APRIL 13TH, 1936

APRIL 13TH, 1936

DEAR BROTHER, — I gather from your letters that you wish to maintain that in a case of local disorder amongst saints the service or help of brethren outside the locality is to be regarded as “an infringement of the Lord’s prerogative in relation to a local assembly”, and that the attempt to render such help is introducing “a feature foreign to the administration of the local assembly”.

I fully acknowledge that each local assembly is, like the one in Corinth, under direct responsibility to the Lord to maintain righteousness in administration, and conditions such as are in keeping with the holiness of God’s house. But this in no wise sets aside the fact that a local company may need and obtain much help from brethren outside the locality. Corinth is an outstanding example of this.

Paul asserts that the saints locally are “Christ’s body and members in particular”. Thus reminding them that they are part of a universal organism, and cannot be, in any sense, independent of it. He also calls attention to the fact that “God has set certain in the assembly” — clearly the assembly universally, for “apostles” are not set in any local assembly and he mentions amongst those thus set “helps” and “governments”. Those who have that character by divine ordering would surely be responsible to serve according to it in any locality where they might become available. Paul recognised in Timothy and Titus men who could give spiritual help in any locality, and he sent them to Corinth as knowing the local need, and also begged Apollos much that he would go there with the brethren. If Corinth needed so much help from outside, where they were one company, who could be addressed as “the assembly of God which is in Corinth”, how can a few believers today who are consciously humbled by sorrowful local conditions assume to be independent of any help which God has set in the assembly?

For it must not be thought that such help is to be limited to the ministry of the word in a general way, because “governments”,

^[p. 247] for example, would evidently stand in relation to matters involving order, and administration according to universal assembly principles. God would certainly not set aside local responsibility in any way, but He did in His faithfulness and grace give much help at Corinth so that the local responsibility might be carried out according to His pleasure. And He has been pleased to let us know that He has set those in the assembly generally whom He can use to furnish local help even in regard to order and administration. It is precisely help of this kind which is often most urgently needed, as it was at Corinth.

In the light of this I cannot accept that there is any violation of divine principle if brothers seek to help, according to the measure of grace given to them, in cases of local difficulty. I do not think that the attitude which you have taken up will commend itself to brethren generally as being of God.

Yours affectionately in the Lord,

April 13th, 1936.