1 CORINTHIANS 1 (NOTES OF A READING)
[p. 6] 1 CORINTHIANS 1 (NOTES OF A READING)
CAC An assembly is a place where speaking goes on; political speaking goes on in a Greek assembly, and religious speaking in a synagogue.
The assembly is a company of persons in each locality where there is divine speaking, where the things of God are spoken of in a suitable manner. That is what the apostle dwells on in the early verses in this chapter (verses 4 - 7); that is, they were fully furnished for divine speaking. It is not a company marked by silence, but by speaking, according to the resources provided, the grace in Christ Jesus that qualified them. Speaking supposes intelligence in both speaker and hearer. The “oracles” connect very much with it; if a man cannot speak as having the mind of God he should be silent in the assembly.
In these verses you get the constitution of the assembly, and what qualifies it to function. It functions in virtue of the grace that God has given it in Christ Jesus; it provides for everything in the assembly. He is bringing it out to people who badly needed it (and we badly need it); they had quite got away from the constitution, for there were divisions and so on. It is a wonderful source of supply — “word”, “knowledge”, “testimony” — and all is to find expression in the assembly in a divine way. Is what is said really being said from a divine source, from the grace that is in Christ Jesus? Then some are too backward. Why cannot I speak in the assembly? Is there a shortage? Has God set the assembly going without sufficient to carry it on? Why cannot I have a supply from the Head? There is to be no exaltation of man in what is said, or in the way it is said. It is a new kind of speaking which carries the grace of a new kind of Man — not Adam at all. Every brother should look for ability to draw from this resource. What I can do [p. 7] personally is not worth a straw, but what I can do in the grace that is in Christ Jesus is the only thing that counts.
Rem The apostle asks for prayer “in order that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the glad tidings, for which I am an ambassador bound with a chain, that I may be bold in it as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6: 19, 20).
CAC Beautiful! A man, an unbeliever, came home to his wife from a meeting, shaking like an aspen leaf. All he could say was, ‘I only know that God is in that place’. He did not know he was quoting Scripture (See 1 Corinthians 14: 24, 25). Well, that is the character of the assembly of God. And all has in view that we are so confirmed in Christ that if we knew the Lord Jesus Christ was going to appear in five minutes, nothing would need altering, but be just as it should be.
Ques What is the difference between “the testimony of the Christ” here (verse 6) and “the testimony of God” (chapter 2: 1)?
CAC Just the difference between Man and God. The first is the anointed Man, the second the preaching of the glad tidings making known what God is to men. “The testimony of the Christ has been confirmed in you” means the thing is confirmed that God has brought in a new order of Man. That is confirmed; the assembly should be a testimony to a new order of Man.
Rem It needs a counterpart in the assembly, in that way.
CAC What good is it for me to say that God has brought in another Man, if people cannot see a trace of that Man in me!
Rem Adjustment to the constitution would keep us right.
Ques How would you explain the constitution?
CAC Everything has a new character as deriving from Christ; and there is provision for it to be made known;
[p. 8] and it results in it becoming a reality. We want to be in the reality, the grace of it, and that leads to the fellowship in a practical sense. Saints have been so affected by the influence of the assembly that there is not a spot on them in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is wonderful! The apostle is writing that it may be practically true. All this forms the fellowship. The saints are brought into a wealth in which they all have a common share.
Ques Why “of his Son” (verse 9)?
CAC It is to give the highest possible touch to it, it is of such an elevated character. We are called by God in His faithfulness to have a common share in what has come in by His Son. It, the fellowship, is greater than the exercise of gift. There are four aspects of it. There is the fellowship of the body and of the blood of Christ, and of the Holy Spirit; but the greatest of all is the fellowship of God’s Son. There is nothing greater than what God has set forth in His beloved Son. “When God ... was pleased to reveal his Son in me, that I may announce him as glad tidings among the nations” (Galatians 1: 15, 16). It is the greatest thing God has to speak of; it is the greatest glory of the gospel, because it is “concerning his Son ... Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1: 3, 4). It is opened out in the assembly. Fancy having a common share with Paul and John; they had a share in it. It is exclusive of all he goes on to speak of. Then “Jesus Christ our Lord” — we confess we have come under His control. We continually need Him as such so that we are commanded for the blessing; and only so do we really come into the blessing. First He commands the blessing, and then us for the blessing. We are not fit personally to say one word in the assembly. But what is God working for? That the assembly should be marked by divine speaking; God is faithful. Verse 10 would seem an impossibility; but God likes to deal in impossibilities! If we move according to the constitution we shall find it impossible to be otherwise. He does not stress the Spirit here, but the kind of [p. 9] speaking is to be according to the new kind of Man. Is it not a lovely conception? It works out universally.
The character of all this epistle is that it is the Lord’s commandment. If we think of Moses as a type in the Old Testament, there was a beautiful unity when they were building the tabernacle, so that the whole thing was seen in its completeness.
If we have favourite teachers we may miss the greatest possible blessing. “I of Christ” (verse 12) would be pretension to the highest possible level — the worst party of all. J.N.D. said he would never go with a party, whether for the truth or against it, whether good or bad. The name of the Lord Jesus Christ is the great lever and is to govern us. “Has Paul been crucified for you?” (verse 13). The assembly is formed of persons who cherish the thought of the whole assembly. “With those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2: 22). You cannot have a party on that line!
It is good for us to remember to what we have been baptised. Matthew 28 is the greatest thought of baptism: the nations baptised “to the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”. Baptism connects us with divine Persons. The baptism of the feeblest saint is as great as the baptism of Paul. But what are we baptised to? To Christ and His death. Paul said, “Christ has not sent me to baptise” (verse 17). It was not in his commission, but it was in that of the twelve. That is important, because it puts baptism in its proper place. Paul had to do rather with the heavenly. Baptism is for earth; it is connected with the kingdom rather than with the assembly. It gives a certain side of privilege, but gives no title to heaven. The thief on the cross did not need to be baptised, he was going directly to heaven. But if he had been reprieved, he would have had to be baptised to enter the assembly.
Rem The glad tidings bring you to heaven.
CAC Yes, in the fulness of them they bring people to heaven.