ABSTRACT TRUTH
ABSTRACT TRUTH
JT It may be wondered at by some that the Corinthians are viewed as the temple of God in this chapter, since the writer begins by saying, “I, brethren, have not been able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly; as to babes in Christ. I have given you milk to drink, not meat, for ye have not yet been able, nor indeed are ye yet able; for ye are yet carnal”. However, the explanation may be, and is, indeed, that the apostle is presenting the truth in an abstract sense in these early chapters, that he is giving credit to the Corinthians, as he says in chapter 1, “I thank my God always about you, in respect of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus; that in everything ye have been enriched in him, in all word of doctrine, and all knowledge, (according as the testimony of the Christ has been confirmed in you,) so that ye come short in no gift, awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall also confirm you to the end, unimpeachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye have been called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” 1 Corinthians 1:4 - 9.
The apostle is thus viewing them as we may say, in an abstract way, because the body of the epistle treats them as if they were in a very low state, with much evil amongst them. Hence the abstract view gives leverage to persons thus regarded to speak of things as God does. Thus, whilst the apostle says in verse 1 that they were fleshly, yet he says in verse 16, “Do ye not know that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” This, of course, is the basis of the presentation of the truth as we have it; that is to say, the saints are viewed abstractly because they have the Spirit, they are [p. 272] assumed to have the Spirit. In order to rightly understand and profit by this scripture therefore, it is well to keep in mind the abstract side, how God is pleased to hold back certain things in order to give leverage to us in speaking of them, and even to give the writer latitude to rebuke, to reprove the saints, if necessary, for anything that is wrong in the assembly.
HDT Is that in keeping with the way in which Paul opens, “to the assembly of God which is in Corinth”? 1 Corinthians 1:2 He credits them with having assembly status throughout, does he not?
JT Just so.
HDT By extension, does that work out to us at the present time, for whilst we could not claim to be the assembly of God, we move in the light of it, and the whole of the epistle is available to us on that ground?
JT I think that is all important. One hopes that the brethren will all be free to speak according to what may be in their minds in the way of difficulty as to the apparent inconsistency of what has been alluded to.
CPP In the expression “babes in Christ” do the words “in Christ” suggest that the Corinthians are clothed with thoughts according to God, and given a status?
JT Yes. The word “babes”, of course, indicates a very feeble state of mind and thought. “I ... have not been able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly; as to babes in Christ”. The idea of fleshly is therefore treated as the babe state, a state of babehood, which would not be the normal condition of a person who had intelligence in the matter on hand.
HDT Is it something we may be expected to grow out [p. 273] of?
JT Well, of course, a babe is a babe. The Lord speaks in John 16:21 of “joy that a man has been born into the world”. He refers to a babe, of course, but still the idea of a man is there, the potentiality of the position is manhood, and that is the idea I am sure, and we ought all to take hold of it and therefore speak as men. It is said later, “quit yourselves like men”, (1 Corinthians 16:13).
SS Would it be right to say that sovereignly they were brought into relationship, but practically they had not progressed?
JT Well, they had not. Of course they were very young, we ought to remember that, they were relatively young Christians and God had acted sovereignly in making them what they were. There were a good many of them according to Acts 18. The Lord said to Paul, “Fear not ... . I have much people in this city” Acts 18:9,10. The Lord had that in His own mind, and knew their state, the characteristic features of the people of Corinth. In view of all this, the wisdom of the brethren as we are now here tonight, is to take the ground of being persons with minds, and not babes, for indeed it is said in chapter 2, “we have the mind of Christ”, 1 Corinthians 2:16 meaning the faculty of thinking, so that we are entitled, as the Lord would encourage us, to speak out as men, as those who are responsible. According to chapter 3 and chapter 1 the real difficulty evidently was the matter of division amongst them. So it goes on to say in chapter 3, “For whereas there are among you emulation and strife, are ye not carnal, and walk according to man? For when one says, I am of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, are ye not men? Who then is Apollos, and who Paul? Ministering servants, through whom ye have believed, and as the Lord has given to each. I have planted; Apollos watered; but God has given the increase. So that neither the planter is anything, nor the waterer; but [p. 274] God the giver of the increase. But the planter and the waterer are one; but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labour” (verses 3 - 8). Therefore, obviously our wisdom is now to proceed according to the minds we have, the intelligence; we have, and treat of the truths as they are presented to us here, and learn from them, in the light of being the temple of God, no less than that. We do not formally assume to be that, as they could here, because a great deal of change has come about in the assembly since this epistle was written, but nevertheless the Spirit of God is here and the truth of the first verse of the epistle is that those addressed were “the assembly of God which is in Corinth 1 Corinthians 1:2”. That is the ground to take, that we belong to the assembly in this great city, not that we assume to be it, as they could, but still we belong to it, and the Spirit of God is with us as He was then.
JNG Would the statement in Acts 18, that Paul was among them for eighteen months teaching the word of God, connect with this chapter?
JT Yes, quite so. That certainly ought to have great weight in what we are reading now, and challenge us, too, as to whether we are learning as we have opportunity. They had opportunity, Paul having been there so long.
EAK Would you say a word as to why God is introduced into this chapter in such a significant way, “God the giver of the increase”, and “we are God’s fellow-workmen: ye are God’s husbandry, God’s building”?
JT Quite so, and therefore God is in mind. It is God’s assembly, nothing less than that, the assembly of God; and the end of chapter 3 says, “all are yours; and ye are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s”. That is to say, we are viewed in a mediatorial position from God down to Christ and to the saints, so that we are in a most favourable position with great [p. 275] opportunity to learn. Then there is the thought of ownership, too, everything is ours. According to this passage everything belongs to the saints, and then as we read, “ye are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s”, so that the ownership is brought up to God and then comes down from God to Christ, and to us.
Ques Would a party spirit shut God out, so that we do not get the gain of things?
JT Quite so; a party spirit is the most dangerous and damaging thing that can exist amongst the saints.
LGL Does Paul give evidence of reaching manhood in a spiritual way in that he was not prepared to take a place that was not really his? He refused to accept the place the Corinthians would give him, but moved in relation to what was of God, and in that sense, he gives evidence of having reached manhood.
JT Quite so. That is to say, he was lowly, and took the same ground as Apollos. Paul was a much greater man, longer in the truth and more gifted and more experienced than Apollos, but still he was lowly enough to associate Apollos with himself. Apollos had not long been a Christian, but he was a gifted man, and mighty in the Scriptures, and the apostle Paul was ready to associate him with himself. Paul planted and Apollos watered, but the apostle brings God in, as has just been remarked, and the mind of the saints is therefore fixed upon God, as it should be; everything comes from God; God gives the increase.
GHMcK Is it right to recognise the instruments that God uses in connection with His service?
JT Yes, even although they may be young and less experienced than others of us here. It is a question of the ability they may have. Apparently Apollos had much ability, even when he was brought into the truth. We learn of him coming into the truth largely [p. 276] through Aquila and Priscilla.
RMY Is the temple here a local thought?
JT Quite so.
RMY Could you distinguish between that and the universal thought of Ephesians?
JT That is very good, and we should have that brought before us, because there are the two thoughts; that in this epistle is local, that is to say, the idea of the temple of God may be attached to the brethren here in Melbourne at any time, or even smaller cities than Melbourne, if there are saints there. So that as coming together for the reading of the Scriptures we have liberty, because we may regard ourselves as of the temple of God, which is a very important matter, what we call a temple matter. But what has to be said too, in order to clarify the position, is that the word ‘temple’ here is a word that is properly applied to the saints of God of this dispensation, not as the temple at Jerusalem was regarded (that was a mere building by man, and so, too, the idea of temple in the Greek world was man’s idea) but in this epistle it is taken up by God as applying to the local company of the saints at Corinth. God is pleased to regard the saints at Corinth as His temple, because the Spirit of God is among them. Now in the book of Revelation the word ‘temple’ is also used, but not in this sense, but in that in which it was used in the Old Testament, and that is important to bear in mind. The word ‘temple’ here in Corinthians refers to the saints viewed collectively in any locality, whereas in Ephesians 2:21 we have it viewed as growing, “groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord”. It is not viewed as growing in Corinthians; the saints are viewed as babes, however. In Ephesians it is another view, but it is a universal view, as has been referred to, so that we have to keep these two thoughts in mind. We are now dealing with the temple of God in a locality, such as Corinth.
[p. 277] HDT Would it be right to say that the temple according to Ephesians 2 is yet a future thought, whereas this is a positively present one?
JT Well, Ephesians 2 is a future thought in its completeness, I would say.
HDT That is what I meant.
JT But it is growing, you know; the word ‘child’ might be used, or ‘children’, as an idea of growth, but the thing is there in that sense even in Ephesus.
RMY How far does the temple thought enter into our subdivisional readings?
JT I think it would enter into any of them so long as we hold ourselves in relation to the whole at any time. That is what I understand, because God is graciously ready to help us and thus allows us to use such terms.
WHW Is the word which we have at the end of the previous chapter, “But we have the mind of Christ”, 1 Corinthians 2:16 a basic thought that must be ever present in our minds if we are to get the gain of the temple?
JT Well, the word ‘temple’ really alludes to the mind, not exactly the heart. It is a question of our minds, the ability in our minds that God has given to us, but this verse to which you allude refers to the Corinthians, that “we have the mind of Christ 1 Corinthians 2:16”. That is, God is pleased so to regard it, and therefore we have ability to take on the idea of temple. I believe what we are dealing with in this chapter, that is, the idea of the temple of God, is the fact that we have the mind of Christ. Persons in the world may also use their minds as we do, only that we use them in a holy way, “we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16)”. It is not simply that we have a mind like Christ, but we have the mind of Christ, the same kind of faculty of thought that He has. It is wonderful that this should be said.
AM Would the reference to wisdom in this epistle [p. 278] bear on this idea of how we think? For instance, “of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who has been made to us wisdom, from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
JT It is the same thought, it is a question of wisdom.
AM I was also thinking of Paul’s reference to himself here as a wise architect.
JT It is a question of the wisdom that he had as a spiritual architect, so to say, building up the assembly; that is really what is meant.
PL So in Proverbs 14:1, “The wisdom of women buildeth their house”?
JT That is the same idea.
HDT Is there any specific reason why he speaks of the two ideas of husbandry and building, before coming to the temple? Is there any leading thought in those two similes?
JT It is a question of occupation; it says again in Proverbs 24:27, “Put thy field in order, and afterwards build thy house”. That is, look after the ground, that which yields food and the like, and then build thy house; the two thoughts are brought together here.
GHMcK Would husbandry give the idea of God’s care for us individually first?
JT Just so; the king himself is dependent upon the field (Ecclesiastes 5:9), and the idea is that God has given us the field. The field is alluded to in the third day of the creation mentioned in Genesis 1, that is to say, the soil. The trees and the shrubs and all else that men require for sustenance are suggested in the ground, but then building comes in later. Noah built the ark; it was not for a house, but still it was a place to live in for the moment. That is the idea; first look after the field, for all are dependent on it (we all will have to admit that, we are all dependent on the field), and therefore husbandry is so important. Then, secondly, there is the thought of building, and [p. 279] God takes it up, and so throughout this chapter we have the thought of building.
GHMcK Does building involve what is collective?
JT It does. Now we come down to husbandry, and the apostle says, “For we are God’s fellow-workmen; ye are God’s husbandry, God’s building”, both thoughts are linked there. “According to the grace of God which has been given to me, as a [p. 280] wise architect, I have laid the foundation, but another builds upon it” (verses 9,10). So that building is the main thought here and the foundation was laid by him. As a wise architect, he laid the foundation, meaning that the whole structure was in his mind, so that the foundation should carry the whole structure.
GHG What is the foundation that Paul laid?
JT That is a question we will have to take up now, because we have to compare what is said here with what is said in Matthew 16:18, when the Lord says to Peter, “Thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly”. Peter was the kind of material that should be used, but then the kind of material is also Christ in some sense, because it is Christ. Christ is the Foundation as in Matthew 16, only that here it would be more as Paul presented Him in his ministry. Christ is the Builder according to Matthew 16; here Paul is the builder.
RMY Does the foundation refer to what he laid in every place, or more particularly to what he laid at Corinth?
JT I would say what he laid at Corinth, the kind of work he would lay there; he would take account of the Corinthians, too, in doing so. If we run through the chapter perhaps we will be helped in that respect. “We are God’s fellow-workmen; ye are God’s husbandry, God’s building. According to the grace of God which has been given to me, as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation, but another builds upon it”. So that we have to examine Paul’s way in ministry, and especially now what we know of at Corinth as to what foundation he did lay.
GPP Does it link up with his word in chapter 2:2, “I did not judge it well to know anything among you save Jesus Christ”? 1 Corinthians 2:2 Very good; that was the kind of thing he did. He did not wish to build on anything in Corinth but what would be Jesus Christ, that is, the Man, Christ Jesus. He wanted that kind of material.
HDT Was that in keeping with his being “a called apostle of Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:1)?
JT Quite so.
HDT Would the sense of his commission guide him in all his outlook as he dealt with the saints?
JT I think that is the way to get at it; go back to Paul and see how he was converted, and how he began to work. If we bear that in mind and look at the facts given in Acts 9 then we shall arrive at what he is dealing with, what we have here, and how he presented the truth in any given place, but especially at Corinth in view of the fact that he spent eighteen months in the city and the Lord had told him that He had much people there.
AM Would the reference to the building materials, gold, silver, precious stones, bear on what Paul would have left behind in that sense, the impressions of Christ to develop among them?
JT I think so; the things that he mentions are not burnable, not indeed that they are not literally burnable, but the idea is that they are not wood, hay and stubble, that sort of thing that could be burned up. What he laid was precious stones.
PL Not bulky quantity but intrinsic quality.
JT Quite so.
HDT Is that why he says, “the fire shall try the work of each what it is” (verse [p. 281] 13)?
JT Yes; you can see what the wood, hay and stubble would be, how they would easily make a blaze, whereas compared with that relatively, the gold, silver and precious stones would be durable.
JNG What is the day that is referred to, “for the day shall declare it” (verse 13)?
JT That would synchronise with the day of God or the day of Christ when all is brought into judgment. Whether it be our work or whether it be ourselves, all is tested. Here it is pointed out that the man may be saved himself and his work may be burned up.
PL Do you think that from time to time in assembly crises, things come up for appraisement and survey in an anticipative way?
JT I think that is very practical; we often see that. Things are brought to an issue, the brethren having to look into things solemnly and soberly before God and thus they are made apparent so that we may judge of what they are, whether the work is durable or whether it is just a lot of bulk without value.
EAK Would you say a word as to “revealed in fire”, in verse 13? It seems a remarkable expression.
JT It is judgment of God applied. There is a saving here, “so as through the fire”, so to speak. With Peter there is the thought of saving souls by water; both things are true. This is a most serious matter because it is a question of persons who are recognised as leaders in the work of God. It says, “if any one build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones”, these things are recognisable as relatively durable, but then wood, grass, straw, are not durable, they are things that will surely give way when the test comes, and so it goes on, “the work of each shall be made manifest”, and then it says, “for the day shall declare it”. That will run [p. 282] on to the judgment of God, which is referred to later in the second epistle, “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” 2 Corinthians 5:10. As has just been remarked, crises come up amongst the brethren and we are all concerned about it. We have to look into it. What is the quality? What are we dealing with? What evil may be in the situation? The test comes and there may be a need for judicial dealing with some. That is the serious matter that is alluded to here; “the day” might be, in that way, brought forward to any time in a crisis.
WHW In connection with that, do you think that when the apostle speaks of himself as a wise architect there is the suggestion to the Corinthian saints to use wisdom?
JT Surely; and indeed it is always evident that we must be wise. We are dealing with the most precious things the universe has, the things of God, and it is always essential to be wise in dealing with them, not to be trifling, because God is watching all the time, and tests will surely come if things are wrong with us.
JNG Whilst matters come up which attach to individuals in the way of evil and have to be dealt with in the assembly, can we attach the thought of sin to the assembly?
JT In the public sense, yes, because we have to view the assembly in two ways, that is to say, as in this epistle, and then as in the epistle to the Ephesians. The latter deals with the assembly in its bearing Godward; He has “raised us up together, and has made us sit down together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). Our relation eternally is in mind there, but here it is our relation responsibly, according to the epistle to the Romans, “that the righteous requirement of the law should be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to flesh but according to Spirit” (Romans 8:4). There is possibility of sin [p. 283] amongst us, viewed in that light, and so here in the opening verses it says, “Paul, a called apostle of Jesus Christ, by God’s will, and Sosthenes the brother, to the assembly of God which is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all that in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both theirs and ours 1 Corinthians 1:1,2”. This is the address to the Corinthian assembly, and in chapter 1 we have this evil of party spirit and feeling, and so throughout these early chapters, particularly in chapter 1, and now in this chapter as we have had it before us, the apostle calls them fleshly. In chapter 5 there is a man amongst them who had his father’s wife, he was sinning worse than the gentiles; the possibility of that occurring had to be taken into account, that is in the public local assembly.
WHW So that in the public setting we have the abstract view to help us for the working out of things, but in Ephesians we have the heavenly pattern, “until we all arrive at the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” Ephesians 4:13.
JT Very good.
EW Does 2 Timothy 2:20 apply today? “In a great house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also wooden and earthen”. Has that an application today?
JT Quite so; hence, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord withdraw from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19), whereas at Corinth the thought was to put such away. “Remove the wicked person from amongst yourselves”,1 Corinthians 5:13.
WHW In what way does the thought of reward in chapter 3 work out in this connection?
JT It says in verse 14, “If the work of an one which he has built upon the foundation shall abide, he shall receive a reward”, that is to say, that at the judgment seat of Christ the man is dealt with [p. 284] according to the works he has done in the body, whether good or bad, so that if they are good they will receive a reward. If, however, a man’s work is such that it is consumed, but he himself is actually a Christian he is saved, “but so as through the fire”, that is, he is barely saved, but he is saved nevertheless, showing how grace works in these cases.
GPP Is it a normal activity for all the saints to be engaged in this building, or is it a matter of gift?
JT I think all the saints are involved; it is said in Ephesians “to each one of us has been given grace according to the measure of the gift of the Christ” Ephesians 4:7. That is to say, we all may have part in one way or another in the building; God graciously accredits this to us. But then there is what is called specific gift. This is, of course, a more particular thing here, that is to say, a man may have gift from God to build, to work in the assembly as a builder, and the point is that he builds on the foundation.
LGL There seems to be descending order in relation to the matter of building, first God’s building, and then the apostle as the wise architect, and then others are building, but does 1 Corinthians 3:10, “let each see how he builds upon it”, indicate that there would be help for those engaged in the work to understand the character of the building? Does it suggest that spiritual intelligence would be available for every activity and that it would be within the range of each as you have suggested?
JT Quite so. This epistle bears that out as to the way the thing is spread abroad among the saints, so the word in 1 Corinthians 10:15, is, “I speak as to intelligent persons: do ye judge what I say”. That is in mind according to what has just been remarked, that the saints as a whole may be regarded as having part in this great matter and they are to see to it that they are intelligent in what they are [p. 285] doing, and not acting blindly; they know what they are doing. The book of Proverbs greatly helps, if we refer to it, how wisdom comes into all this. Hence the importance of reading the Scriptures and keeping them before us in all these matters; and sisters have part in them because of so many things they can do that bear on the building; so each is to have understanding in what he is doing; “do ye judge what I say”, (1 Corinthians 10:15) the apostle says, each one having a judgment. One has often said oneself that he has a judgment about everyone he knows; it is not that you are critical exactly, or overbearing, but God would, as it were, look to you to have a judgment about things, and He is ready to help you to have a right judgment. So this construction is going on: ‘View the vast building, see it rise; The work how great! the plan how wise!’ So let each lend a hand. The epistles to Timothy show how sisters may have part, even in the work of building.
CPP Does the thought of edifying the assembly come in on this line as in 1 Corinthians 14?
JT That is the idea, only there it is a question of gift, if you have a word to give and opportunity offers (all may prophesy one by one, the apostle says); well then, take advantage of it, and have in mind that there may be edification; the point is edification, “love edifies”, (1 Corinthians 8:1).
HDT Would Paul’s reference to himself as being an architect mean that those who build have the plan in mind, which would save promiscuous additions?
JT That is what is meant, I am sure, and, of course, here it is alluded to just as any architectural work would need an architect. The plan is laid out on paper, as we say, and then the workers go by that plan, it enters into every part of the building.
HDT Do you think we might pray that the saints [p. 286] generally, ourselves, may get some conception of God’s plan in regard, of the assembly?
JT I do indeed. I am greatly encouraged with what I see among the brethren in these parts, and everywhere one goes. The brethren are awakening to what God’s mind is; His mind is entering into our meetings, these large meetings where brethren have to travel great distances; God is concerned about that, our work is not in vain, “knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord”, (1 Corinthians 15:58). We are to know what we are doing, and do it well.
Ques Is it that the building may be largely a matter of the way we go in and out amongst the saints? I was thinking of David, and how it says that in his affliction he prepared much material for the building of the house.
JT He did indeed. It is therefore important that we should get to one another’s houses. These meetings which we have afford much opportunity, and it is so universally where they are held, that the brethren’s houses are usually opened to the visitors, and it is a very important thing that they should be open, and that the visitors may know how to use them aright and be comely in them. We get to know the quality of the brethren by going to their houses; we cannot know each other very much as we see each other in a meeting like this. It is when we go in and out amongst each other that we get to know our qualities, and that is the material the apostle is dealing with. We have in this epistle much said about sisters, much restriction put upon them as to headship, as to silence, but still there is enough to show how they are regarded, that they are part of the system into which we are brought and they have their work to do, and the young people too, we might say; all are brought under the surveillance of God and heaven as to what we are and what we [p. 287] are doing. God is doing a great work, and He wants us to be in it, not only be in it in view of eternity, but in it now as working in it, as building it up.
GPP Would the household of Stephanas be in it as devoted to the saints?
JT Very good, and many sisters whom we might mention.
JNG The house of Chloe?
JT Very good. People who are watching, people who look and see what is happening.
GJN Aquila and Priscilla invited Apollos to their house.
JT That seems to be the case; I would think that Priscilla had as much to do with it as her husband; it would look as if they invited him to their house, they “took him to them”, (Acts 18:26) it says. It is doubtful that they would have gone into much in the meeting room, so they took him to them and that would give them more opportunity to find out what he was, and he would find out what they were, too, because it is a question of the brethren being together, mingling together so as to know each other.
AM The feature of holiness is not limited therefore just to the meetings, convocations like this; is it not to enter into the very tissue of our walk and ways here?
JT Quite so. The matter of holiness is most important, the relations between us should be in holiness, as Paul enjoined Timothy, “with all purity”, but even going to the length of holiness, “without which no one shall see the Lord”, it says in Hebrews 12:14.
WHW Is the thought then that the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwelling in us are to govern us at all times?
JT That is what I would think, and if we look at the world it is going on with the same sort of things, in an unholy way, but as we are holding [p. 288] ourselves free of all that, to be for God, His building proceeds; love builds up.
AGL Would the word in Ephesians 4:29 apply in a household way, “Let no corrupt word go out of your mouth, but if there be any good one for needful edification, that it may give grace to those that hear it”?
JT Very good. The absence of corruption is in that, it so easily slips into our domestic relations.
JNG Would you say a word as to 1 Corinthians 3:17, “If any one corrupt the temple of God, him shall God destroy”, as over against our responsibility to deal with evil?
JT It is remarkable that it should come in here so strongly, “If any one corrupt the temple of God, him shall God destroy”. The words “destroy” and “corrupt” are the same, I understand, showing that the bearing of these things that are evil in the households are apt to destroy the temple of God. That is, what we have here tonight is apt to be damaged and ruined unless we are holy in our houses and sober in our manners with each other.
RMY Would you say a word as to the things that are ours, “all things”?
JT Well, how much there is in it from the divine side as to the liberality with which God regards us — “all things are yours” (verse 21). The whole scene is really God’s, and He is saying that it is all to be ours literally. It may not be ours now, but it all is to be ours, we are heirs with Christ; whatever He is heir to, we are, and indeed we are heirs of God, that is to say His whole creation is within our range, we are heirs to it, and it is a question now of how we use it.
RBT Would the conception of that give us material for the building?
JT I think so, but we keep in mind that we are limited, we cannot take our fling as others do. Young [p. 289] people cannot go out into the cricket and football fields as others do. I am not meaning just that young boys cannot do this or that in that sense, but only that we cannot do what others do, because we are under restriction because we are God’s, and we have to bear in mind that what God is we must be, we must have Himself before us as to what we are doing. Christ is ours and Christ is God’s too. It is a remarkable thing that all centres in God, not the Father, but God; that is the point at Corinth, it is “the assembly of God”.
Rem So that it is ownership in that sense?
JT Quite so, because we are heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ, all belongs to us. It is a question of how we use it. The air we are breathing now is God’s and Christ’s too, and we are using it rightly, we are using it in a holy way. The water we use, and the food we use and the clothing we wear, all are God’s; so we give thanks for it. We do not thank men for what we get as though they originated things; we thank God for our food; it is a very great matter too, and God is pleased. Very few do thank Him for their food, but true Christians do.
HDT “The God who affords us all things richly for our enjoyment”,1 Timothy 6:17.
JT Very good, “richly”, the liberality of God, because He owns everything.
EAK “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof”, (Psalm 24:1). Would that preserve us in piety from a wrongful use of it?
JT Quite so, and it must please God to see in a city like this (I do not pretend to know how many brethren there are in it) that every one of us gives thanks to God, whether we are at work, publicly in restaurants, or at home. It all glorifies God in these very things we are dealing with.
AM Is not the initial idea of the temple seen in regard to the believer’s body in this very connection [p. 290] as at the end of 1 Corinthians 6, “Do ye not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God; and ye are not your own? for ye have been bought with a price: glorify now then God in your body” 1 Corinthians 6:19,20?
JT That works out against what is so very evil, as that very chapter speaks of. It is a question of the believer’s body; it is holy, it is the temple of the Holy Spirit, a remarkable thing that that is the basis on which the evil of that chapter is judged, that we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.