64. “S. J. L.,” Islington. We do not know of any meeting there.
65. “A. P.,” Dublin. We do, most assuredly, judge it to be contrary to God’s will for a christian son to enter into partnership with an unconverted father, or vice versa. It is an unequal yoke, spite of the natural relationship. A son may serve under a father; but a deed of partnership involves an unequal yoke.
66. “A. E. G.,” Brighton. Rom. 1:17; 3:21-2617For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17)
21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:21‑26) Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9,9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (Philippians 3:9) contain a full reply to your inquiry. The believer is made the righteousness of God in Christ. The expression which you use is not to be found in the New Testament. We must weigh the words of holy scripture.
67. “Inquirer,” Bradford. While most fully agreeing with all that you advance in reference to the unity of the body, and the immense importance, practically, of that precious truth; we are, nevertheless, most thoroughly assured that “the Lord’s body,” in 1 Corinthians 11: 29, does not refer to the church, but to the Lord’s own body given and bruised for us. We do not see how this can be called in question.
The teaching of the entire context goes, as we judge, to prove that the great subject before the apostle’s mind is not the church as the body of Christ—a truth clearly set forth and established in other scriptures—but the body of our Lord, as symbolized by the broken loaf. “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks,. he brake, and said, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me.” (Some authorities leave out the word “broken.”)
Now, most clearly, “my body,” in this passage, does not refer to the church, but to His own body given for us. So also, in verse 27, we read, “Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” Surely, “The body” here does not refer to the church: but to the Lord’s own body, given for us.
Upon what principle, then, could we affirm that the inspired apostle abruptly turns, in verse 29, from the Lord’s own literal body to His body the church? And, further, when he says, “He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body,” does he not mean that we are to discern the Lord’s body in what we are eating? “This is my body.” Surely, this is not the church. We are not called to discern the church in the broken loaf of chapter 11 however we may see it in the whole loaf of chapter 10. It would, in our judgment, be doing violence to the teaching of the entire passage to apply verse 29 to the church.
68. “C. R. F.,” Kent. It was man who subjected creation to vanity, by his act of disobedience. “In hope” belongs to verse 21.
69. “W. S.,” Newry. Assuredly the church is on earth. It seems strange to have to affirm so obvious a truth. True it is in ruins; but still earth is its sphere, inasmuch as the Holy Ghost is on earth; and He it is who unites the members to the Head and to one another. Now, while it is quite true that the visible unity of the church is gone, yet are we responsible to “ endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” and, in order to this we are to yield our souls to the action of the whole truth of God, whether that truth be found in 1 Corinthians or in 2 Timothy.
True it is, alas! we have to recognize and mourn over the ruin—to confess our own share in that ruin; but we must not lower the divine standard, or surrender a single tittle of divine revelation. It is our holy privilege to walk in the light of the very highest truths, notwithstanding the broken state of the professing body. “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” These words set forth the real ground of the assembly. They were uttered before the church was set up; and they will hold good to the end of time. “Scripture cannot be broken.” “Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.”
Thanks be to our ever-gracious God, He has not left us to walk according to our own vague and desultory thoughts, or the commandments and doctrines of men. He has poured the heavenly light of His own word upon our path, and that gives a certainty, a stability, and a peace ineffable.
70. “S. S.,” Stourbridge. We thank you heartily for your most kind and encouraging letter. The Lord be praised!
71. “M. N.” If the Lord will, “Short Papers on Church History,” are to be published separately.
72. “W. G.,” London. The judgment in Matt. 25 is a sessional judgment of the nations with reference to their treatment of the brethren of Messiah, and that in 2 Thessalonians is summary vengeance executed upon those who know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must distinguish between sessional and warrior judgment. Matt. 25 and Rev. 20:11-1511And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11‑15) belong to the former. Christendom and the beast and false prophet belong to the latter. No doubt all who shall be slain in the warrior judgment shall appear in the judgment of the dead, before the great white throne, which will include all the wicked, from the days of Cain down to the last apostate from millennial glory.
73. “M. A. R.,” near Abergavenny. Procure a small volume entitled “Studies on the Book of Daniel,” to be had of our publisher.
74. “R. C.,” Cheltenham. We cannot see any objection to the expression in that precious little hymn, “Oh! what a debt I owe.” We judge your difficulty, arises from putting a wrong construction upon the word “debt.” Surely you would not object to sing that charming hymn, “A debtor to mercy alone;” or those lines of dear Robert McCheyne “Then, Lord, shall I fully know; not till then how much I owe.” We believe it shall be our joy, throughout eternity, to acknowledge ourselves debtors to the sovereign grace and mercy of our God; nor can we see how this will ever clash with the precious truth that it is the delight and the glory of God to bestow upon us that full and free salvation which is ours in Christ.
75. “G. G.,” United States. Your difficulty seems to flow from not distinguishing between the “coming” of the Lord for His people, and the “day” of the Lord. And will you pardon us if we take the liberty of suggesting that we should seek to write on such holy subjects with a little more grace, tenderness, and forbearance? The cause of truth can never be served by harshness or asperity. “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves” is a wholesome word for our hearts, dear friend. Oh! for more of “the meekness and gentleness of Christ!”
76. “W. A.,” Kent. You are quite right, dear friend, as to the proper hope of the church. As to the book you mention, we should advise you to lay it aside altogether, and not perplex your mind any further with its statements. The Lord would have us to be wise concerning that which is good; but simple concerning evil.
77. “E. J. K.,” Sudbury. In the resurrection of Christ the serpent’s head was bruised. Satan’s power is broken, for faith; but we have, according to Ephesians 6 to “stand against his wiles.” He has no power against the Christian who walks in the Spirit—breathes the atmosphere of the new creation—lives in the power of the new nature—walks by faith. But if we get out of communion—out of “the light,” we cannot stand against Satan. May the good Lord ever keep us in the moral security of His own bright and holy presence! This is the place of victory and strength.