THE ASSEMBLY AT CORINTH IN ITS INITIAL FEATURES (1)

^[p. 209] THE ASSEMBLY AT CORINTH IN ITS INITIAL FEATURES (1)

1 Corinthians 1: 26 - 31; 1 Corinthians 2: 1 - 16

It will be observed by most of us that this epistle opens as an address to the assembly of God at Corinth, hence all the teaching has reference to that position, and in reading this letter it is helpful to connect with it the initial work at Corinth, the apostle’s early circumstances and work there. It says in Acts 18: 2, he found “a certain Jew by name Aquila, of Pontus by race, just come from Italy, and Priscilla his wife”. I thought it well to call attention to that as it sheds light on the epistle. The Lord had the formation of the assembly in view, and the architect was known at the outset as a tent-maker, and lodged with Aquila and Priscilla, who were not Corinthians at all but Jews by race belonging to Pontus, who had been ordered to leave Rome.

So the three are in no way such as would be held in favour at Corinth. Their rank would be nothing beyond that of trades people and their trade of no special consequence to a town built up on architecture. It is as if God would begin in this unpretentious way where His assembly should be set up. It was the word that was exercising the apostle, and it was a question of teaching the word of God.

The thoughts of God should take form in the assembly. The simplest person in Corinth would have access to those three people. The question might arise, ‘How is God to work out His thoughts?’. In Exodus, which corresponds with this, His greatness is called attention to, the elders go up to the mountain to see the greatness of God before He requests the people to build Him a tabernacle. But He virtually says after that, ‘I am to come into very small circumstances ^[p. 210] in order that you may know Me and My thoughts’. To become poor deliberately requires very considerable greatness. Accessibility was the great feature of Luke. Even in Matthew the royal Child was available to those that were wise, but Luke particularly emphasises that. This Man receiveth sinners-that was the testimony (chapter 15: 2). Wherever any sought Him He was accessible. The action of the woman in Luke 7 would have been resented by an ordinary man; it would compromise his dignity. So here the fact that the assembly of God is in view emphasises what comes before us as marking the assembly. Coming into that assembly one would discover that God was there. He was setting up the assembly and what was necessary for that was the word of God, as the thoughts of God should be there. In the tabernacle the Lord Jesus expressed the thoughts of God. The tabernacle was anointed and Aaron with it without the necessity of death. The assembly is set up in these thoughts: “I speak as to intelligent persons”, 1 Corinthians 10: 15. Chapter 1 shows the kind of material. Chapter 2 brings out the hidden wisdom and the things the Corinthians had got involved the Lord of glory. What Paul taught has to be entered into by the Spirit. The tabernacle was made in parts. So now we have got what answers to that, and the word of God links it all together and it is called the assembly of God. Colossians goes further; it treats of the mystery in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Those epistles fit in in regard of what is spiritual, but the first thing is the word of God. So the tabernacle in the wilderness contained the divine thoughts but in order to understand them it required the spirit of wisdom and revelation. “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God”.

^[p. 211] But the first great thing is to apprehend the littleness of the material according to man, then to apprehend the word of God, then Colossians and Ephesians give the privileges involved. The assembly is the vessel of divine glory of the ages. It is God acting in Romans and Corinthians; these epistles have things in this world in view. Romans is adjustment for the individual, and Corinthians is that same individual set up with others in intelligence in the things of God. It is a collective view; God is seen in Romans in righteousness and love; in Corinthians in order. Romans provides the boards; Corinthians puts them in relation to each other. We are not well versed in the word of God. His thoughts are seen in figure in the material universe; you see the order God delights in. He is the God of order in all the assemblies. So the word of God as known in our souls regulates us. From Exodus 25 to 33 it is “Thou shalt make”, then from chapter 36 onward it is, “And he made”. This is what the apostle laboured for during those eighteen months; that much people must be secured. They are set up in dignity spiritually. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who has been made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption; that according as it is written, He that boasts, let him boast in the Lord”. The dignity they had was from God. We are set up of God in dignity for His building; nothing else is taken account of. This is the groundwork of all that follows; those things ennoble us for God’s system. “In Christ Jesus” is our status. Poverty does not qualify you for the tabernacle any more than riches. We are ennobled by being put into Christ. It is objective, what is in Christ Jesus, think of the range of things. Manhood is in Christ. Think of what that is, typically the cedars of Lebanon, the full thought of God in man, and not only so, but man anointed, “In Christ Jesus”. That is the anointed man, the greatness of that is what the ^[p. 212] Holy Spirit would present, that is the hidden wisdom that is referred to. The world has its wisdom; we would be regarded as quite unsophisticated if we had to do with religious and scientific societies, but has God no wisdom? Wisdom was by Him when He laid the foundations of the earth; so He says, You are to be wise. You begin with the thought that all divine wisdom is in Christ. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Abstractly every christian is wise. Wisdom is justified of all her children. God is saying virtually in verse 30, You must have these things, but you cannot get them yourself, so I will supply them, I will make Christ them to you. God has done this Himself.

In connection with chapter 2, the apostle says, “We speak wisdom among the perfect”, as much as to say, Even if we do not speak it to you, you must not think it does not exist. “We have the mind of Christ”, the apostle says, that is, the means of thinking as wisdom does. The mind here is the thinking faculty. Proverbs helps greatly in regard to wisdom, written as it is to sons, and by a son, showing that wisdom requires the family relationship for the full bearing of it: it is there it has fullest play. Wisdom was there when the foundations of the earth were laid, and rejoiced before God. Wisdom works out in the family. Solomon was his father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of his mother; then he speaks to sons. The primary thought of God is the family and it is not simply that love requires it, but wisdom is love’s handmaid and love has free play in the family. The relationship itself induces love so that in regard of revelation it says, “No one has seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him”, John 1: 18.

The assembly of God at Corinth refers to all that God is in the way of public manifestation. His wisdom and order are to be taken account of. The ^[p. 213] assembly is adorned by these things, hence the great necessity of spirituality and of understanding the epistles to the Colossians and to the Ephesians. The assembly is greater inwardly than outwardly. While Paul was there you could see expressed in him the divine thought. Inwardly the tabernacle contained things that were infinitely great but outwardly what was it?-badgers’ skins, rams’ skins and so on: all that met the eye referred to death. So here you get what corresponds: “I determined not to know any thing among you ...”. The apostle sustained that truth in his preaching; this is the bearing of what he would give out. It is knowing the truth of Colossians and Ephesians that enables you to take this up. A believer is set up here in what God has got, but what he is set up in is already sustained by spiritual power.

“We speak wisdom among the perfect”. What an incentive. Romans is the adjusting epistle and one who is adjusted is enabled to take his place in relation to the assembly of God.

Then the thought of the temple comes in. As saints recognise the temple of God how things are opened up to them! It is really in the light of Ephesians that you understand the whole of Scripture. The light of the heavenly enables you to see everything in its true relation. ‘Heavenly light makes all things bright’. The Lord greatly honours all who come together in the light of the whole church, the Holy Spirit acts in relation to that. Romans brings in what is of God; then you find He has prepared things for us, things which eye has not seen nor ear heard. Think of preparation expressly for those that love Him. Nothing touches us more than that divine Persons should be preparing for us. God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit; “For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God”. It is a remarkable expression, the depths of God.