THE WORD OF GOD
P. S. Chareyre
I have been thinking of these verses for several days and I have read them simply because they say so explicitly that the contents of the Scriptures concern the Lord Jesus, and, thanks be to God, we know that well. But I am convinced that our true part is to hold ourselves as persons to whom the word of God is everything because it is Christ. As far as I am concerned I should like to be filled more and more, filled with the word. At one point it is said of Paul that he was “pressed in respect of the word” (Acts 18: 5); the word was filling his soul and thus he was able to serve God. We know the incident at the close of his public service when he called over the elders of Ephesus to Miletus and committed them “to God, and to the word of his grace” (Acts 20: 32), a committal which gives to the word a place which deserves to be kept in our hearts add our thoughts—“to God” certainly, but also “to the word of his grace”.
And what things, dear brother and sisters, have happened since the days of Paul, things quite opposite to what the beloved apostle had in his mind when he was leaving the Ephesian elders. As Mr. Darby said (Coll. Wrtgs. Vol. 254; p.419). Paul was not occupied with appointing his successor, he was occupied with committing the saints, along with those to whom the Holy Spirit had given a responsibility as elders, to the word of God—to God Himself, and “to the word of his grace”.
I have thought of the way in which the Lord Jesus, as soon as He was risen, undertook immediately
to give to the Scriptures the place of pre-eminence which they were to have in the hearts of the disciples. Raised, He concerned Himself immediately and directly with His own. As it says, He “appeared to Simon” (Luke 24: 34). He occupies Himself personally with the two who were going to Emmaus, and others, according to His wisdom—“He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve”, 1 Corinthians 15: 5. But the end of Luke’s gospel shows us how He gave the Scriptures their place. Is it not very reassuring to our souls, to us upon whom the ends of the ages are come—the end of these centuries during which the mind of man has intervened to produce so much disorder, so much confusion, so much departure, so much sadness—is it not reassuring to have been brought back by the Lord’s grace working in these days of recovery, to what? To the word of God.
I feel growing in my heart a sense of gratitude towards the Lord for having opened up the way for us in the last century by raising up servants, including in particular one, J. N. Darby, who was able to be an effective instrument for giving the word of God its distinctive place.
As he said in that lecture in London in 1852* (I recall it especially because of my own experience linked with it in recent years) about the address to Philadelphia in which he spoke of ‘the Christ of the written word’.
Well, this is what the Lord Jesus brings to light immediately after His resurrection—“And having begun from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself”, (Luke 24: 37). He presented to them ‘the Christ of the written word’; that is clear; and it was He Himself who did it, not a servant, however gifted and useful he might be; it was the Lord Himself who charged Himself with it
* ‘Coll. Wrtgs.’, Vol. 5, p.338
immediately after He was risen. Later on in the chapter the two say, “Was not our heart burning in us as he spoke to us on the way, and as he opened the scriptures to us?” (Luke 24: 32). Then in verse 45—“Then he opened their understanding to understand the scriptures”, after having said to them, “that all that is written concerning me in the law of Moses and prophets and psalms must be fulfilled” (verse 44).
It is touching that God has done things in this way. During certain years we were much engaged with what is subjective. Now we have nothing to say against what is subjective, against the experiences of the soul with God, without which there is no spiritual life. But it is certain that before everything else we must hold to the written word. It has been preserved to us by the power of God in its integrity. The fury of Satan has been unleashed against it for twenty centuries. However, it remains. What grace!
If only we could fully realise the immense advantage for us to give the word, at the present time, its full place in our thoughts. It is true that we all have consideration for the Scriptures; we acknowledge their inspiration and their authority. But we see how easily, in the Christendom of which we are part, some neglect or ignore certain portions of the Scriptures as if they had no divine authority. Then they go on with a certain way of thinking, claiming a certain distinctiveness, the result of special ‘experiences’ or interpretations, and thus the people of God are dispersed and confused. The testimony of the Lord Jesus is tarnished by all these activities of the mind of man, which scorn the greatness of the word. Beloved brother and sisters, the distinction which we should cherish is, I think, to hold fast the word. The beloved servant of whom we have spoken said, ‘If there only remained for me the word of God, like a thread hanging over the abyss, could I hold on to it?’
Through his own soul exercise he was able to answer, ‘Yes’.
So what place the Scriptures should have in our thoughts, in our reading (according to our measure), in our conversation. The recognition of their authority has been restored to us in the days of reawakening, as I have said. Following on that, the Holy Spirit has given a great amount of riches that we have at our disposal, by the goodness of God, in the abundant writings. We recognise that they are marked by man’s limitations; they are not inspired; nevertheless we possess very much that has been written about the word. It would be good to be able to live by the word in assembly conditions such as we know them, in reduction and in smallness, but having in our hands the abundant riches in the precious volume of the Bible and in all that the Holy Spirit transmits to us by means of it. It is a question of understanding, as it is said of the Lord here, “He interpreted to them in all the scriptures”.
This is our treasure, and our part is to be occupied with it, as we read in the epistle to the Colossians, “Let the word of the Christ dwell in you richly”. May it fill our thoughts, our time, our home life and our assembly life; may all our activities be filled full with the abundance of the riches of the word of God. It is, I believe, our part, very simple but how blessed, in spite of conditions of the greatest limitation, and it is a great subject of joy. May the Lord and the Holy Spirit in Their grace grant that we may be truly joyful in this rich portion.
Word in meeting for ministry, Valence, France
18 January 1983