THE ASSEMBLY IN ANTIOCH
F. C. Mutton
Our brother has referred to the divine economy coming to light in the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus. What an economy that is to contemplate, beloved brethren, the operations of the Trinity. What riches of wisdom, what divine resources, have entered into it, that God should thus be known; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And, as our brother has remarked, two divine Persons have descended. What operations were effected in that economy in the manhood of Jesus—and what operations are continuing now; the Lord Jesus no longer here, but the assembly being here.
This scripture would draw attention to what operated in a local assembly. We have had a good deal in these meetings bearing on us in our localities, where these operations and exercises take practical shape; where we learn most of our lessons; where we face exercises, where we are tested most, and where, I think—because that is where we spend most of our lives—we profit most, though we are deeply thankful for such occasions as these in which we can all be under the Lord’s teaching together, and return to our localities stimulated, encouraged, and enlightened as to what is being worked out in this dispensation, that in every place there might be what is Pauline, what Paul would ordain in all the assemblies.
Antioch represents something of very great distinction in local conditions. There were men there who had come under the formative influence of the Lord Jesus, and the Spirit was free to be in relation to them. How ready the Holy Spirit would ever be to identify Himself with what in character and moral formation is akin to Christ.
So that, first of all, we have what was in a city, “there were in Antioch …” How great heaven’s interest is in every place from which we come. This would encourage us, that heaven has its eye on places. We have had a good many suggestions today as to our outlook upon all who belong to the Lord. Many of them are not claiming that which belongs to them, but we would hold it for them and desire that there might be such conditions among us that the Lord may be free to work in recovery.
But not only is there the place, the city, but it says, “there were in Antioch, in the assembly which was there”. What was specifically under heaven’s eye was that which was marked by the true features of the assembly, to be seen later coming down out of heaven, but seen in the spirit of that in Antioch. I think as we look upon one another today we have a fresh sense of the preciousness of what is of assembly character in many places, which is to be cherished, nurtured, and protected. These persons were “in the assembly”. I think the Lord would ask us whether we are “in the assembly”; whether above everything else with which we have to do, and above every other circle in which we righteously move, we regard ourselves as in the assembly; not on the fringe of it, not spectators as to it, but, if I may say so, immersed in it. In
our affections and our exercises, in any service, and in our prayers, we are to be in the assembly. Is not Christ wholly related to it? He loved the assembly,
and delivered Himself up for it. Let us not in any sense bring in any element of friction, or of the Esau line, but rather use diligence, as we have been reminded, “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace”, Ephesians 4: 3.
Certain persons are named here. We might well think that Antioch was a very favoured locality to have such men in it, but, dear brethren, how thankful we should be for those whom the Lord has given us to walk with. As was remarked earlier, He has chosen our brethren; we have not chosen them; and He has chosen the best for us so that the working out of the economy might proceed according to divine wisdom in the places in which we have been set.
The carnal mind, looking over this list of very diverse persons, including possibly a coloured man, an aristocrat, the foster brother of Herod, and outstanding men like Saul and Barnabas, might say, ‘However will all these persons get on together? There will be rivalry, there will be place-seeking’. But not at all, because the descending line was being maintained. It says they were “ministering to the Lord and fasting”. That was the descending line, the mind which was in Christ Jesus. Dear brethren, we shall cease to be of help in our localities if we are not maintained on the line of fasting, the negation of the mind to go up, that would seek prominence. These men were fasting; they were continually hard on the flesh; they were keeping the feast of unleavened bread, and they were ministering to the Lord.
These two lines indeed go on together, the descending line and the ascending line. No doubt the service of God in Antioch was something extremely fine and rich as they ministered to the Lord in their comings together.
And what this leads to is the liberty of the Holy Spirit to link Himself on with such persons in such an atmosphere. There was clearly a family atmosphere in Antioch. This has been much before us happy, mutual, family conditions, and yet there was what was distinctive in personality, as it says, “prophets and teachers”. We may not have this in outstanding form, but, dear brethren, where there is love and desire these things will work out and come into evidence. We are to desire to prophesy (1 Corinthians 14: 1), and I feel it is one of our greatest needs in some of our places that there should be the fervent desire simply to be available to the Lord to bring in His mind. The Lord is wanting, and the Spirit is seeking, suitable vessels through whom the abundance of heaven can be channelled prophetically and livingly into the local assembly. There is also the constant need of teaching. There may not be much gift, but the Lord would help, and the Spirit would strengthen those who are devoted to the truth, so that the purity and the clarity of the truth should be preserved in our localities.
So the Spirit was free in. Antioch. If I may connect it with the scripture our brother read in Luke 3 (which, of course, is distinct and unique, the Spirit identifying Himself with Jesus) the Spirit was free and unhindered to identify Himself with the conditions and the persons in Antioch. He says, “Separate me now …” as if the setting was so pleasing to Him that He takes over certain persons for wider work.
This is like what we had earlier as to what works out in one generation and then in another; what was there in Jacob and what there was in all its attractiveness and fulness in Joseph. I would appeal to the beloved younger people here. The Spirit is intensely interested in you. Those of us who are older should have a special sense of the way in which the Spirit in His infinite patience has been with us. He has surrendered nothing when we were prepared to surrender many things. His faithfulness is one of the most affecting contemplations. And now, I think, He would give us a sense of how ready He is to use available vessels, that the great workings of the economy, the operations of God and of Christ in the assembly, might continue in His own power and in His own grace.
So He says, “Separate me now Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them”.
Let us be in the hands of the Spirit. Let us not aspire to do great things, but let us fervently desire to be available for what needs to be done, however simple it may be, and the simpler we are, dear brethren, in one way, the better. Let us be simple in our committal to the saints and do what needs to be done selflessly in love for Christ and love for the brethren.
We see the family feature working out here—“Having fasted and prayed, and having laid their hands on them, they let them go”. How much flowed out of this city of Antioch in influence. Pauline influence above all, and I do not doubt that the Spirit would develop in every locality what will be influential for good beyond its own borders. Paul loved to speak of the saints in certain localities. They were his boast; he loved to speak of the work of God, and I think this is a very precious feature, that what is secured in any one place has an influence
far beyond its borders. That was certainly the case in Antioch. There were such conditions there that the Spirit said, as it were, ‘I will take over these persons so that what has been formed in this city shall now be extended to the benefit of the saints in a much wider way’.
May we be encouraged. Maybe we are in smallness in our localities, but think of the character and the preciousness of what is there, and that what is proceeding is essentially and directly related to the great divine operations in this dispensation. May God bless this to us.
12 April 1974