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?
“And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] He might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).
We also saw that there is only one body (Ephesians 4:4) and that the assembly at a location — for example Corinth — is seen as the local expression of Christ’s body:
“Now ye are Christ’s body, and members in particular” (1 Corinthians 12:27 JND).
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 5:17)? 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 16:13-14)? What then are we doing? Are we endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit?
“Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. [There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:3-4).
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 3:1-6). 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 2:19-22).
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 19:18). This is not a question of withdrawing from the world, nor are we to leave the house of profession (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 19:19). 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 6:17-18).
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 22:29). 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 23:28). 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 32:5).
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 2:36-38).
This is that little remnant spoken of in Malachi; they feared the Lord and spoke often one to another. They were His precious jewels.
“For where two or three are gathered together unto My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20 JND).
“Behold, I will make them ... to know that I have loved thee” (Revelation 3:9).
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.
“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another” (1 John 1:7).
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.