THE MYSTERY
[p. 252] THE MYSTERY
Proverbs 31:10 - 31; Romans 16: 25, 26; Ephesians 3: 1 - 11.
JT The book of Proverbs is divided into several sections, as most of us will have noticed. Each of the last two chapters stands by itself. The first nine chapters are spoken by “the son of David”. Then you have a series of chapters which are simply ; designated “The Proverbs of Solomon”; and then you have the proverbs of Solomon which were copied out “by the men of Hezekiah;” chapter 25. In chapter 30 you have the words of Agur; and then in chapter 31 the words of king Lemuel; this chapter introduces the “virtuous woman”.
FL “The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him”.
JT There can be no doubt that chapter 30 gives us the experience of an inspired, as we might say, observer as to the state of things in the creation.
There are six sets of fours, things or persons. Taken as a whole, I think it indicates the conditions that exist actually in the creation. I think four, as a numeral, might be taken to represent what is universal.
RSS Where do you get the six sets of fours?
JT In chapter 30, the writer of that chapter, Agur, calls attention to these things. In verse 11 we get, “There is a generation that curseth their father”; in verse 12, “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness”; in verse 13, “There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up”; in verse 14, “There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords”. Four kinds of generations are spoken of there, the four evil things; and then there are four insatiable things, things which are never satisfied, verses 15, 16;
[p. 253] and four inscrutable things, things that cannot be understood, verses 18, 19, four unbearable things, verses 21 - 23; four weak things, which express wisdom, verses 24, 25; and four stately things, verses 29 - 31.
RSS Is this a review of what there is in creation?
JT I think it is. I think the writer, by divinely given experience, knows these things as actually existing here, showing what a mixture there is in creation.
RSS What do you think is in view in introducing them?
JT The writer has not the explanation of things, but he suggests that they are there.
FL I take it that this chapter is very much in line with the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes is from the point of view of the man who had the best opportunity to observe and to prove things “under the sun”.
Rem It is fallen creation.
JT Yes, it is creation as it is.
FL I rather thought that in chapter 30, while it refers to creation, yet in the four weak things there is a testimony to God.
Rem You refer to the ants, conies, locusts, and spiders?
JT They may be taken, I think, to represent what is of God, weak, but possessed of wisdom and forethought.
FL What is said of them is that they are “exceeding wise”.
JT Then I think in chapter 31 the king and the virtuous woman being introduced together, and the latter especially enlarged upon, that we have indicated the assembly as formed of Christ. This morning the woman in chapter 14 was referred to, she builds her house. In this chapter she is seen in [p. 254] her proper relation to the man, the king, who is unquestionably an allusion to Christ. The woman comes in in her place as having taken character from Him; so that I thought it would form the connection between the line of thought in this book and the mystery spoken of in the New Testament.
RSS What do you think is the signification of chapter 31: 1, “the prophecy that his mother taught him”.
JT Undoubtedly king Lemuel refers to Solomon. One great feature of Solomon was that he was, as prophetically announced, a special child in the family: he was regarded in a special light by David and Bath-sheba, and hence the influence of the parents is especially mentioned.
RSS His other name was Jedidiah, meaning, “Beloved of the Lord”.
JT He must have had a peculiar place with Bath-sheba on account of the prophetic announcement in regard to him. She would take account of him in the light of the divine announcement, and her training and influence would be in that connection. We may say that the virtuous woman is the result of the gospel, the gospel provides her.
RSS Provides her for Christ, as Eve for Adam, and Rebekah for Isaac.
AFM Does the type of the “virtuous woman” contemplate the absence of Christ?
JT I think it does, because as her characteristics are outlined, she is the dominating influence in the house.
FL I think that is also indicated by the word, “her candle goeth not out by night”; it is the light, and the light is maintained.
JT And the fact of the husband being away, or absent, only brings her virtue more into evidence. The contrast as to that is in chapter 7, where the husband is also absent, and the woman there is [p. 255] wanting in virtue; she has none. I think the gospel is that which produces the virtuous woman, and so I am thankful that the passage in the end of Romans was suggested, because the unfolding of the gospel is to the individual; then the unfolding of the mystery is properly introduced. I take it that the epistle to the Romans lays the basis for Ephesians.
JS They are really connected, are they not?
FL The last three verses of Romans are the link with Ephesians.
JT I think so. The question then arises, Where does Colossians come in? I think the answer is, that Colossians is properly, a corrective epistle, and it contains the instruction as to how we get into the realisation of the mystery; that is, Colossians has our side, in view. Romans and Ephesians are the normal setting forth of the gospel and the assembly from the divine side.
RSS And they are constructive epistles. Colossians, as you were saying, is corrective. You were mentioning last evening that we do not get the conflict in Colossians; why is that?
JT Because the conflict has reference to the heavenly position of the assembly.
RSS In Colossians you are seen as risen with Christ. But of course that does not put you into heaven.
FL I should think at the present time when all the elements of the world have crept in among Christians that we must appreciate Colossians before we really enter into Ephesians.
JT The light given in Romans really prepares the believer for Ephesians.
HG Would you say that the thought given in Romans is suggestive of something further?
JT The apostle introduces the mystery as [p. 256] something to be inquired into, and you can understand the Christians in Rome inquiring, What does Paul mean in this?
FL And similarly in regard to the purpose of God in chapter 8, a person might inquire as to the fulness of it; and then in chapter 12 the one body; it might be said, what is the one body for?
JT The epistle to the Romans up to chapter 8 meets the individual believer, leading up to the divine purpose that he should be glorified; “whom he justified, them he also glorified” (the Colossian point of view is passed over); so that his soul is set in the full light of God’s purpose in regard to him. He takes care of you right up to the glory.
RSS What is the Colossian position?
JT That epistle was necessitated by declension among the saints. Christ had not His full place with them, and hence you find throughout the epistle the thought of Christ is enlarged upon, because what the saints there needed was that Christ should have the whole place in their affections. The mystery is said to be “Christ in you”; that is, that God’s wonderful thought in regard to the Gentiles was that His Son should actually be amongst them. That was a wonderful thing for the Gentiles, something that should arouse their affections for Christ; that was God’s hidden thought, that His Son should have a place in the midst of the Gentiles.
FL The “virtuous woman” corresponds somewhat with Rebekah, do you not think? She came to be a comfort to Isaac.
JT I think so. I think Paul’s ministry properly brings in the “virtuous woman”. His ministry in the gospel brings in a company formed of Jew and Gentile, a company that loves Christ. He says, “I have espoused you to one man”; that is to say, he had in the gospel presented one object before them.
AFM The “virtuous woman” is very [p. 257] active.
JT Because of the urgency of the moment; there is great need, and hence the activity. Her spirit should pervade every servant and indeed, every Christian.
AFM Do you mean in view of testimony to Christ?
JT Yes, and in view of the need of the household. It all hinges on her affection for her husband, because his honour is linked up with the house. The house is his. I think Paul in his ministry brought one Man before the saints; the point of that is, that he did not present two. He says, “I have espoused you to one man to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ”; and I believe if the “one man” obtains a place in the hearts of the saints, then all activity would take character from that. What is said of the virtuous woman describes the activity of the saints because of their love for Christ.
FL The lack of wisdom is seen in the foolish virgins. They went to meet the Bridegroom without oil in their vessels.
JB Would you not say that in Colossians Christ takes His place as the Head of the church; then we take our place in Ephesians?
JT It is because of what He is personally that He is Head in Colossians; whereas in Ephesians He is made Head; God has made Him to be. Head over all things to the church.
HP How is the “virtuous woman” produced by the gospel?
JT By the presentation of Christ a company is formed that love Him. The gospel carried with it the idea of virtue. Virtue means, I think, the ability to refuse what is evil and to adhere to what is good.
AFM If it is not anticipating, you have shown us what is the mystery in Colossians, will you tell us what it [p. 258] is in Ephesians 3?
JT In Ephesians 3 the full divine thought is in view; it is that which God has had in view in His operations in the creation. God had “created all things”, it is said. His wisdom is seen in the creation, but His all-various wisdom is seen in the assembly.
AFM There are three points suggested in it: a joint body, and joint-partakers of His promise in the glad tidings, and joint-heirs.
JP It is “by the glad tidings”, and that answers the question asked by our brother how the gospel produces the “virtuous woman”.
Ques What is the difference between joint heirs and joint partakers?
JT The thought lies in the word “joint”, that the Jew and Gentile are brought in together in a body wholly outside of God’s dealings upon earth.
JP And Israel had part in this with the nations by the gospel.
LTP That there should be a joint body had been hidden?
JT Yes; that the nations should be brought into it was wholly new. Now you have Wisdom; not only Wisdom’s house, but the whole scheme of divine wisdom, and that seen by the highest order of beings outside of men, Ephesians 3: 10.
JP It has taken form and finds its expression in the assembly, so that there is the testimony of it even now in regard to the heavenlies.
Ques Does the “virtuous woman” figure as the church in mystery?
JT She is, I think, the figure of the assembly in the absence of her husband; that is, of Christ, so that you have her character fully portrayed in the chapter we have read; and then, as you connect it with Ephesians, I think you see in it as regards testimony for God the whole scheme of His wisdom. The “manifold wisdom” is found in that company.
FL [p. 259] At the present time the assembly is under the eye of the principalities and the powers in the heavenlies.
JT The angelic beings were witnesses from the very outset; they were witnesses of every divine operation. We are told that the sons of God shouted for joy at the time that the foundations of the earth were laid; they did not see the end from the beginning. They did not see the whole scheme of divine wisdom, but they were intensely interested in what God was doing. We can understand how they followed all the divine operations and with what interest they contemplated Eden, and Adam placed there, and afterwards what came out in Israel. Then when Christ became Man there can be nothing more interesting than the pleasure manifested by the angelic host.
CA So it says in Timothy, “justified in the Spirit, seen of angels”.
JT As God proceeded in His operations there was the unfolding of His wisdom; and when Christ became Man the angels were in raptures of joy. There is nothing which sets forth their character so much as that passage in Luke: “A multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good pleasure in men”. They are wholly without envy.
JP And they seem to have intelligence and to be completely in sympathy with God. We have this wonderful place; that is, we are of those in whom God has good pleasure.
HG-TH You can say that is made known to the obedience of faith amongst all nations?
JT Yes; all the nations were to know. As the apostle says, “to enlighten all with the knowledge of what is the administration of the mystery”. It was God’s thought that all should understand it. Now redemption is accomplished the angelic hosts [p. 260] look down and see it. They see it in a company of sons. Redemption accomplished, the truth of son-ship becomes actual, and when you get a company of sons, there is sympathy, just as at the outset, when the sons of God shouted with joy; “all the sons of God”; they were all interested in what God was doing. The truth of sonship. Becomes effective consequent upon redemption, and I believe that the ministry of Paul is that which brings sonship fully to light.
In his gospel he announced the Son. I do not think you can understand the mystery apart from the truth of sonship.
JP Paul began by preaching that Jesus was the Son of God; sonship was the end.
FL He started his testimony by preaching that Jesus is the Son of God.
JT That basis being laid you have an unfolding of the divine wisdom, and it is not in connection with Jerusalem. The message of the twelve was in connection with Jerusalem; but when the Son of God is introduced a universal Head is introduced, and I believe it is of great importance to see that the truth of sonship of necessity underlies the unfolding of the manifold wisdom of God. In this chapter the apostle emphasises the fact that the Gentiles are joint partakers in it; but we must remember that the epistle to the Romans necessarily precedes this epistle as light. The epistle to the Romans shows us that we are God’s sons and Christ’s brethren; and it takes us on to heaven, because it says, “whom he justified, them he also glorified”.
JP And I think it so perfectly agrees with what was stated yesterday that Wisdom is the form which divine love has taken to accomplish its blessed purpose, and if that is a correct definition of Wisdom, then the wisdom of God can only be seen in a company that are not only in that love, but responsive to it, and that is [p. 261] the assembly.
AFM Enlarge a little upon God’s “all various wisdom”.
JT I think God can unfold it now in having a company who are wholly sympathetic with Him; they are wholly sympathetic as sons. I am not ignoring the fact that He is pointing out that the Gentiles are brought in, but Paul’s gospel underlies it; and his gospel really introduces the “virtuous woman”. The Gentiles having been enlightened by Paul’s gospel are suited to be joint partakers, a joint body and joint heirs. The body depends on sonship, and heirship depends on sonship; if you are a son you are an heir.
JP “If sons, then heirs”. “Because ye are sons God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts”; it is as sons that we have part in the divine system of things.
JT If in any company of Christians there is no spring of sympathy the conditions for the display of divine wisdom are wanting. The spring of sympathy depends on the saints being in the light of sonship. If there is a spring of sympathy among the saints God can work out His thoughts there.
CA It is a subjective state in souls, then?
JT Yes.
AFM When God was about to dwell with His people Israel He began His instructions with the ark, and He said, as it were, If I do not have My ark I shall not have My habitation, it all depended on the ark. And now in Christ and the assembly God has the means and way by which He will be glorified, and the means by which: all His counsels and purposes will be realised.
JT I think that is right. What He proposed to Pharaoh was, “Let my son go, that he may serve me”. Having Israel in the wilderness, God had . His son, but then where was the spring of sympathy? The history proved that sonship was not really there [p. 262] at all. But it was assumed in principle, for the material for the tabernacle was to come from the people. And the tabernacle was typically the unfolding of the divine scheme, and its construction was made to depend on the people. We see thus how essential the sympathy of the saints is to the unfolding of divine wisdom. I think it is in that connection the mystery stands. If you have not sonship as an underlying basis you have not working material, but God has this because He has brought in sonship.
JB So in speaking to Israel He had sonship in view.
FL The tabernacle was a primary thought and it depended on sonship; but neither Adam nor Israel answered to the truth of sonship. In Christ sonship is seen and now also in the assembly.
JT There is nothing more important than that the saints should see that the underlying basis is sonship. In John 8 the Lord introduces two thoughts: the first, that the truth sets free; we are set free by the truth; that is, the truth enables you to extricate yourself from what is external, from the complications without. The Jews said they were never in bondage to any one; the Lord says, “he that commits sin is the bondman of sin”. The second thought I allude to is that the Son abides in the house for ever. If the Son therefore sets free we are really free.
JP “The servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abides for ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”, John 8: 35.
JT The truth sets free in extricating your soul from what is without, and the Son gives you the consciousness of liberty in the house. The Son sets us “free in freedom”. I would like to enlarge a little on the thought of sonship, because it is impossible to [p. 263] get the mystery without sonship, especially at the present time, because people are mixed up so much in what is bondage. Christendom is in bondage. They have gone back to mount Sinai; they are in bondage in the desert. Christians as a rule prefer the idea of servant and master to that of a son. God’s thought is that the Son should control the house, whereas you find in every sect in Christendom the idea of sonship is dropped, and that of master and servant takes its place. How can you have the mystery in those connections? A clergyman or any person in official position over God’s people is a denial of sonship, because a clergyman is either in command of the flock or he is the servant of the flock, and both thoughts exclude sonship. It is a remarkable thing that people are so given to the idea of having one whom they can dismiss. You can dismiss a servant. If you pay him a salary surely he is your servant; a person who can be dismissed is not a son, and the influence of such a person cannot produce liberty; be he ever such a nice person, he is a servant at best, and his influence cannot be other than that which tends to bondage. Now God’s thought is that the Son is to be over the house. There is a very great difference between the influence of a son and of a servant who can be dismissed at any time.
JP I distinctly feel we are not touching now what is merely provisional.
JT Sonship is not provisional.
JP At the end of the chapter the assembly is the vessel of God’s glory.
JT The assembly viewed in connection with divine counsel is not provisional. Ephesians has eternity in view.
FL The best possible service does not secure a place in the house for ever. The Son abides ever. Solomon is a contrast to Moses in that way. Moses [p. 264] is never said to have been a son. He was “a ministering servant”; he was the lawgiver. Solomon is typically the son and he built the house.
Rem You spoke of the influence of a servant.
JT The influence of a servant tends to bondage, A servant abides not in the house; no matter how estimable he may be, he is liable to go at any moment.
Ques What is it to abide in the house?
JT You have to be a son before you know anything about it; the son’s place is there in contrast to the servant. And the son is wholly sympathetic with the father. Abraham could not in righteousness turn Sarah and Isaac out of the house, but he could turn Hagar and Ishmael out, because Hagar was a bond-servant. As Christendom has taken up the position of a bond-servant, God can righteously remove it and He will, but those in the place of sonship will never have to go out.
FL Viewed in connection with the kingdom we are the Lord’s servants, but that is provisional.
JT Certainly. I am glad you mentioned that, because one would not cast a slight on service, but true Christian service is based on sonship.
HP How is the spring of sympathy produced in our hearts?
JT It is by the knowledge that we are God’s sons.
CA You do not get the working out of God’s mind in the church without sonship.
JB Faith works by love.
JT There is a peculiar lustre in the movements of one who knows himself to be in the relationship of son; he acts not only because he is under obligation to God, but in sympathy with God.
PL Now a word about the mystery.
JT The apostle states here that it had been hidden. It had not been disclosed in the ages previously. God had it in His own mind at the [p. 265] outset, but now He has made it known. “By revelation the mystery has been made known to me ... which in other generations has not been made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the power of the Spirit, that they who are of the nations should be joint heirs, and a joint body, and joint partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus by the glad tidings”, Ephesians 3: 3 - 11. The mystery is according to God’s eternal purpose, but it has been made known to those whom God has taken into His confidence, whom the apostle here styles, “his holy apostles and prophets”. The thought was that a company should be formed out of Israel and the nations which should stand in such intimate relationship with Christ as its Head, that it should be His body here on earth. It is the product of Paul’s gospel, really, and so is formed in the light of sonship. The assembly is formed of those who are in the relationship of sons, otherwise it could not be the vessel of God’s glory, and that in which His all-various wisdom is set forth.
FL So that it is not a thing we regard as mysterious and unknowable, but on the contrary it is put before us that we may enter into it, having the full light of it in the sphere where the Holy Spirit operates; that is in the assembly.
HG-TH Does it suggest anything that when the present creation was brought in the sons of God should shout?
JT It suggests that sons are always in sympathy with God.
ARS Would you say that sonship is not a new testimony, but that the mystery is?
JT Yes.
CA It is only sons who can enter into the mystery.
JT It is remarkable that God’s creatorial work should be introduced here. It shows that the [p. 266] Spirit would connect the whole thread of divine wisdom with the assembly. The angels witnessed the creation, but wisdom was only seen partially there; now it is seen in its entirety in the assembly. It is marvellous that we should be brought into that in which the all-variousness of divine wisdom is displayed. The chapter closes with the assembly viewed as the vessel of God’s glory throughout the eternal ages.