The apostle Paul informs us that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Tim. 3:16, 17) He therefore charges the faithful servant to “preach the word;” not traditions of men, but “the word;” not deductions from the word, however interesting, but “the word;” not opinions about it, but “the word;” the divine authority of the word of God which is forever settled in heaven, and liveth and abideth forever. That which is to be proclaimed (and especially because of the false teaching and fables which abound) is the word of God, which effectually worketh in them that believe. It is in fact the only basis for faith-the incorruptible seed by which we have been born again, and the sincere milk by which those who have tasted that the Lord is gracious can be fed and grow thereby. Can there be, then, the ministry of Christ, if the divine authority of Scripture be not enforced? May the Lord graciously enable us so to love the word of God, understand it by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, mix faith with it, treasure it up in our hearts, and so prove it as to be able to help others effectually by it!
It is most interesting to observe that one result of our Lord’s ministry after His resurrection from the dead, when their understandings were opened to understand the Scriptures concerning Himself, was that it made them all happy. Whatever their mistakes, or state of soul had been, all were set right, and all were filled with joy in having to do with the Lord Himself. Not only did those who had been depressed and sorrowful exclaim, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures? “But it is said of the timid ones, who had been fearing the Jews, “Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.” When affrighted ones were told by Him that He was not a spirit, and He said, “It is I myself; handle me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have... and He showed them His hands and His feet,” then we are told that “they believed not for joy, and wondered.” So happy did their precious Savior leave them when “He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven,” that we are told “they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” (Luke 24) John too writes his first epistle to the saints that their joy might be fall. Peter speaks of those who, though “in heaviness through manifold temptations,” were so believing in Him whom having not seen they loved, as to “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” Paul enjoins the saints to “rejoice in the Lord always,” and prays that the God of peace might fill them with all joy and peace in believing.” Is it not clear, then, that one result to be looked for, when Christ is ministered, is that souls are made happy in Him? But how can we expect to be instrumental in filling others with joy, if we are not rejoicing in the Lord ourselves? A glance at some of the epistles is enough to show how fully and pointedly Christ was ministered in apostolic times, whatever might be the state or circumstances of the saints addressed.
John wrote at a time when the person of our Lord was blasphemously assailed, when there were many antichrists, many false prophets gone out into the world; and of others he had to say, “They went out from us because they were not of us.” And how does he begin his inspired letter? He begins by setting forth the divine and eternal excellence of the Son—“that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.” Who was the eternal life with the Father but the Son? He then asserts the precious truth, that true Christian fellowship is “with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” He repeatedly speaks of the Father, and of His love in bringing us into new relationships, and giving us eternal life in the Son, all founded on the work of the cross. He declares that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin,” and that if we sin, the Righteous One (Christ) is our Advocate with the Father, who is also the propitiation for our sins. He shows that those who are born of God do not practice sin; but, having eternal life, this life will be manifested in obedience, righteousness, and love.
Now it is easily seen that by this ministry of Christ, brought home by the power of the Holy Ghost, they would be delivered from a false Christ, by knowing the true One, of whom He speaks at the end of his letter as “the true God, and eternal life.” By being established in their new and eternal relationships with the Father and the Son, and therefore with each other, they would be separated from false people and untrue associations; and by knowing they had eternal life in Christ, and that the Spirit was given to abide with them, they would be encouraged in the life of obedience, righteousness, and love. They would see that “he that saith he abideth in Him, ought himself so to walk, even as He walked.” It was certainly a most trying state of things, but the blessed and effectual remedy of the Holy Ghost was the suited and pointed ministry of Christ.
Look also at the epistle to the Hebrews. A very different state is here seen. They were in such a low condition as to be in danger of giving up Christianity and returning to the Jews’ religion. And how were they met? By the ministry of Christ; and remarkably so out of their own Scriptures-the books of Moses, Psalms, and prophets. The Son in His deity, as well as true humanity, was most blessedly brought before them in the first two chapters. He is seen to be greater than angels, worthy of more glory than Moses and Aaron, Joshua, David, and even Abraham, so that all retire when the glory of His person is introduced, like the brightest stars cease to shine before the rising of the sun. The eternal Son-the heir of all things-who made all things, upholds all things, and is to have all things put under His feet, is here brought out. He is looked at before time, in time, and after time shall have passed away. His incarnation, life of sufferings and temptation, death, resurrection, glorification, and reign, when everything will be put under His feet, all pass before us. We see Him as the Purger of sins, the Captain of our salvation, the Destroyer of the devil, the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, the Son over His own house, the Forerunner who is for us entered, an unchangeable Priest after the order of Melchizedek, the Leader and Completer of faith, the Mediator of the new covenant, and the Great Shepherd of the sheep, who was brought again from the dead through the blood of the everlasting covenant; and we are assured that “ yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”
We cannot fail to notice in what a variety of aspects the Lord Jesus is brought before the readers of this epistle, which no doubt is intended to teach us that we need the full revelation which God has given us of His own Son, and not merely to know Him as the Purger of our sins. Why the glory of His person is so clearly and richly unfolded in the beginning is because the prominent point in this epistle is the perfection of the one sacrifice and unchangeable priesthood of Christ, as contrasted with the oft-repeated sacrifices and many priests of a former dispensation, which was a time of types and shadows of the substantial realities in Christ. When one grasps the truth of the infinite perfections and glory of His person, it then becomes clear that an everlasting value is stamped on His work and offices. Thus the Hebrew believers were entitled to know that their sins were purged, and that God would remember them no more; that by that one offering they were purged worshippers, should have no more conscience of sins, and were perfected forever. They had, as to God, liberty to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus; and as regards men, their place was with Christ outside the camp of formal religiousness, bearing His reproach, and, before the Lord comes, to be running the race of faith with patience, and looking to Him, at God’s right hand, for all the sustainment and encouragement they need. Can we conceive anything more calculated to deliver souls from Judaism, and to set them right with God than this full and clear ministry of Christ? Well might the writer end his letter by enjoining them “to offer by Him (Christ) the sacrifice of praise to God continually,” and not to forget “to do good, and to communicate;” “for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
In the first epistle to the Corinthians a state very different from those we have considered meets us. We here see the assembly in the greatest disorder, with rich gifts, flagrant sins, and erroneous doctrine. A brief look into the inspired letter is enough to show how simply and-as we learn from the second epistle-how effectually it was met by the suited ministry of Christ. But first let us observe that the three things which marked the Lord’s epistles to the seven churches in the Revelation were also carried out by the apostle here: 1St., He approves in them everything he can; 2nd., He brings before them their evil ways and doctrines; and 3rd., He presents the remedy, which is always found in having to do with Christ Himself, as set forth in Scripture. And will not these points always characterize a divinely-given ministry to saints? The apostle knew well that “Christ is all,” and that all our blessings are in Him, and through Him, and not at all after the flesh. He therefore addresses the Corinthians as “sanctified in Christ Jesus,” where divine grace has set the feeblest believer. After having acknowledged with thankfulness to God the grace given them by Christ Jesus, their utterance, knowledge, and gifts, and their waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, he reminds them of God’s faithfulness, and of His having called them unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which is also true of every believer, Having thus shown them that they are set apart for God in Christ, and called to have partnership with Christ in His thoughts, love, joy, service, &c., he now turns to their faults. Having exposed the divisions among them, he meets all by bringing in Christ and His cross. He says, “Is Christ divided?” Are not all believers joined to the Lord one body? Then how can divisions be right? Can the human body be divided into parts, and still be in connection with the Head? “Was Paul crucified for you?” Then why take up his name? Then he refers to their boasted wisdom: “The Greeks seek after wisdom.” The Corinthians were not free from this. But the world by wisdom knew not God, and Christ crucified is the wisdom of God. The apostle says, “We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” A crucified Christ, and a message of salvation to every one that believeth on Him, are counted by the wise Gentiles to be “foolishness;” and yet that cross shows man to be so ignorant that he did not know God, and so bad that he hated Him without a cause. Moreover, in the death of Christ not only were sins judged, but our old man was crucified with Him, which shows that man has now no place in the flesh before God, either as to righteousness or wisdom, but that He has given us a new life and standing in Christ Jesus, “who of, God is made unto us wisdom.” The cross put an end to man’s boasted wisdom; this is why Paul would know nothing among them, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Next he touches their consciences about a flagrant sin; and how does he meet it? By ministering Christ. “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” At the passover all leaven was to be put out of their houses; therefore this manifest uncleanness-leaven-must be purged out of their midst. Again, when gathered together in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is in the midst, and where the Holy Spirit is the power, how could such wickedness be associated with the Lord’s name? And further, how can you eat and have fellowship with one who has so openly dishonored the Lord who is holy? Therefore do not eat with such, but “put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” They were to put away not only from the Lord’s table, but also from among themselves, and were with such not even to eat. (1 Cor. 5) The sin of fornication is further met in two ways: 1St. Being joined to the Lord, one spirit, and our bodies being the members of Christ, shall we “take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot”? 2nd. Being bought with a price, we are not our own, but are to glorify God in our bodies, especially remembering that our “body is the temple of the Holy Ghost.” (Chapter 6:15-20)
Why should not a Christian be a bondman of men? Because he is the Lord’s freeman; he has been bought with a price, and is Christ’s bondman. (Chapter 7:22,23) As to not partaking at an idol’s temple, not having communion there, not partaking of the table of demons, he shows that the communion God has graciously brought us into is the communion at the Lord’s table of those who have a common ground of fellowship in the blood of Christ, and a common expression of it as members of one body in breaking and eating the same loaf. Thus being identified with Christ in His death, we are necessarily separated from every false fellowship, and every table not the Lord’s. (Chapter 10)
In the next chapter, where we find that the Lord’s Supper had been mixed up with such carnality as to have lost its proper character among them, he brings in the Lord again to set all right. He shows that they had missed the Lord in it, had not discerned the Lord’s body. He instructs them that it is the time for remembering the Lord, and showing the Lord’s death till He come, who said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” He shows them that here the Lord was everything; that the supper was in respect of the body and blood of the Lord, and that the chastening of the Lord had come in because they had not discerned the Lord’s body. (1 Cor. 11)
As to the doctrine which denied the resurrection of the body, the apostle at once brings in the Lord. He says, “If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen... and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished,” &c. He asserts the fact that “He rose again the third day,” that He did so “according to the Scriptures,” and that His resurrection had been verified by the most ample, and competent, and incontrovertible testimony. He teaches that “Christ” has risen as “the first-fruits,” and the next in order to rise are “they that are Christ’s at His coming.” He concludes by showing that Christ in His abounding grace has thus triumphed over death and the grave for us; so that we are now entitled to say, “Thanks be unto God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” How manifold, then, are the ways in which Christ is ministered to us in the word of God, and how dear it is that the ministry of the Holy Ghost is that which ministers Christ to souls!
In the Lord’s epistles to the seven churches, the various aspects in which He presents Himself to each assembly, according to its need and condition, is most striking. We would only now direct attention to one point. Looking at the seven epistles as giving the seven phases of the Church’s course on earth in the place of corporate responsibility to the Lord, and considering that the last four have reference to the Lord’s coming, and will go on together to the end, as Popery, Protestantism, Philadelphianism, and Laodiceanism, it is interesting to observe how the Lord presents Himself to them; for it is clear, if this be the fourfold state of Christendom to the end, that these presentations of the Lord must be the last kinds of His ministry till He come. And, briefly, what are they? His Person -” the Son of God.” The Giver of the Holy Ghost, and source of gift- “He that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars.” The holiness and truth suited to those gathered together in His name-” The Holy and the True.” And the truth of the new creation-” the beginning of the creation of God.” It becomes then a serious question whether, from the ministry that has gone forth in these last days, it is not Christ presenting Himself to Christendom in His last aspects? If so, how soon His word may be fulfilled: “Behold, I come quickly!”
It would be highly interesting to trace in other epistles the various ways in which the Lord Jesus Christ was presented to the saints, did our limits admit of it. We trust, however, that enough has been advanced to show that ministering Christ according to God will carry with it the authority of Scripture” preach the Word,” and therefore present Him to souls of whom the Scripture testifies; it will thus have a positive and definite character-” we preach Christ Jesus the Lord.” Surely the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Ghost alone can direct the servant of the Lord as to the kind of pasture the sheep and lambs of Christ need, and the power of the Holy Ghost alone can carry it home to the heart. How otherwise can the flock of God be fed? How can any one be fitted for this holy yet happy service, unless he is living in the enjoyment of the Lord and His truth in his own soul? Unless he is waiting on the Lord, how will he be able to give his household meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when He cometh, shall find so doing.
H. H. S.