EXTRACTS

But there is also the body of Christ, which was first divulged in Acts 9: 4, “Why persecutest thou me?” The body is in relation to Himself, and comes out in connection with the persecution of the saints. Then for the first time was divulged that Christ’s body was on earth! ‘Why persecutest thou ME?’, Matthew 16: 18 is a structure here on the earth where Christ is rejected. In Acts 9: 4, the secret of His body was divulged consequent on His rejection when in glory, and in connection with the persecution of the saints. Why persecutest thou ME? MYSELF. This is His present interest—“Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it”. I have no doubt the heart often finds out something of this before the house is known.

I have no doubt the order in which the truth is recovered is at first with regard to the body. It is not only that there is a structure on this earth that all the power of hell cannot prevail against; that is the aspect when I look at it as to this earth; but there is another aspect, and that is, that there is a relationship, a bond between us and the Lord Jesus Christ that no language can describe. “We are members of his body”. I would not believe that a company was gathered to His name who could say, We do not know anything about Christ’s chief interest, of which I am speaking. Some would tell me, There is no remedy, the corporate thing is over.

Am I to listen to such a thing as that? Certainly not; because there are two things which forbid me. One is, the Holy Spirit is here to testify of Christ; and the other is, that Christ’s heart is just the same as ever; His chief interest is here. I know the house is in a dilapidated condition, but if I look at the body I know that all the members are here, on this earth.

Someone may say, I thought some of them were dead. No; that is not the body. And some of them to come? No. If Christ’s body is not on this earth, then Satan has gained the day. The wonderful secret is that His body is on the earth. It had been kept secret from the foundation of the world, but as I am in His presence (and that is my point) I discover that there is a bond between us; and my heart rejoices when I find in Scripture light and authority to understand the nature of it. It is the knowledge of the tie that makes me sure of it. The enjoyment of the tie makes me value the scripture that establishes my right to the tie.

J. B. Stoney (Vol. 1, pp.268, 269)

In chapter 12 (of 1 Corinthians) you have the figure of the human body, and that illustration is the basis of the teaching there. It is a question of mutuality. The apostle says, “In the power of one Spirit we have all been baptised into one body ... and have all been given to drink of one Spirit”. Hence, having been baptised into one body in the power of one Spirit, and having been given to drink of one Spirit, that produces in the most positive way what is mutual, and so as I said the human body is the figure employed to emphasise this, for there are not diverse interests in that connection. Diverse interests in a gathering are sure to lead to personal feelings, and such feelings lead to division. We have all been made to drink of one Spirit. We are thus preserved in community of interest. But as baptised in the power of one Spirit, I am merged—we are all merged into one body. And then we have all been made to drink into one Spirit, we all join in drinking of the same thing. As we partake of the Lord’s supper, which is, I believe, the symbol of this, we are all drinking into the same thing. So that drinking is mutual interest. There is no independency on the one hand, and there is no clericalism on the other hand. There is the binding power of having been made to drink into one Spirit.

J. Taylor (Vol. 26, p.35)

Edited and Published by J. Strachan, 59 Frederick Street, Dundee, DD3 9DE, Scotland Printed by Crystal Stationery, 22 Western Road, Billericay, Essex CM12 9DZ, (T) (01277) 650661