THE FOURFOLD GOSPEL
[p. 290] THE FOURFOLD GOSPEL
Acts 2:14; Acts 2:29-42; Acts 8:5-8; Acts 8:35; Acts 9:20
In these four scriptures three preachers of the gospel come before us. They come before us, too, in their first gospel addresses. They are, indeed, the leading preachers of the gospel in the book of the Acts. Others of course preached, but Peter, Philip and Paul are the leading vessels used of God, as recorded in the Acts, in the commencement of the gospel. They are not duplicates; indeed no servant of God is a duplicate of another, so that each of these three great servants represents a certain feature in his first address or announcement of the gospel. Peter represents the administrative feature; as you all remember, no doubt, he alone received from the Lord Jesus the keys of the kingdom of heaven, the keys representing power of administration; and so I read more at length from chapter 2 because it is laid upon me to dwell especially upon the side of administration in the gospel. Peter, as you will observe, stands up with the eleven, he making the twelfth, and addresses his fellow countrymen, the Jews, and others, proselytes, from all parts of the known world. He represents the wonderful administration that had been inaugurated in heaven, and accompanying that the authority of Him through whom the administration comes; for, as he says in his announcement, Jesus is “made both Lord and Christ”.
What I wish to say about the administration is that it is general, what the Lord has poured out from heaven is available for all. When we come to the Christ as announced by Philip, we have One who undertakes to do everything for the believer; and when we come to the subject announced to the eunuch we have the Man. When we come to Paul’s [p. 291] announcement, we have the Son of God, who undertakes for us, as I hope to show later, in an individual way, and introduces a new order of things. But I wish first of all to enlarge on the administration of the Lord Jesus in heaven.
Presently that administration shall extend to the whole universe of God; all shall come under it and benefit from it; but for the moment it is available to men, for, as Peter says, “The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call”. And so, as I said, Peter stands up with the eleven. The Lord had wrought with these men; He had called them from various occupations in this life in order to qualify them for this great service. You will observe that Peter is not said to have stood up with the hundred and twenty that had received the Spirit, but with the eleven. He stood up with the eleven.
You may say that is a mere incident. No, it is more than a mere incident. It is an important principle that God has set out, namely, that there is an administration, and that twelve is the numeral that denotes it. These twelve men have passed away, but the administration they stood for and represented in Jerusalem in that day has not passed away, it remains. And so Peter first of all calls upon those present to hearken to his words. God asserts His right to address Himself to men, but in addressing them He immediately proceeds to point out what had happened before their eyes — a gracious ministration of blessing; He also calls attention to David. Now some of us have been occupied with the gospel of Matthew, which presents Christ in this light. He is there said to be the Son of David, and Peter enlarges on this fact, that the One he is about to speak of is Son of David; that is to say, He is the One appointed of God to administer the kingdom — bounty of heaven indeed.
Hence Peter says, “That same Jesus whom ye have crucified, God hath made both Lord and Christ”. Now, I wish you, dear friends, to particularly take account of the things spoken of in this remarkable address, so that you may be ready to receive what is being administered. Wonderful things are available for men at the present time, Christ having gone into heaven, and having been made there both Lord and Christ, He immediately receives of the Father “the promise of the Spirit” and shed Him forth.
Think of what there was for men and women in the shedding forth of the Holy Spirit? Now I want you who may not have thought of these things to note this. You may have heard the gospel and spoken of it, but it may not have come into your minds that the gospel is an announcement of wonderful blessing; it is an announcement of a positive ministration, and that that is going on. Nothing is more important in preaching than to make the position clear, as Peter does here. He makes the position clear that it is a time of ministration, and that the ministration is general, a general ministration of blessing. And the audience, those who heard his address, say, “Men, brethren, what shall we do?”
Now, I wonder if any soul here tonight has such an exercise. “When they heard this”, it says. What did they hear? That the Jesus who had been crucified had been made Lord and Christ, and that He, being by the right hand of God exalted, had received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, and had shed Him forth. The most marvellous announcement that had ever been made, and this wonderful gift shed forth by the great Administrator installed in heaven was actually possessed by men and women in the city of Jerusalem. They were there, and men from all the different countries of the earth heard them speak in their own tongues the great things of God. It was not ‘new wine’; it [p. 293] was the Spirit of God come down from heaven, and actually indwelling these men and women. So they rightly inquire what they shall do. Do you inquire that tonight? Are you at all concerned to come into this wonderful thing that is general? It is here; it is available.
The question is not what we have to do to effect our salvation; it is what they were to do in order to come into this, for there must be conditions in every divine proposal. It were truly out of keeping with God to make such a proposal without conditions. There must be conditions. So those who were pricked in their hearts discerned that there were conditions, and they inquired, and the answer comes immediately: “Repent, and be baptised everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”.
Now, I want you, if you are at all exercised about this wonderful thing, to look into it. Verse 37 reads, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men, brethren, what shall we do?” Notice that where there is light in the soul, that soul recognises the divine order. “They said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles”. They discerned that these men were there on behalf of God, and that they were thus qualified to give light. It is an immense thing to know where to get the light. They said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men, brethren, what shall we do?” Then said Peter unto them, “Repent, and be baptised everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”.
You see it is all administration here. You will pardon my constant use of that word, because I wish to convey the idea of it, that this chapter is a question of administration. Peter, having the keys, had authority to announce it, and those who were [p. 294] pricked in their hearts made inquiry from him and from the rest of the apostles. Now, do you make an inquiry here tonight? This wonderful thing is available. The time of this administration remains; it has not expired.
Do you inquire how to get into this wonderful thing that is being administered? First repent. God has granted a door of repentance; He has opened the door of repentance. That is one great principle in the proclamation; for how are men to come into it unless they are allowed to repent? You say, Allowed to repent? Yes. The time is fast approaching when you shall not be allowed to repent; when the door of repentance shall be shut, and you may cry, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us’, and there will be no opening; the door will be fast closed, and He from within shall say, “Depart from me, I never knew you”. Luke 13:27.
Now God grants to you the right to approach Him with repentance. Then the next thing is to be baptised. With that comes the wonderful thing called here, “the remission of sins”. Remission of sins is being administered now. I hope you understand. I am endeavouring to speak as plainly as possible. If there is one here tonight under exercise, it is a question of administration, the things are being administered. Baptism is for remission of sins; and then he says, “You shall receive the gift of the Spirit”. This is the most wonderful gift that heaven affords, and that is saying a great deal.
The gift of God’s Son is for us. God gave His only begotten Son for us, to die for us, and He gives the Spirit to us. I never feel tired of emphasising the great gift that is proposed administratively — the gift of the Spirit. He is here; He is shed forth once for all. There are not two pourings out of the Spirit. The Spirit of God was poured out once for all, and He remains here, but He is here as an [p. 295] administrative blessing, and is available on the conditions indicated in this chapter. These days are never repeated. God never repeats Himself. We have the great principle of administration set down in this chapter, and it stands.
It says, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptised”. You see that means that they availed themselves of the proposal; as was said to Saul later, “Arise, and be baptised, and wash away thy sins”, Acts 22:16. The whole of the past is wiped out from the eye of God. Think of that! However black your past may have been, it is all wiped out at a stroke as you accept baptism; and so they were baptised, it says. I especially want young ones here to notice how that, in believing the gospel and coming into the benefits of it, they were subject. It says, They “were baptised: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers”.
Many speak of being converted, but this feature is lacking. I speak particularly to the young ones. I inquire often, ‘Are you breaking bread, are you in fellowship?’ And the answer comes, ‘No’. I ask, ‘Why not?’ May I give you the reason? The reason is that there is not subjection. It says here that they continued stedfastly, not in the doctrine of the twelve, but the apostles’ doctrine. The doctrine of the twelve would be simply that of those who administered the bounty, but when you get the word ‘apostle’ you have authority. “They continued in the apostles’ doctrine”. The emphasis here is on the word ‘apostles’. It was their doctrine; and who are they? They were the direct representatives of the authority of Christ. So that normally a young one believing the gospel is subject, and he is subject to the teaching. How many of the young ones read [p. 296] the Bible regularly and prayerfully and subjectively; read it as something that represents the authority of God to their souls? When you learn to read it in this light these things become real to you.
The apostles’ doctrine precedes fellowship; this is the next thing. Why are you not in fellowship? If you continue in the apostles’ doctrine you will be in fellowship. You see that you cannot go on with this world. The apostles’ doctrine exposes the world, and you see that you must leave the world and commit yourself to the fellowship of the apostles. It is “their” fellowship too. Fellowship involves authority. Then the last thing is ‘prayer’. You see how the believers of that day came into the things of God; how they stood out in correspondence with the vessels through whom the light came to them. That is the principle with God — that you correspond with the vessel or vessels through whom the light comes.
Well now, going on to Philip, what I wanted to show is that he preached “the Christ”. The One who has administered all this, having died to secure it for us, has actually become our Servant; for although the Christ is anointed, He is the One who undertakes to care for me and do all for me. He ministers to me every day, He cares for me, He watches over me, He is the Shepherd and Bishop of my soul. It may be there are those here tonight who have come in for what is administrative; but who know little about Christ. You want to know “the Christ” — Him whom God has anointed. He is to effect everything for God; He effects everything for you. He undertakes for us, from the very outset of our conversion. He ministers to us right through, He does everything for us.
It may be there are many of the Lord’s people here who need this word. You come in for the administration — wonderful indeed! and you are in [p. 297] fellowship — thank God; but do you know the Christ? Philip went down to Samaria and preached the Christ. Not only did he preach the Christ, but he, as His representative, did things before their eyes. Peter did not accomplish any miracles here (chapter 2), but in chapter 8, verse 6, it says, “And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them; and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed”.
I believe there are many of the Lord’s people who have come in for what is administered, who know little or nothing about these details of service. He is serving every believer. Where one is possessed of a demon the demon goes out. Is there any malady you are suffering from in detail? take it to the Lord. It is part of the gospel that He should be announced as the Christ; take it to Him. He is anointed to do everything. The woman of Samaria (this same country) said to the men, “Come, see a man that told me all things that ever I did, is not this the Christ?” John 4:29. How well she discerned: ‘Here is a man who can probe into my very soul; He can dissect every part, and expose everything before my eyes’. Who could do that but the Christ? No one. Who can cast out a demon? The Christ. Who can heal a lame man? The Christ. Who can raise the palsied man? The Christ. He can do it, and is doing it, and is ready to do it for you.
So tonight I preach the Christ. I want every Christian here to understand what it is to believe on the Christ. “He (Philip) preached the Christ unto them”, and showed before their eyes what He could do. Was it Philip doing it? It was Christ doing it. Paul said, “What the Christ wrought by me”. Philip showed before their eyes what the [p. 298] Christ could do, and they believed on Him. Do you believe on the Christ? If you took Him as your own, as the One who serves and cares for you, you would be relieved of many a sorrow, many a burden. There is nothing He will not do for you.
Well now, going on a little, you will see there was great joy in that city. Mark, it is in the city. And well there might have been. If one came into this city of Nelson literally who could do all this, what joy there would be in it! And so in Samaria, “there was great joy in that city”. You will understand I am not speaking of physical ailments now. It is not a time to be occupied with these; the gospel is for the soul. I do not deny but that there is a ministration of angels, even for the body, but the gospel is for the soul, and Christ will be everything for you — everything that your soul needs.
Then Philip goes on, and he speaks about Jesus. Jesus is the most delightful Man that ever trod the earth. It is a question now of the Man. I have got the Man. Philip began at the same scripture; what scripture? Isaiah 53. We know you young people admire heroes, men who do exploits; but I would direct every young believer here tonight to Isaiah 53 if you want to get the divine idea of a Man. Philip preached unto him from that scripture: “beginning from that scripture, announced the glad tidings of Jesus”.
Now I want to go on to Paul, the third great preacher — the greatest of the three; and his first preaching was that Jesus is the Son of God. Now, the “Son of God” is interested in me personally. You may not follow that, but I quote you Scripture. Paul says, He “loved me and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20; that is the Son of God. He does not say ‘He loves me’; he says, He “loved me”. Now, just put yourself in that position. When Jesus hung on the cross He loved you, but the Son of God could look [p. 299] on and take account of every one of us and love us. It is magnificent as it comes into my soul that the Son of God loved me. He “loved me, and gave himself for me”. Galatians 2:20. He loved me before He died, He loved me as He died, and He loves me since. Paul says, He “loved me and gave himself for me”. I suppose it was an anticipative love, for those whom the Lord loves are lovable.
That disciple whom Jesus loved was a lovable disciple, and I apprehend that the love of Christ specially selects those who are isolated because of their attachment to Him. Are you attached to Christ? He is worthy of your entire affection. Paul had surrendered all. Should everything go, I have Christ. “The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me”. Galatians 2:20. Is it not of interest to me that I should be lovable to Christ? It certainly is of interest to Him. I desire that I should be lovable. Sometimes we claim love, but we forget that if we claim love we should be lovable. Am I lovable? How can I claim the affection of my brethren unless I am lovable? It is not that they will not love you without being lovable; it is not that Christ will not love you without being lovable; but then if you claim love you must be lovable.
You find in the Song of Solomon the great principle of love worked out. In the earlier part of the book the feminine speaker has most to say. She has become lovable, as towards the end of the book the Bridegroom describes her in all her features. It is a poor thing to claim love unless I am lovable. But then I was going to say that being lovable in the eyes of the Lord Jesus is seen in this way — one is isolated because of Him. Is there anyone here isolated in his family because of Christ? Isolated in his business, isolated from his friends, because of Christ? You are peculiarly lovable to Christ. And so I cite the blind man in John 9 as a remarkable instance of it. “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; ... said to him. Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” At the time when He opened his eyes, He said nothing like that to him. He spat on the ground, made mud of the spittle, and sent him to “wash in the Pool of Siloam, (which is, by interpretation, Sent). He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing”, John 9:7. He gave an account to the Pharisees of the wonderful transaction, and upon his own statements they cast him out.
But I would speak to isolated souls here. The Lord admires you; He sees Himself reflected in you; you are very beautiful in His eyes; He loves you, and desires to enter into closer relations with you. He has got great things for you, for He is the Son of God. He wants you as His companion, and He says, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” The man that had been blind says, “Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?” And the Lord replied, “Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee”. And he says, “Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him”. John 9:35 - 38. There are two of them there. Think of being taken up in isolation by the Son of God! Two of you — the Son of God and yourself, as He said to Peter, “me and thee”. Matthew 7:27. Would you not like the Lord to say that to you? It is wonderful! The Son of God and yourself. The Son of God and myself! “Lord, I believe”, he says; “and he worshipped him”. It is a question of personal relations, as Paul says, He “loved me”. I think it is one of the most remarkable statements in Scripture. “And gave himself for me”. It was said of old, “Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated”. Romans 9:13. That was anticipative. It was not said in Genesis, it was said in Malachi. The Lord had Paul in His heart when He died.
It is a wonderful thought, and I urge every Christian here to understand it — what it is to be [p. 301] taken up by the Son of God. The gospel Paul preached in the synagogues was that Jesus is the Son of God. It was the very essence of his gospel ever afterwards, for he says in Galatians, “God ... was pleased to reveal his Son in me that I may announce him as glad tidings”. Galatians 1:16. The Son of God is announced. It involves His personal interest in me, that He may have me to love, and that I may love Him, that He may have me as His companion for ever.
Pages 302 - 368 — “Addresses delivered in South Africa”. June-July, 1925 (Volume 71).