FEATURES WHICH BENEFIT LOCAL COMPANIES
J.Renton
1 Corinthians 16: 15-18; Colossians 4: 12,13; Acts 20: 28-35
The scriptures read refer to persons in certain localities whose presence there was for the good of those localities. It was a great advantage to Paul, in writing his first epistle to the Corinthians, to know that there was the house of Stephanas there. Much of what he wrote was severe and there was rebuke, but it would be a comfort to him to know that there was actually in that locality a certain household which represented what was right and which represented qualities that could be taken on by others in Corinth. Paul sent Timothy to Corinth; it was an advantage to Paul to send Timothy, here. Timothy was the beloved and faithful child of his father, Paul. He represented Paul's spirit and attitude; he represented the product of Paul's preaching; he represented the moral character of Paul. It was also a great advantage to the Corinthians to have a visitor like Timothy amongst them. In our movements amongst the brethren we ought to provide some advantage to the locality which we visit. It would be abnormal to visit a locality and be a sorrow or a burden. As we visit localities we should present some advantage, some encouragement, represent something that is going to help the brethren locally. Paul also sent Titus to Corinth, and he would represent Paul too. There would be a certain definiteness and courage with Titus. Paul sent both Timothy and Titus there, and they would both represent their father, Paul, perhaps in different features, but both the visits would be an advantage to the locality in Corinth.
Great encouragement as Timothy would be, he was only a visitor. He was just there for a time and then left again, and so was Titus, he was a visitor and he left; but the house of Stephanas was in the locality, it was part of the locality. Paul says here, "Ye know the house of Stephanas" - that is conscious knowledge. They had not regarded that house as they ought to. Had they regarded the house of Stephanas as they ought to their behaviour would have been different. Paul writes, "I beseech you, brethren... that ye should also be subject to such". He mentions in parenthesis, "Ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first-fruits of Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the saints for service". I suppose we are justified in thinking that this household consisted of a father, a mother and possibly young people. We have such households in our localities. Such an asset as the house of Stephanas in Corinth could not be calculated. We have been speaking about Corinth and things that were going on there: there were divisions amongst them. No doubt there were local leaders and some were saying, 'I am for this one' and 'he is my man', and so on. Here is the house of Stephanas, which Paul commends. We need to appreciate the potentiality, dear brethren, of a household like this in our locality. No doubt the husband and wife in that house of Stephanas would be one in outlook, one in attitude towards the truth, one in attitude in service towards their local brethren, because it says, "they have devoted themselves" - devoted themselves. It is something they took on. The note indicates that it is like an officer appointed to a regiment. The officer has to wait until he is appointed, but this household appointed themselves for service, dedicated themselves. This was a dedicated house in this city of Corinth where things were so difficult. What an advantage to have a household like this! Whether we have been householders for a long time or Whether we are just starting, what a privilege to dedicate the house to the saints for service as this house was. The parents would initiate this and then the young people, apparently, came into it because it is spoken of as one thing - the house of Stephanas. Husband and wife, father and mother, may set out with the right idea, but, if I may address for a moment young people in a godly house, you may bring in something that is contrary, something that is not going to help, something that is not going to add to the saints for service. How watchful we need to be! How watchful parents need to be! How watchful young people need to be that they are always in accord with the house as being dedicated to the saints for service! Mr Darby in his note here corrects what he writes. He writes: 'the family of Stephanas had appointed themselves to the saints for service - given themselves up to serve them, or rather given themselves up to them. They were not devoted only to the service, but devoted to the saints for service. That was a house in Corinth who loved the local brethren as Paul loved them. When Paul wrote in chapter 4 about sending Timotheus, he referred to him as his "beloved and faithful child" (v 17), but he addresses the Corinthians as his "beloved children" (v 14). He could not say about them 'my beloved and faithful children' because they were not a faithful representation of their father, but Timothy was. Nevertheless the Corinthians were his beloved children. With all the faults and with all the difficulties in Corinth, apparently the house of Stephanas loved the local brethren just as Paul loved them. It is easier, as we all know, to love brethren at a distance. It is easier to go to a locality and love all the saints when you do not know their past history, nor what may be their faults and failings; but here was a house in Corinth who were devoted to the local saints for service. That house was valuable and was an asset in the place. When Paul was writing to the Corinthians it was an advantage to them to know that there was at least one house there which apparently was complete in its devotedness to the saints for service. We do not see any indication of Stephanas being a gifted man, or a minister or a preacher. His services in that way are not referred to; his house is referred to.
I would like to encourage each one of us to have our house intact for this purpose. The enemy is always busy; he has been busy - alas! He has been able for the moment to secure some of our young people - I say, for the moment. The enemy never slackens, never gives up. If Paul knew the advantage of the house of Stephanas in Corinth, you may take it that the enemy knew too, and he would endeavour somehow to corrupt that house of Stephanas in Corinth. But apparently things were maintained there. I would like to encourage us all to have our households devoted in this way to be a help, a stay, a support, an asset, in our localities. Some of our localities consist of not more than one household. Think of how much falls on such households in localities at the moment. Such households would be on the outlook for persons to be affected by the gospel or by the truth, and for persons who have lost their way to return. We are living in a time of recovery, of revival, of returning. We were referring to Luke 15 to the returning younger son; he went into the far country but came to himself and returned. The father ran, fell upon his neck and covered him with kisses before the younger son said anything, before he opened his mouth. He had made up his mind what he would say, but before he could say anything, "while he was yet a long way off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell upon his neck and covered him with kisses". It was the father who covered the distance. He did not wait until the younger son had come all the way, he covered the distance; and then, after he is covered with kisses, the son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee". How important it is, how obligatory upon every one of us it is to be on the outlook for persons who can be recovered!
In the second scripture we come to the assembly in Colosse and there is a man there called Epaphras. Now Epaphras was a gifted man. Epaphras is referred to as a "faithful minister of Christ for you", Col 1: 7. Apparently he was local in Colosse, but he is a minister, he is a preacher; in fact it would appear from the first reference to him in the first chapter that some at least may have been converted through Epaphras. They owed the fact that they were taught to Epaphras. He was a teacher and a preacher and a minister, and he was local in Colosse. We have a number of preachers; we are thankful for every one of them. Epaphras would not take up the service of preaching as a mere duty. Sometimes when a brother is asked to preach he is very reluctant, he does not really want to preach and he is glad when it is over. That was not Epaphras. Epaphras was set to get results from his preaching. He was set to see the work of God progressing. He would be earnest and urgent in it; he would be prayerful about it. It certainly would be a duty to a preacher to preach, but it ought not to be merely a matter of duty, it ought to be a matter into which he would put his whole heart and soul. That, no doubt, was Epaphras here. We should be like him in the preaching. There should be heart and soul in it; there should not just be a nominal setting out of things but there should be urgency and definiteness and we should be looking for results. We can be formal and take up something and be glad it is over, and be glad of a little help maybe. There needs to be more devotion to this matter: whether it is preaching or giving a word in a ministry meeting or making a contribution in a reading or any kind of service on the principle of gift, there needs to be a certain devotedness in what is undertaken. Of course, God is sovereign and God can use anyone. Some have been converted through women preachers; we are glad when they are converted any way, but this matter of urgency and definiteness and devotion to service of this kind is important.
Paul in the first reference to Epaphras speaks about "the grace of God, in truth: even as ye learned from Epaphras", chap 1: 6,7. These Colossians had come a good long way in the truth; Paul commends them as to how far they had come and, apparently, he gives some credit to Epaphras who was local amongst them. In our localities, what is our purpose, what is our outlook? How testing this is! If we are looking for prominence, be assured we will clash with somebody else. It says, "Epaphras, who is one of you, the bondman of Christ Jesus, salutes you, always combating earnestly for you in prayers, to the end that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God". What a fulness marked this man! What a fulness in his prayers! This fulness of purpose would colour all his activity in his own locality or wherever he was. Paul says in chapter 2, "For I would have you know what combat I have for you" (v 1) and here is Epaphras in the same combat, "combating earnestly for you in prayers", overcoming obstacles, set for the welfare of his brethren, "always combating earnestly for you in prayers, to the end that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he labours much for you, and them in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis". That is a minister in a locality. We should thank God for everyone who has been given some measure of gift to help the saints, but to such I would say, be in this attitude of prayer, have this purpose, this outlook that Epaphras had, that the saints might stand "perfect and complete in all the will of God" or, as it may be read, 'in every will of God'. That must involve that Epaphras himself was entirely committed to all the will of God. He would not be able to help others into what he was not in himself. He must, in the place, have represented something of this purpose, which was really God 's purpose for them, and certainly Paul's purpose for them.
Now in Acts 20 it is not a question of gift; it is a matter of eldership. Paul sent over for the elders at Ephesus. These were persons in the locality at Ephesus who took on responsibility. In the time of Acts 20 such persons were appointed to exercise oversight. They were called overseers or elders. Now, this is a most important feature to be found in our localities. They are not appointed today, they are not official; nevertheless the element of overseership is a very important feature to be in every locality. Paul in this chapter speaks of himself as having been among them for three years. He calls attention to himself as an example to these overseers. He was a model for them and he puts it on these overseers to continue as he had been among them. How Paul was among the saints in Ephesus is a very high level indeed, but he puts it on these overseers to continue the service he had exercised among them for three years. They are called elders in verse 17: "he called over to him the elders of the assembly" at Ephesus; and they are called overseers in verse 28. We do not have appointed official elders now, but every locality is to have the feature of elderhood and overseership. Elders in cities are not mentioned singly in the New Testament; they are mentioned as together, persons who would carry responsibility and be concerned for the spiritual welfare of the local brethren, because overseership or eldership applies to service locally. They are not necessarily gifted although they might be gifted persons. They are persons who hold office and yet not officially, persons who would be answerable to God, answerable to the Lord for the welfare of their local brethren. So Paul says "Take heed therefore to yourselves". How important that is! "Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, wherein the Holy Spirit has set you as overseers, to shepherd the assembly of God, which he has purchased with the blood of his own". That was Paul's own estimate of the assembly, Paul's own estimate of the saints at Ephesus. It is the secret behind the activity and labours of Paul in that city. Why did he expend himself so much? He speak s about "night and day" (v 31), "with all lowliness" (v 19). He speaks about teaching you "publicly and in every house" (v 20). How extensive and devoted was his service! What was the secret of Paul's service? It was his love for the assembly of God which God "has purchased with the blood of his own". It is the level at which he viewed these saints at Ephesus and so did not spare himself in service for them. "For I know this, that there will come in amongst you after my departure grievous wolves, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall rise up men speaking perverted things to draw aw ay the disciples after them". "From among your own selves" - from amongst these very overseers he was addressing he saw what could come in, how Satan could come in and spoil that work at Ephesus, which, of course, he did. Paul parts with them at the end of this chapter 20. The next they would hear from Paul would be the Ephesian letter, written from Paul in prison, containing three chapters of the glory and dignity of their calling, and three chapter of exhortation that they should walk worthy of the calling wherewith they had been called. The next letter they received, according to the scriptural record, was by John from the Lord Himself. The externals were still all right at Ephesus, externals went on as if everything were all right, but the Lord says "I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first love", Rev 2: 4. The pristine freshness of what was set up in Ephesus was left. The Lord saw the decline and fall of this very assembly here at Ephesus. Now Paul lays the responsibility here on these overseers. You will notice that, when the Lord sends by John the letter to Ephesus, it is the angel who is addressed, the responsible element; it is in principle this overseeing element that is addressed as held responsible by the Lord for the state of the locality.
This matter of eldership is a most important thing. We have had examples of how the saints ought to be served, the level at which they ought to be served. It is not official, but it is a very necessary service in every locality that some per sons should undertake. He says "Wherefore watch". Watchfulness is one of the activities of the overseers. We need to maintain watchfulness in our localities that things do not come in that ought not to come in, and exercises do not drag on that ought not to drag on. The principle of overseership is how government and control take place locally, how authority is exercised; of course, exercised in grace but nevertheless there is to be authority that things are not allowed to come in that ought not to come in and things are not allowed to drag on Which ought not to drag on. Paul lays the whole weight of it on the overseers. "Wherefore watch, remembering that for three years night and day, I ceased not admonishing each one of you with tears". Dear Mr Parker referred to this scripture at Buckie about admonishing each one of you, no doubt including young persons. He spoke about a young man in Ephesus who might have been fond of sport. Paul would get alongside him and admonish him with tears, wean him from his love of sport or whatever it may be to something more worthy of a believer. How varied is the work of the overseer. I suppose we all come short in this service. It is nevertheless a very necessary service. I suppose the responsibility for the collapse of Ephesus lay somewhat on the overseers. Paul was very definite with them. He saw what could come in and he lays the weight of responsibility on them. Some persons have to accept responsibility in localities for, in a certain sense, the Lord leaves things in our hands. You may say, He is in control. He is, but He commits certain things to us and leaves them in our hands. The question is, are things prospering in our hands or is the enemy getting in? "I ceased not admonishing each one of you with tears. And now I commit you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give to you an inheritance among all the sanctified. I have coveted the silver or gold or clothing of no one". What a servant Paul was; he coveted nothing, not even their admiration, not even a place of honour among them. Paul coveted nothing, but was committed to the welfare of these saints there for three years. Then, as I said before, he puts the whole weight on these overseers in Ephesus.
May the Lord help us in our households locally! May the Lord help every one of us who preaches or does anything on the principle of gift, and may there be overseers working, exercised amongst us for God's glory!
EDINBURGH
1 January 1975