THE SPIRIT IN THE HOUSE
[p. 14] THE SPIRIT IN THE HOUSE
This chapter and the remainder of the epistle have to do with the latter times of defection. This is why he is exhorted to take heed to the doctrine. We come to this point that we contemplate the presence of the Spirit in the house of God and the utterances of His voice in the way of warning against defection. The Spirit of God keeps an eye upon things and is always upon the alert to warn against defection. Verse 6 indicates the direction which evil would take, setting up abstinence as a kind of superior sanctity. It is the principle of ritualism and the acknowledgment of the flesh. Timothy was to be on the alert and to warn the saints against things which tend to corrupt. Many things appear specious and people are taken in by them before they know. It is not everyone who can see what principles are involved in things which may naturally appear very good. The apostle exposes the evil of the thing in itself, he says “For every creature of God is good”, etc. (verse 4).
The presence of the Spirit gives a proper place to every ordinance of God — it does not set them aside. It is one great proof of the Spirit of God that every ordinance of God is maintained in its proper place — marriage and such like. Celibacy would be introduced into the established church if they dared to do it. If you take Papacy it is all a system of lies, and ritualism is not much better. The only idea they have of holiness is in a material way. All that system is hypocrisy without their knowing it, and then the conscience becomes cauterised. If the conscience were alive they would be afraid to touch these things. The men are the demons, as satanic doctrine may characterise a man. What satanic influence is being carried out in the world [p. 15] under the name of Christ! Prayers for the dead, etc. is doctrine of demons. In the house of God the Spirit of God keeps up His warning voice against these things, but they go on in the “great house” — christendom!
It is evil coming in in a systematic form — they depart from the faith — it is apostasy in principle, though it is connected by profession with the name of Christ. It is departure from the faith and the introduction of a great deal which was originally heathenish. It is not like the tares; they are heresies. Corruption is subtle because it is generally things carried beyond their proper limits, which were originally of God. Death with Christ is right but if you carry it too far and make it death to nature, it is corruption.
Men trafficking in divine things end in having their consciences cauterised. The best man that ever lived can get corrupted by dabbling in evil. The corrective is piety, for piety respects every divine ordinance. You get piety on the part of children to parents because it is a divine ordinance. It is a divine ordinance that God is the preserver of all, specially of those that believe, because they respect every ordinance of God. A priest goes in for celibacy because he disregards the ordinance of God. You draw on a living God — that is what piety does. The apostle went on labouring and suffering reproach because he trusted in a living God. There is no moral corruption in any food — it is set apart for man’s use. A man never abuses what he receives with thanksgiving; it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. The word of God here is the principle through which we know God — the testimony of God — and prayer is testimony with God. The creatures of God are properly for those who stand in relation to God and we stand in relation with God through His word and prayer — a divine testimony having reached us. It is intercourse with God (verse 6). The way in which divine things have reached us are as food to us. The words in which the faith is expressed are taken up and [p. 16] become food to us. The faith must be conveyed to us in words. A man cannot pretend to anything beyond what be has attained but be is nourished by the faith and sound doctrine. It is in the Holy Spirit. The mind of God is there to perfection for the Spirit is the truth. Christ is the Spirit of truth objectively and the Spirit is it subjectively. You must have the medium of communication and there are the Scriptures.
The Jews have the Scriptures but they have no light from God so that they are a dead letter to them. Until God begins to work in the Jews it is no use. You can only know divine words by the things. Whatever Scripture contains you get intelligently, but you have it first by the Spirit. It is possible to have your head crammed full of doctrine and know nothing by the Spirit. You get no real light beyond the teaching of the Spirit. What can be more important than that a man should have the truth in a divinely appointed form and the Scriptures give you the truth in a divinely appointed form. A man needs to get the truth in a divinely given shape.
If a man made light of the Scriptures that man could not be led of the Spirit of God. Our minds are liable to run riot and we need the Scriptures to keep us within bounds. The intelligence of the house comes by the Spirit. If Paul had attempted to communicate to the saints anything outside of the knowledge of the twelve apostles they would have been justified in refusing it — for all had come out in Christ. The Spirit had brought all things to their remembrance, whatever He had said to them. Nothing could be taught by Paul which had not come out in Christ Himself. It was given to Paul to communicate it — not to the twelve. It was impossible that the Spirit could seal an incomplete testimony. The Spirit of God is the witness for Christ and He maintains the truth. God, in His wisdom, has given the Scriptures for a guard but the Spirit is the power of the testimony. He is the witness for Christ.
[p. 17] People need an interpreter and God, in His mercy, furnishes the key — the Spirit of God and He uses a vessel. What was given to Paul completed the testimony of God.
It was not given to Peter to give out the truth of the assembly — it was given to Paul. The apostle deposited the testimony in the church — for the assembly is the pillar and base of the truth. All light is got by the Spirit of God from Christ. No one can attempt to define how the Spirit of God teaches — it is the anointing. Man is to have the light of life. The word of God in Scripture is a moral idea — “For the word of God is living and operative”, etc. Hebrews 4: 12. Christ was the Word of God — it was not simply the words He said — but He was it.
The great fact of the resurrection is the word of God — it is God’s testimony — Christ is God’s great expression of Himself.
In chapter 6 we find heterodoxy; any man who would use christianity to upset the ordinances of God is heterodox. A christian does not seek to undermine what God has established. Christ taught His disciples to respect things which existed. This chapter 6 is dissent and also suffering worldly advantage to be an end in piety; pursuing and using christianity as a means for present advantage. All the principles which we see abroad at the present time, the Spirit warned against at the outset. It all shows the importance of not being affected by what you see, but by the Spirit of God. All outside the Spirit of God means departure. There is a great deal amongst us that is only external — we can only help each other as inside what is of the Spirit. Brethrenism might have a very great semblance of the truth and yet be very far from it.
Timothy is the typical servant — he continues until the coming of the Lord — Paul passed off this scene. We should be very well content to be judged by Scripture in all that we say and put forth.