BELIEVERS OR PRIESTS?
[p. 350] BELIEVERS OR PRIESTS?
Ques Is it not important to recognise that these epistles were written to those who had been Jews?
FER I think so. There are many allusions to what had been, to things foreshadowed in Israel and taken up in the church. Here it is the spiritual house, the holy priesthood.
Ques Is the first chapter the thought of the kingdom?
FER I think Peter’s object in writing was to fill up certain gaps, to shew that nothing had lapsed. The priesthood and the nation had apparently lapsed; but the epistle comes in to shew how God had maintained the reality of these things. You get the spiritual house, the holy priesthood fulfilled in Christ’s assembly. “I will build my assembly, and hades’ gates shall not prevail against it”. The truth of the house was maintained. These things were only foreshadowed in Israel; the reality of them is found in the church. Aaron and his sons were typical; you get the antitype in Christ and the church; and the same is true of the holy nation, the peculiar people.
Ques I should like to know the character of the service.
FER It does not, I think, go beyond the capability of the offering priest. It corresponds with Hebrews 13 where they had not got the tabernacle or temple service, but were to go forth outside the camp, in the place of reproach; but they had the service of God, spiritual sacrifices.
Ques Is this on certain occasions only?
FER No. It is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. I never could understand the offering of sacrifices in connection with the holiest. The holiest was not the place of sacrifice, though on certain occasions [p. 351] the blood was brought in there. This passage in Peter gives us an insight into the true character of Christ’s assembly. You get steps in a way. “He that has called you”. “Not redeemed with corruptible things”. “Purified your souls”. “Born again, as by the word”. “Grow up to salvation”. You get all that, but you have not yet come to priesthood. I think the idea of priesthood has been made too small in the great anxiety to insist on the common priesthood of believers. It is God’s thought for all, but it is too much to say that all are priests. We are “believers” before we get the thought of a “spiritual house”. The coming to the Living Stone is a distinct step. Those who come are outside of what is of man; they are the building of Christ.
Ques Is Christ’s assembly composed of priests?
FER I think so. It is Christ’s assembly, of His kind, as Aaron and his sons. The priestly company has its accomplishment in those who have come to Christ as the Living Stone.
Ques Are they those in verse 3?
FER They are on the way to it. In Hebrews 13 we have, “By him therefore let us offer”. They are offered by Jesus Christ. In Ephesians we have, “through him we both have access”. You touch God at the present time in the appreciation of Christ. The man who does not appreciate Christ does not approach God except in a formal way.
Ques Is there liberty for ‘believers’ to take part in the assembly?
FER Yes; but the point is whether the part they take is as believers merely, or as priests. It may be difficult to determine.
Ques “To you therefore who believe is the preciousness”.
FER I take it, it is to us He is precious. Everything depends on the light in which Christ is apprehended. You want to apprehend Him as the centre of [p. 352] the company; you come to Him in that light, and in that light we are associated with Him. A man who is seeking to prosper in the world has not come to Him as the Living Stone, for virtually he does not admit disallowance. It is as having put on the new man that the apostle can speak of saints as elect, holy, beloved. You cannot get at priesthood apart from Christ being the centre of the company. “Ye in me and I in you”. You might have a very good believers’ meeting, plenty of rousing hymns and so on, and people mistake this for a happy meeting. I daresay it pleases the flesh pretty much.
Ques What is tasting that the Lord is gracious?
FER We appreciate Him. The point is, is the Lord alone good enough for you? People will say they like to have the Lord, but they want a good deal besides. Is He enough for you without anything besides?
Ques In Matthew 16 is the assembly a house for dwelling in?
FER Christ refers to gathering to Himself: it was building His assembly. David built up his own house, or God built David a house: that meant a family. The connection between assembly and house is intelligible.
It is a wonderful thing that the church is identified with Christ in acceptance and in rejection. When He shines out as Sun of righteousness He will be precious in the universe — everybody likes the sun — but meanwhile He is precious to us: we are partners in His rejection. In Hebrews, if you go inside the veil, you go outside the camp. The test in our coming together is what we think of one another. It is very important that we come together aright with one another, or we shall not meet the Lord. The Lord meeting us is dependent on the way in which we come together. If we come together out at elbows with one another we are not entitled to think of meeting the Lord. It is a great satisfaction to come together here, where we are necessarily so much separated by our callings. The disciples came to meet one another in the upper room, and the Lord came [p. 353] to them.
Ques Is it not a great test to come together to meet one another?
FER I think what seriously affects us in it is under-currents of feeling. There would be more blessing to others if we were more in the fatness of God’s house. People would confess “that God is indeed amongst you”. If we came together in love there would not be these undercurrents: there ought to be a power in the Spirit to carry us above even the peculiarities of one another. The Lord will not make His presence felt when we are going on badly.
The ultimate object is that there may be room for Christ: the immediate point is that we meet one another. We have to take into account the strength of the tie that exists among saints. It will necessarily draw us together; it is a powerful bond that holds us together. Partners in a business come together and are well pleased to meet one another. Everything depends on our appreciation of the bond that holds us together. At Corinth I think they came together in a very loose way.
It is instinctive in the unity of the Spirit to come together. J.N.D. was asked why christians come together, and the answer was, ‘Because they cannot help it’. To come together in assembly would be perfectly natural if we understood the unity of the Spirit. I do not think the disciples had much difficulty when they came together in the upper chamber; they came because Christ was such a powerful bond to them. They came with one accord to one place.
Rem This has not been a prominent thought among us, but I see its importance.
FER We come together to meet and touch one another in the unity of the Spirit. You have nothing of the Lord’s presence mentioned in 1 Corinthians 11. There is fellowship — the bread and the cup — we express we are one body. Every heart answers to Christ, and it is that that brings us together. Christ is the bond. I [p. 354] think we are tested by our relation to one another. I am sure we do not respond to Christ if we do not to one another. Where there is estrangement and strong feeling, I doubt if a person should come into the assembly; let such go and be reconciled and then come. Every person is responsible to free himself from such feelings.
Ques Are we to come together as believers or as priests?
FER If as believers only, you are very individual; but if as priests, you are living stones come to the Living Stone. The first point in coming together is, that you are outside of the world, you also are disallowed, but by the Spirit you are in association with the One who is accepted. The whole universe of bliss hangs on Christ:
He is “chosen of God and precious”. If you are baptised to Christ you are in a sense disallowed.
Ques You quite admit that we come together to meet one another and the Lord?
FER Certainly; but our meeting the Lord is dependent on our meeting one another. The presence of the Lord is not a matter of course. We come in affection to one another and expect the realisation of the Lord’s presence. My expectation is to meet the Lord. People take it that if you only come together in proper form, the Lord will be there. I do not believe that. The presence of the Lord is dependent on what we are in relation to one another. It is very possible to come together continually and not have the Lord’s presence.
Ques Would the few who come in a right state be deprived of the Lord’s presence?
FER I would not say so, for the few might save the meeting, and His presence be made good to the two or three, for they morally represent the assembly.
Ques May we not be edified by the love expressed in a meeting where there is no ministry or gift?
FER I think in a little meeting there may be fervent affection one to another; while in a big meeting there [p. 355] is often so much under the surface.
Ques You would not put any hindrance in the way of the assembly to any one who is only a believer?
FER Certainly not; that is a point that I have desired to make clear. You must take the meeting as you find it; we have to accept it in that way. The priests ought, however, to have the conduct of the service among us. The part that people take in assembly must be according to where they are.
Ques Is it not a very serious matter to give out hymns beyond the state the company is in?
FER I think people ought not to give out hymns that are beyond their own state; the great point is that it should be done from the heart.
Ques I thought the Lord ordered all this if we are dependent on Him?
FER I think it is rather that the Lord joins Himself to us. Everybody is affected by the Lord; but the thought that I should have with regard to His singing praises in the midst is that He attaches Himself to our praises. Christ is present in and to our hearts; it is more that thought.
Ques In connection with the assembly?
FER Yes. You have not got to conjure up an imagination.
Ques But you have scripture for it?
FER But it is because He is in us. He is pleased to identify Himself with two or three.
Ques “I will come to you”?
FER That is explained afterwards. “In that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you”.
Ques In John 20 they were together, and the Lord came into their midst?
FER Yes; but they had not the Spirit. He only came for a little while; everything was completely changed in the communication of the Spirit. He makes us conscious that He is in us.
Ques I thought “I will come to you” was a question of visiting?
FER Well, it may be that; but the Lord goes on to explain it. “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you”. He is showing what would characterise that day.
Ques You keep up the thought of “I will come to you” as visiting?
FER Yes; but because we are conscious He is in us: His presence realised. It is because we are in His life. The affections of Christ are in His body. They rest in His body here.
Ques “We will come unto him”?
FER That is individual; it is a different thought. It is wonderful that there is a company here on earth identified with Christ. And Christ is precious to the company. “To you that believe he is precious”, not to the priests only. There is no believer on the face of the earth to whom Christ is not precious. The real power of christianity is in the appreciation of Christ; a person will never give that up. Christ is entirely peculiar: a real Man; but entirely unlike every other man. He did not do things or speak like any one else. The gates of hell cannot prevail against the assembly because there is appreciation of Christ there.