spiritually. That is, the head and the house move on together, but with individual exercises. They all believed.
Ques What was the cause of the dying condition?
JT The first thing we are told is that he was sick, and then the courtier “having heard that Jesus had come out of Judaea into Galilee, went to him and asked him that he would come down and heal his son”. It does not say what the disease was, but that he was about to die. “Jesus therefore said to him, Unless ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe”. That is what came out in chapter 2. Many believed because of the signs. But the Lord is saying here that we should be able to believe without a sign. The courtier does not turn away. He believed, evidently, at least in principle. He says, “Sir, come down ere my child die”. But he evidently thought that the Lord had to go where the child was. That is where he needed help — that the Lord did not need to do that. That, I think, is basic in regard to the ministry. “Jesus says to him, Go, thy son lives”. It was instantaneous: “And the man believed the word which Jesus said to him, and went his way”. And then his servants met him and they said to him. Thy child lives. “He inquired therefore from them the hour at which he got better”. That is what I think is one of the most remarkable things, that he should stop to find out the hour — what was the exact hour of the day. I suppose he would go by the sundial. He would not have a watch, but he would remember [p. 216] the hour. And the servants remembered the hour when the child got better. How were they so accurate? They say, The seventh hour. And he says, That is exactly the same hour in which the Lord Jesus said, “Thy son lives”. He repeated the Lord’s words. He used the word ‘son’. Then, after the hour is determined, it is said, “He believed, himself and his whole house”. He believed, himself; that is, in his own consciousness; he believed himself, and then his whole house. So that it is a finished matter now.
Ques You were speaking of the work of God going on in different places at the same time. Was God working in the house, among the various individuals, even while the father was at a distance?
JT It is one work, but the power was in the Lord in Cana and the subject of it was in Capernaum.
AR Are you suggesting the truth of the body in relation to ministry? So that whether ministry be given in New Zealand or in the British Isles, or elsewhere, we could be affected by it here?
JT Surely. The more spiritual we are, the more conscious we are of what is going on.
Ques Does obedience enter into this case? The man was blessed, and his house was blessed with him. But it says, “The man believed the word which Jesus said to him, and went his way”.
JT I think that those of us who have households should see that the household can function by itself if the head is absent. The work of God evidently went on in the courtier’s whole house. That is what is stated. There is a man and his family; can the wife and children function in faith if he is not there? It is very evident that exercise developed in them as a separate entity; not detached from him, exactly, but still, the end shows it was not all one idea. It was himself, and his whole house. They believed!
FSC [p. 217] Did he not believe without a sign? He had not seen a sign.
JT That is just the point. He had faith. The Lord had said, “Unless ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe”. But he did believe without seeing signs. What the Lord said as to signs and wonders had a general bearing.
Rem There seems to be obedience with the servants, or bondmen as they are called in the footnote.
JT The bondmen are undoubtedly part of the courtier’s house. His whole house believed.
CAM Do you think the Lord allows crises to come householdly? It must be a very acute thing; the threatening presence of death and the extremity of it all. And do you not think that through these conditions there is developed the desire for life and sonship?
JT Yes; the exercise had gone on in the house in Capernaum while the head was away. They had their own part in it separately. This is a very important matter, because it shows that the house can function when the head is not present, if there is faith. The ‘and’ shows that the house functioned, or at least had faith apart from the faith of the head. There is a distinction between what happened in the courtier and what happened in the household.
EMcK It is remarkable that household testings serve God’s wonderful ends. We see it also in the household at Bethany in chapter 11.
JT It is not accidental that there was distance; it surely is to bring out something of the mystery of spirituality in households where the mother and the children function in the house, not as disregarding the head, but filling out the position in his absence. We learn from Proverbs 31 how the woman of worth functioned in a most remarkable way in the absence of her husband.
RS When Gehazi asked the Shunammite woman,
[p. 218] Is it well with thee? Is it well with the child? she said, It is well. She had faith, but Elisha had to go and identify himself with the child. He could not operate from a distance.
JT Yes; that shows the necessity for reading Scripture contextually. In that case the prophet had to go. He thought that his staff would do the work but it would not; but the Lord did not have to go. If there is a difficulty in this city, one would have to be here to form a right judgment so as to help. He must be in the place where the difficulty is to get the local feeling and enter into the thing with the saints, to be of help, but not so with the Lord. In our chapter we are considering what happened when the father was away. Of course, the father would not be always away, but ordinarily a brother must be away a considerable part of the time and it is a question whether the house can function without him. Evidently this house did.
TNW They would be good material for the local assembly and would be able to stand in the face of deflection later.
JT Just so; some children think they do stand without their parents, and it often turns out that they do not, because believing parents help them. But this would lay the basis in the household for standing on its own feet, which I think is the point in the passage.
Ques Would you connect the servants with the house or would they be considered by themselves?
JT In our passage they would probably be classified as of the house. Abraham circumcised all that were in his house; not only Ishmael, but all the servants. I think that in those days they would be so regarded, but not so now; helpers in the house are not ordinarily regarded as part of the household.
SF Would you link this with sonship as in Galatians?
JT [p. 219] John does not develop sonship in the saints; in fact he does not call a christian, or a believer, a son, except in Revelation 21; that is the only place in his writings where you get the term ‘sons’ applied to christians. He deals with children, but the basis of sonship is in the teaching. Sonship is certainly implied in chapter 20 of this gospel, but he deals more with children. In our chapter, I think the basic thought of sonship is in mind for instead of using the word ‘child’, the Lord uses the word ‘son’. And John, the narrator of the incident, uses the word ‘son’, whereas the man uses the word ‘child’. Then, when he quotes what the Lord said, the courtier uses the word ‘son’; so that I think we have the suggestion that this boy, however young, was a son.
JTJr Faith was operating in the father while away from home; and God was working in the home while he was away, so that the faith in the father was in keeping with what was happening in the house. It all went on concurrently.
JT That is the point, and I think it all centres in the word ‘hour’. He is occupied with the hour when the Lord spoke the word; and they had the hour in their minds when the healing happened; so that the whole thing is one.
CAM I suppose the features seen in these three households of which we have read are necessary for the maintenance of the service of God in the house of God.
JT There is nothing that the Lord is stressing more than this matter of the household and how faith operates in these three instances; first, faith in the courtier believing; and then secondly, in Cornelius, the fear of God; and thirdly, with the jailer, rejoicing. And in each case the house is brought into it.
Rem The second scripture seems to suggest piety, does it not? There is an atmosphere of piety in the house of Cornelius, and he works it out by prayer and [p. 220] supplication.
JT That is how you come into line for a revelation; light of a special character. His piety is stressed. We are told that, as to calling, he was a centurion, an officer in the Roman army, and his band is called Italic, which evidently was notable. It shows that the Spirit of God was not slighting him, nor his dignity as a military man, but then the Spirit says that he was pious and feared God with all his house. The word ‘pious’ usually involves the fear of God, but it is evidently intended to stress the fact that he did fear God. He would fear the emperor, of course, and normally he would be very concerned lest anything might displease the emperor. But he feared God; that is the point. He was pious, fearing God with all his house. I think the word ‘with’ would mean that the bearing of his piety was toward his house. But he had a pious soldier on his staff, according to verse 7: “And ... having called two of his household and a pious soldier of those who were constantly with him”. Piety was there, even in the soldiers who attended upon him, so that the ‘with’ would mean that the power of his piety was towards his house. Moreover, it is said that he gave much alms to the people, and supplicated God continually. Then it says that he “saw plainly in a vision, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming unto him, and saying to him, Cornelius. But he, having fixed his eyes upon him, and become full of fear, said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him, Thy prayers and thine alms have gone up for a memorial before God”, Acts 10: 3, 4. That is the state of the man and the order of his house. His piety is the ground on which God can speak to him in this way. This is another phase of the household; that we can look for help from God if we wish to help the saints. If our houses are right, we get light from God in that relation.
Rem He is not addressed by any title he may [p. 221] have had in the army, but in the familiar way that God might use with any of us.
JT Quite so; Cornelius, the name by which he is known to us.
JF Would it not be unusual to find a pious soldier?
JT Well, that may be so, ordinarily. There probably was not much piety in the Roman army. But he had a pious soldier among those who were constantly with him. That would help him in his piety, as well as show the man that Cornelius was and the effect he would have on those around him.
RWS Would he have been affected, possibly, by some godly Jew preaching from the Old Testament?
JT Undoubtedly he was. I would classify him as a proselyte to the truth known in Judaism. But then the point is that he had the qualities that really enter into christianity, and God honoured him. If I want to help the saints I must see to my house; I must see that I am pious. God is straitened if He is required to use a man whose house is not in order. I think that is the point here.
FNW Would the instruction in Deuteronomy 6 indicate what shines in each of these three cases that you are taking up today? It says, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart; and thou shalt impress them on thy sons, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou goest on the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign on thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and upon thy gates” (verses 6 - 9). Should not the head of the house — the man himself — be concerned that he is right with God, and his house will follow in order?
JT That is a very important matter. That type helps. So that we see how all this wonderful truth of [p. 222] Acts 10, involving the admission of the gentiles into christianity, is based on this man’s state and the state of his house. God sees to it that this is recorded before we get the results.
Ques So would you say that the christian’s household should be marked by prayer? It speaks of this man supplicating God continually.
JT Yes; and giving alms, too. That is, you do not let those who may have some means carry the whole burden. Give what you can. It does not say how much he gave, although it says he gave much. But the widow gave much, too, although it was only two mites. It is a question of how heaven reckons; and God measures that, too. If a brother has ministered, and has gift, it is right that the brethren support him in his service. This chapter would teach us that if we get light we will be marked by these features: prayer, piety and almsgiving. We should not forget the latter.
CAM The giving comes first. It says that he was “giving much alms to the people, and supplicating God continually”. So that my prayer would not amount to much if giving were neglected.
JT That is the lesson to be learned; how heaven takes account of almsgiving. I think it is a very important matter. With such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Ques Would Matthew 17 show that, in one sense, the Lord does not need our money? The Lord told Peter to go and take the money out of the mouth of the first fish that came up, in order to pay the taxes. But Luke 21 seems to show the other side of the truth, that the widow gave all her living.
JT The Lord saw how they cast into the treasury; and we must remember that there is a treasury. In Matthew 17 it was but one item — a question of meeting the tax. But the treasury is a wider thought and represents the bounty that is available [p. 223] to be disbursed with spiritual ability and priestly feelings.
RWS Did you say that the thought in the verse: “fearing God with all his house”, suggests that the direction of Cornelius’ piety was towards his house?
JT That is the thought. It is not so definite as John 4. The household is not fearing by itself. He feared God with all his house. You can understand that all might not be thoroughly in it, but it is the bearing of his attitude in the house, which would influence the children in time. God will use it, too.
JS If the head of the house is not a christian, could a believing member of the family take this on?
JT That would be a very awkward situation; God alone can make a way out. That would be abnormal, but this is a pious household, and the head of it is exercising his God-given place; even before he was a christian he was head. Abstractly, the truth of headship means that every man is taken up in a provisional way as being head of his house. But if he is unconverted and some of the children, or his wife, are converted, it makes a very awkward and difficult situation, but the Lord will support the principle of headship.
EMcK They would never take the place of the head.
JT Not family-wise. If he would not give thanks to God at meals, for instance, they could take that over, if he were willing that they should do it.
WM Would power in the house be a matter of influence? It speaks, in 1 Corinthians 7, of a woman having an unbelieving husband who may be saved by her faithfulness. Does that suggest influence?
JT Undoubtedly. “What knowest thou, O wife, if thou shalt save thy husband?”That certainly [p. 224] involves her manner of life; it is not merely an answer to her prayers; it says, “... if thou shalt save thy husband?”
WM Does Cornelius suggest a man who has a circle that he influences?
JT That is very clear. No doubt the pious soldier would owe his piety to Cornelius, the official in whose company he was. This matter of influence is a very great one and enters into headship in all its functions.
Ques Would not 1 Corinthians 7 show that we can go a long way to retain an unsympathetic person that he might get the blessing, especially when the relationship of husband and wife is involved, because of the household idea?
JT Yes; God honours that; it is the Spirit of Christ. He sees how difficult it is to do what is to be done, but He comes in in time, I am certain.
AR Such households referred to in 1 Corinthians do not give licence to mixed marriages, do they?
JT No; marriage is to be “in the Lord”. Anything outside of that is giving place to the devil.
Now, in moving on to the next passage, we have the thought of joy in the head of the house. It says, “And having brought them into [p. 226] his house he laid the table for them, and rejoiced with all his house, having believed in God” (verse 34). It is a further thought; belief was there, but joy is the next thing, and it is important, for we are not to be doleful or irritable in the house, but rejoicing. A good condition in the house requires joy in the head. The Lord Jesus brought in joy in a most striking way in all His relations with His disciples. At the most critical and distressing moment in His service He rejoiced in spirit and praised His Father. That is a very important side in our morning household readings, to have joy in singing and praise. It tends to holy joy and buoyancy.
[p. 225] Rem Chapter 61 of Isaiah speaks of “the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of the spirit of heaviness”. The Lord Jesus turned the circumstances; where there was the spirit of heaviness, He brought in a garment of praise.
RWS Children might say, Why can we not have a radio? Why can we not be like other people’s children? Why can we not have books that others have and do what other people do? But those things cannot bring joy like this.
JT They bring corruption, the very contrast to what we are talking about — the garment of praise; praise to God. Whosoever offers praise, God says, glorifies Me. And so, the jailer is a changed man; the Spirit of God stresses that as to him. He had said, “What must I do that I may be saved?” And Paul and Silas said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house”. It is remarkable that not only Paul said that, but both of them said it. It is the testimony of two men “Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. And they spoke to him the word of the Lord, with all that were in his house”. That is, I would say, they had a sort of Bible reading in the man’s house, as we do when we have baptisms. He would say, Clear out the room and get my wife and all the children in, and the servants, too, I suppose, and the apostle and Silas would speak to him the word of the Lord. It would be the word of the Lord in relation to the house, clearly. In chapter 19 the word of the Lord is militant in the overthrow of witchcraft. It says that with might it increased and prevailed. But here it is in relation to the household. They spoke to him the word of the Lord, with all who were in his house. And then it says, “And he took them the same hour of the night and washed them from their stripes; and was baptised, he and all his straightway. And having brought them into his house he laid the table for them”. Now it is a time for joy, the meal time, and the jailer has power to rejoice. It would look as if the Spirit of God is showing us the effect of the gospel in its simplicity and power in this man.
Rem Where the authority of the word of the Lord is not accepted in the household there cannot be any true joy or belief in God.
JT Quite so. I thought these three features of the truth would help us all; the thought of believing, as confirmed: the courtier in Cana of Galilee had faith but it was confirmed in Capernaum where the actual healing took place, so that he believed, himself and his whole house. That is the first thing; it is the prominent idea, confirming faith. There is a peculiar certainty in it. And the son was there in the house. Then, secondly, the fear of God and what accompanies it, namely, almsgiving and prayer; piety marking the surroundings, too, as seen in the soldier. So that we get help from God in our ministry. We may get a revelation. That is what Cornelius got. He is, a remarkable case, and the teaching is very wide in its bearing. And then, thirdly, a man gets joy in his house. He becomes a joyful type of man; not what he would have been normally, being a jailer. He is entirely changed. He would be quiet and sober, but he would sing a hymn and speak joyfully about the Lord and the salvation he had come into, and it would be in relation to all his house. In John 4 a conjunction is used, “and his house”; in Acts 10 a preposition is used, “with all his house”; and in this chapter, Acts 16, an adverb governs what the man is doing. He is rejoicing householdly (see note, N.T.). He is rejoicing householdly at a time when joy should be present.
JTJr Paul has no distress now. He had been distressed, in verse 18, by the spirit of Python in the woman, and what she continued to say, but [p. 227] now the conditions are different. Everything here is conducive to spiritual joy.
JT It is all very wonderful and yet it is extremely simple and practical. You can visualise how Paul and Silas would enter into this result of the gospel in Philippi.
Pages 228 - 455, “Notes of Readings in New York”, 1944 (Volume 163).