CONDITIONS WHICH ENHANCE THE GOSPEL SERVICE

^[p. 226] CONDITIONS WHICH ENHANCE THE GOSPEL SERVICE

Ephesians 6:15; Luke 24:33 - 53

JT I have been noticing lately how the gospel of Luke would furnish conditions to enhance the service of the gospel, and it occurred to me that it would be profitable to consider a little those conditions so that the gospel might go out from us more effectively, and I thought this section would serve to indicate the place this feature has in Luke. The word in Ephesians clearly puts it upon us to have our feet shod with the preparation of the glad tidings of peace, and the Lord in this gospel speaks about His feet. Indeed, we have in this very chapter the evidence of how far He would travel to get souls. But what occurred in the gathering as He came in plainly indicates that He had in mind that the gospel should be unhindered, that nothing should stand in its way, and that conditions among the saints should be suitable to it. In this gospel the Lord is seen at the outset as very attractive in preaching — His manner of reading and speaking, and His mouth; not only the words that He uttered but the manner in which He uttered them all tended to enhance the message, He being anointed.

FI Do you mean that going over in our souls the truth of what is set forth in Luke would enable us to have our feet shod as in Ephesians?

JT Yes; Ephesians puts it upon us formally to have our feet shod “with the preparation of the glad tidings of peace”; it is the preparation. Every believer cannot preach, because preaching is a question of gift or of being sent, but the feet of all of us should be shod “with the preparation of the glad tidings of peace”. Chapter 7 of this gospel shows how the woman in Simon’s house valued the Lord’s feet; she washed them and anointed ^[p. 227] them.

FI Is the idea of having the feet shod with this preparation that in our movements, as you are saying — not exactly in the preaching, but in our movements — impressions are left of grace?

JT Yes; the feet shod, so that even the footsteps would denote preparation. In Canticles one enquires about the Lord: “Tell me, thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest thy flock, where thou makest it to rest at noon; for why should I be as one veiled beside the flocks of thy companions? If thou know not, thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock” Song of songs 1:7,8. The “footsteps of the flock” have their own distinction. So that the footsteps of the brethren in any locality are to be traced; they have their own distinction so that others are guided by them. It is not, therefore, that one invites persons to hear the gospel or even to preach it, but that the footsteps, the preparation of the glad tidings of peace, are on the feet. That is what I was thinking.

FI Yes, I see your thought. That being so, it is very essential that we should be guided in relation to what is set forth in the movements of grace according to Luke’s gospel.

JT That is right. We are told, “The grace of God ... carries with it salvation”, Titus 2:11. It is the idea of the thing being carried, grace in the vessels, not only in the persons who speak. That would be like Luke 4, the manner of the Lord’s speaking made the message attractive; they “wondered at the words of grace which were coming out of his mouth” Luke 4:22. But then the woman in chapter 7 washed His feet and anointed them, as if they carried grace to her; she regarded them in that light.

Ques So the Lord showing His hands and His feet would suggest our following Him in ^[p. 228] that pathway?

JT I think that would help to indicate what the thought is in this passage. “He shewed them his hands and his feet”, and He had already traversed a good journey after two of them. The eleven and those that were gathered together were speaking about His resurrection; they were saying, “The Lord is indeed risen and has appeared to Simon”, which would mean that grace was inaugurated. It began by Him appearing to Simon, the one who had denied Him. Grace was the theme, at least, one of the features of the theme amongst them, that He had appeared unto Simon. Simon was the leading apostle and there would be no idea in that company that they were pharisaical, that any should stand off and say, I am better than thou. If any needy soul came in he would be made to feel that the leading man amongst them was a subject of grace. They were speaking about the Lord having appeared unto Simon and it would be well known that he had denied Him, and yet the Lord had appeared to him. That would be grace; and then the other two that had come back from Emmaus could speak about His journeying with them, and how even when they were moving in the wrong direction He made their hearts burn; He went with them in the wrong direction in order to get them to come back. So that what the Lord is in grace would permeate the whole scene in that gathering, whether it be in one who has openly denied Him, or in a christian who has turned his back on Him in going to his own home or in going into the country. Our local companies should be marked, it seems, with the spirit of grace.

Ques Mark tells us that when Jesus was risen from the dead, “He appeared first to Mary of Magdala, out of whom he had cast seven demons”, Mark 16:9. Is that the same thought?

JT Quite.

Ques The woman of Luke 7, do you ^[p. 229] think?

JT Very likely, only Luke makes it stronger in that the disciples themselves are speaking about these matters. The Holy Spirit records it in Mark, but here they are talking about it themselves. So that if anyone comes into our companies and hears us speaking about grace, and that the most distinguished one in the company had denied the Lord yet the Lord was gracious to him, he would say, There is every reason, then, why He should be gracious to me. The heart is set free and there is confidence.

Ques Do you think they were marvelling about the fact that the Lord had appeared to Simon?

JT Yes. Of course, there would be much more said than that.

HEF They had been witnesses of his breakdown.

JT That would be well known. If He had appeared to John it would not have been so noticeable, but that He should appear to one who was so sinful as to deny Him with oaths and curses!

HEF And your thought is that all these impressions should be in the local company, and that should accord with the same spirit that we see in Christ?

JT That is what I was thinking. Therefore, it is not simply that we invite preachers, but the point is to have our feet shod “with the preparation of the glad tidings of peace”.

FCD Would what you are saying be exemplified in the company at Thessalonica? “For the word of the Lord sounded out from you”, 1 Thessalonians 1:8. Would that be supported in what you are saying as to the feet shod “with the preparation of the glad tidings of peace”?

JT That is very good. “From you”.

FCD You are suggesting, are you not, that if the gospel is to be effective it depends largely on the state of the saints ^[p. 230] in the locality?

JT Yes; it is not merely the preaching, but in the “footsteps of the flock” Song of songs 1:8 you find the evidence of grace.

FH I do not think we shall get many outsiders to come to our meetings unless there is the adorning of “the doctrine of God our Saviour” in our lives Titus 2:10.

JT And that may be found, as it says, in slaves. Then there is the conversation amongst us as we see here; they were saying, “The Lord is indeed risen and has appeared to Simon”, then the two relate what had happened on the way, that is, as they were going to Emmaus. Well, if they were to say anything about themselves it would be that they were in unbelief on the way; they would have to say, Our backs were turned on Jerusalem, and in grace the Lord joined us and brought us back.

Rem They would be speaking of the wonderful grace that drew near to them.

JT Yes; it would be very interesting to hear just what they would say. The Holy Spirit relates it for us — what happened on the way. What an impression it would have on them that someone joined them suddenly as they were conversing about things in unbelief. They were downcast. Well, downcast people are no testimony to the gospel; they might say many things about grace, but anyone would say, What about you? It has not had much effect upon you. But if anyone met these two on the return journey, hastening back to Jerusalem after they had seen the Lord, then they would have something to say that would encourage. There would be joy in their countenances; they had seen the Lord; He had appeared to them in the breaking of bread, and people would have to say, Well, there is something in this.

DJ Do you think Luke continues Malachi? In getting together there are those who are said to have ^[p. 231] spoken often one to another. Malachi 3:16 And that is recorded many times in Luke’s gospel, is it not?

JT That is the idea; they are gathered here. It has the assembly in view, really, the eleven being there and those that were gathered together. You can understand that the eleven would have a distinctive place. They are called “the eleven” here, and yet of one of them it is said that the Lord appeared to him. What would Peter be saying? What would he be thinking about, sitting there, the brethren all saying that He had appeared to Simon? He could not but know that at the bottom of their hearts they were thinking that he had denied the Lord in spite of his apostleship. So the whole scene would be pervaded by the sense of grace, and any person coming into that meeting under the conviction of sin would say, This is the place for me, there is no pharisaical feeling here; they are all sinners like myself, and they have all been subjects of grace, so why not I?

AH So grace becoming effective in me puts me into the christian circle, and puts the brethren together so that they might go out in testimony?

JT Yes; they were gathered together and their conversation was about this great fact that “the Lord is indeed risen and has appeared to Simon”.

HEF Do you think they had learned of that appearing from Simon’s own lips? It would give them a remarkable sense of His grace.

JT I think Peter would convey a sense of grace when he told it. What exercise of soul he had gone through! The Lord had turned round and looked on him when the cock crew, and Peter went out and wept bitterly. It was in that state of soul that the Lord appeared to him as He rose from the dead, so that he would convey something of the grace of the Lord in telling ^[p. 232] it to others.

AH And is it that which gives him such boldness to go out and say to others that they had denied Him?

JT Very likely, but it is in the sense of grace. The preacher ought to be in the sense of grace above all others. Peter was when he preached at Jerusalem at Pentecost, but all this preceded that. The point here is the state that marked the company.

FH Are you putting forward this thought of our appreciation of grace as the first great preparation of the feet?

JT Yes, the sense of the grace of God which carries salvation for all men. Recently some of us have been noticing other features, such as the idea of the neighbour in chapter 10. That is another thing that enters into the “preparation of the glad tidings of peace”. “Who is my neighbour?” Luke 10:29 the man said to the Lord, but the Lord, instead of opening out who the neighbour was, pointed out one who acted like a neighbour. It is how I am to act as a neighbour. The Samaritan was a neighbour. That is another thing, that one has no religious pretension in the service of the gospel. It is one who is a Samaritan, that is, one who has no reputation at all in the eyes of religionists. He is the one that expresses the neighbour. All that enters into the local position, that is, how I am to be a neighbour to others, and for that I must have oil and wine and go to where the people are, where the need is. It is not enough to invite people to the preaching, but you go to where they are. That is how the neighbour is manifested. Then in chapter 14 another feature is in evidence. The Lord shows how we are to use our houses if we are to enhance the gospel, and how we are to conduct ourselves in our houses. I think in most gatherings it is assumed that one or perhaps two do all the entertaining and it is left to them, but then that is not ^[p. 233] the thought. If one has a house one has to think of the gospel and use it in that connection.

FH You are suggesting that this preparation should be found in the company generally and not in one or two individuals?

JT That is it; it is to be seen in the feet, in the footsteps. One is to show oneself a neighbour in possessing the means of help and in going to where the need is, and in chapter 14 one is to use one’s house in that connection, in the kind of way he invites the brethren.

FI There is no discrimination.

JT That is what the Lord says. We are not to invite our relatives or our rich neighbours with a view to recompense, but persons who cannot invite again and we shall have recompense in the resurrection of the just.

HEF So the preaching would be very greatly supported by the spirit of grace marking those who compose the meeting.

JT That is the thought. The assembly does not preach nor teach, but it is evangelical.

FCD You mean that the assembly is in that way the depositary of the glad tidings? The thing is there in the assembly, and the way it is put in the opening of the Acts is that the preaching was made known publicly and exhibited livingly in the company at Jerusalem.

JT That is how it stands. The Holy Spirit came in and sat upon each of the hundred and twenty, and they began to speak “as the Spirit gave to them to speak forth”, Acts 2:4 and they spoke about the “great things of God”. Well, that is an extension of what we have here — the “great things of God”. Then Peter stands up to preach and the preaching is most effective, but it is doubtful whether it would have been without the background of sympathy in ^[p. 234] the assembly.

FI Would it be right to say that the assembly becomes the depositary of the truth in a practical way as the result of formation in those who compose it?

JT That is right, so there is the idea of the candlestick from which the light shines. It is not preaching or teaching, but formation — the graces of the Spirit.

Rem One hears of very little effective preaching amongst us today.

JT We have to bear in mind, of course, that we are living in a day of small things, but I think the local conditions do not lend themselves much to the gospel.

Rem So you make a point of what we speak and how we speak when we are gathered.

JT Exactly; that is what is noted here.

Rem Our conversation should savour of this spirit of grace.

JT Exactly; instead of social or natural feelings, it should be apparent that we are speaking of things that indicate the gospel, so that people are not deterred but encouraged amongst us.

Rem So the contribution of those who went to Emmaus was very good.

JT Yes; “they related what had happened on the way”. If you were there with conviction of sin and were to ask them what happened on the way, they could tell you something that would encourage you.

AH What do you think is conveyed in the thought that the Lord would have gone further (verse 28)?

JT Just this same thing — the evangelical feet. He would go any length to get souls. He was not tired, so to speak. “He made as though he would go farther”. If they were going farther He certainly ^[p. 235] would go. It is a question of endurance in the service.

Ques What is suggested in the thought of abiding “in the city till ye be clothed with power from on high”? Is there something that would answer to that today?

JT There is, but I think before we come to that, we might see what they had there. It says, “But while they yet did not believe for joy, and were wondering, he said to them, Have ye anything here to eat? And they gave him part of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb”. That would mean that the local company has something in a spiritual way, something that even the Lord can participate in — the Saviour. There is a spot in the locality where the Saviour, although He can save my soul, can have part. That is another fine thing. There is very little idea abroad of a place here where the Lord can have part. People generally think of the Lord as in heaven, which is right, but there is a place here on earth where He can have part with His people. How it brings the Saviour near to souls!

FCD What do those two things suggest, “part of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb”?

JT I suppose the fish would refer to the sovereign provision of God. The fish is the first of the living creatures mentioned in Genesis 1. No one knows the number of fishes; the Lord alone knows. He knew where one fish was; He told Peter to take a hook and cast it in, and he caught one fish, and that one fish had a piece of money in its mouth. That would show how thoroughly He knew the fish and where they were. Then He also told Peter to let the net down into the deep, and then again to cast the net on the right side of the ship, as if He were thoroughly conversant as to the fish. So in this company they understood the divine wealth and sovereign provision, and having fish they broiled it. A gospel ^[p. 236] going out from this company would not mitigate sin and the awful consequences of sin and the judgment of God upon sinners. Broiling means the direct action of the fire. There are those nowadays who modify sin and the judgment of God, and talk about no eternal punishment and such things. They have no true idea of the judgment of God on sin. But the Lord Jesus was forsaken of God because of sin. That, I think, is what is meant by the broiling. What do you say?

FCD I fully go with that. Seeing those two things are specially referred to, it is necessary to have them in the company in order that the glad tidings might be effective in its announcement. That is, you have a sense of the sovereignty of God; you do not know exactly where He is going to move, but you are so under His hand that you move as directed of Him.

JT That is it, and then having a sense of His judgment on sin. The Lord Jesus was there; His hands and His feet denoted that He, had been into death. Why, then, should anyone modify the judgment of God; it was poured out unmitigatingly on Him, and why should the judgment of God be in any way lessened? So the effect is that people say, These people judge sin; the judgment of God is maintained there; they do not make light of sin. Nor will any convicted sinner want sin to be made light of; he is judging it himself, and so the judgment of God borne by Jesus is glad tidings to him, that the Lord Jesus “who knew not sin” was “made sin for us”. 2 Corinthians 5:21 Then the honey is a product without death; it is food without the necessity for death, so that it is something beyond death, something that we enjoy together in entire immunity from judgment. It is a great thing to get into a place where we have passed out of death into life, where there is no more judgment. That is the food that we eat. The Messiah ^[p. 237] was to eat butter and honey, both of which are food without death, but it would mean there is a realm beyond death where we can eat.

Ques Would the presence of those two things indicate an intelligent apprehension of the hands and the feet?

JT I think so. I think the judgment of God on sin in the vicarious suffering of Christ is accepted as food, but then there is a food beyond that. Our eternal portion will not be to feed on death, or what has gone through death, but on what has never entered into death. I mean, there is a realm where the judgment of God relieves us from that and we may enter into it and enjoy life — enjoy that which never had to enter into death.

AH Are you suggesting that the appropriation of those two things is of real help to us as our feet are shod with the “preparation of the glad tidings of peace”?

JT Yes; the broiled fish is food denoting death, but the honey is a product of mutual relations. Bees work together.

FI Are they not presented here as what was for the Lord Himself? He took it and ate it.

JT Yes; I think the broiled fish would mean Himself, what had entered into death, but the honey would be their own product; it is the work of the Spirit amongst us.

FI That which would enable the soul to enter into an appreciation of Christ?

JT Yes, you have an appreciation of Christ as having gone into death. The broiling would mean that the judgment against sin was known in its full bearing in that company.

FI I was wondering, in that way, whether our lack of success in regard of the presentation of glad tidings is because we have not been able to bring to ^[p. 238] divine Persons Their portion first. Is it not a question of ascending and descending?

JT Just so; for the Lord has part in it. It is our acceptance of the full bearing of judgment against sin. He accepts that too. It is a question of our apprehension of the thing, and the honey is more our product. The fish came from the sea; we have never produced that; that is not a mutual production; it is a sovereign production, but the honey is mutual, what is worked out amongst the brethren by the Spirit, and the Lord loves that.

AH Are you thinking that the fact of their giving Him part shows that the saints had appropriated it already?

JT Yes; the Lord shares what they have. There is a company in the locality with which the Lord shares what they have.

Rem It says that He ate it before them.

JT That would be to encourage their hearts; they were perturbed.

DJ As to the broiling, would Psalm 22 give one an indication of the inward feelings of the Lord Jesus? Verse 15 finishes with, “Thou hast brought me into the dust of death”. Psalm 22:15. He takes it from God.

JT It is God’s direct action. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Psalm 22:1. There is the indirect action of the fire which would be boiling, but this is broiling, an important matter as to the gospel, that there is a thorough acceptance of the judgment of God on sin; nevertheless the leading man himself was the most recent sinner and the Lord appeared to him, so that there is grace in abundance.

HEF Do you mean that the company’s having the broiled fish would involve that they were in keeping with what had taken place in Christ?

JT Yes; it is appropriated by the company. There is no mitigation of the divine judgment on sin. The ^[p. 239] convicted sinner does not wish it. He is convicted and he is judging sin, and the testimony brought to his conscience is that God has dealt with it effectively in the death of Jesus, so that there is forgiveness. And therefore the Lord goes on to say here, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you, that all that is written concerning me in the law of Moses and prophets and psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their understanding to understand the scriptures, and said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved the Christ to suffer, and to rise from among the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations beginning at Jerusalem”. That is the gospel. It behoved the Christ to suffer, which is in keeping with the broiled fish.

Ques Would it be right to say that if we understood better and were to ponder the Lord Jesus as the One who knew no sin yet was made sin, it would make way for the Holy Spirit to bring about these conditions of mutuality you are speaking of?

JT Just so. Mutual feeling without the sense of the broiled fish is apt to be leavened and nauseous. The direct action of the fire saves us from corruption and the mutual feeling is pure. We love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption.

DJ It is very encouraging in connection with what you are saying to see how the apostle Paul calls himself the chief of sinners. He had an impression of mercy, and then he got impressions too from Peter. I think you have called attention elsewhere to the fact that He first appeared to Cephas, and Cephas must have told the apostle. Both men, as you say, were great sinners, one calling himself the chief of sinners.

JT Yes; it is very remarkable that those two men, Peter and Paul, should have had such an ^[p. 240] experience in sin, the one calling himself the chief of sinners, and I suppose if anyone had challenged Peter in that company, he would have said that he was the most undeserving of the grace shown to him.

FCD He had evidently “tasted that the Lord is gracious”. 1 Peter 2:3.

JT Yes; he spoke of it himself afterwards.

HEF Referring to the remark that the Lord partook of the broiled fish and the honeycomb, do you think it carries the thought that in going out in the gospel we should have before us, not only the relief of men, but that there should be something for Christ?

JT I think if you went out from this company that is what you would have in your mind, that if you got souls they would be for Christ.

HEF So that though there was not much outwardly, yet there would be something that Christ could partake of.

AH Would you say a word as to Moses and the prophets and the psalms in relation to the glad tidings of peace?

JT “All that is written concerning me in the law of Moses and prophets and psalms must be fulfilled” (verse 44). That would show that the Old Testament as a whole had borne witness to Christ and incidentally warrants our use of the Old Testament in our gospel ministry, because Moses and the prophets and the psalms spoke of Him in that relation.

SP Could you help us as to the distinction between the way in which the Lord speaks here and to the two on the way to Emmaus? It says that He spoke to them “from Moses and from all the prophets”, but here He includes the psalms. Have you any thought why the psalms are left out in the earlier ^[p. 241] case?

JT I do not think it is necessary to bring in the psalms when we are seeking to restore a person. The journey to Emmaus was restorative, but when you come to the testimony of the Scriptures as to Christ, then you bring in all, and the psalms would be experiences which would be proper in the assembly. If you take Peter himself, the leading man there, he had his psalm by that time. He would be able to understand David’s remarks in Psalm 51, how they would apply to him.

SP I was wondering whether the psalms do not suggest inward feelings.

JT They do; they are the experiences of the people of God, and that company was composed of people who had similar experiences. The two on the way to Emmaus had their backs on Jerusalem, and what is said is, “Having begun from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself”. It was a question of getting them interested in Himself, whether He could gain an entrance into their hearts. Their hearts were burning, but not yet opened like Lydia’s heart. It is one thing to have a burning heart and another thing to have an opened heart. Lydia’s heart was opened of the Lord to attend to the things spoken. If I attend to the things spoken I will do something, for Lydia opened her house. But they never changed their course; they went on though their hearts burned. So when He entered into the house and broke the bread, He was made known to them; their hearts were touched and they moved back again.

FH Was He presenting to them in this case the eating together, the grace of His death to meet all their need, but in the other case His death to enter into His glory, to convince them who He really was?

JT Yes; when “he opened their understanding to understand the scriptures, and said to them, Thus it is written”,

^[p. 242] they would look on things very differently from those on the journey to Emmaus. With your understanding opened there is food for your understanding in what He says.

DJ Is “beginning at Jerusalem” in keeping with the grace that met Peter?

JT Exactly; that is the thought in it. “Beginning at Jerusalem” would mean that the greatest sin had been perpetrated there, sin against God and against Christ, and yet the gospel begins there. That is another thing for us, the magnitude of grace, and then that they are to stay there until they are “clothed with power from on high”, which I think is in keeping with Luke. He does not say that you must go to Galilee to get your message or to meet the Lord. The Spirit comes down; the promise of the Father comes down; I do not have to do anything, I just sit and wait for that. That is to say, it is a question now of preaching, but with all this preparation the preaching is not to begin until the Holy Spirit comes in from on high. The preaching is by the power of the Spirit sent from heaven; it is the Holy Spirit come down. So that in preaching one ought to consider Matthew. Matthew says that the Lord will meet us in Galilee. I have to go there, and that means a good journey; that is to say, it means energy. If I am to get my message I have to go for it. That is what transpires before the preaching, but then as soon as you begin to preach you are not taking a journey; it is the Holy Spirit coming in; you expect Him to do that. It is the power coming in of itself. That is what we experience in our gospel testimony.

Ques Would it be right to say that where the heart is opened the house will become available to all that stands in relation to the glad tidings? I was also thinking of the Lord’s remarks in Luke 10 where He sends out the seventy, two by two, and ^[p. 243] they are instructed to enter into a house, and if a son of peace be there they are to remain.

JT Quite; a son of peace would open his house to them.

DJ Can you give us a word on repentance? It seems that that is the first thing. Peter’s first message was, “Repent”. Acts 2:38.

JT That is another thing. Repentance is preached as well as forgiveness. It is the fulness of the thing here, I think, the preparation being made. “That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations beginning at Jerusalem”. It means that God is now opening the door of repentance; what marks this wonderful dispensation is that men can repent. There is “joy in heaven”, it says, “for one repenting sinner”, Luke 15:7 but the time will come when there will be no place for repentance as in Esau’s case. It is the magnitude of the day of grace, that the greatest sinner can repent.

DJ It is the first thing the apostle mentions to the Ephesian elders, “repentance towards God”, Acts 20:21.

FCD Is repentance the effect of the work of grace in the soul? You were quoting Acts, and those who listened to Peter say there, “Then indeed God has to the nations also granted repentance to life” Acts 11:18. It would appear to be the result of the work of God in the soul, and then forgiveness comes in consequent upon that.

JT Yes; repentance would be of no value unless I have forgiveness. Forgiveness is preached so that the repenting soul is forgiven.

FCD Repentance really is on God’s side in that sense, and forgiveness comes in in connection with the one who receives it.

JT The repenting sinner is forgiven. It is God’s attitude that men might repent, but without forgiveness repentance would be valueless.

DJ Job said, “I abhor myself” Job 42:6 and then he repented in dust and ashes. Repentance is not merely being sorry for what I have done.

JT I am coming to see that the thing is wrong, that I have been on a wrong course and my mind is changed about things; I am beginning to see that I have been wrong, but then, is God going to forgive me? If He is, it encourages me to judge myself, so that repentance is also preached.

Rem In Mark 1 the Lord Jesus preached repentance: “Repent and believe in the glad tidings”. Mark 1:15.

JT Yes; that is the first thing; He says, “The kingdom of God has drawn nigh; repent and believe in the glad tidings” Mark 1:15. That is the way it should read; that is, the whole thing.

FH Is it that a continued sense of the necessity of repentance in our souls and a continued appreciation of grace and forgiveness are also parts of the preparation?

JT Yes, a continued sense — a repenting sinner. So that if a person comes in as in 1 Corinthians 14 there is an atmosphere that helps him. There is the idea of repentance and of forgiveness and the sense of grace — the whole environment helps him.

FH So that the needy soul feels he is in an atmosphere that is helpful.

JT Yes; the preacher has great support and the sinner too.

FH One feels much greater liberty in preaching in some gatherings than in others.

JT I find it is always easier to preach when the saints are present than when they are not.

FH And when you are assured of the sympathies of the saints and love for the blessing of souls.

JT And then this enduing with power from on high would be the sense that the power comes into your soul in standing up to preach, because the being endued with power from on high would lead to the ^[p. 245] preaching, but for that we have to go to Matthew first and take the journey into Galilee which means reproach; it means a long journey too. But Luke does not ask you to do that; he tells you to stay in Jerusalem and the power will come in. It is the magnitude of the position, and that all is of God. Then another thing that comes out here is that He led them out as far as Bethany, that is to say, at the present time we are to understand the patience of God. Why does God continue this wonderful service with man’s wickedness mounting up, and his rebellion, apostasy and blasphemy all around? God still continues to have the gospel preached. That is another feature here; “He led them out as far as Bethany”, that is to say, He led them to a point which denoted that the gospel should be preached to the Jews first. Bethany alludes to the remnant. It is not Christ received by a cloud out of their sight here, but He is being carried up into heaven as blessing — another view — and it is from Bethany. That is, God is continuing to bear testimony to the Jews in spite of all this terrible opposition they have shown to Jesus. That is a feature that enters into the testimony of the gospel now, that we make it clear that God is very, very patient, but the time is ebbing out and His long-suffering will come to an end.

SP Will you say a word as to witness? “Ye are witnesses of these things”. Does it suggest a link with them in our spirits? I take it that this refers primarily to the apostles, but I wondered whether there was a link with the sufferings of Christ in the testimony of the gospel.

JT Witnessing has a double meaning. The meaning here is that you are cognisant by observation of the things of which you are speaking. You might be a witness of them but not bear testimony. In Acts 1 they were to bear testimony, but here it is that the persons who are to bear testimony are really ^[p. 246] qualified. That is another feature of the preaching; we are to “speak that which we know”, John 3:11.

SP It is not merely a question of an historical knowledge of things, but a sympathetic feeling with the preacher in connection with the sufferings of Christ.

JT That is the thought; you know what you are preaching about. It is not simply a matter of doctrine, but you are conversant with it.

AH As in John, “These things said Esaias because he saw his glory and spoke of him”, John 12:41?

JT That is how we should speak, because we have seen the thing.

HEF So this kind of spirit was to continue throughout the whole of the present period?

JT That is what I was thinking in suggesting this passage. It is a marvellous presentation of the dispensation.

FI And the product of the dispensation is men secured here praising and blessing God?

JT That is so, and they are in the temple, which is in keeping with Bethany. They are recognising the patience of God and they are praising and blessing God in that relation.

FI The presentation in the temple to the Jew would be the crowning feature, so to speak, of grace.

JT So instead of going to the upper room as in the Acts they go to the temple. It is the patience of God.

AH And all this learned practically would help us to touch souls without exciting prejudice or resentment. We often lose souls through that.

JT It would indeed. The apostles going into the temple would not arouse any opposition there, and would convey the idea that God was still waiting in patience on ^[p. 247] the Jews.

FCD It is the same thought in Peter and John going up to the temple to pray; Peter says to the impotent man, “Silver and gold I have not; but what I have, this give I to thee”. Acts 3:6. That is, they possessed the thing themselves. Is that the idea of a witness?

JT Quite.

DJ And does not the gospel close with material being secured for the house of God? There is that which does not only meet the sinner’s need, but which really gratifies the heart of God.

JT It is well to keep clearly in view that this chapter is a gospel picture, and then the adding of Bethany and Jerusalem is to impress upon us the idea of divine patience, that God is bearing with Jerusalem in spite of the crucifixion of Christ, and He is still bearing with christendom in spite of its apostasy, as in the days of Ahab God helped him against the Syrians though he was the wickedest man in Israel.

Ques You would say that God would have us to be in sympathy with His own thoughts in regard of all men in the gospel?

JT And especially His patience. The more you think of it the more wonderful it is that God should continue to have the gospel preached in christendom, because that is where there is the greatest wickedness.

DJ We know that the long-suffering of God is salvation.

JT We know that, and we should keep it in view in the preaching.

HEF Going back to what you are suggesting as the subject of our consideration, do you think it would be just to say that if those composing a local company had their feet shod with the preparation of the glad tidings of peace, and the gospel were preached there, the local company would give a ^[p. 248] suggestion of the character of peace the one receiving it would come into?

JT That is another important subject, and it raises the whole question of peace. I was thinking this morning of the remarkable place that peace has in the epistle to the Ephesians. That is the highest presentation of the truth in christianity, and you have “He is our peace” Ephesians 2:14. “That he might form the two in himself into one new man, making peace” Ephesians 2:15. “And, coming, he has preached the glad tidings of peace to you who were afar off, and the glad tidings of peace to those who were nigh” Ephesians 2:17; and then, as we have it here, “the preparation of the glad tidings of peace” Ephesians 6:15. The thought of peace is thus emphasised in the epistle that conveys the highest divine thoughts. It shows what the gospel is; it is the gospel of peace.