THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US (6)

^[p. 441] THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US (6)

Joshua 8: 1 - 23; Joshua 10: 7 - 15; Joshua 11: 10 - 13

JT What is in mind now is that we might learn something of the way God turns our failures, as in the conflict, to good account, so that His end is reached in respect of them, and that there is gain through the humiliation that naturally attends defeat. In chapter 8 Joshua has, one might say, to go over the ground of the death of Christ. He identifies himself with the people; and, as we learn in verse 13, “Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley”. This course has to pursued in order to show that victory comes that way, in going down, as Christ did. Then, more than ordinary power is seen in Joshua in the use of his javelin, for it is said: “Jehovah said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thy hand” (verse 18); and then, “Joshua did not draw back his hand, which he had stretched out with the javelin, until they had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai” (verse 26). This evidently points to the power of life working in the man himself, but along with that, having to accept outward defeat; that is, to act as if defeated — another humiliating experience.

In chapter 10, the thought is to show the greatness of man in Joshua, as a feature of the book; how creation is under his hand, as it were, in the sun and the moon hearkening to him. These are the two thoughts in mind that we might consider; and finally, the overthrow and destruction of Hazor as involved in the victory — that is, the overthrow of imperial power, because it was the head of the nations. The Lord will help us to see that these thoughts are to be found in the history of the conflict, at the beginning of our dispensation; but the divine end is reached through the process of humiliation; through ^[p. 442] failure and discipline, Christ is seen portrayed again, both in His humiliation and in His glory.

HES Would these thoughts be seen in the epistle to the Philippians? The Lord’s descent into the valley first of all, and then everything put under Him — His greatness as Man afterwards?

JT Yes. “also God highly exalted him” (Philippians 2: 9). “Let this mind be in you”, enters into it: a readiness to go down, to go all the way when failure occurs, and this involves correspondence to Christ’s path in dealing with sin.

MWB Will you say more as to the distinction between Christ presented in the ark and in Joshua? Do I understand in Joshua it is Christ appreciated in the heart in such a way that it becomes formative in us in spiritual quality?

JT That is the truth. The ark would allude to Christ Himself, having become small, marvellously compressed in order to do the will of God. It was a very small vessel, measured on the principle of a half, suggestive that there was more than was apparent. It does not appear in this conflict at Ai. Indeed, after chapter 6 it is scarcely mentioned until the end of chapter 8. I think, what is implied is that Joshua and Israel have learned their deep lesson. They see the variableness of themselves; how, although Christ be in us, which is the idea of Joshua, there may be failure in each of us, notwithstanding. As the lesson is learned, as we see in the verses read in chapter 8, the ark then has a great place. It is said in verse 33: “And all Israel and their elders, and their officers and judges, stood on this side and on that side of the ark before the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, as well the stranger as the home-born Israelite; half of them toward mount Gerizim, and the other half of them toward mount Ebal”. The ark has received a greater place than Moses had ^[p. 443] directed in the instructions in Deuteronomy; the people are on this side of it, and on that side of it. It seems as if it is central now in their thoughts; it is the divine standard. We may drop from it, but the divine standard remains; absolute perfection is in Christ.

AMH Would the thought of the power of God come again before the soul, after the self-confidence of the previous chapter? They are encouraged to go forward; not to fear, nor to be dismayed now — the ark is getting a greater place with them.

JT That, I think, is the meaning of the teaching.

PL Do we find that in 2 Timothy there is humiliation in church sorrows, but everything established in Christ Jesus?

JT I think that is a good suggestion. There had been a breakdown, but the position remains. “In Christ Jesus”, is a leading thought in 2 Timothy; faith and love are there. Even as regards the gospel, the apostle laboured and suffered that the elect might “obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2: 10); as if that is what is needed now, “in Christ Jesus” being the fixedness of things.

JJ Does what is implied in “in Christ Jesus” being mentioned so frequently in 2 Timothy have reference to the seven times going round the city?

JT I think the seven times encircling of Jericho would work out strength through weakness — out of weakness we are made strong. Strength is perfected through weakness. Seven always suggests a perfect exercise spiritually. Three would be that testimonially, but spirituality needs more, a greater process. No doubt 2 Timothy has in mind the development of what “in Christ Jesus” means. It is fixedness as to what is of God, involving power — a matter of supreme importance now, all outwardly being unstable.

EuR Does the conquest of Canaan involve what ^[p. 444] came to pass at Pentecost, including Ephesus and Paul’s epistles to the Colossians and Ephesians?

JT Yes; the conquest of Canaan typically is in the testimony of the apostles, especially Paul. The conquest of Ai is a specially instructive feature, the detail of it particularly; the failure relating to it really developed out of the overthrow of Jericho. That is what worked out after Pentecost, beginning with Ananias and Sapphira; then the murmuring seen in Acts 6; and the failure of the apostles to leave Jerusalem when the testimony was definitely rejected in the murder of Stephen. Even Paul himself did not escape failure, although we always hesitate to say much; but, in truth, his going to Jerusalem was not on the level of the heavenly testimony committed to him. He had courage enough, but the Spirit was against it, and I think that his imprisonment for something like four years would show the overruling of God reaching the end in mind; not as quickly, perhaps, as it might have been. But the epistles from the prison seem to be the crowning feature in the overthrow of the principles of the world, and the establishment of heaven’s principles. For it is no question, in our dispensation, of the destruction of persons, but of principles. There is to be no toleration of them at all — they are not merely set aside; the world is morally displaced where the testimony is truly received. That is what is brought in in the mystery. In the type the mystery required the overthrow of Hazor, that is, the imperial system. So Paul, I think, had to go over the ground seen here in type. He was experienced in going through death, from his conversion. He tells us before he wrote the second letter to the Corinthians, he had also been down into death; what he calls, “so great a death” (2 Corinthians 1: 10). The imprisonment at Jerusalem seems to bring him down into “the valley” (Joshua 8: 13), out of which we get ^[p. 445] some wonderful results. There is remarkable power, as we shall see, evidenced in Joshua holding out the javelin so long (verse 26).

Ques Do you think we may be clear of one point and have judged it, but not another? When Paul calls the leaders of Ephesus, and speaks of the inheritance, he says: “I have coveted the silver or gold or clothing of no one” (Acts 20: 33). He was free of that in the service of God.

JT I am sure of that — as over against Achan’s sin.

PL In the allusion to Christ as having “annulled death, and brought to light life and incorruptibility by the glad tidings” (2 Timothy 1: 10) — is that the power of life seen in Paul as set out here in the type?

JT It is brought to light in the javelin, as already noted.

AMP Twice in connection with Ai there is a rising early in the morning; once in facing the iniquity and shame, and the other in taking the city. Is that significant?

JT Yes. We have frequently in the Scriptures the thought of rising early, and it is seen pre-eminently in the Lord in rising early on the first day of the week.

PL Is there something of the ambush character in 2 Timothy? Timothy is to bring Mark; and then Paul says: “Luke alone is with me” (2 Timothy 4: 11); and he remarks as to Onesiphorus visiting him, as if such visits were not frequent. It is a military setting, but the forces are small, a kind of ambush, do you think?

JT Just so, the thought of ambush seems to be peculiar to this conquest of Ai; it means that in such circumstances, God veils what He is using. You get the thought earlier, in the hiding of the spies. The ambush means that the enemy is deceived; it may be in a brother, fitted for a certain service,

^[p. 446] but outwardly quite unlikely; yet when the time comes, he is there. What God intends to use is there. The idea of ambush is part of the teaching of the book; it is the concealment of what is of God, in order to gain an advantage.

APT It speaks in 1 Corinthians of the least esteemed; would that be the idea of an ambush. God might use one not particularly outstanding in the assembly.

JT Well, quite so: it is, of course, to honour the assembly. The least esteemed is more likely to have a better judgment than the chief justice: the least esteemed in the assembly; for he is “one of you”. There might be much more in him than might appear; for in a condition like Corinth, where man’s wisdom prevailed for the moment, one little esteemed might be spiritual. They are enjoined to recognise Stephanas. Why should they have to be enjoined to do that to so valuable a brother? The house of Chloe, she being a woman, would hardly be expected to render such a remarkable service as they did.

Rem Over against the enemy being deceived, it is said, “we are not ignorant of his thoughts” (2 Corinthians 2: 11).

JT Quite so: “the spiritual discerns all things, and he is discerned of no one” (1 Corinthians 2: 15). The spiritual man is a means, in God’s hands, of an ambush. He does not make a show of himself; God can hide things in him, or even hide him.

EJMcB There is a great principle in having more in reserve than you have in public.

JT That is good. It really corresponds with what we were saying about the ark — the half measure.

SR The man went and hid the treasure he found in the field; does that speak of the ambush?

JT It is merely concealment there. The man bought the field so as to have a right ^[p. 447] to the treasure.

HMS Is it on the line of “privately to those conspicuous among them” (Galatians 2: 2) — lest the apostle should have run in vain?

JT Just so. Had he laid before the distinguished persons in public the gospel he preached, he might have found opposition. Speaking to them privately, he had more opportunity to explain, and they would not regard themselves as committed publicly by anything they might say. If a man commits himself publicly, he is more difficult to get right.

EuR Would you say what is in the mind of God for us in Ai as compared with Jericho, Jericho being exceedingly public and Ai private?

JT What we have been saying is that the overthrow of Jericho is the full display of God’s power in the testimony before failure occurred. The concealment at Ai is morally in keeping with the condition of Israel. In view of the great failure that had occurred, in which Joshua had his part, he and Israel had to go to the depths again. He had been down into the bed of Jordan, and the “valley” would point to what is, in the way of descent, in keeping with that. So there is no special honour, as it were, it is not victory with personal honour. Honour is attached to other victories, as in chapter 10; but if you are really self-judged, where failure has happened, you are not seeking that; you are content to go down into the valley, and to be with the people by night (chapter 8: 9, 13). The distinguished leader of the people going that way indicates that he is accepting what is morally right, and God knows it. I think it is in that way that we reach the meaning of the javelin here held steadily in Joshua’s hand — not used; it is a symbol of latent power — there is much more than is used. It is, in a moral way, perhaps, honourable that although Joshua has recourse to so much strategy, it is not because he had not the power. That he is obliged to have recourse ^[p. 448] to so much strategy, is to show that there had been self-confidence; and the power must come in by his going through the principle of death in the valley. The javelin witnesses to latent power.

JTS Do we have something like this when the apostle says: “Do ye look at what concerns appearance?” (2 Corinthians 10: 7) — and then, later, “we will not boast out of measure” (verse 13)? The power was there nevertheless.

JT Quite so. That is really how he meets the opposition at Corinth. Let them say what they would about him, if he came they would find out that power was with him.

JJ Is not the sending of Timothy to Corinth a strategic movement — a man of Timothy’s qualities?

JT I think so: that they might learn in him Paul’s ways — what kind of a man he was.

MWB The failure was the obvious reason of the directions as to the attack on Ai, the deep lying reason being the sin of Achan. What are we to learn from that as to circumstances of failure in assembly matters?

JT Well, I think that where appreciation of Christ is waning, the Lord will feel in such circumstances that He is being displaced. Were Christ characteristically in any given company, such failure would not happen. Why should Joshua be insensible to what had happened? He represents really Christ in us; this is dependent on state. The ark is not that, it is the divine standard — unvarying. Christ in us depends on our state; so that it is, “if Christ be in you” (Romans 8: 10). If He be in us, there is a consequence: the “body is dead”. The element of pride will not be active, nor any of the other elements of the flesh. I think that is what is seen; Joshua himself was not clear in the matter.

PC Would you say a word as to the spoil ^[p. 449] in verse 2, compared with the treasure of the house of Jehovah in chapter 6?

JT The verse reads: “And thou shalt do to Ai and to its king as thou didst to Jericho and to its king; only, the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall ye take as prey for yourselves”.

What is to be noticed is that, as Israel goes on, they take over what is in Canaan. It was promised to Israel. Jericho, I think, represents the world in its essential elements; and only certain items are taken, namely, metals. That being fully understood, we can see how there are other things that in themselves are God’s creatures. In Jericho, all seemed to be affected; all is affected by the spirit of the world, save the metals mentioned. As we proceed in the conquest of Canaan, as we may say, it becomes more and more clear that there is what has to be regarded as the creation of God. The gospel is to be preached to all the creation. That is how Mark puts it — “Go into all the world” (Mark 16: 15); that would be Jericho, the moral thing; but creation is another thing. That is, the creatures of God, in themselves, are good. “Every creature of God is good” (1 Timothy 4: 4). In certain connections it may be inseparable from the spirit of the world, and cannot be utilised at all, but as the position is clear, we understand what the world is, as seen in Jericho; then we are able to discriminate as to what is of God in His creatures; “For every creature of God is good ... being received with thanksgiving”. That is what impresses the mind as you proceed in this book. They took from the cities all that was valuable; for these creatures, although the Canaanites and Amorites had them, were there before. The Canaanites had no right there.

JTS Would the word in Colossians 2: 21, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch”, be in contrast with what you have been saying? I was thinking ^[p. 450] of your remark as to discriminating what is of God in His creatures; is there the non-recognition of that in what is said there?

JT It is characteristic of the evil combated in Colossians that the creatures of God would be excluded by legality and ceremonialism; whereas the spoil of Ai would mean that things are now clear; creation is in view. Jericho is the world essentially: “Go into all the world”, that is the moral system which we cannot touch, but the creation is different; we are to “preach the glad tidings to all the creation” (Mark 16: 15). The spoil, therefore, would be what comes in this respect out of the conflict.

HMS Regarding the spoil of Jericho, does not the curse that is pronounced upon the one who touched it, or built the city again, have a voice to us today? “If any one love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha” (1 Corinthians 16: 22).

JT There is that which is cursed; the execution of the curse there is put off till the Lord’s coming. The rebuilding of Jericho is, of course, the setting up of the world in the assembly; in the public body. That has taken place; and, of course, the curse is about to fall. We know how in the history of Israel it did fall on Hiel. In the rebuilding of the things destroyed the curse is there, although its execution may be deferred.

HWS Would you say a little more as to the metals being put into the treasury, referring to Jericho? Were you referring that to God’s principles of government?

JT Yes: such as that. I think many of our brethren are defective as to that; they regard the government of the world as that which is not right. The persons may be unconverted, but that does not affect the matter. The principle of government is right; and other such things as that are in themselves right; they are all to be conserved.

^[p. 451] RWS Recovery has in mind the length to which David goes to recover his kingdom by the Euphrates, that river being one of the borders of the inheritance mentioned in the first chapter. I wondered whether, in this day of recovery, we should have in mind the full extent of the inheritance.

JT Well, quite so; that would be a matter of the extension of the conquest. What we are dealing with now is Canaan, it is the part over Jordan. The other side was already allotted, at least in part; out of that territory was given the inheritance of the two and a half tribes. Whatever would be done later, would be done from Canaan. The extension to the Euphrates implies increased wealth and power which awaited David; so that he goes all the way, he would leave nothing in the hands of the enemy. However insignificant it might seem, however poor the territory might be, it must be secured.

AMH Would you say a little more as to going into all the world? You say, that is moral and we cannot touch it at all, in contrast to “every creature”?

JT I think it fits in with verse 2: “only, the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall ye take as prey for yourselves”. It is more than the metals, the cattle are particularly mentioned: creatures of God. “Bidding to abstain from meats” (1 Timothy 4: 3), is one of the evils that have to be overcome. If we confine ourselves to Jericho, there might be some ground for that, but the commissioning of the disciples in Mark implies that we must consider “the creation”. The creation is in God’s mind, and the preaching is to men, not characteristically of the world, but as God’s creatures; and we have a link with them at once on that ground. We do not regard them as enemies, however bad they may be; initially you regard them as God’s creatures, and so are the preachers — “in him we live and move and exist” (Acts 17: 28).

AMH As going into all the world, we really challenge the world, but we are viewing the creatures as God’s.

JT Abstractly they are, man and beast, particularly man, and if you approach them on this line through Christ the Mediator between God and men, you are more likely to get their ear as fellow creatures than viewing them as enemies of God.

EG God desires all men to be saved.

JT Quite so: men.

ELM With regard to Jonah and Nineveh, God speaks of “much cattle”.

JT Yes. Jonah preached well to them, but he preached destruction. That kind of preaching will not do now; the gospel is not destruction, it is to the end that men may be secured for God as God’s creatures, primarily — but brought through the gospel into greater things than creation affords.

FI Is Joshua further magnified in connection with the sun and moon standing still?

JT That is what we must come to next, only I hope we will not forget what we began with as to chapter 8; the going down into the valley; the going over the ground again, and the latent power used with peculiar strategy — the javelin held out so long by Joshua. So that we come humbly to surround the ark. It is a question of God’s power; it is God doing all this in Christ. “Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me” (2 Corinthians 13: 3), Paul says; that is the idea. The apostle had the standard of Christ. It is a most important thing not only to have Christ in you as power, but have Him in your mind rightly in an objective way, as the ark. So they surround the ark and take possession of the land on these lines. The stones are there; really,

^[p. 453] they come out of the valley, and they can be written on, so to speak.

Chapter 10 is the greatness of man, as has been remarked. “What is man, that thou rememberest him? or son of man that thou visitest him? Thou ... hast set him over the works of thy hands” (Hebrews 2: 6, 7). “A man in Christ” was caught up into the third heaven; an altitude affording an understanding of heaven included in the “all things” that are ours: “Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things coming, all are yours” (1 Corinthians 3: 22). The sun, the moon, and the stars — every item in the vast creation of God is ours; life and death, too. What a triumphant position it is! So here we have a man speaking to the sun in verse 12: “Then spoke Joshua to Jehovah in the day when Jehovah gave up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand still upon Gibeon; And thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon!”

PL Would you say the thought of the valley is carried through? There are three in the scriptures read: The valley of Ajalon in chapter 10; Joshua in the valley at Ai; and then the valley of Lebanon in chapter 11: 17.

JT Yes; they allude generally to humiliation; the mountains rose, the valleys sank, suggestive of human experience. Valleys also carry the thought of richness of soil, seen in believers who characteristically accept death.

ANW Does the poetic form Joshua uses indicate exultation?

JT That is good. One has often thought of poetry — the penetrating power of spiritual poetry. It is divinely designed, I believe, for the expression of the most sublime features, reaching to Jah, as we get in the first great song of God’s people, Exodus 15.

LOL ^[p. 454] The last five Psalms refer to the creation, calling upon it to praise Jehovah.

JT They fit in here. We have man reaching his place, not arbitrarily, but placed there as in Christ: “What is man ... and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” The question enters into this chapter, I think he is reaching his place from the side of the work of God in him, and I think it alludes here to “a man in Christ”. It is the status we have attained, seen in this chapter. The place of man in God’s mind is seen supremely in Christ personally.

MWB I was wondering in that connection whether in chapters 5 and 6 there is the steady implied advance from Colossians to Ephesians; then a drop through the sin of Achan; and then the moral recovery suggested in 2 Corinthians until you reach the exaltation of the man in Christ (chapter 10).

JT Just so. One never tires of that section of 2 Corinthians; how the apostle was let down in a basket, going down as entering on his service, and then exalted. He carried it in his soul for fourteen years, as far as we know, saying nothing about it, but the greatness was there; a man in Christ.

ELM Is this section explained in the words of the writer? “And there was no day like that before it or after it, that Jehovah hearkened to the voice of a man; for Jehovah fought for Israel” (verse 14). Does that work out in the apostle’s ministry?

JT Quite so. How many times the voice of a man was hearkened to in Paul’s history! How often that voice was heard in heaven! What prayers he speaks of! — and for others, too. “Pray unceasingly”, he exhorts (1 Thessalonians 5: 17). Let our voices be heard up there.

APT He says, “The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows ... I do not lie” (2 Corinthians 11: 31). One who understood all.

JT Quite so: “written in the book of Jasher”, the upright.

WC Paul prays without ceasing in 2 Timothy 1: 3; and the men are to pray in every place (1 Timothy 2: 8). Is that the voice of man today?

JT Quite so.

JM James says as to Elijah, “The fervent supplication of the righteous man has much power” (James 5: 16). Elijah comes in in Kings immediately after the rebuilding of Jericho.

JT Quite so: after the rebuilding of Jericho by Hiel. Elijah is a man who stands out; we get no previous mention of him at all, but he says to Ahab, there shall be no rain except by my word.

DLH In the sun and moon stayed, is there not a suggestion of the Lord putting down all rule and authority and power?

JT Here it is, that the day should be lengthened.

AJG The Lord says, “If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14: 14). Does that suggest the power in the hands of a man?

JT Quite so. It is power in this way. In chapter 8 it is power in the valley, but now as from heaven.

JJ Does it suggest Christ in His present place as the sun, and the assembly down here in the valley, as it were?

JT Well, it is figuratively the lengthening out of the day, this wonderful day or year; now, of course, for the purposes of grace, not judgment.

HH Joshua was very conscious of the importance of the conflict, to command the sun and the moon to stand still until the enemy was overcome. Would it also have in view the importance of the conflict at the present time?

JT Quite so. It is all in relation to what heaven is doing, for heaven is acting. “And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, — they were at the descent of Beth-horon, — that Jehovah cast down great stones from heaven;” these are creatures of God, too, being used. Then, it says, “They were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel had slain with the sword” (verse 11). “Then spoke Joshua;” as much as to say, We must proceed on that line. Why not use these things? Why not use the sun and moon? He “spoke to Jehovah” about it. And it was “in the day when Jehovah gave up the Amorites before the children of Israel”.

Ques As regards Paul in his move from Corinth to Ephesus — is the great climax seen at Ephesus in the thought of union?

JT Quite so. That is the point as regards Hazor; it says, “And Joshua turned back at that time, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword; for Hazor was in times past the head of all those kingdoms. And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, destroying them utterly: there was not any left to breathe; and he burned Hazor with fire. And all the cities of those kings and all their kings did Joshua take; and he smote them with the edge of the sword, destroying them utterly, as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded. Only, all the cities that stood still upon their hills Israel did not burn, save Hazor alone, which Joshua burned” (verses. 10 - 13). It looks to me as if headship is now in view, the headship of Christ; for if man is so great as is seen typically in Joshua, he is surely qualified to be head. But, then, this Hazor, the head of the nations and what he represents, stands in the way; so it is a question, I think, of seeing how the gospel and apostolic power in principle brought down all that. Hazor refers typically to imperial Rome, but today, as seen in the book of Judges, ecclesiastical Rome — a more difficult matter. There cannot be the working out of headship while this stands in the way. While any ^[p. 457] hostile head stands, and is owned, the headship of Christ cannot be effective. We know how it will work out presently in the man of sin; he will be dealt with as no man has ever been dealt with; cast alive into the lake of fire. He will dispute the rights of Christ in headship.

HH All this comes out in Israel’s history when their territory was extended to the Euphrates.

JT Quite so. Israel became the head of the nations; they were this, we may say, during the reigns of David and Solomon, but through their failure they became the tail.

Rem It is the assembly that holds Christ as supreme today.

JT That is what was reached in Ephesus. From our side the prayer is that we might know, “what the surpassing greatness of his power towards us who believe, according to the working of the might of his strength, in which he wrought in the Christ, in raising him from among the dead, and he set him down at his right hand in the heavenlies, above every principality, and authority and power, and dominion, and every name named, not only in this age, but also in that to come; and has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the assembly, which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1: 19 - 23). It seems to me that in Joshua 11 we reach the climax of the conflict in the destruction of Hazor.

Ques In connection with Joshua 8 and the reference to the apostle Paul going to Jerusalem as suggesting the descent into the valley, in Acts 23, when he reached Jerusalem and all the enemies were concentrated against him, and forty men had charged themselves with an oath till Paul was killed, a youth hears of it and saves the great vessel of the testimony.

^[p. 458] Would that suggest the importance of the youth today, in the way of an ambush?

JT I am sure that is worthy of consideration, especially as the saints at Jerusalem, who yet occupied an official place, were lending no hand at all.