THE KINGDOM OF GOD (5)
[p. 100] THE KINGDOM OF GOD (5)
2 Corinthians 2: 1 - 11; 2 Corinthians 7:6 - 11; 2 Corinthians 13:1 - 10; Leviticus 4: 13 - 21
JT The brethren are aware that our subject at these readings this season is the kingdom of God. We have looked through Romans with the quest of understanding as to it, and at our last reading we had 1 Corinthians to see how the kingdom relates to the assembly. We looked at the earlier chapters, and it is suggested, as has been spoken of amongst us, that we should look at the second epistle to the Corinthians at this time. We can only be very cursory, for many books have yet to be looked into. At our last reading, as already remarked, we looked at the first letter to Corinth, and we were led to consider the matter of evidence in relation to assembly administrations-first, the evidence of the house of Chloe which reported that there was division among the saints in Corinth, chapter 1:11; and then in regard of chapter 5, the incestuous man whom Paul would have put away from among them. These two scriptures occupied most of our time, particularly because they had reference to current things amongst us. It was thought that the assembly was losing its place in administrative matters. The Lord helped at Corinth and the judicial action was carried out according to the apostle’s direction, that in the power of our Lord Jesus Christ with Paul’s spirit, and the Corinthians themselves in assembly, they should deliver the guilty man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. Our present epistle shows that that judgment was carried out. Chapter 7, in the passage we read, shows how it was carried out. Verse 11 says, “For, behold, this same thing, your being grieved according to God, how much diligence it wrought in you, but what excusing of yourselves”, meaning that they were ashamed of themselves because of the tolerance of evil amongst them, which now had been dealt with. Then the apostle goes on, “But what indignation, but what fear, but what ardent desire, but what zeal, but what vengeance: in every way ye have proved yourselves to be pure in the matter”. This shows, as was remarked, that the matter of judgment which was ordered by the apostle was carried out, and it would seem, with righteous severity. Now, what appears in our first scripture read, chapter 2:1 - 11, is that whilst they carried out the judgment rightly, they were failing in recognising the work of God in the man when it began to take effect. It is said in chapter 2:6, “Sufficient to such a one is this rebuke which has been inflicted by the many; so that on the contrary ye should rather shew grace and encourage, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with excessive grief”. It seems that there are important lessons for us in this, first, as to tolerance of evil; how serious it is, and yet at the same time the saints were puffed up while allowing it, according to what the apostle says in chapter 5 of the first letter; and then, after the discipline had become effective in bringing about repentance, the evidence of the work of God, the Corinthians were tardy in recognizing what God had effected. This is a matter of extreme importance for us; that we should not be slow in recognising the work of grace in whomsoever it may be.
JTJr Does the first verse of chapter 2 show how the apostle himself was feeling in regard to things? “But I have judged this with myself, not to come back to you in grief”. That is, he was viewing the thing as it affected God and he was not going to act apart from that.
JT I suppose he had in mind that he would come back as a herald. He speaks of himself in his first letter to Timothy with this in mind, “For God is one, and the mediator of God and men one, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, the testimony to be rendered in its own times; to which I have been appointed [p. 102] a herald and apostle, (I speak the truth, I do not lie,) a teacher of the nations in faith and truth”, (1 Timothy 2:5 - 7). I suppose he would like to resume his service in that way at Corinth if he did come back; that he should not come back in grief which would tend to produce despondency, the very opposite of the effect of grace. I suppose he wished to come back in that way. Apparently that state of things had been brought about in his own soul, for he speaks of it in chapter 7, and it is important, I am sure, that we should, in approaching the saints, come in that way; that is, in buoyancy and power. I suppose that is what he had in mind, and therefore he, in order to pave the way, sent Timothy, a man like himself in spirit, who cared for the saints as to how they got on; whom, he says, he had sent to show them his ways, to set out his ways before them as they were in Christ.
AR Is that why Paul speaks so much about encouragement? He speaks about the God of encouragement.
JT Yes; I am sure it is an important thing that we should not be among the brethren, especially seeking to minister to them, in any gloomy or critical way. That cannot reflect the traits of the gospel.
RWS Paul says in the first epistle, chapter 16:10, “Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear; for he works the work of the Lord, even as I”. Does that bear on what you have said as to Timothy being at Corinth and the instruction as to how they were to treat him, as possibly a timid man, as we have thought?
JT Yes. The same thing is seen in regard of Titus in (2 Corinthians 7:13), “For this reason we have been encouraged. And we the rather rejoiced in our encouragement more abundantly by reason of the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all”. And then again he says, “Because if I boasted to him anything about you, I have not been put to shame; but as we have spoken to you all things in truth, so also our boasting [p. 103] to Titus has been the truth; and his affections are more abundantly towards you, calling to mind the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him. I rejoice that in everything I am confident as to you”. I thought that would correspond with what was said about Titus by Paul himself, that the spirit of buoyancy replaced the spirit of grief. The state at Corinth was an occasion for grief, but the occasion had passed, seeing the evil had been judged, so that there was joy in these ministers.
ANW All that would be based upon the statement in chapter 2:7 — that the brother who had been put away was liable to be swallowed up with excessive grief.
JT The occasion of it was the restoring effect of the work of God at Corinth. And I think what that suggests is that, outside of divine Persons, the work of God is morally the greatest thing we can think of. It will be said in the future, “What hath God wrought!” (Numbers 23:23). And if He is working in any of us, for restoration or anything else, it is most important to take notice of it — in however small a measure. It is our business, as priests to God and to Christ, to take account of the work of God in each. It is the first thing we hear of as in the gospel. There is joy in heaven, we are told, over every repenting sinner.
AAT Have you any idea how Paul could have got all this information about the man, because he was not at Corinth?
JT That came up at our last reading, and it reminds us of what was spoken of at that time, that the assembly has ears. The ears of the assembly are spoken of in (Acts 11:22) and, of course, these ears are of those who form the assembly, and they take in things that are interesting to God and further His work. Therefore Paul was informed as to the evil at Corinth; in fact what was evident at Corinth as regards the incestuous man was a matter of common report. We are not told who [p. 104] circulated the report, but evidently it needed to be circulated was not taken account or rightly at Corinth. And so someone in the house of Chloe reported to the apostle that a state of division existed at Corinth; therefore, it would look as if the ears of the assembly should be alert for all such information.
JAP Did Paul get any information from Titus, such as we were just speaking about?
JT No doubt he did. He speaks of him as if he did. He says, “Because if I boasted to him anything about you I have not been put to shame but as we have spoken to you all things in truth, so also our boasting to Titus has been the truth; and his affections are more abundantly towards you, calling to mind the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him. I rejoice that in everything I am confident as to you”.
ABP Verse 7 gives us the actual facts It says concerning Titus, “Relating to us your ardent desire, your mourning, your zeal”.
JT Quite so.
WFW Going back to chapter 2:4, the apostle said, “For out of much tribulation and distress of heart I wrote to you, with many tears; not that ye maybe grieved, but that ye may know the love which I have very abundantly towards you”. Evidently Paul greatly felt the evil and he was greatly concerned that they might get help in regard to it. He did not use his apostleship in the way of using a rod but he passed through the sorrow in his soul.
JT Quite so. That he refrained from using the rod is helpful; the apostle would tend to pave the way for his own coming in buoyancy and the liberty of the truth of Christianity.
CN Does Paul therefore suggest the authority that is in the kingdom and the reaction that it has on the assembly?
JT Yes. That is our subject. He speaks of going [p. 105] about preaching the kingdom of God. It marked him, but the preaching is to be accompanied by the spirit of the kingdom. We are told that it is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
WFK This man had repented; grief according to God works repentance. They could not do anything with him until he had repented.
JT Just so; but when he does repent he is a subject for the work of God; in fact, it is the work of God that brings about repentance.
CAM Are we to act under the authority and commandments that are in the kingdom, like the first epistle to the Corinthians? That is comparatively simple, but the apostle also feels for the repentant man. We seem to need a sort of sensitiveness for that.
JT That ought to mark the assembly. The assembly is the centre whence all the operations of God work out; the accompaniments that promote holy buoyancy and joy; joy in the Holy Spirit. It would certainly seem here with great significance that that is just what existed, and Paul was labouring to the end that it should be there; that it should not only be actually existent on earth, but that it should be there, that it should be at Corinth at this particular juncture. It was a critical juncture, and these two brothers, Timotheus and Titus clearly belonged to the dispensation and intended to be characterised by it as delegates of Paul; and so they would create conditions, you might say, at Corinth such as marked the apostle when he went there first. The Lord had told him that He had much people in that city and not to be afraid, that no one would set on him to hurt him; so that he had a free hand there during the first eighteen months of his stay, and now that he is coming back he is desirous that he should be in the same spirit, and it is evident that that should apply to us, that in all circumstances we should maintain the character of the dispensation.
APT He says, “... lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with excessive grief”. That would hardly be an assembly feature, would it? To allow that condition to prevail would not be in keeping with the dispensation.
JT No. I heard of a remark of Mr. Stoney’s that he would like to push a certain man into heaven so that he might breathe the atmosphere of the gospel. What is in mind in our chapter is that the assembly should afford heavenly conditions, buoyant conditions.
WFW Kingdom truth leads up to that. The kingdom is corrective and that implies assembly features That is what the apostle had in view.
JT He was representative of heaven, really. He tells us in this epistle that he went up there. He was caught up to the third heaven and into paradise, as if God would fill us, as witnesses here in any little measure, with thoughts of heaven, which ought to be reflected in the assembly.
AR What about pushing a man into the assembly?
JT I would not like to inaugurate anything like violence, but the kingdom of heaven is taken by violence, the violent take it by force. That is not violence in the ordinary sense of the word; it is spiritual, as overcoming obstacles, so that the joy of heaven should be amongst us, and if there is a man that has been a subject of the work of God, if he has been adversely subject to anything else, we ought to be able to help him, and that is the point here. The apostle urges them to show grace. The word ‘grace’ apparently means to forgive him. It carries the thought of forgiveness.
RWS Is there skill in Paul suggesting that if Timothy go to Corinth he be there without fear? With conditions as they were at Corinth, why send a Timothy?
JT I would think he was a timid man. One would gather that, and no doubt God takes account of what we are constitutionally, in a physical sense, in taking us up [p. 107] for His service; and if a man is weakly and timid as evidently Timothy was, he might be more effective in the circumstances then current in the assembly at Corinth. An aggressive man might hinder the work. Sometimes special firmness is needed; going forward with what is right. Timothy was not a man of that kind, but still he was the kind that suited the service; a timid man that would give way to others for the moment, but yet would maintain the truth. Timothy was representative of Paul, especially in his ways; something that we hardly know now by experience — the idea of apostolic representation. Timothy represented that class of ministry: one who represented the apostle in his ways; not only in his teaching, but in his ways; “my ways”, he says, “as they are in Christ”, (1 Corinthians 4:17).
ANW Is it not necessary to see that in taking this course with the Corinthians he is not endeavouring to undo what they were told to do in 1 Corinthians 5 by saying that it was sufficient; but now it was time to receive him back?
JT Yes; because we may go beyond what should be done. Then another point that is important, I think, added to chapters 2 and 7, is that the types furnish the idea of the assembly needing correction; needing adjustment. Indeed the book of Leviticus affords the furnishings, positive and negative, that are needed for the service of God; reparation or correction of what is erroneous even though it be the assembly itself; even though it might be the high priest, or it might be a prince in Israel, coming down even to an ordinary brother or sister. Chapter 4 contemplates the need of a corrective offering being made by the assembly. God has furnished us with instruction so that the service should not be impaired by any lack on our part either in any undue severity or the want of grace; “sin through inadvertence against any of the commandments of Jehovah”, verse 2. The defection arises from something done inadvertently.
[p. 108] That is, it was not wilful. A wilful sin in Leviticus is dealt with most summarily. In fact, Hebrews deals with that side, and Hebrews has to do with the service of God. Sin in Hebrews is apostasy. There is no forgiveness for that. But in Leviticus the sin is reckoned as inadvertence. The word is, as the brethren will notice, in Leviticus 4: 13. “And if the whole assembly of Israel sin inadvertently”. It is not regarded as a sin of will; a wilful sin, as it says in Hebrews, “For where we sin wilfully ...”, chapter 10:26. There is no forgiveness for that. Here it is inadvertence, therefore the door is open for correction. That correction implies that there is a judgment of the thing; although it was done inadvertently, yet it was sin nevertheless when it became known. When it becomes known it is sin, and it is dealt with as if the whole assembly were guilty of something, that is if somewhat is done against “any of all the commandments of Jehovah in things which should not be done, and are guilty”. That is, the guilt is there nevertheless, although it was not done deliberately; and then the scripture directs that the elders of the assembly shall lay their hands on the head of the bullock before Jehovah. It says the bullock was to be a young one, and it was to be a sin-offering, and it was to be brought to the tent of meeting, “and the elders of the assembly shall lay their hands on the head of the bullock before Jehovah; and one shall slaughter the bullock before Jehovah. And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock’s blood into the tent of meeting; and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before Jehovah, before the veil; and he shall put of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before Jehovah which is in the tent of meeting; and he shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt-offering, which is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And all its fat shall he take off from it and burn on the altar. And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock of [p. 109] sin-offering: so shall he do with it. And the priest shall make atonement for them; and it shall be forgiven them”, verses 15 - 20. That is the principle of forgiveness applied to the assembly. “And he shall carry forth the bullock outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bullock; it is a sin-offering of the congregation”. That is, the blood of the offering is carried into the tabernacle and all such offerings are burned with fire without the camp, meaning they are serious before God. Not only have they offended each other, but they have offended the Lord: “... any of all the commandments of Jehovah”. It is very gracious for God to provide this for us, because the types are for us. They are types for us in our dispensation. So that God has recourse to Himself to His own provision in grace; that in which He has come out in the gospel. He now comes out to repair — to set us up again in the assembly — so that the assembly should function; because the assembly is there abstractly even though there is error. The assembly is there abstractly, and God is ever ready to support it. In fact, the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it, showing it is abstractly kept in perfection, but nevertheless it is capable of sinning.
AR We should have an assembly conscience.
JT That is a good phrase. We are more ready to join in characteristics, perhaps, that are not marked by conscience. We are apt to join and hold to a line of things not marked by conscience, rather for justification of self, and to show that we are of one mind; whereas the assembly conscience will bar anything in the sense of special friendships, with special ability to be friendly with one another and to support one another.
WFW What you have said as to a defective part in a machine is very instructive; something being defective in the assembly, so that it will not function properly. In the mind of God it is there and held there, but yet it is not functioning properly. You can take the most [p. 110] expensive machine and if there is something wrong it will not function. The same thing applies to divine things.
JT It is well to use any line of things that we can apply illustratively. This matter of repair, the need of repair, and the power of repair to set things up as they used to be and should be is most important. Leviticus has that in mind.
CAM In verse 15, which you just read, it refers to “the elders of the assembly”, and in verse 16 it says, “the priest that is anointed”. Would it be right to say that the elders of the assembly refer to some local element, whereas the priest that is anointed might be looked at as one that acted for God in a universal sense?
JT I think so. The priesthood is universal. The priests are not restricted to what is local any more than the Levites are. The elders of the assembly are always local. The term may be applied to the whole assembly or the whole nation of Israel, but in principle elders always, work locally and hence the elders of Ephesus, for instance, although by extension they may be regarded as the elders of the assembly, yet practically they are local at Ephesus. They are said to be made by the Spirit of God as overseers, not simply elders, but persons who look after things in an overseeing manner. And there is intelligence, there is ability to deal with things, because overseers should know; they know what is defective, and then they know how to repair, as we have seen.
JAP Do we get help as to the priesthood in the incident when Phinehas took matters up for God? God said he was jealous for Him. Is that what is needed in these matters?
JT Just so; the priest thinks for God. Leviticus 8 says that the priests are to keep the charge of Jehovah, day and night seven days, verse 35, meaning the whole dispensation. God has allied Himself, as it were, with them in approaching men in relation to matters of [p. 111] leprosy such as this, or any irregularity, such as the outbreak in Numbers 16, for example. In principle, the priests are always available to act for God.
WR Is Paul not setting up the saints in Corinth in the dignity of priesthood? He says in the beginning of chapter 7, “Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us purify ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God’s fear”, verse 1.
JT Just so.
RWS In verse 13, something has been hid from the eyes of the congregation, but when the thing becomes known then the congregation shall present a young bullock. It does not say the assembly; it is the congregation. What is the difference?
JT Footnotes to Exodus 12, verses 3 and 6, New Translation, give instruction as to the use of the two words. ‘Assembly is the congregation looked at as a moral whole, a corporate person before God’. ‘Congregation is the actual subsisting congregation composed of all its members’.
WFK Should there be assembly repentance before adjustments are met?
JT There should be.
WFK How does that work out?
JT Leviticus 4, which we have been considering, indicates this. We also have instruction in Revelation. The seven assemblies are viewed as in responsibility, and, having failed, the Lord directs them to repent and do the first works, chapter 2:4,5; not only the actual repentance is required but the things that are needed should be done to set the matter right.
WFK If this was not done the Lord could not be with the assembly.
JT He could not.
FSC There is a word in (2 Corinthians 7:9), “Now I rejoice, not that ye have been grieved, but that ye have been grieved to repentance; for ye have been grieved [p. 112] according to God, that in nothing ye might be injured by us. For grief according to God works repentance to salvation, never to be regretted; but the grief of the world works death”. Is that assembly repentance?
JT It is indeed. God has made provision in the types for us, and we see how the Lord carried out the same principle in writing to the seven churches; all is for us. “Now all these things happened to them as types, and have been written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come”, (1 Corinthians 10:11). So we are to take on what was written, and if it applies at a given time we should apply it. Why should there be a defect? God says, I do not want you to be at any disadvantage; I do not want to charge you with wilful sin. God is not wishing to place us beyond recovery; He is wishing to keep us within the range of recovery where grace is; where He is Himself. Hence, why not use it? And in order to use it, to set ourselves in the position to use it; that is, owning the thing that has been done. However ignorantly done, yet it is done and should be corrected and acknowledged not only to one another but to God.
AR Is that a local repentance? How do you-look at the repentance in Corinth?
JT There should be an acknowledgment to God. Only the other day I had a word about that in a letter from a certain place where an action had been taken several years ago and now it is found to be wrong, and the brethren are concerned how to deal with it, and clearly Leviticus 4:13 - 21 is the way: to acknowledge it before God according to the instruction furnished. A young bullock is offered for a sin-offering, meaning that God is looking for the best in the way of acknowledgments.
APT In regard to the word our brother quoted from (2 Corinthians 7:10), “never to be regretted”. Does that fit in with the assembly side?
JT That is a good word. The assembly is [p. 113] not to live in regrets. We are not to live in regrets in heaven, I am certain; nor are we to live in regrets here either. The matter is made clear and the assembly conscience made perfect through the sin offering; it sets us up again as free from the stain.
JS Is that to bring about buoyancy again in the assembly?
JT Just so. God is counting on us to represent Him here, and if we are not buoyant, rejoicing, we cannot represent God. The Spirit of God is here; hence it is joy in the Holy Spirit; that is a characteristic of the kingdom.
CN So that the elders laying their hands on the head of the bullock would be taking on the thing, and the action of the priests would be the atonement made for it, so that, as you say, the whole position is clear.
JT Quite so. They are God’s priests; as if He were to arm Himself with them so that His rights are maintained. And as we have often remarked, Leviticus always speaks of the priests as available.
AR In what way can a local assembly sin today.
JT We cannot get any better example than the one we have before us. They were puffed up about the wickedness amongst them; and they did not deal with it; then after they dealt with it they were slow in showing grace; although grace reigns; it is the dispensation of the grace of God.
JTJr Would not verse 2 of the chapter in Leviticus amplify what our brother has brought up? It says, “.. any of the commandments of Jehovah”; that is, even one commandment. Matthew and Corinthians would be the law of the house. It would be a violation of any one commandment; even one.
JT Therefore the word in 1 Corinthians 14:37 is very significant, “If any one thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual ...” — he would recognise that what Paul wrote was the commandment of the Lord. Hence John’s gospel says, “He that has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me”, (John 14:21).
RWS Elders are not mentioned at Corinth. I was wondering if there was some reflection upon the elders there in connection with the assembly sinning.
JT There may be that. The Lord is helping us in having recourse to care meetings, admitting all the brethren, old and young; for why should we not be careful about the things of the Lord. A care meeting ought to be marked by the application of the principles that God has ordained for the government of His house; administrative principles. I do not know that we are weaker in anything than we are in administrative principles. It is painful to see the violation of some of them often allowed to pass.
WWM Would you say something about the work of God that was mentioned at the beginning? Is it your thought that we are to value that work and promote it even though for the moment we may be hindered by something in the person in whom it is? The work of God is always to be valued. Moses says, “Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, according to the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy majesty unto their sons. And let the beauty of Jehovah our God be upon us; and establish thou the work of our hands upon us: yea, the work of our hands, establish thou it”, (Psalm 90:15 - 17).
JT That bears much on what is before us. It is he that writes later, “What hath God wrought!” And what comes up in relation to that is the preciousness of the work, such as Bezaleel and Aholiab wrought, including the use of precious stones. The most precious things were employed. The epistle to the Philippians corresponds, as stressing the excellence of the work of God in Christianity. To them the apostle says, “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in full [p. 115] knowledge and all intelligence, that ye may judge of and approve the things that are more excellent”, chapter 1:9,10. In the breastplate of the high priest, each tribe is represented by a precious stone; not only the name of the tribe but by the precious stone, as if we should know the value of the precious stone and say. That is Judah; that is Benjamin; so that we know how to value one another. We are apt to think of each other very crudely and even as together by dint of circumstances, ordinary external circumstances, whereas God’s work brings us together in affection. Hence, as we see one who is the subject of the work of God, whether it be Judah or Benjamin, we recognise him. We know him by the precious stone. “To you therefore who believe is the preciousness”, (1 Peter 2:7). Peter uses that word, and so he speaks about the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. The foundational position is in that, and hence the precious stones in the heavenly city. In the book of Revelation each foundation of the city is adorned by a precious stone.
CFE The priest is spoken of much in Leviticus 4. Does he take on the sin of the whole assembly?
JT Yes, he officiates in all the cases mentioned. Indeed, he himself is one of them. The first one mentioned is the priest, showing how all, outside of divine Persons, are liable to be defective. This type, however, contemplates complete adjustment as also does the first epistle to the Corinthians as to the man put away. The apostle, while ordering the man to be excommunicated, to purge out the old leaven says at the same time, “according as ye are unleavened”. Thus while the assembly is capable of being leavened by the conduct of one of its members, viewed abstractly it is unleavened.
JAP Does assembly sin oftentimes begin with the sin of a person? The chapter in Leviticus which we are considering begins with the sin of a soul. I was thinking of what Paul said to the Corinthians: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump”. Is that the way matters begin?
JT Yes; “a little leaven”. The abstract idea of which we have spoken is important and ought to be always before us. The apostle says, “Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump”, (1 Corinthians 5:7). That is what we are speaking about. He further says, “... according as ye are unleavened”. On that basis we start over again. It is a foundational thought of the assembly. That is the work of God, and the work of God is in keeping with the cost at which the assembly is secured for God. It is purchased with the precious blood of Christ. Paul says to the Ephesian elders, “Shepherd the assembly of God, which he has purchased with the blood of his own” (Acts 20:28) with notes.
WFW From chapter 13 you were going to bring before us other things bearing on what is before us.
JT It was only to bring out from the chapters immediately preceding what is always present; that those whom God is using in His service are always objects of attack. The anointing always brings out the attack of the enemy. It comes out particularly in this second epistle to the Corinthians; Paul’s adversaries — because he had them. He would say, no doubt, in his inmost heart, I am sorry for them, but I have them. He singles out a certain one among them, a rival, no doubt saying, “His letters, he says, are weighty and strong, but his presence in the body weak, and his speech naught”, (2 Corinthians 10:10). That is, Paul can write a good letter, he would say, no doubt. “But his presence in the body weak, and his speech naught”. That is the character of the attack. Those who are rivals will say discreditable things of those who are seeking to set out the truth as it should be. God has furnished many of His servants who are able to do this and we ought to have it before us that they are to be protected because the enemy is specially against them and that is the thing that works out in the end of this epistle; Satan’s emissaries were there and they were attacking Paul, and Paul says I am a fool to talk about myself in talking about them, but ye have compelled me, chapter 12:11. We force the brother or brothers whom God may be using in His service to speak of themselves; they may have to speak of themselves but they are fools in doing it, and they feel that. They would rather others would do it and others should do it. And so when the apostle comes down to the last chapter of the epistle, he comes to this point as to himself. He speaks about two or three witnesses, alluding to the fact that he had promised to come and was coming. They would say. He does not mean it; he is not exactly truthful about it; but he was truthful about it and he wanted them to know that he was truthful. Now he says, “I have declared beforehand, and I say beforehand as present the second time, and now absent, to those that have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare. Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, (who is not weak towards you, but is powerful among you, for if indeed he has been crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power; for indeed we are weak in him, but we shall live with him by God’s power towards you,)” verses 2 - 4. That is the confidence the apostle has. “Examine your own selves if ye be in the faith; prove your own selves: do ye not recognise yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed ye be reprobates? Now I hope that ye will know that we are not reprobates”, verses 5, 6. Someone there might suggest that terrible thing; no doubt that is implied. “But we pray to God that ye may do nothing evil; not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do what is right, and we be as reprobates. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. For we rejoice when we may be weak and ye may be powerful. But this also we pray for, your perfecting. On this account I write these things being absent, that being [p. 118] present I may not use severity according to the authority which the Lord has given me for building up, and not for overthrowing”, verses 7 - 10. I thought we should finish with that as bearing, not on the priesthood exactly, but on those whom God has set in the assembly according to the first epistle, to announce the truth and administer divine principles among the brethren.
ABP Is there a link between this and Leviticus 4 in the fact that the person who is not designated other than by the word ‘one’, who steps forward in the acceptance of the position and takes the lead to slaughter the bullock, may be outwardly expressing weakness in doing so?
JT Let us read the note to verse 15: ‘The expression “ones hall slaughter” has interest in respect of the point where self-offering and mediatorial work begins. It was not the priest who slaughtered, unless he were the guilty one (verse 4), and then it is not as priest. I do not know that it is more precise in verses 4 and 24’. And in the chapter, verse 24, which is referred to, reads, “And he shall lay his hand on the head of the goat, and slaughter it at the place where they slaughter the burnt-offering before Jehovah: it is a sin-offering”. Whether there is any point of weakness, I do not know, but the word ‘one’ would point to the fact that the thing had to be done. It might appear in other connections that the priest should do it, but the word “one shall slaughter the bullock before Jehovah” would mean that it had to be done. What was said about Ananias and Sapphira comes into one’s mind. The burial had to take place and one of the young men did it. I do not know whether much can be said as to weakness.
ABP I was thinking of it in the light of the weakness which Paul would attribute to himself in the verses we read. He seems to be prepared to be so regarded. Naturally speaking, it is weakness to admit error. Spiritually it is really power, is it not?
JT It is indeed power. I mean to say, you often [p. 119] see it, that it needs courage, where a thing has been done that is not right, to say it is wrong; to say it outright; to call it by its right name.
WR Does Paul bring himself forward in that way as having parental authority over the saints? He says in verse 14 of the preceding chapter, “Behold, this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be in laziness a charge; for I do not seek yours, but you; for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children”, verse 14. Is that the thought, that Paul would desire in his activity among the saints to “lay up” something for them that could be carried forward to the glory of God?
JT He became a father to them. They did not have many, he said; they did not have many fathers. They had many teachers, and he acted towards them as his children, laying things up for them. He would work with his hands so as not to be a charge to them.
RW S. Would the gain of all this accrue in Corinth, according to the last verse of the epistle? “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all”, verse 14. Is that the gain accruing from taking up issues and facing them — having this rich heritage?
JT Just so; the Father, the Son and the Spirit are brought in there; certainly involving a very strong position in that sense. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all”. I think you have already said that the elders are not mentioned. It is all the saints — the whole assembly — in evidence in Corinth. When we come to the actual official side, in the first epistle, we have “So also is the Christ”, the body is set out in that way, the Christ being expressed in the assembly as anointed. It is an anointed vessel here below in power to maintain for God on earth.
JS Does the apostle show how skilful [p. 120] he was?
JT Well, I am sure he does. That would link up with what we have already alluded to in Exodus: the skill of the workers in the tabernacle, especially the two leading workers, Bezaleel and Aholiab. That marked Paul. He was a wise architect; in building he knew just what to do.
WFK Do you think those who form an assembly can be too severe and thus damage the building? I was thinking of verse 10 of our chapter. “That I may not use severity according to the authority which the Lord has given me”. I was thinking of the building up.
JT That is specially important at the present time. It is a beautiful ending in such an epistle, especially as followed by the salutations, bringing in the whole Godhead. It fits particularly in an assembly to which Paul is regarded as a father; not only an apostle, but a father A father would be severe, if necessary, but characteristically a father works in love. He addressed the Corinthians as a father. “My beloved children”, he says, “I admonish you”, (1 Corinthians 4:14).
JTJr Would verse 5 of this last chapter bring them back to chapter 11 of the first epistle examining and (proving) Really, you could hardly take the Supper without this; that is, where there is unjudged sin-examining and proving would lead you to judge it.
JT That is what you get here. “Examine your own selves if ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” Whether we are in the dispensation characteristically, is meant. We are to examine ourselves, and in chapter 11 it is, “and thus eat”. How can we answer to this chapter unless we are fed with right food?