“THE BRETHREN ALL”
E. M. Walkinshaw
Acts 9: 17–19; Mark 3: 32–35; John 20: 11–18
In one of our earlier readings we referred to Paul’s salutation to “the brethren all”, (2
Timothy 4: 21), and the question arises. Who are “the brethren all”? Earlier in the epistle he had said, “All who are in Asia … have turned away from me”, 2 Timothy 1: 15. He also spoke of certain individuals going to certain places, one of them having loved the present age (2 Timothy 4: 10). It is not suggested that Demas and those that had forsaken Paul were not still christians, but the question arises, Could they be included in “the brethren all”? I would think not. The term ‘brethren’ is very loosely used, and we have ourselves to acknowledge that we often use it loosely; but in the Scriptures it is used carefully. We must learn, dear brethren, to distinguish between things that differ. For example, Scripture speaks of believers; it speaks of disciples, and it speaks of brethren, and we must learn to distinguish.
In the life of Jesus it is said that certain believed on Him because of the signs He did, but Jesus did not trust Himself to them, because He knew what was in them (John 2: 23–25).
Therefore it is an exercise to us as to whether, at the end of the days, we can rightly be called brethren. How easy it is to take that name! From the divine standpoint, of course, we would recognise that it would apply to the saints, but it is a great exercise as to whether we practically conform to that name as true in the last days to the ministry of Paul. When he sent that salutation I think he would have in his mind persons who were characteristically true, here in the testimony, and this would raise an exercise with every one of us. Paul was a faithful man and the effect of his ministry would be to produce faithfulness in us. I believe the Lord would help us in this direction. He does not raise these questions with us to condemn us for our weakness, but rather to encourage us to open our souls to the Holy Spirit that we might be formed in the characteristics proper to brethren.
Now having this in mind, I read these three scriptures. One of the first things Saul heard was, “Brother”. Evidently he was a praying man. The Lord said, “Behold, he is praying”. How essential this is for all of us! I feel for myself that these simple devotions that christians should have are inclined to drop out of my experience. The Lord would have us to be dependent. A praying man shows two things, I think—one is that he is dependent upon God, and recognises his need; and the other is that he has confidence in God to meet it. May the Lord keep us in dependence and confidence. Saul had been very independent; a great man among the Jews. I expect he had said his prayers, and maybe we do, but the Lord noted now, “Behold, he is praying”. I believe he was brought into dependence.
Now Ananias goes to him and says, “Saul, brother”—What a greeting!—“The Lord has sent me, Jesus that appeared to thee in the way in which thou camest, that thou mightest see”. This shows how quickly a person can be regarded as a brother. He would, no doubt, grow in it.
You think of the man on the Damascus road. Was he brotherly? You could hardly think of him as such, and yet now the Lord has so worked with him that he is a subject man, and can be called a brother. I would love to be addressed like this, dear brethren. If I were to say to you, as John did, “I John, your brother” (Revelation 1: 9), you might say to me—or those that know me well might say to me—‘Then you had better be a little more brotherly’. The fact is that these men, such as Paul, and John, displayed the spirit of a brother. Another man is called “the beloved brother and faithful minister”, in that order (Colossians 4: 7). The order should be noticed. How great it is to be able to be addressed as a “beloved brother”. I receive letters addressed like that, and I ask the Lord, Am I?—and even a letter like that becomes an exercise. May we all be exercised about this, because this is individual, “Saul, brother”.
Now in the second passage there is a circle sitting around Jesus, and you will notice that His mother and His brethren were seeking Him. Some say to Him, “Behold, thy mother and thy brethren seek thee without”. They would claim Him on natural lines. Jesus says, “Who is my mother or my brethren?”. Then He looks around in a circuit. I think the Lord would look around in a circuit here. These words must have been very searching to them, as to us—“For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and sister, and mother”. This aspect of the brethren relates to those who are faithful to the will of God. The heavenly side is in John 20, relationships with Him as the ascended Man, but in this chapter it is the moral side, as we call it, that is, persons here who are true, who do the will of God. You can see how such are related to Him because He came to do the will of God, “Lo, I come … to do,
O God, thy will” (Hebrews 10; 7), and God’s will governed Him throughout the whole of His life, even unto death.
Now the Lord would raise a question with us, as, to whether we are related to Him morally in this way, or whether we may seek Him and make claims on other ground. A little earlier (Mark 3: 21) it says, “And his relatives having heard of it went out to lay hold on him, for they said, He is out of his mind”, and now you find them seeking Him on natural lines. The Lord does not allow this; He says, “Whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and sister, and mother”. This shows, dear brethren, that one individual can do it. Nevertheless, He looks around in a circuit and says, “Behold my mother and my brethren”, showing that while I am to be exercised personally to be a brother, in this sense, yet I am to come into a circle called His brethren. Now He would raise the question in these days, I believe, “Who is my mother or my brethren?”. Is there a circuit around which He can look and say, “My mother and my brethren”? I believe there is, dear brethren, and the Lord would exercise us to find that circuit. A circuit has a centre, and the Centre is Christ. Christ is everything and in each one. How wonderful to find a circle faithful to the truth in a dark day! May the Lord help us to find it, and remain in it, faithful to Him in these days.
Now in John 20 we have a rather different aspect. Here, again, they are His own words, “Go to my brethren and say to them, I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God”. How wonderful that He should regard them like this!—persons of His order, associated with Him above, knowing His Father as their Father, and His God as their God. What a message! How we would love to receive that message. But I believe, dear brethren, that if we are to enter practically into the privilege of being His brethren above, we must be faithful as His brethren here, doing the will of God. You can see from this the great need not only of grasping the truth objectively, but of being exercised that there should be a subjective answer to it.
Now Mary gets this message and she comes bringing word to the disciples that “she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her”. Now note, she brings word to the disciples—followers, those who are true to Him, as we were reminded earlier, those who persevered with Him in His temptations. Note also in verse 19, “where the disciples were”. I think there is a correspondence between disciples and brethren. Persons who are disciples here are, I believe, those who will receive this message from the living Lord. She comes bringing word to the disciples that she had seen the Lord; that was, no doubt, the greatest thing to her, and then, that He had said these things to her.
How wonderful these things are, dear brethren. It is an immense truth that we should be of His order, “He that sanctifies and those sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly will I sing thy praises”, Hebrews 2: 11, 12. I think this touches the service of God. But, if we are to know it in power, I think we must be true here, doing the will of God.
May the Lord greatly help us, not just to claim a scriptural title, and in particular this one, ‘brethren’, but rather to be exercised to be brethren characteristically; to know what it is to be true to Him, and following Him in doing the will of God, and then to have power to have our part with Him in the praise of God, for His name’s sake.
Address at Cologne
13 April 1974