Early on when we considered the church as the body of Christ, we noted that every body has a head, and that Christ is head to the church. It may seem rather obvious that every body has a head, and furthermore, only one head; but as members of the body of Christ, what authority do we give our head, not just individually, but also collectively?
We also saw that there is only one body (Ephesians 4:44There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesians 4:4)) and that the assembly at a location — for example Corinth — is seen as the local expression of Christ’s body:
Though we find assemblies in different towns and cities — Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos, for example — each is representative of the body of Christ in that city, and their head is Christ. Assemblies cannot be representative of different bodies while claiming to own the same head; neither can they claim to be the same body while acknowledging different heads.
The world understands these principles. Men have created numerous “orders” and “societies,” and in each city we find “chapters” of those organizations. A member from one city is accepted at another. If a person violates the tenets of the organization, other chapters recognize the action taken for or against that person.
What about us? As believers, we have not just accepted a creed. Do we not have a new nature, a nature that delights to please God (2 Corinthians 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17))? Do we not have the Spirit of truth within us: “He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, [that] shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show [it] unto you” (John 16:13-1413Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. (John 16:13‑14))? What then are we doing? Are we endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit?
We do not keep the unity of the body, it is one — there is one body. The Holy Spirit has united us together into one body, and, if the Spirit leads us, there is also a practical unity in our walk. The Holy Spirit gathers us around our Lord Jesus Christ, the Church’s Head. This is what we are gathered to, but there is also something that the Holy Spirit gathers us out of.
A Great House
What does it mean to say that the outward testimony of the church is in ruin? We would without hesitation use the word “ruin” to describes the state of the temple and Jerusalem after that city was sacked by the Chaldeans (II Kings 25:8-30). When Zerubbabel returned with a remnant of Israel to Jerusalem, the temple was nothing but ruins, but there, in the midst of those ruins, they set up the altar and offered again the daily burnt offerings in obedience to the Word of God (Ezra 3:1-61And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. 2Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. 3And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord, even burnt offerings morning and evening. 4They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required; 5And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the Lord that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the Lord. 6From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. (Ezra 3:1‑6)). The activity in the midst of the ruins would have only served to accentuate the state of that city and temple to any one observing the scene.
So it is today in Christianity. We can clearly see that there is no outward unity in Christendom today. The one body and the authority of its head is no longer a visible thing. Indeed, it was very early in the Church’s history that she ceased to be an outward collective testimony to these truths, so much so, that by the time Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy we find the assembly in disorder and he refers to it as a great house.
“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour” (2 Timothy 2:20).
What then is the individual to do in the midst of such ruin? A “great house” is characterized as having vessels, some to honor, and some to dishonor. The Holy Spirit never places us in union with evil, and so, in the midst of such a great house, we are to depart from iniquity — or unrighteousness — and to follow righteousness, faith, charity, and peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, [and] prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:19-2219Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. 21If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. 22Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:19‑22)).
A path of separation is not a popular one, nor is it necessarily a very visible one. Seven thousand had not bowed the knee to Baal, though not even the prophet Elijah knew them (1 Kings 19:1818Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. (1 Kings 19:18)). This is not a question of withdrawing from the world, nor are we to leave the house of profession (1 Corinthians 5:1010Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. (1 Corinthians 5:10)); but in the Lord’s things there cannot be a mingling in our associations or our conduct: “thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee” (Leviticus 19:1919Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee. (Leviticus 19:19)). Yet in Christendom we see the wheat and tares growing up together. We are not called upon to root up the tares; God will execute judgment on the tares in a day to come.
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:17-1817Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:17‑18)).
Gathered to His Name
What became of those that returned with Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah? In the gospels, some four hundred years latter, we see the state of things in Judea. There were the liberal Sadducees and the pious Pharisees — whose name perhaps derives from the Hebrew word ‘to separate’. The Sadducees neither knew the scriptures nor the power of God (Matthew 22:2929Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. (Matthew 22:29)). The Pharisees were condemned for their wickedness and hypocrisy: “Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Matthew 23:2828Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. (Matthew 23:28)). The flesh will tend towards liberality where there is no knowledge of the truth and towards legality when it takes up and attempts to act on knowledge. We live in a day when separation from evil is considered narrowminded. However, there is a day coming when: “the vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said [to be] bountiful” (Isaiah 32:55The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful. (Isaiah 32:5)).
Amid the sad state of things in Judea, we find Simeon and Anna and those that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
“And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser ... which departed not from the temple, but served [God] with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:36-3836And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; 37And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36‑38)).
This is that little remnant spoken of in Malachi; they feared the Lord and spoke often one to another. They were His precious jewels.
Even in this day of ruin there is a path for the faithful. It is clearly a pathway of simple submission to His word and letting the Holy Spirit do His work. As with Ezra and Nehemiah, the ruin will only be accentuated. This is the character of Philadelphia. It is not an outward display of power — the synagogue of Satan would be that — but a simple faithfulness in walking with God in the midst of evil.
There is a real danger of losing sight of the ruin and of setting ourselves up to be something, this is when we become pharisaic. There can be no place for us in our thoughts, when Christ is our object.