10. “W. J.,’’ Harlech. The words of Ananias to Saul are very remarkable. (Acts 22:16.) They seem to us to refer more to sins before and against the disciples, or the assembly. He had believed, and therefore was forgiven before God. In repentance, utter self-judgment of all the past, and buried with Christ in baptism, as the public identification with Christ. In that figure he left himself and his sins behind in death, washed wholly away in the death of Jesus. Baptism was a most striking sign, and to the disciples Saul had thus publicly judged and renounced himself, and thus taken the profession of what he before persecuted. He thus washed his sins away before the assembly. He was now Paul, the chosen disciple of Christ.
In Matt. 18:18 the Lord establishes the all-important principle, that whatsoever the assembly binds in discipline is bound in heaven; and, foreseeing the sad. divided condition of the church of God as a whole, He also declares the further truth of verse 20. Thus, wherever souls are truly gathered to Him, and recognize His presence in any place, their decision will be felt to be binding by everyone obedient to the Lord. Should they make a mistake, no doubt the Lord will make it manifest to them, and to all. We judge this has special reference to discipline. John 20:23 will confirm the same administrative action of the assembly in cases of discipline. But we believe the Lord, having accomplished redemption, and having in grace spoken peace to them, makes the assembly on earth the administrators of the glad tidings of forgiveness of sins to the whole world.
All believers, since the descent of the Holy Ghost, are one with Christ, being baptized into the one body by the one Spirit. There is no contradiction between Peter preaching Jesus as Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36), and Paul, who was used in unfolding the further glories of Jesus as Son of God.
The disciples were clean every wit, in the sense of being born again, begotten by the word—clean as to the new nature. As to our actual sins, we are washed in His blood. “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.”
To be born again implies a wholly new nature, or life, to us; but it is eternal life, because the life of the eternal Son. (1 John 5:1, 10-13.) The Son of man, Son of God, had the title to forgive sins in righteousness, through that work which He must accomplish, and has accomplished, on the cross. The assembly also has the privilege of forgiving sins in discipline. (2 Cor. 2:7.) The Father also, in His discipline of us, forgives sins on confession, through the unchanging advocacy of Christ. (1 John 5:1; 2:1, 2.) This must not be, however, confounded with the blessed non-imputation of guilt, through the eternal efficacy of the one offering of Christ. (Heb. 10:17.) In Peters preaching (Acts 2:3638), he announces to the guilty Jews the necessity of repentance, an entire change of mind, and self-judgment of their conduct, manifested by becoming the disciples of the Jesus they had put to death, openly confessing Him in baptism, “in the name of Jesus Christ, for forgiveness of sins.” Paul, on the other hand, explains the typical meaning of baptism. (Rom. 6:4.) It is thus death written on the old man. Baptized unto the death of Christ, Peter proclaims it; and Paul explains what it signifies. It is most profitable to read the two together.
The difference between the kingdom or reign and the body, is too great a subject for a short answer. The whole of professing Christendom forms professedly the kingdom in mystery whilst the King is away, and all true believers form the one body of Christ.
The difference between redemption, bought, and salvation, may be illustrated thus: you may buy a slave to be still your slave. You may pay the price of his redemption, in order to set him free. When he receives his full liberty, the effect of the redemption, the writings of his freedom, then he is saved, delivered from slavery. We are bought, we are redeemed, we are saved, we have the writings, the very word of God.
11. “F. W. C.,” Demerara. The Holy Ghost did not come to dwell, or abide, until redemption was accomplished. This corresponds with Jehovah dwelling in Israel after redemption from Egypt. Baptism brings a person into the house or profession of Christianity, and that house is professedly under the reign during the absence of the King. All the unbaptized are outside the kingdom. Many that are baptized, and thus in the house, are indeed of the world, as you say, being mere professors; yet, in general, it would be correct to say the house includes all the baptized, and responsible as such, whilst the world is the unbaptized. The Lord be praised for any help you may have received in the pages of this little periodical.