SUBJECTION

^[p. 48] SUBJECTION

1 Corinthians 15:24 - 28; Luke 1:38 - 40; Luke 4:38,39; Luke 24:8,9

The thought of subjection is before me, and so I have liberty in calling attention to 1 Corinthians, which epistle is intended specifically to impress upon us the necessity of subjection to God and to Christ. It will be remembered that it is said that “the assembly is subjected to the Christ” Ephesians 5:24, which passage refers to the mind of God for her; the work of God in her leads to that, but the mind of God is clear that she is subjected to Christ.

But what is thus purposed in the mind of God for the assembly is set out in the Lord Himself first, indeed, we may say that everything that God indicates as His mind for us is seen first in Christ. The types help us in this respect, as in others. The pattern of the tabernacle refers to Him; no one really could build the tabernacle, save Moses, for although he had specifications and delivered them to the people, yet he alone had seen the pattern of it; that is, he had an impression of it inwardly, as having seen it, so that while the specifications are given with the utmost detail, what he saw on the mount was the standard. What is seen, therefore, on the mount refers typically to Christ. What is presented to us by the inspired pens of the four evangelists — men fitted for the work — is ever to be in view in the epistles, so that what is indicated as the mind of God in regard to the assembly is to be traced for its perfection in Christ, for it is in Him you get the perfection. We get an allusion in this passage, in 1 Corinthians 15, not only to what was in Christ as here in the flesh, but to what is in Him, and what shall ever be in Him for ever, that is, subjection. Not, of course, that there was anything ^[p. 49] to be subdued in Him; there was no will contrary to God with Him, I need not say, but as becoming man He was to set forth what God had designed that man should be.

We have to think of what God’s conception of man was and is, for after all Adam is but the figure of Him that was to come. Thus all that we get in the Old Testament relative to man, to his creation, and to the divine thoughts as to him, had in view what God had in His mind. It could never have been fully presented until the Son became man. There were indications of it in the figures and in the men of faith, but the men of faith did not refer back to Adam for their model. The glimmerings of what God had in His mind that came out in these men were the outcome of what God brought to their attention in the way of testimony. Not that they could have defined what came before them, but God in His wise ways brought to their attention certain things which elicited from them suggestions of Christ, and so we have inklings in the men of faith throughout the Old Testament of what God’s mind was in regard of man. The Lord refers to Abraham as rejoicing to see His day, and he saw it, showing how God answered holy desires, and in answering them elicited from the men of faith that which suggests Christ as in His mind. We read of another “esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt”. Hebrews 11:26. That also arose from certain circumstances in the history of Moses, not that he would have named these things as representative of Christ, but the Spirit of God does.

There were thus inklings, as I said, brought out, but all looking forward to what is in the mind of God being presented perfectly, not in type or shadow or even in substance partially as in the men of faith, but in completeness; for every feature of man as in the mind of God took form and manifested itself in ^[p. 50] Christ. It was largely a life of secret history, as we may call it, for the inspired pen touches but lightly on the history of Christ until He was thirty years of age. It was known better perhaps to Mary than to others, but known to God. Every feature of man thus shone under God’s eye. We get just a little glimpse of Him at the age of twelve, indeed, it is said that He was under man’s eye at the age of twelve, for we are told that He grew in favour with God and man, but generally it was secret history, that is, it was for God. So that in Luke 3 we are told that when all the people were baptised “Jesus also being baptised, and praying, the heaven was opened” (as if all were culminating there) “and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased”. Luke 3:21,22. That is the announcement of heaven of the divine pleasure and complete satisfaction in what had come under its eye in that Man in private life.

And so in His public life the principle of subjection shines everywhere. It is man’s place. What He is personally shines, too. We are not left in any doubt whatever as to His Person, as to who is there. No one could answer as man to the mind of God save a divine Person — His Son, One really and truly a Man, sin apart. What comes out in 1 Corinthians 15 is the continuance of that marvellous fact, that He remains a Man and will remain a Man for ever, and He is occupied in bringing about what marked Himself. He sets out the idea and then brings it about; and each of us may be assured that what He is set on and is working out in each of us is subjection. Let no one be deceived about that. He is patient and persistent, and He has various means and resources at His command to carry out what is before Him, and He will carry on His work with each of us, and with the assembly, until the pattern is worked out in its ^[p. 51] entirety. Everything is to be according to the pattern shown on the mount. He is most persistent in it; and it is well to be aware of the fact that He has all the means at His command to carry out His will, that is to say, to bring about in us what has been set forth in Himself under God’s eye.

It is striking that in this epistle, which is intended to enforce subjection, the end is referred to: “then cometh the end”. The end with every one of us is that the completion of the principle of subjection is wrought out in us, for God can do nothing with us as instruments or vessels until that principle is made good in us. It is in a subject vessel that God works out His thoughts. We get the anointing, and then we get the ministry in this epistle, but there must be subjection, so that the apostle says, in coming to the subject of the Supper, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread”. 1 Corinthians 11:23. What he has received of the Lord is before us in the Supper. It was received of the Lord by Paul, and delivered to the Corinthians without any addition or innovation, and it is intended to convey the Lord’s authority, and He will have subjection. Following upon that, we have the merging of the saints into one body by the Spirit. How are we merged? Only as we are subject. Apart from subjection, the Lord’s supper must become a dead letter, and the truth of the assembly as the body of Christ is nothing but a mere theory apart from subjection, because we are all baptised in the power of one Spirit into one body. How could He merge me so that I am among them save as I am subject? However distinguished by gift or otherwise one may be, the principle of the baptism of the Spirit is merging, so that each finds his place in the body; and then it says we “have been all made to drink into one Spirit”. 1 Corinthians 12:13. We are in the thing happily. If I have drunk into it, I am in ^[p. 52] the thing happily; I am satisfied with that into which I have been introduced.

And then there is the anointing. “So also is the Christ” 1 Corinthians 12:12; that is the order. Then in chapter 14 we have the brethren together in subjection; they are so together in spirit, and there is such fine sensitiveness, that if one is speaking and something is revealed to another sitting by, the one speaking discerns it. That fine sensibility all arises from subjection, each finding his place in the body by the Spirit, so that there is no room for the action of our wills. Think of reaching such a state of things among the brethren that the Spirit of God is free to reveal something to another, and the one speaking is conscious of it! What fine sensibilities these are!

In chapter 15 the apostle finishes the subject of subjection by bringing in the Lord at the end — what He is at the end. One might well ask what I am going to be at the end, for it is the end that counts, as has often been remarked. What about the Lord Jesus at the end? Think of all these centuries of service in effecting this subjection! Now what about Himself? He delivers up the kingdom to God, even the Father. How restful the heart is as one sees that handed back, without any addition, or subtraction, unalloyed in the least degree, handed back to Him who is God and Father! And “then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all”. There will be the continuance throughout eternity of this great principle of subjection, and how important to be in accord with it now. The Lord would have us in accord now with what is going to remain permanently. The Son Himself exhibits in the most perfect manner the mediatorial place that He has taken; He is “subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all”. We see how the divine thought is perpetuated eternally — God and man having their respective ^[p. 53] places. The Son remains the Son, but He has taken a place as Man, and He retains it in the most palpable manner in that He is said to be subject to Him who has subjected all things to Him.

Now I want to show you how Luke outlines this principle in certain women, because the female side in the Scriptures is in the main to bring out this principle of subjection. Not, of course, that it is limited to them, for it applies to us all, and works up to the assembly. The assembly is to be subjected to Christ, and Luke shows how the thing is worked out by presenting certain women as illustrative of it.

The first great model is Mary, the Lord’s mother, a young woman. What a perfect model she is for all young sisters and all young christians! for, as I said, the female side being introduced is only to emphasise the principle of subjection, for from the outset of creation the woman had that place. And so Mary represents the principle of subjection, hence she says, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word”. How that should appeal to the young people, and to all of us! There was perfect submission and intelligence. She had an interview with one of the greatest dignitaries in the service of God in heaven, for we rarely get the name of an angel, but Gabriel is mentioned twice by name in this chapter. “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth”. Luke 1:26. And he conversed with this young woman. She was greatly honoured and she knew it. Zacharias had been similarly honoured, but failed in it. The honour is not enough; the advantage is not enough. Zacharias had a conversation with the same Gabriel, and in surroundings that should have impressed him with the divine requirements, in the holy place, at the right side of the altar of incense, and yet he was unbelieving, and was made dumb. We are thus reminded of the solemnity of a divine overture when ^[p. 54] it is not believed and submitted to. Hence Mary stands out here as a model for us: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word”. She has not a question. And then, as if the Spirit of God would enhance her obedience, it says, “And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste ... and saluted Elizabeth”. That is what marks subjection — moral elevation. You will not descend to the level of the world; you may descend in testimony, but not for fellowship, friendship, or society. It was a question of society with Mary.

What a lovely scene you get in the hill country! The hill country here refers to moral elevation, where the society of the people of God is found. We can picture to ourselves the delightful converse between these holy women, and so it is that subjection to the Lord is sure to be followed by an ascent. Mary was not looking for the society and companionship of this world; she sought the society that was becoming to her as thus honoured by divine communications, and so she salutes Elizabeth — a fellow-subject of divine honour. All that follows only pictures to us what is within the reach of those who are subject to Christ — that is, communications by the Spirit and a prophetic word.

I want to continue what we have been considering as to Mary in connection with the mother-in-law of Simon. It was a very great advantage to Simon to have such a mother-in-law. She gave an excellent lead in service. The Lord left the synagogue and entered into the house of Simon, the passage says, and his mother-in-law was taken with a great fever. She is a type of many of us, although believers, perturbed, feverish, unable, unwilling and indisposed to serve, but rather expecting to be served. And He stood over her. It is a question of subjection, of such a person learning subjection to Christ. She would look ^[p. 55] up at Him as He stood over her. Many of us are not ready to look up at people, but we rather look down on them. You will remember how Zacchaeus in chapter 19 of this same gospel placed himself in a position from which he would look down on the Lord. That will not do. Perhaps you say, I would not look down on the Lord. But maybe you look down on persons who are morally your superiors, and you despise them. You must learn to look up to the Lord and to those who are morally your superiors, or you will never find your place in the assembly.

The Lord stood over this woman. What happened? He rebuked the fever. There was a voice of authority. He was not rebuking her; He could rebuke her if she needed it, but it was a question of the disease that had to be dealt with. Much could be said on that head. Many of us need to be rebuked because we go beyond the disease. We say, It is a disease. If a disease, then the disease has to be dealt with, but if it is will then the person has to be dealt with. We must distinguish between a disease and will. When it is a question of will the person has to be rebuked, but it is only love that can do that. Those who sin, we are told, are to be rebuked, or convicted, before all; 1 Timothy 5:20. It takes moral authority to do that, but then according to this evangelist, the Lord gave power to His disciples to heal diseases and sick persons. A disease may be an epidemic in a place. We do get epidemics in a district, and then we get sick persons. In the case before us it is not an epidemic, but one sick person in the house, and the Lord rebuked the fever and it left her. That was a new experience, and what marked the operation was the authority and the moral dignity of the Lord as He stood over her and rebuked the fever.

I have said all this to show you the effect in her — “and forthwith standing up she served them”. That is the next thing; she is not partial in her service.

^[p. 56] You might say, She would surely serve the One who helped her, but the principle is to serve “without partiality”. The Lord would rather she served them than confine her service to Him, because He would teach us that principle — impartiality. As brought into subjection to Christ, we see how He serves, as He says, “I am among you as he that serveth”. Luke 22:25. He did not discriminate; He served them all, and so did Simon’s mother-in-law.

Time would fail to go over all the ground. There are several women in this gospel who illustrate this principle. There is the woman at the end of chapter 7. How beautifully she illustrates it! She stood behind the Lord, content to be there; it was no question of drawing out praise from Him or making a show before Him; she stood behind Him, and she began to wash His feet, and to wipe them with her hair, just as He Himself began to wash His disciples’ feet. It is the beginning that is emphasised. You see how according to 1 Corinthians 11 the principle of subjection was there in that woman in the most beautiful manner, and she kissed His feet and anointed them with myrrh. She is in advance of Simon’s mother-in-law; it is not serving all now, but a worshipful spirit; She is absorbed with Christ, but on the principle of subjection; not that of making herself prominent, or calling His attention to what she is doing; it was behind Him. And how beautifully He vindicates her!

The next woman is in chapter 8 of this same gospel — the woman who had the issue of blood. I touch on her in connection with the principle of transparency in subjection. She came behind Him and touched the border of His garment, and she was healed immediately. But she did it secretly, and the Lord will not have things that way. He says, “Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me”. Luke 8:46. It is a question of formation. Something had gone out of Him and entered into her. It is the ^[p. 57] principle of formation, for the assembly is of Christ. This woman would have no one to know what happened, but the assembly is for the display and expression of Christ, and that is not to be secret but public. And so He says, “Somebody hath touched me”. Luke 8:46. I speak of this because there is among the saints so much secretiveness and hiding, not only what is good but what is bad. We must be transparent. The body is for the expression of Christ as His formation, and how could this woman be an expression of Christ if she is hiding the effect in her of the virtue that went out from Christ? She thought to get away in the crowd, although she knew in herself that she was healed, but the Lord would not let her go like that. “Somebody hath touched me”, He says. “And the woman, seeing that she was not hid, came trembling, and falling down before him declared before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was immediately healed”. Luke 8:46,47. And then He says to her, “Daughter”. That is to say, she is owned as in the family — a new feature. The next woman is Mary of Bethany; chapter 10. She is a well-known figure, on which I need not enlarge, but her case is most beautifully constructive in regard to this matter. She is sitting at the Lord’s feet and listening to His word. Among other services His word cleanses, and she represents the assembly in that way. It is said that Christ loved the assembly, and it is also said that He loved Mary; she had that honoured place. “Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing”. Ephesians 5:25 - 27. In our subjection we have to listen to Christ or we shall not be purified to suit Him. We may pass muster among the brethren, but it is a question here of being purified to suit Him, and instructed, too, in order that defects ^[p. 58] and all that would be contrary to that beauty which He looks for may be removed, that we should be “not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing”. Ephesians 5:27. Is it not worth while listening to Christ? Look at the way women devote themselves to personal adornment. One of the most pitiable spectacles is to see the time and expense devoted by women in attempting to beautify the eyes, lips, and so forth, which is so derogatory to the beauty that God has put upon them. Let Him beautify you; let Him do it! Mary chose that good part in listening to His word. Things are brought about by listening to His word. He would say to you, ‘This is exactly my mind for you’; and what beautification that would imply! You would come out like Himself by sitting at His feet and hearing His word.

The woman in chapter 13 is remarkable. She is made straight. That is another feature of great importance. Whilst one is in subjection to Christ one learns righteousness. The Lord says, “whom Satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years”. Luke 13:16. She had not looked up to God in that time. Now He puts His hands upon her. First He calls her to Him, and then He lays His hands upon her, and immediately she is made straight and glorifies God. I do not wish to cast disparagement upon the sisters, but how rare it is to get a woman who glorifies God — or a brother, for that matter. It is a rare thing to find one who glorifies God. We have here the constructive idea as to subjection continued. The Lord puts both His hands on her, that is, there is complete identification with her so as to make her like Himself — answering to the mind of God — and she glorifies God.

In connection with the last chapter, I only wish to point out that these women who went to the sepulchre and saw the two men and heard them speak about the Lord, returned to the eleven. The two men had reminded them of what the Lord had said,

“^[p. 59] He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spoke to you ... And they remembered his words”. Luke 24:6,8. There is refreshment of memory. One feels as one gets older how things may slip from the mind. Inaccuracy is very dangerous in the things of God; one has to be more and more dependent on the Spirit to be accurate. The things of God require accuracy and we are dependent on the Spirit for that, hence we are told that the Holy Spirit would bring to their remembrance the things that Jesus said. We have minds given to us of God, and we are responsible to keep by the Spirit the things that are said. The two men remind them of what the Lord had said about the resurrection, and “they remembered his words”. How happy to cultivate the habit of remembering the words of Christ! The Lord’s supper is intended to help us in that way, that is, to keep the best before us. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever”. Hebrews 13:8. What He said is equal to what He is saying. What He said He is still saying; every word is of value; it is all gold, and nothing is to be forgotten.

And then it says, “and returned ... and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest”, showing that the principle of subjection is carried forward. The eleven represent the authority of Christ. Judas had gone, but the authority of Christ remained, and these women recognised where the authority was. They went and told the eleven, meaning that they were placing the information where it would be best cared for, where it would add to what was already there. They were contributors. Is it not the Lord’s mind that we should be contributors? Surely it is. What am I if I am not a contributor? They told the eleven and the rest, principally the eleven. “The rest” were not at the Lord’s supper. There is nothing said about any at the Lord’s supper save the twelve apostles; this evangelist emphasises that — “and the twelve apostles with him”. Luke 22:14. There will be no unanswered questions about the Lord’s supper if we listen to the twelve apostles. Why has there been so much controversy in connection with it? The early christians had no difficulty about it; “They continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers”. Acts 2:42. They had no difficulties about the Lord’s supper. The apostles could answer any questions in regard to it, for they were authoritative witnesses. Think of the hideous distortion there is of the thing today, the working of man’s will and mind, and of Satan, too! The apostles’ doctrine has been thrown overboard, but the Lord intended that there should be a testimony here which should be undeniable in regard to it. Ask Peter what the Lord did; he could tell you, and so could John, and so could James; they could all tell you. And so these women bring the testimony of the two men to the eleven; they place it where it can be made of best use; and then later on in connection with the two restored from Emmaus we see the same thing. They find the eleven gathered together and those who were with them; and they tell them what has happened, and “how he was known of them in breaking of bread”. Luke 24:35. We see how the principle of subjection is carried through by this evangelist, and all to the end that the assembly should exist practically here, so that there should be that which the Lord can use in His testimony — that there should be an anointed vessel, that which represents Him here.