THE RELATION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER TO PAUL'S MINISTRY
THE RELATION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER TO PAUL’S MINISTRY
In Acts 19 we see the effect of the heavenly side of the testimony on the world. Chapter 20 furnishes another side of the truth, the relation of the Lord’s supper to Paul’s ministry. Chapter 19 presents the effect of the testimony outwardly; chapter 20 is more the inner side; and we have evidences of love. It begins with the embrace of the apostle and ends with the saints embracing him; so that it obviously presents the effect of the divine nature in the saints.
In chapter 19 we see the effect of the testimony in a public way, in chapter 20 we see the circle of the saints who are affected by this testimony, therefore we see the activity of love. Love is saintward here; it is a proof that there was love towards Christ; love one to another is evidence of love to Christ.
The apostle’s embrace is suggestive of the love of Christ, and their embracing him, in falling on his neck, showed how much they loved the Lord. If we see these features here we can understand the Lord’s remark to the assembly at Ephesus: “thou hast left thy first love” Revelation 2:4; although this did not all happen at Ephesus.
“First love” is love in its supreme character as the divine nature fully developed in the assembly. We see this love expressed to a man who laboured among them for three years; going in and out among them day and night in public and in their houses faithfully testifying of the truth and exhorting them; they fell on his neck and embraced him; it shows how they valued him. This chapter shows how fitting [p. 226] it was that the epistle should be written to the Ephesians. But, alas! they left “first love”.
The letter itself shows that the reception of the heavenly testimony was accompanied by love.
“First love” is not simply what a young believer has when first converted, but the love proper to the assembly, fully matured from an apprehension of Christ. It may be that it has not been thought of in this light, but we should think of it as fully developed from matured apprehension of Christ.
It is obvious that the assembly in Philadelphia had love like it in character; “first love” is marital. It is like that spoken of in Jeremiah 2: 2, “I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown”. It is love developed in a known relationship. The love of the assembly for Christ is a love developed in the knowledge of union.
This chapter shows that it existed. They had Paul among them for three years; he was faithful, he exhorted and testified, and so did not spare them; then he left them, hence there was full time for maturity; at the end of the period they fall on his neck. It was genuine love for the vessel of Christ’s authority which was equivalent to love for Christ.
I think that it is at the Lord’s supper that we develop the love peculiar to the assembly. No one is in the good of assembly affections until he is in the light of what the Supper signifies. The Lord is presented to the assembly there according to the full testimony of His love for her. I do not think that Christians in human organisations have assembly affections. “First love” is assembly love. There is no recovery to that, it is never intimated that the assembly is brought back to it. Individuals, no doubt, have come to it.
To the assembly at Philadelphia, the Lord says,
“[p. 227] I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name”, Revelation 3:8. The thing itself was there in Philadelphia; there were those there who had kept the word of His patience, but the Lord does not speak of her love for Him, but of His love for her.
The work of God in us is commensurate with the light presented to us, and quickening is parallel to the light presented in the Supper. What Christ is to the assembly is presented there and God works in the saints in relation to that. God said to Israel, “I have borne you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself”, Exodus 19:4. Then the covenant comes in and as a result of the marriage bond He gets their affections. The knowledge of relationship develops love. Love is in keeping with the relationship in which we are set. There are no affections according to God until these are known. Affections proper to the bond are then developed.
There can be no doubt that Paul, in going from place to place, introduced the Supper as an integral part of his ministry; “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you”, 1 Corinthians 11:23. We are not told when, but that the Lord had given it to him. One gets the impression that the Supper was set in place in every assembly he was connected with. In connection with this there would be in each locality the formation of the love which is peculiar to the assembly. This is not developed till the truth of union is known in some sense. This is of the utmost importance to young Christians. It is in the apprehension of the import of the Lord’s supper that the love proper to the assembly is found. The revival of the Lord’s return and the Supper produce reciprocal affections. It is most significant that the two were revived at the same time. The breaking of bread was on mutual lines. The true reading of verse 7 is,
“We being assembled to break bread”. But what they came to do was held in abeyance until Paul finished his discourse. They did not break bread till he had spoken to them. “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight”. Why should there be a discourse before the breaking of bread?
It is clear that it has a prophetical bearing; that is, it is prophetical of the assembly’s history. The resumption of the breaking of bread was mutual, but they had to come under the light or influence of Paul’s ministry. That is what the assembly had to be awakened to. Eutychus went to sleep and fell, but Paul’s embrace restored him. This has come to pass in the last one hundred years. It is remarkable the voluminous character of the ministry that has developed during that time. It has been largely to call attention to Paul’s doctrine and, if it is not attended to, there will be disaster.
This was a trying ordeal to the flesh, as Paul continued his speech until midnight. Why has there been all this writing and ministry? It is an evidence of the love of Christ waiting on the saints; that they may have right thoughts, and then the Supper comes in. The passage should be considered prophetically rather than light for the saints when assembled.
Through the past, long period what is vital has become encrusted with what is false and erroneous. Every bit of recovered truth has had to find a place by displacing something else. The truth had to fight a way; work its way even in such simple things as the form of the breaking of bread. Even with those governed in the main by the truth there has been considerable neglect as to the order that should mark the Lord’s supper. As to this the apostle said to the Corinthians, “I praise you not”, 1 Corinthians 11:17. This order is greatly disregarded among the sects, and Rome has turned it into idolatry.
Eutychus refers to world-borderers. While Paul was speaking Eutychus was in the window-opening, “And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead”. He was sitting in a dangerous place. It hardly suggests that he was assembled. He was only one of the number present. There was nothing very gross; not like what we find in Thyatira; and there was life in him. It indicates what saints have suffered from since the revival; persons who had a link with the testimony but sat in the window-opening.
About the “window-opening” and the young man, which have been before us; would you say it referred to the assembly period of the dark ages?
It says in verse 7, “We being assembled to break bread”. They were not all asleep; it is a prophetic reference to the last days. If we get verse 7 in our souls we should soon be ready to break bread. We get Paul’s ministry going on till midnight, which is where we are now; meantime we maintain Paul’s ministry. It says, “We being assembled to break bread”. Paul did not convene them; neither did they come to hear him. It was a mutual state of things there. Paul comes in with his discourse and the length of it became a test. The “Collected Writings” correspond somewhat.
Is the danger of the world coming in and world-bordering seen in the falling down?
It was a window, suggesting that you can get a look in and a look out; you can also fall asleep.
[p. 230] What qualifications should we look for in young people in regard to the Supper?
Love for Christ, evidenced by love for the saints. We should look for the same thing we look for in old people in relation to the Supper.
Can I intelligently partake of the Supper apart from relationship to Christ?
The Lord said, “This is my body, which is for you”, 1 Corinthians 11:24. It is for the assembly. One cannot partake of it individually; it is partaken of when the saints are gathered “in assembly”, as we see in 1 Corinthians 11: 18 - 22. It is His own body, and so it is a testimony to His great love for the assembly; and in the Supper we respond to that love. We being many are one body: the truth of the assembly is brought in to correspond.
Does this show the saints restored to “first love”?
There is no evidence that the assembly is restored to its “first love”. “First love” supposes the result of the operation of the Holy Spirit in the assembly at the outset. The Song of Solomon corresponds in the Old Testament. It is a prophetic composition of the Lord celebrating the triumph of His love. If applied to the assembly we can see how He thought of a full response. This was seen at Ephesus, but not afterwards. What existed at Ephesus corresponds to the “virtuous woman” in Proverbs. The Lord’s word to Philadelphia says nothing of her love, but “I have loved thee” Revelation 3:9; there is no change with Him, whatever there may be with us. The address to the assembly at Ephesus in Revelation 2 indicates that the saints there had been wholly responsive to the Lord, but they were so no longer, nor was there recovery.
Why do we so often take up the Supper?
It is because the Lord would have it in its right place; it is but little understood even now. In a way it is sacramental as well as eucharistic. There is a committal in it. “This is my body”, is an avowal of His love; He committed Himself in that way. On our side, no one can partake of it for you, but someone else may baptise you; so in the Supper there is an avowal of your love for Christ. Then on the other hand, in partaking of it we ought to hold ourselves in relation to our brethren; it is a mutual thing. “Committal” involves that you must be consistent with the attitude or position you have taken up. Paul’s doctrine and discourse would be heavenly light on the Supper scene.
What are the “many lights” in verse 8?
It would suggest an intensity of light; only emitted through many persons.
What is spoken of in verse 6, “Where we spent seven days”?
Our period of time is made up of weeks, each Lord’s day begins the week; the Lord would make Himself known on each occasion. The reciprocal expressions of affection in Canticles greatly help in assembly affections. Having these affections we love Christ in relation to the brethren, that is, we recognise the body. To love individually is not the same thing. It is love in relation to the saints. We take up assembly ground in the Supper in regard to the locality. It is the only ground we can eat it on.
We break bread in relation to our brethren; before a company break bread love for each other would be in evidence.
The Ephesians had love to all saints; the Supper is on that ground. It was partaken of in a large upper room furnished; it was spacious. There may be only ten or fifteen there yet they embrace all in their minds and hearts. Personally, I get help in bringing into my circle of thoughts and affections those that are not with us. It suggests there are vacant chairs.
The setting of the Supper is the assembly; it is the setting in which the Supper is given to us. Paul’s [p. 232] discourse here is like the first letter to the Corinthians; it no doubt, regulated those present as to the Supper; Paul’s doctrine comes first, The first ten chapters of Corinthians were to adjust the saints in their outward relations, but chapter 11: 17, and onward, treats of more private relations; so we have the Supper, which involves the love of Christ for the assembly, and assembly functions follow.
Is there not a response at the end when “the Spirit and the bride say, Come” Revelation 22:17?
This shows that the Holy Spirit has brought about a collective response to the Lord’s affection. What is developed in Philadelphia is not lost again, but continues; so “the Spirit and the bride say, Come”. What the Lord promises to the overcomer in Philadelphia shows that Paul’s doctrine had been recovered and held. They refer largely to the assembly. There is love now as true as found in those at Ephesus, but there is not the same love collectively. Jeremiah records the love of Israel in the wilderness; “Israel was holiness unto the Lord”, Jeremiah 2:3. There was nothing like that afterwards.
Bearing this out, the circle affected by the heavenly testimony is marked by the embrace of love. Paul was solicitous for the assembly at Ephesus, so he sent for the elders and reminded them that he had declared unto them the whole counsel of God, and that they should see his face no more; and that they were to take heed to themselves and to all the flock. They were to go along these lines; he was concerned that they should be maintained in the full light of his ministry. He had not shunned to declare unto them all the counsel of God.
We see the influence of love. Eutychus fell three stories. Paul descended and enfolded him in his arms, this shows how recovery is effected. It is not only the miracle but the embrace. It is love that never fails. We were remarking that he was a young [p. 233] man. Notice, it says he fell from the third story and was taken up dead. Paul descending fell upon him, a different kind of a fall; and, enfolding him in his arms said, “Be not troubled, for his life is in him ... and they brought away the boy alive”.
We see the importance of the presence of love. It is a true apprehension of the Supper that brings that about. The presence of love is the preservative; I am speaking of the young and those bordering on the world.
One is struck with the way the Supper is constantly before the saints now. In days gone by it was Romans 7 and 8 that was in the forefront. The Lord is, no doubt, preparing us for the end.
This Scripture has been regarded as of value to Christians as setting forth a precedent; the disciples came together on the first day of the week to break bread. They did not break bread till midnight, and Paul spoke at great length. This is not our habit. Why do we take only one part as a precedent and not the other?
This Scripture is important rather prophetically. We must go elsewhere for light as to order at the Supper. What is to be learnt here is more prophetical. The breaking of bread is to be in the light of Paul’s ministry; and resuscitation is through Paul, and now in the spirit that marked him. There was life-giving power. They took the boy away alive.
We can compare this midnight with the cry of the virgins, “Behold, the bridegroom” Matthew 25:6; then there was exercise and preparation. This is coincident with the work of the Spirit in announcing the coming of Christ. Paul was ready to depart on the morrow: this is the testimony in these days. Here we have no continuing city; no thought of establishing a system in this world. Having gone up, and having broken the bread, he went away. That was the end of it. The Supper is just for the moment; the Lord’s [p. 234] coming is contemplated, and immediately following the Supper is a testimony to His death and “till he come”, 1 Corinthians 11:26 so one is ready to depart; one makes no calculations for the future; a very exercising matter. The Supper supports us in the wilderness. Paul’s departure may be connected with the coming of the Lord.