THE KINGDOM OF GOD (3)
[p. 56] THE KINGDOM OF GOD (3)
Romans 12:1 - 3; Romans 13:1 - 5; Romans 14:1 - 18
JT At our last reading we were engaged with chapter 6 of Romans, the truth based on baptism; and then chapter 7 dealing with deliverance from the law, making way for the service of God; and then in chapter 8 the principles there accompanying the truth of the Holy Spirit, righteousness being fulfilled in the saints as walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit. The succeeding three chapters, as is well known, have the character of a parenthesis and hardly bear on our subject. They refer to the reconciliation of God’s ways with Israel culminating in the gospel extending to the nations and the ultimate restoration in blessing of His ancient people. Now it is thought that we might complete the consideration of our subject in so far as it enters into Romans, touching on the hortatory part of the epistle; first as to the believer’s body and what hinges on it in relation to the kingdom; and then the authorities in chapter 13; and finally, chapter 14, kingdom principles as applied to the weak brother. It is only in this fourteenth chapter, as we have seen, that the kingdom of God is formally mentioned in this epistle. It is not meat and drink but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, the negative statement there being an allusion to what might stumble a weak brother. We can well afford to deny ourselves of anything that would be of that character seeing that we are well off in the possession of the Spirit in the kingdom as making up for any self-denial. The subject of the believer’s body, therefore, should come first in our inquiry, and obviously it is a very important one, especially as so much physical demand is now made on the believer; governments claiming it even to the use of the blood that the believer may be able to give for the relief [p. 57] of others.
APT Would it link on with the prophetic reference: “Thou hast prepared me a body”, (Hebrews 10:5)?
JT It would. The truth governing our bodies must stand in relation to the Lord’s body. It was especially prepared but, nevertheless, in it is seen the standard for us for we are enjoined to walk even as He walked, which involves much as to our bodies. Almost everything we do involves our bodies. In our chapter the first divine claim is to present them to God, which would be following on what the Lord did. In becoming Man He devoted Himself to God in the body prepared; devoted Himself even unto death.
AAT In the Lord’s supper the loaf speaks of His body, does it not?
JT Quite so. We had that on the last occasion, that we “have been made dead to the law by the body of the Christ, to be to another, who has been raised up from among the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God”, (Romans 7:4). That enters into what we have in chapter 12.
ABP After the angel finished speaking to Mary, Luke 1, she said, “Behold the bondmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to thy word”, verse 38. Would that be an example of one who is presenting her body?
JT Yes, and for the most exalted purpose. She was blessed among women. Her body was kept guarded infinitely by God during the time of His operation in the holy conception and birth of the Lord Jesus: “The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and power of the Highest overshadow thee, wherefore the holy thing also which shall be born shall be called Son of God”, verse 35.
WFK Must there be a work of God in a body before it is presented? It says, “... present your bodies ... holy”.
JT It is to the believers in Rome that this exhortation is given: “I beseech you therefore, brethren”,
([p. 58] they are brethren; the subjects of the work of God in Rome) “by the compassions of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your intelligent service”, chapter 12:1. It is obvious that there must be a work of God there.
HGH Does the “intelligent service” have reference to our place in relation to the kingdom?
JT The kingdom, as we have been looking at it, and as it is seen here, is in relation to our pathway down here, only involving a system, which the kingdom implies. The kingdom of God is a moral thought; not yet the kingdom of the heavens, but the kingdom of God, which ought to be connected with the Holy Spirit down here. The kingdom of the heavens, as we hope to see on later occasions, is connected with Christ in heaven; so that the working out of the kingdom in the individual, in his body, is seen here leading up to the thought of the one body. It is said in verse 4, “For, as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office; thus we, being many, are one body in Christ, and each one members one of the other”, verses 4,5. The individual walk of the Christian is in mind, but it is a question whether there is any such walk except in the sense of the Christian being identified with the idea of a system, whether it be the kingdom of God or the body of Christ. I mean to say, we cannot be regarded as so many unattached units. The believer is morally attached.
AR Is that the idea of the “intelligent service”?
JT That is the idea. The same kind of expression is used in Corinthians in regard of the Lord’s supper. “I speak as to intelligent persons: do ye judge what I say”, (1 Corinthians 10:15). This is the same idea only it is the body in relation to the kingdom; but the same words are used in verse 4 as we get in 1 Corinthians 10, as we already read: “For, as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office; thus we, being many, are one body in Christ, and each one members one of the other”. It is one body in Christ. It is not exactly one body as in Colossians and Ephesians; it is just the initial idea, which is peculiar to this book. Initial ideas are left so as to be used later; but ‘one body in Christ’ lifts us out of the idea of the ‘friendly societies’, so called, which would not be in Christ. Christians are a body just as the Freemasons would call themselves a body, only Christians are ‘one body in Christ’ and formation and intelligence necessarily enter into that. Hence, we cannot be regarded as unattached units. We are attached, in Christ, both in the kingdom and in the body.
ANW Would baptism not imply that as to the kingdom?
JT Exactly. It is in relation to the kingdom. Christians are baptised, not in batches, but severally. The Ethiopian eunuch said, “Behold water; what hinders my being baptised?” (Acts 8:36). Philip went down with him into the water and that would link him on with the evangelist.
AR Would it be right to say the kingdom regulates the service of God?
JT Well, we have the idea of the service of God in chapter 7 of our epistle, but I do not think we should connect it exactly with the kingdom. Of course, the kingdom is the widest collective thought, but the service of God implies priesthood; that is, the minister of the sanctuary. This epistle really only gives us initial ideas and then we move on to something else. If we are intelligent we shall do so — move on to something else, because the subject is wide and we cannot treat any of the subjects in this epistle fully. But we have the basic thought; we can build on it.
RRT It says, “... to present your bodies a living sacrifice”: would the thought be in the living sacrifice — that it is to be a continuous matter with us?
JT Just so. God made man living. He breathed into man’s nostrils and man became a living soul; now we are made to live through the gospel, by the Spirit. According to chapters 5 and 6 we are made to live “The end eternal life”, chapter 6:22, means that we live for ever, which is a great and blessed thought.
AAT Why is the apostle bringing in the compassions of God just at this point?
JT To affect us. He is beseeching. That is. God condescends to come down to beseech us. God is graciously considering us and would influence us by the compassions, which according to the early part of the epistle He has shown. We have the idea of beseeching by things. Paul says, “Daily I die, by your boasting which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord”, (1 Corinthians 15:31). The idea is of God appealing to us.
RRT Is it not an appeal, too, in the way that it is put here? “Present your bodies” — as though the Spirit of God, in the apostle, would recognise that we have that which may be considered as our own, and it is a question now as to what we will do with it, whether we will present it or not.
JT Just so. I think the individual side is somewhat stressed in the collective singular, as in (John 14:1): “Let not your heart” — not your hearts. Here each one presents his body. Although the word service is employed, the thought here is hardly on the level of the service in the sanctuary. There is an allusion in Hebrews 13:15 to what we present: “the sacrifice of praise”; and in 1 Peter 2:5, “to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ”. These are rather higher than that in our chapter — the presentation of our bodies. But it is remarkable that they are to be presented a living sacrifice; not sacrifices, but “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your intelligent service”.
CAM The fact that the word sacrifice is used, would you say, means that our bodies are [p. 61] now actuated by another life? Death must come in in some sense.
JT Quite so. While our bodies are, of course, physical, the power of presentation is in another life. Chapter 8:10 says, “If Christ be in you, the body is dead on account of sin, but the Spirit life on account of righteousness”. Much may be done in the sense of service, which may not enter into what is formally collective in the assembly. The disciples inquired from the Lord, “Where wilt thou that we go and prepare, that thou mayest eat the passover?” (Mark 14:12). What they did was on the principle of sacrifice. The man that bore the pitcher of water would be on that principle. He was the leader. But all that preceded the service, which began as the Lord placed Himself at table, the apostles with Him.
DP Would it be right to say that the enemy has made man’s body a battleground and God took the issue up with him? And the fact now that man is able to present his body a living sacrifice is victory, in man, by God.
JT Quite so. God attains victory in man. He begins at the bottom — in the believer’s body. I would say that Peter gives us the proper level of the service of God; in his first epistle we are said to be priests, “to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ”. I think that is somewhat beyond Romans 12. The body of the believer hardly rises to the level of the spiritual sacrifice, but still it is a sacrifice.
RWS Is the renewed mind, which comes in in the next verse, a little in advance of the thought of the body? It speaks of being transformed by the renewing of the mind.
JT Well, that would show that the whole man is in view, and the renewal begins with the mind. It is, of course, a faculty or member of the man. It is closely allied with the spirit of a man. Man is a tripartite being: spirit, soul and body. The spirit is the highest feature [p. 62] and the mind is allied closely with it and, therefore, I would say it enters into the service of God directly because we are said to “have the mind of Christ”. That is, our renewed mind is really the mind of Christ which the Spirit uses.
HGH Why do you think the body is referred to before the mind?
JT I think it is to build up the subject. God began with man’s body, but he was lifeless. God breathed into him and that made him a living soul; and we read later that the spirit returns to God who gave it. In animals it does not, although they have spirits too, in some sense, but the animal’s spirit does not return to God. It goes down with him, whereas man’s spirit goes to God who gave it. He is in this sense constituted a spiritual being. He has received his spirit from God. It is the highest part of him. It is himself, really. He may become disembodied, which would be the severance, for the moment, of the physical side, but the man is there and it is in that spirit that, as a believer, he worships God.
ANW Would you say that the body in the chapter referred to is an offset in totality to the members mentioned in Romans 3, severally? Certain members of the man are mentioned there, but now we have the totality of the body committed to God.
JT Yes. The contrast in chapter 12 is striking. The renewal of the mind, spoken of in chapter 12, adds much to the subject before us as qualifying the believer for the higher levels of Colossians and Ephesians.
AI Would the truth be carried forward in the believer presenting his body in this way? The truth of the kingdom would be maintained in the body of the believer.
JT It would. It is a question of God in Romans. It is not so much Christ or His body. The main point is what accrues to God. It is God’s service. God’s fruit and God’s righteousness. Therefore, the kingdom of [p. 63] God is prominent and, of course, the body of the believer becomes the vehicle of that, in an outer sense, but the mind is more than that. It is allied with the spirit which returns to God. It goes up to God. The intelligent service of the believer is to be noted. It is over against the meaningless customs of the heathen, and much of Judaism. The unconverted man could not have that. It could be seen only in a Christian. And it is said. Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, verse 2. The mind is the controlling thought therefore, and subject, as it were, to the spirit of the believer; but it is the controlling thought — proving, testing out things. You thus know where you are For in result, according to (1 Corinthians 2:16), “we have the mind of Christ”, meaning the thinking faculty of Christ. We can think and judge and discern according to Christ.
ANW “Intelligent service” implies the mind, does it not?
JT That is what I was thinking. The word ‘intelligent’ carries that thought.
AAT Have we not to control the mind?
JT “I myself with the mind ...” chapter 7:25. That is another thing; that is the person. “I myself with the mind serve God’s law”. That is the ego which God holds responsible.
AI Why does transformation come in first before the renewing of the mind?
JT The word conformed is used as regards the world, and then, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind”, as if you must have the mind before there can be a transformation. The Lord will transform our bodies presently, Philippians 3:21. That will be His will, but this is our mind; our mind is to be employed in the transformation.
RRT Would we have an example of this in Saul of [p. 64] Tarsus? He said he thought that he ought to do many things, but then when the light shone on him on the way to Damascus, he said, “What shall I do, lord?” Would that indicate at least the initial stages of this transforming of the mind?
JT I am sure that is so. That was before he got the Spirit, showing that the work of the Spirit in the believer, the new birth, carries with it something that can be employed and that will respond to God in some sense.
AR Why is e bringing in the will of God? “The god and acceptable and perfect will of God”.
JT We can understand that I think. We are dealing with the kingdom of God and it turns through Romans: the gospel of God concerning His son. It is God right through, as we have been saying.
EEH Would the thought of numbering the tribes in the early chapters of Numbers correspond in any way with this service here?
JT It would. The nearest approach to that would be in the body. “We, being many, are one body”. The position was that that the tabernacle was in the centre. The first idea in numbers is the encampment and then the decampment. I think the body in verse 4 corresponds: “For, as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office; thus we, being many, are one body in Christ, and each one members one of the other”. That is the basic idea of Numbers in the type.
The position in numbers is that persons were taken from twenty years old and above. That is, we are regarded as Christians in the full sense, having the spirit. And then each pitches by the standard of his father’s house, which is a family thought, and then the tribes, and then the camp which would be subdivided: Judah had three; Reuben had three; Ephraim had three and Dan had three. There were four threes. The whole number, therefore, was seen in the type. There were encampments and then decampments, the latter having in [p. 65] mind movements from place to place; but the tabernacle, as in camp, was the centre always.
ABP Is there a moral sequence in the description of the will of God? It is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Do we realise that sequence experimentally?
JT Through it, I believe, you reach restfulness — that is, in the acceptable will of God. You are not irritable, as they soon began to be in the camp of Israel. They complained in the fringes of the camp; but as you accept the will of God, you are restful. In fact, you are satisfied with your allotment. For instance, Judah had the eastern position; he faced the sun rising. The members of that camp would also be favoured as having the first place. The sun rose on them. Hope would be inspired in their hearts. And then Reuben had the southern aspect. He also would get favourable circumstances, tending to warmth; Ephraim less favourable because of the west, the setting sun, tending to disappointment; and Dan the north, cold winds and their accompaniments. But I should say that the acceptableness of the will of God would satisfy all. There would never be a rebellion, such as Numbers 16 records, if all were satisfied with their positions. They complained against Moses and Aaron.
CAM That would bring in the operation of the mind as seen in verse 3. Korah and his company had high, ambitious thoughts; they were “men of renown”.
JT Think of how Paul was affected himself: “For I say, through the grace which has been given to me”, verse 3; That is, he was furnished for all the heavy tax upon him in the service. He is speaking to us as himself having reached the thought of grace which satisfies, which makes us restful. “For I say, through the grace which has been given to me, to every one that is among you, not to have high thoughts above what he should think; but to think so as to be wise, as God has dealt to each a measure of faith”.
CAM That would suggest that Judah would not have undue thoughts about himself.
JT Quite so. It would have saved Korah, Dathan and Abiram if they were content with what they had. In rebelling against Moses and Aaron they claimed priesthood and apostleship. But such men would claim everything. They were not satisfied with their lot; whereas this chapter would make us satisfied.
RRT In verse 2 Paul says, “that ye may prove”, and then in verse 3 he says, “For I say, through the grace which has been given to me”. Would that indicate that he for himself had proved it?
JT That is just it. He could speak with authority in this sense to the brethren anywhere, especially the Corinthians and the Romans.
RRT And now he wants them to prove it.
JT Just so. He says, “By God’s grace I am what I am”, (1 Corinthians 15:10). You could not get a better man anywhere than Paul, or a more satisfied man. He was poured out as a libation on the sacrifice and ministration of the faith of the Philippian saints, and rejoiced in it.
DP Why does the apostle base his appeal on the compassions rather than the power of God?
JT “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God”. It is a striking appeal. The allusion is to what had come out in the rich unfolding of the gospel seen in this epistle. Of course, the power of God is stressed in Romans also, as seen in chapter 1:16, but the compassions of God are in special accord with the basic gospel epistle, corresponding with the gospel of Luke. The third measurement of the river in Ezekiel 47 brought the prophet to the loins, and in the fourth measurement he reached waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. That suggests the realm of God. Compassions may be connected with [p. 67] the loins.
RWS While each presents his body, yet “a measure of faith” is discriminating. Would you say something about that? “As God has dealt to each a measure of faith”.
JT It is not exactly the gifts that are spoken of in Ephesians or 1 Corinthians. It is a measure of faith here. That is to say, one of the basic things in the economy is faith. Our side of the position is faith. We come into it by faith, and we are in it by measure too; so that each one has not the same faith. Here you are supposed to have faith according to measure.
JAP Was Caleb a man like that? He says, at the age of eighty-five years, “I am as strong this day as I was on the day that Moses sent me”, that is to search out the land. His body was preserved and his faith too.
JT Yes. He had a measure, which is a very important thing — what measure of faith a man has. We all have not the same measure. It is not exactly gift, the power for service, but faith.
ANW Would you just distinguish between the grace measure and the faith measure? Both are referred to in that verse: “For I say, through the grace which has been given to me”, and then at the end, “As God has dealt to each a measure of faith”. Do these run along collaterally?
JT The word measure applied to faith is very noticeable. I do not know that grace is put that way. “For I say, through the grace which has been given to me”. And in verse 6, “But having different gifts, according to the grace that has been given to us”. And, as to faith, “to every one that is among you, not to have high thoughts above what he should think; but to think so as to be wise, as God has dealt to each a measure of faith”. That is, as to faith, you are to know your measure. But in verse 3 Paul is dealing with grace as something he experienced himself. I do not know that it is measured. I think it is that God acts on that principle. In verse 6 and in Ephesians 4:7 grace, connected with measure,
[p. 68] refers to gift. It is operational. Paul had it. He says, as we already remarked, “By God’s grace I am what I am”. You could hardly say what that was in the sense of measure. It is a great operational thought of God, and Paul was the subject of it; and it is in the power of that that he exhorts as to the measure of faith. So that the believers in Rome should know each other in these respects, and it is a great point now that we should know each other in the same sense, because there is much ability for service. And we can thank God for it; but the time will come when we shall be tested as to our faith. We may have more ability or gift than we have faith.
ANW In Ephesians 4, as noted, the apostle says, “But to each one of us has been given grace according to the measure of the gift of the Christ”, (Ephesians 4:7).
JT That is another thing, as we have been saying. I do not think it is just what we have here. This is a great operational thought of God, and Paul is the subject of it, but to each one of us has been given grace, which is gift, but not in the sense of specific gift. He is going to deal with specific gifts later in Ephesians 4, and these come from beyond the heavens. The Lord Jesus is said to have passed beyond all the heavens and has given gifts to men; in relation to men; and these gifts are specified. But every believer has been given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. The question of gift has to be distinguished in all this; specific gift or powers which are to be used in the service of God.
RWS And this verse justifies a brother in not accepting a service which the brethren might ask him to take on and which he feels he is not equal to. It says, “think so as to be wise”, verse 3. The thought is to have a sober judgment.
JT Quite so. There is the idea of travel, too, which would enter into that. If you are invited to the Pacific coast you would have to travel six thousand miles for a [p. 69] few days of service. Well, you have to be sober as to that, to be balanced. We must consider that the Lord is in charge of His services. He is Prince of the prince of the Levites, and He would reckon costs. I am only referring to the matter in a general way. You are referring to the matter in a general way. You are referring to the thought that you have to think soberly, including measure. If we are not in balance we are out of accord with the universe. Thus we have to be balanced in what we are doing.
CAM Paul could travel with Illyricum as an objective, (Romans 15:19,20).
JT He thought of going to Spain and he would go via Rome, but we do not know if he went there. He had already gone from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum, which would be near the Adriatic. In that territory he had “fully preached the glad tidings of the Christ”. That implied measure.
APT It says in Acts 16 that he attempted to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit changed his course.
JT Yes. He had assayed to go there but the Spirit of Jesus suffered him not. There is balance. The Spirit of Jesus: the feelingness of the Lord Jesus was in the service.
RWS Does the divine system, as it operates, enable one to judge this in himself? Without taking counsel or speaking to the brethren, he comes to a sober judgment in himself.
JT Quite so, although it is quite right to take counsel. I would say that Apollos took counsel with Paul, or Paul took counsel with Apollos as to a certain service. He wanted Apollos to go to Corinth, but Apollos had decided he would not at the time go; but Paul wished him to go, and I should think Apollos was right, (1 Corinthians 16:12).
AAT I understand gift is universal, and if it is, why could not Paul be of service anywhere?
[p. 70] JT You have to weigh carefully what you say when referring to universality. Paul had gift and as we have just heard, the Spirit at a certain time would not allow him to speak the word in Asia. God could use Paul in China if He wished to, but there is no evidence that any of the apostles went there, so that we have to be careful about that; because the fact that I have gift does not mean I should go to China. There are other things that have to be thought of, such as Levitical order and principles, and the Lord holds these things in His hands. He is the Prince of the princes of the Levites, and we have to serve under His orders.
HGH Would you say grace would help us in that? Paul says, “But by God’s grace I am what I am; and his grace, which was towards me, has not been vain”, (1 Corinthians 15:10).
JT He tells us how successful he was in his service and he finished his course, too. He could go up to heaven with flying colours, so to speak; I am only using a figure: “For thus shall the entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be richly furnished unto you”, (2 Peter 1:11). That is the idea. In effect Paul said, I have laboured under Levitical principles and nevertheless I have finished my course. God could have kept Paul alive in service for a thousand years but that is not the divine way. He had only one Paul, but still we cannot say that he remained in service a longer period than others.
JTJr Does Timothy show how the thing operates? He was well known in his own locality, Lystra and Derbe, and Paul took him afield for further labours.
JT Yes. He was well recommended by the brethren, and Paul took him on that ground. He proved afterwards how useful he was to him; but what we are saying is very important, because God is using the brethren. He is opening up services, but we must [p. 71] observe principles: and our Eleazar, who is the Prince of the princes of the Levites. That implies that there are influences above us that we should not despise, but rather value as divine provisions. Apollos did not despise Paul, but yet he did not at a particular time go to Corinth. The fact is it was in favour of Paul that he did not go to Corinth; he would not countenance any rivals of the apostle and some of them were there.
APT The verse we have been dwelling on says, “To every one that is among you ...” and then, “... above what he should think”. Are the every one and the he abstract, or do they refer to the brothers in Rome only?
JT Well, the instruction here, of course, would come to us now. It is a question of applying it to yourself.
APT It follows on in a similar way in verse 6, “... having different gifts”, etc. Is this instruction to all or only the servants of God?
JT It says, “But having different gifts, according to the grace which has been given to us, whether it be prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or service, let us occupy ourselves in service; or he that teaches, in teaching”, verses 6,7. That is, it may be a plural or a singular. “Let us” and then, “he that teaches”. Therefore, it applies at any time to whom it may apply. When gift is mentioned, those in particular service are in mind. It is a question of each of us now looking into the matter and seeing how things are going with us generally, and whether we are fitting in according to the principles governing our service.
RWS The powers that be, chapter 13, might limit Levitical service, especially in view of conditions as they exist now, but this chapter teaches that one thinks a particular matter over himself and weighs it as to whether he is balanced as pursuing his service.
JT Yes. Chapter 12 affords guidance for normal [p. 72] Levitical work and therefore it applies to us all — brothers and sisters.
JHH “And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places”, (1 Samuel 7:16). Would that be a well-balanced circuit?
JT Yes. And he came back to his house. That is another good thought, showing how those who serve ought to have houses, or at least, bases to which they can return. Paul and Barnabas, for instance, returned to Antioch and remained quite a while with the brethren, although they had already finished one bit of work, showing the Levitical work is in parts. It is let out, as it were, by the great Head. You finish the bit you get and return to where you came from, and get another bit.
JHH I think that is a principle.
JT We have to understand the principle, and then make an application of it. To get the right principle as to any work is very important.
RRT In relation to Samuel it is said, “And all Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, knew that Samuel was established a prophet of Jehovah”, (1 Samuel 3:20). He covered the whole territory in that way.
JT “And Jehovah was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground”, verse 19.
RRT So that God in His provision for us would take account of the territory, and we in outlying districts can look to God in faith that the whole territory will be provided for.
JT Quite so, in our prayers; because all have not gift, ability to serve men in that way, but ability to serve God in prayer. That does not need gift; we can cover, by prayer, the whole area of the service.
TEH The Lord Jesus said, Luke 10:2, that we should pray to the Lord of the harvest, on account of it being great, suggesting the Lord needs servants.
JT [p. 73] If the harvest is white it ought to be reaped; that is the reaping time.
DP The principles of circulation that are set out in Ecclesiastes 1 can be seen working now in the Spirit’s day: the sun arising and hasting to its place where it ariseth, the wind returning again to its circuits, etc. Although the service of God is limited today, yet these principles that are set out in the chapter referred to are universal in their operation.
JT Of course. Psalm 19 contemplates the heavens and the course of the sun and the constellations. These, of course, stand, and places afield, to which we were referring, stand too, as under God’s government. The field alluded to in Matthew 13:44 — He bought “that field” — may allude to some specific part of the earth rather than to it all. The Lord had in mind where the assembly is to be found. We can show that historically, if we follow the lines of the gospel. The apostles did not go east; they came west and the work still goes on in the west.
TEH Would Ruth 2:8,9 help us on that? “And Boaz said to Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from here, but keep here with my maidens. Let thine eyes be on the field which is being reaped”.
JT That is in conformity with what we are saying. Let us find out where the Lord is working and continue there. But we must proceed with our subject — the kingdom of God in Romans. Chapter 13 is a well-known passage that applies to the present time; kingdom principles in Christians in non-combatant military service. This chapter has a great place in regard to them. It is not that we belong to the kingdoms of this world. We do not. We are strangers and foreigners as regards that. But there are certainly principles of the kingdom which have great importance in relation to the powers that be, as to how we obey them, and what spirit we show; whether we are like Christ in the service we may be [p. 74] rendering. So that what we get is, “Let every soul be subject”, which would point to the soul of a Christian. It is the soul of a Christian, and what it implies. It is a feeling part; it is the compassionate part of a Christian. “Let every soul be subject to the authorities that are above him. For there is no authority except from God; and those that exist are set up by God. So that he that sets himself in opposition to the authority resists the ordinance of God; and they who thus resist shall bring sentence of guilt on themselves”, verses 1, 2. And then it says, “For rulers are not a terror to a good work, but to an evil one ... for it is God’s minister to thee for good”. That is, to the Christian. And it further says, “Wherefore it is necessary to be subject, not only on account of wrath, but also on account of conscience”, verse 5. Conscience comes in under the principles of the kingdom — the conscience in its relation with the powers that be.
JTJr Verse 2 would be that if we do set ourselves against the authorities, it would be an act of our wills. The will would be in activity to what God had set up.
JT The ordinances of God; that is, not Levitical ordinances — it is another department. It is the ordinances of God in which He uses the powers that be. They may not be converted men. We have to get ordinances as regards Levitical work from the Lord as Priest. But now we are dealing with another department of God, that is, governments which God has ordained for the present government of the nations; and it is a most important thing to bear in mind, that we are to be subject because of conscience. The word “soul” is used in verse 1, but “conscience” in verse 5.
JS It is not a question here of whether the authorities be good or bad.
JT It is no question of that at all. It might even be a Nero.
AR God speaks about Nebuchadnezzar as “My servant”. [p. 75] Is that the idea?
JT Just so.
JAP What is the difference between Matthew 17, where the Lord Jesus suggests that the sons are free, and the attitude that we are to show here?
JT Well, the sons are free. It was a question of the temple tax, not a national or political tax, but a temple tax. It was imposed on Jews, and the Lord raises the question with Peter as to whether the sons should be subject to that. Those who received it asked Peter if the Lord paid this tax. Peter replied that He did. The Lord knew what had happened, but He waited until Peter came into the house before He mentioned the matter to him. It involved the family of God and the Lord wished Peter to be instructed as to it. The saints of God are His sons, and they belong to heaven. Therefore, He says to Peter, “The kings of the earth, from whom do they receive custom or tribute? from their own sons or from strangers? Peter says to him. From strangers. Jesus said to him. Then are the sons free”, (Matthew 17:25,26). He further says, “But that we may not be an offence to them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when thou hast opened its mouth thou wilt find a stater; take that and give it to them for me and thee”. It is enough for two people to pay the tax. He says. Go and give it to them for me and thee. But that was “that we may not be an offence”. It was not due. Heaven would not collect it; the true house of God would not collect it from His sons. That is the point there. There is the idea of the family, and what the Lord teaches there is most precious, especially in Matthew. Matthew treats of the assembly, and the assembly is formed of sons, and that characterizes the assembly in our relations with God; we are immune from temple taxes there. God is not imposing them. If you ask for fellowship, if you want to come into fellowship with Christians, you need only to wash your robes. You do not have to pay taxes. You can enter by the [p. 76] gates and partake of the tree of life. You have rights there, which are most precious.
WFK “Pay then what is Caesar’s to Caesar, and what is God’s to God”, (Matthew 22:21). That would apply here.
JT Just so. So that our word in chapter 13 will be effective if the brethren, especially the young men, will see that the authorities have rights in their own departments. We would not let them come into this meeting to take part, but in their own department they are God’s ministers. As we see in Zechariah 6, the four chariots having red, black, white and grisled horses are the four spirits of the heavens which stand before God — that is, the four gentile monarchies, but they do not belong to the assembly. But at the same time, this instruction appeals to the brethren; to their souls in verse 1, and then in verse 5 to their consciences.
RRT I would like to ask one question about verse 5. An unconverted person might be subject on account of wrath. If he is not subject wrath may come upon him; but does the apostle here indicate a higher standard than that for us? We are not subject only on account of wrath, but also on account of conscience.
JT Yes. The brethren should see that in this matter of subjection to the government in these military affairs, conscience enters into it; not only does it bear towards God as to His rights in the Christian, but also His rights in the authorities. Then, as regards chapter 14 the matter of the weak brother’s faith comes up: we have already been speaking of the measure of faith, but there is hardly any measure here, but faith is weak and consideration must be extended to such.
ABP Would it be right to say that faith is given by God? Does chapter 12 support the statement that faith is the gift of God?
JT Yes. Only that when you say that, you ought to add something as to the way it comes. Faith comes by [p. 77] hearing, and hearing by the word of God. We have a moral element in the thing, and the means by which it comes is the word of God, which, I think, is very important, that you are governed by the word of God. “Faith then is by a report, but the report by God’s word”, (Romans 10:17).
ABP It is an element which God gives in that sense, through this moral process, but then as given, are we responsible to enlarge it through using it?
JT Surely. The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith”. But then He said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain. Be transported hence there, and it shall transport itself”. But at the same time we have the idea of growth in faith. The Thessalonians’ faith increased exceedingly, (2 Thessalonians 1:3).
APT Verse 1 speaks of “the faith”; is that the understanding of the truth as set forth in this book so far?
JT “The faith” means Christian faith, involving what is believed as instructions or principles. The brother contemplated here is weak in it, but he has it.
APT He is hardly able to stand — as a board of the tabernacle. He is weak in it. He needs someone to stand beside him.
JT Yes, but he is “in the faith”, and that implies that he is a real Christian. There are many you meet that seem to be interested in the truth, but you are not sure whether they are real Christians. This man is a real Christian. He is weak in it, but he is in it. As we sometimes say, the ocean is in the basket and the basket in the ocean. It is only a little bit of it, but he is in it.
APT The teaching is to help him on kingdom lines.
JT The teaching helps him; and your conduct, too, for example, helps him especially as you eat and drink. You are a rich man spiritually; you have the Spirit of God; you are instructed in the truth of the kingdom of God, and hence you can afford to bear with his scruples [p. 78] and be deprived of certain things for his sake. You do not want to submit to him if he is a prohibitionist or some other extreme legalist.